Sports Weekend with Izvestia

Figure skating

Russian Championship

The national championship of our figure skaters used to be the key event at the end of the year, and after 2022, when the Russians were suspended from international competitions, the Russian Championship became the main tournament of the season. This week the best national athletes gathered in Omsk. Already on December 19, short programs in pairs skating, ice dancing and men's single skating were held. A day later, the women will get into action. In pairs skating, such stars as 2021 World and European 2022 champions, double medalists of the 2022 Olympics Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Galliamov, 2020 European champions Alexandra Boikova and Dmitry Kozlovsky are taking part. In ice dancing - five-time European Championship medalists Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin. In men's ice dancing - bronze medalist of the 2022 Olympics, 2022 European champion Mark Kondratyuk and 2020 European champion Dmitry Aliev. In women - winners of two previous Russian championships Sofya Akatieva and Adelia Petrosyan.

December 20: 10:15, ice dancing, free dance; 13:35, pairs, free program; 15:25, women, short program. Dec. 21, free programs: 11:45 a.m., women; 2:55 p.m., men. "G-Drive Arena" (Omsk). Live broadcasts on Channel One and Channel One's website

Biathlon

Commonwealth Cup. Third stage

If the Russian Cup is a purely national event, the Commonwealth Cup is also attended by Belarusians. Among them are spouses Dinara and Anton Smolsky, Olympic champion and vice-champion. They, among others, will perform at the upcoming third stage in the city of Tchaikovsky, Perm Territory. Russian medalists from the last Olympics - Kristina Rezzova, Irina Kazakevich, Eduard Latypov, Karim Khalili, Maxim Tsvetkov, Alexander Loginov, as well as world champion Anton Babikov and many others - will also be there.

December 20, sprint: 09:30, men; 12:30, women. December 21, pursuit: 09:30, men; 12:00, women. December 22, mass start: 09:30, men; 11:50, women. Winter Sports Training Center "Snezhinka" (Tchaikovsky). Live broadcasts on Match TV, Match! Arena and Match! Planet

Ski races

Cup of Russia. Fourth stage

The year 2024 is coming to an end for Russian skiers. They will hold the last stage of the Russian Cup before the holidays - the main competition in their sport - under sanctions. Next weekend, three-time Olympic champion and two-time World Cup winner Alexander Bolshunov and our other stars will gather in Kirovo-Chepetsk. On Sunday they will play for medals in the 10 km classic style race for men and 5 km for women. And they will go on vacation at the beginning of next week, when they will perform in the sprint.

December 22, classic: 10:30, women; 13:00, men. Ski and Biathlon Complex "Perekop" (Kirovo-Chepetsk). Live broadcasts on Match TV, Match! Arena and Match! Planet

Tennis

World Tennis Leaguetournament

For the third year in a row, the World Tennis League tournament is held in December. It is the main event of the off-season. Some of the stars are on vacation during this period, but many come to compete in Abu Dhabi. The tournament, in which 16 players are divided into four teams of four, started on December 19 and will run until the end of the current week. Russia's Andrey Rublev and Mirra Andreeva are competing in the event. Rublev is playing for the Falcons team along with Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, Denis Shapovalov of Canada and Caroline Garcia of France. Andreeva was on the Hawks team with Jordan Thompson of Australia, Arina Sobolenko of Belarus and Sumit Nagal of India.

South Point: How the tennis tournament in St. Petersburg ended

"Trophies of Northern Palmyra" was remembered for Mikhail's sudden return to the court and the end of Elena Vesnina's career

Dec. 20: 12:00 p.m., Eagles vs. Hawks; 4:00 p.m., Falcons vs. Cites. Dec. 21: 12:00 p.m., Falcons vs. Eagles; 4:00 p.m., Hawks vs. Cites. Dec. 22, 4 p.m., final. "Etihad Arena (Abu Dhabi, UAE).

Basketball

VTB United League. "Lokomotiv-Kuban - CSKA

The teams have played 20 games each in the VTB United League regular season, which is almost half of the season. A leading group has already been formed. As in previous seasons, CSKA Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg, UNICS Kazan and Lokomotiv-Kuban Krasnodar are at the top. The Army Men are currently leading and will travel to visit the Railroaders, who finish in the top four, next weekend.

December 22, 15:00. "Basket Hall (Krasnodar). Live broadcasts on Match TV and Match! Game