Chapter 2 #4
After a few preparatory steps, Lev firmly took Alisa by the waist and lifted her with both arms into a transverse split, and then, in one smooth motion, threw her over his head, where she began to rotate along her axis, while he lowered his arms below shoulder level, carefully watching her movement, before catching her again precisely at the waist, ensuring that she did not touch any other part of his body, which was essential for achieving maximum points in this element.
Then he pushed her slightly away, guiding her into the exit, and Alisa landed cleanly on one leg, finishing in a swallow position, marking the successful completion of the element.
The throw jump also unsettled her, because after all the practice with Lev, she still had to rely entirely on herself in the air and on the landing.
Lev took her by the waist again, turned sharply, and sent her into the air, and she rose into a controlled arc, completing the required three rotations before landing cleanly on one leg, gliding backward in a swallow position as the final touch.
After that, they moved on to rehearsing the choreography.
The lighting in the rink dimmed, and spotlights focused on the pair as they began to run the program, the coach clapping rhythmically along with the music, her sharp, resonant voice echoing through the vast space of the ice arena, marking the timing and reminding them of each required element.
The death spiral, one of their favorite elements, followed.
Entering from a forward inside edge, they approached each other and synchronized into the boat position, transitioning through a complex entry that required precise control along the curve of the edge.
They changed their grip, and as Lev locked his hold firmly around Alisa’s hand, she began to descend, lowering herself closer and closer to the ice, until she was almost touching its surface.
Lev dropped into the correct position, nearly crouching, stabilizing the element, and together they completed the required rotations, holding the spiral with precision and control before exiting it cleanly.
They continued the program with smiles and fast, steady heartbeats, everything flowing together almost perfectly.
When they finished, the coach applauded with visible satisfaction.
“Well done, keep it like this, one-two-three, one-two-three!”
Pike’s clapping followed each element, before and after, and Alisa and Lev, like conditioned athletes, had long developed a reflex to it, responding instantly to every cue without hesitation.
All that remained was the pair spin, the final element that required them to show different positions within one continuous rotation.
Lev crouched slightly and took Alisa firmly by the waist and hip, guiding her into the spin, opening her body into a graceful position, almost like a flying line, her back arched cleanly, her arms extended outward at shoulder level, her head falling back as she rotated, and for a moment it looked effortless, as if gravity had no hold on her at all.
As they exited the spin, they changed direction sharply, moving into another variation, their bodies lowering together as they held onto each other, rotating closer to the ice this time, almost touching it, maintaining control while staying low, which made the movement look even more difficult.
Then, without breaking the flow, Lev lifted her again, this time raising her up through a standing position and carrying her through the air in a series of smooth, slightly shifting turns, while Alisa extended her arms outward and let her body follow the motion, rotating with him before he carefully brought her back down to the ice.
After that came the step sequence, a series of connected movements across the ice that tested their precision and synchronization more than anything else.
Skating in close hold, with her back to Lev, Alisa guided the direction, which was unusual, since the man usually led, but here she controlled the path, and it was one of her favorite parts of the program.
They moved across the ice in intricate patterns, changing edges, turning and stepping in perfect rhythm, their blades cutting clean lines into the surface, and by this point there was almost no strength left in their bodies after all the jumps and lifts, but they still had to finish the program with control and elegance.
On the final sequence, they rotated together once more, staying close, their hands joined, and then came the ending, where Alisa bent backward deeply, her arms dropping down in a soft arc, while Lev leaned toward her as if to kiss her, pausing just enough to hold the moment, before lightly touching her cheek as she rose again.
“Well done! Well done!” the coach repeated, clapping sharply.
They both exhaled heavily, almost at the same time, smiles breaking through the exhaustion, because today’s training had gone as well as it possibly could, and with only a few days left before the championship, everything was beginning to fall into place.