The 1984 season will remain memorable for many figure skating enthusiasts. Budapest, European Championship: Soviet masters won two gold medals, one silver, and two bronze. Sarajevo, Winter Olympics: our team won one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals. Ottawa, World Championship: the USSR national team added three silver and one bronze medal to its collection. And all these achievements are credited to those athletes who joined the national team practically over the last three years.
In the editorial mail, there are many interesting responses to the events of the Olympic season. Our readers note that the struggle was of a extremely intense character, and that every medal was won through great effort, thanks to the brightest creative searches. Here is what
F. Saidasheva (Kazan) writes:
"The methods of the Honored Coach of the USSR Tamara Moskvina are unique. She has raised a remarkable pair, Elena Valova and Oleg Vasiliev, opening a new page in the history of the Soviet school of figure skating."
Other readers of the newspaper also pay tribute to the innovative methods of our best coaches, T. Moskvina, T. Tarasova, and others. At the same time, they emphasize again and again that much in the development of our figure skating depends on the integrity of the coaches in evaluating their work, as well as on high standards from the judges. In particular,
V. Shtifanova (Moscow) notes:
"Yes, we saw cases this season where international judges overvalued the scores of skaters from their own countries. This can still be understood somewhat. But we must not put up with shortcomings in the judging of our All-Union tournaments. After all, it's no secret that in past years some athletes received high scores mainly due to their popularity. And the principle should be the same—equal requirements for everyone, regardless of titles and ranks. No 'greenhouse conditions' should be created! Only then can we raise athletes with true fighting qualities.
I am impressed by the style of Olympic champions
E. Valova and O. Vasiliev, by their
spirituality. L. Pakhomova and A. Gorshkov were like that in their time. But today we have few such duos, where one can feel a soulful kinship and the warmth of true feelings..."
Many authors of letters draw attention to the emotional side of performing modern programs.
T. Pestryakova (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky), T. Ivanova (Kostroma), A. Podlisnaya (Moscow), K. Balasanyan (Yerevan), and others write with great warmth about the Olympic silver medalists N. Bestemianova and A. Bukin:
"I want to congratulate coach Tatiana Tarasova, who managed to put a brilliant free dance on the ice. In the performance of Bestemianova and Bukin, we saw a real Russian character. What speed and enthusiasm!" writes
T. Pestryakova. And, as if continuing her thought, Leningrad resident V. Volk emphasizes that Bestemianova and Bukin found an original path, managing to reflect both the richness of technique, plasticity, and humor in their dances.
L. Sushko (Ivano-Frankivsk region) warmly supports the choice of music for the program of our silver pair and calls for even more energetic promotion of our national music, both folk and classical, in the future.
T. Kirpichnikova (Moscow) rightly emphasizes: "With each year, Bestemianova and Bukin add new colors, improving their style. And the technical level of these ice dancers is so high that they can embody practically any, even the boldest, idea of their coach Tarasova in an ice composition..."
One of the most pleasant results of the Olympic season is a new step forward for Soviet female figure skaters in singles skating. For the first time, a bronze medal was won at the Olympics (by K. Ivanova), and for the first time, A. Kondrashova was awarded a silver medal at the World Championship. In this regard,
Muscovite Titova expresses a correct thought: it's time for us to properly appreciate the 'strike force' of the Soviet national team and focus not only on the successes of our pairs and ice dance couples but also on the world-class singles skaters. Kind words are deserved by our coaches E. Pliner and V. Kovalev, who managed to bring their students to the highest level of athletic form during the most important period of the season in conditions of sharp competition.
G. Dimenko (Stavropol Krai), T. Gereeva (Dagestan ASSR), and others note that it is precisely in the programs of Kondrashova and Ivanova that the most attractive features of women's singles skating—plasticity, lyricism, and a deep connection with music—are expressed to the greatest extent. V. Zemskova (Kirovabad) believes that the current successes of our singles skaters are based on great and persistent work and the desire to improve mastery. She writes: "One cannot help but notice the stability of the performances of the GDR figure skaters, primarily the Olympic champion K. Witt. Great diligence—that is the main secret of Witt's success. And I think A. Kondrashova and K. Ivanova were able to pass the Olympic exam primarily thanks to diligence and perseverance! There is something here for those coaches who have not been able to realize their plans and ideas to think about."
T. Levanova (Polotsk), M. Trushin (Perm), N. Zlobina (Shakhty), and others, noting the progress of women's singles skating in our country, call not to be complacent with what has been achieved and to look for reserves more persistently. Especially much remains to be done in the field of music and plasticity. Our coaches and choreographers do not always have the right approach to choosing modern musical compositions.
A. Kurbangaleev from Sterlitamak draws attention to the fact that some dances and programs are composed to 'suit' the unpretentious taste of part of the audience, suffering from aimless running around and grimacing. At the same time, the experience of recent years clearly says that both the depth of the plan, the brilliance of fantasy, and aesthetics are, as a rule, due to the orientation on classical music and folk melodies.
E. Klyuchareva (Tula) noticed an important feature in the ice manner of the strongest Soviet singles skaters—European champion A. Fadeev and V. Kotin. They, in her opinion, skate not only technically but with great prowess, excitement, and ease, giving a precise interpretation of the music.
"The quality of their programs," she writes, "gives us hope for real success in the coming season. I am convinced that in figure skating it is important to maintain faith in oneself, in one's direction. The path to the top is thorny. We must be patient and go firmly and purposefully."
The events of the recent World Championship in Ottawa, where not everything was perfect with the judging, where every medal had to be fought for with maximum dedication, taking into account the sharp reaction of the audience, once again confirmed: there are no easy victories, one must be in constant search and prepare oneself for any trials. Reader
V. Shumilov (Gorky) rightly calls for increasing the demand on our coaches, requiring them to engage in real creative work so that the new Winter Olympics does not catch our team by surprise.
