TALLINN, January 13, Andrey Simonenko. Head coach of the Belarusian national figure skating team , the 1984 Olympic champion Oleg Vasiliev called a number of judges' actions in the short program in the women's singles at the European Championships in Tallinn unqualified. World champion Anna Shcherbakova took fourth place in the short program at the European Championships, breaking a cascade of triple lutz and sheepskin coat. With a score of 69.05 points, she outstripped several skaters who skated cleanly with the same technical set, including the Belarusian athlete Victoria Safonova, who took eighth place (63.07). «Safonova received 8.11 points for the 3-3 cascade, if we subtract the cost of a pure triple sheepskin coat, then she got 3.91 points for a lutz with an incorrect edge on the repulsion, which actually did not exist, and Shcherbakova for the same lutz with a fall, where the judges still did not notice the underrotation, gets 3, 54. Difference — 0.4 points. I would like to ask the International Skating Union (ISU) a question about the qualifications of the technical team, which determines the quality of the twist and the quality of the breakaway. And also to ask — these judges also went to dinner with Eteri Tutberidze (coach Shcherbakova — ed.). ed.), like the dance arbitrators a month ago?» — said Vasiliev. «ISU spends a lot of money every year on the training of judges. I would like to ask — and where are the results of this training?» — added the Olympic champion. Leadership in the European Championship with a world record (90.45 points) was captured by Russian Kamila Valieva. “When skating is good, and there are no questions, it causes only positive emotions among the audience, judges, and specialists. Kamila Valieva is such an example. And when some squabbles start, it’s unpleasant,” Vasiliev concluded.
