Elena Radionova | Page 29 | Golden Skate

Elena Radionova

I know we shouldn't feel bad about a personal best and a silver medal, but man did I want her to win :cry: Oh well, I'm not a fan of Liza's skating, but she did skate very well, so there's nothing to complain about. Let's wait and see what happens next.

Also, in a recent interview Goncharenko said they're going to work on GOE until the World Championship. That's great and all, but if Liza goes 3A, GOE might not be enough.
 
Jeez, where do I start? Congrats to Lena for pulling off her SIXTH straight clean LP of the season, hitting new personal bests in the SP and FS, and winning the silver medal! :cheer2:

I guess I got what I wanted--which is to see Lena's beaming smile of pure joy when she finished her program and when she got her scores! I *live* for Lena's shocked reaction. And even Inna went like "wow!" which was sweet. :)

But, like Lena, a part of me can't help but feel sad. (Thanks for that interview, Alba!) Lena and Liza both went clean, and the judges slightly prefer Liza. I did see that in the way the GPF and the Russian Nationals were scored, so it's not a surprise, but it still stings a bit. Kudos to Lena for keeping a positive attitude and using this as motivation to work harder. :agree:

I felt this way during the GPF, and again today--but Liza's FS just seems more accessible to the audience--the music, and her delivery of the program, really invite the audience to clap along. I feel like the audience can't do that until the very end of Lena's program, and by then it's a bit too late.

I do like the idea of her having a dark/dramatic SP and a more upbeat FS for next year. I think the problem is not so much that the music is too serious for Lena, but rather that parts of it seem too slow/soft, and is at odds with Lena's energetic/intense style. I did really notice a difference in the way that Liza and Lena move their arms though (the British Eurosport commentators mentioned this as well)--Lena could certainly benefit from focusing more on the ballet training. That should help with controlling her arms and her posture!

Lena and Liza have been handing the Gold medals back and forth between the two of them all season long. And always alternating.

Lena won the GP event.
Liza won the GP final.
Lena won Russian Nationals.
Liza won Europeans.
Sooo... I have my bet placed for the world's gold :biggrin:

It does seem like it's only fitting for Lena to win Worlds, right? :biggrin: But two months is a long ways away--a lot can happen.

All the times that Lena and Liza have competed against each other this season, Lena has always skated first in the FS, and then it was basically up to Liza to deliver or come in 2nd. It will be interesting to see if Lena can stay consistent if she has to skate AFTER a perfect Liza.

Thanks CutieP for the Instagram photos! I know you were hoping to see Lena+Yulia, but the recent photos with Adelina/Elena have been super cute too! (Plus I can see little Miss Top Model in action.)

Here's a cute photo of Lena/Liza at the press conference:
http://instagram.com/p/yiAwQAshl1/?modal=true

Did you see them talking during the medal ceremony too? I hope they can remain friends.

@ Sandpiper, maybe it's just the heels, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's taller than Adelina by the time Worlds comes along, not at the rate that Lena seems to be growing!
 
I don't think Lena's axel is good enough to make 3A, but working on that jump and getting more height on the double could also be good for GOE. And Liza's consistency is likely to drop when she adds 3A (the energy it takes to do the jump, the mental toll, not to mention the hours spent practicing the axel in lieu of everything else).

To me, her 2A looked better today--sometimes she breaks at the waist at the landing (really noticeable at GPF), but not so today. I agree that the 3A is perhaps not realistic, but that interview with Goncharenko made me wonder if she's planning to have Lena train it at some point. In contrast, Lena seems to be able to pull a 3T out of nowhere, so if Liza starts bringing that 3A consistently, then maybe it might be more promising to try for a 4T....?

Though honestly, I think it would work better for her to capitalize on her performance ability, which is really unrivaled. She can clean up that posture, work on being more graceful, have deeper edges and more power, and deliver very clean, very beautiful and very entertaining performances. :love:
 

Well, I don't want to say too much about Liza in a thread about Lena, so I'll just say that kudos to Liza if she goes for it and lands it!

I come to this discussion as a *HUGE* Mao Asada fan--and I've felt that gut-wrenching, soul-crushing despair every time she went down on that opening 3A.

That's why it's been so novel for me to watch Lena. I'm so used to be super, super nervous during competitions, and riding the ups-and-downs of Mao's inconsistent career, that watching Lena be almost 100% perfect this year (100% perfect in the FS!) has been absolutely mind-boggling!

Maybe she'll lose that consistency over the next season or two, but the way that she fights for every jump--and almost always makes it work--is super impressive to me! :cheer:
 
@Batsuchan
I agree with you that Lena's LP music is a little too slow/soft, both for her and for the choreography. That's probably what I meant to say... Since I suggested a dark/dramatic SP next year, I do indeed think Lena can do serious--just a different kind of serious.

Her double axel does seem steadier than some of her teammates (Anna and Yulia come to mind). But I think she'll need a serious revamp in technique for a triple (or 4T for that matter, though the chance there could be a bit higher). Another option is going for the giant 3Lz-3Lo in the SP (with 3F as solo jump), but the tech panel seems to love downgrading those. For now, it's best not to worry about Liza's "boogeyman" 3A (it would be like Patrick Chan panicking because he saw the video of Yuzuru's 4Lo, and deciding not to come back because of that).

I think both girls will be focusing on the little details, because that's what will separate them come Worlds. Liza would be insane to try 3A at Worlds (on a scale of 0 to Mao, that would be going full-on Mao).

Lena's consistency is mind-boggling. I don't think even Michelle Kwan or Yuna Kim had so many clean performances in one season...
 
