Figure skater Fernandez retires after winning 7th European Championships
CGTN
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Spanish skating star Javier Fernandez crowned a remarkable career on Saturday as he claimed a seventh consecutive European title after winning the men's free skating. 
The 27-year-old received 179.75 points for his routine to "Man of La Mancha" by Mitch Leigh and collected 271.59 points overall. 
With that win, the 2018 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time world champion, who announced his decision to retire after the European championships in Minsk, equaled the record of Russia's skating icon Evgeni Plushenko. 
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"It was really difficult to compete after such a long break since the Olympics," Fernandez told the packed 15,000-seat Minsk arena. 
He added "It was quite complicated. And knowing that it is my final career competition, it was really hard to win here." 
Fernandez had barely competed or trained since winning bronze at last year's Olympics, as he prepares to retire from competitive skating to focus on commercial ice shows.
His outstanding record has been unmatched since the 1930s in Spain's history, as he was the country's first male skater to debut in Olympics in 54 years back in 2010.
Meanwhile, Russia's Alexander Samarin, who was second after the short programme, kept his position finishing just 1.75 points behind the Spaniard with a solid presentation of his free routine to "The Greatest Showman" soundtrack. 
Matteo Rizzo of Italy was third on 247.08 points. 
Source(s): AFP