Russian figure skater Karina Akopova spoke about the failed transition to the Australian national team five years ago.
Akopova performs in pair skating with Nikita Rakhmanin.
“It so happened that I skated alone for half a year: they couldn’t find a partner. Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor trained with us in the group. Their coach Andrei Pashin said that there is now a boy in Australia who is also looking for a partner.
Hector Giotopoulos Moore I came to Moscow to audition for another girl, but soon we were paired, and somehow everything worked out right away. We trained for a month at (Nina) Moser’s school, then flew to Australia to negotiate my transfer to the national team.
We worked there for three months, putting on programs. According to the rules, we had to present a finished short program in order to get the junior stage of the Grand Prix. This whole story cost my family dearly: my mother and grandmother paid for tickets, visas, accommodation and meals. A total of 200 thousand, and my mother even had to take out a loan for a return ticket.
When I flew to Russia, during the transfer I receive a message from my mother: the federation did not approve my transfer. That is, I will not be able to ride for Australia. Everything was in vain. Such an attempt with a sad ending.
Then the junior world championship just took place, and won there is Katya with Harley (in 2017 – Sports.ru). Moreover, they beat a strong Russian couple that claimed victory. After that, the leadership of the federation decided that they would no longer send Russian athletes to Australia, especially the guys from the group of Nina Mikhailovna, ”said Akopova