What's the latest on Plushenko and/or Lysacek's health & ability to compete in Sochi? | Golden Skate

What's the latest on Plushenko and/or Lysacek's health & ability to compete in Sochi?

wordsworthgirl

Medalist
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
What's the latest on Plushenko and/or Lysacek's health & ability to compete in Sochi?

I wonder if there have been any updates on either of them?
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Here's a recent IceNetwork article, from Skate America, when Mishin was asked about Plushy's health:

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2013/10/20/63188258

Also, these Eurosport snippets may be relevant:

Evgeni's Truth - Part 1 (about his injuries and comeback):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IECQ9KoV6Pk&feature=youtu.be

Evgeni's Truth - Part 2 (about the competetive situation):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTmaUa8u_Ac

(Simon made some mistakes in the first vid, that Chris corrected in the second. I'm starting to suspect that whoever does the "research"/"fact checking" at Eurosport just isn't very good... But that isn't really a relevant discussion for this thread.)
 

wordsworthgirl

Medalist
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Here's a recent IceNetwork article, from Skate America, when Mishin was asked about Plushy's health:

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2013/10/20/63188258

Also, these Eurosport snippets may be relevant:

Evgeni's Truth - Part 1 (about his injuries and comeback):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IECQ9KoV6Pk&feature=youtu.be

Evgeni's Truth - Part 2 (about the competetive situation):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTmaUa8u_Ac

(Simon made some mistakes in the first vid, that Chris corrected in the second. I'm starting to suspect that whoever does the "research"/"fact checking" at Eurosport just isn't very good... But that isn't really a relevant discussion for this thread.)

He looks REALLY strong in these videos! and he seems a bit mellowed, which is good. I did not like his arrogance and take no prisoners attitude in the past but here he seems happy to compete and end his career in Russia, even if he doesn't win or even medal.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Evan was with a bunch of Team USA members on the Today show this week plugging the Olympic Team gear. No one asked him if he's going to Sochi, but he did say he was excited to wear the team uniform.
 

spikydurian

Medalist
Joined
Jan 15, 2012

plushyfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Country
Hungary
He looks REALLY strong in these videos! and he seems a bit mellowed, which is good. I did not like his arrogance and take no prisoners attitude in the past but here he seems happy to compete and end his career in Russia, even if he doesn't win or even medal.

He isn't arrogant!!!! The U.S. media ​​ portrayed him like a communist russian devil from the beginning, in contrast to the beloved skater Yagudin, who lived and trained in N-A. Their rivalry was more interesting in this way. Before and after Vancouver portrayed as an arrogant, pompous man and attacked him continously. He is quite well known, beloved and respected in other parts of the world. And who follows, knows him, who interested in him as a human realize that this is not true. He is interesting, strong man with a strong personality who is always honest. He says in all circumstances, what he thinks. Yes, not a smooth, always nice man, but a fighter. He has different personality on ice and in the civil life. But look at his career, results! Those are interrelated with his personality. A great athlete, a great person.
 

yaya124

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
He looks REALLY strong in these videos! and he seems a bit mellowed, which is good. I did not like his arrogance and take no prisoners attitude in the past but here he seems happy to compete and end his career in Russia, even if he doesn't win or even medal.

Plushenko is not arrogant, but of course with English being not his native language, he might seem a bit cold. He actually has a wonderful sense of humor which sometimes people just don't get, or intentionally misinterpret what he meant. From what I could say, He is a very warm person towards true fans.

To answer your other questions, I do not know if Evan will need points and stuff, but Plushenko will attend Volvo cup (or something) in Riga on 7-8 Nov. He needs to get the minimum technical points for his LP (he has SP points from EURO2013). And in order to join the Olympics team, he will compete on COR and Russian Nationals. Of course also EC.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Plushenko skated at 2011-2012 Russian Nationals (he won), 2012 Europeans (he won, perhaps unjustly, but he won), 2012-2013 Russian Nationals (he won), and 2013 Europeans (WD after SP with injury, but obtained the TES minimum for the SP for the Olympics). He is scheduled for Volvo Cup in Riga, the Cup of Russia Grand Prix, and Russian Nationals this season; he obviously hopes to go to Euros and thereafter the Olympics, but he has already said that if he does not feel he is capable of skating four good programs, he will surrender his spot to someone else.

