Hurtado and Khaliavin regroup for 2017-18

[gsk8]

Sara Hurtado and Kirill Khaliavin, who teamed up last spring, won the national title and represented Spain at the 2017 ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2017, finishing a respectable 13th. However, the Spanish Federation then decided to send another team, Hurtado’s former partner Adria Diaz, who now skates with Olivia Smart, to the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

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Khaliavin and Smart just recently learned that both their applications for Spanish citizenship, which they need to be eligible for the Olympic Winter Games, was approved.

“This is the best news to motivate me even more,” Khaliavin said.

“It was a very nice surprise,” added Hurtado. “We were thinking it would take at least until September.”

I can't wait to see how Khaliavin performs now that he's been somewhat immersed in Spanish culture. Do you think it will have an impact?

 

[Mathman]

Nice article. It gave just enough hints at intrigue within the Spanish Figure Skating Association to whet our appetites.

I think an invitation to a Grand Prix event at this late date is a long shot, unless there are withdrawals. They should be eligible for some of the European Senior B's.

Sara Hurtado is certainly the cosmopolitan world traveler. To respond to the question, we will have to wait and see how fully Khaliavin can latch onto the Spanish flare in their programs this year.

 

[brightphoton]

Let me get this straight.

Kirill and Ksenia are both Russian skaters, and are married.

Sara and Adria are both Spanish skaters, but are not married.

Then Ksenia gets injured at the same time that Adria and Sara don't want to an ice dancing team anymore.

Sara and Kirill decide to become an ice dancing team.
Kirill is changing his citizenship from Russian to Spanish, but Sara and Kirill both live in Moscow and train under Zhulin. And apparently Kirill's Russian wife is okay with all of this.

Adria also finds a new foreign ice dancing partner, and she is changing her citizenship to Spanish.

 

[Mathman]

^ I know, right? It all makes me wish I were a Spaniard!

 

[Mathman]

I have to say once again that the photography for this interview series is spectacular. If you do a Google image search for one of these skaters, especially for lesser known skaters, the Golden Skate photo is usually right up there in the first few results. (I just did this for Hurtado and Khaliavin and sure enough, there it was, "posted 22 hours ago."

 

[brightphoton]

Spain must be awfully desperate for citizens or Olympic entries. It's amazing to me that someone can get Spanish citizenship when they're living full time in Russia.

We had some Melvin Tran fellow compete in our national championships, even though he is a Canadian. Can't even come close to an American citizenship because he trains full time in Canada, not here.

 

[sarama]

Spain must be awfully desperate for citizens or Olympic entries.

I really don't know why it was so easy for Kirill and Olivia to get Spanish citizenship, but I think the fact that they don't have a lot of athletes for the Winter Olympics could be a factor

 

[gsk8]

....I think the fact that they don't have a lot of athletes for the Winter Olympics could be a factor

Yes. Another reason is that the fields in dance are very tough. It's easier to get international assignments when representing another country. This way they have a chance at the Olympic team. As it stands now (per ISU), no federation member has earned the maximum of three spots in each discipline. Canada has the most spots with three Ladies, Pairs, Ice Dance couples and two Men. Right now, there is only one dance slot for Spain.

Additional quota places will be available at the designated Olympic Qualifying competition Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany, in September 27 – 30, 2017: six for Men and Ladies, four for Pairs and five for Ice Dance. The host country Korea is guaranteed an extra spot per discipline if they do not qualify through the normal qualifying procedure (2017 World Championships and Olympic Qualifying competition). For example, if Korea does not qualify a Man in Oberstdorf, there will be 31 competitors at the Olympic Games in PyeongChang. Additional quota places may become available in case countries will not use spots and give them back.

Here is more info on the qualification system.

 

[Mathman]

^ Very interesting. Does this team have the points to qualify, or will they be depending on the exceptions involving the team event? Does Spain have a pairs team? Could Spain conceivably be a factor, with a team led by Javier Fernandez?

 

[SnowWhite]

^ Very interesting. Does this team have the points to qualify, or will they be depending on the exceptions involving the team event? Does Spain have a pairs team? Could Spain conceivably be a factor, with a team led by Javier Fernandez?

They'd need to qualify spots in one of ladies or pairs to make the team event, which doesn't seem likely.