Page 10 of Chasing Gold, Catching Her

Alisa babbled excitedly, still hugging her grandmother tightly. “Coach Valentina liked me so much! And she said—about your dress, Grandma—she said I’m the future star of the Olympics!”

And in that moment, everything seemed to crystallize. Alisa had passed the qualifiers. She was officially in the Olympic reserve school.

Alisa continued to skate with a smile, performing various steps and turns to the rhythmic music, and Lev joined her.

“Is everything okay? How did you sleep?” he asked, noticing the smile on her face.

“It’s okay. I’m ready to shine.”

“Glad to hear that. Then let’s go!” Lev winked at her, taking her hands, and they began their workout with the usual steps, moving in parallel, repeating each other like little children copying one another’s movements years ago.

The ice was completely empty, and that freedom made Alisa feel weightless. She jumped lightly from Lev’s arms while they were practicing together, rolling suddenly to the center.

“Hey!” Lev shouted after her, but she didn’t hear him, she seemed to float across the ice like a bird high in the sky.

She glided to the very center of the arena, spinning in twizzles and various rotations, her body almost defying gravity, savoring this moment of pure freedom until other skaters arrived and she had to move more carefully. She suddenly wanted to try an axel, and after a strong acceleration, she jumped perfectly, landing cleanly, and heard Lev clapping in delight.

“I see you’re in a good mood today. That’s good, that means we’re going to have a great workout.”

He skated up to her, and together they raced across the ice, honing their steps. Each movement was synchronized and precise, even during the warm-up. The coach, Pike, watched them closely, then stepped onto the ice herself, clapping to the rhythm of the music that filled the arena.

“Come on, let’s get down to business, my dears!” she called.

They began the rehearsal more actively, practicing various combinations of choreography, starting with lighter sequences to warm up further.

“Grab him by the back of the head, yes, that’s it!” Pike shouted, skating close behind them.

“Now twist her, twist her! Come on, Lev!”

Taking Alisa under her shoulder blades, Lev spun her in an embrace, performing a joint rotation, then gently leaning her back into a final pose. “Voila! One element done. And now again, time is not elastic!”

With the coach clapping sharply, they moved on to jumps and support elements. Time passed quickly, and the ice was soon shared with other couples, including Tora and her partner Loke. Alisa saw them gliding proudly onto the ice as if it were theirs. Alisa and Lev, cheeks pink with exertion, couldn’t help noticing their confidence.

Alisa watched Tora with a pang of envy. Tora, taller and seemingly lighter, moved with such effortless grace. Even though Alisa kept her weight steady at fifty-five kilograms, sometimes she felt unbearably heavy when attempting difficult jumps or partner lifts with Lev. Tora’s ease reminded her that first place might be far out of reach. But shifting her gaze back to Lev, who raised an eyebrow at her and whispered, “What? Are they pissing you off that much? Don’t let them ruin your mood!”

“Sorry… let’s continue,” Alisa murmured.

“Come on.” Lev took her hand firmly and lifted her overhead. Alisa spun several times, entering a beautiful lift as if she were a bird in flight, held securely by Lev, connected to the ice, the arena, the moment. She surrendered completely to the movement, following his lead with total focus.

Pike pressed them to practice jumps with support, especially the one where Alisa had to do the split in mid-air over Lev’s arms. After countless repetitions, Alisa felt the strain in Lev’s hands, shaking slightly, as if he were reaching his limit. She clung on with all her strength, her muscles burning. Pike pushed them hard because tomorrow would be a rest day, they could explore the city and relax before the competitions, but today, every second counted.

Despite the exhaustion, excitement ran through Alisa’s veins. She felt that same thrill she had experienced as a little girl going to her first competition, only now it was bigger: a new country, international rivals, elite competitors. This was serious. The road to the Olympics and qualifying for the Olympic reserve school depended on every flawless movement she could give.

Chapter 4

Nordic Ice Trophy competition

Day 1

The moment had come. Alisa and Lev stepped toward the ice, and a swirl of emotions gripped Alisa—fear, excitement, and a sharp tension all at once.

Today, everyone performed in groups. Alisa and Lev were in the last group, Group E. At first, it seemed like an advantage since they could start quietly, without the morning rush. But there was a downside: by evening, energy often ran low, and those who performed earlier sometimes scored higher. Still, they were determined. They had come to win, to be noticed, to secure a spot in the Olympic qualifiers.

The short program was 2 minutes and 40 seconds long, and there were 24 pairs in total. The scale of the competition amazed Alisa, there were so many skaters on the ice at once. She wanted to watch others’ performances, but at the same time, she wanted to focus only on her own routine, on the rivals who really mattered to her. The coach had forbidden them from watching, warning that it could affect their mindset. Today, focus was everything.

They stood in the hall, ready to go on the ice. Alisa’s heart pounded so fast that her hands went cold. Pike checked their costumes one last time. Alisa wore a white dress with ruffles that fluttered with each movement and rhinestones that caught the light, sparkling like tiny stars whenever Lev tossed her overhead.

When they stepped onto the ice, Pike gave them a nod. They had six minutes for a general warm-up. The last five pairs of the day would skate after them; the rest had already performed.