State of Russian Ladies in skating: 2014-15 Season

[uhh]

Why are you taking a Russian cup score into consideration? You do realize scores on home ice are boosted especially for what she put out there.

Inflation or not, what she put out there was miles better than any free skate Julia has managed this season.

 

[uhh]

I don't disagree that Yulia has skated poorly but at least she has been skating. And reports are she too wanted to skip GP but the fed urged her to skate anyway. That should count for something. This has been going on since the Olympics too with Adelina. Yulia and Anna earned a third spot at Worlds while Adelina was perfectly healthy in the announcers booth. Shouldn't that count for something.

Adelina wanted and prepared to skate this season until she was injured. Its not like she's been pissing around doing nothing but have fun and is now demanding a place on a whim, this is a legitimate path Russia provides for skaters who can't make nationals because of injury. The same offer is being made to B/S, and was on the table for V/T (who have missed just as many competitions as Adelina and not even done internal events) until it was clear Max's shoulder would not heal in time, and yet no one is screaming that its unfair on the other pair and dance teams. And for the last time, its not a guaranteed spot, its consideration in the debate of who gets the third spot if she's healthy and ready to compete.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Adelina wanted and prepared to skate this season until she was injured. Its not like she's been pissing around doing nothing but have fun and is now demanding a place on a whim, this is a legitimate path Russia provides for skaters who can't make nationals because of injury. The same offer is being made to B/S, and was on the table for V/T (who have missed just as many competitions as Adelina and not even done internal events) until it was clear Max's shoulder would not heal in time, and yet no one is screaming that its unfair on the other pair and dance teams. And for the last time, its not a guaranteed spot, its consideration in the debate of who gets the third spot if she's healthy and ready to compete.

Not sure why you seem to be yelling and I've never said it's unfair or that I even care. I'm just offering a counter point in the discussion

 

[NaVi]

A part from the fact that I don't know what the dress got to do with all this, but no you are wrong. They skipped JO because they had to change the LP by the end of August, based on the request of Russian FED. So, I don't see how they could've had the dress ready for Juliet when she was supposed to skate to Mulan, and even cut her hair for it.

I'm going to take back this one... I still think not having a new dress is a sign of them being disorganized, but they never mentioned it(at least from what I'm googling) with regards to the JO.

I think it's a bit freaky to check skaters and their timing from a distance and judge them.

Yeah it's freaky and I probably shouldn't have ever mentioned it but it's something that caught my mind after TEB when she mentioned for a 2nd time that she didn't have full energy to do her jumps in her LP. I'll take back this too as there are a lot of possible explanations... but as that interview indicates(and I had read it before), she may be having biorhythmic issues that are hurting her performance.

 

[Alba]

I'm going to take back this one... I still think not having a new dress is a sign of them being disorganized, but they never mentioned it(at least from what I'm googling) with regards to the JO.

Well, they were late. The LP was new. They had no time to make a proper dress. Yes, they could've put a robe on her but that's not what she wanted maybe. I don't think not having a new dress for your first competition is a big deal tbh.

but as that interview indicates(and I had read it before), she may be having biorhythmic issues that are hurting her performance.

Maybe, she is studying as well and giving exams. Who knows.

 

[LRK]

Well, they were late. The LP was new. They had no time to make a proper dress. Yes, they could've put a robe on her but that's not what she wanted maybe. I don't think not having a new dress for your first competition is a big deal tbh.

Besides, she's had no less than two new dresses since - one for each competition she's been in - surely that should make up for it?

 

[Alba]

Besides, she's had no less than two new dresses since - one for each competition she's been in - surely that should make up for it?

Right.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Maybe she wore the first dress just to rub it in our face that she can still fit into the same dress that she wore a year ago.

 

[Alba]

Maybe she wore the first dress just to rub it in our face that she can still fit into the same dress that she wore a year ago.

 

[StitchMonkey]

Maybe she wore the first dress just to rub it in our face that she can still fit into the same dress that she wore a year ago.

See I have not grown!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Maybe she wore the first dress just to rub it in our face that she can still fit into the same dress that she wore a year ago.

This comment wins the decade

 

[Crossover]

OK, but Julia has skated multiple poor long programs this season, and in fact the one LP that Adelina skated was better than any of the three Julia skated. (I'm not basing this on the score but just by watching the programs.) I don't agree with rewarding Julia for what she has put out there so far this season merely because she competed and Adelina was hurt.

The programs of Sotnikova this year are hardly called complete, so that's why the federation has not released the clips of her performances. Such special treatment can be interpreted as her programs not worthwhile showing in public unlike the easy accessibility to the clips of her competitors. Yulia has not enough time for practicing her FP, so why not give a benefit of doubt since she is a reigning Euro champion and Olympic team event champion?

