Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov
Grand Prix results in figure skating for Russian athletes it can hardly be called a failure, but there is practically nothing to rejoice at. For the first time in five years, Russia was left without gold in these competitions. The situation is brightened up only by the first medal of our dancers for many, many years - last time the second place in the Grand Prix final was taken by Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin.
No matter how cool Nikita Katsalapov and Elena Ilinykh were, they never made it to this stage at all. Ekaterina Bobrova with Dmitry Solovyov reached the final three times, but each time they flew past the top three.
But now the disappointing trend has been interrupted. In truth, it was even expected. Firstly, the leaders of world dances Gabriela Papadakis / Guillaume Sizeron did not get to Vancouver, and secondly, Russia was represented by two wonderful couples at once: Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov and Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin, who on their way to the final won two stages of the Grand at.
It was with them that our hopes were pinned in the dance competition, but something went wrong. The judges once again openly mocked Stepanova and Bukin, setting a basic level for tango with a flawless rental. But they did not offend Sinitsina and Katsalapov.
After the rhythm dance, Vika and Nikita were third, but in the free program they gave maximum fire and took silver. However, in fact, for the guys it is not so much this medal that is important as recognition.
Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov, Sergey Bobylev / TASS
Together they have been skating for the fifth season, but they have not really won anything, although they look extremely talented and beautiful. Sinitsina and Katsalapov during this time went through a huge number of injuries, failures and moments when they were treated with bias or simply unfairly. They fought for a long time with their demons, which prevented them from rolling clean. And only now we can say that Sinitsina and Katsalapov have finally coped with everything.
Rika Kihira
Unpredictable view - female figure skating. The 2018 Grand Prix only confirmed this. At that moment, when it seemed that Russian figure skaters would be winning absolutely for many years, she appeared - Rika Kihira. A 16-year-old Japanese woman who, in her first season as an adult, began skating the most technically challenging programs in the world and beating everyone in a row. What? How? Where?
A year ago, in the final of the Junior Grand Prix, she was far behind Alexandra Trusova, Alena Kostornaya and Anastasia Tarakanova, who are a year or even two younger. At the junior world championship, Kihira was even eighth, losing to Trusova by more than 50 points!
And here she declares three triple axels in her programs, comes out and just puts up with everyone. Yes, Kihira still performs “trixeli” in her free program with 50% success, but this does not prevent her from winning. Because everything else she does great! The glide is amazing, all the jumps and cascades are huge advantages! How could you grow up in a year?
Before the Grand Prix finals, we hoped that Kihira would not be able to defeat Alina Zagitova, if only because she was unstable and had much less experience. In theory, the Japanese woman was supposed to tremble and fill up something, and Zagitova - to drive cleanly in the classroom.
Rika Kihira, Sergey Bobylev / TASS
Both skated the short one perfectly, but Kihir, who set the world record, was ahead - by 4.5 points. Well, then you know. The Japanese woman confidently defeated Zagitova even with a triple axel not fully wound in an arbitrary, on which she lost about eight points.
Now, in order to win, Alina is not enough to skate cleanly. She must wait for Kihira's mistakes. This is how quickly reality changes in women's skating.
Next year, Trusova and Shcherbakova will begin to compete with adults, who are already showing quadruple jumps... But it may well turn out that they will not be the first to perform these most difficult elements at the top level.
Kihira's coach Mie Hamada said after the Grand Prix finals that her student was ready to jump quads. In training, Kihira performs them quite confidently. Apparently it comes about the lutz in four turns. If Rika adds it to the free program to two triple axels, then it will be an incredible challenge for everyone else.
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Sofya Samodurova
Tuktamysheva this season proved the main thing - in women's skating there is a place not only for 15-year-old girls jumping crazy cascades. Lisa triumphantly broke into the elite figure skating-2018, the results are consistently high and, it seems, has excellent prospects again.
After the total success in 2015, Tuktamysheva fought hard with trauma, psychology and the consequences of growing up for a long time. And at that moment, when everyone forgot about her, she began to demonstrate what she won the world and European championships - stable, mature skating with steep jumps, triple axel and charming femininity.
In the final of the Grand Prix in technique in an arbitrary, she lost to Kihira a paltry 0.15 points. But the grade for the components of Tuktamysheva is killed throughout the season. And the situation does not seem to be changing. Many experts believe that Lisa lacks "figure skating", but this distinctive feature all students of Alexei Mishin.
