Sports

Shnapir and Castelli Hitting Their Stride in Sochi

Sudbury's Simon Shnapir and his Rhode Island partner Marissa Castelli hit their season best score on Tuesday during Olympic competition.

They aren't likely to leave the pairs figure skating competition with an Olympic medal, but Simon Shnapir and Marissa Castelli are turning some heads in Russia.

Shnapir, a Sudbury resident, and Castelli, a Rhode Island native, skated to a ninth place score out of 20 competitors in the short program on Tuesday in Sochi.

The duo's score of 67.44 was their best for the season, surpassing their previous high of 64.2.

Thanks to their finish in the event, Shnapir and Castelli qualified for the free skate, which takes place on Wednesday inside the Iceberg Skating Palace.

NBCOlympics.com published a feature story on the local skaters on Tuesday. The story chronicles the pair's journey from struggling on the ice and questioning their partnership to qualifying and excelling in the Olympics, all within a span of two years. 

“We've had to change a lot about ourselves, but we're here and couldn't be more proud of each other,” said Shnapir, according to NBCOlympics.com. “I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else besides Marissa, and two years ago that wasn't really the case for either of us.”


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