“She managed to overcome this pressure. It was her first time stepping onto the ice without her coach, and this was the most critical moment of her career so far.” Daniil Gleikhengauz on Adeliia Petrosian’s performance at the Olympic qualifier
Daniil Gleikhengauz Reflects on Adeliia Petrosian’s Performance and Victory at the Olympic Qualifiers in Beijing
original source: TASS / Sports
Russian figure skating coach and choreographer Daniil Gleikhengauz shared his thoughts on Adeliia Petrosian’s victory at the Olympic qualifiers in Beijing, highlighting her poise under pressure and evaluating her short program performance alongside that of Petr Gumennik. Here’s a translation of his comments.
Daniil Gleikhengauz, coach and choreographer for Adeliia Petrosan, shared his emotions after her victory at the Olympic qualification event in Beijing.
“I’ve been nervous all day – first for Petr [Gumennik] and his short program, and even more so for Adeliia,” Gleikhengauz admitted. “It was unbearable to watch on TV rather than being there in person. But I’m very pleased with the way she executed her program. At this stage, she’s done what she needed to, delivering an ideal performance for her current technical arsenal.”
Petroisan’s coach praised her ability to handle the immense pressure, especially as it was her first time competing without her coach physically present and on such an important stage.
“She managed to overcome this pressure. It was her first time stepping onto the ice without her coach, and this was the most critical moment of her career so far. Not only did she succeed, but she made no mistakes, particularly in the free skate, where she competed as the leader – always the most challenging position. I’m very satisfied with her performance.”
Gleikhengauz further emphasized the challenges of competing in her first senior international events: “When an athlete has been winning consistently over a couple of seasons, they start to get used to closing competitions and dealing with the accompanying pressure. But let’s not forget – these are her first senior international competitions. That makes everything two or even three times more nerve-wracking.”
Gleikhengauz Discusses Petrosian’s Short Program Score
Regarding Petrosian’s 68.72 score for her short program, Gleikhengauz considered the result predictable but left room for improvement: “Overall, it was a solid and workmanlike performance. She made me a little nervous on the lutz, but she followed it up with a great combination and executed all her other elements very well. The scores were exactly what I expected. Had she cleaned the lutz and earned a positive GOE, she could’ve reached 70–70.5 points.”
Gleikhengauz noted that it’s unrealistic to expect high program component scores (PCS) in an athlete’s first senior international competition: “I remember when Alina [Zagitova] and Anna [Shcherbakova] debuted in senior competitions – they received PCS scores in the short program that were barely above 31.5 points. Over the season, as their number of performances and victories increased, so did their scores. By the time we reached key events, their PCS reflected their expected levels.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the same opportunity here. There’s only this one tournament and, hopefully, a second,” he added.
Gleikhengauz Evaluates Petr Gumennik’s Performance
In the men’s event, Petr Gumennik won the short program with a score of 93.80 points. Gleikhengauz praised his skater’s strong start despite minor areas for improvement.
“He delivered – he completed all the elements. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, but it was an outstanding performance for a debut, especially under such pressure. Simply fantastic.”
While Gumennik’s program was admirable, Gleikhengauz noted small deductions: “There was a slight break in the spin, and his Bedouin jump lacked some speed. The sit spin with the leg change didn’t earn high GOE – it got only small bonuses. When competing against the top athletes, you can’t afford to lose points anywhere.”
He acknowledged that while Gumennik performed well, he hoped for a bit more: “I would’ve liked to see him score around 98 points for this skate, but we all understand how scoring works.”
Looking ahead to the Olympic season, Gleikhengauz concluded by emphasizing the importance of these performances as stepping stones toward the ultimate goal – the Olympics. “I won’t delve too deeply into the details of preparation yet. We all know the end point for this season is the Olympics. Only after that will we possibly share the stories of what everyone had to go through.”
Related topics: Adeliia Petrosian, Daniil Gleikhengauz
I must say, she did quite well, especially in the absence of her coaches
So great to see the Russian champions return to international competitions, they simply bring another quality to any event…