Rostelecom Cup

Rostelecom Cup was one of the most anticipated Grand Prix events, with some of the top stars of the sport going head to head for the first time this season.

This competition was not without its controversy, however. The Russians took umbrage when a U.S. journalist, who watched the competition online, announced he was filing a complaint with the International Skating Union about the personal interactions between coaches and skaters and the non-use of masks in the kiss and cry area.

In an online interview, Maxim Trankov — never one to mince his words — said: “The American can complain to whomever he pleases. We are not kissing him in America. They have rules and we respect them. We have different rules, more relaxed and they should respect them too.”

SEEKING CONSISTENCY

Given his performances at the test skates and the Russian Cup series, it was assumed this would be Mikhail Kolyada’s competition to lose — and in fact, that was the reality after his short program performance. The 25-year-old opened his “Let’s Get Loud” by The Baseballs routine with an under-rotated quad toe loop and needed to steady himself to prevent a fall. Though he went on to execute the remaining elements without error, it was not enough on a night when two others