And still, the third place of Tuktamysheva in the Grand Prix finals is an incredible success! The moment it seemed that women's skating flew away into the stratosphere, Liza returned straight from 2015 and proved that not everything is so simple.
Sofya Samodurova, Sergey Bobylev / TASS
Another discovery of the season was Sofya Samodurova, who is engaged in the same group with Tuktamysheva. Sonya has just graduated from the juniors and immediately made it to the final of the adult Grand Prix. Yes, I took fifth place there, but at the same time I performed both of my programs in the purest way.
Samodurova, like Tuktamysheva, is a techie. Very stable in terms of element execution. Now, perhaps, her programs look somewhat naive and simple, but Sonya is only 16. This is her first season at an adult level for her.
And in a few weeks Samodurova will fight at the Russian championship for getting to Europe.
And, you know, you want to root for her. Sonya is a very sincere and sweet girl. To understand this, it is enough to read her interview after the Russian stage of the Grand Prix. There she cried with happiness in the mixed zone, amazed everyone with excellent English at press conferences, talked about Mishin's jokes and fiercely burned at the demonstration.
Alena Kostornaya
Five of our girls took part in the final of the Junior Grand Prix. But the main attention was paid to Trusova and Shcherbakova, who declared a bunch of quads in their programs.
Sasha already won these competitions last year, so she took the most risky path, trying to perform three jumps in four turns. Practically nothing happened, but this is not the main thing. Even with mistakes, Trusova had to endure everyone - the technical base allowed.
Alena Kostornaya, Jonathan Hayward / PA Images / TASS
Again, something happened that no one expected. Alena Kostornaya gave two inspired skates, amazed absolutely everyone, first of all, with her completely "adult" skating.
We are used to the fact that at this level, athletes lack speed, and the transitions look unnatural and childishly angular. But this has nothing to do with Alena. For a long time, in almost all competitions, she remained second after Trusova, but this season she has matured dramatically and proved that figure skating is not only about jumping.
In Vancouver Russian athletes won four medals
Figure skating showed how he knows how to keep tension. Skaters - how they know how to take a punch. Our hopes and expectations did not come true - not a single gold medal at the Grand Prix Final. Does this mean that everything is bad? Is Alina Zagitova doomed to second place now? Will Russian dancers be able to regain their place on the world podium this season, and will couples be able to take the leading positions? And finally, 10 out of 12 medals awarded in the Junior Final - is that cool or "nothing" for the future?
How the Final took away the gold of Russian singles
Alina Zagitova could not, like last year, win the Grand Prix Final. Her peer from Japan, Rika Kihira, who previously, unlike the Olympic champion, did not have titles, interfered. The debut in the Grand Prix series was made by a Japanese woman in the Russian spirit - she burst in and pulled out her own.
Japan regained the title in women's singles. In 2013, Mao Asada received it (Yulia Lipnitskaya was the second), in 2014 - Elizaveta Tutkamysheva, two next years- Evgenia Medvedeva, on the eve Olympic Games- Zagitova. And now - Kihira.
The information about the leg injury that passed immediately after Alina Zagitova's performance - she stumbled over a television cable during training, the mentors even thought about removing the champion from the tournament - did not come from Alina, coaches or our commentators, but from one of the foreign broadcasters of the Junior Grand Prix. Then we received confirmation from our officials.
And here, of course, it was just right to flinch. Riding with injury is fraught. Withdrawing from the competition in the name of the main starts of the season means that it is imperative to generate talk about fear of a rival. This is the fate of Alina, and indeed of any leader, from whom only victories are expected, that deviations from the expectations of the fans are perceived as an insult. What should have been done?
Alina decided to go to the start. And she skated with a single error in the first stage. "I wanted to attach a second triple jump to the lutz, I thought about it, but somehow I landed awkwardly."
Weapon for weapon
Triple axel - very strong weapon... We knew about this for a long time: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, having become the world champion in 2015, clearly showed everything. And Rika Kihira does two triple axels in one program. But any weapon justifies itself only in the presence of additional factors, which are, in fact, the main ones: a set of all complex elements, clean execution, components. And Kihira has it all.
We see the skater for the first season, and she herself says: she won, because before that two years there were failures, she promised herself that she would remember them and not repeat them. Well ... and this is said under the sights of cameras and in front of bouquets of voice recorders. Of course, she won because she was ready to do it in Vancouver. Technically and physically. Graduated free program and drove off as if she hadn't skated. Even "for decency" there was no hint of breathlessness. And yet - she quickly adds in components.
