Arina Martinova...

Who coaches her and who is her choreographer? Her lines remind me of Vika Volchkova, but her LP is Irina's old one! The music cuts are so similar, I youtube'd Irina's and hers and played both at the same time. Only the ending is different (Arina's has one more cymbal clash so she can finish on time with the music), but they both chose the same slow movements, and the Kitri variation for the ending (Rather than choosing what the others who've used DQ have chosen--the Basilio variation)

I hope the two 'old timers': Elena and Vikka show us 'we're not dead yet' kind of great skate. However, I was impressed with Arina in Calgary but she needed more work. I'm looking forward to seeing her this season as an improved skater.

Joe

blue dog said:

Who coaches her and who is her choreographer?

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Martinova's ISU bio mentions that she changed coaches in October 2006 to Marina Kudriavtseva -- see: http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00007128.htm
Zhanna Gromova (Slutskaya's coach) is listed as one of her former coaches.

Sylvia said:

Martinova's ISU bio mentions that she changed coaches in October 2006 to Marina Kudriavtseva -- see: http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00007128.htm
Zhanna Gromova (Slutskaya's coach) is listed as one of her former coaches.

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It is believed that Arina left Gromova because she couldn't get along with Slutskaya. Marina Kudriavtseva is of course the wife of Victor Kudryavtsev, the coach of Elena & Vika.

I like her quite a lot. It is cool to see that young russian ladies (even Victoria and Irina before) are so athletic and unaffected. Although, one have to wonder if Otonal is becoming the Russian's Carmen...

Ptichka said:

It is believed that Arina left Gromova because she couldn't get along with Slutskaya.

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Yikes!

LimeZest said:

I like her quite a lot. It is cool to see that young russian ladies (even Victoria and Irina before) are so athletic and unaffected. Although, one have to wonder if Otonal is becoming the Russian's Carmen...

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Well, remember that it hasn't only been Russians that have used Otonal. Hungarian Julia Sebestyen had it in her SP at some point and so did American Johnny Weir.

Arina is such a nice girl. I love her skating and I hope she'll do great this season. But one thing I really don't like is that she changed coach from Gromova to- Sokolovskaya! Hey! The woman was a DANCER. In fact, in Svetlana Sokolovskaya's biography I found that for some time, her coach in single skating was Zanna Gromova. And then she switched to ice dance, and got till the KMS level. In an interview with Arina, she was asked about rivalty with other skaters in Svetlana's group. She said they are rivals ony on competitions. And Svetlana added: "On the practices every skater works as much as she can. On the competitions it's about who is better". So I dont think Arina left Gromova because of Ira. But whatever was a reason, I am not sure is that right thing to do.
There also was a question about what she wants to achieve this season. Arina said:
"To be in top 3 on the JGPs,
To go to Europeans, and hopefuly, to be in top 5,
On senior worlds, to be in top 7.
I'll do hard for it."

You go for it! I hope her ambicions come true.

So that explains why she's like a cross-clone between Vika and Irina. She probably had her programs choreographed by Gromova, and didn't have time to change them when she moved to Sokolovskaya, then to Kudriavtseva. Obviously I'm not a skating judge, but she's not grabbing me yet. And to be using the music of Russia's only world champions, she has both big dreams, and they've run out of CD's in Moscow.

blue dog -

I'm sure she is a nice lady and is just trying to find out what makes a champion. I think she has potential but she'gotta be she!

I don't believe I even know who she is! I'll have to do some researching!

She was in Calgary as replacement for Irina. She's got a little something going for her, I think. Try Youtube.

Check her out on the fsvids site. She's really quite lovely. I think she probably needs some work on her stamina, but she's got a load of potential. I wish she could get a Nichol or Kawahara program.

LimeZest said:

I like her quite a lot. It is cool to see that young russian ladies (even Victoria and Irina before) are so athletic and unaffected. Although, one have to wonder if Otonal is becoming the Russian's Carmen...

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Apart from Butyrskaya and now Martinova who else from Russia used it? I don't really remember anybody else from that country skating to it or am I missing something...Nana Takeda skated to it, Lina Johannson, and this season it's also Sebastyen's fs, and as far as I know we don't count Weir among the Russians

janka said:

Apart from Butyrskaya and now Martinova who else from Russia used it? I don't really remember anybody else from that country skating to it or am I missing something...Nana Takeda skated to it, Lina Johannson, and this season it's also Sebastyen's fs, and as far as I know we don't count Weir among the Russians

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Perhaps DQ should be Russia's "Carmen" since Michkoutienok/Dmitriev, Shischikova/Naumov, Irina, Martinova, and some others have used it.

I wonder why she didn't choose to use Malaguena instead. I do, however, like that catchfoot three turn that she does in her circular footwork.

Here is her free skate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IOW060nLZA

Funny if the rumour is true--she's using Irina's old FS, but they didn't get along?

