Russia Names 2014 Team for Europeans

sisinka said:

They have to prove it four years in a row.

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Don't you think there's a reason why people have been so keen on finding another russian ice dance number one for Sochi?
Bobrova / Soloviev have been called limited in their potential for so many years now.
A few years ago, Ilynikh/Katsalapov were described as a couple who at least had the potential to get to the level of Davis/White and Virtue/Moir.
I completely agree that things haven't developed in that way.
But you have to acknowledge why the Russian Federation was torn between supporting Bobrova/Soloviev 100% and hoping for something better.
If everybody skates clean at Sochi, and judging isn't biased (we all know how that's going to go ), Bobrova/Soloviev would finish no higher than 5th, behind Davis/White, Virtue/Moir, Péchalat/Bourzat and Weaver/Poje. Maybe behind Capellini/Lanotte.
I do believe they'll get the bronze medal handed to them regardless if they don't fall, but still, their limited potential is the reason for those things that have frustrated you over the past years.
I'm still hoping for a response from you about my question I asked you earlier: Was Bobrova/Soloviev's LP earlier this season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fELRKt-_GHo already supposed to represent 2 frightened birds? Or was it something completely different?

So what is Plushenko expecting now? To be named for the Olympics even though he lost to Kovtun (who had a decent season so far) and he's not going to Euros to beat him there?

Mirunna said:

I can't believe Alena is going after 2 crappy season with very poor skates only because she had a good SP at nationals.
Pogo must be devastated. It would make more sense to send even Liza (I mean she was forth at her GP events, even had a very good LP at her first one and was at least able to score over 110 in the LPs, something Alena didn't do for ages). And her LP at nationals would't score over 110 in an international competition.
Bad choice, but good news for Adelina and Julia, since even if Alena beats them both at Euros, I am sure they would still make the Sochi team.

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I agree. Leonova was 6 points ahead of Pogo on the PCS in the FS and whilst her PE was great and her SS are better, both of her programs had basic choreography and lacked transitions so I don't think that was justified at all.

A clean Pogo could beat Sot if she had an off-day (it happened already this season) and Russian Fed surely didn't want that to happen before Sochi.

Frenchie said:

Was Bobrova/Soloviev's LP earlier this season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fELRKt-_GHo already supposed to represent 2 frightened birds? Or was it something completely different?

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Yes. The concept of the program didn't change at all and only minor adjustments were made to the choreo, from what I know. They just replaced the music used in the second half. Knowing what happened last season, I wouldn't be surprised if the choreography didn't actually change at all.

Ziggy said:

A clean Pogo could beat Sot if she had an off-day (it happened already this season) and Russian Fed surely didn't want that to happen before Sochi.

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Agreed, the Russian Fed wants Sot and Lip to go to Euros and place 1-2 to position themselves as the bronze favorites in Sochi. I do feel bad for Anna but all these Russian women knew the time to peak was at Nationals and the two best did.

drivingmissdaisy said:

Agreed, the Russian Fed wants Sot and Lip to go to Euros and place 1-2 to position themselves as the bronze favorites in Sochi. I do feel bad for Anna but all these Russian women knew the time to peak was at Nationals and the two best did.

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It makes the most sense- if Adelina can put together 2 clean programs in 1 competition she can medal; and Julia has been too consistent in performance and winning this season to not go to the Olympics.

Ziggy said:

So what is Plushenko expecting now? To be named for the Olympics even though he lost to Kovtun (who had a decent season so far) and he's not going to Euros to beat him there?

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Apparently. Plushenko hasn't skated any legitimate international event since Euros 2013 when he withdrew, and now he wants to get a bye to the Team event. It seems he wants to show up at the team event, skate however best he can and pick up a guaranteed medal that Kovtun should be competing for, and then "withdraw due to injury", so Kovtun can duke it out in the individual event that will be way harder to medal.

If he doesn't do Euros I hope he respectfully bows out and lets Kovtun compete in both team and individual. He can still have a presence at Sochi and end his career honourably.

Anyone feel like some more drama?! A few tweets from Tatjana Flade:

Tatjana Flade‏@Tatjana2116h
Plushenko told media at RUS Nat'ls he "doesn't exclude" he will go to Euros. Coach Mishin said he is not going. Confusion!

Tatjana Flade‏@Tatjana2116h
But I don't think RUS Fed can easily change team past deadline once entries & subs are sumbitted. So far he's not even a substitute.

