2017-18 State of Russian Ladies skating

[Bluediamonds09]

Oh no!! We’re already forgetting about the “Ghost” girl in her sky blue dress and gloves!!! Is she competing anymore this season?

She needs to switch countries like, yesterday.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Oh no Tarakanova please be okay please please please!!

 

[Shayuki]

Thanks!
That’s interesting. Is Russia the only country doing all these different figure skating competitions? I think it’s great; it keeps them on their toes.
So it starts this Monday?

They probably have the most, I can't imagine another country having as many! A good amount of the pre-junior skaters might skate at about 2 competitions per month and usually, there's some sort of a competition going on almost every day. And while the vast majority of them aren't very high level, even the middling levels in Russian ladies' skating standards are quite strong.

On the more or less major competitions:

This week there was the St Petersburg championships where in juniors Nugumanova unfortunately came in 4th - Sofia Moroz won. Next week there will of course be the elder age Moscow championships, and then the week after will be younger age Russia championships. 2 weeks after that will be the elder age Russia championships.

Elder age looks to be extraordinarily strong this season... At least if Tarakanova can participate.

 

[atsumiri]

Alas, Tarakanova and Istomina withdrew: https://www.sportvokrug.ru/competitions/3719/ (see right column). Probably injuries or cold.

it doesn't really mean anything.
There're a lot of skaters was removed from the preliminary list. just from sambo
Tarakanova
Fominova
Frolov Artem
Skirda
Davis Diana-Varlamov Fedor

Sometimes they just write down everyone on these lists and then decided who will participate and who not.

 

[[email protected]]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeNBESMHSzd/?taken-by=zasport


BTW, why no Bosco any more?

Strange but no comments so far on the inappropriateness for underage teenagers to participate in photo sessions like that.

As for Bosco, they made a statement that they don't want to have anything with IOC any longer.

 

[madison]

Strange but no comments so far on the inappropriateness for underage teenagers to participate in photo sessions like that.

As for Bosco, they made a statement that they don't want to have anything with IOC any longer.

There were a lot of comments here, on the Russian forum, even on the Vogue Russia Instagram.

 

[vitamintea]

So I'm new to watching figure skating (started in the last year or so) and have really loved following the sport! But there are some questions I have that maybe someone with more knowledge can answer. I want to watch Junior Worlds and it seems like the Russian ladies are dominant! But why is Stanislava Konstantinova competing here and not at the seniors level? She's older than Alina! Is it because she was injured and is recuperating?

 

[Grin]

So I'm new to watching figure skating (started in the last year or so) and have really loved following the sport! But there are some questions I have that maybe someone with more knowledge can answer. I want to watch Junior Worlds and it seems like the Russian ladies are dominant! But why is Stanislava Konstantinova competing here and not at the seniors level? She's older than Alina! Is it because she was injured and is recuperating?

No one knows for sure, why she stayed in juniors for so long.
But if I were Ru Fed, it would be Trusova, Kostornaya and Sherbakova

 

[Shayuki]

So I'm new to watching figure skating (started in the last year or so) and have really loved following the sport! But there are some questions I have that maybe someone with more knowledge can answer. I want to watch Junior Worlds and it seems like the Russian ladies are dominant! But why is Stanislava Konstantinova competing here and not at the seniors level? She's older than Alina! Is it because she was injured and is recuperating?

My opinion is that she shouldn't be in juniors at all. If I had to think of a reason, it might be that she hasn't scored highly enough to guarantee herself some senior grand prix spots so it'd be a waste to move to seniors full time. She has been doing senior challenger events. What I'd like to know though is why she is even sent to jr worlds. Last year she scored 160 points and there's no reason why this year would be different. There were half a dozen stronger skaters but they overscored her massively at jr. nationals. Can only wait and see at this point.

No one knows for sure, why she stayed in juniors for so long.
But if I were Ru Fed, it would be Trusova, Kostornaya and Sherbakova

:agree:

 

[madison]

So I'm new to watching figure skating (started in the last year or so) and have really loved following the sport! But there are some questions I have that maybe someone with more knowledge can answer. I want to watch Junior Worlds and it seems like the Russian ladies are dominant! But why is Stanislava Konstantinova competing here and not at the seniors level? She's older than Alina! Is it because she was injured and is recuperating?

To begin with, she started to skate around 7 years old, pretty late for figure skaters.
And she didn't have enough good results in juniors.

 

[lavenderblossom]

No one knows for sure, why she stayed in juniors for so long.
But if I were Ru Fed, it would be Trusova, Kostornaya and Sherbakova

I think Schcherbakova can't go anyway because she hasn't competed internationally to get the minimum TES It should be Gubanova instead of Konstantinova.

 

[Shayuki]

I think Schcherbakova can't go anyway because she hasn't competed internationally to get the minimum TES It should be Gubanova instead of Konstantinova.

There's that sort of a thing for juniors as well? Hmm, well according to the nationals that's true, though Gubanova's never skated a stronger skate than this one by Shcherbakova.