Sorry, but I wasn't impressed with the CoR FS. The first sequence (3Z plus steps plus more steps plus 3T) was way too drawn out. Then she fell on the 3F. The 3S was two-footed and she put a hand down. Her second 3Z attempt was underrotated with a fall. In all, she landed just 3 clean triples.

Her spins were slow, and traveled and were only level2, except for the final spin, a level3, which was slightly better, but which also traveled. Her spiral sequence was rated a level4 and got +GOE, but to my eyes it was slow and labored. Her PCS scores, upper 5s and low 6s, were about right for what she did.

Arina is young and doesnt have much experience. Remember, she is younger than Kimmie. She is very nice girl. I remember on the jgp, she talked to me like a skater to a skater, a friend to a friend. And I really believe she needs only some time, more big competitions and she'll be great. Also, there are big hopes for Biktagirova, who is two times Russian bronze medalist but couldnt go to worlds because she was too young. I havent seen her skating but I saw some photos of her from Jr worlds...she looks gorgeous on them.

Just for the record, Arina Martinova is just 4 months younger than Kimmie Meissner. For the purposes of ISU eligibility, they are the same age. While Arina doesn’t have quite as much experience as Kimmie, it’s because Kimmie had better National and International results than Arina did and so she was sent to competitions at a younger age than Arina..

2002-2003 Season
Kimmie won the 2003 US Novice Championship and was sent to the Triglav Trophy, where she won the bronze medal in the Novice division.

2003-2004 Season
Kimmie went to the 2003-2004 JGP, where she won one silver and one gold medal, and finished 5th at the JGPF. She won the US Junior Championship in 2004 and went to Jr. Worlds 2004, where she won the silver medal.

Arina was on the substitute list for the 2003-2004 JGP, but she was never sent. Arina went to Russian Senior Nationals in 2004 and placed 9th. She was not sent to Jr. Worlds 2004.

2004-2005 Season
Kimmie went to the 2004-2005 JGP, where she won two silver medals and won bronze at the JGPF (behind Asada and Kim). She won the bronze medal at the 2005 US Senior Championships, but was too young to go to Senior Worlds. She was 4th at Junior Worlds 2005.

Arina skated in the 2004-2005 JGP, and finished 4th and 6th in her two events. She was 8th at 2005 Russian Senior Nationals but was not sent to Junior Worlds 2005.

2005-2006 Season
Kimmie went to the GP and finished 5th in both of her events. She won the silver medal at the US Championships and went to the Torino Olympics, where she was 6th, and to her first Senior Worlds in 2006, where she won the gold medal.

Arina went to the JGP and again finished 4th and 6th in her two events. She placed 6th at Russian Senior Nationals and was sent to Junior Worlds 2006, where she was 12th, and to Senior Worlds 2006, where she was 19th.

2006-2007 Season
Kimmie went to the GP and won a silver and a bronze medal.
Arina went to the GP and placed 7th in both events.

So--both ladies have been to 4 JGP events, but Kimmie went to 2 JGPFs; Kimmie has been to 2 Junior Worlds, Arina has been to 1; both ladies have been to one Senior Worlds.

So the experience that Kimmie has over Arina is a Triglav Trophy, two JGPFs (because she won JGP medals and Arina didn't), one Junior Worlds (because Kimmie finished higher at Nationals), two GP events (because Kimmie went to the JGPF twice) and the Olympics (because Kimmie medaled at Nationals and Arina didn't).

ETA: I am sure Arina is a very nice girl. I have nothing against her personally, but I do not think that her skating is special in any way. Cup of Russia was one of the lighter events in terms of competition, and Arina finished 7th there.

chukum - I just checked the youtube that blue dog included in his post. I'd rather talk about the positive aspects of Arina's skating than her faults and results. I see the technical faults as the reasons for poor results. Now.....

Arina has good speed throughout her program and it flows very nicely. She doesn't slow down to cautious before an element. Her skate is continuous. I like that. She should try for a better layback but her spins are up there with the best of them. What I see overall and what others seem to be saying is that there is very much potential there.

Would I pick her to be on the podium at Worlds? No! Do I enjoy watching her style of skating? Yes, particularly because I expect to see improvement over Calgary.

Don Q - immediately brings John Curry to mind, who does have a hold on that piece of music, does suit her. It is very upbeat and she seems to enjoy it. (Much better than Irina, imo.)

Joe

chukum - I just checked the youtube that blue dog included in his post. I'd rather talk about the positive aspects of Arina's skating than her faults and results. I see the technical faults as the reasons for poor results. Now.....

Arina has good speed throughout her program and it flows very nicely. She doesn't slow down to cautious before an element. Her skate is continuous. I like that. She should try for a better layback but her spins are up there with the best of them. What I see overall and what others seem to be saying is that there is very much potential there.

Would I pick her to be on the podium at Worlds? No! Do I enjoy watching her style of skating? Yes, particularly because I expect to see improvement over Calgary.

Don Q - immediately brings John Curry to mind, who does have a hold on that piece of music. It very much suits Arina. It's and upbeat music and she seems to enjoy it. (Much better than Irina, imo.)

Joe