Elena Sokolova, a figure skating coach who previously trained the dancing pair Ekaterina Mironova and Evgeniy Ustenko, offered a detailed analysis of the incident in an interview for socialbites.ca. The event unfolded as Annabelle Morozov and Elizaveta Shanaeva were preparing for the rhythm dance when Shanaeva accidentally cut Morozov with her skate. Morozov required stitches, and the duet was subsequently withdrawn from the free dance.
Subsequently, it emerged that Morozov and his partner Igor Eremenko chose to change their sports citizenship and will compete for France going forward.
“During the warm-up, everyone focused on their own routine. Neither I nor my students noticed anything suspicious at that moment,” the coach noted. “We only understood the gravity of the incident after the warm-up had finished and Igor Eremenko carried Annabelle in his arms.”
Despite the incident, Sokolova argued that there was no reason to reduce the number of couples in the warm-up, and five teams remained in the rotation.
“I don’t think this will drastically shift the overall situation. Cutting the number of pairs in the warm-up would mean fewer teams in the main events, and this season already features intense competition,” she explained.
She emphasized that skaters must have exceptional control of their bodies and their blades, maintaining 360-degree awareness to prevent collisions. In pairs skating, where lifts and throws are common, a misstep can have serious consequences if a partner extends an arm and another skater collides. “This was an absurd accident,” Sokolova stated.
Earlier, there was discussion about another coach from Russia who could not clearly explain why judges described Valieva’s unusual element as a fall, highlighting ongoing questions about judging interpretations in the sport.