2014 Cup of China Ladies Free Skate 11/08

[surimi]

Lipnitskaia, now 16 and one of Russia’s best known sports stars, said in comments on the Russian skating federation website that it was hard to live up to the expectations of her fans after her Olympic success. She said her life now has “no freedom at all.”
“Whatever you do, everything is interpreted the wrong way and then has to be justified,” Lipnitskaia said. “It’s not life, it’s constant stress.

As far as I am concerned, she has all the right to vent a bit. Fame comes with the risk of having little time, privacy and having everything you do analyzed or overblown out of proportion. There's nothing to do about it except getting used to it, but I don't blame her for a sigh or a rant here or there. She's just a human, not a machine.

 

[Alba]

No matter the sport or context, it's difficult for a girl of her age to be suddenly thrust into the spotlight and have to deal with the pressures of being the golden girl of skating. Just from what I know about the training conditions in Russia and how her season has been going so far with the concussion and ill advised LP (which i think is partly to blame, seriously she did not look enthused during that performance and who would be with that choreo), I really do feel for her and I hope it doesn't define her in the wrong way.

Seriously, how can you judge a program when you have a bad skate?
Try and hear Sibelius, or any other composer, played with stonatura and let's see if you think it's a great piece of music.
Of course she was not enthusiastic when your elements, even the step sequence, doesn't work out the way you want.
There are many cases that even when they bomb all the elements they try to sell it better, and she didn't here. But that hardly has to do with the choreo. When you let go there is no program in the world which will look good.

 

[sses1]

Seriously, how can you judge a program when you have a bad skate?
Try and hear Sibelius, or any other composer, played with stonatura and let's see if you think it's a great piece of music.
Of course she was not enthusiastic when your elements, even the step sequence, doesn't work out the way you want.
There are many cases that even when they bomb all the elements they try to sell it better, and she didn't here. But that hardly has to do with the choreo. When you let go there is no program in the world which will look good.

Even when she competes that program on a good day its still isn't going to be special. She's so much more talented than what that choreo and subsequent story allow her to do, which is a step down from last year. It may be a good program but not memorable. I don't think she wants to be skating to it, as in its not her first choice. Even when a skater has a bad skate, you can still see the brilliance in the choreo, which I didn't see.

 

[skatedreamer]

Seriously, how can you judge a program when you have a bad skate?
Try and hear Sibelius, or any other composer, played with stonatura and let's see if you think it's a great piece of music.

Well, it sort of depends on how many stonaturi (sp?) there are, right? I mean, you can get away w/ 1 or 2...

But seriously, for whatever reason, she was having a horribly bad day and I agree there's no way to judge the program/choreo fairly on that performance.

 

[Violet Bliss]

I believe in the original headline of the article: Olympic team gold medal has turned Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia’s life into ‘constant stress’, especially when I notice the amount of discussion on her competition performance, results, and her missing the COC award ceremony, which has been treated by some to be a crime, or at least an inexcusable act of bad character.

She is dealing with so much that most adults can't deal with or even imagine, because they have never experienced anything like it and never will. After all, few have the talents and dedication of this child to become one of very best in the world in this sport or any other field. Well, perhaps they have been mature, impeccably responsible and perfect since childhood, with never a misdeed or a wrong word uttered, thus unable to understand or forgive any such transgression.

Let this supremely talented young athlete grow in her sport and as a person in her particular circumstances of a unique life.

 

[Noolan]

How much media training would someone like Lipnitskaya receive in Russia?

I don't know much about media training, but I can tell you that other Russian skaters are pretty good at dealing with the media. Radionova, Pogorilaya, Tuktamysheva - they're all happy to give interviews and they're very polite with the journalists. Radionova doesn't sound like a kid at all, she's giving speeches like a seasoned politician Adelina seems to happily embrace her new star status too, she's on TV a lot. I think it has more to do with Yulya's personality, she's just not good at dealing with the press and she doesn't seem to care about it. It's not necessarily a bad thing though, I'm sure many of her fans like the fact that she's not trying to be a star.

