Team Russia - Promising Young Skaters | Page 24 | Golden Skate

Team Russia - Promising Young Skaters

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
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My goodness! As if it wasn't confusing enough with all the Polinas we already have. Now it looks like we are going to get a second Polina S! :rolleye: :laugh:

Here is Polina Stepanova's profile on the Russian Federation's website:

http://www.fskate.ru/skaters/3730.html

It doesn't tell you a lot about her apart from that she was born in 2004 (makes you feel old, doesn't it?!) and belongs to the club in Voronezh (a town I had never heard tell of, but which I have just looked up and discovered is near the Ukrainian border...) But it does have some results.

Hope this helps

CaroLiza_fan
 

starlight97

Final Flight
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Jun 14, 2014
I've been silently stalking this thread for some time now and wondered :

What on earth is it that Russia does better than other countries??
It's obvious that their youngsters are miles better than any other country's ones... does anybody know what it is that they are doing to make their skaters so good at such a young age??
Better training facilities(although I can't imagine them being better than Japan's or those of the US) ? Better coaches? More training?

What is it :D ??
 

Meoima

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
I've been silently stalking this thread for some time now and wondered :

What on earth is it that Russia does better than other countries??
It's obvious that their youngsters are miles better than any other country's ones... does anybody know what it is that they are doing to make their skaters so good at such a young age??
Better training facilities(although I can't imagine them being better than Japan's or those of the US) ? Better coaches? More training?

What is it :D ??
More like paying more attention in looking for talents at young age than other countries.
 

silverfoxes

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
I've been silently stalking this thread for some time now and wondered :

What on earth is it that Russia does better than other countries??
It's obvious that their youngsters are miles better than any other country's ones... does anybody know what it is that they are doing to make their skaters so good at such a young age??
Better training facilities(although I can't imagine them being better than Japan's or those of the US) ? Better coaches? More training?

What is it :D ??

I believe there are many factors, but I think a big one is that skating is simply more accessible there than probably anywhere else. In Moscow alone, there are over 1500 ice rinks. As I understand it, there is a big problem with overcrowding at the rinks in Japan. Also, Russian coaching techniques (ballet training from a young age, training in groups which fosters competition, etc), less stigma for boys who figure skate than in North America and probably most of Europe, and more financial support for talented skaters than in most other countries.

An NY Times article that you might like: In Russia, Skating Booms Again
 

starlight97

Final Flight
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Jun 14, 2014
Thank you very much, I certainly didn't realize the factor of accessibility! 1500 ice rinks in one city is INSANE! Exaggeratedly said, I think Germany could barely pull together this number if you looked at our entire country :D
Yes, Adelina once said that, at first, she had to pay for her costumes and so on, but now the state pays for her....
Great article, also ! :agree: :)
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
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More like paying more attention in looking for talents at young age than other countries.

I think too the fact that skating is more centralized it really helps. It's pretty much you skate in St Petersburg or Moscow. In the US it's far too spread out and you can have too many skaters skating in too many places.
 

Meoima

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Feb 13, 2014
I think too the fact that skating is more centralized it really helps. It's pretty much you skate in St Petersburg or Moscow. On the US it's far too spread out and you can have too many skaters skating in too many places.
Agree. :yes: and since there are too many good skaters in the same rink, they motivate each other very well.
 

[email protected]

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Mar 26, 2014
Thank you very much, I certainly didn't realize the factor of accessibility! 1500 ice rinks in one city is INSANE! Exaggeratedly said, I think Germany could barely pull together this number if you looked at our entire country :D
Yes, Adelina once said that, at first, she had to pay for her costumes and so on, but now the state pays for her....
Great article, also ! :agree: :)

In fact, it's only 90 indoor rinks in Moscow. The number 1500 refers to all sorts of places which are covered with ice during the winter time. Of course it has nothing to do with practicing figure skating.
 

hanca

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Sep 23, 2008
In fact, it's only 90 indoor rinks in Moscow. The number 1500 refers to all sorts of places which are covered with ice during the winter time. Of course it has nothing to do with practicing figure skating.

I think there is less than 90 rinks in the whole UK!
 

