2016-17 State of Russian Ladies skating

[Sweet Dream]

Seems that Liza T. is losing the internal competitions for that Worlds spot. I think she/her team should stop revolving around the idea of 3A and start to work out a better solution to her real problems, for it is not the be-all and end-all of her skating. Hopefully my prediction proves wrong in the end.

 

[Tolstoj]

I'm a little upset about Anna's bronze: i thought her fs was the performance of the night, she has a better jumping technique than satoko, better speed and ice coverage, i think she lost that second place just because judges refused to call anything from Satoko's jumps.

Seems that Liza T. is losing the internal competitions for that Worlds spot. I think she/her team should stop revolving around the idea of 3A and start to work out a better solution to her real problems, for it is not the be-all and end-all of her skating. Hopefully my prediction proves wrong in the end.

Actually there are good news for her from the GPF.

Elena Radionova was so disappointing that she finished even below Masha Sotskova: i'm still thinking she is the third russian at the moment but with the 3A anything could change in favour to Liza.

About the 3A, she needs it at nationals: Liza doesn't have the skating quality of Anna Pogorilaya or Maria Sotskova or the grit of Zhenya or Lena, her spins are less than memorable, and her 3ltz-3t is not reliable.

 

[Ophelia]

I don't feel like Russian Nationals will be a bloodbath. Everyone apart from Med and Pogo (and maybe Sotskova?) have been struggling this season.

Funny how the cards fell. Back then, no one predicted Med and Pogo as #1 and #2.

 

[puremagic]

I don't feel like Russian Nationals will be a bloodbath. Everyone apart from Med and Pogo (and maybe Sotskova?) have been struggling this season.

Yep. Tukt, Radio, Lip - all have problems. But at least Evgenia will fight with juniors. I wish only that Polina will recover to Nationals. But it's unlikely. :sad4:

 

[hanca]

I don't feel like Russian Nationals will be a bloodbath. Everyone apart from Med and Pogo (and maybe Sotskova?) have been struggling this season.

Funny how the cards fell. Back then, no one predicted Med and Pogo as #1 and #2.

It will be a bloodbath because the best juniors will be there too. Even if they are not eligible for Europeans/worlds, it still wouldn't look good for any of the seniors to be sent to Europeans/worlds as a skater that finished perhaps sixth at the Russian nationals (third eligible). I can imagine that some of the juniors may do pretty well at the senior nationals, so if the seniors don't step up, it can very well happen.

 

[Lipea]

I don't feel like Russian Nationals will be a bloodbath. Everyone apart from Med and Pogo (and maybe Sotskova?) have been struggling this season.

Funny how the cards fell. Back then, no one predicted Med and Pogo as #1 and #2.

Radionova can get more serious with her training and push for two clean skates, as she usually does very well at home.
Also, it will be certainly a bloodbath for senior-ineligible girls. Too many extremely strong ones there.
I also find it funny how unpredictable things are. Back then Medved was always behind Sima, and now hwell: These things just prove that at least in sports the discipline and the will are more important than initial abilities.

 

[andromache]

Radionova can get more serious with her training and push for two clean skates, as she usually does very well at home.
Also, it will be certainly a bloodbath for senior-ineligible girls. Too many extremely strong ones there.
I also find it funny how unpredictable things are. Back then Medved was always behind Sima, and now hwell: These things just prove that at least in sports the discipline and the will are more important than initial abilities.

I mean, I think it's a little unfair to imply that Sima has had a less successful career than Evgenia due to a lack of "discipline and will" (unless there have been statements made by people in the know regarding a lack of training or discipline from Sima, that is). Some times no matter how hard you work, things go wrong that are out of your control (body changes, bad jump technique learned as a child, etc.)

 

[Sweet Dream]

I'm a little upset about Anna's bronze: i thought her fs was the performance of the night, she has a better jumping technique than satoko, better speed and ice coverage, i think she lost that second place just because judges refused to call anything from Satoko's jumps.

Actually there are good news for her from the GPF.

Elena Radionova was so disappointing that she finished even below Masha Sotskova: i'm still thinking she is the third russian at the moment but with the 3A anything could change in favour to Liza.

About the 3A, she needs it at nationals: Liza doesn't have the skating quality of Anna Pogorilaya or Maria Sotskova or the grit of Zhenya or Lena, her spins are less than memorable, and her 3ltz-3t is not reliable.

I think the judging here is fair. Although her jumps are low and small, Miyahara skated much better than Anna in the FS, who seems to be always lagging behind the music throughout the routine, besides a few insecure landings on her jumps. I always consider Satoko a fierce force to be reckoned with when competing against those top girls for Worlds medals. Just like the dance couple S/S, she is always solid as a rock at competitions, although not many people like her jumps, but we have to admit that her skating quality is very nice.

As for Liza, I think she is a much better skater than Elena technically, but artistically I don't know. I do hate to see Elena's awkward skating, always. I agree that grit is a very precious quality, but it should not cover up her glaring skating flaws as usual. That Liza cannot cope with the SP properly is a real problem for her. Pushing for the 3A is not a good solution, because its success rate at practice is still a question mark. To avoid getting injured again, she has to take her time with it. If Liza failed again to make the Worlds team in the end, I must be mad!

