Figure skating european championship places. Ahead of time: Russian woman Trusova performed two quadruple jumps for the first time in history and won the UChM in figure skating
Women's competitions ended as expected: . Evgenia Medvedeva, who won gold, also demonstrated good vocals by singing the Russian anthem.
Medvedev could only lose to herself
Our young stars, the eldest of which is 17 and the youngest is 16, are very different and react differently to their performances and results. Elena Radionova, who performed first in the strongest warm-up, changed her costume for the European Championship. A student of Inna Goncharenko rides to the soundtrack to the Titanic. So they came up with an outfit for Elena as a VIP passenger of the legendary liner. The mood was to match, although the vice-champion of Europe-2015 fulfilled everything planned and repeated last year's result. “Apparently, the rivals have become stronger, since they failed to win,” the two-time vice-champion of Europe summed up the performance in Bratislava with a sad tone in her voice.
Perhaps she used the plural in vain. Only Evgenia Medvedeva is stronger this season. Student Eteri Tutberidze sincerely rejoiced at both the victory and the highest scores received, despite the fall from the double axel. Although Eugene could only lose to herself. She has a chic program with an amazingly complex set of elements, which, by the way, was rejected by Yulia Lipnitskaya last season. Director Ilya Averbukh, however, did not grieve for a long time. A new star has grown up in the Tutberidze group, willingly picking up the baton.
After the "steering wheel" for the missing element in the short program, Anna Pogorilaya, perhaps, could only count on the "bronze". She won it. Despite two falls, the figure skater, who repeated last year's achievement, was satisfied with her performance. “In Stockholm, I was still a child,” Anna honestly admitted. - Now I have matured and I perceive everything differently. I understand that it is not always possible to skate cleanly, and you need to be ready for this.
Latvian figure skater Angelina Kuchvalska, who finished 4th, was over ten points behind. There is a huge distance between Russian and other European skaters. It is much more difficult to qualify for the national team following the results of the Russian Championship than to become the winner of the European Championship.
Russian hegemony is not needed
At last year's European Championships in Stockholm, the entire podium in the competition of sports couples was occupied by Russian figure skaters. In Bratislava, they have serious competitors. Contrary to the expectations of Alena Savchenko, five-time champion world and two-time bronze medalist of the Olympics, who won these titles in tandem with Robin Szolkowy, did not leave big-time sports after Sochi-2014. The Ukrainian girl, who has been playing for Germany for a long time, is simply obsessed with the idea of becoming an Olympic champion.
To achieve this goal, she paired up with the Frenchman Bruno Massu. It took more than a year for him to be given permission to skate for Germany. Savchenko's fans even collected 30,000 euros on social networks to "buy out a partner". As it turned out, they tried not in vain.
In Bratislava, the new German couple immediately set their sights on the pedestal. Although, according to two-time Olympic champion Maxim Trankov, the new duet is being promoted so that there is no absolute hegemony of Russian couples in Europe. Trankov himself, together with Tatyana Volosozhar, did not show his best performance in the short program. As the skaters noted, they lost three or four points due to blots in the performance of well-developed elements.
Trankov called the reason ... the composition of the Russian team. Due to Yuko Kawaguchi and Fyodor Klimov's injuries, tickets to Bratislava were hastily issued to our team's reserve team, couples Evgeny Tarasov - Vladimir Morozov and Kristina Astakhova - Alexei Rogonov.
When you know that in case of failure you will be backed up by the same experienced and skillful teammates, you ride in a completely different way, - Trankov admitted. - And understudies even look at you differently, taking away some of the energy. It is very difficult to be the leader of the backup team.
It remains to be hoped that the double Olympic champions yet cope with such a difficult role.
Bratislava
results
Women. Final position: 1. Medvedev - 215.45; 2. Radionova - 209.99; 3. Pogorilaya (all - Russia) - 187.05; 4. Kuchvalskaya (Latvia) - 176.99
Sports couples. Short program. 1. Volosozhar/Trankov (Russia) - 79.77; 2. Savchenko / Massu (Germany) - 75.54; 3. Tarasova / Morozov - 70.17 ... 7. Astakhova / Rogonov (both pairs - Russia) - 60.63.
The European Championship ended on Saturday in Bratislava. figure skating. Russian figure skaters won seven medals - two golds, a silver and four bronzes.
