From 'Hopeless Case' to Top Junior Contenders

Moscow, September 2008. Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze are on the ice in the "Blue Bird" club in the north of the Russian capital, performing their junior short program under the watchful eyes of coach Natalia Pavlova. They land a side by side double Lutz and a double twist, but then Iliushechkina takes a hard fall on the throw triple loop. Pavlova switches the music off and the skaters come to the boards. [More]

Great article!

It's said about Pavlova being so limited in her ice time. Also, I can only imagine how bad things must have gotten for her in Petersburg if she took on this contract in Moscow. Then again, I guess one city has enough with the Velikovs and the Moskvins. Still strange that Luzhkov (Moscow mayor) did not accommodate this coach, who is probably Moscow's best hope of reviving its pairs skating school.