Ilinykh & Katsalapov switch coaches

[dorispulaski]

This is true. Health, and preserving their health is the most important thing, IMO. They will have a whole life after skating some day. It's important for them to not injure themselves permanently in any way, which would make that life hard and painful. I did not like to hear that Nikita was having back problems last summer, and I hope he continues to be well.

Have you heard of any Russian teams moving to Zhulin, now that P&B and I&K are gone? There are some really impressive kids coming up, not just Monko and Khaliavin and Pushkash and Guerreiro, but all the teams behind them that made the JGPF this year. (I'd like to see M&K with someone else, but I believe they feel happy where they are at.) How about Kosigina and Moroshkin, Stepanova & Bukin and Sinitsina & Zhiganshin? I'm thinking S&B will be staying where they are at, but how about the other two teams?

[npa]

Zhulin was at vacation. He must be in Moscow now, but no new information from him yet.
And look, like all others russian teams still with there coaches. But they could be at vacations now - will see what will happened in June.
Dont thin S-B will change coaches. Bukins parents look like in close relationships with Svinin-Zuk and still good friends with them.

[dorispulaski]

Yes, that's how I thought it was with B&S and Svinin/Zhuk. Plus at this point, aren't they the highest ranked skaters at Svinin/Zhuk's school, what with K&N retiring and P&G moving to Linichuk last year.? I think it's a good place for S&B to be.

I did wonder about the other youngsters. They are all so talented, and Zhulin is too good a dance coach to waste. He did a lot for P&B, I think.

[npa]

I think its Volkov (who work with Zhulin) did a lot for P-B. They really start skating, have a greate speed, when before they most part walking around the ice.
But a lot off depend from Russian FS federation. Look, like they wish to let Zhulin know - you need to made a choice between TV shows and coaching. Thats why maybe they didnt let any other team go to him now. Dont think this is good idea. Its like with pairs in China. How many years they need to grow, because they didnt want to work with skaters and coaches from different countries.
Vaitsihovskay in her blog talk about Zhulins problems with I-K, beciase they didnt want to work hard and think they are the stars. And they left Zhulin few times in the past, but he took them back. And she think, Morozov didnt want to take them too. But from another sourses look, like they are happy to work with Nikolay, so....
And from young team i LOVE Evgenia KOSIGINA / Nikolai MOROSHKIN and Victoria SINITSINA / Ruslan ZHIGANSHIN

[colleen o'neill]

My sister and I sort of fell in love with Victoria & Ruslan ( Wasn't it them who skated in the World's gala ?) Really looking forward to seeing more of them.

[Ptichka]

I feel sorry for him now, because cant understand, if Federation didnt let him work with P-B, why they thake off I-K from him too? But he really spend a lot off time in TV shows.

My understanding is that it was the French federation that insisted P&B move.

[colleen o'neill]

Thanks, doris and npa... I've just looked those kids up on Youtube...

The trouble was , we didn't hear their names clearly on the TV..except "Ruslan". Of course , that made us want to call her " Ludmilla"....especially since you could imagine they just stepped out of a Russian fairytale.

The best I can feel about I/K going to Morozov is ambivalent....and that's when I'm telling myself to look on the bright side..

[bsfan]

Vaitsihovskay in her blog talk about Zhulins problems with I-K, beciase they didnt want to work hard and think they are the stars. And they left Zhulin few times in the past, but he took them back. And she think, Morozov didnt want to take them too. But from another sourses look, like they are happy to work with Nikolay, so....

I have had such feeling since first looked at them THIS season in NHK competition, that they were having the star feeling on them(not sure if I use the right description). Their last season's skates were down to ground and with lots of sparks. This season, they looked up in the air. Just my feeling (and worry). It may not be true.

[npa]

I have had such feeling since first looked at them THIS season in NHK competition, that they were having the star feeling on them(not sure if I use the right description). Their last season's skates were down to ground and with lots of sparks. This season, they looked up in the air. Just my feeling (and worry). It may not be true.

Dont this so. Did you remember, how Shibs skated last season? All teams s have there ups and downs

[bsfan]

Sorry if I didn't make my point clear. I think they look like up in the air this season. When they first stepped on the ice during competition, they seemed to be aware too much of their star feeling than focus on the skating. Again, this is just my speculation. I hope it wasn't the case.

[gmyers]

They were self-conscious about living up to their hype and that was a negative for their skating? Or they were coasting on their hype and just did whatever they did and expected good things?

[bsfan]

Or they were coasting on their hype and just did whatever they did and expected good things?

I felt more of this. Although I didn't feel too much that they "just did whatever they did and expected good things". Looked to me that they tried to present themselves as stars instead of staying focus. This was just my feeling when I watched from youtube. May not be right though. When they stepped on the ice dring JWorld, I saw confident and focused skaters. This season I saw too confident skaters and I began to worry. Maybe their programs this year needed them to be like that.

[ImaginaryPogue]

The comments are coming fast and furious from I/K's camp. It's all fascinating, if you don't care about their future success (which at this point, I don't). Both sides seem to be fairly bitter (publically).

ETA: I'm beginning to see where bsfan's observations come from.

[Serious Business]

The comments are coming fast and furious from I/K's camp. It's all fascinating, if you don't care about their future success (which at this point, I don't). Both sides seem to be fairly bitter (publically).

What two sides? What are they saying? Dirt. Now.

Edited to add, I found the dirt myself:

http://ontd-skating.livejournal.com/1111824.html

Nikita claimed repeatedly in the interview that Zhulin never gave I/K resources such as specialists in lifts or steps, or sufficient ice time. He claimed that's the reason they had the same lifts for a few years, and that he himself had to rechoreograph the lifts and step sequences a few times this season to increase their difficulty.

On the one hand, I don't have any trouble believing that Zhulin neglected this team. But on the other hand, I have a hard time believing Nikita is taking that much initiative to improve the team's performances. If he actually came up with those lifts and footwork, shouldn't he be at least competent with them? Instead he's wheezing and falling behind and came close to dropping Elena several times.

The problem with this team, as I keep saying, is Le Homme Nikita. Maybe the conditions at Morozov will turn him around, let's hope so.

[gmyers]

People have been saying "their lifts were too much like the ballet they make no sense for ice dance" and then you have Nikita saying they were looking on Youtube so you put the two together and they were taking lifts from the ballet from Youtube and trying to do them. Makes sense that if you have little help you would mess up even if you were responsible for them. You have to do lifts.