After vacationing in several European countries, I can say with confidence: they miss the Russians! Chronicle of Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva

Every skater, throughout his career, sweetly dreams of two seemingly simple things: an Olympic gold medal and a vacation. And if to realize the first desire a large number of factors must coincide, then the athlete’s rest, with rare exceptions, regularly lasts about three weeks a year.

In our junior years, my partner and I, for example, on our own initiative, chose paid training camps abroad instead of the same project offered in Novogorsk or any other luxury sports base in our country. My parents, of course, understood that this was a well-established practice, but after the second time they stopped financing training in Europe. So, during the coveted twenty days of rest in the season, my partner and I, registered as self-employed, did not part with figure boots and taught small children the basics of public skating in the capital. The years passed and, in proportion to the results, salaries and rewards became higher. There was already enough money for the camp in Chuvashia and for a trip to Türkiye.

Alexander Zhulin’s group goes to a base in sunny Sochi every July to prepare for the season. Therefore, with a change in the coaching team and the opportunity to save money, Liza Khudayberdieva got acquainted with another type of vacation: traveling around Europe.

At that time I had been to Italy twice: to the UGP stage in Aigne and to the most emotional tournament of my life – the final of the Turin Grand Prix. Then I promised myself I would come back and visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. Even though three years later, the vacation turned out to be magnificent: hundreds of thousands of steps, visiting every basilica and museum in the Eternal City, and a body made up of 90% modified pasta and grapes.

My career developed in such a way that I never played in France, but my soul really wanted to look at the Eiffel Tower and eat croissants. After choreographing the two new dances and finishing the 2023/24 season, I armed myself with a small suitcase, bought plane tickets, flew for a walk and cuddles with old Russian friends and others. The first stop on my trip was the French capital of gastronomy and figure skating – Lyon.

Out of old friendship and great love, the representative of the Russian intelligentsia in exile Alisa Ovsyankina and the future star of the French team, who recently received release from the FFKKR, together with her mother Nastya, not only met at the airport, but also kindly invited me to attend the training of the dance group of Olivier Schonfelder and Marien De La Asuncion. How amazing it was to see unique and beautiful dancers on the ice, but above all, beloved and long-time friends – two-time French champions Zhenya Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissot!

Going up to the stands of the old Lyon Ice Rink, I found myself in the middle of the spectacle of the rhythmic dance of the first French duo. Sorry, I won’t spoil the guys’ musical accompaniment, even for and our beloved readers. The dancer’s ethics.

I’m not good at French, but the walls whispered of Russian dancers who had recently taken an interest in the Lyon Conservatory. But maybe we’re talking about the new Morozov/Eremenko, who knows.

After greeting our colleagues after the ice cream, we discussed the rule changes, not hesitating to use strong expressions in our mother tongue (the French still understand and even pronounce them), tried to unravel the mystery of the The appearance of the Russian national team jacket. in the locker room, and I kissed him for a long, long time. Zhenya and I have known each other for a good fifteen years and started skating together. For a long time she was looking for a partner, while I was still trying to do three laps on the ice. Then the couples Khudaiberdieva/Nazarov and Lopareva/Karpushov began to participate in Russian competitions. The last tournament together was at the World Junior Championships in Zagreb. We then became second, and Zhenya already represented France with Joffre. I am very happy that they continue to develop together and become more and more masters of their craft every year.

I will skip my introduction to the bar and the gastronomic culture of the city due to lack of great interest. After saying goodbye to Alisa and Zhenya, I continued my flight, but promised to return as long as the visa was valid and as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

After a two-hour flight, I landed in the most touristy city in the world: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and even the restored Notre Dame, with my eyes wide open and a smile from ear to ear. Paris took your breath away as instantly and surprisingly as the notification on your phone “Are you in Paris now?” »

Figure skating never lets me go, even on vacation. And now I’m going to meet the best choreographer of the ISU Skating Awards and quite simply an extraordinary person, Benoit Richaud. We only knew each other on social networks and at a few competitions, so I could not miss such a rare opportunity to communicate live. It was a discovery for me that, I am not afraid of this word, the most talented choreographer of the last ten years, a genius of modernism, worked as a bartender for five years and knew more about varieties of gin than on the required requirements. number of jumps in programs.

The agenda of the most sought-after choreographer is very busy and scheduled down to the minute. As soon as he choreographed the French champion’s program, he flew the next morning to Bulgaria, and a week later to Japan. It makes me even more grateful to fate for catching him on a single Moscow Mule in the center of Paris.

Returning to the hotel in good spirits and high spirits, I slept for a few hours and packed my green suitcase to fly to the next point of my journey – to the eternal city of the world, ancient Rome .

I sincerely hope that figure skating will not overtake me in the Italian capital. But for my part, I noticed one very important thing. As Muslim Magomayev sang: precious words only concern you, Moscow. The comfort of the alleys of Lyon, the romance of Paris and beautiful tanned Italians will never replace the dear and beloved Tverskaya, a picnic with friends in the Hermitage garden and the smell of fried pancakes in the kitchen of your apartment.

Every time I read the news that the FFKKR has granted an exemption to someone, I am sincerely happy for my colleagues, honestly. After all, everyone already knows where these athletes come from and which federation raised them, and being part of the international competitive world is a great happiness.

Against the background of all the transitions and changes in sports citizenship, many people have been wondering for two years why I am not contacting the federation of this same Uzbekistan. And what? My father is a citizen of this country; getting a dark green passport will not be a significant problem for me, especially considering the prospects for the development of sports in my small native country.

I won’t lie, during the first wave of shock and panic after the suspension of Russian athletes, all sorts of thoughts come to mind, it’s even impossible to control. But as soon as I began to seriously think about it, I realized very clearly: I cannot, I simply will not be able to perform under another flag and not hear the anthem of my country. Moreover, now I am forever the champion of Russia, I will always be associated with my state, I am Russian for everyone and forever. And I’m very proud of it. It was also a great achievement for me that my partner and I completely agreed on this sentiment. And even if we are not destined to participate in competitions under the auspices of the ISU during our sports career, then this is our destiny and we must accept it with gratitude.

We will develop figure skating in Russia, we will follow foreigners in international competitions and we have the most talented athletes. Having spent my vacation in several European countries and talking with many foreign skaters, I can say with confidence: Russians are loved, Russians are missed, and all this hatred and cultural cancellation is only in the statements of those responsible, because it is necessary. But we will always work hard and hope that sooner or later we will be able to kiss not by chance on vacation, but at the banquets of the Grand Prix finals and the Olympic Games.

Your sporty Carrie Bradshaw.

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