Alina Zagitova said that she was not yet able to put together a free program, "as it should." In Vancouver - whether it was an injury, the very peak of acclimatization (and 11 hours difference is "off scale" for the body), whether the search for stability in the post-Olympic season, but from her best mark for an arbitrary in the season, Alina did not receive 10 points at once. From the total amount - 12 points. Now she will not only have to return them, but also increase, taking into account also the reputational acquisition of Kihira in Vancouver. So far, following the events, we are talking only about the Japanese woman as the main rival for Zagitova in the season. But before the World Cup - more than two months, during which the pros move mountains.
They beat adults
Will the "strong weapon" that Kihira owns and Alina not possess always help the Japanese woman? Vancouver gave an answer using the example of junior battles of fantastic girls from the Eteri Tutberidze group. Alexandra Trusova performed purely one of the three quadruple jumps declared in the free program. “Of course, I wanted to skate cleanly, all the more so in training I succeed and in the warm-up I got a quadruple lutz. Probably worried. I hope that we will be able to do it at the Russian Championship ”. Anna Shcherbakova did not cope with her the hardest jumps at all: “I can say that they can be made stable. It is not that difficult if you perform the quadruple lutz correctly technically. " And Alena Kostornaya, who did not try to “kill” the judges with a male set of elements, won with absolutely crazy expressive skating. The beautiful Alena received points higher than Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, who won the bronze medal in the adult start. By the way, next season Kostornaya will play on adult ice.
Trusova, who made a revolution in figure skating with her jumps, became the second, and the student of Svetlana Panova, 13-year-old Alena Kanysheva, was in third place. One might say that she did not count on the pedestal, but she also turned out to be ready for it at the right time. "I gave my best, the third place was a big surprise for me." Kanysheva will not participate in the adult championship of Russia, but the same Kostornaya, Trusova, Shcherbakova and Anastasia Tarakanova nerves for adults.
And this is wonderful. And there is no need to be afraid that internal starts will consume all the energy of our leaders. On the contrary, they will feed.
A kick to the future
How Alina Zagitova can add to the main starts of the season is a question for the coaches to think about. What happened in Vancouver was what might have been expected by comparing Kihira's and Zagitova's baseline scores. But expectation and reality are not sisters. Only reality prepares a decisive step forward, compels him to take it. Staying “with your friends”, hoping for an ideal rental for Alina and her coaches, can hardly be considered an acceptable option - it is tantamount to marking time. So they will go ahead.
Liza Tuktamysheva performed brilliantly in Vancouver - she complicated the program and admitted that she “lit up at the end, as I can do it”. In general, Elizabeth today seems to be rushing on the ice with the flag of optimism for all skaters who do not succeed at some stage in their careers. Three seasons of absence on the ice, two missed Olympics and such a return to the ice. Moreover, to such young athletes who have grown in components and technically in a different figure skating rating system.
And Liza, it turns out, is also flattered that she is the oldest participant in the Final. It is Tuktamysheva, who has gone through failures more than once in her career, who forms a competent attitude towards the Grand Prix Final. This is not the last and most important battle of the year, it is a great opportunity to prepare for the Russian championship, where you have to show everything you can do.
By the way, Sergey Voronov, who took the last place in the men's competition, but considers that getting to this start itself is honorable, also speaks about the Russian championship in connection with the start in Vancouver. (The victory was won by the American figure skater Nathan Chen, the second - the Japanese Shoma Uno, the South Korean Chha Jung Hwan in third place. "I made mistakes, it's hard to say why. What can you do, life does not end, I will draw conclusions. But getting to the final is already worthy . I have something to think about before the Russian championship. "
Dancing with a magnifying glass
As coach Alexander Zhulin said, praising his dancers, there is always something to work on and what to finish. The Americans Maddison Hubbel and Zachary Donoghue won the dance. Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov won second place in Vancouver, showing best result season in a free dance and - conquering the audience. In third place were Italians Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabri, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin - in fourth, Tiffany Zagorski and Jonathan Gureiro - in fifth. Three Russian duos on ice are already a huge success, and the prize-winning place is a double success.
Nikita Katsalapov also did not go without mentioning the Russian championship: “We are glad that we are moving forward and progressing from start to start. We skated here with pleasure, the last ten seconds of the free program were like complete happiness. By the time of the Russian Championship, we will correct all the shortcomings in order to compete in the fight for the title of national champions ”.
