The 15th anniversary of the Khrustalny branch of the Sambo-70 Sports Center in the southwest of the capital was celebrated on an Olympic scale. And the matter is not even in the honored guests and the awards of the best employees of the sports school, but in the one who appeared before numerous spectators on the ice.
The fact that in honor of the anniversary of his native school his short program will be performed by Olympic champion Pyonchkhana Alina Zagitova, it seemed that all fans of figure skating knew. Near the skating rink with flowers and plush toys a few hours before the appearance of Zagitova, several dozen of the smallest figure skating fans had already gathered. However, not everyone got a chance to see her favorite athlete. The small rink simply could not accommodate everyone. The CEO of Sambo-70, Renat Laishev, spoke about this in an interview with RT.
“The popularity of our skating rink is such that they could not invite everyone to the 15th anniversary. All this, of course, thanks to our Olympic stars. To hire Alina Zagitova people were ready to go from other cities. It is without exaggeration a world star, even the number of its subscribers in social networks speaks about it, ”explained Layshev.
As befits the main prim of the rink "Crystal", Zagitova appeared on the ice last. Under the applause of the audience and the steadfast gaze of mentor Eteri Tutberidze, the figure skater performed her program, and then told reporters how the transition to Sambo-70 had changed her sports career.
“You know, I probably spent most of my life at this rink and really love it. We have here as a family. I always know that whatever happens to me, I will come back here and will support me for sure! It is worth a lot, ”admitted Zagitova.
After Zagitova, she said that the gala performance, timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the rink, for her and other pupils Eteri Tutberidze became a kind of competitive show. According to the athlete, the spirit of rivalry, even at home, will help her to get in top shape for the Vancouver Grand Prix final on December 6.
“Preparations for the Grand Prix finals are underway. We work in a quiet mode. Of course, after the Olympic season, I already have experience in major competitions, but not everything goes as smoothly as I would like. But this is normal for any athlete. By the way, I do not know when we fly there. I have such a tradition. I never know the time of departure or the date. Even the day before departure to the competition. It somehow calms me down, ”said Zagitova.
Another demonstration of the fact that any appearance on the ice for figure skaters from the group Eteri Tutberidze is a struggle for victory, was the performance of the world junior champion Alexandra Trusova. The world's first figure skater, who performed the quad Lutz during the rental, made a mistake in the performance of the cascade and did not go to the locker room until she performed it cleanly. Mentor decision Trusovoy supported.
“I received permission from Eteri Georgievna. This is in my character - to bring the matter to the end. I do not prove anything to anyone, I just always try to work cleanly, ”admitted Trusova.
To date, 180 children are engaged in professional sports under the arches of the “Crystal” skating rink. For 15 years since the opening, Sochi Olympic champion Yulia Lipnitskaya, two-time world champion and Olympic medalist Yevgenia Medvedeva, silver medalist of the European Championship Alyona Pogorilaya and many others have already stepped into the world of figure skating.
Sambo-70 does not hide the fact that after each success in the international arena, Crystal shows a surge of interest in figure skating. However, the skating rink cannot take everybody who wants to try their hand on professional ice.
“After the success at the two Olympiads, we feel a real pilgrimage from those who want to attend our school. This is both a joy and a problem, because we are simply not physically able to take everything. We are trying to explain, but not everyone understands this, they are offended. However, thanks to this, the Moscow government decided to build two luxurious new skating rinks in the Yasenevo area. At the end of 2021, they should start their work and give us the opportunity to expand the capabilities of our groups, ”said Renat Laishev, Director General of Sambo-70, in an interview with RT.
In addition to plans for expansion, the Sambo-70 leadership shares its hopes for the nearest sporting future. According to Layshev, in “Crystal” they are sure that the coaching staff, the support of the city government and the talent of the students are able to bring the long-awaited award in the form of men's Olympic gold.
“We have a great Trusov, which makes quadruple jumps, a lot of young girls who are successful in international competitions. As they say in hockey, there is a strong “bench”, although this definition is not very suitable for our beautiful girls. With a gasp we dream that we will grow up and the Olympic champion. There are all the resources and opportunities for this, ”admitted the head of Sambo-70.
The main hopes in the men's figure skating at Crystal are associated with the group Eteri Tutberidze. Among the seven skaters, speaking under the leadership of the Honored Coach of Russia, there are 13-year-old Daniel Samsonov and Yegor Rukhin. The strict coaching staff was pleased with their rentals in honor of the anniversary of the school.