Maria Butyrskaya: “I have questions to the judges. Are you stupid, or blind? Gubanova should have taken the first place in the short program and probably overall.”
Maria Butyrskaya commented on the results in women’s single skating at the 2024 European Championships.
original source: sport-express.ru
Maria Butyrskaya, the 1999 Russian World champion commented on the results in women’s single skating at the 2024 European Championships in an interview for Sport-Express. Here’s a translation.
“Maria Butyrskaya: I didn’t like the judging in the women’s event. Anastasiia Gubanova should have taken the first place in the short program and probably overall. I can’t say why they didn’t like her, why there was such a big gap. I mean, I can – they made a reserve before the free skate, and it eventually worked. But when a person has a half turn underrotation on the triple Lutz, and it’s visible to the naked eye… And Hendrickx gets it as clean. I have questions. Are you stupid, or blind? You are judges; you should consider all athletes adequately. I don’t remember such a blatant undervaluation ever. Yes, Gubanova was a Russian girl, but now she competes for Georgia. Georgia has nothing to do with it. Moreover, Nastya skated cleanly and neatly.
Q: Hendrickx seems more advantageous to the Europeans themselves. Media-friendly, with a striking appearance.
Maria Butyrskaya: Indeed, Nastya, in terms of figure and face, is even more beautiful than Loena! In every way. Isn’t she media-friendly? The audience likes her. As an athlete, I understand that this is wrong and ugly. You can’t call an underrotated jump a clean jump because of advertising contracts! Politics has always been there, but still, not at the European and World Championships, rather at the Olympics. If the Belgian skater were a head and shoulders above, no one would even say a word; everyone would be happy for her.
Q: What place would Hendrickx have at the Russian Nationals?
Maria Butyrskaya: It depends on the performances, but judging by her performance at the European Championships, she definitely wouldn’t be in the top three. She’s a very spectacular girl, she tries to attract attention, non-classical programs, I like her, she has her own style. But the technical panel must be objective – you can’t overlook such underrotations. Remember her reaction after the short program – she was shocked that people closed their eyes when she jumped.”
Related topics: Anastasiia Gubanova, European Championships, Loena Hendrickx, Maria Butyrskaya
Leave a Reply