Recap

An unexpected... and historic winner!


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With three new teams, the senior competition was exciting. Here is the final podium. (Credits: Evgeniy Nikiforov - 2022) 

Synchronized skating fans were probably not expecting such a competition. And yet, for two days, synchronized skating thrilled the Russian public in Yoshkar-Ola. The Russian national championships determined also the two teams that will skate at the Worlds this spring!

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A bad fall and Paradise finishes 4th after the short program
The Russian Nationals 2022 was especially a long-awaited competition in the Russian synchro world. This season, three new senior teams appeared, which raised the competition in this age category to a fundamentally raise the level. Athletes from Omsk, Togliatti and Yekaterinburg immediately joined the fight.

The results of the first day turned out to be unpredictable. The team Tatarstan immediately grabbed the leadership. The skaters pushed their limits and literally flew on the ice. Their confident performance of the exciting program "Boom Boom", brought the athletes 77.14 points and provided a decent gap from rivals.

The second place was taken by the team Junost Senior. The girls performed a short program about childhood memories with warmth and tenderness and scored 71.37 points.


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The team Tatarstan during their short program (Credit: Evgeniy Nikiforov - 2022)

Last year silver medalists of the Russian Nationals Crystal Ice Senior was third after the short. They performed well their "Moonlight Sonata" in a modern interpretation and gained 71.05 points. 

Multiple Russian National Champions Paradise made an unfortunate, but serious mistake during the execution of the Pivoting Block in the middle of the program. The fall of the skater did not allow the athletes to end the element, which, of course, affected the ratings in a bad way. The team received 67.43 points and after the short program took only the fourth place.


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Team Paradise - short program. (Credits: Evgeniy Nikiforov - 2022)

The day of the free program was a real sensation. The team Junost Senior won the bronze medal of the Russian Nationals with a score of 205.60 points. The spectacular free program, inspired by the music of Queen, did not leave indifferent either the audience or the judges.

Crystal Ice Senior, being third the day before, performed emotionally the free program "Kill Bill" (204,14). Unfortunately, an offensive collapse of one of the group lifts lowered the team to the fourth place, and even high scores for the program components could not change the situation.

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On day 2, Paradise no longer had the right to make a mistake. Realizing this, the skaters made an excellent performance of the mysterious free program "Samson and Dolila". Having received 220,14 points in total, the athletes managed to climb to the second step of the podium and win their ticket to the Worlds.

For the first time in the history of the team, Tatarstan became the Russian National Champions. The amazing program "Catwoman" was made at the highest level. Although after the free program Tatarstan was the second, the final result led them to the stunning victory (228.73).

Team Tatarstan will be "Team Russia 1" at the 2022 Worlds in Hamilton, and Team Paradise will compete as "Team Russia 2".

Free programs toppled the top of the podium
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The team Junost Senior during their short program (Credits: Evgeniy Nikiforov - 2022)

Gaining 75.45 points, Sunrise-1 took the leading position after the short program. The athletes performed in the image of dolls from a forgotten box and executed all the elements of the program at a high technical level. 

Junost from Yekaterinburg, inspired by the recent victory in Finland, softly and easily performed their short program "February". However, they finish 2nd (only 0.18 points behind their rivals from St. Petersburg).

The third place was taken by the Moscow team Crystal Ice Junior. The skaters brightly performed a short program to the famous song "Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man and scored 70.25 points.


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Sunrise -1 during their short program (Credits: Evgeniy Nikiforov - 2022)

The day of the free program was even more difficult for the participants. Someone needed to catch up, and someone, on the contrary, to keep what they had won the day before.

The athletes from Crystal Ice Junior put all their efforts into the execution of the free program "Phoenix Bird". The team confidently moved from element to element and, having scored 202.78 in total, took third place.

Sunrise-1 were ready to play their most important chess game of the season. The figure skaters perfectly performed the program The "Queen's Gambit", not allowing the audience to distract from their skating. The team scored 212.44 points in total; however, it wasn’t enough to win the event.

The team Junost from Yekaterinburg became 20 times Russian National Champions. The girls effortlessly performed their "Spanish Capriccio", which was highly appreciated by judges. The team's result for two programs was 212.89 points.


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Prize ceremony for Juniors. (Credits: Evgeniy Nikiforov - 2022)

For the junior teams too, the national championships were their qualification for the world championships.

It means that at the World Junior Championships 2022, Junost will be "Team Russia 1" and Sunrise-1 "Team Russia 2". Both of them finished with extremely close scores (0.45).

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Results - TOP 3

Russian National Championships 2022
Yoshkar-Ola (RUS)
JAN 26, 2022 - JAN 28, 2022

Senior
TEAM Score
1Team Tatarstan (RUS)228.73
2Team Paradise (RUS)220.14
3Junost (RUS)205.60

Junior
TEAM Score
1Junost (RUS)212.89
2Sunrise 1 (RUS)212.44
3Crystal Ice (RUS)202.78