Possible Khokhlova/ Andreev partnership | Golden Skate

Possible Khokhlova/ Andreev partnership

Ptichka

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http://ptichkafs.livejournal.com/49208.html
Firebird flew off to Detroit
Boris Khodorovsky

2008 World bronze medalist and 2009 European champion in ice dancing Yana Khokhlova could soon change partners. The muscovite flew to Detroit to try out skating with Fedor Andreev, the son of the famous coach Marina Zueva.

Perhaps it’s time for figure skating to be like soccer and hockey and introduce a transfer window and a limit on legionnaires. No sooner has the Olympic cycle ended that the athletes started switching coaches and pair skaters and ice skaters started forming new partnerships. Following the retirement of Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, the ice dancing team of Yana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski would automatically become the first team of Russia in its discipline.

The students of Irina Zhuk and Alexander Svinin have burst into the world elite becoming 2008 world bronze medalists and 2009 European champions in the absence of Domnina and Shabalin. Following the comeback of the leaders, the achievements of the second Russian team have declined.
Athletes constantly complained of low marks after good skates.

At the European championships in Tallinn, where they debuted their new free dance “Firebird”, the Moscow skaters managed to win bronze, but only came ninth at the Olympics, coming behind several lower-ranked teams. At the World championships in Turin, the skaters withdrew after the free dance (being in sixth place after the first two segments) due to Sergei’s injury.

Coming back to Moscow, Novitski occupied himself with his health, whereas Khokhlova… flew to Detroit. As “Gazeta.Ru” correspondent has found out, she’s to the “bride-show” at the group of Marina Zueva and Igor Shpilband. This duo have ended the Olympic season quite triumphantly. Those American coaches with Russian roots have trained the teams that occupied both top steps of the Vancouver and Turin podiums – Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White. In all, about 10 to 12 teams usually train in this international group on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Khokhlova is trying out with Zueva’s son Fedor Andreev.

He’s long been considered a promising single skater and represented Canada. In 2002/2003, Andreev even became the national bronze medalist and represented the country of the maple leaf at the Four Continents championships. He came 9th, ahead of Evan Lysacek who was 10th and Daisuke Takahashi who came 13th. However, as opposed to the future victor of the 2010 Olympics and the future 2010 World champion, Andreev’s achievements didn’t go up.

In the 2008/2009 season he was only ninth at the Canadian championships, and to continue his international career he tried to become… and Azerbaijani! A few times, Andreev was announced as an Azerbaijani skater for the Europeans and even the pre-Olympic championships in Oberstdorf. However, ISU hasn’t provided the Azerbaijani delegation with new paperwork for the Canadian skater. Now, Andreev wants to try himself in ice dancing, supposedly representing Russia.
Many specialists see promise in such an idea.

Lithuanian skaters, who haven’t had much success at Europeans and Worlds, are looking much better paired with American ladies. Here we have a potentially brilliant union – one of the best, if not the best coaching duo in the world, a charming and ambitious lady, a man with great skating technique and superb looks, plus all the might of the Russian figure skating federation (RFSF).
However, it’s too early to talk of the Khokhlova/ Andreev team. According to Alexander Svinin, neither Yana nor Sergei have announced the break-up of their partnership or their desire to break up. Likewise, Ekaterina Rubleva and Ivan Shefer are continuing to train despite all re rumors of their impending retirement.

Overall, decisions about partnerships and coach changes won’t be finalized until June 4th – that’s when the new conference of RFSF. For now, Sergei Voronov has decided to come back to Moscow to leave Alexei Urmanov for Nikolai Morozov, and Oleg Vasiliev is looking for a partner for Maria Mukhortova with candidates including only one Russian and two foreign skaters.

So, there won’t be anything extraordinary if representing Russia in the next Olympic cycle will be a Japanese lady, a Ukrainian lady, a Frenchman, a Canadian, and Evgeny Plushenko.
 
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Wrlmy

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Jun 17, 2007
Thank you for the article. I think I heard somewhere else that the tryout didn't work out too well for Jana and Fedor. I'd love to see Fedor and Jana to continue to skate. together or not. It they do end up pairing up, there will be lots of factors to consider such as Fedor's lack of experience, height difference and other logistical issues. In any case, is it a done deal that Jana will be coached by Zoueva and Shpilband?
 

Ptichka

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In any case, is it a done deal that Jana will be coached by Zoueva and Shpilband?
I think the issue #1 for her is finding a partner (from what I've heard, Sergei is almost certainly retiring due to health issues). The issue of coaching is secondary at this point.
 

