Three-time champion of the USSR in compulsory figures, long-term associate professor of the figure skating department of the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism (RGUFKSMiT) Hasmik Vardanyan in an interview expressed the opinion that Evgenia Medvedev was stronger than Alina Zagitova at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
Recall that four years ago, at that time, 15-year-old Zagitova bypassed the two-time world champion Medvedev thanks to her victory in the short program. After the free skate, the scores of the skaters were equal.
“How worried about Evgenia at those Games? Of course, I was rooting for her. For me it was gold. But sport is unpredictable, and there is a bit of subjectivity in figure skating.
For me, Zhenya won, for someone - Alina Zagitova. I do not detract from the merits of Alina, but it seemed to me that this should have been a victory for Zhenya, ”said Vardanyan.
Medvedev is a two-time Olympic silver medalist. In addition to the Olympic medals, the 22-year-old athlete has two gold medals of the World and European Championships. The figure skater has not yet announced her retirement. She last competed in December 2019.
Zagitova at the 2018 Olympics won gold in single skating and took silver in team competition. The Russian woman is the winner of the 2019 World Championship in Saitama, Japan, the owner of the gold of the European Championship in 2018, the winner of the Grand Prix final and the champion of Russia.
In December 2019, Zagitova announced the suspension of her sports career.
Earlier, Hasmik Vardanyan commented on the words of Eteri Tutberidze that Evgenia Medvedeva was not originally the most talented figure skater, but she achieved success thanks to her character and colossal work.
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