MOSCOW, April 1 (R-Sport) - Russian figure skater Yuri Larionov told R-Sport on Tuesday that he has split with his partner Vera Bazarova less than two months after they finished sixth in the Sochi Olympics, saying he felt they had become stale as a pair.
Bazarova, 21, and the 27-year-old Larionov won silver at the European championships in 2012 and won a second European bronze in January.
They have been a consistent threat on the Grand Prix circuit, with one win and five second places, but have long been in the shadow of fellow Russians Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, the Olympic gold medal winners in Sochi.
"I decided for myself that it would be better like this," Larionov said, adding that he felt his partnership with Bazarova had stagnated.
"We haven't had any particular progress. The last season we were working basically at the maximum, and there's no further growth to be seen. It's all gradually built up and come to this."
Larionov said he would continue to train with renowned coach Nina Mozer and discuss with her issue of choosing a new partner.
