2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

[yoloaxel]

Excited to see how the rivalry between Medvedeva and Zagitova will evolve next year, and also to see Polina again!

 

[atsumiri]

TOP 24 - Season Bests Total Scores 2017/2018
11 - Russian girls (7 Eteri girls)
7 - Japanise girls
2 - Canadian girls
1 - Italian girl
1 - USA girl
1 - KAZ girl
1 - Korean girl

1 239.57 Alina ZAGITOVA RUS XXIII Olympic Winter Games 2018 23.02.2018
2 238.26 Evgenia MEDVEDEVA RUS XXIII Olympic Winter Games 2018 23.02.2018
3 231.02 Kaetlyn OSMOND CAN XXIII Olympic Winter Games 2018 23.02.2018
4 225.52 Alexandra TRUSOVA RUS ISU World Junior Championships 2018 10.03.2018
5 222.38 Satoko MIYAHARA JPN XXIII Olympic Winter Games 2018 23.02.2018
6 217.63 Wakaba HIGUCHI JPN ISU CS Lombardia Trophy 2017 15.09.2017
7 216.28 Maria SOTSKOVA RUS ISU Grand Prix Final 2017/18 09.12.2017
8 215.98 Carolina KOSTNER ITA ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2017 21.10.2017
9 214.21 Kaori SAKAMOTO JPN ISU Four Continents Championships 2018 26.01.2018
10 210.57 Mai MIHARA JPN ISU Four Continents Championships 2018 26.01.2018
11 210.19 Polina TSURSKAYA RUS ISU GP NHK Trophy 2017 12.11.2017
12 207.39 Alena KOSTORNAIA RUS ISU World Junior Championships 2018 10.03.2018
13 206.82 Elena RADIONOVA RUS ISU GP Audi Cup of China 2017 05.11.2017
14 204.10 Bradie TENNELL USA ISU GP Skate America 2017 26.11.2017
15 200.98 Elizabet TURSYNBAEVA KAZ ISU GP Internationaux de France 2017 19.11.2017
16 199.68 Stanislava KONSTANTINOVA RUS ISU CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 2017 08.12.2017
17 199.64 Anastasia TARAKANOVA RUS ISU Junior Grand Prix Final 2017/18 09.12.2017
18 199.26 Dabin CHOI KOR XXIII Olympic Winter Games 2018 23.02.2018
19 198.42 Marin HONDA JPN ISU CS US Internat. FS Classic 2017 16.09.2017
20 196.83 Gabrielle DALEMAN CAN ISU GP Audi Cup of China 2017 05.11.2017
21 196.68 Elizaveta TUKTAMYSHEVA RUS ISU GP Audi Cup of China 2017 05.11.2017
22 196.55 Daria PANENKOVA RUS ISU JGP Baltic Cup 2017 06.10.2017
23 195.56 Yura MATSUDA JPN ISU CS Lombardia Trophy 2017 15.09.2017
24 195.17 Mako YAMASHITA JPN ISU World Junior Championships 2018 10.03.2018

 

[Scott512]

What?! Yet another Russian competition? Maybe this is why so many of the girls are consistent. Anyway, nooooo, Alisa can’t be done yet!!!

What, Alina zagitova will be called Olympic champion for the next four years and that's a hell of a lot better but since being called world champion. She is also better than Yulia Lipnitskaya or Adelina Sotnikova she's better than every Russian Lady skater ever accept Medvedeva. Eteri will be coach of the girl they call Olympic champion the next 4 years and if she pushes Zagitova to the side or gets rid of her she will severely damage her reputation as a coach. Alina may want to make a change at some point. Only time will tell. But for now the coach will be very happy coaching Medvedeva Zagitova and the great junior girls they have.

 

[edten2]

Excited to see how the rivalry between Medvedeva and Zagitova will evolve next year, and also to see Polina again!

I kind of feel like Medvedevas "foot injury" has something to do with the defeats she suffered lately against her training partner. She was so dominant for so long, that this was something she never experienced and it hurt way more than it seems, I think. I think thats part of the reason why she withdrew honestly. I don't think she would have withdrawn had she won the olympics.

I wonder what happens next season, I just can't see Medvedeva cope with the fact being defeated every time next season. I hope she won't retire by saying its because of an "injury".

