Evgenia Medvedeva retires, discusses permanent back damage

[Charlotte 71]

I think that a good classic layback spin must be more difficult to achieve and sustain than a Biellmann spin.

A really excellent 1980s-1990s layback spin was relatively rare. But it seems every lady can hoist her leg over her head. They can do lots of positions, but only hold them for an instant. You can't really enjoy them.

It's a great point about the spins and how trying to get the level 4s might also be contributing to injuries, along with over-jumping. Also, that just getting a level 4 doesn't necessarily mean it's a beautiful spin - some even from top skaters are slow and belabored.

I'd rather see Mariah Bell's plain old camel than just about any other spin right now. I always catch my breath at the glorious extension and stateliness of her camel. If the judging could be tweaked to emphasize the speed, centeredness, ease and beauty of the spin? Just getting the positions and the levels shouldn't be the end of the story. If Lucinda Ruh somehow came back to competition right now and did the spins she used to do, her spins should win, levels be damned. (Even though, on the injuries/health in later life front, I'd heard the velocity of her spins eventually caused football-style brain damage to her, so...)

I guess the current judging system is moving in the right direction with the GOEs - I don't know if even more liberal/wider range of GOEs could be used to provide more bonus points even for simpler moves that are done exceedingly well? Of if they might just start giving more negative GOEs for ugly, slow spins, even if they're difficult?

Best of all to Zhenya. She has become a fascinating person.

 

[iluvtodd]

So sorry that Evgenia has been through all this. Very grateful that we got to see her compete in person @ 2016 Boston Worlds. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

 

[skylark]

It's a great point about the spins and how trying to get the level 4s might also be contributing to injuries, along with over-jumping. Also, that just getting a level 4 doesn't necessarily mean it's a beautiful spin - some even from top skaters are slow and belabored.

I'd rather see Mariah Bell's plain old camel than just about any other spin right now. I always catch my breath at the glorious extension and stateliness of her camel. If the judging could be tweaked to emphasize the speed, centeredness, ease and beauty of the spin? Just getting the positions and the levels shouldn't be the end of the story.

Your statement sums up my feelings about what the points system as it has evolved. Not only spins, but so many aspects of what I love about figure skating get short shrift. But fortunately, we have skaters across all disciplines, including pairs, women, and dance ... not just men ... who continue to be committed to not sacrificing beauty and performance, and letting audiences enjoy a moment for more than a second and a half.

 

[Skatingcat]

I am sad and angry on Zhenya's behalf. She must be in pain all the time and she is so young.

I worry for her because how will she be able to make a living now? What has happened to Julia Lipinskaya? Anna Pogorilaya? I hope they are okay, physically, since I think they are no longer in the spotlight.

 

[MCsAngel2]

Well, for now she's doing commentary and appearing in the "Ice Age" show, and she's done other shows. I suspect that Zhenya will wind up being like the US's Scott Hamilton - hugely popular after leaving competitive skating and remains so. I think she'll wind up being a prominent commentator and I rather suspect she will eventually become a choreographer or even a coach.

 

[anonymoose_au]

What has happened to Julia Lipinskaya?

Yulia is now a coach at Plushy's Academy with her husband. They train the littlest skaters there she seems really happy and healthy and is scheduled to be in the Cinderella show Plushy's putting on at the end of the year.

Yulia and one of her students
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWYYYs2M6R-

 

[Jadeice]

I think someone else has said this already (?) but acquiring such a chronic injury in your youth is not limited to elite skaters from Eteri's camp. Or those doing ultra C elements. Or even those doing "only" triples. It's not even limited to elite/competitive athletes.

if I look around in my own environment, there's so many people with some kind of lifelong damage that they ended up with from just recreational or amateur sport (although of course, one could argue, that they are more susceptible to damage, because they don't have the knowledge or resources to prevent overuse or faulty technique).
Sometimes a congenital predisposition or a one time accident/traumatic event were also the cause.
This is not rare at all. I'd be surprised if a high percentage of elite skaters wasn't dealing with chronic injuries after their competitive career, when even "mere mortals" have those.

