Yulia Lipnitskaya

[Alba]

Eteri Tutberidze: When asked how the plan to solve the issue with the program, Tutberidze said she would "make a completely new one. But these are just my thoughts. I asked Yulia if she would like to say goodbye to Julietta. She said we are not going to change anything and will do everything as it is."


the quote above indicates the level of their bewilderment. If the root of the problem is late preparation, how could Eteri suggest "a completely new one?"

Because when a program doesn't work, or the skater doesn't feel comfortable with it, you (the coach) has to do something. She also said: Now she has to want to skate this free program well. Yulia is a little bit stuck on not skating this program well

It's clearly a head problem, no matter how much the haters are trying to make it looks as: This is a growth problem. She will not survive. She is losing jumps. etc. etc.
As if the growth problems will magically disappear in the SP. How nice of them. :sarcasm:

So, Eteri's approach is right in a way. Because she says, if you don't feel right don't push it. Let's make a complete new one. The problem though is not the program. The program does work, and it's beautiful.
Yulia says: Probably. I've actually forgotten how to compete.

It's that little genius head.

 

[Alba]

Liza and Elena are definitely going to Euros unless they bomb Nationals, decline the selection or Rus Fed has a brain-fart.

Even if they bomb they will go. Rus Fed can not, and will not, exclude them just because they had bad skate among many good and strong competitions they had.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Maybe Eteri was playing strategy. Maybe she knew Yulia wouldn't want to abandon R&J and by suggesting that she do so it offered Yulia a chance to reaffirm her choice. To, in a way, take a bit of ownership in it similar to the ownership she felt with SL.

 

[dada16]

Because when a program doesn't work, or the skater doesn't feel comfortable with it, you (the coach) has to do something. She also said: Now she has to want to skate this free program well. Yulia is a little bit stuck on not skating this program well

It's clearly a head problem, no matter how much the haters are trying to make it looks as: This is a growth problem. She will not survive. She is losing jumps. etc. etc.
As if the growth problems will magically disappear in the SP. How nice of them. :sarcasm:

So, Eteri's approach is right in a way. Because she says, if you don't feel right don't push it. Let's make a complete new one. The problem though is not the program. The program does work, and it's beautiful.
Yulia says: Probably. I've actually forgotten how to compete.

It that little genius head.

Yes I agree with you, of course !! the performance in her three SP shows that she is not losing jumps. She looks confident in her beautiful SP and her jumps are beautiful since the beginning of the season !
I just think Yulia has a kind of blockage with R&J program, this program has been created at the end of the summer and it was not her first choice.
Anyway her decision to keep this program or not, I think we have to trust Eteri, she knows her student.

 

[Yamita]

Yulia picked Eteri. There has been good chemistry between them. I hope it continues ....

 

[sjid]

Maybe Eteri was playing strategy. Maybe she knew Yulia wouldn't want to abandon R&J and by suggesting that she do so it offered Yulia a chance to reaffirm her choice. To, in a way, take a bit of ownership in it similar to the ownership she felt with SL.

I hope not. Straight talk is important in this situation if not in all situations involving Yulia. It sounds as if she has taken ownership of it, even if for reasons that aren't entirely positive (eteri says she is stuck on not skating it well). And here we have Yulia's sweet sixteen.

 

[sjid]

Yulia picked Eteri. There has been good chemistry between them. I hope it continues ....

This is really important, and she is time-tested. Yulia is really good at picking the right people to work with her. It would be a tragedy to have their relationship sacrificed in this way. I see no indication of that, after the skates they seem to relate exactly as in previous years.

 

[Alba]

Maybe Eteri was playing strategy. Maybe she knew Yulia wouldn't want to abandon R&J and by suggesting that she do so it offered Yulia a chance to reaffirm her choice. To, in a way, take a bit of ownership in it similar to the ownership she felt with SL.

That could be very well so. I don't know if it's a strategy, but is something that a sensible coach will do and should do. You offer you skater choices, because a skater might also think: Oh maybe it's too late to change now. I don't want to be a bother, I don't want to create more problems changing again. Therefore I don't want to ask.

So a good coach would tell you: Look, if you don't like the program, or for any reason you do not feel comfortable with it, we can change it. There is no problem at all. We have all the time we need.

 

[Yamita]

This is really important, and she is time-tested. Yulia is really good at picking the right people to work with her. It would be a tragedy to have their relationship sacrificed in this way. I see no indication of that, after the skates they seem to relate exactly as in previous years.

Yes I totally agree. It was the deficiency in my choice of words. I should say "I predict" and "I am confident" instead of "I hope".

 

[Meoima]

^at least Eteri asked Yulia. If our girl wanted to change, she already said yes. For sure at first she might not be comfortable with it. But it's a challenge. If she couldn't overcome this challenge, how can she could overcome others? There're skaters who became successful thanked to their packages and good polishing, for example Yagudin. But there're just a few skaters who become successful despite their packages, for example Plushy. I can see if Yulia overcomes R&J, she can become the latter.

 

[sjid]

That could be very well so. I don't know if it's a strategy, but is something that a sensible coach will do and should do. You offer you skater choices, because a skater might also think: Oh maybe it's too late to change now. I don't want to be a bother, I don't want to create more problems changing again. Therefore I don't want to ask.

So a good coach would tell you: Look, if you don't like the program, or for any reason you do not feel comfortable with it, we can change it. There is no problem at all. We have all the time we need.

