“The last European Championship was remembered only by the Finnish figure skater, if you can call it that” – Rodnina

There are no bright personalities at the European Championships without Russian figure skaters; the last tournament was remembered only for the performance of a Finnish transgender, three-time Olympic champion and deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, told Irina Rodnina .

The European Figure Skating Championships began on Wednesday in Kaunas, Lithuania. Russian athletes remain suspended from international competitions under the auspices of the International Skating Union (ISU). A 50-year-old transgender athlete performed at the opening of the 2023 European Championships in Finland. She fell on the first element, could not get up on her own and a compatriot with a flag helped her get up.

— Are you interested in the European Championship without the Russian team?

– Yes, the European Championship has already taken place without us. I don’t think anyone watched it. This championship only attracted attention because a Finnish athlete, if you can call her that, performed there. It was the most exciting event.

—Are you going to watch the tournament now?

— I’ll probably watch some performances on the Internet. I’m interested in pairs skating, even though there are hardly any good pairs in Europe. There is at least some representation in women’s singles skating. Italians and French are interested in dancing. In men’s single skating there are also no bright personalities, except for the French. The European Championship has always been an internal confrontation for us,” Rodnina told .

On Thursday, at the European Championships, competitions in women’s short programs will take place, as well as free programs will be presented by sports pairs.