Wrlmy

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Jun 17, 2007
I think the issue #1 for her is finding a partner (from what I've heard, Sergei is almost certainly retiring due to health issues). The issue of coaching is secondary at this point.

I see. I hope she can find a partner as soon as possible. Seems like there's a shortage of male dancer these days.
 

colleen o'neill

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Nov 3, 2006
:rolleye: I have to say , I find this proposition intriguing ....A little while ago this was rumored on FSU , but then the idea seemed to get shot down almost as soon as it started.( Which I thought was a pity.) So does this mean it's still a possibility ? I'd love to see what Zoueva and Shpilband could do with them as a couple. ( Never mind the height difference)
 

gmyers

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Mar 6, 2010
Seems like 5.2. and 6.1 is too much difference for Dance? That is like pairs.

I know who the Ukrainian lady and canadian might be but who is the Japanese man and Frenchman?
 

Wrlmy

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Jun 17, 2007
Seems like 5.2. and 6.1 is too much difference for Dance? That is like pairs.

I know who the Ukrainian lady and canadian might be but who is the Japanese man and Frenchman?

I'm guessing Blanchard. but i have no idea about the Japanese man.
 

Ptichka

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I know who the Ukrainian lady and canadian might be but who is the Japanese man and Frenchman?
Oops, sorry, I meant Japanese lady - just corrected that. "Frenchman" I think is a hint about Mukhortova's possible partner. Jerome Blanchard perhaps?
 

gmyers

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Mar 6, 2010
I'm guessing Blanchard. but i have no idea about the Japanese man.

Thanks for that

Oops, sorry, I meant Japanese lady - just corrected that. "Frenchman" I think is a hint about Mukhortova's possible partner. Jerome Blanchard perhaps?

And this confrimed it! I was wondering if it was Yuko that was meant. Thanks for this article.
 

wallylutz

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Mar 23, 2010
According to someone who used to train with Fedor Andreev, Fedor's biggest problem is his discipline. Marina Zueva has been trying to find a dance partner for her son for quite some time but almost every girl in the know shut down the idea knowing the kind of skater and person Fedor Andreev is.
 

dorispulaski

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I heard the rumor (and the rumor that the tryout did not go well) on fsu. The height difference would be difficult even if Fedor decided to really work at learning to dance. Fedor is significantly taller than Novitski and Novitski was rather too tall for Jana.

Does anyone know whether Fedor even passed his senior dances ever?
 

chuckm

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IMO, Khokhlova/Andreev would be a ridiculous pairing. Surely Jana deserves a better partner than Fedor Andreev! As a single skater, Andreev was sorely lacking in work ethic and self-discipline---he seemed to think he could get by with good looks and raw talent. He has zero experience as an ice dancer and there's no reason to think he'd work any harder at ice dance.
 

Antilles

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Jul 26, 2003
Didn't he also try pairs with Jenni Kirk a few years ago? He seems to drift from place to place and discipline to discipline.
 

blue_idealist

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Feb 25, 2006
Meh, the only reason he's getting a tryout with her is because he's Marina Zoueva's son. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had this option, I bet.
 

wallylutz

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Mar 23, 2010

Jana Khokhlova doesn't know what she is getting herself into...

That said, Fedor Andreev is actually well known in Canada, he used to be a well known skater in his early 20s. The mix feeling of having a well known Canadian skater now competing for Russia, possibly becoming Russia's new #1 dance team, competing against Canada's current Olympic & World Champions in Ice Dance who is trained together by the said skater's mother who left Russia to become a Canadian citizen... I don't know about you, my head is getting dizzy by all these turns and twists and inter-connections. :unsure:
 

colleen o'neill

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Nov 3, 2006
Well, dope that I am , i haven't worked out how to get transations... but am I understanding correctly that this is confirmation that it's a serious consideration, but not a done deal, yet..or is it a done deal ?

:unsure::laugh:They certainly know how to keep us amused.

Never mind, got it. Formal request....Zowies!
 
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silver.blades

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Google translator and you can find one that will give you the gist. It pretty much says Yana has asked the Russin Fed. for permission to dissolove her current partnership and team up with Andrev.
 

colleen o'neill

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Nov 3, 2006
Thanks, silver.blades..Oh, this is so surreal. But listen, before any of us panic..take the bridge...or whatever , the vids must have shown some promise, otherwise no-one would be thinking this way. I can't really see Jana as the little moth casting itself into the flames. ( Wait..is that a FD theme?)
 
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