By The FirstMinna-Maaria Antikainen became the world’s first transgender national figure skater, showing off his skills…or lack thereof…during the opening ceremonies of the European Figure Skating Championships in Espoo, Finland. The 59-year-old Antikainen, who is reportedly a farmer by trade, crashed onto the ice and had difficulty getting back on his feet.
Watch the bizarre performance below:
According to a press release on the European Figure Skating Championships’ website, the opening ceremony, which was created by synchronized skating coach Helena Tienhaara and choreographer and coach Beata Leppilampi, was designed to showcase a “diverse group of performers” in order “to show that the ice has space for everyone.”
“The opening ceremony will present skaters at various levels from non-professionals to top athletes. On the ice, we will see Single Skaters, Synchronized Skaters, and Pairs. Included among the performers are Figure Skater Minna-Maaria Antikainen, who defines herself as a gender-neutral woman, adaptive skating performers, and a male synchronized skating team”, Tienhaara said.
Despite his lack of discernible skill, this isn’t Antikainen’s first time on the ice. Antikainen previously competed in the 2020 Juna Cup in a performance titled “Geisha,” during which he painted his face white, dressed in kimono, and skated to traditional Japanese music.
