2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating | Page 306 | Golden Skate

2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

Hopefully having “less pressure” due to their belief in her will stop her from melting down in Bratislava
 
I feel that if a skater medals at the final they should definitely be given two spots. I understand that Tarakanova has been sick and other girls have beat her since that performance, but she is jumping triples again and I think she deserves an opportunity to defend her past accomplishments.
If it comes down to Tarakanova vs Sinitsyna, I would definitely send Tarakanova. It’s unfortunate that that would mean Sinitsyna couldn’t have two spots because is such a talented skater, but there just aren’t enough to go around.

Realistically though it shouldn't be Tarakanova vs Sinitsyna. Sinitsyna has more than earned herself at least one spot at the JGP purely based off BV and being one of the very few skaters to go clean across both programs. Tarakanova will be competing with skaters like Tarusina, Kanysheva, and Vasilieva for spots. She just about has the edge over them in BV (assuming her two combos are a +3T and a +2T) but of course she made major mistakes here.

To me after test skates the girls are split into three groups.

Group A (guaranteed at least one JGP with a 2nd JGP dependent on result of 1st JGP)
1. Trusova
2. Shcherbakova (Rus Fed president was very positive about her and I think the weird issues with the +1 combos at the end were a fluke)
3. Sinitsyna
4. Kostornaya (consistent and lovely skating but comparatively low BV she really needs that 3A if the 3Lz+3Lo combo isn't going to happen)

Group B (may get a JGP) - these girls are very closely bunched together
1. Kanysheva (best jumps of the girls who managed to be consistent...though the rotation on a couple looks suspicious)
2. Tarakanova (this is going to be a controversial ranking and you could definitely justify bumping her to the bottom of this group due to falls but she does have the greatest scoring potential if she goes clean)
3. Tarusina (hard to rank because no video but she was supposedly clean...but apparently not the greatest edges on her flip/lutz and a number of potential urs)
4. Vasilieva (again to rank because no video but apparently dirty/unstable jumps but no actual falls - rondo apparently is not a good fit for her)

Group C (probably won't get a JGP)
1. Gulyakova (a fall in both the FS and the SP + a popped jump, can be assigned CS instead)
2. Kostyuk (seems to be falling behind the other Panova girls, has the best skating skills out of the 3 but unfortunately the jumps aren't going well)
3. Chistyakova (can actually skate as proven by her FS but still a complete headcase as proven by her SP)
4. Moroz (same as above but less good even when she is on)

[edited to add a 4th group]

Group D (really shouldn't get a JGP based off test skates unless there is a very good explanation)
1. Gubanova
 
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Well Tarusina and Kanysheva already have JGPs but I guess that can change. It's kind of ironic -- now that we need RusFed to be sensible and take Gubanova out, she's at CSKA, but when she needed some deserved spots, she didn't have the political backing for them.
 
2. Shcherbakova (Rus Fed president was very positive about her and I think the weird issues with the +3T at the end were a fluke caused by her missing her pick on the first attempt)
it wasn't a "weird issues with the +3T". She just didn't caught the right entry into her +3lo combo. It was never supposed to be +3T.
Her layout: 4lz 3f 2a3t 3s // 3lz3lo 3f2t2lo 3lz.
 
it wasn't a "weird issues with the +3T". She just didn't couch the right entry into her +3lo combo. It was never supposed to be +3T.
Her layout: 4lz 3f 2a3t 3s // 3lz3lo 3f2t2lo 3lz.

I know she probably intends to go for the +3Lo there but for some reason when I first watched the FS it looked more to me like a strange half loop/half toe. I interpreted that as her making a fluke mistake and missing the pick on a +3T as it would be a very strange way for her to try an enter a +3Lo. Looking at her full layout again it's clear she wasn't going for a +3T but maybe she was trying to tag the +2T+2Lo on the jump instead?

Either way I've edited the phrasing of the original comment, would you agree with the new evaluation (and to clarify I'm not holding it against Shcherbakova, the point of the comment about it was to emphasise that it was a completely random/fluke mistake that could happen to anyone)
 
Well Tarusina and Kanysheva already have JGPs but I guess that can change. It's kind of ironic -- now that we need RusFed to be sensible and take Gubanova out, she's at CSKA, but when she needed some deserved spots, she didn't have the political backing for them.

I'm expecting assignments to change quite a bit after test skates, I don't think anyone expected Sinitsyna to come bursting out of the gate the way she has.

On the subject of Gubanova, there could be a very reasonable explanation for her missing test skates so I don't want to judge too quickly....but on the other hand I don't think any other skater (okay maybe Trusova and her quads) would have been able to miss test skates and still get a JGP assignment regardless of how good a reason they had. If she gets keeps her assignment it will most likely be the result of CSKA bonus and TAT vouching for her.
 