And this title is very important. In addition to the dispute with the rivals, our dancers at each start also find out who will be the first duet of the country after home championship... Whom does Saransk crown? Vancouver passed in favor of Sinitsina-Katsalapov.
For most of the audience and even for specialists, the dances are a rather dark forest. Rather, their judge's assessment. And here, each case of underestimation of something or not expected assessment by duets and coaches should be considered with a magnifying glass. Moreover, these magnifiers need to be handed out to more than one specialist. This is a discussion of why Stepanova-Bukin were in fourth place after rhythm dance. The phrase “you need to ask the judges” is becoming too frequent a guest at the starts. And it brings resentment.
How will we return?
Give victory to the French Vanessa James and Morgan Sipre in pair skating no one had planned, of course. But they took it (219.88), updating their own world record in the free program. And they became the first figure skaters in the country to win the Grand Prix Final competition in sports pairs. The second place was taken by the Chinese Peng Cheng and Jin Yang.
Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, who received bronze, as well as Natalia Zabiyako and Alexander Enbert (fourth), cannot recognize skating in Vancouver as faultless. Young Daria Pavlyuchenko and Denis Khodykin finished sixth and gained experience in battles.
The Grand Prix final could have been more successful for Russian figure skaters. But those four medals, two silver and two bronzes that we won in the end are possible to correct. As, for example, coach Nina Moser said about the performance of couples, “I think that at the right time in the right competitions they will skate with a different quality”. We would also like to think so, of course.
Moreover, the future of Russian figure skating, it is the current junior one, brought an unconditional victory to Russia in the Final. Our skaters have won 10 out of 12 awards! In three events out of four, they occupied the entire pedestal, not allowing rivals to reach the cherished steps. And the only Russian in the dispute of the young men - Pyotr Gumennik took second place.
Women. Free program
1. (Japan) - 150.61
2. (Russia) - 148.60
3. (Russia) - 144.67
4. (Japan) - 141.45
5. (Russia) - 136.09
6. (Japan) - 133.79
Final position
1. Kihira - 233.12
2. Zagitova - 226.53
3. Tuktamysheva - 215.32
4.Sakamoto - 211.68
5. Samodurov - 204.33
6. Miyahara - 201.31
In Vancouver, where the Grand Prix final in figure skating is being held, the women's competition has ended. The final results showed that in this season singles new leader... And this is not an Olympic champion Alina Zagitova, and a Japanese woman Rika Kihira which showed both excellent skating and incredible stamina.
Zagitova is a fighter. But she lost her lightness
After short program Alina was 4.58 points behind Kihira. In order to fight for victory, the Russian woman had to show the same level of skating that at the very first start of the season for herself on the “Challenger” in Oberstdorf, where she overcame the barrier of 158 points for the free program. In Vancouver, Zagitova lost almost ten points to herself.
The mistake happened on the very first cascade - to the triple lutz, the exit from which turned out to be not at all ideal, Alina instead of a triple sheepskin coat attached only a single one. Lutz, with whom she fought in all workouts, let her down in the program. The impression was that Zagitova was so surprised at her own departure that she was confused and for a moment forgot what to do next.
But then she got herself together and continued to fight. She really fought for every jump. But there was no such ease in her skating that Alina amazed everyone with last season. Yes, this is already more mature and graceful skating, but to win it should be just perfect, so that you can earn big pluses on every jump.
With such skating, Kihira is invincible
The components of the Russian woman are no longer superior to Kihira. What is 0.3 point? It's just a minuscule amount. The Japanese woman this season is walking with iron steps according to last year's schedule of Zagitova herself, and it will be very difficult to lead her astray. In terms of components, she is already almost on a par with the Olympic champion, and in technique - ahead.
Kihira was unable to do a solo triple axel at the beginning of the program, avoiding falling only with the help of her hands. The judges put a big minus for this jump and two jackdaws for under-rotation, which instantly reduced the cost of the element almost to the level of a double axel.
But then Rika showed herself as a skater with nerves of steel. She went for the second triple axel, made it great, but she fastened not a triple, but a double sheepskin coat to it, deciding not to risk it. She made a triple toe loop in a cascade with a triple lutz in the second part of the program, and initially this jump was solo.
