Ending career with Enbert and Zabiyako

Perhaps the main news of the day in the world of Russian figure skating was the completion of a career by the silver medalists of the 2018 Olympic Games in team competitions Natalya Zabiyako and Alexander Enbert.

The couple missed the current season, while the duo's coach Nina Moser recently announced that the skaters are in good health. The specialist also emphasized that a performance in the ice show “The Way to Victory” in Moscow could be farewell to them.

And so it happened. Right during him, Zabiyako and Enbert announced their retirement.

“No matter how much Sasha and I want to please you with our performances, life circumstances turn out differently. Perhaps this is for the best. If they asked me if I want to go this sports way again, I would not hesitate to say: "Yes, I want to." Because it would be an opportunity to meet again those people who helped us, feel your energy, dear fans. Once again, to please our friends and relatives, ”- quotes Zabiyako TASS.

Skaters began to perform in pairs in the spring of 2015. The first success came to them in the 2016/17 season, when the duet became the third in the Russian championship, and also took the bronze of the Nepel Memorial.

And at the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang Enbert with Zabiyako in the Russian team took second place in the team tournament. Finally, in the 2018/19 season, the couple took the bronze of the World Cup and won the Grand Prix stages twice.

The threat of coronavirus and Aliyev’s American fees

From March 16 to 22, the World Figure Skating Championships will be held in Montreal. In connection with the spread of coronavirus, a large number of major competitions have already been canceled or rescheduled, however, the International Skating Union (ISU) was assured that at the moment this fate does not threaten the tournament in Canada.

“We also hope for the participation of Chinese athletes,” quotes ISU Vice President Alexander Lakernik TASS.

Meanwhile, Russian skaters are continuing preparations for the World Cup. Well-known specialist Yevgeny Rukavitsyn said that his ward Dmitry Aliyev will go to the United States for this purpose. There, Oleg Makarov and Larisa Selezneva, bronze medalists of the 1984 Olympic Games, will take part in his training process.

“The most important thing is the wonderful people whom we trust and are grateful to. This decision was made to facilitate adaptation to the difference in time zones - we already tested this training option before the Grand Prix stage in Las Vegas, and then all the conditions were created for the guys. This time, we calculated that the performance in the short program would be on the ninth day of our stay on the continent, ”Rukavitsyn explained.

Another pupil of his will go to the World Cup - Makar Ignatov, who recently won the Russian Cup. According to the expert, this season the skater has finally got rid of health problems and began to enjoy the training process.

“All this gives him a general boost. And he perceives a slight lag in the championship of Russia as a reserve, which allows him to feel the potential and understand that he can do more. Inside the team, we talk a lot about positive thinking. It seems to me that he grows on this thinking, he manages to behave correctly according to the season and in life, ”added Rukavitsyn.

Sotnikova’s plans and the issue of age

Fans of Adeline Sotnikova finally got good news about her health. Coach Elena Buyanova on Tuesday confirmed the information that the skater left the hospital after spinal surgery.

“Adeline was discharged from the hospital. This happened on Friday, with her all is well. Now the main thing is to recover as soon as possible, ”RIA Novosti quoted Buyanova as saying.

Sotnikova was hospitalized two weeks ago. She needed an urgent operation in connection with degenerative stenosis of the cervical spine. Sports agent Maria Shashina said that the athlete will have a long recovery, but she intends to return to the ice.

Meanwhile, Sotnikova herself spoke about her plans after completing her career. She still does not disclose when this will happen, but she knows exactly what kind of activity she will choose.

“What do I want to do in five years? Trainer. 100%. I don’t know when, maybe tomorrow I’ll decide to finally become one, ”the figure skater answered a fan’s question on Instagram.

Sochi 2014 Olympic champion is still a role model. A large number of young skaters dream of following in her footsteps. So, the 6-year-old pupil of the Academy, Evgeni Plushenko, Ilina Askarova tried to perform one of her crown elements - rotation on the same skate with a leg raised behind her back.

“The brand rotation of Adeline Sotnikova haunts me. Get well soon, ”Askarova wrote.

The attempt of a young colleague did not go unnoticed by the skater herself. She published a video of the girl’s training on her page and expressed confidence that soon she would succeed.

With their ambitions, students are surprised not only by Plushenko, but also by Eteri Tutberidze. 12-year-old Sofya Akatyeva, who became the silver medalist of the Cup of Russia, told how easy it is for her to learn new elements. In the short program, she planned to execute a triple axel, but was not sure of it, and therefore it was decided to simplify the content a bit. In the free program, she successfully completed one quadruple sheepskin coat out of two declared.

“I made the fourth sheepskin coat for the first time in training in December 2018, and it turned out in March. Two weeks later, the triple axel turned out. And at the competitions I started to perform them this season. Difficult jumps are the future of our sport, I want to move forward, ”Akatieva said in an interview with the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR).

After the unconditional domination of the Tutberidze students at the beginning of the season, many again started talking about the need to impose an age limit on adult competitions. His supporters include the 2019 Universiade champion in ice dancing, Betina Popova, who recently announced her retirement.

“Perhaps I think that girls need to increase their age. 15 year olds cannot compete with 20 year olds. This not normal. Nobody denies mastery. But this is adult skating. Junior, it seems to me, should be up to 17 years old. You are a junior, you are still young. 18 years old - you are already an adult. There must be some minimum, ”Sport24 quoted Popov as saying.

At the same time, Nina Moser, Honored Trainer of Russia, admitted that she does not have a clear opinion on this issue.

“Still, I want some kind of harmony. Our sport is called "figure skating." But I can say that in the current season our girls can see great progress precisely in terms of figure skating. It’s now become interesting to watch them, ”Moser said in an interview with Soviet Sport.

Congratulations to Zagitova and the show of Tutberidze and Tuktamysheva

February 23 marks two years since the victory of Alina Zagitova at the Olympics in Pyeongchang. The athlete remembered this event on Instagram, especially noting the contribution of her team in the person of Eteri Tutberidze, Sergey Dudakov and choreographer Daniil Gleichengauz.

“Thanks to my family and the fans for being around and cheering for us. Only after a while you begin to realize the joy, happiness and pride that we managed to protect the honor of our country. Happy holiday! ”- Zagitova wrote.

In addition, the 2019 world champion left a touching congratulation to Tutberidze, who recently celebrated her 46th birthday. She remembered the ups and downs experienced with her mentor and called her a role model.

“You always teach that you should only go forward, never stop, work, be strong, beautiful and purposeful! I am very glad that once fate brought me to you, and since then we have been together almost every day! I wish you happiness and only new victories, ”the skater turned to a specialist.

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Publication by Alina Zagitova (@azagitova) Feb 24, 2020 at 12:18 PST

On the eve of the World Cup, Russian figure skating fans will be able to enjoy several ice shows with the participation of leading domestic athletes. So, students of Tutberidze will perform in the traditional performance “Stars on Ice”, which will be held in Kazan, Perm, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar. At one rink, Zagitova, Alena Kostornaya, Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova and others will meet.

In addition, the details of the ice show of the 2015 world champion Elizabeth Tuktamysheva in St. Petersburg became known. In addition to her, Sofya Samodurova, Dmitry Aliyev, Mikhail Kolyada, Stanislav Konstantinov, Pyotr Gumennik and Alexander Boykov's sports couples - Dmitry Kozlovsky and Anastasia Mishina - Alexander Gallyamov will come out on the ice.