#challenger series

“If 2020 is a flood, then the Minsk Ice Star was a flaming dumpster floating by. Held with spectators amid COVID, in an agonizing dictatorship during mass protests, with no media coverage, borders getting closed at random, two whole national teams withdraw(l), and yet another just doesn’t show up, but it goes on, warm-ups reassigned on the fly as three ladies are late, the live stream was going down repeatedly, the kiss & cry couch ruined by antiseptic, and Mishin wearing no mask, while his team loses by 19pts., etc. etc.”

“I always feel so bad for Stepanova/Bukin, in 6 years of seniors (including nationals), they have only won 5 times, 3 of which were just the challenger series wins. They are way more interesting than Sinitsina/Katsalapov imo. Anyways, mad props to them for continuing to skate. They have been wronged for so long.”