 

[hippomoomin]

All skaters who are doing moderately well will have fans and people criticize them. So Yulia just has to learn that pressure other than competition is part of a skater's life. Pressure is part of everyone's life.

 

[Alba]

Even when she competes that program on a good day its still isn't going to be special. She's so much more talented than what that choreo and subsequent story allow her to do, which is a step down from last year. It may be a good program but not memorable.

It might be a step down from last year, and they said that match a month ago.
Making a program so late and after so many problems with the first two it's not going to be a masterpiece for sure.
But I hardly know a skater, in any discipline, who has toped all his/her/their programs each year.
You can't have "special" programs, always. No matter how good or talented you are.
Some works better some not. Some are better and some not.

I don't think she wants to be skating to it, as in its not her first choice.

I don't know what she thinks, I'm not in her mind.
I know what she said: I haven't done anything in the free. Because of failed jumps, all the steps were off. And the image didn't work.
At the next Grand Prix in France, I will try to show what I feel that I haven't shown here.

So, I'll wait and see her show what she feels.
In my eperience, the more you work on something the more you like it. You make it your own and are able to present it at your best.
I remember Carol Lane saying about her SL at team events in Sochi: When I saw this program the first time at SC I wasn't sure about it. I was always on the edge. But now, I'm totally sold.

As for not being a first choice. Well, I'm not sure she had a first choice since she said she hated the "first choice".
If it was for me she her first choice would be Kill Bill. I still think that ex. should be made into a LP, or SP at least, in the coming years.

Even when a skater has a bad skate, you can still see the brilliance in the choreo, which I didn't see.

I don't know about brilliance but I think she has a great SP and a good LP.
When it's done properly - not speaking about the technical elements only - I may have a formed opinion on how good might be.

 

[Alba]

I don't know much about media training, but I can tell you that other Russian skaters are pretty good at dealing with the media. Radionova, Pogorilaya, Tuktamysheva - they're all happy to give interviews and they're very polite with the journalists.

Wrong perception.
Russian girls, especially Tuk and Leonova which were called B level skaters, were slammed and bashed on Axel Magazine in italy, for example.
They were called "ill-mannered", "rude", "boor", "ugly" , and I don't remember other things on that tune.
We had a fight about this in our FB group just a weak ago.
It was such an ugly and offensive article that the Eurosport Ita guy, who is in that group and knows about it, after the Ladies SP went crazy (in a positive way ), giving a speach about the russian girls and their bravura, towards those who bash them.
It was so funny to hear that I had to record it.

My point is, haters gonna hate. All you have to do is try not to give a weapon to them.

I think it has more to do with Yulya's personality, she's just not good at dealing with the press and she doesn't seem to care about it. It's not necessarily a bad thing though, I'm sure many of her fans like the fact that she's not trying to be a star.

Yes, and it's one of the things I like most about her. I like everybody who doesn't act and try to be someone who's not.
However, dealing with the media it's part of this job and she has to deal with them.
The ceremony accident went out of any proportion, and IMO she did fine to fully explain herself and apologize.
Not to speak about her interviews, which I honestly can read them all day long and not get bored.

Well, it sort of depends on how many stonaturi (sp?) there are, right? I mean, you can get away w/ 1 or 2...

What's sp?

Well, she had many. I mean, when I saw that step sequence I said: Ok. She's completely off.
For her level and quality, it was a disaster.

 

[BlackPack]

I don't see the problem in a 16 year-old girl saying she's stressed out. The only problem is she's talked to the press and now people are blowing it out of proportion.

 

[lavender]

Maybe they should move up the singles event and have the team event after or just get rid of it.

 

[cooper]

she should ask yuna's number and have one on one session.. been there done that..

 

[Alba]

I don't see the problem in a 16 year-old girl saying she's stressed out. The only problem is she's talked to the press and now people are blowing it out of proportion.

