Tatiana Totmianina, the reigning world pairs champion, left Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon, roughly 24 hours after a severe fall during the Skate America Grand Prix left her lying motionless on the ice.
The accident happened when partner Maxim Marinin lost a one-handed grip while carrying Totmianina overhead at speed. She was thrown forward and landed face-first, silencing a crowd of about 5,000 at Mellon Arena. Stretcher-bearers carried her off the ice, and she was taken to hospital by ambulance.
A hospital spokeswoman said Totmianina was "awake and oriented" after admission. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that coach Dmitri Palamarchuk had been told she sustained a concussion and broken ribs; the hospital offered no details on injuries when she was discharged. The pair had skated together for eight years.
Totmianina and Marinin were the last pair to compete and were leading after the short program when the fall ended their night. Awards ceremonies for the pairs, ladies, and ice dancing events were moved to Sunday.
Skate America is the opening stop on the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix circuit. Skate Canada in Halifax follows the next week.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.