Two days before the start of the Channel One Figure Skating Cup, it became known that the competition had lost one of the main stars.
The European champion of 2020 Alena Kostornaya refused to participate.
This decision was made due to the fact that she had not fully recovered from her illness.
In the team tournament, she will be replaced by the bronze medalist of the junior stage of the Grand Prix Maya Khromykh.
Eteri Tutberidze's group will also be represented by Anna Shcherbakova and Kamila Valieva.
According to choreographer Daniil Gleichengauz, all skaters are tuned in exclusively to victory.
The inclusion of a cascade of five elements in the jumping tournament was not a surprise for them either.
“Tomorrow they will jump what they can, and in the competitions themselves in the short and free programs we will see if there should be (surprises -
RT
).
The goals are clear to everyone, we bring the programs to the level of complexity in order to win, "RIA Novosti quotes Gleichengauz.
The absence of Kostornaya upset not only the fans, but also the experts.
So, according to the four-time world champion Natalia Bestemyanova, this, first of all, can negatively affect the athlete herself.
The fact is that the last time she went out on the ice in November at the Moscow stage of the Grand Prix.
In December, the skater fell ill with coronavirus and was forced to miss the Russian championship.
“Of course it's a pity.
It seems to me that to a greater extent it is worse for Alena herself than for the overall level of the tournament.
We are all looking forward to it.
It is interesting to see what form it is in.
There is also a new program.
I repeat, it’s a pity, "Sport-Express quotes Bestemyanova.
Coach Alexander Zhulin agreed with her opinion, suggesting that the removal of the athlete may be associated with a more serious reason.
“I'm more worried about Alena, the tournament itself will survive.
Kostornaya, apparently, is not in shape or she has an injury, a new program.
Many factors are possible here, we need to talk with the coaches, ”Zhulin said.
In turn, the famous choreographer Ilya Averbukh wished Kostornaya to cope with the difficulties that haunt her and return to her previous level.
In his opinion, Evgeni Plushenko's ward should focus on preparing for the Russian Cup final, which will result in the formation of the national team for the World Cup.
“I would like to wish Alena to pass this strip, which began to pursue her.
I would like to finally see that Alena, whom we saw last year at the European Championship.
Everyone works, everyone has ailments.
No one is immune from this.
The tournament will be spectacular anyway.
It is more of a preparatory character, so its omission is not something catastrophic.
It is rather a show tournament.
More important competitions are ahead, ”said Averbukh.
Kostornaya's colleague in Plushenko's group, Alexander Trusov, is still experiencing health problems.
At the same time, the athlete herself declared her decisive attitude to the jumping tournament, in which the girls will have to confront the representatives of men's single skating.
Her words were confirmed by the coach Sergei Alekseev.
“Knowing her character, I am sure that she will try to perform to the maximum in the team tournament.
She can jump quadruple toe loop, salchow, flip and lutz.
Rittberger really wants to do it, but we haven't jumped it for a very long time, ”Alekseev said.
Although the Channel One Cup will be an intermediate competition between the most important starts of the season, many participants take it very seriously.
So, recovering from COVID-19 and a back injury, Dmitry Aliev admitted that thanks to him he hopes to get back in shape.
“How is my preparation going?
First I was getting in shape for work.
Now I'm getting in shape to perform.
I think we should have time to prepare well.
The goal for the next team tournament is to try to get yourself back on the ice, that strong Dimka who can fight and show good skating, ”Aliyev said in an interview with Olympic Channel.
Many figure skating enthusiasts are looking forward to the start of the tournament also because for the first time in a long time they will have the opportunity to see Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva on the ice, preparing to act as team captains.
Athletes will not compete, but will present demonstration numbers.
Sharing her expectations from the tournament, Medvedeva said that she would perform with the program of this season to the song of Anna German “Echo of Love”.
“I am a little excited because this is my first experience of participating in such competitions in Russia.
But as a person who took part in team tournaments both at the Olympics and in the World Team Championships in America, in Japan, I want to say that he is much different from the usual ones.
The atmosphere there is cheerful, festive, and these starts left me with only positive emotions, ”Medvedeva said on the First Channel.
Meanwhile, it became known that two-time Olympic champion in pair skating Maxim Trankov will be one of the judges of the jumping competitions that do not have an official status.
He noted that he did not have the necessary qualifications to work at the main tournament, but he would be glad to take part in the exhibition.
“I'm interested in trying myself in a new role, I've never done anything like that.
I want to get new emotions from the format of the competition.
It's incredibly interesting for me to watch a new format with new rules, ”Sport24 quotes Trankov.
The final composition of the jury is still unknown, but earlier the honored trainer of the USSR Tatyana Tarasova announced her invitation.