Team Russia - Promising Young Skaters

LRK · Aug 11, 2014

About strengthening the legs thing... In "White Boots" by Noel Streatfeild (of "Ballet Shoes" fame - "White Boots" is called something "Shoes" in the US, I think.... ), the book actually starts by the main character being told by her doctor that she should take up skating after her legs were still not strong after a lengthy illness. I believe the book was written in the '50s? I'm not sure this has anything to do with... well... anything, but it occurred to me now, anyway.

Tutto · Aug 11, 2014

I don't think the fact that Russian ladies were not successful internationally, had anything to do with the system, after all the same system produced dominant skaters in all other disciplines consistently. It always was a bit of mystery but one of the reasons could be that there were no strong coaches for single ladies and coincidently no talented skaters either. Then legendary Stanislav Zhuk prompted by a bet decided to prove that he could coach a champion lady skater and picked Elena Vodorezova out of dozens young girls. The rest is history. If it was not for her illness Vodorezova would have had a world title and many other medals. It is true she wasn’t strong in figures to start with she worked on it and in her last competitions got very high marks for figures.
Also I remember one interview with Tarasova & Vodorezova a few years back and they were saying that they were as puzzled as anyone else by sudden ‘flood’ of talented girls in Russia. Once there were the boys and now the girls there is no explanation for it, they concluded.

YLFan · Aug 11, 2014

Kind of an abstract answer but I think in part its the combination of being so godly mixed with Western consumerism and Soviet style work ethic. Its produced a generation of happy girls that wear their crosses, go to Starbucks, use Instagram, watch Western TV/movies, shop for Nikes, etc while still having an all business no nonsense approach to training.

tikse · Aug 11, 2014

YLFan said:
Kind of an abstract answer but I think in part its the combination of being so godly mixed with Western consumerism and Soviet style work ethic. Its produced a generation of happy girls that wear their crosses, go to Starbucks, use Instagram, watch Western TV/movies, shop for Nikes, etc while still having an all business no nonsense approach to training.

Not much of consumerism per se, I think but much more of freedom, freedom of self-fulfillment. Emancipation, if you wish. Parents that were heavily influenced by Soviet period which had many, many positive things + kids that have access to a relatively good education, open to broader world of information and culture = what the better part of Russian youngsters is now. What I currently see more and more in Russian young people, the drive to be better, to be worth of something with a much lesser accent on financial aspect but more on social/self-developmental/something-to-be-proud-of one. It is so much heartwarming compared to the gloomy 90s.

BusyMom · Aug 11, 2014

LRK said:
In "White Boots" by Noel Streatfeild (of "Ballet Shoes" fame - "White Boots" is called something "Shoes" in the US, I think.... )

US version is "Skating Shoes". I bought both versions, since I had no idea that it was the same book ( I was 10 at the time, I think). I'm a big fan of the Shoes series and Noel herself. Coincidently I went to school in her hometown (Lewes).

AlexRus · Aug 12, 2014

humbaba said:
The old USSR was certainly very committed to producing elite athletes in Olympic sports. Why were they not able to regularly produce strong singles skaters, especially ladies, during the Soviet era? I always thought it might be a cultural thing and their best athletes were more attracted to pairs.

USSR first Worlds medalist, first Worlds champion.

Pairs - 1962, 1965. Domination from that time to now, Worlds medals almpst each year,
Dance - 1969, 1970. Also dominating at most to 2005, after that still good results.
Men - 1971, 1975. Only few years after dance.
Ladies - 1983, no champions in Soviet time. First post-Soviet champion 1993 (Oksana Bayul UKR), first Russian - 1999.

We see - only female skating was not so good.
I believe it was because specific techique of training female skaters (especially ghildren) was not so good. But at about 1980 it became better, about 1990 - good enough.

AlexRus · Aug 12, 2014

http://scontent-b.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-prn/t51.2885-15/10518293_317290058448612_1652742978_n.jpg
11 August 2014, Novogorsk.
Medvedeva Sotskova Sakhanovich.

How many JGP-2014 Finalists do we see here?
How many JGPF-2014 Medalists?
Is here JGPF-2014 Gold Medalist?
JrWorlds-2015 Medalists and Champion?

Future will give answers.

YLFan · Aug 12, 2014

A lot I suppose. I would say Medvedeva is the weakest of the four and shes had a lot more success than Amber Glenn and Karen Chen.

darazam · Aug 12, 2014

No offense, but...

[email protected] said:
Yulia's mother herself bet financially big time, although Yulia was already a local star in Chelyabinsk.

Yulia is from Ekaterinburg. Yeah, both cities are in the Urals, but you will be glared here if you'd mix them up :rolleye:

[email protected] said:
Yulia's coach Vodorezova is a good example - could not do them despite being a powerful skater.

