FIGURE SKATING: There's no doubt Australian figure skater Brendan Kerry has earned his place at the height of his sport, taking on the men's free skating event with a jam-packed program, that included two triple axels.

Overcoming a slight hesitation on his opening jump Kerry cemented his place in the top tier of international figure skaters, finishing 20th with a total score of 233.81.

"I wanted to make the most of this skate," Kerry said. "I wanted to go for everything."

"I was over-thinking as I went into my first jump, but I got it together.

"I wanted to go for my quads though because I know I can do them."

Skating to a mix of 'Shine on you crazy diamond' and 'Money,' the 23-year-old pushed through some early nerves to prove he can now mix it with the best in the competition.

"My whole feeling at these Olympics has been pretty relaxed, pretty chilled," he said.

"It feels like I've at least made up for that bad skate at Sochi. So that feels pretty sweet."

Kerry, who finished his short program in 16th place, with a technical score that had him at 13th, said he now plans on working on his performance and musicality.

"It feels amazing knowing that my technical score has improved so much," he said.

"If I can get my program component score up a bit more I think my overall score will keep improving."

The Sydney-born skater earned a score of 150.75 for his free skate, equalling his season best.

Kerry will now focus on the World Championships next month, before planning out his next four-year campaign, with his sights firmly set on making his 3rd Olympic Games in 2022.

Katherine Firkin
olympics.com.au