Finland: With an ode to India in her costume - a bright outfit designed to resemble a saree - Georgia's Anastasiia Gubanova mesmerised audiences and the judges with her final performance on Saturday - later being crowned the champion.
The performance was choreographed to hit numbers from Indian movies - Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and blockbuster hit Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ramleela. The tracks were Latika's theme song and Ringa Ringa from Slumdog Millionaire, and Nagada Sang Dhol Baje from Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ramleela.
In 2009, Slumdog Millionaire picked up ten Academy Award nominations, including nods for Best Director and Best Picture. The film scooped awards for Best Director, Best picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Indian composer A R Rahman also won two Oscars for Best Musical Score and Best Song for his work on Slumdog Millionaire. The movie also bagged awards for sound mixing and film editing.
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh play star-crossed lovers in Ramleela which ends in romantic tragedy. Padukone was lauded for her high-energy dance performance in the movie.
Gubanova timed her flips and twists to the songs in perfect harmony, and her performance gained her the title of European figure skating champion.
Despite an error on a triple flip, the 20-year-old triumphed ahead of Belgium's Loena Hendrickx who had started as favourite in the absence of Russia's banned skaters.
"I'm in shock, but the work paid off," said Gubanova, dressed in a bright outfit to resemble a sari, after winning the free program in Espoo, Finland.
She had already won the short program and finished the competition on 199.91 points.
"I was so stressed before skating, and mentally it was very hard," added Gubanova who had represented Russia until 2021.
"At the end of my performance, there were a lot of emotions."
Having finished 11th at the Beijing Olympics then sixth at the world championships last year, Saturday's win was comfortably the biggest of Gubanova's career.
