"If this continues, there will be nowhere to be selected": how Russia reacted to the cancellation of the EURO 2021 figure skating

The start of a full-fledged international season in figure skating is again postponed indefinitely.

The Council of the International Skating Union (ISU) has canceled the European Championship, which was to be held from 25 to 31 January 2021 in Zagreb.

This decision was made due to "the worsening situation around the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and the associated risks for the organizers and participants of the tournament."

It has also been confirmed that there will be no Grand Prix final this season.

At the same time, the world championship, scheduled for the end of March, is still on the competition calendar.

However, the ISU admitted that the schedule may still undergo changes depending on the epidemiological situation.

According to the vice-president of the union, Alexander Lakernik, the organization will do everything possible to maintain the primacy of the planet.

In Russia, they reacted with regret to the cancellation of the European Championship, although this decision almost did not surprise anyone.

So, according to the famous coach Tamara Moskvina, the current situation should not unsettle the trained athletes.

“I myself expected, I had the option in my head that such a decision would be made, because everything was going towards this: the development of the situation with the pandemic, the actions of other countries and the ISU,” Moskvina said in an interview with RT.

“What are your plans for the cancellation?

After the Russian Championship, we will have more time to prepare for the World Championship and the Olympics.

Perhaps more tournaments will be organized if the situation changes.

We will follow the development of events, ”she added.

In connection with the announced verdict, many skaters will have to make adjustments to the preparation process, since most of them expected to reach their peak form by the second most important tournament of the season.

Maxim Trankov, coaching Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, expressed the opinion that there should be no problems with this, since all athletes are on equal terms.

“This was expected, so this decision did not cause any shock.

While there is the Russian championship, skaters are preparing for it and will try to get to it through illness and testing for COVID-19.

No competition - we'll just train.

As the saying goes, give ice skaters, they will find what to do with it.

The main thing is to have training.

We will try to get into the national team and prepare for the World Championship until it is canceled, ”Trankov stressed.

However, not everyone is so optimistic about the rest of the season.

So, Alexander Zhulin admitted that he was upset when he learned about the cancellation of tournaments.

His wards, Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, are in a difficult situation, as they were first forced to withdraw from the Russian Cup stage due to a partner's injury, and then had a coronavirus.

“The changes in the training process will be dramatic, since now they don't skate at all.

The third test was negative, but the temperature still holds.

I don’t understand at all how we will prepare for the Russian championship.

Today is December 10, and they have not yet gone out on the ice.

Therefore, for now, all thoughts are about the internal tournament.

If things continue like this, then in January we will have to start preparing the program for the next season, because there will be nowhere to be selected.

Therefore, I am ready for the fact that the World Cup will be canceled.

I already have ideas for the Olympic program.

The only thing is, I'm not sure whether the Games themselves will take place, ”Zhulin admitted.

At the same time, honored coach Tatyana Tarasova called on the skaters and their coaching staffs to correctly distribute the free time.

In her opinion, they need to take part in the Russian championship, and then rest for a week in order to prepare with renewed vigor for the remaining starts.

In addition, the specialist noted the importance of internal competitions in the current situation.

“We have to let you get bored, then finish the elements, because there is always a feeling that something is not ready.

As long as the situation allows, internal starts should not be canceled, because this is training.

The Russian Championship has always been a fundamental competition.

And I would have played the final of the Russian Cup in Moscow or in St. Petersburg, that is, to some extent I would have replaced the European Championship with it, ”the specialist said in an interview with RT.

“There are many options.

And then rest will be combined with work.

And then get ready for the World Cup.

Athletes need to strive for something, they need to learn something new, and not sit on the couch, ”Tarasova is sure.

Recall that the January 2020 European Championship has become one of the most successful in history for Russian figure skaters.

They have won ten of the 12 medals, including gold medals in all disciplines.

Alyona Kostornaya, Dmitry Aliev, dancers Sinitsina / Katsalapov and the sports duet of Alexander Boykov - Dmitry Kozlovsky triumphantly skated in Graz.

However, the rest of the 2019/20 season, including the World Cup, had to be canceled due to the outbreak of the pandemic.

Thus, the last major international figure skating tournament took place almost a year ago.

At the end of December 2020, Russian figure skaters will compete for medals in the Russian championship, according to the results of which the composition of the national team is traditionally formed.