 

[yoloaxel]

I kind of feel like Medvedevas "foot injury" has something to do with the defeats she suffered lately against her training partner. She was so dominant for so long, that this was something she never experienced and it hurt way more than it seems, I think. I think thats part of the reason why she withdrew honestly. I don't think she would have withdrawn had she won the olympics.

I wonder what happens next season, I just can't see Medvedeva cope with the fact being defeated every time next season.

Yes, she limped her way through NHK, allowed Zagitova to get higher PCS+momentum in her absence, walked around in a cast for a month to make people believe her foot was injured, missed out on the chance to become 3 times World Champion all because her feelings were hurt. Makes perfect sense. Stop it with this utter nonsense.

 

[volk]

What, Alina zagitova will be called Olympic champion for the next four years and that's a hell of a lot better but since being called world champion. She is also better than Yulia Lipnitskaya or Adelina Sotnikova she's better than every Russian Lady skater ever accept Medvedeva. Eteri will be coach of the girl they call Olympic champion the next 4 years and if she pushes Zagitova to the side or gets rid of her she will severely damage her reputation as a coach. Alina may want to make a change at some point. Only time will tell. But for now the coach will be very happy coaching Medvedeva Zagitova and the great junior girls they have.

She's not better than Slutskaya

 

[Lily flowers]

So apparently a stress fracture to the foot takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal, Zhenya took some time off but then came back to train for Russian nationals, which she was not allowed to go to later, but kept training for Euros and the Olympics afterwards obviously. She never got a chance to heal properly, and I’m not surprised the pain came back.
I have absolutely no idea why people choose to doubt her injury, it’s real.

 

[MissBeeFarm]

So apparently a stress fracture to the foot takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal, Zhenya took some time off but then came back to train for Russian nationals, which she was not allowed to go to later, but kept training for Euros and the Olympics afterwards obviously. She never got a chance to heal properly, and I’m not surprised the pain came back.
I have absolutely no idea why people choose to doubt her injury, it’s real.

Because people like to create drama with baseless speculation.

I have every faith Zhenya will let her skating skills speak for herself next season, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

 

[edten2]

So apparently a stress fracture to the foot takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal, Zhenya took some time off but then came back to train for Russian nationals, which she was not allowed to go to later, but kept training for Euros and the Olympics afterwards obviously. She never got a chance to heal properly, and I’m not surprised the pain came back.
I have absolutely no idea why people choose to doubt her injury, it’s real.

I think that the defeats just unintentional affect Medvedeva. I don't mean she's making those injuries up. I just think that it psychologically affects her injury more than it would had she won the olympics.

 

[curious]

Yes, she limped her way through NHK, allowed Zagitova to get higher PCS+momentum in her absence, walked around in a cast for a month to make people believe her foot was injured, missed out on the chance to become 3 times World Champion all because her feelings were hurt. Makes perfect sense. Stop it with this utter nonsense.

Yes and also manage to give three unforgettable clean performances at the olys with a broken foot. Who else would have done that really. The girl is truly one of the best ever.

 

[ejnsofi]

I think that the defeats just unintentional affect Medvedeva. I don't mean she's making those injuries up. I just think that it psychologically affects her injury more than it would had she won the olympics.

The hell?! Do you really think that if she won Olys her foot would have healed in some miraculous way and she would have attended the Worlds

 

[curious]

You're more dramatic than puremagic and that's saying something...

So true. Nothing but a wishful thinking on his or her part lol.

 

[Scott512]

She's not better than Slutskaya

Its close.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Do you guys think Konstantinova is done for after what happened at worlds?

I hope so, but it looks like she's TAT's darling. They'd go as far as to jeopardise 3 spots to have her at both junior and senior worlds, so you never know...
As someone commented on YouTube before the video was taken down, I want to find someone who loves me as unconditionally as the Russian skating federation loves Konstantinova.

 

[Elucidus]

I heard some info from several sources about Konstantinova's father being some big shot in russian military/government. So.. it explains everything.