Lastly I want to say that Evgenia is a great & respectable World Champion. Her nerves of steel at the Final event are remarkable! Very well done!

 

[Imagine]

I really can't trust the year 2016 anymore. Watch as the Worlds/Euros Team somehow becomes Sakhanovich, Sotnikova, and Leonova.

 

[coldblueeyes]

I do think Medvedeva and Pogorilaya secured their spots for the second part of the season, barring a capital D Disaster in Nationals. The third spot is easier to grab for Sotskova and Radionova, but if one of the other girls manages to get third, or even second place at Nationals, they could get a nod to compete. But I think this year is not the blood battle that will become the next one, with more and more girls turning senior for the Olympics.

 

[moriel]

Imho nationals still will be a bloodbath
First, there are the junior ladies who can spoil things a lot.
Second, the third spot is still up to grabs, and there are about 4 ladies competing for it.

 

[Totentanz]

Looks like Russian ladies will have no problem getting three spots for the olympics! It was horrible when Russia had only two spots for Sochi with many amazing talented ladies there.

Ladies event at the Russian Nationals is always something I'm looking forward! This season the first two is pretty much set and Sotskova is the strongest one for third.

 

[[email protected]]

Ladies event at the Russian Nationals is always something I'm looking forward! This season the first two is pretty much set and Sotskova is the strongest one for third.

I would argue that Zagitova can get more than 210 and we don't know if Tsurskaya who never lost to Sotskova last season is going to recover.

Clean Gubanova will easily have 205+ as well.

But I agree that among seniors Sotskova's place looks quite solid. What she needs is reputation and getting a Euro medal after GPF where she was not the last will help it a lot before the worlds.

 

[Totentanz]

I would argue that Zagitova can get more than 210 and we don't know if Tsurskaya who never lost to Sotskova last season is going to recover.

Clean Gubanova will easily have 205+ as well.

But I agree that among seniors Sotskova's place looks quite solid. What she needs is reputation and getting a Euro medal after GPF where she was not the last will help it a lot before the worlds.

I meant Sotskova looks to be the strongest for the third spot in team among seniors. I agree that Euros would be great experience cause there will be really little competition for the bronze, mainly from Kostner. Caroline is Maria's idol of figure skating, too.

 

[moriel]

Also Sotskova looked pretty shy and scared on her first senior events, but now she seems to be gaining confidence. Which will be a major difference

 

[luckyguy]

It will be a bloodbath because the best juniors will be there too. Even if they are not eligible for Europeans/worlds, it still wouldn't look good for any of the seniors to be sent to Europeans/worlds as a skater that finished perhaps sixth at the Russian nationals (third eligible). I can imagine that some of the juniors may do pretty well at the senior nationals, so if the seniors don't step up, it can very well happen.

It would not be for the first time. For example the 2012 Russian Championships:

1. Sotnikova (not eligible)
2. Lipnitskaya (not eligible)
3. Leonova
4. Makarova
5. Radionova (not eligible)
6. Tuktamysheva (not eligible)
7. Korobeynikova

Leonova, Makarova and Korobeynikova were then at the European Championships.

 

[Tolstoj]

My early prediction:

1) E. Medvedeva
2) A. Pogorilaya
3) A. Zagitova
4) M. Sotskova
5) E. Radionova
6) L. Tuktamysheva

News from Lipnitskaia and Polina?

 

[kalee]

Since Tsurskaya is injured, it's likely that Zagitova would be the main spoiler among the juniors for the #3 spot. Gubanova is still less consistent than Sotskova and I dare say Radionova who usually manages to land her jumps no matter how unpretty it looks. But Gubanova and Tsurskaya (even if not at 100%) will probably put Liza T. under real pressure, she could come out as #4 or #5 overall in a best-case scenario but might end up at #8 if unlucky that day.

Then the next tier vying for #9 - #12 would be Nugumanova, Konstantinova, Fedichkina and Leonova (all of whom have score 185+ internationally this season already!!)

And then Sakhanovich, Lozko (if allowed to compete), Ogoreltseva, Mikhailova, and Artemieva / Kolomiets (all scoring in the 150+ - 160+ band)

Lip is a total wild card who could end up anywhere, due to her current lack of fitness in the FS, would guess her to be somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd tiers.

 

[hanca]

Why should Lozko be allowed to compete? She did not qualify. She had two different opportunities/ routes to qualify and she did not manage either way. She did only one Russian cup event, so she didn't qualify though Russian cups, and she did not get to JGPF.

 

[kalee]

Lozko did not compete at 5th stage Russian cup because she skated at an event in China. Saw some speculations on her fan thread about whether the Fed would allow her to compete at senior Nats given those circumstances (her participation in that China event) but I'm with you that it should be an "if", and that the next skaters in line from Russian Cup (Kolomiets or Gracheva?) should be given due consideration too.