Maxim Kovtun lost ground – Kommersant

Figure skating

Fourth title winner has won the continental championship in a row on Thursday Bratislava Javier Fernandez. Despite the drop, and other technical flaws in the long program, an unusually artistic Spaniard scored a total of two performances 302.77 points, thereby setting the European record. Silver went to the first Israeli Alexei Bychenko – 242.56. The owner of a sample of European silver in 2015 Maxim Kovtun, who came second after the short program, made yesterday a series of blunders, but on the pedestal of resist, losing 0.35 points runner-up (242.21). Mikhail Kolyada (236.58) and Alexander Petrov (229.69) – The fifth and eighth, respectively.

Unlike Javier Fernandez, often allowing their programs technical failures, but more than compensates for them with his inimitable artistry, the Russian leader of recent years Maxim Kovtun if we begin to bring down the elements, the impression from their spoils at all rentals. What, in fact, it demonstrated once again yesterday in the capital of Slovakia. In the performance of 20-year-old student Helena Buyanova present and saw the fall of a quadruple toe loop (with a blow on the side of the body), and a butterfly instead salhova, and landing a jump on two feet. This, apart from fine spray. A Russian citizen for his bronze medal to thank Michal Brezina, who for a short program was a third score, but flunked arbitrary, closing the top ten. Speaking Czech as well as in the short program, Maxim Kovtun their bonus did not hold the position.

«my current state of health was much worse than before the short program. I have not slept all night, coughing, – he complained to Mr Kovtun. – Muscle reason most basic clogged. Sometimes it felt worse, but skate program still worked. Today, apparently, it worked “nesobrannosti moment.” Although I struggled fought for the elements after the fall with sheepskin in the first part of the program. But even stepped on the foot was hurt. So I did not have time to come to a quadruple salhovu and made a “butterfly”. But still I fought to the end. Although after such a start quickly fatigued – by the middle of hire. Due to the failure of quads in the first part, I have not received pecuniary charge for the second. And … did such a rental ».

20-year-old skater from St. Petersburg Mikhail Kolyada, gaining two exit 236.58 points, the highest for a debut took fifth place. “Praise yourself for the ability to gather after a failed, in my view, the short program – said the pupil Valentina Chebotareva reporters. – A scold – for mistakes in the jumps. Fernandez today an order of magnitude of all. And though I compete with them early, you need to have a goal toward which ».

Another debutant Alexander Petrov, a 16-year-old student of Alexei Mishin until the quad. However, a set of two triple axel jumps and other simpler (229.69) Petrograders young enough to be in the end the eighth. “Very tired physically, but in the company feel quite comfortable. Fernandez, by the way, is not my idol, even among Europeans impressed me more than others. I just go out and try to do what trained. The coach said more positive things than negative ».

Vera Mukhina