Tatjana Flade‏@Tatjana2116h
@PlushenkoNews He just said it in the mixed zone to Russian TV. Russian agency and myself were also present.

Tatjana Flade‏@Tatjana2116h
@PlushenkoNews In mixed zone, shortly after awards ceremony.


Honestly... I can't even keep track of who said what when anymore! I'm in utter, utter confusion! My poor head... not to say heart!

Anyway, what do the mixed signals mean, anyway? Plushy wants to go - but Mishin doesn't want him to go?! When Plushy is "on the loose" he lets slip that he might like to go actually - and then Mishin gets hold of him and convinces him he isn't going? I... don't... know... anything... anymore....

Excuse me, but...

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

CanadianSkaterGuy said:

and now he wants to get a bye to the Team event. It seems he wants to show up at the team event, skate however best he can and pick up a guaranteed medal that Kovtun should be competing for, and then "withdraw due to injury", so Kovtun can duke it out in the individual event that will be way harder to medal.

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I can make a million speculations from my couch too. Kovtun should not be competing anywhere, Olympic Russian Team has not be named except for two teams (V/T and B/S) and Plushenko is certainly not the one who will decide it. Adelina is not named on the Olympic team, neither S/K. I m puzzled how people adress Plushenko like he holds the strings of the Federation, how do you know what Plushenko wants or expects after this failure? Does this federation ever publish its rules for the team? Did they have any specific rule for sending Kovtun to Euros last year or make Menshov have a test skate? By the way Kovtun wasnt so spectacular at GPF. And I want to see the athlete that will be offered an olympic spot and will say no please thank you, I ll bow out graciously.
It is a moo point anyway, if Rf was so keen to send Plushenko he could have gotten a bye at Nationals or push him to Euros no matter what.

LRK said:

@PlushenkoNews In mixed zone, shortly after awards ceremony.

I'm in utter, utter confusion! My poor head... not to say heart!

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If we want to believe the Russian Federation president's statement that Plushy might not have known the specifics about not being allowed to "just do the Team Event", then I'd say we should all sit and wait for a new statement.

Tanja Flade says that statement was from Plushy right after the medal ceremony, so before people started asking waaaaah? like you
She's waiting for him to comment now, just as everybody else does.

The statement was after the medal ceremony, and before the gala, if I'm correct? And there was an interview that Dobrinfan posted - was that before... or after?

ETA - Correction because I can't think straight, let alone write straight any more!

Seems like B/S were chosen to compete in the team competition (both portions?) so Zhulin decides to save energy and prep for that instead of Euros http://sochi2014.rsport.ru/sochi2014_figure/20131227/711201045.html

So Russia looks like they will switch out the pairs (V/T the SP only) and ladies (Lipnitskaia?/Sotnikova?) with B/S doing dance, plus the 1 man. Helps explain why B/S are guaranteed Sochi along with V/T

However the difference is that B/S can be switched out because Russia has multiple dance spots. Not to mention B/S won nationals. Russia only has one spot for men's and if its not their national champion it's their best skater at Euros, but if Plushenko isn't competing at Euros and isn't the reigning Russian champion then he shouldn't go.

And it already began….everybody tries to explain why Bobrova & Soloviev are not going to Euros…what it strange…everybody has a different explanation…

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20131225/710863568.html
…from 25th of December….Bobrova & Soloviev says that there can be made some changes in free skate before Euros…admiting that there is still many things to work on, that they can’t stop…

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20131227/711124150.html
…from 27th of December in the morning…there is list of parcicipants for Euros including with Bobrova & Soloviev…a few hours before final “Ispolkom“ decision…

http://www.team-russia2014.ru/article/13939.html
…27th of December…few hours later after previous one…new list of participants withou Bobrova & Soloviev…