I would have no problem with this approach. This wasn't how I read the interview. If this is what transpired it was positive. But if the last sentence isn't true, then it is a disservice. Why tell her there is plenty of time if you know there isn't, especially with only two weeks. That woould be mind games with potentially serious repercussions. This pours more gas on the fire if the last sentence isn't true. Also, Yulia has shown herself to be capable of changing programs that don't fit without any encouragement.

 

[Sandpiper]

I would love to see this R&J program skated fall-free. Maybe Yulia feels the same way--she doesn't want to give up on the program.

Also, I'm not sure if she has enough time to change a program before Nationals. That could just cause more problems.

Perhaps stamina is an issue too, hence why her problems only creep out in the LP?

 

[sjid]

I would love to see this R&J program skated fall-free. Maybe Yulia feels the same way--she doesn't want to give up on the program.

Also, I'm not sure if she has enough time to change a program before Nationals. That could just cause more problems.

Perhaps stamina is an issue too, hence why her problems only creep out in the LP?

I thought that. She is strong, but stress is the worst form of fatigue. She didn't finish Megapolis as planned, she didn't hold the last spin as planned. I think it's probably "all of the above." At the top of the list I would put bellflower's conjecture (#3600): I fear how the fact that she hasn't had a clean LP so far in the season triggers fear every time she sees herself skating to it. This season can't end soon enough. I really hope she finds her music much sooner, that she still wants Mulan and chooses it.

 

[Meoima]

Mah, but reading her latest interview I can see that this defeat might be a good trial for her. All skaters have to struggle at some point. At least it's in the GPF than at Nationals. If she does well, at least places 3rd, they will not write her off his season. I hardly doubt that Adelina can skate at National at this point. So maybe 4 girls at GPF will be divided into 2 groups for Europe and WC?

 

[Alba]

I would love to see this R&J program skated fall-free. Maybe Yulia feels the same way--she doesn't want to give up on the program.

I think that too. I just can't imagine Yulia keeping a program which she doesn't like.
She changed her first one because she couldn't stand the music anymore.

Also, I'm not sure if she has enough time to change a program before Nationals. That could just cause more problems.

Well, obviously if they opted for a program change they wouldn't partecipate at nationals. The goal here it's clearly the Worlds.

Perhaps stamina is an issue too, hence why her problems only creep out in the LP?

Stamina was defenitely an issue at CoC and was much better at TEB, but not quite there. I don't think it was the same here. She fought, IMO, but also overthinking everything, after the first fall.

I would have no problem with this approach. This wasn't how I read the interview. If this is what transpired it was positive. But if the last sentence isn't true, then it is a disservice. Why tell her there is plenty of time if you know there isn't, especially with only two weeks. That woould be mind games with potentially serious repercussions. This pours more gas on the fire if the last sentence isn't true. Also, Yulia has shown herself to be capable of changing programs that don't fit without any encouragement.

I'm not saying she said that. I don't know how she approached her, but that's what I get from the interview. She is saying to the media without any hesitation that she would change the program. Of course it's not going to be ready in two weeks.
Carolina changed her programs (I think she changed both SP and LP?) after CoR and they were almost ready at Europeans.

As I always said, and Sam was repeating this many times, her main goal is the World Championship. And if anything, Eteri's comment confirms that.
By the way, you can go at worlds even if you do not partecipate at Russian nationals.

Anyway, she is not changing the program, so no problems about that.

 

[Meoima]

^You meant Yulia can still skate at WC without nationals? Or Adelina?

 

[Alba]

^You meant Yulia can still skate at WC without nationals? Or Adelina?

Yulia. Rus Fed can send the skater they want.

 

[Meoima]

Yulia. Rus Fed can send the skater they want.

There's no requirement for WC's team? I remember Liza said National is the most important?

 

[sjid]

I think that too. I just can't imagine Yulia keeping a program which she doesn't like.
She changed her first one because she couldn't stand the music anymore.



Well, obviously if they opted for a program change they wouldn't partecipate at nationals. The goal here it's clearly the Worlds.



Stamina was defenitely an issue at CoC and was much better at TEB, but not quite there. I don't think it was the same here. She fought, IMO, but also overthinking everything, after the first fall.



I'm not saying she said that. I don't know how she approached her, but that's what I get from the interview. She is saying to the media without any hesitation that she would change the program. Of course it's not going to be ready in two weeks.
Carolina changed her programs (I think she changed both SP and LP?) after CoR and they were almost ready at Europeans.

As I always said, and Sam was repeating this many times, her main goal is the World Championship. And if anything, Eteri's comment confirms that.
By the way, you can go at worlds even if you do not partecipate at Russian nationals.

Anyway, she is not changing the program, so no problems about that.

With Yulia, honest is not just the best policy, it's the only policy. If she is still thinking of world competition, then she must believe that R&J will be salvaged by then.

 

[Sandpiper]

Russian Fed can send anyone they want, but considering Yulia's season so far, I don't think they're going to send her if she doesn't go to Nationals.

Right now, I'm seeing:
- Liza and Elena go to Europeans and Worlds (unless they bomb both Nationals and Europeans, in which case they could be replaced for Worlds)
- Third Europeans spot comes down to whoever places higher at Nationals, Anna or Yulia. If they both bomb, Adelina could get a bye to Europeans. If they both bomb and Adelina's still injured, Alena Leonova gets to go (assuming she placed better than Yulia/Anna at Nationals).
- Whoever doesn't go to Europeans can do some other competitions so the Fed can gauge how ready they are.
- Whoever does the best at Europeans/Senior B's (Yulia, Anna, Adelina/Alena) gets to go to Worlds.