Evgenia Medvedeva Anna Karenina watch. Why Evgenia Medvedeva lost Olympic gold. Speech at the IOC meeting

Two-time world and European champion, Russian Evgenia Medvedeva, spoke about the new free program “Anna Karenina”, and how this image is close to her.

— Zhenya, why did you decide to change the free program and chose “Anna Karenina”?

Initially, we staged “Anna Karenina” as a demonstration piece. The first time I skated it was at a show in Japan. It was immediately clear from the audience's reaction that everyone liked the program. And I myself felt this image, got used to it. Very beautiful and powerful music from the movie “Anna Karenina”, which penetrates me, in which I really dissolve. Our entire coaching team liked this demonstration number, and then for the first time it was mentioned in passing, why not take “Karenina” for the free program?

It would be wrong to say that the previous free program, directed by Ilya Averbukh, did not work out for me. On the contrary, at the Ondrej Nepela tournament she received very good audience reviews and was highly appreciated by judges and specialists. However, the image of Karenina touched me so much that I decided I needed to change it. Together with the coaches, we came to the conclusion that the Anna Karenina free program would be preferable for me in the Olympic season.

-- Should the programs of the Olympic season be different? And if so, then with what?

It seems to me that for the programs of the Olympic season it is better to choose strong music and a recognizable image, understandable not only to compatriots, but also to everyone else without translation. Anna Karenina matches this. Not everyone might have read the work of Leo Tolstoy, but the 2012 film “Anna Karenina”, which received an Oscar, where main role played by Keira Knightley, which starred outstanding actors - Jude Law and others, many have probably seen. I appeal to all amateurs and professionals figure skating, take the time and watch this film if you haven’t seen it yet. You will get tremendous pleasure from the picture. On ice I retell exactly this story, and if you watch the movie, everything will be clear to you.

The program features music from the film, which was also nominated for an Oscar as " The best music" It is very strong, piercing, and penetrates into the very heart. It has always been important for me to understand what I am skating about, what story I am telling on the ice. The theme of “Karenina”—her love story, her experiences—is humanly understandable to me. This particular image is unusual for me. I'm very interested in working there.

-- When was the decision made to change the free program?

After the tournament in Bratislava. Then it was decided that the free skate should be changed to “Anna Karenina”. Although the decision was not easy. It is clear that taking such steps during the season is quite risky. But the season had just begun, there was enough time left.

-- How much has the new free program changed compared to the exhibition routine?

The demonstration routine differs from the program you are performing, so we made the necessary changes to the content and added jumps. But the general message, pattern, tracks, rotations remained the same. Immediately after Bratislava, before the Japan Open, we practiced a new free program. But since it’s convenient for me to use this program, we did everything quite quickly and with pleasure.

- Remind me, please, who directed “Anna Karenina”?

Daniil Gleikhengauz.But I would like to immediately add that I also like Ilya Averbukh’s free program. I haven’t put it away in a distant drawer, I don’t exclude the possibility that I will return to it in the future.

-- Performance at "Japan Open", judging by the estimates, confirmed the correctness decision taken?

The scores for the components in Anna Karenina were higher. And I repeat that this program is very convenient for me to use. I have loved the image of the heroine for a long time. The program, I think, was a success. Although it is not for us to judge this, but for the referees and figure skating fans.

Olga ERMOLINA

Photo from the official website of the Japan Open tournament

When Evgenia Medvedeva skated her program to Anna Karenina, Tatyana Tarasova burst into tears. She repeated over and over again that Medvedeva should win. Zhenya herself cried.

Even at the end of last season, when Medvedeva was taking everyone out, doubts crept in that olympic year everything will be just as victorious. 14-year-old Alina Zagitova performed at the junior level and easily beat all her peers. Of course, she was noticeably inferior to Medvedeva in terms of points, but her technical base was much richer than that of two-time champion peace. However, Evgenia’s dominance at the adult level was so great that it was simply impossible to believe that real competitors would emerge in the next couple of years.

Medvedeva burst into the world elite in the 2015/16 season. The tiny brunette amazed me with her incredible stability. It seemed like she just couldn’t fall! In two years, Zhenya lost only one start - the Moscow Grand Prix stage in the fall of 2015. The judges quickly warmed to the Russian and began to give her a high second grade for her components. Medvedeva’s skating could not be called exemplary, and her programs were by no means masterpieces. But no one in the world could boast of such pure execution of two programs at all tournaments. This is what she took.

