MOSCOW, June 23, Andrey Vasilchin. The 2018 Olympic champion in figure skating Alina Zagitova will enter the ring on Saturday and hold a boxing show sparring. The event has not yet taken place, but has already become the main event of the sports media in recent days. It's all about the figure skater's rival, who has already managed to change. It all started with the publication of Zagitova herself, who posted a photo on social networks in boxing gloves with the caption: «I'm getting ready for something interesting.» Soon it became officially known that Alina would hold a demonstration boxing match, for which she was already actively preparing. On Wednesday, the name of the eminent athlete's opponent was announced. Change of opponent Zagitova The figure skater's opponent was not Olga Buzova or Klava Koka at all, as Dmitry Guberniev suggested. The organizers of the competition reported that Olympic boxing champion Albert Batyrgaziev will enter the ring with Zagitova. The show fight should take place on June 25 as part of the Moscow Sports Day at Luzhniki.
"It's great that athletes from other disciplines try their hand at boxing, this experience will be very useful for them. I support Alina's decision to test herself in a demonstration fight and I am glad that one way or another I will act as her coach. I wonder how figure skating skills will help her. As for the fight itself, let's work beautifully and for the benefit of both of us – after all, this is not a battle for the championship. But I won’t give a respite", – Batyrgaziev commented on the upcoming fight.
It seemed that nothing would prevent Alina and Albert from entering the ring, but Batyrgaziev's coach Eduard Kravtsov intervened. The mentor of the Olympic champion said that the boxer was worried about the injury received in the last fight, which would not allow him «to enter the ring against Zagitova and take part in other entertainment events.»
Skater Alina Zagitova. Alina reacted with humor to the quick change of rivals. After the announcement of the fight, she wished Batyrgaziev «to hold out with her for at least a round.» And when it became known about his withdrawal, she took pity on the «self-withdrawn boxer.» The fate of Zagitova's opponent hung in the air, but Batyrgaziev did not dare to go against his coach and refused to fight. The vacant place was not empty, and a new opponent for the skater was immediately found. They became the two-time Olympic champion 48-year-old Oleg Saitov. The athlete ended his boxing career after the 2004 Games in Athens, where he won a bronze medal. It is emphasized that the two champions will meet exactly in the sparring format.