Zagitova v Medvedeva: Russian figure skating divas in contention for national title
Russian city Saransk has been turned into the capital of figure skating this week, as the country’s strongest athletes gather there to compete for the national title and coveted tickets on the team.
Among four figure skating disciplines presented in Saransk much attention will be focused on the women’s event where over 10 competitors will be vying for just three vacant places on the roster.
The rivalry between two team leaders – world champion Evgenia Medvedeva and reigning Olympic title holder Alina Zagitova – is expected to be inflamed again, at their first head-to-head meeting this season.
Going into the nationals Zagitova proved to be in a decent physical shape after she claimed silver at the Grand Prix final, losing to Japan’s Rika Kihira who stunned pundits with her thrilling performance.
Things didn’t go smoothly for the Olympic silver medallist Medvedeva, who parted ways with her former coach Eteri Tutberidze and moved to Canada to train under Brian Orser.
Cooperation with the renowned Canadian specialist has not yet been as fruitful as expected. Medvedeva failed to qualify for the Grand Prix final with her results being overcast by the shadow of her former records.
Medvedeva’s dismal season-opening performance left many questions unanswered with the main intrigue being whether she will be able to restore previously held positions in the sport she once dominated.
While Zagitova’s presence on the national team is out of the question, Medvedeva’s chances to finish in the top three look rather slim, after she displayed error-riddled programs at two Grand Prix stages.
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The main intrigue of the upcoming event is whether Russian starlet Alexandra Trusova will land three quads in her free program. The 14-year-old talent who was allowed to compete against senior teammates has shattered basic concepts of figure skating by becoming the first female athlete to nail two quadruple jumps at an official competition.
However, Trusova’s result at the nationals will not be counted while selecting athletes for international starts, as the junior world champion is still not eligible to take part in senior events due to her age.
Opposing Zagitova and Medvedeva in Saransk will be Sofia Samudorova who managed to seal a place in the Grand Prix final where she finished fifth.
Russian Olympian Maria Sotskova and 2012 world silver medallist Aliona Leonova will also be in contention for the coveted tickets on the national squad.
One more Russian star Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, who has been making the headlines this season following her provocative “striptease” dance, will be absent in Saransk after she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
The national figure skating championship will run from December 19 to 23 with gold and silver medalists being automatically granted spots on the team.