…during medal ceremony a commentator notices that Bobrova was not included into Euros team…

http://sochi2014.rsport.ru/sochi2014_figure/20131227/711173084.html
…27 th of December wher Alexander Gorshkov (the President of Russian Federation) says that Bobrova & Soloviev will not take part at Euros…he says that Zhulin will give more details to it later…Gorshkov adds that this is because they will focus more at Olympics…

http://www.team-russia2014.ru/article/figur/13943.html
…in this interview Gorshkov says that Bobrova is already a part of Olympic team…he says that the decision not to compete at Euros was decided by a coach Zhulin and skaters themselves…

http://www.team-russia2014.ru/article/figur/13954.html
…interview where Valentin Piseev says that Bobrova & Solovive will not take part at Euros because their coach Zhulin desired it…Piseev says that Zhulin thinks that it is needful not to skate there to make a program better…
…Piseev is asked if Bobrova & Soloviev will have some other start before Olympics…Piseev says that there will be no other competition for Bobrova…and in the same moment he also says that without Bobrova it will be a very good chance for Ilinykh to take a high placement at Euros (my note: this is quite strange answer for straight question about Bobrova’s competition only and Piseev immediately includes Ilinykh’s results into the answer…how about Bobrova‘s results a position, he doesn’t take care?)…

http://www.team-russia2014.ru/article/figur/13947.html
…27 th of December…interview with Bobrova…Ekaterina says that the decision of not competing at Euros was made by whole team after the Russian Nationals…for question about other competition before Olympics, Borbova answers that she thinks there will be something, at least open practise for Federation, judges and even foreign technical specialists, that it is not decided yet…she is asked about Team competition at Olympics – Bobrova answers that the Federation will decide who will parcicipate at Team event, that it will be a couple who will be ready better and maybe after short dance even a couple can be changed for somebody else…

http://itar-tass.com/sport/861202
…27 th of December…where Zhulin says that the decision of not participating at Euros was made by a team and it was made one week before Russian Nationals…

http://sochi2014.rsport.ru/sochi2014_figure/20131227/711201045.html
…where Zhulin takes a note about participating in both Team and Individual event at the Olympics…

So everebody speaks a little bit different things like they would never meet each other to consultate it…explanation of one person knocks down explanation of another person…the decision about not competion at Euros was made one week before Nationals (Zhulin) / after Nationals (Bobrova) / it was not ever made and they will prepare for Euros (Bobrova & Soloviev after free dance, looking at primary list of participants from 27th of December in the morning)…the decision was made by Russian Federation and Ispolkom (commentator) / by Zhulin who desired it so much (Piseev) / by whole team (Gorshkov, Zhulin, Bobrova)…

I was looking back at Olympic years and how top couples behaved (including Zhulin’s skaters Navka & Kostomarov):
2010 – Domnina & Shabalin – 1st at Euros, 3rd at Olympics
2006 – Navka & Kostomarov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olypics
2002 – Annisina & Peizerat – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1998 – Grishuk & Platov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1994 - Torvill & Dean – 1st at Euros, 3rd at Olympics
- Grishuk & Platov - 2 at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1992 – Klimova & Ponomarenko – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1988 – Bestemianova & Bukin – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1984 – Torvill & Dean – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1980 – Linichuk & Karponosov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1976 – Pakhomova & Gorshkov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
Sure there were more couples who won medals both at Euros and Olympics in the same year.

This is a nice example that all couples ever who wanted to have better chance at Olympics competed already at Euros. I also noticed that some repeated the fact about tiredness….ice dancers always had a better physicial condition then solo skaters, they also don’t jump in programs (where you need a lot of dynamic).
It is strange that more skaters had a lot of competitions in a very similar scheme like Bobrova and Russian Federation or other federations are not taking such decisions – two Grand Prix, Grand Prix Final, National Championships and then Euros – Pechalat, Cappelini, from solo skaters Kovtun and Sotnikova with Lipnitskaya – and there were no doubts about not competing at Euros. And I am sure that it is also planned that they will take part at Team event as well.

sisinka said:

I was looking back at Olympic years and how top couples behaved (including Zhulin’s skaters Navka & Kostomarov):
2010 – Domnina & Shabalin – 1st at Euros, 3rd at Olympics
2006 – Navka & Kostomarov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olypics
2002 – Annisina & Peizerat – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1998 – Grishuk & Platov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1994 - Torvill & Dean – 1st at Euros, 3rd at Olympics
- Grishuk & Platov - 2 at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1992 – Klimova & Ponomarenko – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1988 – Bestemianova & Bukin – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1984 – Torvill & Dean – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1980 – Linichuk & Karponosov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
1976 – Pakhomova & Gorshkov – 1st at Euros, 1st at Olympics
Sure there were more couples who won medals both at Euros and Olympics in the same year.

