Trusova and Semenenko win fourth stage of Cup of Russia in Kazan

Alexandra Trusova put in a quad-heavy free skate while Evgeny Semenenko held on for victory in the men's event.

By ZK Goh

Alexandra Trusova attempted four quadruple jumps – landing three – to overhaul training partner Alena Kostornaia and win the fourth stage of the Cup of Russia figure skating series in Kazan.

Trusova put in some huge jumps on Monday, opening with two stunning quadruples – a Salchow followed by a Lutz. However, she fell on her third jump, a quad toe loop, and again later on a triple Lutz-double loop combination. She also landed a quadruple toe loop later on in her skate in combination with a Euler and triple Salchow.

Aside from her falls, which cost her two points in deductions, it was a breathtaking skate, with her three landed quads each scoring over three points on the -5/+5 grade of execution scale. She received a 171.21 free skate score for a total of 248.63.

Kostornaia, on the other hand, did not have a single quad in her routine and was never going to match Trusova's mammoth technical score.

A graceful skate was highlighted by a triple flip-triple toe loop combination. She received 148.16 points, including a one-point penalty for missing the time limit, for a total score of 226.31, 22.22 points behind Trusova.

She had led from Trusova and Maiia Khromykh after the short program, with less than a point and a half separating the three. In the end, all three finished on the podium, albeit with Kostornaia and Trusova swapping places.

Semenenko holds on

Earlier in the men's free skate, short program leader Evgeny Semenenko held on for the win despite an under-par performance, during which he fell on an under-rotated quadruple toe loop and barely held on to a triple Axel.

Semenenko's 168.38 score saw him clinch overall victory with a total of 264.38 points.

Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games silver medallist and world junior champion Andrei Mozalev was the clear free skate winner, putting together a solid skate with only his opening quadruple flip being downgraded to a triple due to under-rotation.

Mozalev's triple Axel-triple toe loop combination, which scored a 3.04 grade of execution from the judges, was the highlight of his routine. He received a free skate score of 182.80, which lifted him from seventh after the short program to second overall, with 257.35 points.