Radionova: "I give myself a B- at Worlds"

[Tyranid]

Our marvelous sunshine could have been a silver medalist at the Vancouver Olympics with the skate she had in Boson. But it's 2016, scores are high with seven women earning 200+, an unprecedented feat. Even the (former) reigning vice-champion, Satoko Miyahara found herself off the podium with two clean programs.

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The 2015 world bronze medalist, Elena Radionova, could not repeat her last year success placing only in 6'th. After the competition, the Russian figure skater assessed her performance and summed up the preliminary results of the season in this interview with sovsport.ru.

http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/896173



"I was judged just like I skated"

Sov: Elena, I've noticed that during the world championships you always post pictures form the streets of Boston. Does that mean that you are in a fine mood and you don't suffer from disappointment?

ER: How should I say... Of course I am a bit disappointed with my skate because I have made minor mistakes. Yet I understand that I cannot stand still, I have to keep moving forward. I have to work more and remove all of my flaws. Boston is a beautiful city, by the way. Generally, when I get a chance during competition, I always try to go out and stroll the streets. Same here, I would love to visit Boston again.


Sov: Are you certain that the cause of such unsuccessful rusult were the small mistakes. Do you have a feeling that you were judged harsher than you could have been?

ER: I don't know... I guess i was judged exactly for what I skated.


Sov: So... not offended by the judges?

ER: No.


Sov: Were you ready for a new PB before the world championships?

ER: I didn't think about that. I only thought about a good skate. I wasn't thinking about the result at all. That is always secondary. Most importantly - you have to do your job.


Sov: The skate during worlds itself - perhaps not an "A" but a "B+", yes?

ER: Somewhere around there. I'd say a "B-".



"I'm happy that I held out through the season."

Sov: This season was the most difficult in your career. What is the main struggle? Is it psychological or does the technique simply break down due to growth?

ER: Growing up in itself is an uneasy period. In addition, I have to finish school this year and lots of effort has been spent for this. Hence the difficult season, I have to get everything done at the rink and not forget my studies. I'm happy that I held out through the season. Officially it hasn't ended and there may be more competitions, but I'm happy that I was able to stand through.


Sov: You had to give more attention to studies than usual?

ER: Tutors come to my house everyday and prep. me for various subjects which I will take in my [SAT]. I study straight after training sessions. Sometimes I go to their place.


Sov: Do you go to regular school?

ER: Only during tests. Otherwise, seldom.


Sov: Are you treated as a star in school?

ER: No, not as a star, but I am treated well.



"No plans for now, honestly."

Sov: Were you worried about the course of the season?

ER: There was much tension, constant competitions, necessity to place well in each one of them... GP series, Russian nationals, Europeans - key competitons which decide if you get to go to worlds or not. So yeah, it was hard. Now, there is an "exhale". However, I cannot say that I was pressured by responsibility since I kept myself in good tonus. I understood that I had to work and fulfill my tasks.

Sov: What would you like more now - begine preparing for the new season or to travel to some beach?

ER: Probably the beach. Though I don't have vacation plans since there may be more competitions.

Sov: In other words, you wait for the fan vote results of the Team Challenge Trophy?

ER: Yes I do. Then, we will think what to do in the future.


Sov: Sergei Voronov has joined your group recently. How did you react to his arrival?

ER: With great positivity. I think that Serezha will have success and all will be well.


Sov: Is there anything to learn from him during practice or do you have seperate training?

ER: He skates with great power and quality but when we enter the ice we do our seperate work.


Sov: Any plans for new programs and choreographers that you could share among your fans?

ER: None for now to be honest.

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Radionova has always been criticized for her posture and subpar choreo. Yet, this season, her Imagine EX seems to be superior to her competitive programs in terms of those two aspects. What do you think: can she improve? Does she have what it takes to become the next world and Olympic champion?

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Really, it's her programs which let her down this year. She could be so spectacular with the right vehicles but her packaging was just ho-hum this season. I for one will be thrilled to never see that Titanic program again. Hoping she can blow everyone out of the water next season with more refined/sophisticated and less frenetic programs.

 

[Layback11]

Well, Elena had many admirable placements this season, kept her jumps through a growth spurt, and her main problem was bad programs, so this season wasn't a failure in any respect. :yes:

However, the program issue needs to be fixed, and I'm hoping Misha will come up with something excellent for her. *Crosses fingers for Bollywood program*

That, or he has her try his signature "avant garde" style and she ends up skating to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7boSJxKAkg in a purple jumpsuit with things that look like cabbage leaves on it. Which I would also be okay with.

 

[MaxSwagg]

Radio is like the Nam of the women. She skates faster and actually presents but her skating is so sloppy and her jumps just look horrifically laborious.

 

[Tyranid]

Really, it's her programs which let her down this year. She could be so spectacular with the right vehicles but her packaging was just ho-hum this season. I for one will be thrilled to never see that Titanic program again. Hoping she can blow everyone out of the water next season with more refined/sophisticated and less frenetic programs.

Yes, can't not mention the poor programs. I can't beleive what amount of charm and charisma it takes to make the Titanic program stay afloat. For many it isn't watchable at all. There is no way she gets worse programs next season. I hope progress is to come.

 

[KatGrace1925]

Elena has tremendous talent and potential. I hope she gets a new coreographer and someone to help her with better packaging. Her long program dress at worlds did her no favors.

 

[Abstractor]

That dress was a disaster - totally disbalanced colors, a lack of taste from russian designers had been of no help to this charming lady (her along with Anna are the best of among russian girls). She needs a classical music based choreo from the world's leading masters.

 

[Seruleane]

Thank you for posting, Tyranid! I like how she emphasized the importance of her studies during the interview. I think we forget these ladies do have a life to think about outside of skating. Elena is 17- she needs to be thinking about college and her future post-skating goals in life.