Kihira did the rest flawlessly. She is still far from Zagitova's record in the free program and in total points, but she achieved the main thing - victory with a very serious advantage.
Tuktamysheva set a personal record
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva became the third in the Grand Prix final. Although, it seems, the judges squeezed her points a little. In the free program, the student of Alexei Mishin was no worse than Zagitova. But I got four points less. In terms of technique, she was ahead of the Olympic champion, and the components of the judge are simply not given to her.
Elizaveta did not cleanly rode off the triple axel, but did not fall and made the element for a small minus. And the rest of the jumps were performed at the highest level. For the first time in her career, Tuktamysheva skated a program with eight triple jumps. She skated after Zagitova, and after the announcement of the estimates, Professor Mishin was extremely unhappy with what the judges counted. He probably had every reason for this.
His other student, Sofya Samodurova, also showed the best free program rental so far this season. As a result, in the final she remained fifth, but her skating is getting better and better with each rental. She was ahead of Satoko Miyahara herself, and this is worth a lot.
The competitive part of the Figure Skating Grand Prix finals is over. The marks are known, the positions on the podium are distributed. It remains only to please the local audience with your incendiary number at the gala concert, and that's it. However, according to by and large the final of the Grand Prix, which was held in Vancouver (Canada), did not bring much joy Russian team... Olympic champion Alina Zagitova, the main hope of fans and spectators, was left without medals of the highest standard.
Men's single skating
The only representative of the Russian national team was Sergey Voronov. Of course, the Russian's rivals were impressive. American Nathan Chen, Japanese Shoma Uno, Korean talent Chha Zhun Hwan, Czech Michal Brzhezina, who "restarts" his career. And instead of the injured Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu, Canadian Keegan Messing joined them. Not an easy company, that's for sure. But medal prospects were still there. In the short program, the Russian made the only mistake - on a quadruple sheepskin coat. Because of this, I could not "attach" a triple toe loop to the jump, because the cascade of a quadruple toe loop and a triple toe loop was originally conceived. But he made it together with a triple rittberger. However, a small mistake put Voronov on the fifth line after the short program. By the way, the leaders also skated flawlessly. American Chen was left without a cascade, Japanese figure skater Uno tore off a quadruple flip, Canadian Messing made a mistake in a cascade of quadruple and triple toe loop and on a triple axel. Two skated cleanly: the Korean Chha Zhun Hwan and the Czech Brzhezina. They were separated by 0.14 points.
But in the free program, absolutely everything was mowed. Sergei Voronov decided to take risks, trying to jump everything he could. However, the risk was not justified, the cascade of a quadruple and double sheepskin coat was made with an error. A single quadruple toe loop, a triple axel and a cascade of a triple axel, double toe loop and rittberger are also "dirty". In addition, he "attached" a double sheepskin coat to the triple lutz, which the judges could not evaluate, since it had already been performed earlier. However, the Russian figure skater is well done! He fought for every element, trying and "pulling" the jumps. But the competition was too high.
As a result, Nathan Chen from America won the battle of nerves and technical base. Despite his by no means perfect skating, and even with a fall, he was able to bypass samurai Shomu Uno by as much as 8.32 points. The 16-year-old Korean figure skater Cha Zhun Hwan closed the top three, beating the Czech 28-year-old athlete Michal Brzezina. Russian Sergei Voronov became the sixth, the last. However, we repeat: he fought and tried.
Women's single skating
One of the main intrigues of the outgoing year was in women's skating. A sort of Russian-Japanese confrontation on the ice. Among the participants in the “big” final were three Japanese figure skaters and three Russians. Moreover, each of them could count on a prize. All attention was focused on two participants: Olympic champion Alina Zagitova and debutante from the Land of the Rising Sun Rike Kihira. Yes, there were also Satoko Miyahara and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, as well as Kaori Sakamoto and Sofya Samodurova. But still, the first two girls have a better sum in the season. Everyone was waiting for the ending of the figurative thriller.
Alarm bells sounded after the short program was screened. Rika Kihira flawlessly skated the short program, performing a triple axel, and even receiving a very impressive bonus for it. The only complaint of the judges was the rotation, which she was given the third level (-0.7 points). The components of the Japanese woman were also very high. Russian figure skater Alina Zagitova performed her program almost perfectly, but felt a certain stiffness, tightness at the box office.
