Kostornaya: “If I say what is happening in figure skating, there will be a very big scandal”

Figure skater Alena Kostornaya playing in tandem with Georgy Kounitsa after performing a free program on the Grand Prix stage in Omsk, she criticized the work of the judges.

On Sunday, the Kostornaya/Kunitsa duo presented a free program during the stage of the Russian Grand Prix in Omsk, obtaining 124.71 points for it. The total of the two performances was 192.77 points.

— Do you want to speak to the judges?

— Alena Kostornaya (AK): You are not allowed to speak to the judges during the competition. But of course, I would like to approach people and ask them what specifically they don’t like.

—Was it difficult to pull yourself together today?

— A.K.: Very.

— Georgiy Kunitsa (GK): It was very difficult to prepare. It worked in the morning, but not enough in the evening.

– Georgy, do you agree with Alena?

— G.K.: If I am silent, it is because I am in solidarity.

– Alena, you often say “it happens”. Can you tell me what’s going on?

— AK: No. It would be too big a scandal. I’m not able to stand out that much yet.

— What are your feelings after your return? You haven’t played in 500 days.

— AK: I became more mature, I became calmer about everything. All.

— What were the words yesterday when you saw the printout? Swear words?

— AK: I was shocked. Because first I looked at everything level by level and thought it could have been a little better. But we did almost everything we could. But then I looked at the second score and GOE and was confused. Because such a huge difference between the assessment of one judge and another according to the rules does not take place. There was only one question: “Show me this judge, let him look me in the eye and tell me exactly what I didn’t like.” » Today, in training, skating the same lift, executed in the same way, it was very interesting to watch the judges. After that, they ran to consult the chief judge, the technical controller, to find out if it was a fault. It is very surprising that those who evaluate us do not know these things: they either forget or do not pay attention to them.

— But judges are prohibited from contacting each other during skating.

— AK: You know, we’re also forbidden from copying everyone during testing. what are we doing? “And in the second and in the third, in a brotherly way, please.” There are no conversations here, just sidelong glances.

– Can this be fixed somehow?

— AK: That’s not what I do. I am an athlete, I expressed my objectively dissatisfied opinion of the first day of competition. I didn’t say a word about the second one, because we really weren’t emotionally ready. I wasn’t ready.

—Was the mistake in the stunt related to this?

— AK: I was very nervous and worried. That’s why today everything came together as one. “It’s my mistake,” reports the correspondent according to the skaters’ words.

The second stage of the Russian Figure Skating Grand Prix will take place in Omsk on October 21-22.