Two-time Olympic champion from 2024, Russian figure skater **Maxim Trankov**, commented on the success of silver and bronze medalists from the Russian Championships, Petr Gumennik, who is a two-time winner of the Russian Grand Prix final in singles, at the qualifying tournament for the 2026 Olympics held in Beijing.

“Petya did what he had to do — he secured a quota for himself. The level of competitors present, with all due respect, wasn’t even on par with the Russian Championships. It was crucial to manage nerves and handle the responsibility, which Petr succeeded in.

Gumennik performed with some mistakes, but competing last among the starters is never easy. Moreover, we haven’t participated in international events for a long time. I believe Gumennik has only competed at the junior level, and he hasn’t had serious international competitions. This was all new for him. I just want to congratulate Petya on his result; however, we know he can perform better, and we all recognize that. Still, for September, he showed a fairly good form.

As for his chances of winning Olympic gold? I think it will be extremely challenging, but anything is possible. After all, these will be special competitions, and anything can happen there. We’ll be cheering for Gumennik as we look forward to the Olympics,” — Trankov’s words were reported by **Sport24**.