This is a nice example that all couples ever who wanted to have better chance at Olympics competed already at Euros. I also noticed that some repeated the fact about tiredness….ice dancers always had a better physicial condition then solo skaters, they also don’t jump in programs (where you need a lot of dynamic).
It is strange that more skaters had a lot of competitions in a very similar scheme like Bobrova and Russian Federation or other federations are not taking such decisions – two Grand Prix, Grand Prix Final, National Championships and then Euros – Pechalat, Cappelini, from solo skaters Kovtun and Sotnikova with Lipnitskaya – and there were no doubts about not competing at Euros. And I am sure that it is also planned that they will take part at Team event as well.

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This is different area for ice dance. Virtue/Moir, Davis/White probably will not skate 4CC also. (They didn't at 2010) I can understand Bobrova/Soloviev. Their free dance needs a lot of work. If they have doubt about competing I'm sure they wouldn't skate at GPF. GPF much more hard competition than Europeans.

Frenchie said:

Don't you think there's a reason why people have been so keen on finding another russian ice dance number one for Sochi?
Bobrova / Soloviev have been called limited in their potential for so many years now.
But you have to acknowledge why the Russian Federation was torn between supporting Bobrova/Soloviev 100% and hoping for something better.

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A few years ago I believed that all decisions made by Federation are done mainly because of skaters / dancers qualities. During those years many things happened and many decisions were made. I can personally understand that Tarasova loves Kovtun, Sotnikova, Ilinykh & Katsalapov, I can personally understand that Shechovcova likes and prefers Riazanova & Tkachenko. But Federation is chosen for making the best and “right at the moment“ decisions. Once it starts to be their personal choices because they liked brown hair more then blond hair (just example) or because they feel something without looking at facts, it stops to be all right. That is why I don’t put much attention to Federation decisions in time when I am looking for who is really the best or who is better.
The definition of number 1 can be quite strict. It is the best couple at the moment. What is the best and what is appreciated in new judging system is described in Hanbook and ISU rules.

Bobrova & Soloviev were called limited in 2008 because they were limited in dancing not in technique (since they appeared at seniors their programs were full of movements, very often over filled), they were called limited in 2010, because even with strong basics Dima made mistakes in twizzles, they were called limited in 2011 and 2012 because there was still something missing plus their skating was shacky, they were called limited in 2013 (but many people started like them), they are called limited in 2013/2014 at least by some fans and for certain by some members of Federation.

Ilinykh & Katsalapov were called promising in 2010, because they looked promising, they were called promising in 2011 even with skating with mistakes, they were called promising in 2012 even when they didn’t qualify for GP Final as was expected, but at 2012 Worlds they won over Bobrova (it was the only time), they were called promising in 2013 even with last place at GPF and disaster at World’s free skate, they are called promising even now when they didn’t qualify for Euros, lost to Shibutani and with disaster at Nationals free dance.

The results is that a limited couple is reigning European Champion, two time silver European medalists, World Bronze medalists, three time GP winners.
While our promising couple is one time silver and bronze European Medalists, no World medal, no GP win. Doesn’t it sound quite funny even to you?

I see Bobrova is not like Navka or Domnina or Krylova. Maybe problem of Russian Federation starts here. They were looking for new Plushenko for so long, everybody tried to skate like him but nobody was like him. It was a nonsense. There is no other Plushenko. He was the only one. Skating is kind of sport where originality takes place. Today they start praising Kovtun, already two years saying that he is not like Plushy clone which is great. They finally understood that it is a nonsense to look for somebody similar. Maybe they should do the same in dance. But Ilinykh is not like Navka, Domnina and Krylova as well, and the distance between Lena and those great dancers of past is enormous (much bigger than in Bobrova’s case). From all current dancers Ilinykh reminds Navka, Domnina and Krylova’s facial behaviour and poses the most…but she completely forgot the most important thing in dance which is…dance. Navka, Domnina and Krylova became dancing queens because they were great dancers, they were able to express any kind of music, they were great technicians, they know to fight to the end and they rarely do some mistakes. Facial expression came the last, like the nice supplement to everything what I noticed above.
If Russian Federation stops looking for next Navka, and if they stop looking next Navka looking at facial expression first, maybe then they will start to judge couples looking at their skating / dancing quality. If they would do it in 2010, Bobrova & Soloviev would be the best Russian couple for all Olympic cycle.