The good news is that this way, we can actually see Shcherbakova already tomorrow! Too bad it's not going to be until late afternoon. Luckily, there's going to be another competition that same day which would have Melkumova(among others) skating in the morning already. Hopefully that one's streamed, also(Moscow's Elder age championships better be).

 

[NaVi]

So I'm new to watching figure skating (started in the last year or so) and have really loved following the sport! But there are some questions I have that maybe someone with more knowledge can answer. I want to watch Junior Worlds and it seems like the Russian ladies are dominant! But why is Stanislava Konstantinova competing here and not at the seniors level? She's older than Alina! Is it because she was injured and is recuperating?

She's a bit of a late bloomer... she only started getting good results when she was 15(Alina's age). I used to think she had a lot of potential, but she's too inconsistent. She rarely ever skates cleanly. I honestly can't think of a time she ever skated her FS cleanly. I think she's a bit overrated. She could have skated on the senior grand prix this season but purposely opted to stay junior. Anyone 18 and under can skate as a junior. Kaori Sakamoto(2017), Gracie Gold(2012), Agnes Zawadzki(2011) were all 16 when they won a world junior medal. In 2009, Alena Leonova was 18 and Ashley Wagner was months away from turning 18 when they won gold and bronze respectively.

 

[Shayuki]

What I've never understood is what exactly Konstantinova is supposed to be good at. I guess she "flirts with the audience" and has that Sotnikova-style expression plastered on her face, but I can't sense a hint of musicality. She's a very slow skater with shallow edges. Her transitions are extremely weak and almost nonexistent in comparison to any Eteri girl for example. Her jumps are "impressive" somehow I hear, even though actual frame-by-frame tests show that her air time is below even Medvedeva's or Zagitova's and neither are exactly huge jumpers. She also has underrotation issues and frequently has poor landings. She in addition never skates clean competitions. I just have never understood why she even is in these conversations instead of having the status of someone like Sofia Istomina. Who I actually prefer watching over Konstantinova, go figure.

 

[Lily flowers]

What I've never understood is what exactly Konstantinova is supposed to be good at. I guess she "flirts with the audience" and has that Sotnikova-style expression plastered on her face, but I can't sense a hint of musicality. She's a very slow skater with shallow edges. Her transitions are extremely weak and almost nonexistent in comparison to any Eteri girl for example. Her jumps are "impressive" somehow I hear, even though actual frame-by-frame tests show that her air time is below even Medvedeva's or Zagitova's and neither are exactly huge jumpers. She also has underrotation issues and frequently has poor landings. She in addition never skates clean competitions. I just have never understood why she even is in these conversations instead of having the status of someone like Sofia Istomina. Who I actually prefer watching over Konstantinova, go figure.

I’m curious, out of Zhenya and Alina, who has more air time?

 

[Shayuki]

I’m curious, out of Zhenya and Alina, who has more air time?

Alina, outside of the Salchow which for Medvedeva is rather huge. And I guess Medvedeva sometimes has more air time on her flip but performing it as the first move is quite different from performing it all the way back when Zagitova does. Alina also rotates faster but that we already knew.


Agh, it's come to my attention that Veronika Zhilina actually did a ratified 3S at the age of 8 years and 9 months. So she too is a 8yo triple jumper. Maybe that's not such a special achievement anymore. I wonder who's going to become the first 7yo triple jumper...

 

[lavenderblossom]

What I've never understood is what exactly Konstantinova is supposed to be good at. I guess she "flirts with the audience" and has that Sotnikova-style expression plastered on her face, but I can't sense a hint of musicality. She's a very slow skater with shallow edges. Her transitions are extremely weak and almost nonexistent in comparison to any Eteri girl for example. Her jumps are "impressive" somehow I hear, even though actual frame-by-frame tests show that her air time is below even Medvedeva's or Zagitova's and neither are exactly huge jumpers. She also has underrotation issues and frequently has poor landings. She in addition never skates clean competitions. I just have never understood why she even is in these conversations instead of having the status of someone like Sofia Istomina. Who I actually prefer watching over Konstantinova, go figure.

I thought Konstantinova was decently fast, no speed demon but at her best she is definitely not slow. I agree her jumps are poor, I think her height (being 17 she's much taller than the other junior ladies) makes her jumps look bigger and more powerful than they really are. Also, although they're not high, I think they do have good distance.
(I feel like we bash her so much in here for beong overscored, we forget she does have some good qualities.)

 

[Elucidus]

Well, if she skated under USA/Canada/any nonrussian-nonjapanese flag - she would be percieved as really decent skater and I am sure we would hear much less bashing about her)

 

[skatenewbie]

Aside from her being overscored, i want to give her a prop since she finally skate 2 clean FS in both senior and junior nats. If clean in both SP and FS (which is yet happen for her) in JWC she might medal bronze? It is small but possible. Back then its not make any sense to pick her but now she showed that she can skate clean she prove it. Well i'd still prefer Gubanova by far for JWC but lets not hope Konstantinova bomb in JWC

 

[stolbovadivas]

Konstantinova doesnt do it for me either, and I have seen her skate many times. I find several of the Russian juniors more promising than she is.