The Russian Championship faced a surprising setback as Olympic silver medalist and last year’s Chechen Republic competitor Alexander Trusova withdrew from the event, leaving fans and rivals surprised.
The athlete appeared in the tournament draw on Wednesday, December 21 and shared multiple photos from the event, signaling engagement with the competition
At that moment, no one expected that Trusova would bow out for health reasons just because she looked strong on the ice. Yet the very next day she displayed symptoms of SARS. According to TASS and other Russian outlets, the skater felt seriously unwell but still completed her scheduled morning training, even skipping the quad lutz jump, which is among the most challenging elements in figure skating outside the quad axel.
Investigations suggest the body weakened further under the demanding regimen. By the evening of the same day, Trusova unexpectedly missed the short program in which her partner Mark Kondratyuk was competing, a sign that the couple often supported each other at performances.
By Friday night the illness had intensified.
“I feel weak right now. Sasha has a fever of 39.4”, the athlete’s trainer Svetlana Sokolovskaya told agents. A doctor was called in the night, and treatment measures were put in place, with medical staff remaining on site. The trainer even posted a thermometer image on social media to verify the fever.
RT reported that the doctor of the Russian national team, Alexander Ozerov, personally urged that the skater be excluded from the competition.
A RT correspondent noted that Trusova had a fever during Thursday evening training, while there was ongoing concern about illness spreading among athletes who routinely endure intense physical stress. It was also noted that several medications pose doping risks and are sometimes restricted for athletes in competition.
With Trusova out, the field shifted. Vasilisa Kaganovskaya and Valery Angelopol, as well as Irina Khavronina and Dario Chirizano, stepped into the ice dance lineup after a flu hit several teams just before the events. Elizaveta Khudaiberdiyeva, who collapsed after the tournament, was reported to have experienced a severe flu the night before the demonstrations.
Following Trusova’s withdrawal, Kamila Valieva emerged as the clear favorite for the Russian championship, with Sofia Samodelkina, Sofia Akatieva, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, and Sofia Muravyeva among the top contenders for the title.
Earlier, Trusova’s partner, Mark Kondratyuk, pulled out of the Russian Championships for a separate reason: concerns about a back injury after a period in the hospital.
In the short program, Kondratyuk delivered a performance that did not reflect his best form, making several mistakes and ending with a fall. He finished 12th among 17 competitors, earning 77.50 points.
“Am I worried about the injury worsening? It probably has; it feels like a risk”, Kondratyuk remarked after the short program, highlighting the tension surrounding his recovery and the competition’s pace.