Savosin's Personality

One of the main, if not the most important hero of the Russian Grand Prix held in Ufa was Roman Savosin. The 23-year-old athlete, who had not been heard from the general public for a year, brilliantly won the short program and only lost to the national champion Evgeny Semenenko at the end of the free skate.

When Savosin suddenly disappeared from the radar in Russia last season, there were immediate rumors that he was going to change his citizenship and play for Kazakhstan. However, according to the skater, things were different.

"There was no option to join the national team of Kazakhstan and there were no offers either. I was invited to conduct master classes. I went to work. Then they offered me to stay longer, I accepted this offer and decided to skip the season," RIA Novosti quotes Roman's explanations.

A conscious pause in his career was good for the athlete: by his own admission, he became calmer about performances, less nervous, which allows him to perform high-quality programs on the ice. But a few years ago, having been injured, Savosin almost gave up sports. According to him, he had to use all the strength of his character to overcome a difficult stage of life.

"I've had two senior international Grand Prix events. I went to America with an injury, after which I had to withdraw from all competitions. I couldn't do anything at all. Absolutely. I forgot how to jump quads, I jumped half-turn on two legs. Then I had to think, 'Maybe that's it.'" Severe apathy overtook me, one might even say, depression. It was the hardest psychological period of my career. I don't think it will even get harder," the skater shared.

Petrosyan's Grades

Adelia Petrosyan confidently won the competition in Ufa, despite two falls from quadruple jumps in the free program. After studying the final protocols, specialists and amateurs of figure skating had a number of questions for the judges. So, in particular, one of the referees gave the figure skater a score of "+3" for the quality of the jump, which was made with a step-out. According to the recommendations of the International Skating Union, in case of such an error, you need to put "-3" or "-4". Only one of the seven referees followed, and the rest gave "0" or "-1".

Grades for the components of the program were also given not according to the rules. Judge number 4 gave the pupil Eteri Tutberidze 9.25 points for composition, 9.00 for performance, 9.25 for skating skills. The problem is that with two or more errors, even if they had a minimal impact on the integrity of the program, the skater can get no more than 8.75 for the components. And Petrosyan, as you know, fell twice.

  • Adelia Petrosyan performs with a free program in women's single skating at the test skates of the Russian national figure skating team in Moscow
  • RIA Novosti
  • © Alexander Wilf

"It happens that skaters fall out of the blue from great effort... Apparently, this also happens to judges," Alexander Enbert, a silver medalist at the Pyeongchang Olympics, ironically commented on the situation on his Telegram channel.

And the 2012 World Vice-Champion Alyona Leonova, in turn, noted that she never evaluates the work of referees - she believes that "they know better".

"Adelia was the favourite in the competition and lived up to that status. She got good scores. In my opinion, if an athlete goes for quadruple jumps and does them, this can be encouraged in the second evaluation. Therefore, if Petrosyan was thrown, then this is not a question for her, but for those who are lower. It means that they didn't finish something," the former athlete said.

Kostomarov at the wheel

Roman Kostomarov continues to amaze fans with his new skills. After being discharged from the hospital, the Olympic champion not only mastered prostheses, but also relearned many things that were everyday for him before the loss of limbs. So, he can already swim, chase a soccer ball, write with a bionic hand, and now he has mastered driving a car.

"Nothing is impossible. No handles behind the wheel. We don't drive it, we drive on the track, we train. I was able to do it!" said Kostomarov enthusiastically in a video posted on his Telegram channel and captioned with the phrase "Happiness is full of pants."

The figure skater has repeatedly said that in his new life, he strives to be a motivator for people who have faced similar problems. Recently, he took part in the panel discussion "Believe in yourself". During his speech, Kostomarov said that at first, after surgeries and coming out of a coma, he did not want to live, but gradually he realized that the main value is family. Today, he's excited to see his kids grow up and laughs at his humorous nickname "DaddyRobot 3000." The love of his wife, Oksana Domnina, also saves from heavy thoughts.

"To this day, difficulties are present in life. It has changed dramatically. I was worried about how my meeting with the children would go. I didn't want to leave the hospital until I got back on my feet. At the very beginning, we sent the children on vacation for three weeks in order to adapt together to a new life, to the difficulties that they encounter in everyday life," the Olympic champion shared.

Roman also continues to believe that one day he will be able to skate again and be able to skate — albeit not as beautifully as he was able to do before his illness.

"I'd like to get on the ice. It's just that there are a lot of problems that come with it. A skate is a tool that you have been practicing with since childhood. A certain amount of work on the ankle and muscles is a subtle feeling of the rib. It's very concentrated there, which is missing now. You need to find boots in a larger size, it takes some time to build skates. And get out on the ice. I think it will work out, but crookedly!" – Sport-Express quotes Kostomarov as saying.

Excursion from Semenenko

Evgeny Semenenko conducted a tour of the anatomical museum of his medical university. The champion of Russia is studying at the First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Academician I.P. Pavlov. According to the figure skater, he has not yet decided on the specialization, since he will have to choose a narrow direction of study after the sixth year.

"At the moment, I'm more drawn towards diagnostics, radiology is interesting. Or maybe a surgeon. Let's see how life goes. I believe that the harder the work, the greater the reward. The first three courses are especially hard, there is almost no time for entertainment. But I hope that later I will be a good doctor, and I will be remembered as a good figure skater," Evgeny shared.

  • Evgeny Semenenko performs with a short program in men's single skating at the test skates of the Russian national figure skating team in Moscow
  • RIA Novosti
  • © Alexander Wilf

He also told what knowledge gained at the university is useful to him in sports. In particular, this is information about medicinal substances.