So true.

she should ask yuna's number and have one on one session.. been there done that..

I would love to hear that conversation.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Honestly....I've already said this but she needs a person she can trust outside of her little circle. If it were me...I'd have her take a hip hop dance class or boxing class two nights a week and put her in the class with a few strategically placed persons outside of FS that might bond with her and give her an escape. Give the girl TEB off to re-focus and shoot for the moon at Nationals. If that still is a bummer than can't she just hold a private test skate behind closed doors in front of the fed to try and get that spot for WC if she really wants it. Or take a year off and fix things on a proper time schedule. I want to see her skate but having a healthy lifestyle should take priority.

 

[dasani]

I just find it's quite ironic that I often read about people complaining skaters giving out cookie cutter answers; having no characteristic; too princess-y; don't speak their mind...blah blah blah....

And yet when some young skater does speak out how she feels, their respond is: well that's how the game works, bite the bullet and deal with it.

One can never win, I feel stress too even just reading the comments by some people! But at least I have the option to click the X at the top right corner of the screen and move on with my life

 

[minze]

she should ask yuna's number and have one on one session.. been there done that..

I agreee. She can also call Mao who was 14 when she became the face of figure skating in Japan. I am sorry but if you have working all her life to be one of the best, a star. Now you have to find a way to leave with. Some American woman skaters will be thrilled with hef fame

 

[Alba]

Are you alarmed Sam?
Because she said it’s a constant stress when you have to justify everything you say and do? Well, it's true.
It's a stress and it's for everybody, even for a 40 years old. It's just that she said that to the press and people are reacting like crazy here.

Go and google Kostner+stressata, for example, or Mao and see what comes out.
All skaters, athletes in general, goes through constant stress. Gold was complaining about stress just two weeks ago.
PChan bombed many times because of it. Yulia was under extreme amount of stress when she competed at Europeans.

They all do experience that. The difference is how much can you handle it, especially before a competition.
Yulia is one of the strongest I've seen in that aspect. She is not a robot, like someone like to call her, so having bad days or periods are part of the deal.

Maybe it's just me, but this topic looks like we are discussing a depressed and suicidal person. :sarcasm:

I agreee. She can also call Mao who was 14 when she became the face of figure skating in Japan. I am sorry but if you have working all her life to be one of the best, a star. Now you have to find a way to leave with. Some American woman skaters will be thrilled with hef fame

And Mao wasn't stressed, right? What's so special about Mao's and Yuna's stress?
What are they going to teach her? Not to speak about the stress with the press? Is that the problem?

 

[Icey]

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but imo the team event degrades the Olympic medals. If it is continued, I think it should come after the individual events.

 

[minze]

I'm

Are you alarmed Sam?
Because she said it’s a constant stress when you have to justify everything you say and do? Well, it's true.
It's a stress and it's for everybody, even for a 40 years old. It's just that she said that to the press and people are reacting like crazy here.

Go and google Kostner+stressata, for example, or Mao and see what comes out.
All skaters, athletes in general, goes through constant stress. Gold was complaining about stress just two weeks ago.
PChan bombed many times because of it. Yulia was under extreme amount of stress when she competed at Europeans.

They all do experience that. The difference is how much can you handle it, especially before a competition.
Yulia is one of the strongest I've seen in that aspect. She is not a robot, like someone like to call her, so having bad days or periods are part of the deal.

Maybe it's just me, but this topic looks like we are discussing a depressed and suicidal person. :sarcasm:




And Mao wasn't stressed, right? What's so special about Mao's and Yuna's stress?

That they did not costantly do interviews about the stress. Yes their stress was unique when you have the hopes of your nation on your back... Yulia shares that with Radionova, adelina, Anna and Liza to name a few. Don't get me wrong, she has the right to be stress, but she was training to he an elite skater in a country where figure skating is important. What did she expect

 

[MiRé]

is this another excuse for her poor performance