In Russian figure skating, another scandal suddenly flared up.
Moreover, this time his main character is not an athlete or an acting coach at all, but the legend of this sport, Tatyana Tarasova.
The specialist has not had pupils for a long time, but often, if health permits, he comments on competitions together with Alexei Yagudin and Alexander Grishin.
However, this weekend, the fans did not hear capacious and accurate phrases from the honored coach of the USSR on Channel One.
A couple of days before the start of the Russian Grand Prix final in St. Petersburg, Tarasova announced that she would not work at the tournament for reasons beyond her control.
At the same time, she went to the Northern capital to see the figure skaters perform live.
According to Tatyana Anatolyevna, Channel One imposed sanctions against her because of the support of Evgeni Plushenko, who, after the national championship among juniors, criticized the work of the judges.
According to the specialist, Olga Chernosvitova, head of the sports broadcasting directorate, removed her.
“I was directly told about it.
Does it upset me?
Why should I be upset, I have ten Olympic medals.
I’m only surprised at how we treat people, ”Tarasova said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
She also added that if someone else were in Plushenko's place, she would also stand up for his students.
“It wouldn't matter to me.
This is just unfair refereeing!
If someone else had been in his place, I would have performed the same way.
I respect the work of coaches and, most importantly, the work of athletes, young athletes, ”Tatyana Anatolyevna explained her position to Match TV.
The specialist was supported by the perpetrator of the scandal.
The two-time Olympic champion thanked Tarasova for her support.
“Great woman, great coach.
Low bow to her from me, my team and my athletes.
The rest I told her personally, ”admitted Eugene.
Also, in defense of Tatyana Anatolyevna, the world champion in speed skating Ivan Skobrev, who currently works at the Angela Plushenko Academy, spoke out.
“She expresses her opinion as a specialist and as a commentator.
The First may have some of his own criteria for this position.
But, it seems to me, the commentator is needed in order to talk about what is happening.
Moreover, we all understand very well that few people in our country understand figure skating like Tatyana Anatolyevna, ”said the specialist.
On Channel One, they refrained from commenting on this topic, but an “insider” appeared from Dmitry Guberniev.
According to him, initially they simply did not plan to involve the coach in St. Petersburg.
“Girls, there are such things!
It turns out that Channel One was not going to invite Tatyana Anatolyevna to comment on the upcoming figure skating events!
There's just a planned rotation of commentators!
That's how it is!
Sources on the First report ... And on show programs Tarasova will comment brightly!
In general, everything should be fine!”
Guberniev wrote in the Telegram channel.
However, the coach herself does not know anything about what she will work at the tournament in Moscow, which is scheduled for March 18, and continues to criticize refereeing.
So, according to the expert, at the junior final of the Russian Grand Prix, Plushenko's pupil - Sofya Titova - was again underestimated.
The figure skater became the fourth, although she performed four ultra-si elements (two quadruple salchows and triple axels each).
“The whole hall shouts: “Shame on the judges!”
They want to wait to get rotten tomatoes thrown at them.
Daria Sadkova fell twice, and according to the technical assessment, she beat Titova, who made quads, skated perfectly, unfairly.
All lies, there were no under-rotations, I am sitting near the skating rink, a rare disgrace.
They say that the judges are professional, but this is not true, ”said Tarasova.
However, RT columnist Elena Vaitsekhovskaya disagrees with the position of the coach.
According to the Olympic champion, Tatyana Anatolyevna at one time had a difficult relationship with the federation and the judges also held the marks for her pupils, so the specialist taught them to be head and shoulders above the rest.
Plushenko has a similar situation now.
“Actually, it was on this principle that Veronika Zhilina won the junior final in St. Petersburg, surpassing her rivals in all respects - even though she broke the first of the quadruple jumps in the free program.
I already wrote, but I repeat: if an athlete is wrong, complaining about refereeing is not the right strategy.
Statements from the series “screwed up - not screwed up” here, in my opinion, are also not very appropriate, ”Vaitsekhovskaya wrote in her Telegram channel.
The RT observer did not rule out that Tarasova's reaction could be dictated by emotions, since Evgeny has really grown as a specialist over the past few years.
“This deserves at least encouragement, and not a draconian approach from the arbitrators.
But here's how lucky.
At the same time, not a single argument was made by the coach that could really be taken into account.
She believes that the judges are wrong, they do not agree with this opinion.
A normal working situation, of which there are countless in figure skating.
As a result, another scandal came out, which, apparently, Channel One simply did not consider it necessary to drag it on the air, ”Vaitsekhovskaya added.
This version looks the most plausible.
After all, the specialist could not restrain himself and still express his opinion when grading Plushenko's students.
It is unlikely that the directorate of sports broadcasting has a negative attitude towards Evgeny, or someone “insisted” on not inviting Tatyana Anatolyevna.
Such situations have already arisen.
But the appeal of Pope Alexandra Trusova to prevent Yagudin and Tarasova from commenting on the girls' performances on television was refused at the time.
Plushenko and his pupils will not be at the show program tournament.
So it is likely that the fans will really hear Tatyana Anatolyevna on March 18th.
Unless, of course, she herself wants it.