"I've always wondered why some drugs are doping. Such as, for example, nasal drops, aerosols – how can they affect the human body and improve physical fitness? But now I have started pharmacology, and now I know that with a local effect on alphaadrenergic receptors, vasoconstriction and a decrease in edema will occur, as well as an effect on betaadrenergic receptors in the bronchi - the bronchi will relax, expand and breathing will improve. Also, let's not forget about the systemic effect on betaadrenergic receptors - it will affect the improvement of heart function. We sum up these two indicators and as a result, we get a perfectly rolled out program," Semenenko explained.

Plushenko's pride in his son

Alexander Plushenko defended the second sports category in figure skating. The 10-year-old son of two-time Olympic champion Evgeny Plushenko received a silver medal in the corresponding category of the tournament for the prizes of Krylova and Ovsyannikov in Moscow. He lost 14.11 points to the winner, Yegor Vasko. Nevertheless, the father and coach were satisfied with the performance of the Gnome Gnome. He proudly posted a video of his son's rental on the social network, and also congratulated him on the successful start of the new season. It is worth noting that in the free program, staged under this year's popular figure skater Michael Jackson, the young athlete successfully performed a salchow in three turns.

"Two clean rentals! The first triple jump performed in competition! I lit it up and enjoyed the rental! Well done, Sanya, defended the 2nd sports category! Now we are waiting for all your triple jumps at the next starts!" wrote Plushenko Sr.

Oleksandr received the second category back in March of this year, when he won the Academy of Sports Cup. Then the young figure skater repeated the free program to the music from The Godfather, with which Plushenko Sr. won the 2006 Games in Turin. Now the skater is on the way, judging by the videos from training, there is a flip and a lutz in three turns. He also tries to perform these jumps during his father's ice shows.

  • Evgeny Plushenko and his son Alexander perform at the figure skater's anniversary show "35 Years on Ice" at the VTB Arena stadium in Moscow
  • RIA Novosti
  • © Alexander Wilf

Two Yagudin surgeries

Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin underwent knee surgeries. With a difference of a week, German surgeons "repaired" first the right and then the left leg of the famous figure skater. Now, according to the athlete, he will be able to run "like Bolt - with bolts in the hip and in the knees." As you know, back in 2003, Yagudin's femur joint was replaced with a titanium one.

"I will recover and slowly prepare for the New Year's trees, for the anniversary of Ilya Averbukh, which I cannot miss under any circumstances, and, of course, for the second "Russian Challenge" (a tournament of show programs). — RT), which will take place in Moscow in mid-January 2024. When I won the first one, I said that now I would fix my knee. Actually, I started fixing it. And soon I will go almost completely titanium to the second one. I have been feeling discomfort from pain for many years, so it's time to "go to the workshop," TASS quotes Yagudin as saying.

The skater's former coach, Tatiana Tarasova, who led him to Olympic gold in Salt Lake City, noticed that her student never complained about his knees, even though she knew he had been skating through pain lately.

"I would like to wish him to always be healthy, to always do what he wants. And no pain prevented him from doing what he does!" said Tarasova.

  • Alexei Yagudin performs in the show "Ice Age. Together Again" staged by Ilya Averbukh at the Yubileyny Ice Arena in St. Petersburg
  • RIA Novosti
  • © Alexander Galperin

Cirisano's return to Russia

The wish of Dario Cirisano's fans for his return to Russia has come true. The figure skater, whose duet with the Czech Deniza Tsimlova did not work out due to the lack of a release from the FFKR, did not look for happiness abroad anymore and paired up with Elizaveta Pasechnik.

The girl was left without a partner after Maxim Nekrasov left for Vasilisa Kaganovskaya. Announcing the new stage of his career, Cirisano stressed that he had returned home. According to him, having been left without a partner in February, he was not at all eager to leave and did not chase international competitions, but at that time there was "no suitable free girl" in the country.

"When I tried it with Denise, I thought, 'Why not?' My family supported me both morally and financially. I don't accept my partner's parents paying for me. It is fundamentally important for me to be on an equal footing. It so happened that our couple with Denise did not take place. In order for a couple to work together, a lot of factors must coincide, and not everything depends on our desires. The main thing is that we remained good friends, that we understood each other and accepted this situation without any offense," Chirizano wrote on his Telegram channel.

He thanked both Tsimlova and their coach Barbara Fusar-Poli for several months of working together.

"And now I'm at home, there's a lot of work ahead! I am not afraid of the lack of international competitions, because there are many strong pairs in Russia, and if you can withstand domestic competition, then you are no longer afraid of any international competitions. Well, I want to say that everything that is done is for the best. Lisa and I are starting our journey!" the figure skater concluded.

They will probably train with Anzhelika Krylova, side by side with Kaganovskaya and Nekrasov, as well as Annabel Morozov and Igor Eremenko.

Medvedeva on IOC sanctions

Evgenia Medvedeva criticized the leadership of the IOC and sports federations for the suspension of Russian athletes from international competitions. The figure skaters of the national team have missed the second season. According to the two-time world champion, she was lucky to leave the big sport three years ago and not face any injustice against her.

"Our athletes have basically lost the opportunity to prove themselves. We are not talking about money, we are not even talking about any material compensation. Professional athletes who laid down their lives selflessly, not for money. Imagine that you put 20 years of your life in order to become an Olympic champion, to win prizes at world championships... And they just say, "You're cool, but I'm an uncle at the International Olympic Committee, and I'm telling you no." This is the first time in the Olympic movement that there is such a large-scale cancel culture," the vice-champion of the 2018 Games in PyeongChang said in the show "BeS Comments" on her YouTube channel.

This fall, the ISU Executive Committee did not even discuss the possibility of the return of Russians and Belarusians to the world stage.