On September 14th and 15th, Russia’s national figure skating team held open test skates at the Yubileyny Ice Arena in St. Petersburg. As usual, the skaters debuted the programs they’ll be performing in the new competitive season.
For the ice dance duo of Vasilisa Kaganovskaya and Maxim Nekrasov, this was their first appearance as an official pair in a competitive setting. Last season, they performed together in the “Russian Challenge” show and in Ilya Averbukh’s ice show. While the test skates aren’t scored with placements, the programs are judged under ISU rules, and both skaters and coaches receive feedback from judges.
After their rhythm dance, Vasilisa and Maxim shared their thoughts in the mixed zone.
Your first time skating together in an almost competitive atmosphere as a new team. How did it feel?
Vasilisa:
Oh, I’ve said this a lot today, but I’ll say it again—it was really nerve-wracking! Our biggest challenge was to fight through the nerves. A year off is a long time, and we wanted to show everything we’ve worked on during that break. Overall, we’re happy with our skate. We know what we need to improve, and we’ll keep building from here.
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