Pure hire of Kolyada and justified risk of Samarin: Russian skaters broke personal records in the short program at the European Championships

Men's skating at the European Championships is a one-man show, Javier Fernandez. For a very long time, no one else, even in other disciplines, has been able to stay on the podium for so long. His six victories in a row are comparable only to the dominance of Katharina Witt from the GDR in the 1980s. But all the series once ended, and the hegemony of the Spaniard should also end - in Minsk, he came to his last tournament in his career.

Both options are quite possible. On the one hand, Fernandez is no longer young and has participated in only one start in Japan, where he limited himself to arbitrary rentals. On the other hand, he participated in ice shows a lot and kept physical form, and devotedly spent the last three weeks preparing for the European Championship. He did not invent new programs and brought in old, time-tested productions. In training, Fernandez managed without disruption, and in the comments he exuded confidence that winning gold was real.

Now rivals have a good chance to push the Spaniard from the podium. Once his trump card was the technical complexity of the programs, but now it corresponds to a good European level, and the number of quadruple jumps does not exceed the average. The second forte of Fernandez - by default, the high components - should not have disappeared anywhere even after a long time ago.

There were quite a few contenders to get around the two-time world champion in Minsk, and Maxim Kovtun was the first on this list. Leaving behind all the psychological problems, he successfully reloaded his career in the current season, so much so that he became the first number of the Russian team, just like in his best years.

But at the height of the set still need to stay. Kovtun is an experienced skater on the part of speeches at major tournaments, on the same podium with Fernandez he already stood three times. However, after a long break, the roaring, painted in white-blue-red colors of the Minsk-Arena brought down the Russians.

Already when entering the quad Salchow, it became clear that Kovtun could not stay on his feet, and he fell on his trademark element. But to the credit of the athlete, did not give up the fight. The figure skater finished the program and scored the maximum possible points, brilliantly performing a quadruple toe loop in a cascade and a triple axel. The judges rated 87.70 points, which Kovtuna, however, did not satisfy.

“The best result of the season is not pleased. When I went out on the ice, I realized that two years of absence at competitions of such a level are having an effect. I could not bring myself to the click of the fingers in a combat state. Preparing purposefully for this start, there was a very great desire to show oneself as worthy as possible.

Probably, it was necessary to tame himself a little bit. Of course, you can be pleased that you did your job until the end, you fought. But I will be satisfied only with the highest quality result, two perfectly clean programs, ”said Kovtun after the rental.

Russian anxiety quickly gained ground. In men's skating more points are gained not by the one who performs complex programs and makes mistakes, but the one who skates without heavy elements, but it is clear. This trend allowed the Frenchman Kevin Aimooz to quickly move Kovtun to second place. The 21-year-old skater, who did not achieve great success, remained the leader until the release of the strongest group of athletes.

It was opened by Alexander Samarin, who still stubbornly relies on complexity. He even came to Minsk with a new leap - a quadruple flip, which no one in Europe had performed this season. Just like the quad Lutz, with whom the 20-year-old skater opens his programs. The cascade with a sheepskin coat was a success - Samarin broke his own world record for a bunch of two jumps, gaining 19.64 points for them.

But for the quad flip there was not enough competitive experience. The Russian figure skater counted only three turns, and the jump turned out to be the most modest element of the program, even in comparison with rotations. The final score of Samarin was a good 91.97 points, which this season has not yet submitted to him. After the program, the skater told why he took a chance and preferred the flip to a tested sheepskin coat.

“I could score a lot more points, there is a residue from this. But overall the impressions are great. I first tried the quad flip, showed it in training and warm-ups, but now I didn’t have enough competitive experience. Still, this jump in Europe, no one performs, I wanted to be the first.

I am not going to simplify the program, I plan to develop both in technology and in components. Sooner or later it would have come to this anyway. I was preparing for the flip after the championship of Russia. Planned another quadruple, but it turned out badly. I decided to try the flip, the coaches looked at me with surprise, but I entered and made a second attempt, ”Samarin told his story.

After the unsuccessful rentals of Alexey Bychenko and Maurice Kvitelashvili, it was Michael Kolyada’s turn to show what he is capable of. Compared to previous seasons, the Russian has simplified the short program to the limit, leaving only one quadruple sheepskin coat in it.

It was not always possible to perform it cleanly, but in Minsk the Olympic medalist finally got together and pleased numerous fans who came even from Japan - only Alina Zagitova was honored with louder applause in the capital of Belarus. Kolyada showed flawless rolling for the second time this season and became the third figure skater, who, according to the new rules, passed for a three-digit mark - the judges rated the Russian at 100.49 points. Such a success did not cause any emotion in the figure skater, and he commented on it as short as possible.

“Good impressions of hire. Enough with what was today. We managed to get the best shape for the European Championship. Today for the first time I went out to the main ice, in quality it is the same as the training one. Maybe a little more than the main arena, and the rest is the same. Fourth Lutz was not going to do. Before an arbitrary program, the mood is fighting. Laconic answers? I matured in every sense, ”concluded Kolyada.

Only Javier Fernandez could intervene in the leadership of two Russians. The Spaniard had it on the shoulder - at least, he bypassed Kolyad on technical complexity. But every jump element of the Spaniard contained omissions for such fierce rivalry.

The six-time European champion simplified the second sheepskin coat in a cascade, undid the quadruple salchow and jerked on a triple axel. Fernandez bypassed Kolyada in terms of components - more judges thanked only Yuzuru Hania in this way this season. But in the aggregate, the Spaniard lost to Samarin 0.13 points.

Before the draw Kolyada received a small gold medal for winning the short program, Samarin and Fernandez were awarded silver and bronze. On Saturday, skaters will perform an arbitrary program, and you should not be surprised if the podium will be completely Russian for the first time since 1999.