Sinitsina/Katsalapov future prospects

[gmyers]

Nah, they're working hard. Maybe they will even go to Igor. It is clear for all to see that their TES score needs help and they will not get it with Marina. She doesn't know how to groom a team in this regard. Igor has done an excellent job with C/B.

Next year maybe. It won't happen this season. No euros or worlds this season.

 

[uhh]

To prove he's a better coach than Marina

Maybe! But are they all really that petty? I/K worked with Igor on tech stuff, especially lifts in summer 2013, and Nikita was very impressed with him, so perhaps he'd want to go there. But then again, maybe he asked already when Morozov disappeared in April and was turned down - wouldn't you expect him to want to go to a coach he has an existing relationship rather than one like Zoueva who he's never worked with before? Who knows.

But I still think Igor is 100% focused on C/B and getting them to be world champions. If S/K moved to him, they wouldn't be the main priority and I think they would need to be at the moment, both on the coaching side & getting the political push.

 

[Alba]

But I still think Igor is 100% focused on C/B and getting them to be world champions. If S/K moved to him, they wouldn't be the main priority and I think they would need to be at the moment, both on the coaching side & getting the political push.

I agree with this. I think Igor is 100& focused on C&B right now, and maybe he will continue to be till 2018.

 

[nevergonnadance]

I think that with Elena and Nikita, Elelna was the one who really made you enjoy watching them, as opposed to Voir or Davis and White where you watched both Tessa and Scott and Meryl and Charlie. I think Elena has a lot of personality on the ice, and no women competing in dance now has that spark like. If you watch Elena and Nikita's 2014 Olympic Short Dance, its all her. I think that's why I/Z are more successful than S/K

I give credit to Ruslan for their success so far too. I watched him in his short dance with Elena, not only her.

 

[Alba]

I give credit to Ruslan for their success so far too. I watched him in his short dance with Elena, not only her.

I give credit to him too. He was great.

 

[Kitt]

I give credit to him too. He was great.

Yup, he definitely pulled his weight dramatically. They were both mesmerizing.

 

[bramweld]

Yup, he definitely pulled his weight dramatically. They were both mesmerizing.

Agreed. Slowly and surely the judges will come to see this. Have this gut feeling.

 

[beabstress]

I give credit to Ruslan for their success so far too. I watched him in his short dance with Elena, not only her.

Yes--so did I. There is something. . . endearing and interesting about Ruslan. It's weird: he kind of faded into the background, for me, when he skated with Viktoria; but he commands a lot more attention now that he's skating with Elena. And Elena is far more interesting to watch than Viktoria, so logically speaking, he should fade into the background even MORE now. But he doesn't. I think the answer is that Elena and Ruslan are right for each other, and when the partnership is right, it works. Ruslan also looks more "grown-up" now. I'm such a fan of these two!

 

[Alba]

Yes--so did I. There is something. . . endearing and interesting about Ruslan. It's weird: he kind of faded into the background, for me, when he skated with Viktoria; but he commands a lot more attention now that he's skating with Elena. And Elena is far more interesting to watch than Viktoria, so logically speaking, he should fade into the background even MORE now. But he doesn't. I think the answer is that Elena and Ruslan are right for each other, and when the partnership is right, it works. Ruslan also looks more "grown-up" now. I'm such a fan of these two!

The thing is he doesn't look "afraid" of her star quality. He embraces it instead and that's a great quality. :yes:

 

[bramweld]

The thing is he doesn't look "afraid" of her star quality. He embraces it instead and that's a great quality. :yes:

Deleted.

 

[penguin]

Yes--so did I. There is something. . . endearing and interesting about Ruslan. It's weird: he kind of faded into the background, for me, when he skated with Viktoria; but he commands a lot more attention now that he's skating with Elena. And Elena is far more interesting to watch than Viktoria, so logically speaking, he should fade into the background even MORE now. But he doesn't. I think the answer is that Elena and Ruslan are right for each other, and when the partnership is right, it works. Ruslan also looks more "grown-up" now. I'm such a fan of these two!

I find this super interesting too. Ruslan has really leapt out at me in his partnership in a positive way, but Nikita is jumping out at me for all the wrong reasons. I don't recall him being so flashy and preeny when he was with Elena, but now it's almost garish. I actually like Viktoria more in the S/K partnership (she's calmly sexy, while Nikita seems frantic), even though by all accounts she's the worst pure skater of the four.

 

[bramweld]

I find this super interesting too. Ruslan has really leapt out at me in his partnership in a positive way, but Nikita is jumping out at me for all the wrong reasons. I don't recall him being so flashy and preeny when he was with Elena, but now it's almost garish. I actually like Viktoria more in the S/K partnership (she's calmly sexy, while Nikita seems frantic), even though by all accounts she's the worst pure skater of the four.

For me in this partnership, I find Victoria more interesting at times despite her weaknesses. Victoria seems to have a better grasp of the attitude required for the Paso in the SD. In the FD he is simply not really dancing with her, if you get my meaning. I mean she is so beautiful, look at her, giver her the time of day.

