At the conclusion of the complimentary program at the Grand Prix event in Kazan, world champion Alexander Gallyamov, who skated in partnership with Anastasia Mishina, discussed the moment he executed a lifting move in pair skating with Olympic champion Alina Zagitova. The remarks were shared by a correspondent from socialbites.ca.
Gallyamov reflected on the challenge of supporting Zagitova. He stated that it was not difficult. He noted that this was the first time he attempted the lift with a partner other than Anastasia Mishina. He emphasized that Zagitova was clearly in good condition and had been diligently training, which made the lift feel straightforward. He described lifting her with two presses, explaining that Zagitova had not practiced pair skating for several years, which added a sense of responsibility to his role. He took it upon himself to lead in the moment, and he was relieved that the execution went smoothly. He also spoke about the potential for Zagitova to compete in pairs again, drawing a parallel to Alena Kostornaya, who has already shown success in this field, suggesting that Zagitova could follow a similar path.
Mishina and Gallyamov, representing Tatarstan, captured the gold in the free program at the Kazan Grand Prix stage, achieving a score that surpassed the world record at the time, with a tally of 158.25. Zagitova served as a correspondent for Channel One while in Kazan, contributing on-site coverage and insights from the competition floor.
Earlier discussions around Zagitova had included speculation that one of the skaters might consider taking a step back from competitive programs, a notion that was floated without firm confirmation. The Kazan event thus became a focal point for debates about Zagitova’s potential future directions in the sport, as well as for updates on Mishina and Gallyamov’s ongoing partnership and performance trajectory.