I'm a little late to the party but I just went back to watch Sergei's FS from the GPF and WOW. I wasn't really that inspired by his short so I didn't watch the free live -- what a mistake that was! Especially once he hit his final step sequence, his energy and engagement with the crowd was electric! I really love seeing skaters hyping the crowd up, I literally started clapping in my house when he gestured to the stands during his steps. Too bad the scores didn't reflect the love the crowd was giving him, he really earned that standing ovation. I know this isn't really how the sport works so I can't resent it too much, but I wish that there could be a little more reward for engaging the audience. With a flagging fan base, we could use more skaters who really get people excited like Sergei did here! A girl can dream, I guess.
Welp, I'm sold on him now, and will be rooting for him to become an Olympic Athlete from Russia!