Olympic figure skaters deliver flawless victory with Mortal Kombat routine

A pair of figure skaters brought video games to the Winter Olympics in Milan, with a routine inspired by Mortal Kombat.

Video games may have already permeated the Olympics through several tangential esport tournaments, but it’s not often their influence is seen in other events.

That’s what happened on Saturday, February 21, when Georgian figure skaters Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava took to the ice for an Exhibition Gala at the Winter Olympics in Milan.

The pair won a silver medal in the figure skating pairs event at the games last Monday, which was Georgia’s first ever Winter Olympic medal. After making history for their country, the pair took a slightly less serious approach when it came to the Exhibition Gala.

The event doesn’t have any judges or medals attached to it, so skaters can flex their creative muscles in more entertaining ways. So if you’re going to do a lighthearted gallivant around the ice then, why not dress up as Sub-Zero and Kitana for a Mortal Kombat crossover?

As you can see in the below video (and also on Reddit), the routine starts out with the couple discussing their plans for the day, when Berulava suggests playing video games. He offers to teach Metelkina how to play, which triggers the reveal of their outfits and the song Techno Syndrome from the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.

In the middle of the routine, the duo emulate the dazed stance before a gory Fatality finishing move. However, instead of any elegant spine-ripping, they launch into a ‘Friendship’ finisher instead, a family-friendly alternative also pulled from the games.

This Friendship fatality segues into a second spin around the ice to Spandau Ballet’s True. At the end of the routine, Berulava drops to the floor, as the classic Mortal Kombat voiceover shouts: ‘Flawless victory.’

The BBC commentator even gives a brief background on the Friendship moves in Mortal Kombat for viewers at home, which isn’t something we had down on our Winter Olympic bingo card.

This isn’t the first time games have crept into the Olympics. Beyond esports, music from Final Fantasy and Sonic The Hedgehog was featured during the opening ceremony at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

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