Alexander Zhulin: “Sending the strongest Russian figure skater to compete for another country would result in a sharp drop in her scores by 20-30 points because of the current attitude towards Russians.”
Translation of Alexander Zhulin’s comments about the results in women’s single skating at the European Championships 2024.
original source: sport-express.ru / RSport
Here’s a translation of Alexander Zhulin’s comments about the results in women’s single skating at the European Championships 2024
“I do watch the European Championships, of course. I skated a lot there myself. Now I see many of my friends and colleagues there.
Gubanova didn’t have a chance to win the European Championships today, even though Loena Hendrickx skated with some under-rotations. This is all because Gubanova is seen as a former Russian skater. Everyone understands that she is a Russian person who changed citizenship.
Sending the strongest Russian figure skater to compete for another country would immediately result in a sharp drop in her scores by 20-30 points because of the current attitude towards Russians everywhere.
We would gladly go back to the international arena, but they don’t want to see us there. They manage very well without us. This is their only chance to achieve some podium positions,” said Honored Coach of Russia and 1993 World Champion in ice dance, Zhulin.
“In my opinion, Anastasiia Gubanova was the best at the European Championships, and Loena Hendrickx had many under-rotations. But judges turned a blind eye [to mistakes], plus Gubanova’s last name is not very good. There’s still russophobia.
Gubanova had a good and solid performance. But we should not forget why she changed her country. In Russia, she had no chance of making it to the top three.
It’s difficult to judge, of course, but if we compare the championship performances of Adelina Petrosyan and Gubanova, I think the difference would be 30-40 point,” said Zhulin.
Related topics: Alexander Zhulin, Anastasiya Gubanova, Loena Hendrickx
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