2016-17 State of Russian Ladies skating

[hippomoomin]

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.

I cannot agree more. Anna needs better luck, and favor from judges. She should have got Silver at Worlds, but lost to Ashley due to home cooking, and she should be Silver at GFP, lost to Satoko because judges refused to see under rotated jumps. It is just very unfair to other skaters, not just Anna.

 

[mrrice]

I cannot agree more. Anna needs better luck, and favor from judges. She should have got Silver at Worlds, but lost to Ashley due to home cooking, and she should be Silver at GFP, lost to Satoko because judges refused to see under rotated jumps. It is just very unfair to other skaters, not just Anna.

I LOVED Anna at Worlds last year. As an American who was Obsessed with Maria B. I find several similarities between Anna and Maria. I confess that I did not follow Anna's career and she was not on my radar at Worlds. That changed during her SP and though it might offend some people, she really reminds of Maria Butyrskaya as she is both sophisticated and sexy. When I say that, it means that I truly believe that Anna, like Maria, will be the World Champion. Hopefully, she won't have to wait as long as Maria did but, if she's patient, I really believe it will happen.

 

[winky97]

I LOVED Anna at Worlds last year. As an American who is Obsessed with Maria B. I find several similarities between Anna and Maria. I confess that I did not follow Anna's career and she was not on my radar at Worlds. That changed during her SP and though it might offend some people, she really reminds of Maria Butyrskaya as she is both sophisticated and sexy. When I say that, it means that I truly believe that Anna, like Maria, will be the World Champion. Hopefully, she won't have to wait as long as Maria did but, if she's patient, I really believe it will happen.

Interesting that she reminds u of Maria B. I actually get a Katarina Witt vibe with Anna. She has actually grown on me. It started at Worlds during practice and its carrying over. I like her grown up skating. Ironically, I did not care for Witt. Go figure.

 

[mrrice]

Interesting that she reminds u of Maria B. I actually get a Katarina Witt vide with Anna. She has actually grown on me. It started at Worlds during practice and its carrying over. I like her grown up skating. Ironically, I did not care for Witt. Go figure.

It's very interesting that you'd say that because that's exactly what I thought of Maria when I first saw her. In fact, I think I called her the Russian Katt. Because she was soooooo sexy and the fact that she could skate so well was just a bonus.....

Trust me when I say that for me to look.....She had to have something extra. It doesn't have to be in the tech department, but their has to be an air of confidence about a skater. Maria B. could have crashed into a wall and it wouldn't have mattered. I was Hooked. The same go's for Plushy. He could have been in last place and I still would have picked him out for greatness. There was just something about him that told me to keep track of him. Even when he was very young. Similar to Alexander Abt. I just knew.....

 

[Tolstoj]

I cannot agree more. Anna needs better luck, and favor from judges. She should have got Silver at Worlds, but lost to Ashley due to home cooking, and she should be Silver at GFP, lost to Satoko because judges refused to see under rotated jumps. It is just very unfair to other skaters, not just Anna.

2014 Worlds she finished fourth because judges pushed Kostner's scores. (since that could have been her last competition)

At the end those are still medals but i don't like how judges are always so ready to screw her, even this season where she came at GPF with two gold medals and she beated Miyahara at NHK by a clear 12 points margin.

 

[moriel]

2014 Worlds she finished fourth because judges pushed Kostner's scores. (since that could have been her last competition)

At the end those are still medals but i don't like how judges are always so ready to screw her, even this season where she came at GPF with two gold medals and she beated Miyahara at NHK by a clear 12 points margin.

I think it will be slowly fixed as she builds a reputation. At least i hope so.
Many people still wait a splatfest disaster from her at any point.

 

[andromache]

Anna is my girl, and while I don't think she's ever been seriously wuzrobbed, it's clear the judges are giving her Russian #2 marks and holding her back because she isn't truly contending for Russian #1 (she and Evgenia are not neck and neck in results).

I'm excited for her World medal prospects this year. It's completely impossible, but IMO politically speaking, Russian fed should try to send her as National champion. If they say "wow, Anna beat the best in the world," judges will be more willing to consider her as being close to Evgenia in marks. Just an unlikely thought!

I worry about Anna's Olympic prospects. She could be an even better skater next year and still lose out to an Eteri Olympic team of Evgenia, Polina, and Alina.

 

[Ares]

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.

Konstantinova is my black horse. Watch her slay!

 

[Tutto]

I was a bit shocked by Anna's bronze but at least she still has a medal unlike my other favourite, Kaetlyn. I am sure Anna will use her disappointment (if any) as motivation to work even harder. There are some areas she could work on - some spins positions, long set-up for jumps,arm movements. But she is a delight to watch. Her progress over the years was so 'honest' - she's just kept improving in all areas gradually. I so hope she will win WC this year. Go Anna!

 

[Tutto]

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

She indeed looked very composed at GPF. I see now why Buianova chose her (and refused Anna btw) she is so consistent, it must be a welcome change for Buianova after a many years struggle with Adelina's inconsistency (not that it was not rewarded in the end) her happiness in K&C was nice to see...
Maria needs speed badly, I don't get it why it is a problem for her, I thought it is much easier for tall skaters to accelerate speed (Carolina!) but clearly there is more to it than just long legs

 

[Crossover]

Konstantinova is my black horse. Watch her slay!

