Teenage Russian figure skating champion Alina Zagitova has endured more fierce high-profile criticism for her uncertain early steps into primetime TV presenting, copping a scathing verdict from former world champion Yolanda Chen.
The former world, European and Olympic champion has suspended her exceptional sporting career to concentrate on presenting hit TV show Ice Age, enduring a mixed reaction that has led to the 18-year-old admitting she is still learning key skills and has faced nerves and anxiety along the way.
Zagitova and her co-host, multiple former champion Alexey Yagudin, have insisted that she will only improve with each small-screen appearance she makes, but Chen has questioned why the newcomer has been given the job in a damning appraisal of her performances.
“To begin with, I don’t understand how she ended up on Channel One,” said 59-year-old Chen, who broke the long jump world record when she won gold for Russia at the World Indoor Championships in 1995.
“For some, the selection criteria are very tough, while others get on one of the most highly-rated shows off the street.
“Very often, real professionals are not hired. They do not get through these auditions.
“So to release an absolutely unprepared girl…yes, she is a sweet, wonderful athlete and we all rooted for her. But a good athlete and Olympic champion does not mean that she is a good presenter and professional.
“The work of Zagitova makes some people smile but, for professionals like me, it is only a feeling of awkwardness. I’m embarrassed for Alina.
“Sometimes she does not find words and cannot ask the participants a question. As a result, she repeats the same thing 30 times.”
Chen argued that Zagitova had not gone through the required casting and should have been taught to read “tongue twisters” and “think a little” in order to help her build her vocabulary and avoid repetition during broadcasts.
“So far, she is saying the same thing all the time, and on Channel One it looks just awful,” said Chen.
“This is a very unpleasant blow to the entire professional community, to professionals who have been studying television skills for a long time. Understand that any skill needs to be learned, just like in sports.
“If it were the 99th cable TV channel, I would have understood. But for a channel that is watched by the whole country, this is just a failure.”
Zagitova is studying for a journalism qualification and has said that she ignores cruel comments from some viewers on social media following episodes of the ice dancing show.
She skated impressively and finished second in the short program at the Grand Prix Final in Turin last December, but has no immediate plans to return to the sport on a permanent basis after experiencing a loss of motivation.
Chen praised Yagudin and revered coach Tatiana Tarasova, who also features on Ice Age, while delivering an unflinching summary of her thoughts on Zagitova.
“The show is good in general…it’s nice to look at all the judges and athletes,” she said. “But Alina, unfortunately, is a very weak link. So far, she has no place there.”
