Mark Kondratiuk, Superstar!!!

[Fadeevfanboy]

Whoever does the mens will have under huge pressure, since literally the only way Russia can lose the Team Gold is if their male entry(s) screw up bigtime and bleed a lot of points. Much moreso than last time where even with the Russian man doing decently, they were in serious threat by Canada.

 

[Vash01]

Whoever does the mens will have under huge pressure, since literally the only way Russia can lose the Team Gold is if their male entry(s) screw up bigtime and bleed a lot of points. Much moreso than last time where even with the Russian man doing decently, they were in serious threat by Canada.

Canada did win the team gold last time, and the Russian man was at least a part of the reason.

 

[Fadeevfanboy]

Canada did win the team gold last time, and the Russian man was at least a part of the reason.

Yes for sure, which is why there will be even more pressure this time. As this time, even moreso than last time, everyone thinks Russia has the strongest team. They are also stronger than their main rivals (U.S, Japan) in 3 of the 4 events, although dance is closes between Russia and the U.S. So if they lose it will probably mean the mens entry really struggled and they will wind up getting most of the blame. Especialy after last time. That is so much pressure. I am not sure who I want to shoulder that, Kolyada who would have to carry the skeletons of last time, or a youngster, or both.

 

[Vash01]

Yes for sure, which is why there will be even more pressure this time. As this time, even moreso than last time, everyone thinks Russia has the strongest team. They are also stronger than their main rivals (U.S, Japan) in 3 of the 4 events, although dance is closes between Russia and the U.S. So if they lose it will probably mean the mens entry really struggled and they will wind up getting most of the blame. Especialy after last time. That is so much pressure. I am not sure who I want to shoulder that, Kolyada who would have to carry the skeletons of last time, or a youngster, or both.

Russia is not Strong in dance this time because of Nikita's injury. They are strong in two and the US is strong in the other two. However, Russia is far weaker/unpredictable in men than the US is in pairs.

Even if S/K do well in RD, the worst US can do is number 2. In men the US will be number 1. Russia can be anywhere from 3 to 7. They will lose the gold if they are not at 3 or 4.

I am leaning toward Kondratiuk doing at least the SP, and preferably both programs. If he lands the jumps in the SP, it could put Russia in a better position.

 

[Frau Muller]

Russia is not Strong in dance this time because of Nikita's injury. ……

Russia has Euro gold and silver. Hardly “not strong” in dance. We haven’t seen the French in a while but were wonderful in their autumn events.

In men the US will be number 1. …..

Japan may have something to say about that.

As for Mark - I feel strongly that he alone should represent Russian Men in the TE. Kolyada is too wacko-unpredictable.

 

[caseyedwards]

So admirable to excel under pressure

 

[Kelvster]

Yes! Let's hope he can hold it together tomorrow and in the individual event.

I was laughing so hard when reading the earlier interview with Urmanov, who said something along the lines that Mark looks like he's constantly asleep, but when' he's out on the ice, he just switches UP A GEAR.

The pressure must be immense and this guy deserves a long break where he can go off and hide in the countryside to do his graphic / contemporary art once the season is over!

 

[Vash01]

Good luck to Mark in the LP. I like his LP better than his SP.

 

[Sylvia]

NBC Sports' videos (blocked outside USA) of Mark's Olympics Team Event programs - great job by him!

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LiuqJFlfro
FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT2cp20jWZQ

 

[caseyedwards]

6 basically clean programs in a row!

 

[Frau Muller]

Yes! Let's hope he can hold it together tomorrow and in the individual event.

…

Mark DID hold it together in yesterday’s TE long program! and he’ll do the same in the indiv event…aiming for top-5. He’s champion of Europe. Not a fluke. And I hope that he stays home, rather than to run off and grow a ponytail or man-bun!

 

[NAOTMAA]

6 basically clean programs in a row!

Must be over 10 years since a Russian man did that (funny but also very sad as well)

 

[Frau Muller]

Must be over 10 years since a Russian man did that (funny but also very sad as well)

Wow, you’re right.

