For music lovers, the figure skating portion of the Winter Olympics is an exciting time. This year, we've had some good song choices for the ice: Team USA landed a silver medal in the team free skate competition thanks to a graceful pair's routine to Daft Punk, and Nathan Chen set a world record that was soundtracked to the jazzy "La Bohème" by French-Armenian singer and lyricist Charles Aznavour.
But everyone is talking about the competitor who Billboard coins as the "Darth Skater": French athlete Adam Siao Him Fa.
On Tuesday (February 8), 21-year-old Siao Him Fa astonished the sparse crowd with a Star Wars-themed routine. Wearing a black Jedi outfit and matching gloves reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker, the three-time French silver medalist left a lasting impression with a fantastic run through his men’s short program.
The best part? It was all set to a compilation of Star Wars theme music arranged by Maxime Rodriguez. The routine opened with the ominous sound of Darth Vader’s labored breathing, later transitioning into John Williams’ "Duel of the Fates" score as the Frenchman skated to the sounds of light sabers and blasters.
Commentator Johnny Weir told viewers “when he skates well this short program is electrifying, one of the best choreographic pieces of the season.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I feel a disturbance in the Force,” Weir’s best friend and co-host, fellow former figure skater Tara Lipinski, added before the music took a sudden turn - and Siao Him Fa, unfortunately, took a tumble.
Luckily, the Force was with Siao Him Fa about mid-way through his routine. Heavier beats creeped in and the athlete was back on his game, skating to a hip-hop remix of Williams’ “Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme).” His astronomical step sequence lit up the arena's small crowd, and like the Death Star, the energized musical choice made Twitter blow up (with praise, of course).
ADAM SIAO HIM FA DRESSED AS A JEDI AND SKATING TO STAR WARS??? OLYMPIC BOYBOSS pic.twitter.com/XmY2Qu7Lmd
— mayo (@oviliut) February 8, 2022
WAIT ADAM SIAO HIM FA IS SKATING TO STAR WARS!!!!!!! MY WORLDS ARE COLLIDING pic.twitter.com/YoX3kkVruu
— hellyu wave (@bobaheadshark) February 8, 2022
Okay...Adam Siao from France 🇫🇷 just gave me chills with that performance!!!! AHHHHH 😭😭😭 The Star Wars theme...I can't 😭😭😭 #WinterOlympics2022 #FigureSkating pic.twitter.com/er3LqW9ddg
— Rhyder (@rhyderlight) February 8, 2022
When asked about the music selection, Siao Him Fa said, "I feel there is a lot of energy I can give. It's something new, but it feels good." He added, "We were looking for something original, and something really famous."
Siao Him Fa's short program score of 86.74 should be enough to qualify him for the next round of the men’s individual competition, which will take place on Thursday, February 10.
See a clip of Adam Siao Him Fa's Olympic performance and the full routine from 2021's World Team Trophy SP below.
Adam Siao Him Fa was beyond amazing!! #FigureSkating
— 𝐳𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐡 (@JINS0N94) February 8, 2022
pic.twitter.com/aPRnksMn0w
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Article Image: Adam Siao Him Fa figure skating at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games. (Clément Bucco-Lechat [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons.)