Maxim Kovtun - bronze medalist of the championship
The first Russian medalist of the European Championship was Maxim Kovtun. A year earlier, in Stockholm, Kovtun became a silver medalist, this time the Russian figure skater was awarded a bronze medal. After the short program, Maxim took second place, but an unsuccessful performance in the free program, where he showed the sixth result, threw the Russian to the third line. World champion Javier Fernandez became the best figure skater in Europe.
Women's Singles for Russia
Triumphantly for Russia, the competitions in single skating among women. The entire pedestal of the European Championship was occupied by Russian figure skaters. Evgenia Medvedeva, Elena Radionova and Anna Pogorilaya, having passed a difficult selection in their homeland, expectedly became the best in Europe. They simply had no competition. But in the composition Russian team there are also Olympic champions Adelina Sotnikova and Yulia Lipnitskaya, as well as world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.
Sixteen-year-old Evgenia Medvedva, who became the European champion, is spending her first season at the adult level, and in her piggy bank is not only the gold of the continental championship, but also victories in the Russian Championship and the Grand Prix final.
Volosozhar and Maxaim Trankov are back on top
The Olympic champions before the start of the championship were the undisputed favorites, especially because of injuries, two other Russian couples knocked out - Yuko Kawaguchi / Alexander Smirnov and the winners of the Grand Prix final Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov.
According to the skaters themselves, they could have skated both the short and free programs better, but even that was enough to win. and outstripped the German couple Alena Savchenko and Bruno Massot in the sum of two programs by more than 20 points. The third place was taken by the Russian couple Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov.
Bobrova and Solovyov - third in ice dancing
In ice dancing, the champions of Russia and became the best Russian couple. The Russians have already become the best in Europe, they were second twice, but this time - bronze. World and European champions in 2015, the French Gabriella Papadakis / Guillaume Sizeron were able to defend the title. Italians Cappellini and Lanotte became silver medalists.
Russians Victoria Sinitsina and stopped a step away from the podium - fourth place, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin - fifth.
The venue for the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships was the Ondrej Nepela Winter Stadium in Bratislava. The fate of this figure skater was tragic. Having won everything possible in amateur sports, including the title of Olympic champion, Nepela obtained permission to compete in the American ice show. The members of this troupe, unfortunately for Ondrey, turned out to be representatives of non-traditional sexual orientation. They managed to convert to their "faith" and an intellectual from a socialist country, who had a prestigious law degree and spoke five languages. Nepela died very young, at the age of 48, from AIDS. This does not detract from the merits of the great athlete, and the authorities of Bratislava decided to permanently put the name of Nepela on the map of the city.
And again the mysterious Kovtun
The arena bearing the name of Nepela is old, if not ancient. She still remembers the famous skating of Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev at the 1973 World Championships, when the music suddenly turned off in the middle of the program. This story is overgrown with legends and myths. The previous European Championship in Bratislava took place 15 years ago. Two generations of skaters have already changed.
The Russian team at the European Championship 2016 has the maximum representation in all disciplines, but the chances for prizes are different. In women's competitions, there are simply no competitors for our young trio - Evgenia Medvedeva, Elena Radionova and Anna Pogorilaya. These girls beat two Olympic champions, as well as the current world and European champion. Americans with Japanese women can still compete with Russian skaters for medals, but now there are no rivals in the Old World.
In men, the favorite is the current European champion Javier Fernandez. He can only lose to himself. If he makes a couple of mistakes in the short program and two or three in the free program. Then the guys who included four or five quadruple jumps in their programs, subject to their impeccable performance, can create a sensation. Among " dark horses"and three-time champion of Russia Maxim Kovtun.
Two other Russian skaters (both from St. Petersburg) will make their debut at the European Championships and set themselves more modest goals: Mikhail Kolyada plans to show in the free program, in addition to the quadruple sheepskin coat, the quadruple salchow, which turns out well in training, and Alexander Petrov did not force the preparation of complex elements. Instead, at the gathering of Alexei Mishin's group in Tartu, he was given a new demonstration program.
Not everyone "survived" to Bratislava
Only Ukrainian Alyona Savchenko and Frenchman Bruno Massu can compete with Russian sports couples. The five-time world champion and winner of two Olympic bronze medals, who failed to realize her Olympic dream together with Robin Szolkowy, contrary to expectations, did not leave amateur sports after Sochi, but found herself a new partner. The debut of the couple, who had been waiting for an absentee letter from the French Figure Skating Federation for a partner for a long time, took place at the Challenger series tournament in Tallinn. The duet made a good impression, and Savchenko promised that by the time of the European Championship she and Massu would complicate the programs.
