“In St. Petersburg, the occupancy of the hall will be better than in Sochi.” Elmira Mukhametzyanova on the postponement of the Russian Grand Prix final

Elmira Mukhametzyanova, mother of former figure skater Diana Mukhametzyanova in an interview with a correspondent, said that the main reason for the transfer of the Russian Grand Prix final from Sochi to St. Petersburg is the occupation of the ice rink.

On Sunday, Russian national team head coach Elena Chaikovskaya confirmed to that the Russian Grand Prix final has been moved from Sochi to Saint Petersburg. Competitions for adults will take place from March 3 to 5, for juniors from March 1 to 3.

— The Grand Prix Final is a commercial tournament. The organizers need to arrange everything as much as possible, collect money. It is clear that the maximum occupancy of the hall will only be in St. Petersburg or Moscow. The organizers must compensate the costs of the tournament, the fees of the athletes and the coaches. One of the points of income is tickets. And in St. Petersburg, the occupancy of the hall will obviously be better than in Sochi. I think that’s the main reason for the postponement of the final.

For athletes, it is also an advantage. After all, the more spectators, the better for the athlete’s psyche. With their heads, each of them understands that something incomprehensible and unusual is happening (the Grand Prix final has always been an international start). And here a room full of spectators is a sign of great interest in their performances and their sport. Very positive emotions will support the fighting spirit of our current figure skaters,” Mukhametzyanova said.