Synchronized swimmers are not only about swimming

This type of figure skating is not very popular in our country. It is not even in the Olympic program, although they have been talking about the fact that it needs to be included there for more than a year. But those who at least once saw how girls perform elements on ice will remember: synchronized swimmers are not only about swimming, but also about figure skating.

This discipline is especially popular in Canada, USA, England, France, Sweden, Finland. Russia also has its own heroes, for example, the Petersburg group "Paradise". It was founded by coach Irina Yakovleva in 1994 at a school in the Yubileiny Sports Palace. "Paradise" has repeatedly become the champion of the world and Russia, successfully performed at the Grand Prix finals. Another successful team is Yunost Ural, which has won the Junior World Championship three times.

There is a stereotype that synchronized skating is something of a lower class compared to the figure that is familiar to everyone, everything is easier here. But it's not. Synchronized skating is a set of elements that are similar in places, and in places completely different elements that must be performed accurately, and most importantly, synchronously.

In classical figure skating, a maximum of two people can be on the ice at the same time - these are sports and dance couples. In synchronous, the number of speakers can reach sixteen. The rating system here is the same as in the classic figure. Skaters must perform elements cleanly, for example, several lines of skaters must rotate around a common center (this element is called a “pinwheel” or “wheel”), line up circles, perform paired elements or jumps.

“In Paradise, an endless number of single skaters and even greenhouses come to try out. It seems that they skated in pairs, some connections should be established, but the girls come - and it doesn’t work out. We do not expect that everything will work out the first time, sometimes it does not work out even the tenth time. For some it is given, for others it is not - this is also present here. There is a specificity in being in a team. Not as difficult as performing quadruple jumps, but our elements are also no less difficult, ”said the captain of Paradise, Elizaveta Kodushkevich.

To get the maximum number of points, the team needs to skate without falling, perform all the elements at speed. Each of them has its own criteria: the more harmonious and effective it looks, the more impressions it makes on the judges, the higher the marks. Among the components, slip, choreography, and interpretation of the program are noted. In addition, the emotion that the skaters themselves show is also important. It is important to live the program on the ice.

Unfortunately, now Russian skaters do not have the opportunity to perform on the international arena. There are many internal competitions for singles and couples: Grand Prix stages, Channel One Cup, show program tournament and others, but synchronized swimmers are not even invited to demonstration performances. However, they have domestic competitions, the National Cup.

The only one who invites synchronized swimmers to his shows is Evgeni Plushenko. He builds their numbers into programs and attracts single skaters to them. For example, in the latest production of Russian Seasons, the Crystal Ice Junior team performed together with Alexander Samarin and Makar Ignatov under Polovtsian Dances.