“There are a few juniors in St. Petersburg who are learning ultra-c elements.” Judge Mirzoev on skate test results

Young coach Vladislav Mirzoev has already shone in junior tournaments in tandem with Anastasia Michina, and in recent years it has been implemented in the judicial system. He worked a lot on the test skates of the St. Petersburg national team, which caused a stir with the performances of famous skaters. Moreover, Vladislav judged all types – even ice dancing, in which he never performed.

Mirzoev and I met several times between performances, but, according to the judges’ code of ethics, he was prohibited from making public comments during the event. But now, when passions have subsided a bit, Vladislav has gladly told how the trial went behind closed doors.

– All the coaches after the performance of their students went to the jury. Can you tell me what this activity consists of?

– The objective of the test skates is the maximum of comments from specialists and judges on the performance of the jumping elements, the deficiencies in the adjustment of the programs, the rotations and the step sequences. Therefore, in the analysis, the judges characterize in detail each element performed. The technical team expresses its comments on levels and pirouettes, how to increase the level for this or that element, why it was not counted, for example, this or that difficulty characteristic in the sequence of steps and rotations.

The judges explain their part of the GOE, advise how to get higher marks, what was missing in the element of maximum allocation. Then the judiciary describes the general impression of the program and explains the ratings for each component of the program, gives recommendations to improve the level of the components. It turns out a very productive dialogue between the judges and the athlete with the coach.

– You also judged ice dancing, which you never practiced during the sports period. How quickly did you master the judgment of this discipline – the most difficult to understand of all types of figure skating?

– Dancing interested me approximately after the Olympics in Sochi, because there I watched all the competitions and was very rooted for our team. I was “addicted” to the free dance “Swan Lake” by Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov.

I started watching dance competitions more often, then, becoming a judge for singles and pair skating, I started delving into the details of ice dance judging, attending training sessions of dancers and consult with ice dance coaches. After a while, I realized that I had mastered the rules well enough, attended the ice dance judges’ seminar, and passed the technical specialist exam.

– Who impressed you the most on skates (all types combined)?

– In general, all the athletes left a good impression, because even those who did not pass the elements stood out for the choreographic component of the program, and vice versa. I don’t want to offend anyone, but I would say that the performances of our leaders – Mikhail Kolyada, Dmitry Aliev, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Gallyamov – are the most memorable. These skaters have distinguished themselves by their performances, their images and their emotions.

– Who can you single out among single skaters, except for Elizaveta Tuktamysheva? Maybe you see someone promising to learn ultra-si?

– In St. Petersburg there are some juniors who – I know – are learning the elements of ultra-si. But I still suggest waiting for their performance at the competition.

– How do you like the performance of Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Gallyamov? How does it feel to judge an ex-partner?

– Nastya and Sasha did a good job with their program and received a well-deserved standing ovation from the audience. You know, this is not the first time I have been asked this question. I ended my sports career a long time ago and immersed myself in refereeing, I try to gain as much experience as possible and regularly improve my skills in seminars. Therefore, I am simply strictly fulfilling my judicial duties.

– Greenhouses have long begun to decorate their programs with dance elements. For example, I saw several ice dance positions in the free dance of Yasmina Kadyrova and Valery Kolesov. Do the rules for pair skating speak to the elements of ice dancing?

– According to the rules, there are no compulsory dance elements in pair skating. It’s just that lately a lot of homes are really using some of the ice dancing positions, transitions, and mini-lifts to diversify and decorate their program. I think that’s very cool. If executed successfully and logically, it has a positive effect on the judges’ scores.