Leonova and Kovtun get a chance to go to Worlds | Golden Skate

Leonova and Kovtun get a chance to go to Worlds

koatcue

Medalist
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Country
Russia
That's confirmed.
So it means that ladies: Tuk, Adele, Alyona
Men: Maxim
Pairs: V/T, B/L, K/S
Dancing: I/K, B/S, R/T
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Kovtun is doing well but not sure it's top 10 senior worlds level but then again no one eligible is likely top 10. Possible but not likely.

Rus fed should have just sent leonova to euros.
 
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Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Leonove had better up her game next season if she wants to make the Olympic team. Besides Tuk and Adelina who seem to be sure things she will have to fight off Julie, Gosviani and perhaps even Korobeynikova if she can get it together. Even Pogorilaya will be eligible for the Olympics though she's a long shot and will probably stay on the JGP for another year.
 
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chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Leonove had better up her game next season if she wants to make the Olympic team. Besides Tuk and Adelina who seem to be sure things she will have to fight off Julie, Gosviani and perhaps even Korobeynikova if she can get it together. Even Pogorilaya will be eligible for the Olympics though she's a long shot and will probably stay on the JGP for another year.

Alena has had her turn as #1 Russian lady and it seems her turn is over. She's unlikely to make it to Sochi when there's a slew of younger ladies who can outjump and outperform her.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
I just want to see her do her Pirate short program.....Haaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Alena has had her turn as #1 Russian lady and it seems her turn is over. She's unlikely to make it to Sochi when there's a slew of younger ladies who can outjump and outperform her.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Leonova was the #1 Senior Russian lady for 4 years. Props to her.

She shouldn't be going to Worlds this year according to the rules, though, because Russia should only have 2 spots this year.

I will always think of this performance when I want to recall Leonova fondly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLWyDoEryUg
 

carriecmu0503

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Leonova was the #1 Senior Russian lady for 4 years. Props to her.

She shouldn't be going to Worlds this year according to the rules, though, because Russia should only have 2 spots this year.

I will always think of this performance when I want to recall Leonova fondly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLWyDoEryUg

What are you talking about? The combined placements of her and Makarova at last year's worlds was less than 13. They earned 3 spots for this year's worlds without question.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Poor Menshov. He did everything he was asked, he had a good season and beat Kovtun at Nationals as well as scoring higher than Kovtun on three occasions (NRW, CoR and Russian Cup)...and he still gets screwed.
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Well, I think they are sending whoever they think is most likely to get two spots. And since the judges seem to like Kovtun, aren't they right?
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Why doesn't Leonova go back to her old routines since she seemed more comfortable with them. I have to admit she sells that witches and pirate routines. How I am not sure but she is flying out there.
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Poor Menshov. He did everything he was asked, he had a good season and beat Kovtun at Nationals as well as scoring higher than Kovtun on three occasions (NRW, CoR and Russian Cup)...and he still gets screwed.

Menshov's chances of competing in Sochi might be better though with Kovtun competing. Kovtun is more likely to place top 10 honestly, so if he gets 2 spots, if Plushenko doesn't compete, then Menshov may have Kovtun to THANK for his getting to compete at the Olympics. Idk. With one spot it's a crap shoot anyways, I see why they want to back the tall handsome 17 year old with killer jumps over the 30 year old with a history of being inconsistent.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
What are you talking about? The combined placements of her and Makarova at last year's worlds was less than 13. They earned 3 spots for this year's worlds without question.

Leonova deserved 5th place last year, Makarova deserved 10th place at best. ;)
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Boy I can only imagine if Kovtum does not come through with those two spots...
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Menshov's chances of competing in Sochi might be better though with Kovtun competing. Kovtun is more likely to place top 10 honestly, so if he gets 2 spots, if Plushenko doesn't compete, then Menshov may have Kovtun to THANK for his getting to compete at the Olympics. Idk. With one spot it's a crap shoot anyways, I see why they want to back the tall handsome 17 year old with killer jumps over the 30 year old with a history of being inconsistent.

I doubt it, because Menshov has posted higher scores than Kovtun ALL SEASON. Menshov's history is irrelevant. It is his form THIS SEASON that matters. And this season he has been extremely consistent and very good, in great form, posting good scores, the judges seem to like him.

I see why they want to back Kovtun over Menshov too...it's called an extremely political woman in a fur coat.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
And not all that smart of the woman in the fur coat. Kovtun could have gone to Jr. Worlds as the favorite and won, and been a hero.

Chances are, like Ricky Dornbush when he was in a similar situation, Kovtun will go to Senior Worlds, skate well, and just not finish that high. A better place to give Kovtun the fast-track to seniors would be to send him to WTT again to get some more mileage, after Jr. Worlds.
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
I doubt it, because Menshov has posted higher scores than Kovtun ALL SEASON. Menshov's history is irrelevant. It is his form THIS SEASON that matters. And this season he has been extremely consistent and very good, in great form, posting good scores, the judges seem to like him.

I see why they want to back Kovtun over Menshov too...it's called an extremely political woman in a fur coat.

Senior and junior scores can't be compared directly. Russia needs a headliner out on the international stage before Sochi and with Plush having back surgery and dealing with the injuries and Gatchinski having whatever kind of issues are preventing him from skating well now, suddenly there is a panic on who the go-to male skater in Russia is. A 30 year old skater with a history of being inconsistent is not going to get people excited, does it really make sense to promote a skater for one season just to have him retire after the Olympics? No. And Voronov just isn't strong enough from a PCS standpoint. So that leaves Kovtun. He's 17, he has the jumps, he's handsome, he seems to have a good head for competition, he's dominated the junior circuit and held his own at Europeans, so it's not surprising the Fed wants to send him to Worlds. If he does well, people will get excited for him, see him as the new star. If he doesn't do so well, then okay, he's 17, he has time to grow, hopefully he'll do better next time. But with Menshov he doesn't get the save if he were to go to Worlds and not place top 10 - if that were to happen it would just be, what was the stupid Fed thinking sending him over the young promising Kovtun? Kovtun does well at Worlds, he gets the praise and his image is improved, he doesn't do well and he gets the save of being young and inexperienced. Sending him is actually smart in that regard.
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Boy I can only imagine if Kovtum does not come through with those two spots...

And the worst thing is if he doesn't, it might not even be his fault. If the field skates well, ten men could reasonably beat him (Chan, Fernandez, Amodio, Joubert, Hanyu, Takahashi, Mura, Brezina, Verner, Reynolds, Aaron, Miner, Yan)

On the other hand, the Russian federation was right in 2009 (sending Leonova to Euros and Worlds, where she outperformed expectations and earned two spots for the Olympics, along with the world junior title that gave Russia three spots per JGP) and in 2011 (Menshov won the title, Gachinski outperformed in at Euros, and went on to win bronze at World, again securing two spots for the men the next season). So maybe they'll be right now.
 
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