Georgii Reshtenko: “As Michal Brezina told me back in Beijing even if we went to Milan, it would just be as tourists. He said I have a young body, I can keep skating, and there’s another Olympic season ahead.”
European bronze Medalist Reshtenko Speaks Out About Missing the Olympics.
original source: Championat
European bronze medalist Georgii Reshtenko reflects on missing the 2026 Milan Olympics, expressing disappointment, personal responsibility, and hope for future opportunities in his skating career. The Czech skater placed 8th at the Olympic qualifier in Beijing in September. Here’s a translation of his comment.
“Q: Were there a lot of emotions after Olympic qualification? Regret, anxiety?
Georgii Reshtenko: I felt emptiness, a kind of void inside. Disappointment. And it was mostly because, deep down, I knew I was to blame – I missed the Olympic spot for no good reason. I remember preparing myself properly. The nerves then were even stronger than at the European Championships! Everything was at an extra-high level, and my emotions came from internal frustration – it was so close, but I gave it away for nothing.
Q: Your comments right after the free skate, saying you didn’t fully agree with the final placements at the tournament, caused a stir. Now that the emotions have faded, do you regret what you said?
Georgii Reshtenko: At that moment, right after the free skate, I really thought that. It was emotion. But it passed quickly; within two weeks, I realized that if I had landed my triple loop, just done the simple triple jumps without mistakes or extra deductions, there would have been no questions. I gave the reason for this to happen myself. First, I didn’t qualify for the free skate at Worlds in Boston, then I gave a reason to be pushed aside in China. I lost control a bit. It was my fault; I brought it on myself.
Q: You’re missing the Olympics, even though you finished higher than many of the 2026 Olympic participants, maybe even higher than one of the future Olympic medalists. What do you think about that?
Georgii Reshtenko: As Michal (Brezina) told me back in Beijing – for September, he was pleased with how I handled the big event. I made mistakes, but I fought for every element, tried to earn that spot. It didn’t work out, but he reassured me that, even if we went to Milan, it would just be as tourists. He said I have a young body, I can keep skating, and there’s another Olympic season ahead. I can prepare for the next Olympics and be in a better position.
As for the other athletes going to the Olympics, every competition is its own story, and the European Championships are often unpredictable. Whoever skates two clean programs gets the spotlight and success. Like last year, when Lukas Brichgi soared to first place – he was the only one to skate a clean free program and deservedly won.
Of course, I’d really like to have enough strength for two cycles, but that just depends on health. I started doing difficult jumps late and only began competing at a decent level late as well. If I want a good career for myself, I need to keep skating for more than just a few years.”
Related topics: Georgii Reshtenko, Michal Brezina, Olympic Games
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