Difficult reserves: Trusova changed her image for the sake of a battle with Shcherbakova and Zagitova

The Channel One Cup is celebrating its anniversary this year — it is being held for the fifth time. The tournament is being transformed and improved every year. However, some consider these competitions to be humorous and frivolous. Let's try to show and prove why the PDA is a worthy leisure activity. After it, only the Russian Challenge show program tournament will remain on the calendar, but this is a completely different format.

Ignatova became a blonde because of the team

The teams in the Channel One Cup are determined by the colors of the Russian flag: white, blue and red, captained by Alexandra Ignatova (Trusova), Anna Shcherbakova and Alina Zagitova. Renowned figure skaters will mentor and support the participants in the pits behind the rim. Alexander Gallyamov, who was chosen captain at almost all team competitions in recent years, was upset somewhere, but he won't come at all, as we'll say below.

The girls are already familiar with the role of team leaders at such a tournament. Shcherbakova led her athletes to gold last year, and Zagitova the year before that. Trusova helped the team win the Junior Channel One Cup. This time she got white, and in order to keep up with the athletes, Ignatova changed her legendary red hair color to classic blonde.

The participants were selected based on the sports results of the season and the vote of fans, the media and the Russian Figure Skating Federation. The juniors were also invited. They have been attracting a lot of attention lately: last year, 12-year-old Margarita Bazylyuk beat Russian champion Adelia Petrosyan, and Eteri Tutberidze is indignant because of Elena Kostyleva's grades.

— I don't agree with the judges' decision at all, although it doesn't matter globally yet, I hope that the whole main fight is ahead. I really want to see the results of my work for fair refereeing," the coach writes on social media.

Kostyleva will come to Chelyabinsk and please Eteri Georgievna.

The teams will be determined by drawing lots. Just like last year, the ceremony will be broadcast by Channel One.

The leaders in pairs will not perform, but the organizers are silent

In pair skating, the leaders of the last two seasons — Anastasia Mishina/Alexander Gallyamov — probably won't come to Chelyabinsk. At a classified tournament on the ice of Lake Baikal, the partner was injured, and even if he recovered by the weekend, he would not have had time to prepare for the competition: the damage was too serious, and another risk was unnecessary.

The replacement was not officially announced by either Channel One or the Federation. According to Izvestia, Natalia Khabibullina, a couple, received an invitation to the tournament./Ilya Knyazhuk, and if nothing changes dramatically, they should go. It even seems a little strange that initially the silver medalists of the Russian Grand Prix final were not invited. Anastasia Mukhortova is on the list./Dmitry Evgeniev, who regularly lost to Khabibullina during the season/The princess. But maybe Nina Moser's wards themselves were not eager to go to Chelyabinsk — they deliberately missed the Russian jumping championships.

But even without that, there will be someone to watch at the tournament.

Figure Skating Festival

In addition to competitions in short and free programs, Channel One plans to repeat the contests of last year's tournament. Some people consider additional competitions to be frivolous, but they create a real celebration for both the athletes themselves and the spectators in the stands. The organizers removed the competition for captains and the fan competition, but left the team relay races. The battle of the elements was replaced with a skill competition on ice, but no details were given. Stealth is in the spirit of figure skating, the main thing is that it should not be forgotten, like team challenges at a jumping tournament.

The Channel One Cup is the last start of the season, where athletes will skate short and free programs. There is much less responsibility in team competitions, which means you can experiment and take risks for the sake of entertainment. Maybe Sofia Muravyeva will try to go on a triple axel, Vladislav Dikidzhi will make a jump of four and a half turns, and Gleb Lutfullin will try a five-handed salchow, which he recently posted on social networks. But this is speculation and fantasy.

The tournament will be held in a city beloved by fans, athletes and the federation, at the stunning Traktor Arena and with an audience eager to see the best figure skaters live. Chelyabinsk is best suited for hosting such a competition in the format of a show and has always been interested in tournaments. At the Channel One Cup, you don't have to worry about the Olympic selection and medals, but just enjoy figure skating, great weekends and a spring mood.