Point question: Trusova and Gumennik will compete in Alma Ata for the Grand Prix

The Denis Ten Memorial in Alma Ata is the last major tournament with a massive Russian representation before the start of the adult Grand Prix series. After it, the Budapest Trophy will remain on the Challenger calendar, but there will be almost no time to compete for places in the series: the first stage of the Grand Prix starts on October 23 in France. Therefore, for most Russian leaders in Alma Ata, the arithmetic is extremely simple - you have to win. The race for places in the series is entering a crucial phase.

According to the new ISU rules, only the Challenger winners are added to the reserve Grand Prix list or improve their positions in it. The exception is sports pairs, which are simply not enough in the international arena. And then it remains to wait for one of the skaters already announced for the Grand Prix stages to withdraw and make room.

Trusova goes for victory

In Japan, Alexandra's return turned out to be almost perfect. Quadruple lutz, two clean programs, 221.06 points and second place after Mao Shimada. This is a very strong result for a person who has not performed internationally for several years, managed to become a mother and fully prepared for the season for a very short time.

There is only one problem — according to the new rules, second place is useless even with such high scores. To be able to get into the Grand Prix through the reserve list, you need to win. She herself has already admitted that it is this condition that makes her more nervous than usual: if the specifics of the selection had been clear earlier, the team would have chosen tournaments differently.

In Alma Ata, most of the competitors are geographically from Asia, but there will be no Shimada and no big stars. Who will stand up to Trusova?

Firstly, two Russians are Maria Zakharova, who can win with a quadruple toe loop, and Dina Khusnutdinova, who will find it much more difficult due to the components, but she can respond with three triple axels. However, both rivals were not in the best shape at the beginning of the season and did not shine at the test rentals. But it's already been three weeks.

Among the foreigners, Sofya Samodelkina, the host of the tournament, stands out, with whom the Russians are well acquainted. Tenth place at the Olympics, 12th place at the World Championships is a certain rating, and as Georgia has shown, they can compete for home skaters at the "challengers". There is an Azerbaijani Veronika Zhilina (also an ex-Russian), as well as a 17-year-old Korean Kim Yoo Jae with a triple axel. But if Trusova herself is not mistaken, she has no real opposition.

Humennik vs Semenenko

The men will have an interesting domestic showdown. Pyotr Gumennik, Vladislav Dikidzhi and Gleb Lutfullin went to Alma Ata. In their current state, they are able to occupy the entire podium, especially since Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov is not among the participants, let's assume that this is another consequence of his strained relations with the federation.

The main foreign rivals are Chinese Yudong Chen, American Daniel Martynov and Kazakhstan's number two Dias Zhirenbayev. However, according to the complexity of the content and the current results, Russian figure skaters look like favorites. Of the 11 participants, six perform in neutral status at once — the Belarusians also sent a combat troika. So the men's tournament at the Denis Ten Memorial to a certain extent resembles the open stage of the Russian Grand Prix.

But for the three Russians, the price of the result is completely different. Dikigi has already done his job, but he can cling to the second stage of the Grand Prix if he tops the reserve list. Humennik has the same task, but the fight is at least for getting into the series. And they are both fighting not with each other, but in absentia with Evgeny Semenenko, who scored 292.09 points in Bratislava.

In conditions where there is one less jump in the free program, this is an extremely high amount, which requires almost error-free rentals. Immediately after the Denis Ten Memorial, the Grand Prix series starts, and the leader of the reserve list gets a chance to get to the stage if one of the participants is eliminated.

Lutfullin was fourth in Bratislava two weeks ago with 251.46 points. With a clean rental, Gleb is able to intervene in the dispute between the two favorites, but he needs the mistakes of competitors. However, this result is even higher than that of Humennik and not so far from Dikiji's winning points in Japan (265.28) — so it will be tight.

Kaganovskaya and Nekrasov are going all in

The Russian dance team is the most powerful: Vasilisa Kaganovskaya / Maxim Nekrasov, Irina Khavronina / David Narizhny and Anna Shcherbakova / Egor Goncharov. Quite possibly, these are the three best couples in the country at the moment.

Kaganovskaya and Nekrasov finished second in Tokyo with 184.81 points, behind only Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin. There will be a "political struggle" in Kazakhstan again. The rivals are serious — Finns Julia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis scored 194.10 points at the Nepela Memorial two weeks ago. In the same place, Americans Caroline Green and Michael Parsons scored 178.78 points. To break into the reserve list, you need to beat the Finns, and a lot will depend on the refereeing team. But historically, we have been judged well in Kazakhstan — we do not expect a repeat of the Georgian scandal.

In addition, Maxim's injury disrupted the preparation of the Russian pair: at the control rentals, he was injured in a collision with Shcherbakova and Goncharov and spent two weeks in a cast.

Pasechnik / Chirizano and Shcherbakova / Goncharov, according to many fans, are not inferior to Kaganovskaya / Nekrasov as much as estimated, but the federation is still betting on this pair, which is very popular abroad. Vasilisa and Maxim need a mini-feat after injury. Considering the results in the current reserve list, any victory with 180+ points will bring the first place in it, and there are already withdrawals for the Grand Prix.