 

[Cherub721]

I wanted to collect some of the social media posts about Mark, please share others!

https://twitter.com/petridishes/status/1490180192844845057

“and what will you be skating to?” “a Jesus Christ superstar medley, definitely” “the iconic parts of the soundtrack?” “no the deep cuts and I’m going to conclude with the thirty-nine lashes” “and do you have a costume concept in mind?” “…do I ever”

https://twitter.com/RedHourBen/status/1490185204467703808

Ben Stiller: And respect to the Russian skater who rocked out to the #JesusChristSuperstar program.


One of the posters on the pbp thread compared Mark's hair to the goth kid from South Park.

 

[NAOTMAA]

I do like that Mark seems to have that must land jump at all cost fight mentality. I don't think we've seen that quality in a Russian man since Plushy. It's nice to see that again. Fingers crossed he continues to build as a skater, the basics are already there

 

[zigzig]

he's so intense. I think his jumps are an eyesore but I admire his fight and clutchness.

 

[3T3T]

Two fantastic skates for Mark. What a season he has had. Getting the 3rd spot for Russia in Neblehorn, Russia & European champion and doing his part for the Russian team. He can be very proud of his achievements with more to come hopefully.

I can only imagine the pressure he has been under, you could see the relief on his face afterwards. He may not be the most refined skater but he is very exciting to watch. The Choreography sequence to the lashes is +5 and a 10 for me.

I’m also very happy for his coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya.

 

[NAOTMAA]

he's so intense. I think his jumps are an eyesore but I admire his fight and clutchness.

That's what the Russian men are missing, the fight and clutchness. I can easily name 5 Russian men competing today who overall are better and more pleasing to the eye then Mark is but they are so fragile. A few shaky landings and they slowly unravel. Mark doesn't do that, he fights and commits from start to finish no matter how messy it gets.

Mark is only 18 so he's got time to polish and smooth the rough edges. It will be easier for him to do that then it will be for the other men to gain consistency

 

[Frau Muller]

Mark Superstar - OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, TEAM EVENT!!!

SPASIBO, JESUS!!!!

No ceremony in Beijing? I hope that he gets his gold medal eventually.

 

[Cherub721]

Mark is back in Moscow: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaCy21hs2HU/

TEAM KONDRATIUK OFFICIAL on Instagram: "Марк вместе со Светланой Владимировной вернулись в Москву, их встречают аплодисментами👏🔥 🎥 Матч ТВ #markkondratiuk #markkondratiukteam #марккондратюк #мырусскиеснамимарк #пекин2022"

12K likes, 60 comments - mark.kondratiukteam on February 16, 2022: "Марк вместе со Светланой Владимировной вернулись в М..."

www.instagram.com

TEAM KONDRATIUK OFFICIAL on Instagram: "Марк вместе со Светланой Владимировной возвращаются из Пекина домой🥳 📸 сторис Марка #markkondratiuk #markkondratiukteam #марккондратюк #мырусскиеснамимарк #пекин2022"

786 likes, 51 comments - mark.kondratiukteam on February 15, 2022: "Марк вместе со Светланой Владимировной возвращаются..."

www.instagram.com

New interview: https://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/60...hast-e-chto-ya-popal-na-olimpijskie-igry.html

Mark Kondratyuk: “No one will ever take away my emotions, memories and happiness that I got to the Olympic Games”​

European champion Mark Kondratyuk held his final training session on the Olympic ice in Beijing on Tuesday. After it, we crossed paths in the mini-zone of the training rink and asked Mark to tell what those few days were like for him at his first Olympics.

- Mark, with what feelings will you remember this Olympics?

- I'm happy to be here. Regardless of any situations, results, rentals. I'm just happy to be here, because such an opportunity falls to very few people, athletes. Probably, a series of accidents helped me, such a golden ticket, because a year and a half ago I was still skating very badly and could not even think about it. I dreamed: “Now, if I work well, then in 2026, perhaps, I will get there.” And I'm happy that I'm here and now.