What would a reasonable explanation be in your opinion? (Genuinely curious)
For me:
--illness (restricts training time, would she be ready for a second JGP, and more importantly, why would she be at a mall instead of at home / hospital?)
--injury (restricts training time, would she be ready for a second JGP?)
--travel costs (CSKA, but more importantly, Novogorsk is 8km from Moscow I think)
--family emergency (this could be very plausible)
 
What would a reasonable explanation be in your opinion? (Genuinely curious)
For me:
--illness (restricts training time, would she be ready for a second JGP, and more importantly, why would she be at a mall instead of at home / hospital?)
--injury (restricts training time, would she be ready for a second JGP?)
--travel costs (CSKA, but more importantly, Novogorsk is 8km from Moscow I think)
--family emergency (this could be very plausible)

.....For me the reasonable excuse which justifies missing test skates but still going to the 2nd JGP would have to be a family emergency (which of course you never want to speculate about). Alternatively perhaps something like a sprained ankle in the final training before going to Novogorosk which means she can't skate right now but will be fine in a week or so.

Of course in both cases she would still be benefiting from the fact she skates at CSKA and that TAT will vouch for her (particularly given she choreographed some of Nastya's program).
 
If Gubanova just decided to not show up because she didn't feel like it was important enough, that would be a problem. I think that the only one who should be able to get away with that is Trusova and it'd still be a bad look. Hopefully they at least give a good explanation.
 
According to her instagram's livestream on Sunday. Nastya was walking around with a friends in a mall when other girls were already at Novogorsk.
Viktoria Vasilieva wrote "You're a lucky, you didn't go to Novogorsk".
 
According to her instagram's livestream on Sunday. Nastya was walking around with a friends in a mall when other girls were already at Novogorsk.
Viktoria Vasilieva wrote "You're a lucky, you didn't go to Novogorsk".

Hmm. That doesn't sound like a family emergency or minor injury to me... that sounds like just not wanting to go.
 
Hmm. That doesn't sound like a family emergency or minor injury to me... that sounds like just not wanting to go.

If that's the case and the Fed gives her an assignment anyway they have abandoned any remaining pretence at fairness. Why should any of the girls from other coaching groups even bother to go to Novgorosk and skate if the Fed is just going to hand out spots to skaters who can't even bother to turn up.

I mean they might have grossly inflated Konstantinova's domestic scores last season but she still had to turn up and skate to get them.
 
If that's the case and the Fed gives her an assignment anyway they have abandoned any remaining pretence at fairness. Why should any of the girls from other coaching groups even bother to go to Novgorosk and skate if the Fed is just going to hand out spots to skaters who can't even bother to turn up.

I mean they might have grossly inflated Konstantinova's domestic scores last season but she still had to turn up and skate to get them.

^^^
couldn't have said it better myself

weird how Gubanova goes from under-loved to the next darling just by moving to Buyanova... the pull of CSKA
 
Athletes have the right not to publicize injuries, illness, and family circumstances. I'm not sure why people insist on convincing themselves about whatever the reasoning is. If it is serious, she will come off the list. We all know none of the Russian assignments are firm until after the test skates are over.

And if Tarakanova deserves a second spot based on a competition in December, then the same reasoning would argue that Gubanova deserves one based on last year's Nationals. Neither is a complete argument, IMO. I'm sure Gubanova will only have a JGP if she looks ready, whether or not that happens in the same location as everyone else. And I don't see why anyone should be guaranteed a second event until after they have skated their first.
 
Yes. The idea being it starts with a soft lyrical theme and then transitions to a strong build up for all her jumps starting with the combo. Like they did last season. Although they did add a jump in the “think of me” section but I think originally all jumps were meant to be backloaded. Why wouldn’t they have planned to keep their strategy from last year? It had to be reworked after the rule change.
If I remember correct, Alina was already working together with Daniil on the new SP after her return from the ice shows in April. I recall this nice group of fans giving her very cool presents. Then Daniil came and said they have to continue their work and they went inside. Then, on the 1st of May he announced in his Instagram that Alina's new SP is POTO and that it's ready. https://www.instagram.com/p/BiPo-9ElQOR/?taken-by=d_gleikh

The rules were officially changed a month later.

So I think you could be right - they had the soft, lyrical part in the beginning and the violin part, the music box and the dramatic finale in the second part, jumps backloaded. Now it looks messy because it wasn't the original idea but the adjustment.
Wow. I feel like I read a big reveal in an Agatha Christie book...:eeking:
 
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