The Swedish ice dance pair Milla Ruud Reitan and Nikolaj Majorov made history as the first Swedish duo to reach the Olympics by qualifying for the final. They celebrated with a kiss that went viral and drew significant attention. The pair finished 20th in the final but emphasized the joy of the experience.
Milla Ruud Reitan and Nikolaj Majorov became the first Swedish ice dance pair to compete in the Olympic Games. On Monday, they qualified for the final after finishing 19th in the rhythm dance. In Wednesday's free dance, they performed as start number two and earned 97.74 points, resulting in a total score of 165.05 combined with Monday's performance.
The pair finished 20th in the final but focused on enjoying the moment. “It felt fantastic! We have no goals today, just go out and enjoy. It became a shocked final – and this was just completely fantastic,” Nikolaj Majorov told SVT Sport after the performance.
The celebration after qualifying included a kiss that quickly spread online and caused significant stir. “It just shows our love for each other,” the pair commented, repeating the gesture in their final program. SVT expert Angelica Olsson observed: “You can really see their feelings and chemistry; it comes through especially well in this program.”
Gold went to the French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who have only been dancing together for one year. SVT commentator AnnaMaria Fredholm expressed surprise: “It shouldn't be possible! It's unique!” Silver was awarded to the USA and bronze to Canada.
Despite the placement, Majorov described the experience as historic and positive for the Swedish ice dance pair.