- Participation in the Olympics will be an impetus in the future?

- It seems to me that training here will give impetus. Before the competition, I managed to ride with Yuma (Kagiyama - approx.), Nathan (Chen - approx.), after - with Yuzuru (Hanyu - approx.), Yuma, Nathan, Shoma (Uno - approx.). It is a great honor for me to be with them, to see how they work. In general, riding with Yuzuru was my dream, which could come true in Sochi at the Grand Prix stage. But Yuzuru withdrew. I am disappointed. And who would have thought that two months later this would happen at the Beijing Olympics.

“Does it feel like it’s all happening in a dream?”

-- Not anymore. But when the Olympics were just starting, yes. It seemed like it wasn't happening to me.

Are the Olympic Games really something special?

- The Olympics is fundamentally different from any other competitions where I have been. Different for everyone. Olympic village, athletes from completely different sports, different countries. Everyone is talking...

The biggest start for me was the European Championship, but this is different. Absolutely different scale of what is happening!

And what did you like most about the Olympics? Honestly, I liked everything. Every day something happens here, you remember it and just enjoy that it happens to you.

- You made your debut at the Olympic Games. According to your feelings, did you manage to show everything you are ready for here?

- If we take the team and individual tournaments as two separate competitions, then in one of them I managed to show my maximum, almost my maximum. And I am pleased that we managed to skate two programs in a row well, we managed not to let the team down. Probably, after years, when I want to reconsider the Olympics, I will choose the team tournament.

- Is it difficult to withstand four rentals?

- It was the first time for me. But it was also the first time for Vika (Sinitsina), Nastya (Mishina), Sasha Gallyamov), Kamila (Valiyeva). And for Nikita, by the way. At the Olympics in Sochi, he skated three programs. The same was true for guys from other countries.

- But the men's competitions began almost immediately after the team competitions?

“Physically, it was not very difficult. We work in training, we skate a lot of programs. So everything is possible. There is an emotional issue here. I have a feeling that I accumulated all my energy reserves for the team tournament, and they simply were not enough for the personal one. This is probably my mistake. Maybe it was necessary to keep himself in the team in order to leave strength for the personal one. But as is. But I didn't let the guys down. Perhaps if I had saved my energy, then in the end it would have turned out badly both there and there.

It is emotionally difficult to withstand four rentals. I remember going to the team tournament and I was absolutely charged to do my job. And when it was personal, I understood that I could do everything, but there was nothing inside. Emptiness. Therefore, in the team and individual tournaments, I looked different.

“But it's an experience.

-- Agree. But I had the opportunity to skate on the Olympic ice four times, when most have two, three or none at all.

- Coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya believes that the trainings that took place here did you good, you restored the quadruple lutz.

-- In outline. I really wanted to stay here. But it didn't depend on me. If it were my will, I would not fly away tomorrow, but at the very end, because I don’t know how my life will turn out. Perhaps this is my first and last Olympics, and I wanted to take everything from it.

Initially, I was supposed to fly away with Zhenya (Semenenko) and Andrey (Mozalev), but the night before they called me and asked: “Have you packed your suitcase?” - and added: "You can disassemble." What, how, why - I do not know. We then sat in a company, and when I was informed, I almost jumped with happiness that I was staying here longer!

- Normal conditions in the Olympic village?

- I read the comments of other athletes that the conditions are not very good. But to be honest, I don't see anything like that. Everything is done either well or okay. Comfortable, convenient. Probably, in such a difficult situation in the world, this is the maximum that could be done. Everything suits me.

The room in the Olympic village is designed for three people. Large room with a common entrance, living room, three separate rooms. Each room has its own bathroom. Someone told me that four of the guys from other countries live in such rooms. We lived together - me, Andrey and Zhenya. We constantly spent time together. In the evenings, we also gathered with Sasha, Camila, Anya and walked, played cards, and talked.

How far was the dining room?

