First came Nathan Chen’s gloriously redemptive five-and-a-half quads, followed by a career-ending gold for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and a brazen and ebullient free-skate from 15-year-old Alina Zagitova.

According to the 1980 Olympic champion Robin Cousins, figure skating has never had it better than its two weeks in Pyeongchang, where records have tumbled and artistry in the sport has toe-looped to new heights.

When Cousins ruled the world, he was still cramming training sessions in between public sessions in London park rinks, and said the prospect of a quad jump was nothing more than a whispered fantasy.

Nathan Chen
Nathan Chen rose 12 places after his stunning free skate routine (David J. Phillip/AP)

“Thinking about four or five quads in my day was science-fiction,” Cousins told Press Association Sport. “Now you go on Google and there’s a 14-year-old Russian girl doing her quad-salchow, triple toe-loop combination.

“We talked about quads and laughed. Now here a few of us still are, watching the Olympics with our jaws on the floor.”

Chen’s stunning recovery after a calamitous short program had left him languishing in 17th position was one of the many highlights of a men’s event which ended with gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu being showered with Pooh Bears.

Alina Zagitova
Fifteen-year-old Alina Zagitova stole the show (Mike Egerton/PA)

Virtue and Moir’s ice dance routine illustrated a couple more in control of their craft than anyone since Torvill and Dean scored a string of perfect sixes in Sarajevo, and Zagitova pipped compatriot Evgenia Medvedeva with a routine that showed a glimpse of an even more outrageous future.

Cousins added: “What they are doing now is just incredible – and what the women are doing is what the men were doing not so many years ago.

“The quality has gone stratospheric. These have been an exhilarating and phenomenal games, and they will be remembered as a game-changer for future generations of figure skating.”