I think both girls will be focusing on the little details, because that's what will separate them come Worlds. Liza would be insane to try 3A at Worlds (on a scale of 0 to Mao, that would be going full-on Mao).

Lena's consistency is mind-boggling. I don't think even Michelle Kwan or Yuna Kim had so many clean performances in one season...

I totally agree that it would be insane for Liza to try a 3A at Worlds. So Lena's got to work on upping those GOEs. In the interview, she mentioned that she was going to work on the spins--that is a good idea I think. Although her final layback/Biellman spin gets +3 across the board, her other spins don't, and since she's a good spinner she could probably make some changes to up the GOE.

Granted, it has only been one season--but this year, Lena's mental toughness reminds me of Evgenia Kanaeva, arguably the greatest rhythmic gymnast of all time (at least in terms of titles).

On a totally unrelated note, I hope that Lena gets to go to the World Team Trophy! Japan loooves Lena, and since she enjoyed herself so much at the Japan Open, I bet she'd have fun going to WTT! :agree:

And another unrelated thought--since Lena is an Audrey Hepburn fan, one song that I'd love to see her skate to is "I could have danced all night" from "My fair lady." Maybe as an EX?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ezy50aY6Bg
 
I've been thinking about the 4T option for a long time. The 3T comes out "of nowhere" and with no speed, that you would imagine it's not impossible to pull a 4T with good speed and balance with a little training. Another "way to go" would be the three triples combo she mentioned last summer. And according to reports she even did it at Skate America practise earlier this season (or actually 2T+3T+3T+3T four jumps and also 2T+3T+3T). But I don't know how helpful this is and both of these options change the jump layout so much that I can't see it happening this season. I'm sure she will just aim to keep her consistency and improve GOE's for Worlds.

I like the Audrey Hepburn exh. idea:thumbsup:

Oh, and there was another picture in her instagram: http://instagram.com/p/yiR1vbwYfq
She looks very pretty and ready to spend a lovely evening:). I bet those are the same high heels that we decided she received for her birthday:yes:
Apparently that is the same place where some Nobel awards are presented.


It was interesting to know that Tuktamysheva's main rival is Helen radio news :rofl:
 
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Oh, and there was another picture in her instagram: http://instagram.com/p/yiR1vbwYfq
She looks very pretty and ready to spend a lovely evening:). I bet those are the same high heels that we decided she received for her birthday:yes:
Apparently that is the same place where some Nobel awards are presented.
My inner worried nanny is kicking in again. After seeing Elena's back taped, I almost wish she wouldn't wear the high heels so much... (I said the same thing about Liza at the RN draw). :hopelessness:

It was interesting to know that Tuktamysheva's main rival is Helen radio news :rofl:
:eek: Google, you have outdone yourself this time.
 
My inner worried nanny is kicking in again. After seeing Elena's back taped, I almost wish she wouldn't wear the high heels so much... (I said the same thing about Liza at the RN draw). :hopelessness:

Yes, though I don't think it's the high heels that are the problem...in the FS thread, someone said that her hip was taped too? :confused: I hope she takes some time to heal those injuries before Worlds. If she's growing as rapidly as it appears, then she probably needs to gain some more muscle to support that height...

An update: Just a couple of interesting pics:
The girls at the banquet: http://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8xznsMIgAAjy0g.jpg

YESSSS, the requisite Lena & Lena banquet pic. I was waiting for it! :biggrin:

Uploaded to YouTube Elena's gala performance from Euro's today:

2015 Europeans - Elena Radionova Gala (setting goes up to 1080p HD, but source is more like 720p)

sabinfire, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!! :bow: :bow: I can't thank you enough for uploading this video and all the others!

I guess Lena decided she likes this EX better than the Bodyguard one?
It's so rare to see her double a jump--I really hope she goes home and gets some rest!

Random observation--is Lena left-handed? It occurred to me while watching her EX that she holds the quill in her left hand, and I've seen her using her phone with her left hand before too...

One more thing to add--of course our little angel had sweet things to say about the Swedish skaters!
http://www.absoluteskating.com/index.php?cat=articles&id=2015euros-day4
At the press conference the Russian girls also said a few nice words about the Swedish sisters. "They are two very nice sisters, always smiley and kind. Although I haven't had the chance to talk to them they seem to be very good girls. They skate very nicely," Radionova emphasized.
 
Yes, though I don't think it's the high heels that are the problem...in the FS thread, someone said that her hip was taped too? :confused: I hope she takes some time to heal those injuries before Worlds. If she's growing as rapidly as it appears, then she probably needs to gain some more muscle to support that height...
Not saying the heels are the cause. That's unlikely, and she'd stop wearing them if so. But I heard wearing high heels often isn't good for your back in the long run? And they can slow down her recovery from injury.

I'm such a hypocrite though. I said during that gala that I'd love to see her hold that pearl position a bit longer when her back feels better. :laugh: What was I thinking...? Lena, take care of yourself and don't do crazy laybacks just for crazy fans like me.
 
:think: I never understand why ladies like high heels so much. Don't they feel hurt?
 
Random observation--is Lena left-handed? It occurred to me while watching her EX that she holds the quill in her left hand, and I've seen her using her phone with her left hand before too...

Yes, she is. There were some short videos at some vk account during Russian Nationals where you could see the skaters signing autographs. Lena was signing with her leftie
 
Lena + Chopin = Happy Sam-Skwantch :)

Absolute love!!! I still think her Zombie Ex. is my favorite but this one is really good too.
 
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