The "figure" has a female face

Only men returned without awards from the World Cup

The Russian national team regained its gold in female single skating, obtained two paired medals and rare silver in dancing at the World Cup in Japan. And only the men slipped again and fell under the ice of the Sitama.

The fans were waiting for the current tournament with special impatience. Firstly, because the last post-Olympic championship in Milan in a number of factors turned out to be boring. Secondly, the championships of the planet, which have been in the Land of the Rising Sun since 1977, with the exception of the Tokyo Forum 2007, where our envoy did not take a single medal, for Soviet and Russian skate masters as a whole were very successful. Either because our skaters in this country are loved (if not, they adore), or the stars just take shape in late March in the island state with cheerful sheepskin coats for the Russian team. Well, thirdly, several cool and principled duels were expected, for which the Japanese, without sparing, laid thousands of dollars for tickets.

The mighty 37 thousandth arena was not clogged to capacity only during the days of the greenhouses. And only because in this class the owners of the championship have no applicants for awards.

But they were and are in China. Unfortunately, by lawmakers of the mod in this type of program, where we have devoted everyone and everything for half a century, Russia has not been for a long time. The last time Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, in the distant 2013, climbed the highest level of the world pedestal. More interestingly, after many years, it was to observe the disassembly of representatives of the Middle Kingdom and our pairs, who, in the absence of their careers by Megan Duel and Eric Radford and took Alena Savchenko and Bruno, a powerful performance with tears and records. The first action remained for Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, who, fortunately, decided to continue to ride together. The "red -haired" were ahead of both their own and strangers in a short rite with a new planetary achievement. But, as Tamara Moskvina said, "it is impossible to win a tournament on a starting day ...". By the way, it was after the fourth performance of her young wards to the music of Tchaikovsky that the hall rose and applauded standing. The “brisk goats”, as the fans of the lovely debutants called Alexander Boykov and Dmitry Kozlovsky, broke into the six, splitting with their “Nutcracker” and ice, and more experienced competitors. “I am proud that they did not let our school. It is now necessary to form their own style so that their surnames are pronounced unmistakably, ”Tatyana Nikolaevna summed up.

... The arbitrary “Winter” at Tarasova and Morozov came out, albeit stable, but in some places sleepy and by no means fabulous. The Chinese, after the intermission, did not flinch on the yota. Wenjin Xu and Tsung Han were, to hide the sin, not in Asianly elegant and artistic, and rightfully ozolly, gaining crazy 234.84 points. The upset Maxim Trankov, who worked with Zhenya and Vova, for the third time in a row remaining with silver, said that "he could not cope with his task." But another talented guys from the Nina Moser team controlled with the nerves. The European Championship, Natalya Zabiyako and Alexander Enbert, pulled out bronze from the Second Chinese brigade, showing almost the best rental in life. It is hard to believe, but Russia has not won two “paired” medals at planetary meetings since 2005 ...

In women's skating, the Russians of medals of various advantages over the past five seasons have been collected enough. Although after the Olympic Games the world podium captured Canadian Osmond. In order to return the branded crown home to Saitama, after the long thoughts of the National Federation, Sofya Zamodurova, Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva were sent. The choice in favor of the two -time world champion, which, let’s say, by order from above, won the funny Cup of Russia Elizabeth Tuktamyshev, the public sharply condemned. Many called the decision political: supposedly the federation should justify the costs of paying for the life of Eugene in Canada and her training with Brian Orser. He added fire and slippery rumor that Medvedeva, who is not childishly PR, the first channel, led by Tatyana Tarasova, will probably be a medal in exchange for gold for one of the Japanese women ...

Well, the Muscovite, who was subjected to wild persecution from the side of Russian fans due to an unsportsmanlike entry into an application, which flooded a bunch of starts during the season, the bronze award on Friday evening really ended up in his pocket. She just got her absolutely on the case, squeezing out of her two programs maximum. And even if we did not see the usual lightness and airiness, but also falling to the fifth point of the matured Zhenya, explaining his success with a complete rejection of meat and milk protein, was not recorded. Of course, the bloopers from the notorious hostesses of the championship - Ricky Kihira and Kaori Sakamoto, lagging behind Medvedeva by half a step helped. But the problems of the Indians, of course, do not worry the sheriff.

Japanese women, as you guessed, generally cried without medals. And this is guilty of this two students of Eteri Tutberidze, whom representatives of the local federation awarded with dull stone faces. You can understand officials. The opponents did not expect such powerful numbers from Alina Zagitova and 19-year-old Moscow Kazakhstan. After the first half, where the Olympic champion took everyone with the world record, on the sidelines of the palace confidently whispered: “In the second round of Rick with friends they will take their own, as Zagitova regularly“ kills ”his“ Carmen ”. But not forever to tear your favorite cascades and bring their coaches to a heart attack? The Izhevsk beauty, to a great disorder of those who predicted her, like Medvedeva after the 2018 Games, the end of her career, straightened her shoulders and steamed for four minutes and rotated, as before, magically and triium. There was almost nothing to complain about. And even the famous critics of Tutberidze and her “crystal” methods of working with light -winged fairies were recognized live: Eteri Georgievna knows the job perfectly.

She finally buried the dreams of Japanese women on the pedestal of Elizabeth, who covered the female session. Her wonderful quadruple (!) Salkhov in the debut of the program (she became the first girl who performed a four -turn jump at an adult congress), who caused a sigh of admiration in the stands, did not allow the judges to “cheat” and deprive the pioneer of a well -deserved reward. And Tutberidze assistants ran for champagne for the newly -made world champion and the holder of all the titles in figure skating by 16 years, as well as for the first silver medalist of planetary forums in the history of Kazakhstan.

When we open a sparkling bottle in honor of our dance duets and men, it is difficult to say. Although in ice round dances, Russians are slowly creeping up to the leaders. And even if the brilliant Frenchmen Gabriela Papadakis/Guillaume Sizeron is still not for anyone, but Canadians and Americans beautiful Victoria Sinitsin and Nikita Katsalapov technically rolled, conquering a silver medal with a personal record. Let me remind you that we have not had such results for six years. The original and brave Alexander Stepanov and Ivan Bukin almost took off above the rainbow, who occupied the third line after the rhythm dance. But to let two Russian tandems on the podium of the referees did not have enough conscience. Nevertheless, both the students of Alexander Zhulin and the pets of Alexander Pork and Irina Zhuk created the main thing: they fit sharply into an elite company and twisted the third dance quota for the future forum for the country.

To evaluate the loners who performed under a tricolor flag is incredibly difficult and sad. Cable guys from the tournament to the tournament at the most responsible moments for some reason lose their self-control. So this time, wildly overwhelming the first performances, experienced Mikhail Kolyada and the hopeful Alexander Samarin said goodbye to the medals. In the Saturday half, the guys, of course, were partially rehabilitated, but, having finished in the 6th and 12th positions, they did not even fulfill a mini-mission to preserve three vouchers in Montreal-2020.

You should not make serious complaints except that Andrei Lazukin, who urgently had to replace Maxim Kovtun in the national team. To the joy of his girlfriend Elizabeth Tuktamysheva, he purely slipped to the 10th step. True, from the two -time world champion Netan Chen, he was separated by 75 points ...

Maybe our skaters should bow to the coach of the star American Rafael Harutyunyan?