Of the initial composition of the Russian team in pairs, formed following the results of the national championship in Yekaterinburg, only two-time Olympic champions Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov "survived" to Bratislava. Due to an injury, the partners will not come to defend the title won by Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov a year ago, and because of problems with the back of the partner, the winners of the recent Grand Prix final Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov. They will be replaced by Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, who, while training in the Moser group, have long known about the trip to Bratislava, and Kristina Astakhova - Alexei Rogonov. As their coach Artur Dmitriev assures, his students are now in combat uniform.
All three dance couples, selected in Yekaterinburg for the European Championship, are ready to perform at the Ondrey Nepela Arena. Everyone with an ideal rental of their dances can get on the podium. At what level, it's hard to say. Italians Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte are good this season. What form are reigning champions world and Europe Gabriela Papadakis and Guillaume Sizeron, it's hard to say. Due to a serious injury to a partner, the French missed the Grand Prix series. According to experts, they looked good at the French Championship, but no one can predict how the international teams of referees will evaluate the performances.
Bratislava
Schedule. European Championship 2016
12.15. Women. Short program.
19.30. Men. Short program
14.30. Dancing. short dance
19.45. Men. free program
15.45. Couples. Short program
20.00. Women. free program
12.00. Couples. free program
16.30. Dancing. free dance
16.30. demonstration performances
The composition of the Russian team
Men. Maxim Kovtun, Mikhail Kolyada, Alexander Petrov
Women. Evgenia Medvedeva, Anna Pogorilaya, Elena Radionova
Couples. Tatyana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov, Kristina Astakhova/Alexey Rogonov, Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov
Dancing. Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitry Solovyov, Victoria Sinitsyna/Nikita Katsalapov, Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin
Winter is not only a time for joy and fun, New Year holidays and holidays, but also a chance to enjoy your favorite sports, especially figure skating. After all, you must admit, it is hardly possible to find and meet such a person in the world who would simply not love him.
The European Figure Skating Championships 2016-2017 will take place in the Czech city of Ostrava in the famous Czech Arena.
It is worth saying that it is in this place that the championship will be held for the first time. Although, regarding the holding of championships, the Czech Republic will open its spaces for competitions for the sixth time.
Championship participants.
Many are interested and concerned about the question of who will become a participant in the championship this season. First of all, the championship is open to all skaters from their European countries and members. International Union skaters who at the time of the tournament have reached the age of 15 years. Remember that at present, Israel, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are also commonly referred to as European countries. As a rule, following the results of the European Championship, each of the countries gets the right to field from one to three athletes in each of the disciplines. According to the regulations and charter of the championship, each of the declared athletes must reach the minimum technical evaluation, which he gains by his participation in international competitions taking place before the start of the European Championship. 
Results on which participants can be admitted.
Probably, it should be recalled that for each category of athletes they are their own, individual.
- 1. Singles men - short program 25 points, free - 45 points.
- 2. Singles women - short program 20 points, free program 36 points.
- 3. Pair skating - short program 20 points, free program not less than 36.
- 4. Sports dances - 19 and 29 points.
As can be seen from the presented results and ratings, men have the hardest time, although everyone goes through a tough and difficult selection. After all, you must admit that only the strongest and most worthy get to the championship of this level.
Russian team.
As for our team, here it is worth mentioning the following very interesting data and facts. As you know, the number of athletes for the championship from each country is determined depending on the results of last year's championship. And what does it give our team? Yes, first of all, the fact that the team will receive the right to maximum representation, that is, three people in each of the declared disciplines, but this is a good chance and opportunity to win.
As for last year's tournament, it is worth noting the excellent performance and skill of the following athletes.
- Firstly, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, who, following the results, became the champion in women's single skating.
- Secondly, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kawaguchi. This is our pair that won gold in pair skating.
It is thanks to them that our team has very high chances of winning this season and the championship. The European Figure Skating Championships 2016-2017 is rightfully considered the most serious and difficult test for many athletes. But, today, the leadership of the championship has pleased fans of this sport with very good news, since the championship will become even more interesting from the next season. Ask what is the reason? Everything is simple, as several exciting types of competitions and categories will be introduced, which will also attract a lot of attention from both athletes and TV viewers and fans. According to statistics and forecasts figure skating every year it becomes more popular and in demand a sport in absolutely any country and corner of the world, as evidenced by a large number of participants in the European Championship.