[email protected]

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I think there is less than 90 rinks in the whole UK!

UK does not have hockey and FS. I read that in terms of the number of rinks Russia comes second to Canada. But we have very few tennis courts. In Moscow one has to pay $60-100 per hour for an indoor court and $30-50 per hour for an outdoor. The latter are good only May through August when it does not rain.
 

CaroLiza_fan

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In fact, it's only 90 indoor rinks in Moscow. The number 1500 refers to all sorts of places which are covered with ice during the winter time. Of course it has nothing to do with practicing figure skating.

Mmmm. That figure of 90 makes things more interesting! :think:

I was just doing some calculations.

Moscow has 90 rinks. According to the 2010 census, Moscow city has a population of 11,503,501. So that's a ratio of 1 rink : 127,816.68 people.

Belfast has 2 rinks. According to the 2011 census, Belfast city has a population of 280,962. So that's a ratio of 1 rink : 140,481.00 people.

These ratios are very similar. Yet there are far more figure skaters from Moscow competing at an international level than there are from Belfast.

In fact, there are no Belfast skaters competing internationally at the moment. As I have pointed out on many occasions, Jenna McCorkell is actually from the other side of the province to Belfast (Just as I am.)

Apologies if I am missing somebody out, but I think Neil Wilson (now Jeremy Ten's coach) is probably the last skater from Belfast to compete internationally (Neil's last international appearance was the 2004 World Championships)

So, it's more than just number of rinks that counts!

CaroLiza_fan

P.S. One of the Belfast rinks (the one at the Odyssey Arena) is an ice hockey rink.
 

hanca

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Mmmm. That figure of 90 makes things more interesting! :think:

I was just doing some calculations.

Moscow has 90 rinks. According to the 2010 census, Moscow city has a population of 11,503,501. So that's a ratio of 1 rink : 127,816.68 people.

Belfast has 2 rinks. According to the 2011 census, Belfast city has a population of 280,962. So that's a ratio of 1 rink : 140,481.00 people.

These ratios are very similar. Yet there are far more figure skaters from Moscow competing at an international level than there are from Belfast.


So, it's more than just number of rinks that counts!

It is definitely more than just number of rinks!
 

MalAssada

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Jun 28, 2014
I agree with what was mentioned in the NYT article: The amount of children learning to skate is enormous, therefore when they reach the right age, the Federation gets to choose the best ones among the whole. 90 rinks in a single city is a lot. Just by the easiest maths ever, if each rink has a single skater, that's 90 skaters in Moscow only.

Also, maybe it's something cultural: In Brazil, lots of little boys have soccer lessons and girls, ballet, and though most girls drop it, boys have the chance to play during school breaks. At least among private schools, there are tournments for all ages. It's a way for parents to have free time + keep their kids busy.

Last, my theory: This boom will continue. I predict lots of little girls having watched Lipnitskaya, (and Sotnikova :rolleye: ) take up skating, so 2026 Olympics shall be interesting.
 

Mony

On the Ice
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Jul 3, 2014
In fact, it's only 90 indoor rinks in Moscow. The number 1500 refers to all sorts of places which are covered with ice during the winter time. Of course it has nothing to do with practicing figure skating.

Whatever the reason, it is impressive having so many youngster figure skating. Would you say there are more young upcoming figure skaters than other sports like artistic gymnastics in Russia?
 

Ophelia

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Dec 6, 2013
I agree with what was mentioned in the NYT article: The amount of children learning to skate is enormous, therefore when they reach the right age, the Federation gets to choose the best ones among the whole. 90 rinks in a single city is a lot. Just by the easiest maths ever, if each rink has a single skater, that's 90 skaters in Moscow only.

Also, maybe it's something cultural: In Brazil, lots of little boys have soccer lessons and girls, ballet, and though most girls drop it, boys have the chance to play during school breaks. At least among private schools, there are tournments for all ages. It's a way for parents to have free time + keep their kids busy.

Wasn't it that Russia poured a TON of money and political backing into figure skating because 1) the results in Vancouver were dissatisfactory, and 2) 2014 Winter O's were to be in Sochi?
 
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