Vodorezova is Adelina's coach, not Yulia's.

samkrut@mail.ru · Aug 13, 2014

yeah, yeah - my mistakes :rolleye:

One more thing about ladies in the previous times. It is may be not because of too few kids and the lack of coaches in the U.S.S.R. I remember we had more girls than boys in my FS group. But the proportion was not as dramatic as now. As for the coaches, I guess the thing is that they worked not only with the ladies - Zhuk had Fadeev and pairs. At the same time, in the West especially the U.S.A. for some reason the emphasis was always on ladies.

papa · Aug 13, 2014

What will be the most competitive event in ladies figure skating in 2014/2015 season? :biggrin:

hint: I did not confuse threads :laugh:

Sam-Skwantch · Aug 13, 2014

Omg...Russian Nationals is going to be carnage!! Senior Ladies is going to be insane this year. We could see people we expect to podium all the way down in 6th place. I can't think about it. How about JGPF :bang:

and JWC?

Lets not forget to make extra :popcorn:

for Ice Dance this year too :yes:

On a more sad note its sounding like Proklova may in fact still be suffering from her injury. I hope she returns to form in time but JGP is getting closer and word out is she isn't jumping currently. :bang:

FSGMT · Aug 13, 2014

papa said:
What will be the most competitive event in ladies figure skating in 2014/2015 season?

hint: I did not confuse threads

I would say that behind Worlds (obviously) Russian Nationals will be the toughest: at least 5-6 girls fighting for 3 spots and (vs what happens in the USA) all with 7 triples in the FS and good PCS!

plushyfan · Aug 13, 2014

FSGMT said:
I would say that behind Worlds (obviously) Russian Nationals will be the toughest: at least 5-6 girls fighting for 3 spots and (vs what happens in the USA) all with 7 triples in the FS and good PCS!

Yes. The winners will be those girls who have good nerves...Probably Lipnitskaya, Pogorilaya...and?

papa · Aug 13, 2014

FSGMT said:
I would say that behind Worlds (obviously) Russian Nationals will be the toughest: at least 5-6 girls fighting for 3 spots and (vs what happens in the USA) all with 7 triples in the FS and good PCS!

Could you elaborate?

shine · Aug 13, 2014

Sam-Skwantch said:
On a more sad note its sounding like Proklova may in fact still be suffering from her injury. I hope she returns to form in time but JGP is getting closer and word out is she isn't jumping currently.

YLFan · Aug 13, 2014

The only way she would skip JGP is if they are being overly cautious. In the big scheme of things junior gp's really don't matter. She was listed as a sub for the Japan event.

-

I think Russian nationals could be better than worlds unless a lot of people skip it. IMO some of the Russian JR girls are as good or better than the foreign competition that will be at Worlds.

Meoima · Aug 13, 2014

Sam-Skwantch said:
Lets not forget to make extra for Ice Dance this year too :yes:

don't worry, I have prepared lots of :popcorn:

Feel free to ask me when needed.

starlight97 · Aug 13, 2014

Can't wait for that ice dance entertainment to happen and-

I actually start to think that it's very unfortunate that they all compete for Russia!
In the end Yulia/Adelina/Elena will dominate in MOST events, maybe Pogo also, and even out of these 4 incredible girls there'll always be one or two who can't go to a certain competition!
And these incredible talents like Serafima or Alexandra(her speed and spins are just wow) won't get all the opportunities because they are simply lacking experience in comparison so Yulia or Adelina!
If Adelina would have wanted to go to World's, Anna wouldn't even have got this chance and look how amazing she was!!

What I'm saying is that there are many huge talents that would be the number one skater in other countries, but will be overshadowed and will "drown" in the deep Russian waters

plushyfan · Aug 13, 2014

starlight97 said:
Can't wait for that ice dance entertainment to happen and-

I actually start to think that it's very unfortunate that they all compete for Russia!
In the end Yulia/Adelina/Elena will dominate in MOST events, maybe Pogo also, and even out of these 4 incredible girls there'll always be one or two who can't go to a certain competition!
And these incredible talents like Serafima or Alexandra(her speed and spins are just wow) won't get all the opportunities because they are simply lacking experience in comparison so Yulia or Adelina!
If Adelina would have wanted to go to World's, Anna wouldn't even have got this chance and look how amazing she was!!

What I'm saying is that there are many huge talents that would be the number one skater in other countries, but will be overshadowed and will "drown" in the deep Russian waters

:thumbsup:

Team Russia - Promising Young Skaters

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LRK

Tutto

YLFan

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tikse

BusyMom

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YLFan

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darazam

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papa

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Sam-Skwantch

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papa

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