- No, we have a very conveniently located building. One minute walk from the dining room. Immediately at the exit from the entrance, after 20 meters there is a building where PCR tests are taken. Near the bus station. It was quite a long walk for the guys from some other teams to the bus, but we were lucky.

Did you manage to buy souvenirs?

- At first, we had a lot of Bing Dun Dun (the mascot of the Games - approx.) in our store. They just lay on the shelves, we went to the store, no one bought them. I thought I would skate the competition and buy. And then the madness began. Not like journalists, I saw photos of huge queues in the press center. We also have queues. And they also give out one Dun Dun in their hands, moreover, at certain hours - in the morning, afternoon and evening. Ideally, you need to arrive half an hour in advance, stand in line and get one panda. I bought four things. Went several times.

- With what feelings do you return home?

I don't see any reason to be sad. I was at the Olympics. Few get that chance. I skated four programs at the Olympics, although most skate two. I've been here longer than many guys who have already left. It turned out to work out with great athletes. I spent a lot of time walking, seeing guys from other countries, talking with ours. We were always going somewhere, doing something. I started...

You know, I thought for a long time and came to the conclusion that on the ice we showed everyone that we won as athletes. The rest is out of our control. Others decide. But no one will ever take away from me the emotions, impressions, memories and happiness that I got to the Olympic Games. And everything else is secondary.

-- Postponed award ceremony, Camila story. Was it possible to abstract from it?

- Actually, the awards ceremony was supposed to take place on February 7, but all three countries decided to postpone it for a day, because the next morning there was a short program for men, and guys from Japan and the USA were the main contenders for gold. Rescheduled for a day. On the 8th, we got dressed, got ready, moved towards the bus stop, and at that moment we were informed that there would be no ceremony ...

- Shock?

- An unexpected situation as a whole ... And there are two options: either you sit, drive, worry yourself; or help Camila. It seems to me that I did what any person in my place should have done!

- Supported Camila?

- I help as much as I can ... I just understood that she was a girl, that she was alone, that there was almost no one here except her coaches. But coaches are one thing, and friends are another. Maurice (Kvitelashvili - approx.) and I constantly talked with Camila. I went somewhere with her, sat together, assembled LEGOs to keep her occupied, to switch.

You know, already the tension before the Beijing Games was huge. Before the Olympic Games, it was necessary to “lay down” all my life - to qualify, to go without injury, to perform well. And then there was such a “variable” as a positive test for covid, when you get up every day and don’t know how this day will end. If the test is positive, maybe they will take me somewhere... Really, it came to paranoia.

But all this was before the short program in command. When the test came to me the day before the start, I skated a short one, it became mentally easier. I already understood that if everything suddenly goes badly with the tests, at least I have already reached the program. Well, let's be honest, if you're skating in command for Russia, it's most likely a medal.

-- This is true. Future plans?

- A little rest, a little recovery, after the "Cup of the First Channel" and the World Cup. Then performances in the show. Probably, this can already be said, Ilya Izyaslavovich (Averbukh - approx.) invited me, I will ride in his show.

Olga ERMOLINA, Tatiana FLIDE

 

[millyskate]

Thank you for sharing that interview.

 

[Wyliefan]

Mark and Morisi making Lego sculptures for Kamila is the sweetest thing I think I've ever heard.

 

[Cherub721]

This is so cute: mark brought little kids at cska rink bing dwen dwen themed pencils as souvenirs straight from beijing

https://twitter.com/bklovergirl/status/1495152870513160196

 

[zigzig]

This is so cute: mark brought little kids at cska rink bing dwen dwen themed pencils as souvenirs straight from beijing

https://twitter.com/bklovergirl/status/1495152870513160196

zooomg he is such a sweetie!!! and I love that little girl jumping up and down in excitement!!

 

[Ananas Astra]

This is so cute: mark brought little kids at cska rink bing dwen dwen themed pencils as souvenirs straight from beijing

https://twitter.com/bklovergirl/status/1495152870513160196

He is quickly becoming my absolute favorite, also because of his off-ice behavior. Love his bff-relationship with Valieva and this scene with the little kids is absolutely adorable.