1950 Rue Claude-Gagné
Laval
QC H7N 5H9
The second stage on the way to the Grand Prix Final
Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva who has been trained by Brian Orser in Canada since mid-summer is taking part at the Skate Canada International of the 2018 Grand Prix series in Laval, Quebec, October 26-28.
Following her former training partner’s, Alina Zagitova, triumph at the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, Evgenia Medvedeva, the silver medalist of that rivalry, will feature a new program for the season and technique obtained with her non-Russian coach. This upcoming Skate Canada in Laval is the second of six competitions, in which skaters will be qualified for the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, taking place December 6-9, 2018, in Vancouver, B.C. The first season debut at a Challenger series event, the 2018 Autumn Classic International, brought to Evgenia Medvedeva 204.89 points, having finished second after the U.S. champion Bradie Tennell. As reported by Olympic Talk, Alina Zagitova, having participated in another competition of these series, at this point, has the world’s top score of this season – 238.43. At the same time, the top two Russian female skaters have a chance to race with each other only at the Grand Prix Final.
“A 220 this week would put Medvedeva atop everyone except her former training partner.”
Commenting on the Russian skater’s performance at the Autumn Classic International earlier this season, Medvedeva’s Canadian coach called it the “first pancake,” as quoted by Olympic Talk. He seems concentrated on changes which are needed, according to him and his Russian pupil. “It’s important to keep our eyes on the big picture throughout the season,” says Brian Orser. But, in general, the coaching team in Toronto notes that Medvedeva’s work is connected and determined by the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. Her second coach, Tracy Wilson, once compared the Russian skater with the Canadian women’s hockey team, stating that both of them accept being first as the only possible outcome.
Meanwhile, after stories about a discord between Evgenia Medvedeva and her former coach Eteri Tutberidze and a certain amount of negativity against her move to Canada spread out in social media, Evgenia Medvedeva and Orser’s team are believed to be very cautious in what they are saying publicly. As stated by Olympic Talk, the Canadian coach’s interview after the Russian Test Skates was misinterpreted. The translation from English into Russian is seen as a part of the problem.