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Winner of the Final of the Russian Grand Prix in ice dancing Valery Angelopol, according to Sports, first banned from joining coaching groups after breaking up with partner Vasilisa Kaganovskaya. However, then they returned to the ice thanks to the most unexpected figure in this matter — two-time Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko.
The saga of Valery Angelopol’s ordeals in the circles of the bureaucratic hell of our figure skating is coming to an end in a much more positive way than expected a couple of days ago. Then there was a feeling that we might not see the guy on the ice again — neither in competition nor in training. It’s not just and not so much about the coaches, who were tacitly advised not to get involved with Valery. Omitting unnecessary details, let's say that the situation has become almost insoluble.
Then Evgeni Plushenko comes out of the shadows and saves everyone. Angelopol becomes “Plushenko’s Angel” — he moves to the academy of the two-time Olympic champion. Well, what's not to love?
Seriously, for this step Evgeniy Viktorovich deserves the most flattering words. “Saves” from the previous paragraph is by no means an exaggeration. On the contrary, the most accurate formulation of what happened. Plushenko's conversation with the leadership of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) turned the situation upside down. Now Valery has ice, a partner ready to gnaw on it with him, and soon there will be a full-fledged coaching team. It is through the efforts of Plushenko that Angelopol will be able to continue his career. In return, the legendary skater did not ask for anything. A royal gesture, without irony.It reveals itself much more clearly when you begin to realize that even without asking for a favor in return, Plushenko received everything. Evgeniy Viktorovich has already repeatedly spoken about plans to create a dance group within the academy — now he will have one. There are several people in the current team who are theoretically capable of helping Angelopol with his partner (we already mentioned her name in the previous material, but we still have to wait for more specific information on this matter) at first. Almost certainly, third-party specialists will also be involved.
It’s also worth considering that all the confusion with Angelopol happened exactly after the opening of the Moscow Academy’s skating rink. New, modern and still quite “desert”. A group of dancers will definitely decorate it. Especially with such a flagship.
Behind the contract clownery, people began to slowly forget that Angelopol is really a high-level partner. If the process of decline goes quickly, next season they can break into the adult elite, opening the door with their foot. And there… And what is there? Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin and Elizaveta Khudayberdieva/Yegor Bazin seem untouchable, but otherwise everything is possible. And if Plushenko enters the dance world, say, with bronze at the Russian Championship, then this is a grandmaster move on his part.
The only thing that confuses me is the refereeing. During the protracted process of parting with Vasilisa Kaganovskaya, Valery managed to spoil relations with the federation, which is often fraught with “interesting” consequences at the judge’s table. Plushenko on the sidelines is also not a guarantee of the highest loyalty among the referees from all our top coaching staffs. Evgeniy Viktorovich regularly drew attention to the students’ low grades in the press so that the situation would change in the future. But will he do the same with Angelopol? Isn't this too much?
Instead of making a conclusion, I would like to address the fans. Stop bullying skaters, in particular Angelopol. Our sport, to be completely honest, is rotten and deceitful; the infallible people in it can be literally counted on the fingers of one hand. The situation of Valery and Vasilisa is not black and white — it is gray, each of the participants had a hand in the disintegration (by the way, less is said about the role of coach Anzhelika Krylova in this process than perhaps it should be). So blaming Valery alone for everything is somewhat cowardly. Let's let him respond with results at the competition. There is a feeling that he and his partner will make every effort to achieve them.
The author’s opinion may not coincide with the position of the editors.