Anna Pogorilaya: If we want a fair sport than Medvedeva is 1st, Tuktamysheva is 2nd

Interview with Anna Pogorilaya. About Russian Cup Final and who should be sent to Worlds.

by Anatoli Samokhvalov for rsport.ria.ru dd. 25, February 2019

Medvedeva or Tuktamysheva?

– I don’t quite understand will there be a replacement or not? After all, following the sports principle, they should not change anyone. Stanislava Konstantinova became the first after juniors at the Russian Nationals. Consider this the first place. Zagitova – the second. The only one who could have been replaced is Samodurova. But she won the European Championships, so logically neither of them should be replaced. So why start all the fuss over the Russian Cup Final? I understand that they want to make a replacement. But then the next question arises. Why do we need the Russian Nationals, if we can do everything we want?

The Russian Federation of Figure Skating has no clear selection criteria for the World Championships. And at the Russian Nationals Konstantinova took the fourth place according to the documents, despite the fact that she was the first among seniors. She doesn’t have the status of national champion and the corresponding advantages.

– In general, I have a twofold opinion. In theory, they should not replace anyone …

You think Samodurova, Zagitova and Konstantinova should go to Japan?

– They actually qualified for Worlds. I just remember myself, how I got to my first Worlds, I was sent instead of Alena Leonova. At the Russian Cup Final, I became the first and I replaced Leonova, who was the third number. Then everything was logical, but now the situation is confusing for everyone. If you take into account Russian Nationals, then Samodurova, Konstantinova and Zagitova should go to the World Championships. But in the current situation it can be considered differently – that Konstantinova wasn’t the first, but only the first in the list for the European Championships.

Where she didn’t get on the podium.

– Yes, and last year she showed that she’s not quite consistent. Although, if you take her current season, she looked very good.

Is it fair to include her into the team for World championships?

– I think yes. She qualified. But it is fair or not, it’s not up to me to decide.

But apparently either Medvedeva or Tuktamysheva will get the third spot.

– Well, here everything is clear, Medvedeva became the first at Russian Cup Final. Whatever one may say, if they decide to make a replacement, then the winner will go. Because, in the case of some obscure things already at the World Championships, the federation will think why didn’t we send the winner.

But how important is this competition – Russian Cup Final? Alexei Mishin count on the fact that Liza performed consistently and showed the result during the entire first half of the season, before her illness.

– You can say anything, but at Russian Cup Final she still became the second. You can feel sorry for yourself as much as you want. I can also say that I went to the 2015 Worlds in Shanghai with injuries, so I didn’t perform well. But there is a result, and we must build on it if we want a fair sport.

Who is the number one figure skater in Russia now?

– I don’t want to give preference to anyone, because the post-Olympic season is one of the most difficult. A lot of changes happened – someone came back, someone continues, someone changed the coach. It’s early to talk about something like that, because at the moment all the leaders for me are in unclear a state.

Does Medvedeva manage to overcome her terrible difficulties?

– Judging by the Russian Cup Final, she has become much more confident, despite the fall in the free skate. The short was perfect.

According to your observations, in what shape is Zagitova now?

– In a stressful one. Her condition is exactly like that. She is still little, and the Olympics just fell on her. Now she is fighting with herself, with her nerves, because she isn’t just skating, she’s defending the title. And this, as Tatiana Tarasova says, not the bug sneezed.

Is Samodurova a discovery for you? Or did her consistency successfully coincide with the mistakes of the leaders?

– Good, consistent girl. We have a sport where they loved consistent ones. For me, she is good and stable.But still small. I don’t see my favorite women’s skating in her, but she jumps well.

Is Tuktamysheva’s skating can be called cohesive?

– I saw one of her interviews, where she said that her program begins, she does triple axel and only after it her program really starts. This is not talking in favour of the integrity of her programs. Sometimes, it resembles a person who skates from jump to jump. Now, in general, the topic with all this complicated jump patterns bothers me, because I don’t understand how the mark for PCS is being formed now. Why, if you do complex elements, they give you an ok second mark, and if you don’t, then they don’t give you it? As an example, you can look how Nathan Chen skated at the US Championship. They gave him 10 in PCS. I don’t want to say anything bad about his programs, but if you get 10, are you god? God of skating? In theory, for a “10” you should skate like a dancer. And in these conditions, I don’t understand where to strive. Give 9.75, so at least it was still possible to improve. All this I don’t understand.

Related topics: Alina Zagitova, Anna Pogorilaya, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Evgenia Medvedeva, Sofia Samodurova, Stanislava Konstantinova