The head coach of the Russian figure skating team, Elena Chaikovskaya, provided an in-depth assessment of the skating level showcased at the Russian Grand Prix stages. His observations were reported by Match TV, highlighting the overall quality and the strategic direction of the program presented on Russian ice.
In the exchange, Chaikovskaya referenced comments attributed to Ira Rodnina, questioning whether Rodnina had described the competition as nothing more than a Housing Office championship. He asserted familiarity with Rodnina and emphasized that she is well aware of the current state of the sport. According to Chaikovskaya, the Russian Grand Prix events have evolved into world-class showcases that feature contemporary skating and high-level technical elements. He noted that Russia faces restrictions on international travel, a situation he connected to broader tensions within the sport. He expressed confidence that once restrictions are lifted, the national team could return to contending for top honors, including gold medals, and he suggested that opponents may prefer to keep the team from competing abroad.
The upcoming stage of the Russian Grand Prix was scheduled to take place in Samara, spanning the 18th and 19th of November.
Looking back to early 2022, the International Olympic Committee issued guidance to international sports federations advising that domestic and Belarusian athletes should not participate in certain events. In response, the International Skating Union suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition. During the 2022/23 season, the focus shifted to domestic contests, with emphasis placed on the Russian Grand Prix events and the national championship as the primary stages for competition.
Earlier remarks attributed to Rodnina, who had described the Russian Grand Prix as the Housing Office championship, did not receive support from Bestemyanova, who chose not to align with that characterization. This discrepancy underscored the competing interpretations of the event’s prestige and the broader landscape of Russian figure skating at the time.