Ilinykh/Zhiganshin to work with Shpilband

[BlackAxel]

Apparently, there is some news circulating that Ilinykh/Zhiganshin have moved on to a new coach, Igor Shpilband.

I cant say that I am disappointed by their decision. They had a lot of technical problems this season and going to Shpilband was a great move on their part. Have to say that I am really curious to see their new programs next season.

 

[Giselle]

According the Russian articles they will move to Shpilband for the next 3 months then decide if they will stay there.

Ilinykh vs Katsalapov and Igor vs Marina. I am so ready for this

 

[Marta25]

Apparently, there is some news circulating that Ilinykh/Zhiganshin have moved on to a new coach, Igor Shpilband.

I cant say that I am disappointed by their decision. They had a lot of technical problems this season and going to Shpilband was a great move on their part. Have to say that I am really curious to see their new programs next season.

I/Z`s levels were actually not bad, the problems were their GOE and PCS. Shpilband is an expert in squeezing out the judging system, so I think he is the right person for them. They are also the first top Russian team to go to him, so I hope he will give them enough attention.

 

[katha]

I think this is also interesting in the sense that Kustarova and Shpilband faced somewhat similar problems with their top teams this season and reacted in different ways: C/B had a first SD that got mixed feedback, Shpilband immediately nixed it. I/Z had an SD that wasn't a super hit with the judges, nothing was done about it. Both had FDs by Najarro. IMO Frida was a bit overchoreographed and not all what Najarro put in there translated well to the ice. Rach was also by Najarro initially, yet Igor started staging interventions once he perceived that it wasn't quite working (in his opinion). Now, he's getting his usual criticism for streamlining it too much etc., but it shows that he is very proactive once he thinks there are issues with programs that might hold his students back. So you kinda have the perception IMO that though C/B are struggling this season, they and their coaching team are doing their best to fight against that, to make the programs better. While IMO it was also obvious that I/Z's programs weren't ideal in the GP season, yet there weren't any changes and you could kinda see the result at Nats coming (not fourth, that was the mistake, but they had made themselves look vulnerable in general IMO).

 

[MK's Winter]

I/Z`s levels were actually not bad, the problems were their GOE and PCS. Shpilband is an expert in squeezing out the judging system, so I think he is the right person for them. They are also the first top Russian team to go to him, so I hope he will give them enough attention.

Attention will be a bit of an issue considering he is stacked with teams, but Fabian is there as well. His camp also has slot of specialists. I am excited for this move. Despite the move, I will always have respect for Kustrova, for taking them on and leading them to a fantastic 14-15 season.

 

[matcha]

Oh my god I am so ready for all the dance drama next season. Do not disappoint me, world!! http://i.imgur.com/E2MkT.gif

 

[Marta25]

Attention will be a bit of an issue considering he is stacked with teams, but Fabian is there as well. His camp also has slot of specialists. I am excited for this move. Despite the move, I will always have respect for Kustrova, for taking them on and leading them to a fantastic 14-15 season.

Me too There aren`t a lot of coaches who could have done in one season what Kustarova did in the 14-15 season. If anything she gave them a strong basis which Shpilband and Bourzat can now polish and hopefully make them to one of the best teams in the World.

 

[Kitt]

I think this is fantastic news! Positive steps!

 

[tulosai]

Given everything I think this is probably a good thing. I hope they will both enjoy training with him and in his school, and that he'll be able to help push them to the next level. I do think , perhaps unfortunately, that politics are part of the sport, and in that respect he is also a good choice/a step up.

 

[Snow63]

Fantastic news! Oh my god, this is SO exciting!!

It's true, right? Right?

 

[Marta25]

Fantastic news! Oh my god, this is SO exciting!!

It's true, right? Right?

I`m also happy about this

The trial period is happening. They will travel on 27th February to Detroit and start working with Shpilband on Monday. At least that`s what the announcement said.

 

[Snow63]

I`m also happy about this

The trial period is happening. They will travel on 27th February to Detroit and start working with Shpilband on Monday. At least that`s what the announcement said.

I wonder who's the sponsor? Elena said that they found some sponsor who helped them to pull it off. Doesn't sound like it's the fed.

 

[Marta25]

I wonder who's the sponsor? Elena said that they found some sponsor who helped them to pull it off. Doesn't sound like it's the fed.

No idea She didn`t mention it in her interview, but Shpilband isn`t exactly cheap, so it`s either a big sponsor or maybe several smaller ones.

 

[Snow63]

No idea She didn`t mention it in her interview, but Shpilband isn`t exactly cheap, so it`s either a big sponsor or maybe several smaller ones.

No, she was talking about one sponsor. So it sounds like something pretty big, IMO. I hope we'll know someday.

 

[tulosai]

I wonder who's the sponsor? Elena said that they found some sponsor who helped them to pull it off. Doesn't sound like it's the fed.

Yes, since this isn't yet the 'official time' for a coaching change, they would have needed to find an individual or company or something else to give them the money to pull this off. Julia Lipnitskaia had to find a sponsor too to switch coaches in the middle of the season. This isn't because the fed is malicious or trying to hold skaters back or anything but simply because in the Russian system the funding money is given all at once to the coaches at the beginning of the training year and so the money has already gone to Krustova's (or Etri's in the case of Julia) group and there simply is not additional funds that are able to be allocated for them to do this even within Russia if that makes sense. This is why mid season coaching changes are so rare/so rarely approved in Russia.

 

[Marta25]

It`s great they were able to find a sponsor so quickly. I guess they have to do some sort of PR for the sponsor,e.g. a photoshoot like Julia did for her sponsor. Anyway, I`m glad they reacted to the bad season they had and I think this is a good move for them.

 

[Abraxis12345]

But then Sakhanovich changed coaches mid season this year. She's not exactly rolling in cash. Although, it maybe because she stayed in the same club that it was allowed. But then again, when Monko and Khaliavin switched to Zhulin, they also made an official announcement in February.

 

[Marta25]

But then Sakhanovich changed coaches mid season this year. She's not exactly rolling in cash. Although, it maybe because she stayed in the same club that it was allowed. But then again, when Monko and Khaliavin switched to Zhulin, they also made an official announcement in February.

Yeah, but they all stayed in Russia. I can imagine moving abroad and getting the ok of the Fed to work with a foreign coach is maybe a little more difficult.

 

[uhh]

But then Sakhanovich changed coaches mid season this year. She's not exactly rolling in cash. Although, it maybe because she stayed in the same club that it was allowed. But then again, when Monko and Khaliavin switched to Zhulin, they also made an official announcement in February.

Serafima wasn't on full (maybe even any?) national team funding & so it was mostly just regional funding from St P that she has to worry about. Maybe if she'd wanted to go back to Moscow it would have been harder. I don't know the ins & outs regarding M/K, they did change club but not region... but again but overall we've seen more instances of skaters having to wait (S/K moving to Mozer), not say anything official until the time was approved even though everyone knew they had gone (Gachinski) or pay their own way for a while if they want to move mid season (Lipnitskaya).

 

[topaz emerald]

According the Russian articles they will move to Shpilband for the next 3 months then decide if they will stay there.

Ilinykh vs Katsalapov and Igor vs Marina. I am so ready for this

Do Igor and Marina have bad blood still?