The Girl at the Top (Japanese: 一番上の少女 Ichiban-jou no Shoujo) is the forty-third chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
(mentioned)
Story[]
Yoh, Koichi, Kohei, Nozomi, Hitomi, Kohei, and Inori's clubmates are all watching a livestream of the event as her short program begins. Inori impresses the audience with her smooth skating. Her first jump, the 3F3F + 3T3T, is slightly under-rotated, but she recovers for her next jump and follows with a perfect 3Lz3Lz. Following that is a Flying Sit Spin into a Broken Leg, a Level 4 Step Sequence, and a Double Axel. Her final two elements are a Layback Spin and a Change-of-Foot Combination Spin, both executed at Level 4.
| Order | Element | Base Score | GOEGOE[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3F3F + 3Tq3Tq | 9.50 | -0.53 |
| 2 | 3Lz3Lz | 5.90 | +0.59 |
| 3 | FSSp4FSSp4[1] | 3.00 | +1.03 |
| 4 | StSq4StSq4 | 3.90 | +1.39 |
| 5 | 2A2A | 3.30 | +0.80 |
| 6 | LSp4LSp4 | 2.70 | ? |
| 7 | CCoSp4CCoSp4 | 3.50 | ? |
The performance earns Inori praise from the commentator and scores 65.28, successfully reaching her target score of 65. She motivates herself to keep going before realizing that she's already done for the day. Deciding to keep watching, Inori asks Tsukasa what Iruka meant when she said you can't win the short program just by having strong cards.
Tsukasa makes a strange face before explaining that, under strict Junior rules, short programs have little flexibility in jump elements. As a result, capable skaters often perform similar routines, making performance scores and GOEGOE more influential in determining the winner. As memories resurface, Inori realizes that Tsukasa's expression was the familiar "I've said this many times before, but it never quite sank in" face.
As the competition unfolds and other skaters strive to surpass her score, Inori experiences, for the first time, the pressure of being chased after. However, Iruka interrupts her in the midst of her distress. With her turn coming up, she reminds Inori of when she asked for guidance on how to win.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 44: Wounds and Fins