Plushenko will be able to obtain TES minimums at COR and Euros; I do not know if he can get them at Volvo Cup, but he might be able to.

Lysacek we have not seen hide nor hair of on the competitive circuit for four years, and I still doubt we will. Lysacek gets a free pass to US Nationals because of his OGM, but he does NOT have the TES minimums for 4CCs or the Olympics, therefore, he would have to go somewhere to get them if he qualified - and that's a very big IF, given the depth of the field at US Nationals.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
I look forward to seeing both men compete, especially since both have put themselves through so much in order to try to do that. I hope Evan won't let his not having the quad end his journey prematurely.
 

whitebamboo

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
As was mentioned by other Plushenko fans above, he is not arrogant, and I must say that I personally don't understand what is wrong with "take no prisoner attitude". Sometimes I wonder if it is a cultural thing. In particular, he has always been direct when it comes to his opinions about skating, which I believe is sinply because figure skating is truly important for him. I do think that he is in some ways an unusual person.


(BTW, in the 2012 EC, He won by about 15 points, while suffering from major injuries with his knee and back, and I don't recall any serious suggestions of controversy here, or with any commentators that I recall. I think it was fair to say that there was quite a bit of excitement about it.)

As most probably know, his back injury (lumbar spinal disc hernia) finally came to a head this January, when he had to withdraw from the EC. He had a total disc replacement, which is a major operation. In particular, according to the doctor, the actual disc involved was essentially gone, and there were problems with the next disc, the nearby ligaments, etc. To try to come back to competitive skating after something like this was, in essence, going "into the unknown". I don't dare say that he will make it, but he has been trying.
 

ciocio

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Plushenko is seriously preparing for the Olympics, but as other posters said, the outcome depends a lot on his health. In my opinion if his training goes as planned he shouldn't skip international competitions as COR or Euros because they are a great opportunity to test his programs.
I would love to see him winning a medal in the teams competition, it would be great for his olympic medals collection. :yay: An Olympic Champion would be a great asset for team Russia and probably the young skaters will be proud to be part of it. :clap:
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
In case this Lysacek video (Oct 28) was not posted elsewhere on GS already:
http://video.ap.org/Lysacek-Back-to...reewheel=90121&sitesection=ap_us&VID=25302238

1:21 video from a press conference.
Lysacek talks about why he wants to compete in Sochi and to represent "all Americans" (indirect reference to the Russian anti-gay law, presumably).​

Evan was with a bunch of Team USA members on the Today show this week plugging the Olympic Team gear. No one asked him if he's going to Sochi, but he did say he was excited to wear the team uniform.

In one of his other Today show segments on Tuesday, Lysacek said in so many words that he wants to compete in Sochi.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I think Plushy sometimes get misunderstood in ?English. We have to be careful. And I am a bit of a cynic about when people talk about coming back from injuries tak is cheap. Let's see the proof. I am not trying to be mean but there is a mental and physical element. Plushy is coming back from major surgery. Evan is a little more clouded in mystery. And it is further heightened by the fact he has not competed in four years, he has pulled out of several events, he has not finished a competition in years, he really is not known for his quad or artistry - his competitiveness yes, he has a competitive men's field and yes getting the technical points to qualify might be ap roblem with time ticking and really we aren't sure where he is. Everyone tends to talk positive about coming back from injuries but the truth as to how likely or good the comeback is really can't be decided until the world sees them skate. Sometimes I feel though Evan in particuklar is trying to hold on to that limelight that sadly is or has slipped away. If he makes it to Sochi I have to say there is a bit of luck because right now there are several us men who could beat him it just depends ont he day.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
(BTW, in the 2012 EC, He won by about 15 points, while suffering from major injuries with his knee and back, and I don't recall any serious suggestions of controversy here, or with any commentators that I recall. I think it was fair to say that there was quite a bit of excitement about it.)

I love Plushy, but he was tremendously overscored in the short program. No way should Gachinski's clean jumps, quad-included, all level-4 SP have only scored less than a point more than Plushy's. That was reputation scoring at its finest.

The margin was also disproportionately large in the LP, too. The only mistake Artur made was a step-out of one jump. That was it. He shouldn't have lost by 15 points.
 
Top