Inna Goncharenko: Medvedeva shouldn’t be affraid of Kihira

Interview with Inna Goncharenko about first performances of Russian girls in the new season.

by Anatoli Samokhvalov for rsport.ria.ru dd.19th September 2019

What do you think about Evgenia Medvedeva at the Autumn Classics in Canada, where she lost only to Japanese Rika Kihira with triple axels?

– I’m very happy for Zhenya that she is fighting, competing and showing interesting new programs. I really like her short program, this is my favorite program by Ilia Averbukh because of its sophisticated choreography, lightness and ease. I would like to wish Zhenya to achieve more speedy and flying skating, because with such light music I want her to fly. I would like her to add speed and complexity to her spins, continue to work on the lutz edge to make it more confident and clear. On the axel in the free program, she made me startle, because I had a feeling that the axel was on the verge (of failing).

Let’s say Medvedeva adds lightness, speed. Will she be competitive with Alexandra Trusova, Anna Shcherbakova, Kihira?

– I think so, because she shouldn’t be afraid of Kihira or other competitors. She already has a different skating and she’s being percepted differently. Zhenya needs to look forward.

What different skating? Someone notices it, and someone says that she still performs on the old baggage.

– So everyone is skating on the old baggage, you can’t get rid of it.

What did Brian Orser bring to the skating of the two-time world champion?

– More balanced skating. But while she doesn’t have the previous power and sharpness, her skating is not always impressive at this stage. At the same time, skating has become more balanced and feminine. If the jumps are more sharp, spins faster with more different positions, everything will be fine.

What do you think about Elizaveta Tuktamysheva at Lombardia Trophy?

– In my opinion, she skated even worse than at the test skates. But the triple axel is light and good. What can I say, well done, she fights, just forget about this triple turn on the landing. Because she can land it clean.

Russian national champion Shcherbakova beat her in Bergamo.

– When Shcherbakova skates among young girls this is one thing, and when among seniors, each time the question arises: “How will the judges perceive?” And this issue will be relevant in the near future. In short program, for obvious reasons, she doesn’t have quads, and the judges didn’t react to her skating. In the free, “ultra-c” appeared, this impress the judges and they give “higher” and “better” marks. Jumped, did everything, won. We can wish Anna to fight with what she can – jumps. She cannot compete with some special skating and femininity, because while she is still a little girl with elastic arms, but she still has to work and work on her legs.

In general, at the start of the season did Zagitova, who hasn’t competed yet, looks preferable to all?

– She looks more experienced and professional.

Even against the background of Medvedeva and Tuktamysheva?

– Against the background of everyone – more professional and more confident. Zhenya sometimes has some lack of confidence in her skating due to loss of speed and “physics”.

Related topics: Alina Zagitova, Anna Shcherbakova, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Evgenia Medvedeva, Inna Goncharenko