The Russian National Championships occurred from Dec. 23-26. This event is one of the most competitive national competitions, especially in the deep ladies’ field. Russia has skaters in every event that will likely be vying for the podium at the 2022 Winter Olympics. This includes the reigning world champions in the ladies, pairs, and ice dance events. The results of the National Championship offer a look at whom the ROC might nominate for the Olympic team and who already secured a spot. 

Men’s

The men’s competition saw a lot of shuffling in the results between the short and free program. The 2021 Russia National Junior Champion, Evgeni Semeneko, won the short program with a score of 98.03. Mark Kondratiuk, who won the bronze at last year’s national championship, was in second place following the short. Makar Ignatov earned a score of 95.84 to put him in third. Mikhail Kolyada, the favorite coming in, was sitting in fifth place after the short program.

Andrei Mozalev struggled in the short program, finishing eighth, but turned it around in his free program. He landed three quads and five triples to earn a score of 187.30 in the free and 278.28 overall. That was enough to vault him from eighth to the bronze medal. Kolyada, who qualified for the Grand Prix Final this season, worked his way back onto the podium with a solid free skate. He went back to his free program from last season and secured 283.70 points overall. Kondratiuk just edged out Kolyada to take the gold. Kondratiuk earned a score of 284.37 overall. The gold in the men’s competition helps him in the race to take a men’s spot at the Olympics. However, the race for the three spots is still fairly open and the European Championships next month should have an impact on the decision.

Ladies‘

Five of the six Grand Prix Final spots were taken up by Russian ladies. They are practically competing against themselves on the international stage. However, only three ladies can be selected to represent the ROC in Beijing. The competition for those spots is very stiff. 

Kamila Valieva ran away with the gold medal at the National Championships, cementing herself as an easy favorite for the Olympics. Valieva beat her own ISU world record score, besting the 272.71 she earned at the Rostelecom Cup about a month ago. She landed three quads in her free program and earned an overall score of 283.48. Valieva won the national title by the largest margin in the event’s history and secured a spot for Beijing. 

Alexandra Trusova won the silver, coming in 34.83 points behind Valieva, with a score of 248.65. Trusova was battling an injury earlier in the season and was not even one of the five Russian ladies to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. However, the 2020 and 2021 national bronze medalist was able to overcome a fifth-place spot after the short to take second. Just behind Trusova was the reigning world champion, Anna Shcherbakova. Shcherbakova earned a score of 239.56. Trusova and Shcherbakova will have to wait until after the European Championships to find out if they will be heading to Beijing. They will likely be competing with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, who took seventh at Nationals, and Alena Kostornaia, who was out with a fractured hand, for the final two spots. 

Pairs

Pairs was another Grand Prix event dominated by Russians this year, with Russian pairs taking four of the six spots. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov were in prime position to win the event at Nationals. The pair had a perfect season coming into the competition and continued their winning ways, earning the national title with a score of 243.74. They are the reigning world champions, winning that event in just their second season on the senior circuit. 

Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii, the 2020 European Champions, won the silver medal. The pair earned a score of 239.87 and likely won a spot for Beijing. Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, the defending Russian champions, also likely punched their ticket to another Olympics with a bronze finish at Nationals. Tarasova and Morozov scored 228.20 overall. The veteran pair finished just off the podium in Pyeongchang and are three-time world medalists. 

Ice Dance 

Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, the reigning world champions, were clear favorites with Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin, four-time European medalists, right behind them going into the competition. However, Sinitsina and Katsalapov had to withdraw from Nationals due to Katsalapov’s back injury. Despite them having to withdraw, they should still have an Olympic spot locked up if Katsalapov’s back injury gets better. Sinitsina and Katsalapov’s withdrawal opened the door for Stepanova and Bukin to claim their second consecutive national title. They earned a score of 223.37 overall. 

Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin earned the silver medal with a score of 207.70. It was the first time the pair competed at the senior level at Nationals. Davis is the daughter of Eteri Tutberidze, who coaches many of the most successful Russian ladies skaters. Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva and Nikita Nazarov scored 195.75 overall to take the bronze. They moved up from sixth place after the short.