After winning the World Championships in Boston in 2016, the skater should have made her programs more complex. Try to rearrange all the jumps in the free program into the second part, learn how to jump Lutz correctly or do more complex cascades. After all, Zhenya understood perfectly well that in her coach’s group there were a dozen spirited juniors who were no weaker than her. But instead, the next season, Medvedeva demonstrated a 3-3-3 cascade at competitions, which did not give any additional points. Zhenya simply showed the judges and competitors that she was unattainable, that it would not be difficult for her to jump another triple jump.

True, at the beginning of this season, when Zagitova moved to the adult level, Medvedeva still tried to transfer all the jumps to the second part, but was not able to handle such content and returned to the old arrangement. There is too little time left before the Olympics. In addition, she also changed her free program four months before the Games. The only problem was that the new “Anna Karenina” was a model of last year’s program with the same arrangement of elements. In fact, in three years Medvedeva has not taken a single step forward. Neither technically nor choreographically.

At the end of November, Medvedeva received a stress fracture of the foot bone, and therefore missed the Grand Prix final and the Russian Championship. Experts noted that this type of injury occurs due to serious and constant stress. There are already complaints about the coach: maybe it was worthwhile to purposefully prepare for the Olympics and not chase the result all these two years? But this is not Tutberidze’s style.

With a fracture like that of the 18-year-old figure skater, you need rest and long months of recovery. No one spoke out loud, but participation in Olympic Games was really at risk. However, with superhuman efforts, the athlete was able to get in shape, went to the European Championships and went to Korea. Is she to blame for the fact that in a matter of months she ceased to be a leader in the eyes of the judges? Yes and no.

Alina Zagitova walked like a tank this season, amazing with her technique, enthusiasm and confidence. And at the January European Championship, for the first time in her career, she received tens for components. I can’t help but feel that Zhenya was unable to fully realize her potential.

After the free program, Medvedeva said that she was going to practice for a long time figure skating. However, it is unlikely that we will see Evgenia or Alina at the next Olympics, some experts say.

During the Games in Korea, the results of the Russian Cup finals went unnoticed. There, 13-year-old Alexandra Trusova performed a quadruple Salchow in her free program. The athlete also attempted a quadruple sheepskin coat, but fell on the landing. Thus, she became the only active figure skater in the world who performed a quadruple jump on official competition. It’s far from a fact that in a couple of years Trusova will still be able to jump quarters, but it is obvious: today’s juniors are stronger than Medvedeva’s generation.

Based on today's judging system, it is almost impossible for adult figure skaters to compete with bouncy girls. That’s why Ashley Wagner was indignant after Zagitova’s performance, and that’s why Caroline Costner had no chance of winning in Korea.

“Anna Karenina” in Pyeongchang will forever be remembered by fans. Evgenia Medvedeva has never skated like this - backhanded, with her heart, with pain and nerves. “Don Quixote” did not force Zagitova to experience the same strong emotions. Because of this, it seemed that Zhenya should win. But Medvedeva lost a year ago, when she did not see a formidable opponent in the little 14-year-old girl in a red ballet skirt, writes Championat.com.

It was in vain that Medvedeva took “Anna Karenina”... Column by Yuri Tsybanev

Observer " Soviet sports» - about the subtext of a dramatic duel in figure skating Articles | Coach Zagitova: I’m very sorry for Zhenya, but we were rooting for Alina

But I think - no, I feel (more precisely) that the essence of the drama that took place is not in its denouement. If we talk from a sporting point of view, then Medvedeva should not have chosen “Anna Karenina” for her free skate. You know, everything ends badly for the heroine there. Anna challenged the world, the established order - the light rejected her. Zhenya Medvedeva, by choosing the plot - as a person with deep and subtle feelings - connected to Anna's fate. And in some way she predetermined her figure skating fate. And the dramatic turn of Pyeongchang. And what comes next.

