Fans on the Internet jokingly referred to the 2015 Russian Championships as “The Hunger Games,” in reference to the movie and bestselling book “The Tributes of Panem,” in which young people have to kill each other off until only one survives.
While there were more survivors in Sochi, there were also casualties.
Elena Radionova took the lead over Elizaveta Tuktamysheva in the short, but Tuktamysheva should have earned a higher component score and ranked first. Her triple toe-triple toe combination was so well-executed that it earned 10.20 points, just 1.20 less than Radionova earned for a triple Lutz-triple toe combination.
In the long program, Radionova reeled off seven triples, including two combinations, and produced excellent spins, claiming her first national title with 217.45 points.
Tuktamysheva, who skated after Radionova, gave…