So I wouldn't be so quick to blame a certain camp's training methods, when it is widely known that sports at the competitive level are bad for the body. As with many things in life, it's best to do everything in moderation.

 

[lappo]

I am sad and angry on Zhenya's behalf. She must be in pain all the time and she is so young.

I worry for her because how will she be able to make a living now? What has happened to Julia Lipinskaya? Anna Pogorilaya? I hope they are okay, physically, since I think they are no longer in the spotlight.

I don't know about Pogorilaya, but for Yulia and Evgenia and other Olympic medalists I seem to remember that they get a monthly salary for the rest of their life, so they have that on top of all the other opportunities to skate in shows or do commercials or interviews. As sad as Evgenia's health condition is, I don't think she will suffer economically: she is fairly popular not only in Russia but also in Japan, she has a good media personality, so I think offers will be made to her even in the future. Same for Alina while for Yulia, I think she could have gotten every media opportunity after Sochi, but being a more reserved person she probably didn't wish to be in the spotlight too much.

 

[Weathergal]

I am sad and angry on Zhenya's behalf. She must be in pain all the time and she is so young.

I worry for her because how will she be able to make a living now? What has happened to Julia Lipinskaya? Anna Pogorilaya? I hope they are okay, physically, since I think they are no longer in the spotlight.

Yulia is now a coach at Plushy's Academy with her husband. They train the littlest skaters there she seems really happy and healthy and is scheduled to be in the Cinderella show Plushy's putting on at the end of the year.

Yulia and one of her students
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWYYYs2M6R-

I don't know about Pogorilaya, but for Yulia and Evgenia and other Olympic medalists I seem to remember that they get a monthly salary for the rest of their life, so they have that on top of all the other opportunities to skate in shows or do commercials or interviews. As sad as Evgenia's health condition is, I don't think she will suffer economically: she is fairly popular not only in Russia but also in Japan, she has a good media personality, so I think offers will be made to her even in the future. Same for Alina while for Yulia, I think she could have gotten every media opportunity after Sochi, but being a more reserved person she probably didn't wish to be in the spotlight too much.

To add to anonymoose_au's comments about Julia, she also has a young daughter.

Anna Pogorilaya is married with a daughter and is coaching figure skating.

 

[Smith16]

I am sad and angry on Zhenya's behalf. She must be in pain all the time and she is so young.

I worry for her because how will she be able to make a living now? What has happened to Julia Lipinskaya? Anna Pogorilaya? I hope they are okay, physically, since I think they are no longer in the spotlight.

I can't speak for Yulia or Anna P but I think Zhenya will be more than fine in terms of making a living. Figure skating is extremely popular in Russia and so is she. She has 1.1 million followers on instagram and has brand sponsorships and with her knowledge and experience of the sport and her great personality she'll probably continue having a successful and lucrative career as a sports/media personality. Same with Alina. Both of them have vast money making opportunities.

 

[Jeanie19]

I can't speak for Yulia or Anna P but I think Zhenya will be more than fine in terms of making a living. Figure skating is extremely popular in Russia and so is she. She has 1.1 million followers on instagram and has brand sponsorships and with her knowledge and experience of the sport and her great personality she'll probably continue having a career as a sports/media personality. Same with Alina. Both of them have vast money making opportunities.

And Evgenia has 1.6M followers on TikTok. I hope she becomes a choreographer.

 

[Greengemmonster]

I've been thinking about Zhenya. Whilst I wish that she didn't have the injuries (I wish that for all of them), there's no denying that she's had an amazing career and will continue to flourish.

She's achieved more than most people will ever achieve in this lifetime so even though the injuries are terrible, sometimes I think they are worth it because the alternative is to be an ordinary muggle. Greatness comes at a price.

I wonder what Zhenya herself thinks of everything.