“80 percent was able to realize talent”: European champion in figure skating Samodurova ended her career at 19

The career of figure skaters in modern sports does not last very long.

The European champion Sofya Samodurova was no exception, having hung up her skates at the age of 19.

The athlete admitted that she made this decision about a month ago and is already working with her mentor Alexei Mishin.

“I train at the headquarters of Alexei Nikolaevich, in our group.

In May, there will be a set of kids at the master class, I will look at young skaters in order to work with them.

I thought there would be some kind of apathy, but ... I like to train.

There are children, there is material with which you can work.

I already see results.

Coaches also see this in our headquarters, ”Sport24 quotes the girl.

Moreover, according to Samodurova, she initially planned to leave for Kazakhstan, where her family lives, but Mishin dissuaded her from such a step.

“He said, you need to share your knowledge.

In general, his opinion is to stay in St. Petersburg.

Therefore, most likely, next season I can be seen behind the side, ”added Samodurova.

The coach himself confirmed this version.

However, he stressed that, having learned about Sophia's desire to leave Russia, Anton Sikharulidze, the president of the Figure Skating Federation of St. Petersburg, personally made a worthy offer to her.

“Indeed, in the entire history of figure skating in our city there were two European champions: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Sofia Samodurova.

And of course, the decision of our president to leave one of them in St. Petersburg causes understanding and respect,” the specialist emphasized.

In turn, Tatyana Mishina, who also worked with the figure skater, called uncertainty the main reason for ending her career.

Allegedly, the athlete understood that the next season carries unclear prospects in terms of international competitions, and therefore focused on her studies and coaching.

The completed season also did not give many reasons for optimism for the young figure skater.

In the fall, she still showed good results, in particular, she took third place at the Budapest Trophy tournament in Budapest.

She also managed to become seventh at the Grand Prix in Italy, although she herself was not too pleased with this.

Even then, the athlete talked about a possible departure.

“I haven’t thought about the next season yet, I’d have to live to see it, finish this one first.

Then I can tell.

So far, I myself don’t know about the next one, honestly, ”Sport-Express quotes Samodurova.

A serious blow was for Sophia and the December home championship of Russia.

She initially had few chances to perform successfully on it and break into the Olympic Games.

But the European champion did absolutely nothing.

According to the results of the short program, she was only 11th, and in the free program she failed to improve her position, having made a number of serious mistakes. 

After that, Samodurova, if she went on the ice, then only as part of the show.

For example, in early April, along with Kamila Valieva, Evgenia Medvedeva, Mark Kondratyuk and other famous skaters, she took part in Ilya Averbukh's Ice Age program.

Let Samodurova never perform at the Olympic Games, but at the only championship on the planet she was content with getting into the top 8, she will forever go down in history as a European champion.

Moreover, she managed to accomplish the incredible and get around Alina Zagitova, who seemed then invincible.

Unlike the eminent compatriot, she never performed quadruple jumps, as well as a triple axel.

But the pupil of Mishina took incredible perseverance and diligence, for which she was eventually rewarded.

At the continental championship in Minsk in 2019, the skater got the only chance in her career to win a big victory and took advantage of it.

While the rivals made gross mistakes one after another, Samodurova, as if not under any pressure, skated superbly both programs, which the coaching staff had ideally selected for her.

And after a short one, Sophia was second, behind Zagitova 2.12 points.

However, Alina failed the free program.

The Olympic champion fell on the Lutz-Rittberger cascade, after which she quit wrestling.

The young Stanislav Konstantinova, who at least was not inferior to Samodurova in terms of talent, also could not cope with her nerves.

Unlike her rivals, Sofya pulled herself together at the debut European Championship and climbed to the top step of the podium.

At the same time, the athlete herself always honestly admitted that she did not even think about such a success.

“I couldn’t dream about it even in the season when it happened.

Lucky, let's say.

Of course, I can say that my career has been successful.

The European champion is also some kind of work, ”Samodurova emphasized.

Some fans believe that Sophia was just lucky in Belarus, but Mishina believes that her ward showed character at the right time, and this is also an important skill.

“There were other skaters who couldn’t do it.

Therefore, I would not say that Sophia was lucky.

In general, I don’t want to use the word “lucky”, because the strongest are lucky.

At that moment, Sophia showed character, but in general she did it often, ”the specialist emphasized.

It seemed that the young athlete had a great career and many victories ahead, but the championship of the continent-2019 remained the brightest event for her.

A few months later, the skater unsuccessfully performed at the World Championships, taking only eighth place.

A little earlier in the same season, she twice climbed the podium at the Grand Prix stages.

There were no such successes in the following years.

The elements of ultra-si did not submit to her, and without them Samodurova was unable to compete with her compatriots.

Now the athlete will try to prove herself in the coaching field.

However, not everyone is sure that she will have an easy time in a new role for herself.

For example, three-time Olympic champion Irina Rodnina noted that a difficult period awaits the skater.

“It’s already so normal that they end their careers at the age of 18-19.

I don’t know if she will change her mind and whether she wants to return.

As for her future work with Mishin, I can say that Alexei Nikolaevich is a very good and experienced person.

He has been working in this direction for a long time.

But it is not a fact that Sophia has a predisposition to being a coach.

If she jumped triples, this does not mean that she can become a good specialist, ”Sport-Express quotes Rodnina.

In turn, the well-known coach Alexander Zhulin suggested that Samodurova's decision was influenced by the removal of Russians from international competitions.

“Apparently, Sophia felt that the time had come.

Plus now such an incomprehensible situation.

I think she did everything right.

She is a great skater, but the time has come.

Her decision didn't surprise me in the slightest.

Of course, the competition has affected in no small measure.

I think that Sophia was 80 percent able to realize her talent.

It is difficult to say whether she will be able to work as a coach - this is a completely different profession, ”the specialist emphasized.

Finally, two-time world champion Irina Slutskaya was glad that the athlete remained in figure skating.

“If she made such a decision, then it is right for her.

It is good and right that she remains in the profession.

I think she has something to share with the younger generation.

Especially in the team of a professional coach, our professor Alexei Nikolaevich Mishin, ”said Slutskaya.