The Russian Figure Skating Championship in Krasnoyarsk started with the men's short program. On Thursday afternoon, the stands were not yet completely filled - during working hours, mostly fans of advanced or very young age arrived at the competition. But all the places behind the judges were occupied, although from there it was most difficult to throw toys on the ice at the Platinum Arena. Because of this, spectators who wanted to give gifts to the skaters had to walk on foot to the zone of “tears and kisses” and throw soft animals and flowers there already.

In the first of the three groups of participants there were no skaters who would have been considered contenders for a medal before the competition, but suddenly one such athlete nevertheless appeared. The 17-year-old Pyotr Gumennik changed the content of the short program two weeks before the tournament and performed the quadruple salchow, triple axel and the Lutz - Rittberger cascade. The recent participant in the final of the Junior Grand Prix didn’t succeed only in rotation, but otherwise clean rental earned him 88.06 points - enough to get into the strongest workout on the second day.

“I appreciate the performance well, because for some reason the jumps stopped working out at the warm-up, but at the competitions I did everything anyway. Set a new record of the season, this is also pleased. He made a quad, seemingly screwed up, as it seems to me. This season I have not made pure salchow. The only thing that didn’t work was a spinning top with a shift, because only a week ago I had set the rotation. Initially, I wanted to do Lutz, but decided not to risk my health, because there are still important junior competitions ahead. I decided to bet on net rental with one quadruple. In arbitrary I want to make two quadruple salchow and score points for the second assessment, ”said the skater, who, after his rental, unexpectedly became the intermediate leader of the competition.

Alexander Samarin intended to move Gumennik, who opened the second group, because during this season no one has earned so much the title of champion of Russia like him. But last year’s bronze medalist of the Chechen Republic didn’t have all the jumping elements - on the fourth lutz, the fourth flip and the triple axel there was a step-out, which did not allow to make a cascade. Without him, the judges could not have rated Samarin higher than 80.68 points, which the skater was not satisfied with.

“There is nothing to evaluate, not a single pure jumping element. A little not that level. Now we will deal with the team of the reason, it is difficult to answer right now. I don’t understand yet. There are always chances to win, tomorrow everything will be. To simplify the content of thoughts was not. In training everything was fine, no problem, ”Samarin assured.

The second group of participants markedly tightened the protocol of the short program. Figure skating veteran Sergey Voronov performed at his 15th championship of Russia, breaking the record of Evgeni Plushenko. Due to a mistake on the triple axel and a double sheepskin coat in the cascade, he lost about a point to Samarin.

While Voronov shared his impressions of the rental, emotionally characterizing his mistake on the axel, Daniil Samsonov, 14-year-old child prodigy Eteri Tutberidze, made his debut at the Russian Championship, spoke on the ice. In adult competitions, he was allowed to start the program with the four lutz, and the skater with small blots made it. To call the rental excellent prevented the fall on the triple axel. Nevertheless, Samsonov surpassed Samarin by two tenths of points, which is quite worthy for the youngest participant in the competition.

Gumennik continued to lead after the speech of Andrei Lazukin, whose participation in the Russian championship was in question due to a knee injury. To still make a speech, Alexey Mishin’s student simplified the short program and practically coped with it, failing to make only a triple lutz after a four-piece sheepskin coat and axel. With a score of 85.56 points, Lazukin climbed to an intermediate second place.

“The rental was not good, because a gross mistake was made on the triple lutz. We simplified the content, and still an error occurred, it is regrettable. Changed literally on the eve of the competition due to a knee injury, a month did not ride almost before the championship of Russia. In arbitrary everything will remain, as it was. They just wanted to execute the short program cleanly, but, probably, they benefited more from this than lost. Of course, I’m not satisfied with myself, but I won’t kill myself either, ”Lazukin said in the mixed zone, while Mishin whispered to the skater to praise himself.

  • Dmitry Aliev
  • RIA News
  • © Alexander Wilf

After preparing the ice, the leader of the competition still changed. This season Makar Ignatov, the bronze medalist of the Moscow Grand Prix stage this season, skated very well under In This Shirt, performing a quadruple salchow in a cascade and making only a small mistake on a quadruple sheepskin coat. Before the competition, the 19-year-old athlete was predicted to get on the podium, and so far everything is in his favor. Ignatov received a beautiful 88.88 mark for his rental and came out on top.

“I will evaluate my rental at 65%. The emotional component is probably a little more. It affects a little fatigue, but it was very cool to ride. After a successful performance at the Grand Prix in Moscow, you try to keep your memories, build your day in the same way as then, choose the same socks, for example. Nice grade? In general, I love the number seven, but the eight is infinity, if you turn it around, so it's also good. I try not to think about getting into the national team or not. I want to cleanly skate. If I do everything I can and get in, then it's cool. If not, then more needs to be done, ”Ignatov said.

While the skater shared his impressions, his result was almost blocked by another promising athlete Andrei Mozalyov, who recently became the silver medalist of the Grand Prix finals among juniors. The incredibly clear quadruple sheepskin coat and triple axel in his performance were appreciated at 88.34 points. Mozalev rose to second place, replacing Humennik on it.

Short rental was closed by Dmitry Aliyev, who was able to get around all previous rivals. But at the very beginning of the program, to the music from the Mozart rock opera, he smeared the quadruple Lutz, having made only three turns on it - this mistake is not the first time this season he has encountered. The rest of the jumping content of a native of Ukhta was also not ideal due to the triple ax blot. The judges were initially ready to evaluate Aliyev’s hire by 90 points, but the last referees lowered the score to 87.35 points, which is why the Grand Prix finals participant dropped to fourth place.

“The mood for an arbitrary program will be maximum. Nothing happened to the quadruple lutz, it was just a breakdown. I was focused on the program, I remember the support of the audience only at the end. Riding the last was difficult. Keeping focus on yourself, waiting is always difficult. On the whole, he restrained himself until the last moment; I won’t say that he was burned out or worried. I hastened with a lutz, when this happens, I do not fully control my movements. Perhaps he was nervous, but I won’t say that he was burned out. I own Lutz, today I haven’t done it and blame myself for it, ”Aliyev summed up.

The free program for men promises to be interesting - the first five places fit almost three points apart. Samarin has not yet said the last word, who is less than eight points before the prize three. In fact, on Friday the fight for medals in men's single skating will begin anew.