Nika Egadze: “I’ve always dreamed of skating to Georgian music at the Olympics – it’s important to me that more people learn about Georgia.”
Nika Egadze Reflects on His Performance at the Trialeti Trophy
original source: Sports by Maya Bagriantseva
Georgian figure skater Nika Egadze shared his impressions of competing at the Trialeti Trophy in Tbilisi. Here’s a translation of his comments given to Sports correspondent Maya Bagriantseva.
Nika Egadze competed at the Trialeti Trophy in Tbilisi, delivering his short program and earning 89.60 points. While pleased overall, he admitted that the performance fell short of his expectations.
“It’s disappointing that there was a serious mistake during the skate. It’s the second competition in a row where things haven’t gone as smoothly as they do in practice. I also held back on emotions during the step sequence – this program should feel completely different,” Egadze said.
Despite the errors, he emphasized that he enjoyed the experience: “Even so, I’m happy – I really enjoyed skating. I didn’t anticipate the audience being so loud – it was incredible. The crowd’s support here is overwhelming. When I entered the salchow, the cheering felt like I was in a stadium. I told myself to pull it together – I had to finish the program properly.”
Egadze revealed that he specifically chose a Georgian song for his short program:
“First of all, I knew Georgia was hosting a Challenger event, so I wanted to do something special for my audience. And I’ve always dreamed of skating to Georgian music at the Olympics – it’s important to me that more people learn about Georgia.”
Interestingly, the music was initially intended for a junior skater he helped choreograph a program for over the summer. However, when she declined it, Egadze realized he wanted to skate to the piece himself: “I proposed it to Benoit Richaud, who choreographed both my programs this season, and he immediately agreed.”
Egadze spoke highly of his training sessions with Richaud, explaining how they deepened his connection with his performances: “The training with Benoit helped me change how I feel during a skate. I’m working hard to present myself as alive, not just mechanically moving from one element to the next. I’m learning to look at the judges during my performance and to share emotions with the audience.”
He highlighted the focus on skating skills during his training: “We worked a lot on skating, and I was shocked to realize how much I enjoy it! I didn’t want to leave the ice. Afterward, we focused heavily on technique back at the rink in Moscow. Now the challenge is to bring everything together during competitions.”
Related topics: Nika Egadze
Leave a Reply