The refereeing team appreciated the rental at its true worth, not losing points for a small under-rotation on a cascade of triple lutz and triple rittberger (on the last - approx. Site). However, Zagitova lost to Kihira on the base, triple axel against double. And the Russian woman received the components only half a point superior to her rival from Japan.
It is worth noting that another Russian woman Elizaveta Tuktamysheva also entered the top three. She made the short program with a small mistake on the trixel (triple axel - approx .. The second ward of Alexei Nikolaevich Mishin Sofia Samodurova took fifth place, skating cleanly and without disruptions.
But in the free program, everything was decided by the nerves. As well as in men. The first of the Russians to go out on the ice was Sofya Samodurova. She skated breathtakingly, and even delivered the best result of the season. In terms of the sum of the two programs, Samodurov became the fifth, beating the Japanese woman Satoko Miyahara. For an adult Grand Prix debutante, such a result is excellent.
Alina Zagitova skated under the fourth number. But even when going out on the ice, the athlete's tension and nervousness were visible. Yes, it rolled without falling. But instead of the "triple lutz - triple toe loop" cascade, only "three + one" was performed. At the box office, there was no lightness and self-confidence. And immediately the artistic side began to suffer. But, unfortunately, this is a sport in which there are winners and awardees. And there is no need to say that she gave up, it is not. She tried, fought, first of all with herself.
Note that the Japanese Rika Kihira skated last. She didn't get a perfect performance. The athlete made a mistake on a triple axel, and then, instead of the declared cascade of a triple axel and a triple sheepskin coat, she performed only “three + two”. But this did not prevent the Japanese woman from winning 2.51 points on the technical base. In terms of components, she lost only 0.3 points to Zagitova. So it turned out that the backlog that she made after the short one, Kihira was able to increase. Still, the difference of six and a half points (6.59) is quite large.
Dancing on Ice
The favorites in this type of program were Americans Madison Hubbel and Zachary Donoghue. They were the holders of the world record for sum, short dance. Before the French Gabriela Papadakis and Guillaume Sizeron competed in the last stage. But not about that now. The representation from Russia was very solid - three couples at once, two of which, according to the results of the season, claimed medals. Great expectations assigned to Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin and Victoria Sinitsyna / Nikita Katsalapov. It so happened that the third Russian duo - Tiffany Zagorski and Jonathan Gureiro - this season showed a little less amount than the leaders that year, so it was difficult to fight for medals.
After a short dance, American skaters Hubbel and Donoghue seized the lead. Their program was rated excellent, and the advantages of the GOE system were solid. The second after the rhythmic dance were the Italians Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri. And the places from the third to the fifth remained with the Russian figure skaters. First were Victoria Sinitsyna and Nikita Katsalapov, then Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin, and then Tiffany Zagorski and Jonathan Gureiro.
In the free dance, the placement of athletes in positions has slightly changed. The Russians Sinitsyna and Katsalapov managed to jump to the second place. They skated their free dance cleanly, receiving excellent encouragement from the judges.
The other two duos, unfortunately, remained in fourth and fifth places. Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin skated third level twizzles, for which they received a little less and could not compete for the Grand Prix finals. Tiffany Zagorski and Jonathan Gureiro also did not receive the highest tier twizzles, so they remained only fifth. But all the guys are great!
In ice dancing, the Russian national team has not had a medal for ten years, starting with the 2008/09 season. Then the second place was taken by Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin. And then there was silence. And now the Russians are on the podium again.
Sports couples
There were three Russian couples: Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, Natalia Zabiyako and Alexandra Enbert, as well as yesterday's juniors and now Grand Prix finalists - Daria Pavlyuchenko and Denis Khodykin. The hopes of fans and spectators were associated with the wards of Nina Mikhailovna Moser and Maxim Trankov. The Russians' rivals were not simple. The Chinese duo Chen Peng and Yang Jin, as well as the leaders of the season, the French, Vanessa James and Morgan Sipre. The Italians Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise were breathing in the back.
After a short program, Chinese athletes took the lead. But the favorites from France made a mistake on a triple sheepskin coat and a throw. Yes and Russian couples did not do without "jambs".
Tarasova and Morozov made a mistake on the jumping element - a triple sheepskin coat, and Zabiyako and Enbert - on the steps, Pavlyuchenko and Khodykin made a mistake not only on the jump, but also on the throw - the partner fell. So everything had to be decided in an arbitrary program.
