“Trump Medvedeva - her competitive experience”: Yagudin about the favorites of the Chechen Republic, the four-member Tuktamysheva and the absence of Zagitova

“Zagitova will be missed”

- Given the latest news and scandals, the Russian championship in women's single skating will become one of the main events of the year in sports?

- I would abstract from black or any other PR. Yes, we are rapidly growing interest in figure skating, because it is always interesting to follow those sports in which our athletes are the best of the best. Why is not so popular, say, rugby in Russia?

- Tell me.

- Because there are no big victories. And our skaters just "tear" everyone recently. Over and over again they are setting world records, new elements that we only dreamed about a couple of years ago. But I am for the fact that figure skating is loved for beauty, and not for scandals.

- The upcoming Russian championship will be held without Alina Zagitova. Will the tournament lose much from this?

- In any case, a very strong composition of skaters will come to the championship, although Zagitova will be missed. But she independently decided to suspend her career and has the right to do so. She has already done a lot for the country.

- What now will be the fans who were going to go to Krasnoyarsk specifically for her?

“It's hard not to recall the famous phrase by Andrey Arshavin:“ Your expectations are your problems. ” It doesn’t happen that the athlete first persuaded the fans to follow him, and then he missed the competition himself. This is the choice of the fans. Such is the life of an athlete, everything happens: injuries, adolescence, other problems. Yes, sometimes we skip tournaments, but we don’t drag our fans by the hair.

- Are the absolute favorites of the upcoming national championship are Alyona Kostornaya, Anna Shcherbakova and Alexander Trusova?

- No, the Russian championship will definitely not turn into a competition only between these three girls, even despite their brilliant results at the recent Grand Prix finals. The results of the national championship are completely unpredictable. They perform not “swallows” and “pistols”, but elements of such a high level that the slightest mistake can be thrown from the first place.

- That is, the most morally stable win?

“Yes, because these are not robots, but fragile girls.” It happens that the one who was not considered the favorite wins, was aware of the level of competition and did not particularly believe in victory, and therefore was less worried. A favorite, on the contrary, can be nervous and lose. He said many times that the only sure way to win is to go out and fight to the last second.

- How much will it be psychologically difficult for other athletes when the favorites in the fight for first places are already known in advance?

“What else remains for them except to just ride?” In sports there will always be leaders and those who are trying to overthrow them. But speaking about the group of Eteri Tutberidze, I really like that the coaches in this team do not make plans and illusions, but work. The progress is visible on the example of the same Trusova, already in the Grand Prix finals who included the triple axel in her short program. Figure skating does not stand still, and we are not only talking about Russian women stepping on each other's heels.

- Do you mean foreign competitors?

- Yes, and I’m sure that in the coming year skaters from other countries, including Japan, the USA and South Korea, will be attracted to our girls. Russians just have to play the lead. As the great Tatyana Anatolyevna Tarasova says, if you want to win, you can’t rest on our laurels, even if you understand that you are the best. Today you are the first, and tomorrow you can become the second.

"Tuktamysheva proved that a person can achieve everything he wants"

- You were surprised that Elizaveta Tuktamysheva set the quadruple jump at such a mature age?

- Yes, that’s true. The athlete was far from the age of 15 jumped quadruples. Extra evidence that a person can achieve all that is desired.

- That is, Evgeny Medvedev can master the quadruple jump?

- Why not? In any case, its strengths are many years of competitive experience, excellent components, adult sensible skating and a great sense of skate.

- Can the European champion Sofya Samodurova, whom we speak less recently, join in the fight?

- It will be very interesting for me to look at her performance. Now she is teaching a triple axel, and last year she completely skated all tournaments. I see that this season she is constantly “cut” by estimates for components, digging up to undercool. I don’t know what this is connected with.

- Kamila Valieva and Daria Usacheva, two juniors who won the Grand Prix finals, will not perform at the upcoming Russian championship. Would you like to see them at the national championship?

- According to Usacheva, it's hard for me to say something. As for Valieva, I suppose that the coaches decided to save the athlete. Camila performed after the fracture, and in front of the junior world championship. She will still have enough time to ride on an adult level. Sometimes it’s better to skip the tournament once again so as not to regret later.

- What impression did you get from her skating?

- I would note her excellent mastery of the components - this is a real little actress on the ice.

- Whose performance at the Russian Championship do you especially expect?

- The question that puts me under execution. I will say this: most of all I wait for Tatyana Totmyanina.

- She just has to speak at the opening ceremony.

- Yes, and I'm really looking forward to it. At home.