MOSCOW, January 27, Andrey Simonenko. General Director of the Figure Skating Federation Skating in Moscow, Honored Coach of Russia Nina Moser expressed hope that the young skaters, who impressed with the most difficult elements at the recent Russian Jumping Championship, will retain them for the main adult competitions.
At the Russian jumping championship, which took place a week ago, 12-year-old Margarita Bazylyuk and 14-year-old Arseny Fedotov won the individual tournament. Their peers Elena Kostyleva and Lev Lazarev entered the top three. In 2022, the International Skating Union raised the minimum age for skaters eligible to compete in adult competitions to 17 years old.
“Remember how Adelina Sotnikova won the national championship at such a young age, then it was allowed. There are a lot of such examples,” Moser told reporters, answering the question whether it is correct that children at such a young age perform complex elements. what is happening now — let's see how our lives will develop. The age criterion is changing, it is clear that not all of these talented and easy children, when they become adults, will do what they are doing now. It's great that we see this, it's great that We have such talented children, let’s hope that some of them will “survive” in sports until the moment when they need to enter major adult competitions.”
Many of the country's leading figure skaters also competed at the Russian Jumping Championships, but they lost to children. «It is clear that adult athletes are very upset. It is clear that there is a difference between children who are light, airy, small, they skate playfully. We see how talented our children are growing up. For adults it is difficult, many of them withdrew from competitions «, realizing that they will not win. But sometimes you need to do such things to cheer them up. As I say — a bottle brush, so that adults understand what kind of children are growing up who will step on their heels,» Moser noted.
Earlier, American bloggers Dave Lees and Jonathan Bayer spoke about Bazylyuk's speech. Liz also wondered whether the skater’s bones would be able to function after such jumps.
“And when (American) Ilya Malinin, as a young man, won with all quadruple jumps, did this bother anyone there? (Americans) Tara Lipinski when she jumped at that age, Sarah Hughes? If children can do it and it’s easy for them — why not do it? This is an attempt to devalue our tournament, our children. I think it’s simply tactless to say such things. Children don’t think that it’s difficult. For them it’s easy. Now technology has been developed — boots, skates, different techniques. Therefore, they all succeed. And this is not just one school — all our children skate like this. We have fantastic children,» concluded Moser.