This is somewhat old news, but this article only got published last week:
https://news.line.me/issue/premium-...ource=line&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=none
Apparently one the Japanese skating photographers decided to go to Russian Nationals even though Japanese Nationals were going on the same time, and he took a lot of pictures of the ladies. But, in particular, he became kinda obsessed with Alena and her beauty
so there are a bunch of photos of her at the beginning.
Let me translate his captions/comments at the top. Some of them are kinda ridiculous, but I guess that is the effect that Alena has on people!
[Before the first pic of her] "Truly, beautiful."
[2nd pic] "You don't need any other words."
[3rd] Alyona Kostornaya. 15-year old born on 2003-08-24.
[4th] Because I wanted to photograph those eyes, I decided to cover the Russian National Championships.
[5th] She was even more photogenic than I imagined. For me, maybe the most photogenic since Mao Asada and Yuna Kim. When she appeared at the official practice, she was more gorgeous than any other skater. Although she's only 15-years old, she has an aura about her.
[6th] As soon as she stepped on the ice, it seemed to me that the gloomy ice rink suddenly became bright. I was completely fascinated by her. [These comments in particular make me
]
The rest of the article talks about some of the other skaters and the surprising results at Nationals, but you can see that Alena still made it into quite a few of the other photos (like with Alina or Sasha)! :luv17:
Midway down the page, there's a photo with Alena on the phone. The photographer explains that it was easy to interact with the skaters when they were entering/leaving the building, and there were quite a few fans waiting for his "beloved" Kostornaya.
[Above the video] "The temperature was -10. But there was a 70-year+ old grandmother waiting for Kostornaya."
[Under the video] "When Kostornaya appeared, she took out her photos and asked for a signature. I was proud of her happy reaction."
The next few pics show the "relaxed atmosphere" and the friendship between the skaters. "Even at the skate order draw, you could be absorbed in a game on your smartphone or make a phone call."
At the end there's another photo of Alena.
[At the end above the photo of Sofia] "The skaters were photogenic. Bathed in light or hidden in shadows, they were photogenic."
[Above Alena] "To skip Japan Nationals and go to Russia instead was a gamble. Whether that was correct or not doesn't matter anymore."
[Below Alena] "As a photographer, I was able to take photos with a happy feeling. And that is everything. At least for me it is."
***
I won't be watching Russian Junior Nationals live, but I hope that our angel/devil Alena skates perfectly and finishes with a smile on her face!!
Davai~~! 