Is their material that more difficult than everything they did with their previous partners? Why does everything look so difficult? I find it bizarre that they need to focus so hard even on the paso doble. Is it really that difficult a CD? Didn't Marina say that she's never seen any pair work as hard as them, ever? Could they be trying too hard?

 

[Marta25]

I also am surprised about the transformation Ruslan had while skating with Elena. If you compare him to his performance at Worlds and now, it`s like two different men. IMO, Ruslan will faster get to Nikita`s level than Viktoria will get to Elena`s. S/K are under a lot of pressure since they initiated the break ups, so I guess they feel that they have to prove something to people.

 

[bramweld]

I also am surprised about the transformation Ruslan had while skating with Elena. If you compare him to his performance at Worlds and now, it`s like two different men. IMO, Ruslan will faster get to Nikita`s level than Viktoria will get to Elena`s. S/K are under a lot of pressure since they initiated the break ups, so I guess they feel that they have to prove something to people.

Call me strange but if you think you'll make a better team you had better be prepared to handle the pressure. Wasn't it to be expected? If you didn't want unnecessary pressure then you should have arranged for a discrete tryout after the WC when Ruslan and Lena were on vacation right? So either they were quite bold, duped or a combination of both.

 

[Marta25]

I think their biggest mistake was to choose Zueva as their coach. If you start out as a couple, you need coaches like Shpilband or Krylova, who know how to establish a solid technical basis, since they have done it plenty of times. Zueva is not a development coach and IMO right now a bad choice for S/K.

 

[bramweld]

I think their biggest mistake was to choose Zueva as their coach. If you start out as a couple, you need coaches like Shpilband or Krylova, who know how to establish a solid technical basis, since they have done it plenty of times. Zueva is not a development coach and IMO right now a bad choice for S/K.

That's it in a nutshell. Why Zueva? Igor or Krylova or Lauzon et al. (given what he's done for the French) would have been a better bet.

 

[peg]

Maybe! But are they all really that petty? I/K worked with Igor on tech stuff, especially lifts in summer 2013, and Nikita was very impressed with him, so perhaps he'd want to go there. But then again, maybe he asked already when Morozov disappeared in April and was turned down - wouldn't you expect him to want to go to a coach he has an existing relationship rather than one like Zoueva who he's never worked with before? Who knows.

But I still think Igor is 100% focused on C/B and getting them to be world champions. If S/K moved to him, they wouldn't be the main priority and I think they would need to be at the moment, both on the coaching side & getting the political push.

I don't think it has anything to do with pettiness. That's why I don't think he would necessarily refuse them, because there would be benefit to him. And keep in mind, he has coached the top two contenders in the past, so nothing says he'd have to turn down another potentially top team just because he's now coaching C/B.

The point is, we're not really in a position to say he wouldn't take them. We simply don't know. And there are as many reasons to take them than not to (and maybe more) I was simply suggesting one of those reasons (in a lighthearted manner, ergo the winking smilie)

 

[Alba]

I find this super interesting too. Ruslan has really leapt out at me in his partnership in a positive way, but Nikita is jumping out at me for all the wrong reasons. I don't recall him being so flashy and preeny when he was with Elena, but now it's almost garish. I actually like Viktoria more in the S/K partnership (she's calmly sexy, while Nikita seems frantic), even though by all accounts she's the worst pure skater of the four.

I think Nikita was always like this. The difference is that he skated with Elena and she was a star. They both had this exuberance, beautiful look, and were both strong skaters. Therefore, maybe we didn't notice that so much. With Viki who's more calm, gentle, and a weaker skater, he stands out more. Too much, IMO, because he's overpowering her. They can become a very good couple, but Nikita has to learn first how to skate with a partner. I think he has never (had to?) learned to actually dance together with a partner, and somebody should teach him.
Talent isn't going to be enough.

Is their material that more difficult than everything they did with their previous partners? Why does everything look so difficult? I find it bizarre that they need to focus so hard even on the paso doble. Is it really that difficult a CD? Didn't Marina say that she's never seen any pair work as hard as them, ever? Could they be trying too hard?

Paso Doble is not among the most difficult CD. Most of the steps in the Paso are not that difficult. Waltz, Golden Waltz, is considered the most complex and technically demanding of the compulsory dances. Other CD are more difficult than Paso like Finnstep, Ravensburger Waltz, Tango Romantica etc.

For example Golden Waltz, Tango Romantica and Ravensburger are all under Diamond Dance test structure, while Paso is under Senior Silver Dance test.

I could find only the test structure for Skate Canada, but I suppose USA and other countries have the same structure.

http://www.glencairnsc.ca/skate_canada_dances.pdf
https://info.skatecanada.ca/hc/en-ca/articles/201239680-D-Dance-Tests

 

[gmyers]

I think their biggest mistake was to choose Zueva as their coach. If you start out as a couple, you need coaches like Shpilband or Krylova, who know how to establish a solid technical basis, since they have done it plenty of times. Zueva is not a development coach and IMO right now a bad choice for S/K.

It's just a total disaster and they should not compete anymore this season.

 

[Alchamei]

It's just a total disaster and they should not compete anymore this season.

I wouldn't be so pesimistic. After all, they have skated in only two events. Yes, Elena with Ruslan are better now but S/K still have time to correct their mistakes.