Makar Ignatov: “Two People in a Family Is Hard Enough”

Makar Ignatov
Photo by sport24.ru

The 2024-2025 Russian figure skating season is kicking off, as usual, with test skates. This year, they’re taking place at the Yubileyny Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, where the Russian national team skaters are presenting their new programs to judges and fans alike.

It’s been quite an eventful offseason for the 2021 Russian Championship silver medalist and multiple-time national and international medalist Makar Ignatov. After skating his short program, he talked with journalists about the changes in both his personal and professional life.

Newly married and with a new coaching team – how are these changes impacting you, your skating, and your programs?

Well, yeah, they definitely are. It’d be silly to say everything stayed the same. There have been a lot of changes, and changes always push you forward, take you out of your comfort zone. I believe standing still is the same as going backwards, so I’m always looking to move ahead.

How do you feel about today’s performance?

My jumps were solid, but my skating… (pauses). I liked how I started, but then I faded a bit. It’s just nerves – this was my first public skate of the season. It’s not an official competition, but there’s still a level of responsibility you feel. Overall, I’d rate myself around a 6 or 7 out of 10.

We have to ask about your new hairstyle.

I’ve been wanting to try something different for a while. It just so happened that Sasha was getting her hair done, and I thought, “Why not? I want to do it too.” So I said, “Let’s go together!” And, well, we did (laughs).

Continue reading “Makar Ignatov: “Two People in a Family Is Hard Enough””