You said Sotnikova has better potentials than Yulia so far but the stages in which they engaged are quite different. Yulia's carried out her performances under the high pressure unlike Sotnikova's one time presentations with the small audience in the relatively relaxed atmosphere. Who knows what would've happened if Sotnikova would've gone to the Grand Prix series this year? Based on her history, she may've bombed herself in the competitions because she was even beaten to Pogorilaya at one of the last season's grand prix series.

 

[silverlake22]

Inflation or not, what she put out there was miles better than any free skate Julia has managed this season.

It was not miles better than Pogorilaya's FS at Japan Open and Skate Canada,though, or Leonova's FS at Nebelhorn and NHK. Pogo and Leonova have each put out 2 strong freeskates this season and each had a very strong showing at one of their GP events (SC for Pogo, NHK for Leonova). A very off Pogorilaya still managed to finish 4th at the GPF, even. Plus Julia has at least been strong in the SP this season, and her scores/placements haven't really been "bad", just not her best. I still don't think Adelina should be able to steal the Euros spot if one of those 3 skates well at Nationals and earns it.

 

[[email protected]]

Based on today's SP at the Nationals Russian ladies are in terrific shape. One could argue about point inflation but I did not see a single SP this season from a non-Russian who could match today's top 4. May be Gracie in Japan could tie with Yulia and Leonova. Radionova was as vibrant as never before. Liza and Anna were very solid. Medvedeva was just gorgeous. And then others. Ogoreltseva - what a surprise! Sima, Maria, and Proklova - unlimited potential is there, just not their day. Artemieva - bad luck with a fall. Stavitskaya and Iuschenko - better than what they showed during GP. What a competition - what an impressive field!

Let's see if the momentum keeps up tomorrow. I remember how powerful was SP in Saitama with wth during FS.

 

[sabinfire]

A very off Pogorilaya still managed to finish 4th at the GPF, even.

4th, out of 6 skaters? Rika Hongo never had a chance, despite skating clean. And Julia's FS did not go very well. Pogorilaya was over 23 points out from 1st place, yet only 4 points above last place (6th). Points-wise, Anna was very close to the bottom.

Sorry, not trying to rain on anyone's parade. Saying she came in 4th seems to imply she just missed medaling, but in reality, it wasn't even close.

 

[silverlake22]

4th, out of 6 skaters? Rika Hongo never had a chance, despite skating clean. And Julia's FS did not go very well. Pogorilaya was over 23 points out from 1st place, yet only 4 points above last place (6th). Points-wise, Anna was very close to the bottom.

Sorry, not trying to rain on anyone's parade. Saying she came in 4th seems to imply she just missed medaling, but in reality, it wasn't even close.

I was just trying to point out that she has a lot more cred from this season than Adelina does. And 4th out of 6 skaters, yeah, but the top 6 skaters competing on the grand prix, so its still a decent credential. Adelina only qualified for the GPF once out of 3 tries and finished 5th and last in the FS there. She's inconsistent to begin with and if she wants to keep competing to prove that Sochi wasn't a fluke, she should make sure she's healthy and prepared before stepping foot on championship ice, IMO. Torn ligaments are not something that heal very quickly, and during any of her senior seasons, Adelina was no more consistent than Alena or Pogo have been this season, and even Julia is arguable. I mean, I'll hand it to her, she skated great at the Olympics, but that alone shouldn't enable her to take someone else's earned spot at Euros, especially given the field in Russia.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Didn't Adelina say on TV today she isn't going to be ready for Euros. That is what I read from posters who speak Russian and report that they heard on TV today. Is this correct?

 

[sabinfire]

silverlake22 -- Ah, I get you.

But not sure why we are still talking about Adelina. She hasn't competed in quite awhile and doesn't appear to be ready to compete anytime soon. I don't even expect her to be back this season, to be frank.

 

[leolion11]

I too don't think she'll be back this season. And she really shouldn't be given a free pass over Anna, who's been performing as the 3rd best senior Russian lady this season. Heck, I don't think Adelina should be given a free pass to Euros/Worlds over Julia and I don't even think Julia deserves to go to Euros/Worlds at this rate.

 

[Totentanz]

I agree with sam!! Great job from the Russian ladies at the SP. Top 5 were amazing! Maybe Julia and Serafima caused a little bit of disappointment, but the others made up for that!!

Really nice performances from Ogoreltseva, Sotskova, Stavitskaya, Artemieva and Iushenko as well. Even Polina Korobeynikova was nice to watch, considering her career has been going down for a while.