Strengthening the Tuktamysheva program and Samodurova’s plans

Russian skaters are preparing for the 2018/19 season, which for many of them will start in September from the Challenge series tournaments. They continue to work out new numbers, and also share plans for upcoming performances.

So, the 2015 world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva said that she intends to include two double axels in an arbitrary program. This idea came up with her on the eve of the 2019 World Cup.

“When I first made two jumps in training, I realized that it was real. It used to be hard, but in good condition at the end of last season I was able to do it and in July I also succeeded. I set a goal to add two jumps. Taking into account the current technical component of women's figure skating, you need to be proactive, ”the official website of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) quotes the figure skater.

This season, the Russian woman for the first time began to collaborate with Canadian coach She-Lynn Bourne, known for her work with Olympic winners Yujuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno. The skater emphasized that at first it was difficult for her, but then she realized that it was her methods that would allow her to reach a new level.

“When I first started working with She-Lynn, I considered myself a mediocre skater. A person gets used to a certain style of work, but here a lot of things that are not peculiar to me, I really got components. I knew that I have steps, but this program really corresponds to the level of those athletes who win world championships, ”she added.

Another student of Alexei Mishin, Sofia Samodrova, also shared her plans for the upcoming season. She admitted that preparing for him was not easy for her, but this did not affect her mood.

“I understood that they had not expected much from Sofia Samodurova before. Now for the European champion is a completely different attitude and completely different requirements. I’m ready to fight and gnaw out a place in the team with my teeth. It seems to me that I learned to cope with psychological pressure. This proved the continental primacy. After all, I played in adult competitions for only one season, ”Sports Week quotes Samodurov.

Konstantinova's new program and Stolbova’s recognition

The bronze medalist of the 2019 Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Stanislav Konstantinov, took part in the multisport festival Aurora Games, held in the American Albany. There she demonstrated a new short program, within the framework of which she cleanly performed a double axel, a triple lutz and a cascade of a triple flip - a triple sheepskin coat. In addition, the Russian woman received the highest score for an arbitrary program.

The first official competition in the 2018/19 season for Konstantinova will be the Nepela Memorial tournament, which will be held in late September in Slovak Bratislava. In addition, Maria Sotskova, Alexandra Trusova, Mikhail Kolyada, Dmitry Aliev, Alexander Samarin, as well as dance couples Sofya Evdokimova - Yegor Bazin, Victoria Sinitsina - Nikita Katsalapov, Tiffany Zagorski - Jonathan Gureiro, will perform there.

The silver medalist of the 2018 European Championship Dmitry Aliev is also working on strengthening the program. He emphasized that only this would allow him to compete with his rivals.

“We have a short program of the Olympic type - Lutz-sheepskin coat, sheepskin coat and axel. In the arbitrary, some adjustments usually occur, but at the moment we are rolling with three quadruple jumps - a lutz and two sheepskin coats. Naturally, axel and other triple jumps. I really want to show the set of quadruples that I own, and also add salchow - this is the most ideal, ”Aliyev said.

Soon, the debut of the pair Ksenia Stolbova - Andrey Novosyolov, formed last year, but completely missed the season, will take place. Sochi 2014 Olympic champion admitted that it was hard for her to continue her career after leaving her previous partner Fedor Klimov, but coach Tatyana Tarasova helped her in this.

“After all, I really had no idea a year and a half ago how to live on and what to do. And completely spontaneously, Tarasova and Nikolai Morozov suddenly appeared nearby. Tatyana Anatolyevna, in fact, told me that I had no right to leave. And I believed her, although I certainly did not expect Kolya to repeat these words. And get up close. Although not so long ago he admitted that for a very long time he did not believe that something would come out of our joint venture, ”said Stolbova in an interview with RIA Novosti.

In turn, Novoselov added that it was unusual for him to work with Stolbova, since she showed a higher level of skating than he did.

“I’ve never ridden with such partners in my life, and at first I didn’t keep pace with Ksyusha. Neither in dashes, nor in elements. At times it was humiliating, but it also added motivation. Every minute of training was a challenge: can I or not? A couple of months I was constantly catching up. And now it happens that in some ways I am lagging behind the level that Ksyusha sets, but the motivation from this continues to become only stronger, ”said the skater.

Junior Success and ISU Reform

Russian juniors made their debut at the first stage of the Grand Prix in the 2019/20 season, which took place in France. After the triumph of Kamila Valieva in ice skating in ice dancing, Elizabeth Shanaeva and David Narizhny won. Moreover, the third place was left to their compatriots Ekaterina Katashinskaya and Alexander Vaskovich. In the men's tournament, Andrei Kutovoi won the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, it became known that in the near future figure skating will undergo drastic changes. According to the president of the International Union of Skaters (ISU) Alexander Lakernik, short and free programs can be changed to technical and artistic, respectively. In the second case, the complexity will be less important, however, the judges will give marks on the same principle as before. Discussion of the reforms will take place at the organization’s congress in June 2020.

Commenting on potential changes, two-time Olympic champion Arthur Dmitriev admitted that he does not yet understand why they are needed.

“I don’t understand what an artistic program can be - a performance on ice? If we talk about pair skating, then this is a very complex and conservative discipline, changes in which are very slow. If we simplify the task of figure skaters in paired elements, then we come closer to dancing, and what are the criteria? In addition, our free program is already reduced to the limit, there is no time for parting, choreographic miniatures, ”said Dmitriev.