“You are our angel!”
Competitions of singles in the framework of the Grand Prix of figure skating finals began with another triumph of students Eteri Tutberidze. Three athletes at once - Alyona Kostornaya, Alina Zagitova and Anna Shcherbakova - took the first lines in the short program.
One of the main favorites of the tournament was rightfully considered Kostornaya, in whose arsenal there is a triple axel. She managed to cleanly fulfill this element, as well as confidently skate the rest of the program, which created a serious reserve for her rivals. Experts praised her performance, noting the adult level of yesterday's junior.
So, the well-known trainer Tatyana Tarasova called the rental Kostornaya ideal, since each element was distinguished by the accuracy of execution.
“You are our angel! She does not press on the ice, but glides on it. It combines everything. Alena completed her task. I did the elements very precisely, everything looked clear, this is a big plus in the short program, it should be so, ”Tarasova said on the air of Channel One.
Honored trainer of Russia Inna Goncharenko admitted that Kostornaya’s performance made a great impression on her.
“Opening competitions is always difficult, and Alena is the first experience of the Grand Prix finals at the adult level. But she rolled impeccably and very easily. And she earned just awesome points, ”said the specialist in an interview with Sport Express.
Two-time Olympic champion Maxim Trankov noted the balance of Kostornaya's rentals, in which the technique is harmoniously combined with the beauty of the performance.
“This athlete is not just an excellent wheelchairman, but also a jumping wheelchairman. And this is the first place and world record. But I’m afraid to praise her, there’s still an arbitrary program ahead, ”Trankova quotes TASS.
In anticipation of the Grand Prix finals, many experts did not dare to give the palm to a specific skater, urging them to wait for a confrontation. However, after a short program, the winner of the 2017 Universiade, Elena Radionova, suggested that it was Kostornaya who would be able to win the highest awards in the main starts of the season.
“Kostornaya today was irresistible in the short program. You can see how she becomes more confident from start to start. If she continues in the same vein, she can easily become the world champion of this season, ”Sport24 quotes Radionova.
“Hire worthy of an Olympic champion”
Second place after the short program is Alina Zagitova. Specialists and fans admired its clean rental, the crown of which was the Lutz - Rittberger cascade.
According to Tarasova, the formation of the current world champion was significantly influenced by her coaching team, which helped her cope with psychological difficulties and choose the right program.
“I was very impressed. She is already an adult, and we saw her baby. Well done - girl! Concentrated and did everything. Coaches helped her to believe in herself and stay, ride like that! This is not easy during the formation period, ”Tarasova said.
Inna Goncharenko emphasized that it was not easy for Zagitova to perform after the successful rental of her rivals, but she coped with excitement and showed the highest result.
“Again, a very difficult number when everyone has already performed. But she showed a rental worthy of an Olympic champion. Everything was there - professionalism, fighting qualities, the ability to assemble. Good masterful adult skating, ”the trainer added.
A similar point of view was expressed by Maxim Trankov.
“Alina today was just magical. This is all that we love in adult female figure skating: maturity, beauty, choreography, penetration into the image, elegant technique. It’s just a pleasure to see it, it’s worth a lot when an athlete can cause such feelings. Her short program has become an adornment today of the Grand Prix finals. Look at the final pose and look - this is the look of a person who has lived a lifetime on the ice, ”Trankov shared his impression.
To gallery page
“Sasha just won’t leave it”
Unlike Kostornaya, Trusova did not cope with her triple axel and fell during its execution. The mistake cost her a significant loss of points, but she did not lose the chance of getting into the top three winners of the Grand Prix finals.
According to Tatyana Tarasova, the two-time world champion among juniors did not have enough time to work out this element. She suggested that the fall could adversely affect the mood of the athlete.
“It is unfortunate that she did not. She has no time to try. Be sure to need this axel for the championship of Russia. Just needed! The coward did not have enough of these jumped elements to pull him out of any position. A quarter of a quarter did not twist. They are there all in glasses sitting on the jury, they see well, ”Tarasova is sure.
At the same time, Maxim Trankov praised Trusov for his courage. According to him, in the case of a clean performance of the triple axel, she could count on getting into the top three according to the results of the short program.
“The Tutberidze group is not used to being neat, if they can do something, then they go and do it. Therefore, Sasha is only a plus - she went and tried, and we all know that she knows how. Such a position in front of an arbitrary program is not a problem for her, which means the fight will be very interesting - I am in anticipation, ”Trankov said.
Inna Goncharenko remained in solidarity with Trankov. In her opinion, with an impeccable performance in the free program, Trusova could defeat Kostorna by 14 points.
“She is very young and works for the future. Such complex elements must be run in at the starts. She is a maximalist, coaches support her. So well done, fighter. Alexandra understood that she needed to jump the triple axel in order to achieve something in the short program. Did not work out. It's okay, it will happen next time, ”Goncharenko is sure.
Elena Radionova also called Trusova's risk justified, as she relies solely on first place.
“It is clear that she seeks to win. I would like to express great respect to Sasha, because this element has recently begun to turn out for her. Now it did not work out, but it's okay. In other competitions, I’m sure everything will work out, because she has a strong character, she just won’t leave it like that, ”said Radionova.
Summed up the short program and the famous choreographer Ilya Averbukh.
“Kostornaya previously had the best result in the short program, she’s a great clever girl that holds such a bar. Well done and Zagitova - great skated, she fights and fights. Shcherbakova is also well done. It’s hard for the whole season to stay in such tension, and mistakes are inevitable somewhere. But I’m absolutely sure that the fight in the Grand Prix finals is not over, all the girls are still in the competition, ”RIA Novosti quoted Averbukh as saying.