 

[andromache]

I loved both of her programs at the beginning of the season, even when she was getting some hate. Loved the dresses, loved the music, loved how tall and mature she looked, loved how she sold the heck out of the programs even with generic choreo and bad posture. Although her jump landings were rougher this season than last, I still felt there was more nuance in her presentation than there was last season. But while her presentation last season seemed stronger compared to the competition (Liza was never a 10 in presentation and had bad spins, for example), I think to many she seemed weaker this season because of the strengths of Evgenia.

The programs started to impress me less and less after Rostelecom (where I was thrilled she beat Evgenia and also she skated with PASSION). The LP dress at Worlds was atrocious.

I'm hoping the disappointing finish here will be enough to kick her/her team into gear to get some better programs and work on the little things like posture in order to compete with Evgenia. Can she get Averbukh programs? He's the best choreographer in Russia at the moment. Morozov's programs worked for Anna (who, IMO, has the maturity and carriage that perhaps makes her easier to choreograph for than Elena.) Elena is my girl, I had moments of love for her programs this season, but she can do better.

 

[miki88]

She has so much natural charisma and potential, but really needs better programs and refinement. When she first appeared on the scene, she reminded me of Oksana Baiul and Nicole Bobek, someone who had major STAR quality. Camerlengo or Shae-Lynne Bourne could do wonders for her.

 

[Alexz]

Some tough love from the fans here I see.

Lenok does need some intense ballet classes during summer. A lot of people like her and see a great deal of potential star for few years to come in her, but I agree Lena just need some refinement and glossy polish on top for graduating from edgy teenager into classy lady.

 

[koatcue]

So great Tyranid posted this! My thoughts exactly, i.e. her competitive programs this year leave a lot to desire:/ Her ex, however, is one of a few best this year - so intricate, filled with lines and soft movements. I wish she has better programs next year!

 

[WeakAnkles]

Really, it's her programs which let her down this year. She could be so spectacular with the right vehicles but her packaging was just ho-hum this season. I for one will be thrilled to never see that Titanic program again. Hoping she can blow everyone out of the water next season with more refined/sophisticated and less frenetic programs.

There's a frenetic quality to her skating to begin with, so giving her programs that exacerbate that is like giving speed to a Mexican jumping bean. She really needs to work on POLISH and not be so loose-limbed. It comes across as noodlely and sloppy sloppy sloppy.

Hie this woman to ballet classes pronto!

 

[EdgeCall]

Since energetic fun music seems more in the line with Elena's style than this season's melodramatic stuff I wonder what she would do with Ashley's Hip Hip Chin Chin ...

 

[lyverbird1]

I've been a major fan from pretty much the first time I saw her as a junior three or four years ago because even then, she radiated a star quality that seemed lacking in other juniors and seniors at the time. I really don't think she's been given enough credit for holding it together and skating competitively and with a growing maturity through puberty and a major growth spurt that resulted in her having change that dress twice during the season (although perhaps that second change was not strictly for size reasons?).

I'm not blind to the fact that she has much work to do to improve and yes, I acknowledge that but I don't think she's been given enough credit this season for the improvements from the previous season. So much so that unless my guys at Eurosport commented many times on her growing maturity this season, I might have wondered was I imagining it from many of the comments I have read about her on GS this season! If she has made these improvements in one season, I look forward to seeing how she will progress moving into next year.

I'd love to see her move away from the droll ballad driven melodrama and use that energy and star quality and acting ability in a faster paced programme without using warhorse music. I've long wanted someone to skate to the Spanish guitar stylings of Rodrigo y Gabriela and although I know she used the Latina theme during her short this year, I think one of the rock covers that R&G do would be perfect with the right cut of the music for a balanced long programme that would really bring a crowd on board. A mix of Orion and Stairway to Heaven would be epic!

 

[Sam L]

Yeah I think her programs let her down also. I am quite excited about what she'll bring to the next seasons because she's a tough competitor and that's what counts. I mean she didn't have a bad season.

 

[nolangoh]

I think she deserved an A, she didn't make mistakes, just some rough landings but she's still getting used to her figure because she has grown a lot.

It is her program, her Titanic, that deserved not only a B-, but a D-.

 

[MaiKatze]

I love Elena and so admire her for this season. Pulling through must've been hard. I like this interview and that she says she is aware why she ended up where she, well ended up, in the end. She's got a silver medal at Europeans, let's not forget that. I think it can only get better for her, especially in the next season. I, for one, don't fault her programs this season (That JLo program was last season, so at least she stays true to herself). I would never have guessed that she would have such a succeed after her first GP outing. I think if we look at Elena's career long term, getting through this tough season can only help her, physically and mentally. I don't think having a different program would have put her on the podium at Worlds, no definitely not. Even Miyahara didn't make it, and she skates very clean. Elena's 'problem' - it's the execution of her elements. Scratchy landings on all of her jumps. That's the area she has to work on. And maybe a more clever structuring for milking those points. This is a fact, Evgenia knows how to milk the system. At least next season will be interesting. I hope she'll make it on the big stages next year, I would hate for her to disappear.

 

[Mista Ekko]

IMO Radionova can be a Superstar, But whoever is packaging her at the moment is just shooting her in the leg.

 

[jenaj]

Elena skated two clean programs and ended up fifth. That just shows the depth of the field this year. She is a good skater who just needs better programs and a little more refinement. I hope she gets something a little more upbeat where she can actually show off some of her performance abilities. All of the potential she showed as a performer in her last junior season has been wasted with heavy classical music that was too big for her (Rachmaninoff) and a downer like Titanic. She needs something like All That Jazz or some other show tune that she can really sell.

ETA: Here is the little performer I loved when I first saw her--tacky costume aside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS3G_yp8oXw