Rippon's program to "The Arrival of the Birds" and "O" was a pure delight. The American perfectly executed all his jumps, including his quad toe -- a first for him. Skating first in the last group, he landed two triple axels and six triples in total, and three of his elements were rated Level 4.
"I just wanted to skate smooth and beautiful," a relieved Rippon said. "I'm so proud of what I've done. These last years have been so much hard work. Here, I felt mature, ready, prepared. I just felt like practice.
"I'm so glad that everybody saw my quad finally. It just took 27 years!" he continued. "But I can tell you, age is just a number. This is really a big step forward for me, and a huge monkey off my back. No one can say that I've never landed a quad!"
Rippon flew over the ice, moving his arms as if they were wings, flexing his torso like no other man does, playing with his hands and head. Not only did he skate a perfect program -- he also delivered a masterpiece on its own.
"More important to me is the storyline. At home, I focus on those technical elements, all the jumps and spins, which I let go (of) when I am here," Rippon said. "Here, I can really think of my story."
That fact was reflected in Rippon's program components, which were the second highest of the field. His interpretation, for which he received a mark of 9.11, especially stood out.