Chapter Text
JAMES CALDER:
We’re back with the final group of the men’s short program, and this next skater has one of the most distinctive stories in the field.
ELENA ROSSI:
Many fans first knew Henry Fox as an ice dancer, skating alongside his sister Beatrice early in his career, before stepping away from the sport entirely at eighteen.
JAMES CALDER:
He returned in 2019, retrained for singles from the ground up, and earned an Olympic spot.
(camera follows Henry gliding to the center of the rink)
JAMES CALDER:
He will be skating to Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.
ELENA ROSSI:
And take a look at the costume. Very understated. Deep navy, almost black. Clean lines, much more severe than most of the costumes we have seen today.
(music begins)
JAMES CALDER:
He opens with a triple flip, and a clean landing!
ELENA ROSSI:
He doesn’t attack the jump. He lets it come to him.
JAMES CALDER:
And now we can see him setting up for his second jump, a triple lutz into a triple toe.
ELENA ROSSI:
And of course, another clean landing from Henry Fox.
JAMES CALDER:
Just look at the way he whips himself around as he enters his spin. I’m sure that if it were me, I would’ve been dizzy by the second rotation!
ELENA ROSSI:
Now, you typically don’t see men doing laybacks or their variations, typically because of the back flexibility it requires, but that seems to be no issue for the Brit.
JAMES CALDER:
Into the step sequence now.
ELENA ROSSI:
This is where his skating skills really shine. Deep edges, full use of the ice.
JAMES CALDER:
You can see the ice dance background immediately.
(camera cuts to the audience, showing Alex, Nora, and Bea cheering for Henry)
ELENA ROSSI:
And just a quick look there at the stands.
JAMES CALDER:
You can see his support system tonight. His sister Beatrice Fox, his longtime boyfriend Alex Claremont-Diaz, and Alex’s pairs partner Nora Holleran, all watching together.
(Bea claps, then presses a hand to her mouth)
(Alex leans forward, smiling)
(Nora applauds, nodding)
(camera cuts back to Henry as he enters his second spin - sideways camel, change of foot, catch-foot)
ELENA ROSSI:
There’s a sort of melancholy here that feels intentional.
JAMES CALDER:
This program, we’re told, is a homage to his late father Arthur Fox.
ELENA ROSSI:
Yes, choreographed around the idea of mourning and dealing with grief.
JAMES CALDER:
Double axel, well done.
ELENA ROSSI:
He doesn’t have the biggest jumps in this field, but what he lacks in technicality, he makes up for in control and emotion.
JAMES CALDER:
And you can feel the audience, the world, leaning in.
ELENA ROSSI:
You can feel the emotions pouring out of this program.
JAMES CALDER:
Final spin now, and look at the height of that flying broken leg!
ELENA ROSSI:
Centered. Unrushed. He holds each position beautifully.
(music fades)
(applause grows)
JAMES CALDER:
That was very composed.
ELENA ROSSI:
That’s a skater who understands his strengths and leans into them.
JAMES CALDER:
A smile as he reaches the boards.
(Henry skates over, resting his forearms on the barrier)
ELENA ROSSI:
And here comes Alex.
(Alex hands Henry a small plush)
(Henry laughs softly, accepting it)
ELENA ROSSI:
They’ve been supporting each other a long time now. Whenever there’s one there is almost always the other.
(transition to Henry in the kiss and cry with his coach, Shaan Srivastava next to him)
(scores appear)
JAMES CALDER:
And the score comes in, 91.66!
ELENA ROSSI:
This makes him in 5th place, just a few places shy of a medal.
JAMES CALDER:
We still have a long way to go, but that was a beautiful skate done by Henry Fox.
ELENA ROSSI:
The short program is about putting yourself in a good position, and he’s done exactly that.