The Queen's Leap (Japanese: 女王のジャンプ Jouou no Janpu) is the nineteenth chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
(flashback)
(cameo)
(cameo)
Story[]
Yuna meets Yotsuha and reassures her that she did well. Yotsuha wishes for Yuna to win, noting that she works harder than Hikaru sometimes. While Yuna appreciates the support, she acknowledges that skating isn't a sport won solely by effort, admitting she has no expectations.
Despite her mature outward appearance, Yuna retreats to the washroom, where she comforts herself by role-playing with hand puppets. When she steps out, she finds Inori right outside, having overheard everything. Embarrassed, she ominously warns Inori to not tell anyone. Meanwhile, Shinichiro Sonidori approaches Tsukasa — once again — to thank him for coaching Rioh. Yuna returns to see him bowing before Tsukasa and misinterprets the situation, instinctively getting protective of her coach.
After Shinichiro introduces Yuna as his first student, Rioh also arrives, his attitude warm towards Tsukasa and Yuna but cold towards Inori. When Inori states her intention to take gold, Yuna says that she's aiming for the same. Rioh fills Inori in on Yuna, who was second best at Meikoh until Hikaru came along, something Inori had been too fixated on Hikaru to know.
A flashback reveals Yuna idolizing Shinichiro since she was four years old. Shinichiro retires that year and starts coaching, meeting Yuna as his first student. She impresses Shinichiro and Riina by executing jumps through mimicry alone. She and Riina vow to become the number one and two skaters at Meikoh, but everything changes when the genius Hikaru comes along, forcing Yuna into a struggle to reclaim her second place ever since.
Setsuna Ashikaga finishes her program, scoring 67.40 and placing seventh due to falling on a crucial combo in her second half. Finally, it is Yuna's turn to take the stage.
| Order | Element | Base Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3F<3F< | 4.24 |
| 2 | 2Lze2Lze | 1.68 |
| 3 | 2A2A | 3.30 |
| 4 | FSSp4FSSp4 | 3.00 |
| 5 | 2Loq2Loq | 1.70 |
| 6 | 3S3S + 2T2T + 2Loq2Loq | 7.30 |
| 7 | StSq2StSq2 | 2.60 |
| 8 | ||
| 9 | CCoSp3VCCoSp3V | 2.25 |
| 10 | LSp4LSp4 | 2.70 |
Shinichiro is slightly concerned about Inori but instructs Yuna to stick to the plan, their key to victory being the Triple Lutz + Double Loop combo. Yuna begins her program, her performance reminding the audience of Sonidori in his prime. However, instead of following the plan, she feels desperate to prove her strength, and upgrades her combo to a Triple Lutz + Triple Loop, the very jump that made Hikaru a "genius." This takes a toll on her stamina, causing her to make multiple mistakes in subsequent jumps.
As she skates, she recalls Inori's question at the opening ceremony, believing that Inori's journey is filled with hopefulness that she can catch up by building experience, without ever knowing the anguish of being surpassed. For this, Yuna refuses to lose the medal to Inori, and executes her following 2 jumps and 2 spins without fail.
| Order | Element | Base Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3Lz3Lz + 3Lo3Lo | 10.80 |
| 2 | 2Lo2Lo | 1.70 |
| 3 | 2Fe2Fe | 1.44 |
| 4 | ? | ? |
| 5 | 2A2A + 2T2T + 2Lo2Lo | 6.30 |
| 6 | StSq2StSq2 | 2.60 |
| 7 | 3Lz3Lz | 5.90 |
| 8 | 2A2A | 3.30 |
| 9 | ? | ? |
| 10 | CCoSp4CCoSp4 | 3.50 |
When she steps off the ice, Shinichiro lightly scolds her for not following the plan, though his pride is evident. Too gifted a bouquet by Shoya, she and Shinichiro sit at the kiss and cry. Her score of 80.03 is announced, placing her in first. Shinichiro promises Yuna that they'll refine her program to incorporate more challenging jumps, so she can do even better next time. Yuna basks in the moment, happy with today's results.
Now, it is Inori's turn to skate. As Sekoma fervently prays for her success, Inori once again clutches the strings of Tsukasa's hoodie. Taking her hands, Tsukasa declares with conviction that today, he will make her a gold medalist.