“We did beautifully”
In Moscow, the penultimate stage of the Grand Prix in figure skating has ended. Skaters presented their show numbers at the final gala evening. True, unlike fans from other countries, the spectators of the Megasport arena expected a lot of surprises.
The first of them was the appearance of the champion of the Olympic Games in Sochi, Adeline Sotnikova, who did not go on ice in official competitions since the 2015/16 season. She was not declared as a participant in the event, in connection with which the fans were pleasantly surprised by her performance.
“These emotions, how I missed you ... Not competition, but this atmosphere, it is impossible to convey in words! Thank you for your love, for your words from the stands, I heard everything, ”Sotnikova wrote on her Instagram page.
In total, 14 Russians took part in the gala evening, including young students of Eteri Tutberidze - Daniil Samsonov and Sofya Akantieva, whom some experts now consider the future of Russian figure skating.
The silver prize-winner of the tournament, Yevgeny Medvedev, pleased the fans with a new show number for the idontwannabeyouanymore song of the American singer Billy Elish - this performer the athlete called one of her favorites. The lyrical image was complemented by an unusual costume: a dress resembling a straitjacket, and bandages on the legs.
It is worth noting the indicative number of the winners of the sports couples competitions Alexandra Boykova and Dmitry Kozlovsky. They decided to pay tribute to the home stands and performed under the Moscow Nights and Kalinka-Malinka.
The Grand Prix stage ended with a solemn banquet for all its participants. Athletes rarely have to attend social events, so this evening was an occasion not only to celebrate the end of the competition, but also to communicate with colleagues in an informal setting.
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Publication by @ aleksandraboikova17 Nov 2019 at 10:11 PST
The winner of the men's tournament Alexander Samarin in his Instagram appealed to Moscow spectators, coaches and two other stage winners - Dmitry Aliyev and Makar Ignatov.
“Thanks to every spectator, fan, fan, our best team, beloved coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya, the federation and all-all-all! A great start to the season and a great incentive to continue working. Congratulations to my friends. Dmitry Aliev and Makar Ignatov, we did beautifully. Now we are getting ready for the finals! ”, The skater wrote.
Swiss athlete Alexia Paganini shared her impressions of the performance in Russia. On a page on social networks, she thanked the fans in Russian and admitted that she was happy to return to Moscow.
“Thank you, Russia. I am very grateful for your warm support throughout this week! I was glad to celebrate with you my birthday on ice, and I am happy to perform again in this wonderful country. In terms of figure skating, we will move forward. See you at the national championships, ”said Paganini.
In turn, the Sochi 2014 Olympic champion Ksenia Stolbova, who has been paired with Andrei Novosyolov since this season, apologized for the unsuccessful performance in Moscow. Numerous mistakes did not allow the skaters to rise above fifth place in the two programs.
“What happened is not subject to any explanation and excuse, except an apology! We will do everything possible and impossible so that this never happens again! ”Stolbova responded to her failure.
“Four jumps are rated much higher than the quality of riding”
The main theme of the Moscow stage of the Grand Prix was the achievement of Russian skaters, who again left no chance for their rivals. The performance of Alexandra Trusova, who won the stage thanks to her sophisticated technical programs, was admired even by Medvedev's mentor Brian Orser.
“I am delighted with the Grand Prix stage in Moscow, where two high-level athletes competed. Trusova rides very confidently and performs complex elements, which makes her a contender for first place in any tournament. But I am pleased with the way Eugene spoke. This is her best rental in recent times. It is important that for her this is not the limit. She is still able to improve the program and fight for victories, ”the Izvestia trainer quoted.
The success of the debutant of adult competitions did not leave indifferent Western experts either. Famous American journalist Philip Hersh compared Trusov with two-time Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan, who won her first world champion title at the age of 16.
“At the beginning of the season (1996 - RT ), Kwan seemed to fail completely, trying to give his interpretation of the powerful Strauss music. But then, on a March evening at the World Cup in Edmonton, she turned her performance into a miracle of skill and a model of her fierce competition. Thus, one should not prematurely judge the skating of Sasha Trusova until the season ends, or even longer. You can grow up quickly, as in the case of Kwan. And do not forget what incredible leaps are in Trusova’s program, ”the expert wrote on Twitter.
However, not everyone was delighted with the performance of the student Tutberidze. According to the two-time world champion Irina Slutskaya, the figure skater’s numbers are almost completely devoid of the artistic component.
“Sasha is a hurricane. The only thing, fans forgive me, I did not see the program. I’m not talking about the second assessment, about children’s skating (I’ve already grumbled it all, I don’t want to). I'm talking about the fact that today it is a breathtaking technique, mindless quadruple jumps, but this is a run - a jump, a run - a jump. As they say, there is a frame. I think that stringing a second assessment will help time. Trusov’s truth is like from another planet, ”said Slutskaya.
At the same time, the 1988 Olympic champion Natalya Bestemyanova urged not to give the palm to the junior championships in advance, who have yet to pass the transitional age. According to her, Medvedev has already proved its competitiveness by demonstrating two stable rentals in Moscow.
“Junior girls do not have this yet, but the four jumps are rated much higher than the quality of riding. And you need to do something with this, because there are several athletes who have just got a taste. We enjoy their skating, and they can be simply thrown out by younger rivals who are already quadruple jumping. ISU must somehow save these skaters. It will be a pity if they lose motivation and interest, ”RIA Novosti quotes Bestemyanova.
Medvedev herself admitted that after the Olympics in Pyeongchang she seriously thought about ending her career. From this step she was saved by the beginning of cooperation with Orser.
“I can’t imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t decided to fly to Canada. Truth. Basically, I considered one way. More precisely, two - either finish everything, or leave there. It was the sharpest turn in my life, ”TASS quotes Medvedeva as saying.
The results of the men's tournament, in which the Russians for the first time in 21 years, took three steps of the podium, summed up the Olympic champion in 1994 Alexei Urmanov. He congratulated Samarin, Aliyev and Ignatov on a successful performance and called their result logical.
“Sasha is seriously progressing, and the cascade of the quadruple lutz - triple sheepskin coat becomes his trump card. I would not exaggerate the factor of home refereeing. Even if you lower the score a little, he would still win. I believe that in the case of error-free skating, Samarin will win gold more than once. Aliyev and Ignatov also have good prospects, ”Urmanov suggested.
The convincing speech of Boykova and Kozlovsky also led many experts to talk about their prospects for the near future. So, according to Maxim Marinin, winner of Turin-2006 gold, the couple is able to compete for prizes at the 2022 Olympics.
“I like this duet with its focus on success, an internal core that allows us to overcome difficulties and move together towards the goal. And this season it is noticeable that Alexandra and Dmitry have found stability, ”said Marinin.