Unfortunately Russian Federation is not the only one with not so understable decisions. Akiko Suzuki is a beautiful skater, she is more complex then Asada last three years, and her ability to touch people’s heart with her emotional skating is unbelievable. But for her own Federation she was always worse then Asada. Do you mean that Suzuki is called limited because Federation always support Asada more? It is just another example of decision made by some Federation which is not based on skating qualities.

Frenchie said:

A few years ago, Ilynikh/Katsalapov were described as a couple who at least had the potential to get to the level of Davis/White and Virtue/Moir.

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I remember that few years ago Ilinykh & Katsalapov were described like next Virtue & Moir couple, I also liked their programs and interpretation of it. Looking back many junior champions were impressive in time when they won. Virtue & Moir, Sinitsina & Zhiganshin, Monko& Khaliavin, Domnina & Shabalin, even Chock & Zuerlein, Stepanova & Bukin were impressive, also Bobrova & Soloviev (but they made some mistakes in free skate), they all looked so promising. But only time will show whether impressiveness in juniors will transfer into greatness in seniors. The only both junior and senior World Champions are Virtue & Moir and Domnina & Shabalin.
Concretely in comparison with Virtue & Moir like juniors (except Scott’s twizzles) Ilinykh & Katsalapov were more weak in technic athought their programs were less difficult choreographed. In both programs Lena was getting slower in the last part of programs, Nikita helped her not to lose speed so much, during free skate she started to be tired and her skating became slower again and it was harder to control balance for her. But Virtue & Moir were unique in technique and they always had such difficult choreography with so close skating, I don’t remember any other team in this age to do that. But it is not important, Ilinykh & Katsalapov looked great and they were promising. Why Russian Federation immediately started to push this couple into skating heaven talking about next Olympic Champions…I already wrote about it earlier in other thread (If Bobrova & Soloviev are number 1 thread)…Russian Federation needed next couple while Domnina & Shabalin finished and Khokhlova was looking for new partner. Bobrova was already there, but reigning Junior World Champions sounds better then 2007 Junior World Champions.

Frenchie said:

I'm still hoping for a response from you about my question I asked you earlier: Was Bobrova/Soloviev's LP earlier this season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fELRKt-_GHo already supposed to represent 2 frightened birds? Or was it something completely different?

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To your question, I am sorry not to answer sooner I didn’t notice that there is some question for me at thread.
It is test skate in August…I see bird arm moves, better arm moves from Bobrova then from Soloviev, I see bird moves of head in some parts, I see some perfect moments in choreo which are birdy, I see shacky skating in some moments, some mistakes, there are almost no bird arm moves from second step sequence to the end of program, one move at the end reminds me birds again, I see a story of two birds, one was shot and later died, yes I see birds there, but still much work in front of the couple. And I also see that program is not ready for competition at all and needs to add many things in both technical and emotional side.

I take like a big mistake how were all Russian dancers prepared at the beginning of the season. American and Canadian skaters already skated their programs at competitions in August and their programs looked ready and were nicely skated.
While I saw Riazanova skated short dance during summer at some American competition, it was so weak with so many mistakes. During open skate at August I saw Bobrova & Soloviev short dance but with mistakes, free dance again with mistakes and split into two parts. Monko & Khaliavin looked ready in short dance, but free dance was again skated in two parts. Three weeks later in the beginning of September Ilinykh & Katsalapov are not able skate even short dance in one part, the dance was split into four parts which is beyond all understanding. Free dance was split into four parts again. It all allows to think that programs were not ready to be skated in one part. But skaters from America and Canada skated programs in one part and even at competitions. Another question for Federation what they were doing during summer promising that everything is going well? Unready programs from all dancers at the beginning of season means that everything is going well? I know that Soloviev was injured and Riazanova was injured but still… And question for coaches how is it possible that American and Canadian dancers were more ready then Russian dancers?

A half season later it looks better looking at Nationals…at least Bobrova had clean skate, Sinitsina, Monko and Stepanova showed their programs in great quality, Riazanova’s programs are better skated also. But I still think that programs should be ready at beginning of the season like in case of American and Canadian skaters.

Yes, I do not understand the idea that arriving on the GP without programs well advanced is OK. You would think that the Russian federation would have control of this, and could tell skaters they are expected to arrive at test skates with programs ready to be skated in one piece, and not in 4 little segments. A waiver should be given for injured teams, but none the less, a program in good shape should be the stated goal.

