The promotion of the boxing match of Alina Zagitova started almost a week ago. At first, the audience was promised a fight between a figure skater and a pop star, then with an Olympic boxing champion … The idea seemed dubious to many, but at least it was intriguing.

However, the expectations of the fans were soon deceived. The long-awaited show with the participation of the famous athlete turned into a failure already at the opening stage. The presenter did not even know the name of the figure skater, and what was happening in the ring evoked a dream …

Alina, what was that?

“The idea was great”

On the Day of Moscow Sports, figure skating stars decided to try themselves in unusual roles. Kamila Valieva held a fitness training, Anna Shcherbakova was to enter the battle of breakdancing. World, European and Olympic figure skating champion Alina Zagitova also decided to try out a new sports discipline for herself. The choice of a fragile girl fell on not the most feminine sport – boxing. She had to spar with a famous opponent.

For several days, a wide variety of rumors arose in the information field about Alina’s possible opponents, and the nature of the fight itself. Among the likely opponents were mentioned persons from the world of music – Olga Buzova and Klava Koka. Later, information appeared about the upcoming fight between the figure skater and Tokyo Olympic champion Albert Batyrgaziev – this option looked no less strange.

Photo: © Buda Mendes / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Zagitova even exchanged light jokes with Albert, which very vaguely resembled the trash talk of professionals. But the exhibition match of the Olympic victors did not take place. The 24-year-old boxer unexpectedly refused a dubious event, participation in which did not bode well for him both in terms of sports and in terms of reputation. Batyrgaziev explained his decision by his state of health:

– The idea was great, but the injury does not give me the opportunity to participate.

“Berkova is crushing her”

And yet, Zagitova met with the Olympic boxing champion, and even twice. Her counterpart was the triumphant of the Games in Atlanta and Sydney Oleg Saitov. True, there was no talk of any serious battle – it is unlikely that something interesting could have come out of such a confrontation. Eminent athletes held something similar to an open training session. If it somehow influences the popularization of sports in Russia, it will be very cool. But from the outside, all this action looked frankly dull, and in some places even strange.

The embarrassment happened even during the exit of Zagitova. When the figure skater appeared in the ring, the presenter announced her as an Olympic champion in team competitions … Kamila Valieva. By the way, before the start of the event, the man communicated with Alina and even gave certain instructions – in theory, he should have known who he was dealing with. It would be possible not to find fault and write off everything as a reservation, but the ring announcer called Alina Camila for the second time, already personally addressing the athlete. After the indignant girl corrected the presenter, for some reason he did not even apologize, saying that he was “forgivable”.

Photo: © Dmitry Chelyapin / Match TV

When the event finally started, from which someone may have had high expectations, it became clear that this was the usual beginner training. The girl practiced a little in punches, worked out simple combinations, and at the end of the training she received flowers from the hands of the famous boxer.

All this happened under the stormy commentary of the presenter, which added to the comic situation: the young man struggled to make a show out of something that did not appeal to him at all. Why the lesson was supposed to arouse public interest at all remains unclear. Actually, there were very few spectators around the ring: it seems that people came up just to look at the famous figure skater.

And if Zagitova’s personal fans were delighted with the girl’s performances in the ring, then neutral sports fans were rather surprised: why did this event receive so much attention at all?

– Wow debut, worked on the paws, and that’s it.

“Berkova is crushing her.

– Soon boxers will be engaged in figure skating at such a pace.

However, there were also such users who thought that Alina’s new experience would benefit.

– If he loses in a free program, he will break his opponent’s jaw.

The figure skater herself put an end to this ridiculous story. After the training, the organizers of the event took a public interview with Alina – and she unexpectedly stumbled on the simplest question. When Zagitova was asked where she draws inspiration from for her many hobbies, the figure skater could not find the right words for a long time … And then she summarized the blurry monologue, again for some reason stopping in mid-sentence.

– A person should try everything in life … but not everything.

A reservation, as they say, according to Freud. Perhaps Alina should classify professional boxing as “but not everything” – and focus on those things in which she is really great. At least when it comes to public events.