Russian coach Inna Goncharenko said that her skater Elena Radionova flawlessly performed at the European Championships. "Lena has done all that is necessary. It is done! Somehow not particularly tuned to hire any program, just doing all the usual sequence - and all. Everybody wants to be first, all of these here and go. But the first one. Therefore, when we won the short program, of course, were very happy, but I understand the weight of responsibility and the gravity of desire. Therefore we went to our usual pattern in preparation for the long program."
"The performance of competitors does not follow, because there is even no time. Lena does not care what number it appears in a result," says Tatiana Tarasova. "Your start number is necessary to love anyone. I agree with this."- portal "Team Russia 2014" quoted Goncharenko. Recall that the winner of the European Championship was Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Radionova and Anna Pogorilaya took second and third place respectively. Note that for the victory was not enough Radionova less than one point.
Today, the editors of "Soviet Sport" Elena met Radionova. She modestly denied the epithet "one of the two best skaters in the world." Still, it's true. The people are not fooled. During their speeches, Lena gets a hundred thousand letters in social networks
- Please tell me what it is - to be 16 years old at that height?
- It is hard to say yet, let the World Championship, is the main start of the season. Somehow I still do not see a reason to think and talk about some abstract concepts. To this need perfectly prepared to give your best hire.
- So often we hear that the skaters - children without a childhood.
- Well, it's true! I had a happy childhood, I would wish for anyone to go through as a child that I survived! I traveled a lot, I saw so many interesting things ... I do not know me at all, in principle, easy to live with. Only need to combine skating with study creates some difficulties. Exams, ninth grade .. But I still try to keep up with all.
- And even appear on hockey. Your joint visit with Adelina Sotnikova and Maxim Kovtun into the stands during the match CSKA "Locomotive" did not go unnoticed. On the Internet, a lively debate Kovtun shot clip.
- Oh, it came out very funny: I did not notice that we remove Maxim. So when his phone camera focused on me, I momentarily astonishment and surprise in his face changed, and it is at this moment a record broken! By the way, the first time I visited the hockey. Football I have not had never, until this hockey only watched on TV. Impressions of the sea! When you see hockey live, it is quite another feeling. We Adeline so sick in the end game, very much like to CSKA won. You know, to me this time, after returning from Stockholm, staged a memorable meeting: at the airport, even kids come from the younger group, welcomed us with Maxim Kovtun, sang for us. Maxim and have not won in Stockholm and met us as champions. It is a great pleasure. I first realized the extent to themselves as part of a great team, a great team, a part of CSKA. And march on hockey has further strengthened this feeling. A sense of belonging.
- You've already put up with the silver medal?
- Yes, at first I was hurt to lose, but then I thought, Oh my God, what I experience, I have yet to come!
- Maybe, and an incredible amount of congratulations on social networks helped the mood change?
- Yes, it's something every day to my friends ask 100 people in the days of performances, I get about a hundred thousand letters, and the excitement continues after a few months. I am very uncomfortable, I try to answer all: the people they write, take the time to send me some warm and kind words. That's just all I do not have time to answer. I have physically not enough for you to take to friends all comers. Apparently, I'm after some time will have to close their profiles.
- To simply accept friend everyone, every day you have to click on the word "Accept Friend" a hundred times.
- Yes, that's the thing ... While you do not want to offend anyone!
- You know that you particularly striking ... I do with Spanish journalists to discuss it, they say - amazing how much you are kind and warm-hearted man, and to what extent are you already feel like an adult. When all three were crying in the creek at the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona, you're the smallest, they hugged and comforted ... How do you manage to maintain such resistance?
- I do not know, just my mother since childhood taught me that we should not treat people with a negative attitude, because if you pass someone their negative emotions, your anger will sooner or later come back to you. So I try not to commit bad deeds. I want to see only the good, and always stand by when someone is difficult ... I like a character trait of this - I do not envy anyone. And I can say for it, even love myself. Because I can always tell someone a good word, I'm not hard to do. Sometimes I might even encourage their competitors, and I do not think this is something extraordinary ... Sport - an unpredictable thing, everyone can speak good or bad, here from you even do not depend.
- But these moments, they were heavy ... You skated brilliantly, it was a championship. Elizabeth goes to the ice Tuktamysheva. Can you remember your feelings, thoughts?
- What could I do? I've already made it. By the way, we have for the first time in my memory was forced to stay, specially made for this second "kiss and cry." So I had no choice but to sit and watch as my workout riding ...
- To make? I thought you do not want to leave, just really want to see ...
- No, we were told - you have to sit there ... I would love is gone, I do not like to watch ... But once said, it means that it is necessary. Well what can I add - Lisa. At that time, she was stronger than me. So, I have to draw conclusions and further work. I congratulated her with all my heart ...
