Should Russia select Leonova or Gosviani for Worlds? | Golden Skate

Should Russia select Leonova or Gosviani for Worlds?

Mao88

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
I've always believed that Leonova was the right choice for the 3rd sport at this years world championships. She has far more international experience and much greater potential for breaking into the top 10. She also won the silver medal at last years world championships. Whilst Gosviani has great potential, she is also very inconsistent at the moment. By selecting Leonova therefore, Russia would maximise its chances of retaining its 3 spots for next years home Olympics, and that has to be the top priority.

Hopefully, now that Leonova has just won the Russia Cup Final (with Gosviani 3rd) and looks as though she is getting back in to form, she will now be selected.
 
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Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I've always believed that Leonova was the right choice for the 3rd sport at this years world championships. She has far more international experience and much greater potential for breaking into the top 10. She also won the silver medal at last years world championships. Whilst Gosviani has great potential, she is also very inconsistent at the moment. By selecting Leonova therefore, Russia would maximise its chances of retaining its 3 spots for next years home Olympics, and that has to be the top priority.

Hopefully, now that Leonova has just won the Russia Cup Final (with Gosviani 3rd) and looks as though she is getting back in form, she will now be selected.

While I was not that impressed with Leonova at her Russian Cup Final performance, I'm fine with sending her. I did like Gosviani's performance better, but looking at her TES from the FS, me thinks it would be good to go ahead and stick to Leonova.

Honestly I think that Liza and Adelina can do the job of keeping three spots pretty easily.
 

chuckm

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Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I wouldn't want to make that decision. Leonova's performances at Russian Cup weren't earthshakingly good and her previous performances this season have been really bad. Meh!
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
For me it's an easy decision: Leonova. The other two ladies are great but I think it would be good to have a skater who has actually been at Worlds before because Adelina and Liza have not been tested on the biggest stage, whereas Alena met the moment last year.
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
While I was not that impressed with Leonova at her Russian Cup Final performance, I'm fine with sending her. I did like Gosviani's performance better, but looking at her TES from the FS, me thinks it would be good to go ahead and stick to Leonova.

Honestly I think that Liza and Adelina can do the job of keeping three spots pretty easily.

Pretty much. I doubt the third skater matters all that much in the grand scheme of things. Next year, though......
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Here are Leonova's jumps:

3t+3t<< (-0.98), 3f (-1.40), 2a (-0.5)

3t (-1.40), 3lo, 3ze+2t (-0.84), 3f+2t (-0.70), 3s+2t (-0.70), 3f, 2a

Two clean triples for the entire competition? I'd send Gosviani, as she did a decent job at Euros.
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
I'd send Gosviani so Leonova knows she better get her stuff together next season, if she wants to go to the Olympics.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
They're both Kind of irrelevant to Sochi and 2013 worlds compared to tuktamisheva and sotnikova and then lipnitskaya probably. There's no reason To punish leonova or act like she needs to get her stuff together - she's irrelevant. Strategically it might work better for tuktamisheva and sotnikova at worlds if leonova wasn't there at all. There the number 1 and 2 skaters and why have the world silver medalist around at all Getting attention when her future is so in doubt.
 

Sk8Boi

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Leonova has won a world medal for Russia, and is the REIGNING SILVER MEDALIST! The year prior, she was 4th. It appears she has demonstrated the ability to peak for World Competition two years in a row.

She has earned the benefit of the doubt by virtue of her very high placements at the last two World Championships in a field that has included all the Japanese skaters, the top Americans, the Finnish skaters, etc. etc. etc.

A similar situation happended to Slutskaya in 1999 - she was the reigning World medalist and did not even make the Russian team. We all know what happened after that - she came back and was better than ever. However, is this the way to handle a skater like Leonova? As a world Silver medalist, the RSF should try to nurture her to a GOLD medal. It seems thay have left her to battle with the younger skaters. Weird.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
They're both Kind of irrelevant to Sochi and 2013 worlds compared to tuktamisheva and sotnikova and then lipnitskaya probably. There's no reason To punish leonova or act like she needs to get her stuff together - she's irrelevant. Strategically it might work better for tuktamisheva and sotnikova at worlds if leonova wasn't there at all. There the number 1 and 2 skaters and why have the world silver medalist around at all Getting attention when her future is so in doubt.

I agree that Leonova will be irrelevant next year but by sending her Russia has 3 skaters with a realistic shot at the top 10, so if for some reason Adelina or Liza bomb Alena may be able to skate well enough to earn Russia 3 places for Sochi. Gosviani has almost no shot at the top 10 nor is she going to make the Sochi team so it seems completely pointless to send her.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I see your point. I would like Leonova to go out with a good skate. Then next year see Lipinskaya, Tuktamisheva and Sotnikova show what they are fully capable of doing.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Leonova has won a world medal for Russia, and is the REIGNING SILVER MEDALIST! The year prior, she was 4th. It appears she has demonstrated the ability to peak for World Competition two years in a row.

She has earned the benefit of the doubt by virtue of her very high placements at the last two World Championships in a field that has included all the Japanese skaters, the top Americans, the Finnish skaters, etc. etc. etc.

A similar situation happended to Slutskaya in 1999 - she was the reigning World medalist and did not even make the Russian team. We all know what happened after that - she came back and was better than ever. However, is this the way to handle a skater like Leonova? As a world Silver medalist, the RSF should try to nurture her to a GOLD medal. It seems thay have left her to battle with the younger skaters. Weird.

The first part makes sense but she is not slutskaya. Tuktamisheva and sotnikova are much better than leonova and no one not even butyrskaya was better than slutskaya. It's just odd how people say leonova is just like slutskaya and the situation are the same. It's really not close.

I agree that Leonova will be irrelevant next year but by sending her Russia has 3 skaters with a realistic shot at the top 10, so if for some reason Adelina or Liza bomb Alena may be able to skate well enough to earn Russia 3 places for Sochi. Gosviani has almost no shot at the top 10 nor is she going to make the Sochi team so it seems completely pointless to send her.

Sure If leonova skates well she can be in the top 10 and there could be three top 10 skaters but leonova is actually most likely to bomb and if she bombs the sp say her fs doesn't have the jumps to make a great comeback unlike if Liza or Adelina bombed the sp.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Gosviani's best skate will be Leonova's worst score in 150+
and Gosviani will get lower PCS, so I think Leonova is doing okaish in the test skate so better send her
she wont have that much pressure anyways as she will be the 3rd russian lady
 

coolboogie22

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
If the sport would be fair and the judges would judge the skater in the day and the moment instead of reputation for program component: I would send Nikol Gosviani

But because figure skating is a question of reputation especially in the ladies field :scowl: :bang: : I would send Alena Leonova

*It would be much fair to send Gosviani, I would like it very much, she deserved it considering that it difficult to be selected in Russia with all of thoses talent girl.
She has do a great job at nationals and Euro, so she deserved her place as the Russian number 3 skater :)
 

TelmoFe

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 20, 2011
My choice... Alena Leonova.

She has been strugle all season, but she was 2nd las year (surprisingly... Another surprise this year?) and she has experience in big stage. The others no.

To a good place GioSvani has to skate very well and Leonova not.

Alena can get better place than Adelina and Elizavete, if these not skate well, but this is more difficult to Giosvani.

More... Spins, presentation, fame of Leonova is so much high than Giosvani.

... And I love Alena Leonova. :)
 
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