The short program for girls at the Grand Prix stage in France caused a mixed reaction in the world of figure skating. Fans expected Alina Zagitova and Alena Kostornaya to compete in their own league, not noticing all the other rivals. They really took the first two places, but the judges tried to make sure that the other participants had theoretical chances for something more than a bronze medal.
Kostornaya received fewer points than for a simpler rental with a double axel, performed a few weeks earlier. On Zagitova, they were very faulty for certain elements - for the first time in her career, she had an incorrect rib on the lutz, and one of the referees did not hesitate to put “–5” for the cascade, as if the Olympic champion had fallen on him. In addition, she was considered a hand raised after the end of the music for a separate movement, for which one point was withdrawn.
As a result, before the free program, the backlog of the American Mariah Bell from Zagitova was less than four points, and from Kostornaya - a little more than six. By their work, the judges returned the intrigue to the competition, but the Russians were determined to destroy it again and play gold exclusively in rivalry with each other. Zagitova in the arsenal had her new very worthy program in the image of Cleopatra, and Kostornaya had two triple axels, with whom she had already won the Finlandia Trophy.
The first of the three on ice went Zagitova. She stumbled on the first triple lutz, with difficulty avoiding a fall and an additional fine, but she could not finish the cascade. Zagitova was able to calm down and coped with the subsequent jumps. While in the free program there was unhurried music from the film "Lawrence of Arabia", the skater tuned in to re-perform the cascade and made it in the second half, slightly compensating for the loss.
And when the incendiary final part came with amazing tracks and the final rotation, Zagitova made everyone forget about what was in the beginning. The judges reached for the buttons that rated the components, and gave them four points more than for the equipment, which happens quite rarely. Zagitova received 141.82 points for a free program and 216.06 points in total - these are good estimates in themselves, but this season is far from leading. For example, the Olympic champion lost to the best results of Evgenia Medvedeva shown this fall.
Kostornaya went on the ice to present the program for the soundtrack from Twilight. The entire success of the rental depended on the starting triple axels. This time, the judges did not invent shortcuts in this difficult jump. Both in the cascade and in the solo, Kostornaya showed how perfectly she knows the technique of his performance.
However, it is impossible to say that Kostornaya specializes only in the triple axel. Not for a second did she let the fans and judges get bored while one song replaced another. For the rotations and tracks, the 16-year-old skater received almost the maximum allowances and as a result added a huge 18 points to the base cost of the program. For a free program, Kostornaya received 159.45 points - this is more than Zagitova's personal record. In total, the debutant of the Grand Prix scored exactly 236 points, which became her new personal record.
Closing the competition Mariah Bell, who had a theoretical chance to rise to second place. The American felt this and performed the best rental in life under the immortal Halleluja. She bypassed Zagitova in the free program, and if it had not been for the final lutz, the judges would have had reason to give silver to the American. But still, the duet of students Eteri Tutberidze took the two highest steps of the podium, and the less experienced of them celebrated the victory.
In late November, Kostornaya and Zagitova will meet again in the Japanese Sapporo. Only now they will also have Rick Kihira in their rivals. The three of them will fight for trips to the final stage in Turin.