The rumors are rather persistent that they are done, but so were last year`s rumors about Yanovskaya supposedly retiring because of injuries and that`s the tiny hope I`m still clinging to. According to IZ`s official vk group the Kustarova team is on holidays until June, so hopefully we will get news when they are back.
Are we sure that this reliable source isn't projecting? The most recent narrative from Kustarova was that Ruslan's knee was not an issue anymore but rather they were dealing with other medical issues. Most important was the fact that their funding was cut drastically. THe K/A group will be preparing for the 2017/8 season in Russia, they cannot even afford taking their charges to Latvia. It all seems rather complex; there could be so many confounding factors which simply make continuing impractical whether together or in different pairings. I wish the guys well, whatever their futures hold, and if we must say adieu to Elena, it will be a very, very sad day indeed. The only partner in my eyes that's worthy of her is Pavel Drozd, but he currently has an adequate partner. Katsalapov is a talented skater, but he doesn't have the temperament or other intangibles of a great ice dancing partner.