Also, I don't quite understand the GP system about skaters with only 1 spot. Will they have chance to gain second spot if they'll get 1st place in the event, for example - or it doesn't matter? 0_0 And if they will get 2nd spot - what about other skaters with guaranteed 2 spots - someone from them had to lose the spot to make place for lucky 1-spot skater? 0_0

 

[plushyfan]

After what happened yesterday, Eteri is not going to let Zagitova see the light of day ever again, Zagitova's career is pretty much over... She will follow in the footsteps of Lipnitskaya...

OMG! How can you say that? She lost only a competition she had a bad day!

 

[thedude]

I think the world's showed that pretty much every skater is emotionally and physically spent. Evgenia was emotionally spent after her free skate at the Olympics. When she broke down immediately after her fs and had her heart ripped out after the scores, even if she was healthy I doubt her head was in a good place for world's. Winning gold would probably solidify her as one of the greats. I don't speak russian but even her interviews with Russian tv had a sense of mourning about them, it reminds me of Michelle Kwan.

Alina, I think she was just tired. She probably felt the need to justify her gold medal to her coach, her country, and skating fans that she deserved the gold medal over Evgenia. I also don't think she was prepared for the media scrutiny. Is any 15 year old really ready? Evgenia looks like a natural show woman, she loves the camera and the camera loves her.

The next year will be interesting for both skaters.

Evgenia is in the Michelle Kwan scenario but worse. She is not in a country where she can be an Osmond or Kostner and have ups and downs for a few years. Hell team Eteri looks scary as hell. I think Javier said "I like doing quads but falling down hurts a lot more as I get older". How many times is she willing to fall, and watch Trusova, Zagitova and etc do something she realistically might not physically be capable of matching.

Alina, will her body betray her, and how will she react to having her body dissected in the newspapers if she falters next season like at world's. Her quote "“When I came in first, I felt very, very happy but also kind of empty inside" concerns me.

Honestly for the next stage of their careers, Eteri might not be the best for either skaters. I actually don't mind Eteri that much. I am ok with her being a tough coach and a taskmaster. However, when it comes to health and things like puberty or weight, assuming what Alina said about puberty being an invention, I think Eteri has the old school mentality of no pain no gain and everything bad happens because you're not tough enough. That type of mentality is detrimental to long term health of teenagers. Eteri probably runs her school with an iron fist and probably has no interest in hearing the ideas of a nutritionist and Eteri thinks only she knows what's best for her skaters because look at all the medals.

The other problem I have with Eteri is she throws her former skaters under the bus. Like, that Vogue article sound like blames Lipnitskaya and her mother for her declining skating performance.

Compare how Brian Orser talks about his skaters his role with them, it's night and day.

 

[irriya]

Please...no more Konstantinova. I just had enough of her...

 

[alvina9894]

Current Russian Senior Grand Prix guarantees:

Alina Zagitova: 2 spots
Evgenia Medvedeva: 2 spots
Maria Sotskova: 2 spots
Stanislava Konstantinova: 2 spots
Elena Radionova: 2 spots
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: 2 spots
Polina Tsurskaya: 1 spot
Daria Panenkova: 1 spot
Anna Pogorilaya: 1 spot

I don't think this is correct, from last year's ISU announcement:

Skaters/Couples with an ISU World Standing placement of 1 – 24 (after season 2016/17) and Skaters/Couples with seasons best scores in the top 24 (for season 2016/17) who do not hold an ISU World Standing placement of 1 – 24 will be guaranteed one (1) event if they do not otherwise meet the criteria listed in paragraphs 2.1 or 2.2 above and the minimum Grand Prix score.

So it should be
(1) WS 1-24
(2) SB 1-24 and WS>24
So fulfilling both WS 1-24 and SB 1-24 wouldn't get the skater two spots. (The paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2 are referring to top 12 in Worlds.)

Which means
Alina Zagitova: 2 spots
Maria Sotskova: 2 spots
Evgenia Medvedeva: 1 spot
Polina Tsurskaya: 1 spot
Elena Radionova: 1 spot
Stanislava Konstantinova: 1 spot
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: 1 spot
Daria Panenkova: 1 spot
Anna Pogorilaya: 1 spot

 

[yoloaxel]

Please...no more Konstantinova. I just had enough of her...

Yeah, I honestly hope they won't send her to major competitions again. Let her do CS or something. Seeing her live made me even more unimpressed with her than I already was, and the audience who was so warm to everyone also seemed disinterested in her