Mark Kondratyuk demonstrated outstanding preparation at the test skates in St. Petersburg

Due to injury, he was unable to compete and show high results. However, like many athletes who have faced similar challenges, Kondratyuk did not give up. Under the guidance of Svetlana Sokolovskaya, he managed to return to the ice and impress everyone at the test skates in St. Petersburg, performing five quadruple jumps and two triple axels in one performance. This achievement is comparable to the results of the American Malinin, although our figure skater has not yet seen any international competitions.

At the Beijing Olympics, Mark became one of the heroes, performing brilliantly in the team event and helping the Russian team win gold. Despite the subsequent doping scandal and the loss of the medal, his contribution to the team's success was obvious. However, the excessive loads at the Olympics turned out to have serious consequences for Kondratyuk: he returned almost disabled and went through two years of difficult rehabilitation.

After recovery, Mark participated in the Grand Prix and Spartakiad in Magnitogorsk, but he was not able to completely get rid of the consequences of the injury. Nevertheless, the performance in St. Petersburg was a real breakthrough for him, marking the beginning of the 2024-2025 season. His free program to the music from the film "Ram and Leela" with five quadruple and two triple axels delighted the audience and experts.

In St. Petersburg, Kondratyuk presented an impressive set of elements: lutz, flip, toe loop, a sequence of triple and double axels, salchow, cascade with quad salchow, combination with trixel and triple salchow through Euler. If he had managed to perform on the international arena, he could have outshone Malinin, known as the "god of quads". Now, at the start of the Grand Prix, Mark looks like a clear favorite among singles, and his plans include complicating the program with new spectacular jumps. It will be interesting to see what he will show at the next Spartakiad in Magnitogorsk.