: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJJaA7YNnWM
Definitely a great birthday gift and start to the season to win the first international competition! Yes, the performances were not 100%, but he did 2 back-to-back competitions requiring travel, and probably had some stress about not having a coach with him. It must have taken a lot of mental fortitude to keep it together. Anyway, just about everyone struggles in these early competitions, as this weekend showed. 
I am not sure why Inna couldn't go to Bratislava with him...but luckily he ended up with a great coach anyway! 
His rapport with Smirnov was wonderful to see.
Happy Birthday Sergei!
I was in Bratislava and Sergei was my personal hero of this competition. Not only had he to go there without coach (he mentions no details about it in the interview, just gives a hint that someone prevented his coach coming from with him), he also had to go to Bratislava on his own expense. That is he had to pay everything out of his own pocket – accommodation, start money, transport. Still he managed to skate so decently and to see things from a positive side giving lots of compliments to Alexander Smirnov who helped him preparing before the competition and was with him in the kiss & cry. And with all the troubles he was just sweet and friendly to everybody who approached him for a picture or autograph. I became I big fan of him at this event.
Post long and post often! Thank you for sharing! I had no idea his situation was like that. Maybe CSKA/the Russian Fed didn't want to pay for Inna to go along and he couldn't pay her himself? Well, I'm only speculating, but I hate to think he could be treated like that when he's still in the reserve team. You're absolutely right, it takes a strong man to fight for the podium under such circumstances. And I don't understand why some are ready to write him off, because it's not like the Russian men's field is so deep. Max is inconsistent, Mikhail is kind of a question mark this season, Adian is still injured, and the other seniors are not really in a position to fight for the top either. It seems to me that he deserves a little more support. But thank goodness Smirnov was there, and I'm not surprised that Sergei showed him a lot of gratitude. He seems like a genuinely good guy in all ways. It's great to hear about your positive experience. 
Happy Birthday Sergei!
I was in Bratislava and Sergei was my personal hero of this competition. Not only had he to go there without coach (he mentions no details about it in the interview, just gives a hint that someone prevented his coach coming from with him), he also had to go to Bratislava on his own expense. That is he had to pay everything out of his own pocket – accommodation, start money, transport. Still he managed to skate so decently and to see things from a positive side giving lots of compliments to Alexander Smirnov who helped him preparing before the competition and was with him in the kiss & cry. And with all the troubles he was just sweet and friendly to everybody who approached him for a picture or autograph. I became I big fan of him at this event.
Happy Birthday Sergei!
I was in Bratislava and Sergei was my personal hero of this competition. Not only had he to go there without coach (he mentions no details about it in the interview, just gives a hint that someone prevented his coach coming from with him), he also had to go to Bratislava on his own expense. That is he had to pay everything out of his own pocket – accommodation, start money, transport. Still he managed to skate so decently and to see things from a positive side giving lots of compliments to Alexander Smirnov who helped him preparing before the competition and was with him in the kiss & cry. And with all the troubles he was just sweet and friendly to everybody who approached him for a picture or autograph. I became I big fan of him at this event.
I too think Sergei will become a great coach. Changing / having to change coaches might not always have been an advantage for his active career but I think it will benefit him in his coaching career that he was able to experience different approaches by his coaches and he can take the best of it his own coaching career.
Sergei performed an amazing free program! So happy for him!