And here it was already very interesting. Vanessa James and Morgan Sipre performed their free program cleanly, but received a “-1 point” for not keeping up with the music. But this did not prevent them from receiving the amount (148.37) for the rental, which became a new world record. Russian skaters Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov outnumbered their rivals in terms of base, but they themselves made two mistakes: the partner could not twist a full-fledged cascade, and the partner was on the ejection. As a result - only the third place.
Chinese athletes Chen Peng and Yang Jin skated cleanly, for which they were rewarded with silver medals of the “big final”.
Natalia Zabiyako and Alexander Enbert also did not do without dirt in the program. A mistake on a triple salchow - and only the fourth place. Debutants of the adult Grand Prix Daria Pavlyuchenko and Denis Khodykin finished sixth, losing a little less than a point to Italians Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise.
In Canada, the final tournament of the Grand Prix figure skating series of the season 2018/19 has ended. Among Russian athletes, no one was able to win gold medal... The leaders of Russian skating and Tuktamysheva, performing in the category of female singles, finished in second and third places, respectively. The triumph of student Eteri Tutberidze was prevented by her main rival - 16-year-old Japanese figure skater Rika Kihira.
If Tuktamysheva went to Canada just to enjoy skating and her success in the current season, then Zagitova really had a huge burden of responsibility. However, the Olympic champion did not manage to skate the short program cleanly, and then gross mistakes were made in an arbitrary number. Kihira made a mistake once, having filled up a cascade of triple axel + triple sheepskin coat. The judge removed a lot of points from the Japanese woman, but everything else was performed perfectly.
Rika now has no equal in terms of technology.
This was indirectly confirmed by Zagitova after the final, saying that she would not be able to perform quarter jumps now. Alina also admitted that it was hard for her during the season due to increased expectations and press pressure. This final remained for Kihira, but in the near future her competition with Zagitova may become the main opposition of women's figure skating.
21-year-old Tuktamysheva became the third - a good result for her. Before the final, Elizabeth repeatedly repeated that she did not expect to win in Vancouver.
This season was by far the best season for the Empress of her career.
Another representative of Russia, Sofya Samodurova, showed the fifth result.
“I went through a lot, through ups and downs, gained experience, letting go of excitement and understanding why I ride. At my age, it is important not to compete, but to enjoy work, to love what you do, ”Tuktamysheva is quoted as saying.
Figure skating. Final Grand Prix. Vancouver, Canada
Women.
1. Rika Kihira (Japan) - 233.12.
2. Alina Zagitova (Russia) - 226.53.
3. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (Russia) - 215.32.
4. Kaori Sakamoto (Japan) - 211.68.
5.Sophia Samodurova (Russia) - 204.33.
6. Satoko Miyahara (Japan) - 201.31.
The performance of dance couples left many questions. The Russians / went to Canada as the main contenders for the victory, however, they faced judicial "hooliganism" in the short program, and could no longer make up in an arbitrary number. But other Russian athletes were pleased with Victoria Sinitsina and. The couple scored 201.37 points on the sum of the two programs and became the second.
It is also noteworthy that young people for the first time in their careers overcame the bar of 200 points.
So the silver of the Grand Prix Sinitsin and Katsalapov can write themselves into an asset. Another domestic dance couple Tiffany Zagorski / earned 184.37 in total, taking the final fifth place. The judges gave gold to Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donoghue (205.35), who never got the most high level difficulties. Judging the dancing couples in the Grand Prix finals is likely to be a topic of discussion for a long time to come.
Figure skating. Final Grand Prix. Vancouver (Canada)
Dancing on Ice.
1. Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donoghue (USA) - 205.35.
2. Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov (Russia) - 201.37.
3. Charlene Guignard / Marco Fabbri (Italy) - 198.65.
4. Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin (Russia) - 196.72.
5. Tiffany Zagorski / Jonathan Gureiro (Russia) - 184.37.
6. Caitlin Hawayek / Jean-Luc Baker (USA) - 184.04.
A real sensation was presented sports couples... After the disastrous short program, the French Vanessa James and Morgan Sipre were only fourth, but in an arbitrary number, in an unexpected way for everyone, they showed such a high-quality rental that they soared to the first line.
And even with a world record - 148.37 points.
The Chinese Cheng Peng and Jin Yang, who were leading after the short program, finished second in the end.
The next serious test for Russian figure skaters will be the Russian championship. Tournament will take place from 20 to 22 December in Saransk, where she will arrive and who did not get to Vancouver.
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