Just think about it: Evgeniya is 18, and Alina is 15. First of all, I am asking the kind ladies to think about it. Remember yourself when you were 18 years old. And how did you look at those girls who were three years younger at that age? And what if such a big girl was also pretending to be something? What if it became an obstacle for you personally? Yes, here, probably, such devils rose with guns at the ready in a girl’s heart!

No matter how much Zhenya now portrays political correctness and even all-round friendliness towards Alina, it is difficult to believe that her soul is not under attack by these same devils. Not only did the little girl three years younger cross her path to historical victory and glory, but this creature also jumped out, like out of a snuffbox, right next to you! And she immediately hurt you in that very side...

But! There is one subtle point. And so he just admits that Alina, who was born at the right time, and who was just in time for the Games according to the age limit, and who shot at the bull’s eye as a freshman, did not cause Evgenia burning and unbearable pain. However, only Zhenya herself knows about this. And she probably already knows the answer to the question of what is most important to her in life now. And it may very well be that she is engaged to figure skating for many years to come. And now she is driven across the ice by her love for her occupation. And what the ice will give her in return is not so important for Zhenya.

And maybe the story before us is not even about who won the hasty duel between Medvedeva and her new rival. And about life values. After all, Alina Zagitova has at her disposal the example of Tara Lipinski, who won the Games in the same 15 years and quickly finished her skating, having received all the bonuses due from the title (and Tara has already sent her greetings with a hint!). Yes, and our girls from the galaxy recent years, regardless of the titles they won, the calculation so far extended to short term. Adelina Sotnikova, Yulia Lipnitskaya, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Elena Radionova...

No one, not even the coach, perhaps yet knows what reserves of metal are stored in the nature of this girl, who is still skating with steely confidence.

But I will follow Zhenya Medvedeva with growing interest. It may very well be that this is a person who came to us here by mistake from another time... When for certain strange individuals the process itself was more important than the result obtained and the rewards due.

Two-time world champion in women's single skating spoke about the decision to change the free program at the start of the new season, without ruling out that in the future she might return to the dance choreographed by

– Initially, we staged “Anna Karenina” as a demonstration piece. The first time I skated it was at a show in Japan. It was immediately clear from the audience's reaction that everyone liked the program. And I myself felt this image, got used to it,” the figure skater admitted. – Very beautiful and powerful music from the film “Anna Karenina”, which penetrates me, in which I really dissolve. Our entire coaching team liked this demonstration number, and then for the first time it was mentioned in passing, why not take “Karenina” for the free program? It would be wrong to say that the previous free program, choreographed by Ilya Averbukh, did not work out for me. On the contrary, at the Ondrej Nepela tournament she received very good audience reviews and was highly appreciated by judges and specialists. However, the image of Karenina touched me so much that I decided I needed to change it. Together with the coaches, we came to the conclusion that the Anna Karenina free program would be preferable for me in the Olympic season.

– Should the programs of the Olympic season be different? And if so, then with what?

– It seems to me that for the programs of the Olympic season it is better to choose strong music and a recognizable image, understandable not only to compatriots, but also to everyone else without translation. Anna Karenina matches this. Not everyone might have read the work of Leo Tolstoy, but the 2012 film Anna Karenina, which won an Oscar, starring Keira Knightley and starring outstanding actors such as Jude Law and others, was probably seen by many. I appeal to all amateurs and professionals of figure skating, take the time and watch this film if you haven’t seen it yet. You will get tremendous pleasure from the picture. On ice I retell exactly this story, and if you watch the movie, everything will be clear to you. The program features music from the film, which was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Music. It is very strong, piercing, and penetrates into the very heart. It has always been important for me to understand what I am skating about, what story I am telling on the ice. The theme of “Karenina” - her love story, her experiences - is humanly understandable to me. This particular image is unusual for me. I'm very interested in working there.

– Remind me, please, who directed “Anna Karenina”?

– Daniil Gleikhengauz and But I would like to immediately add that I also like Ilya Averbukh’s free program. I haven’t put it away in a distant drawer, I don’t exclude the possibility that I will return to it in the future.

– Performance atJapan Open, judging by the estimates, confirmed the correctness of the decision?

– The scores for the components in Anna Karenina were higher. And I repeat that this program is very convenient for me to use. I have loved the image of the heroine for a long time. The program, I think, was a success. Although it is not for us to judge this, but for the referees and figure skating fans.