- But if you were given a choice - you would prefer to be behind the scenes?
- I do not what I wanted to leave, I looked calmly watching, but was expectating ratings ... Of course, it was such a ... We shared a 84 or 86 hundredths - the minimum distance. It's not even an element!
- Tuktamysheva going for a triple axel jump at the world championship. Do you remember that?
- I have no desire to learn a triple axel. Just do not think I need it. I want to ride beautifully and win thanks to the beauty, I believe that the concept of "women's skating" was originally founded precisely this sense. I want to ride just as beautiful as the Carolina Kostner, or Yu-Na Kim. You can take the rotation, stretching ... And, of course, I need a lot of work on the slide to make it nice and easy.
Figure skaters from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas will gather in Seoul to compete at the 2015 International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Championships (4CC) from Feb. 12 through 15. This will mark the first 4CC to take place in Korea since the 2010 Championships in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, and will give 94 skaters from 15 countries a chance to polish up on their programs ahead of the 2015 World Figure Skating Championship to take place in Shanghai in March.
The best skaters from the four continents are set to appear at the Mokdong Ice Rink next week, including Gracie Gold of the U.S., Rika Hongo of Japan, Gabrielle Daleman of Canada and Li Zijun of China. Seventeen-year-olds Park So-youn and Kim Hae-jin will represent Korea in the women's events. Park is coming off a successful season thus far, having topped the podium at the Korea Figure Skating Championships (also known as the Nationals) with a combined score of 174.39.
Grand Prix gold medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are set to appear in the ice dance competitions, as are Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Weaver and Poje are the 2010 4CC champions, while Chock and Bates finished second at this season's Grand Prix final.
Representing Korea will be Rebeka Kim and partner Kirill Minov, who finished last at both the Trophee Eric Bompard and Rostelecom Cup events, but managed a medal at the ISU Challenger Volvo Open Cup. At the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, Kim and Minov placed sixth.
Former U.S. champion Gracie Gold popped an Axel and skated into the boards in her second-place short program at the Four Continents Championships in Seoul on Friday. Gold scored 62.67 points, well off her season’s best 68.16 set at NHK Trophy in Japan in November, before she took time off due to a small stress fracture in her foot.
She trails Japan’s Satoko Miyahara by 2.17 points heading into Sunday’s free skate at the top international event before the World Championships in March. Four Continents does not include the Worlds medal favorites from Russia. “I can do a lot better,” Gold said, according to U.S. Figure Skating. “I’ve been skating very well, but it’s OK. I was still able to skate an OK program and will still be in the running for a medal, if not first place. The triple Lutz-triple toe was completed, although I was too close to the barrier. The mistake on the Axel was silly. I know I can do a double Axel.”
Polina Edmunds was in fourth place with 61.03. Samantha Cesario was in ninth with 54.95. Earlier, U.S. ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates and Maia and Alex Shibutani fell from first and second after the short dance to finish in second and third, passed by Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.
The Four Continents Championships continues with the men’s free skate, including U.S. champion Jason Brown, on Saturday.
Polina Edmunds put this season’s struggles behind her to claim the biggest victory of her young career, rising from fourth place after the short program to capture the Four Continents Championships in Seoul on Sunday. Former U.S. champion Gracie Gold went in the opposite direction, going from second in the short program to fourth place overall in a tune-up competition before the World Championships in March.
Edmunds, who was 3.81 behind Japanese short program leader Satoko Miyahara on Friday, landed seven triple jumps in her free skate to score 122.99 points. Nobody else scored better than 116.75. She totaled 184.02 to top Miyahara by 2.43. Japan’s Rika Hongo took bronze ahead of the American Gold. “I knew if I relaxed and skated like I knew I could, it was possible,” the 16-year-old said, according to U.S. Figure Skating. “I expected myself to skate well and I did. I’m happy I was awarded the gold medal for it.”
Edmunds endured a rocky season, adapting to pressure and puberty, and missed the podium in her two Grand Prix series events. She finished fourth at the U.S. Championships, making her second straight World Championships team due to third-place Karen Chen being too young for Worlds. “I had trouble earlier in the season with nerves and handling the different coordination,” Edmunds said, according to U.S. Figure Skating. “I think now I’m back to a straight level for where I am in my body. Now it’s mental for me to do clean programs.”
Edmunds was a surprise last season, when she came from no expectations to become the youngest U.S. competitor across all sports at the Sochi Olympics. She finished ninth at Sochi and eighth at Worlds. “I want to place higher than eighth,” at Worlds in Shanghai in March, Edmunds said, according to U.S. Figure Skating. “But really I want two clean programs. I do have high technical difficulty so I’m hoping that I can skate well and that the judges see the difficulty and the artistry in my skating. Honestly, my goal all the way through the season was to be on the podium. That didn’t happen, but I hope it will at Worlds.”