Alexey Mishin: The transformation of figure skating that took over the world!

Mishin started figure skating very late, at the age of 15, and at first he trained not on skates, but in ordinary low shoes, to which his father attached blades. He recalls that through training in these low-top boots, he quickly mastered edge skating and strengthened his ankle joint, which helped him avoid injuries throughout the years of his career.

In 1969, figure skating didn't prioritize jumping like it does now. Mishin already then realized that the future belongs to them, and decided to increase the number of revolutions. One of the most amazing experiments of Mishin was associated with Nikolai Memola, an Italian with a height of 195 cm. according to the coach, the debut at the competition is close. It is important to note that the height of the athlete does not really matter. The main thing is the ability to control your rotation.

These ideas, which seemed revolutionary in the early 1970s, have now become universally recognized. American specialist Ann Eidson calls Mishin one of the greatest innovators in modern figure skating.

Mishin is also distinguished by experimentation in choreography. His students performed programs to classical music "Tosca", soundtracks from "Burlesque", and also interpreted the complex stories of Vaclav Nezhinsky and clips of Britney Spears. Recently, a competitive program with K-Pop music has become a new challenge. Evgeny Semenenko proved that the vocals of Korean idols are perfectly combined with the performance of complex elements.

At 82, Mishin remains up to date and on the same wavelength as his students. Perhaps this is due to the constant dialogue between them. They describe Mishin as a wise, intelligent and understanding coach who is always looking to find a compromise.

In the 2023/2024 season, Mishin's group will enter the ice with a strong team and will fight for medals in both men's and women's skating. This promises to be an exciting competition that will capture the attention of all figure skating enthusiasts around the world.