Medalist Episode 9 Review: Inori Is Also A Champion

This episode of Medalist showcased both Inori and Ema at the top of their game. Let’s see how this episode turned out.

Medalist Episode 8 Recap

Inori finds herself in a difficult predicament due to a crucial oversight. She left her skates on the bus while heading to the venue. Upon learning this, Tsukasa doesn’t hesitate for a moment and immediately announces that he will run ten stops to retrieve them for her. While he rushes to bring them back, Inori refuses to let the setback shake her. Trusting in her coach, she continues preparing for her performance, believing he will return in time.

Meanwhile, on the rink, Sierra delivers an outstanding routine, securing an impressive score. Inori’s self-reflection during this moment is particularly compelling—she acknowledges that she isn’t a prodigy or a natural genius, yet she has come to accept her abilities. This realization doesn’t discourage her; instead, it fuels her determination to give her best effort.

As one skater after another takes their turn, the level of competition becomes clear. Every participant scores above 20, with Sierra leading the rankings. Despite the pressure, this is the first time Inori doesn’t feel overwhelmed before a performance. She draws strength from the knowledge of how much her coach has sacrificed to help her reach this stage.

Medalist Episode 9 Review And Recap

Inori finally takes the exam she has been preparing for for a long time. She starts out pretty fine, but as she had been vigorously practising before her final attempt, she gets pretty easily tired. This was a huge lapse in her judgment, and she regrets her decision. However, she also had to acknowledge that her transitions and glides were way smoother than usual. She also remembers all the teachings of Tsukasa.

But even though she performs very nicely, her body gets extremely tired throughout the whole gig. Inori tries her best to emulate her teacher and give as strong a performance as him. Even Tsukasa becomes shocked to see how perfectly she copies his attributes. However, her body finally takes a toll, and she falls right after giving a stellar performance.

Sadly, Inori sprains her leg, but she gets the highest score in the tournament. Later, Emma also becomes a tough competition for Inori because she is pretty serious about her craft. She starts a very dramatic performance that is both powerful and beautiful. Here, Inori understands how better Emma is than her. Needless to say, Emma comes and captures everyone’s attention very easily.

This episode highlighted how Inori was not the only one who deserved to be the best. There are others who work just as hard if not more, to be the finest at skating. Even though Inori did not win, Emma’s win also felt very emotional because of the amount of low self-esteem she had. Inori, even though won the second position, could not be at the top, not because she lacked skill, but because someone was better.

Verdict

Today’s episode was a big lesson on how much a sportsperson works for their passion. Those who are very serious also do not stop at the tender age of 10 or 11, and Inori is a huge example of that. She is so young, but not once do you feel she is not serious in her quest to win. Hopefully, we will see more of her journey this season.

Also Read: Medalist Episode 8 Review: Inori Can Not Lose