But then I do not understand some of the actions of USFS..or the French Federation. Federations are all nuts.

Sisinka, thank you for all the great insight you offer me and us. I really appreciate your in-depth analysis and that we can talk about it with objectivity. I've cited some criticism - from me or from the media - about Bobrova/Soloviev, and I'm really thrilled to be able to discuss this with you whereas some other poster would have resorted to something like "you just don't get it at all!" and ended the discussion there. :agree:

Just to sum up my position: I tried to explain why the Russian Federation was hoping so much that Ilynikh/Katsalapov would become the next big thing, and I pointed out how difficult it is to find a right moment to "let go of that hope". I'm glad that the world of Ice Dance has become far less political than it used to be years ago, and that it's becoming easier to get great marks for a great performance, even if you didn't get 100% of the possible backing from your federation in the past, and aren't showcased as the clear and only number one in your country. Ilynikh/Katsalapov winning this year's Trophée Éric Bompart by overtaking Péchalat/Bourzat in the free in front of their home crowd thanks to a clean performance is a good example.
But then, Ilynikh/Katsalapov getting such huge marks for their very flawed Free Dance at Russian Nationals shows there's still a long way to go...

sisinka said:

The results is that a limited couple is reigning European Champion, two time silver European medalists, World Bronze medalists, three time GP winners.
While our promising couple is one time silver and bronze European Medalists, no World medal, no GP win. Doesn’t it sound quite funny even to you?

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Well, between "promising for the future" and "at the top of their game right now, but with limited potential" most of the time the latter still wins
But as I've said earlier,

Frenchie said:

A few years ago, Ilynikh/Katsalapov were described as a couple who at least had the potential to get to the level of Davis/White and Virtue/Moir.
I completely agree that things haven't developed in that way.

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I remember Hendryk Schamberger, German Eurosport commentator and former Ice Dancer (10th at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics), criticize Bobrova/Soloviev year after year because he felt they were too theatrical, and that their focus was too much on big theatrical costumes and fitting "posing" rather than technical difficulty and speed. He was thrilled when they switched to Zhulin and said that might be the change they needed.
Ilynikh/Katsalapov, in their first years, he kept on calling them "the future of Russian Ice Dance", and that it was "just a matter of time before they overtook Bobrova/Soloviev". He noted that they had great speed in their twizzles, just like Davis/White had even in their early days, and that "most said Davis/White were too wild and took too much risk of making a mistake in their beginnings".

Oh, and to end with a wink,

sisinka said:

A few years ago I believed that all decisions made by Federation are done mainly because of skaters / dancers qualities.

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Dorispulaski summed it up best:

dorispulaski said:

Federations are all nuts.

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Ask Samuel Contesti, 2nd of the French Nationals in 2005-06, and who didn't get chosen for the Olympics because the 3rd place finisher was coached by Annick Gailhaguet, former wife of the French FFSF president!
(here's the wink)

... ok, I dug in deeper!

sisinka said:

The results is that a limited couple is reigning European Champion, two time silver European medalists, World Bronze medalists, three time GP winners.
While our promising couple is one time silver and bronze European Medalists, no World medal, no GP win. Doesn’t it sound quite funny even to you?

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Frenchie said:

between "promising for the future" and "at the top of their game right now, but with limited potential" most of the time the latter still wins

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Promising and potential:
Iliniykh/Katsalapov got 171.89points at Trophée Éric Bompart where they beat Péchalat/Bourzat and finished second to Virtue/Moir. B/S never had V/M or D/W in the same GP event. B/S would have lost to I/K, but also to Péchalat/Bourzat if they had gotten their CoC or CoR scores there.
Bobrova/Soloviev got 163.42points at CoC where they also finished second, behind Péchalat/Bourzat. Ilynikh/Katsalapov would have beaten them and Péchalat/Bourzat and won the CoC with their scores from TEB.
Bobrova/Soloviev got 168.32points at CoR where they won. Ilynikh/Katsalapov would have beaten them and won the CoR with their scores from TEB.
So results aren't always what shows the performance best. Results rely on the competition, and Bobrova/Soloviev were lucky not to have V/M or S/D in their GP thanks to their World Ranking.

I agree that I/K haven't shown their potential enough, but this is what "potential" means: beat Péchalat/Bourzat in France, where B/S lost to them on neutral ground.