Here are things about her for me. She has really bad postures and jumping techniques although she doesn't have seemingly evident edge issues or UR. However her back is hunched most of the time during her programs especially when she lands her jumps. Her jump landings are really wobbly and her free leg is sloppy in the air.

However, she has something that I can't take my eyes off.....like a guilty pleasure? There are tons of talented Russian juniors, but she is really intriguing among them. She is like a long lost Stolbova's sister appearance-wise. While her pantomime-ridden program didn't bother me, she doesn't have great musicality. On the other hand, I never paid attention Stolbova until Sochi when her icy cold diva qualities became evident. Konstantinova doesn't have such a presence yet, but she is still interesting to watch for whatever reason that I don't apprehend. She also reminds me of Rika Hongo a bit. I don't know she can survive from the deep domestic field, but I hope to see her in senior GP series.

 

[luckyguy]

I LOVED Anna at Worlds last year. As an American who was Obsessed with Maria B. I find several similarities between Anna and Maria. I confess that I did not follow Anna's career and she was not on my radar at Worlds. That changed during her SP and though it might offend some people, she really reminds of Maria Butyrskaya as she is both sophisticated and sexy. When I say that, it means that I truly believe that Anna, like Maria, will be the World Champion. Hopefully, she won't have to wait as long as Maria did but, if she's patient, I really believe it will happen.

I think that Pogo is a much better jumper than Butyrskaya, whom I loved too, with her URs was.

 

[TGee]

She indeed looked very composed at GPF. I see now why Buianova chose her (and refused Anna btw) she is so consistent, it must be a welcome change for Buianova after a many years struggle with Adelina's inconsistency (not that it was not rewarded in the end) her happiness in K&C was nice to see...
Maria needs speed badly, I don't get it why it is a problem for her, I thought it is much easier for tall skaters to accelerate speed (Carolina!) but clearly there is more to it than just long legs

Long legs can give incredible speed and gorgeous deep edges. As I mentioned earlier, watching the long legs and deep edges of the really tall male ice dancers such as Andrew Poje or Guillaume Cizeron gives a good gauge of the possible [men having relatively shorter legs to torso ratio, so they have to be super tall to get the same effect...]

But the struggles of the really tall male ice dancers with twizzles also reveal that height, with longer axis and higher centre of gravity, can put balance on a knife edge.

My conclusion is that really tall women can get the speed with gorgeous edges like Carolina Kostner, but really that they are obliged to up the level of their SS to keep in control. Potential for greatness: yes. Easier: not so much.

But bring on the taller ladies please. They tend to be the later developers anyway, and it is an advantage in an early specialization sport like figure skating. Let's hope that the system will let the taller ones, including Masha and now Elena Radionova, have the time and opportunity to reach their potential...

 

[[email protected]]

OK, I bought 2 tickets and we are flying to Chelyabinsk with my wife. So far it is just Saturday - pairs and ladies FP. May be we shall get tickets for the gala from black dealers on spot. As usual, you could expect live reports from me.

 

[NaVi]

I wish more of the Russian ladies would work with different choreographers for the SP and LP(at least early on in their careers) and then for every season for at least one of their programs work with someone they've previously worked with before. There's this idea that a new choreographer will bring in a new perspective but just as often it seems that shopping for new choreographers leads to new programs that are stereotypes of the skater's previous choreographer's work.

IMO, Liza, Yulia, and Elena have been a little hampered by switching choreographers. Personally, I prefer Evgenia's programs with Zhulin and and don't really like her going all in with Averbukh(maybe I'm seeing things, but her movements in her Zhulin programs seem a bit "softer").

 

[Tolstoj]

However, she has something that I can't take my eyes off.....like a guilty pleasure? There are tons of talented Russian juniors, but she is really intriguing among them. She is like a long lost Stolbova's sister appearance-wise. While her pantomime-ridden program didn't bother me, she doesn't have great musicality. On the other hand, I never paid attention Stolbova until Sochi when her icy cold diva qualities became evident. Konstantinova doesn't have such a presence yet, but she is still interesting to watch for whatever reason that I don't apprehend. She also reminds me of Rika Hongo a bit. I don't know she can survive from the deep domestic field, but I hope to see her in senior GP series.

I do like her short programs a lot: very russian style, and i think it suits her style way more than the FS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHwepHg5njE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bmjZcyVh4

She looks more a short program skater though, not a good sign in Russia when you have so many other junior skaters already capable to skate cleanly the free skate even backloading all the jumps.

 

[matcha]

I worry about Anna's Olympic prospects. She could be an even better skater next year and still lose out to an Eteri Olympic team of Evgenia, Polina, and Alina.

Don't even put that out there! Lalala not listening!

 

[Sugarpova]

OK, I bought 2 tickets and we are flying to Chelyabinsk with my wife. So far it is just Saturday - pairs and ladies FP. May be we shall get tickets for the gala from black dealers on spot. As usual, you could expect live reports from me.

be sure to be caught on camera a la Rostelecom :cool2: I'll be watching for you in the audience
Too bad you're not going to dance
I need live report of the glorious SKIZ battle!!!

 

[moriel]

Don't even put that out there! Lalala not listening!

Maybe it is not that serious after all. While its a possibility, we are still to see how those ladies cope with puberty, growth and with turning senior.

 

[pororocheburashka]

What's going on with Maria Artemieva? She will not take part at the following Russian championship (and she was elegible) and she is not injured. Where is she going next? Which country? (rumours seems real)