Alena Kostornaia

[flanker]

the free program will be more telling as to what's really going on. this could definitely be playing into her emotions; i can't imagine the pressure those girls are under, especially being coached by eteri. i hope she somehow really begins to see her potential and how special her skating truly is, and that she is in a class of her own in that group.

Here we go again Where, and I mean it seriously, where it is written that somehow Eteri or her team doesn't see the potential that enlightened people like you see? Why? Should that be somehow related to one mistake? I can't see a correlation. Anna fell both in SP and FP last time in Canada. Sasha fell in Kaunas during FP. Why? Because they all are delivering very hard programs, if they wouldn't make any mistakes, I would be really starting to doubt if they are even human beings They are doing harder programs with less mistakes than most of their competitors. Why that should have anything to do with the recognition of their potential? Just the opposite. Programs for them are made that way just because their potential is recognized, not because it isn't. Seriously, this is more about the sentiments towards Eteri, nothing more, as usually.

By the way, those worries about Alëna's mentality: see it from opposite perspective. Just after the beginning she made an elementary mistake, she knew her srore is at stake, she can't afford any more mistake, and yet with that burden she delivered perfect skating in the rest of her program. Her emotions were shaken but she hold it till the end. That is strength. Strength is not about doing no mistakes, strength is about dealing with mistakes you have done.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I don't know, one has to get used to cold in Russia.. Days just started to be colder after a long hot summer, maybe that's it..

Still, it's a bit funny.. maybe she's the saddest winner in history?
https://pp.userapi.com/c850428/v850428427/ff61/oa5nc85ZLPI.jpg

Let the battle begin

 

[Azikin]

I am very worried about Alena - not for the popped jump, mistakes happen to even the best of skater, but for her confidence and mental wellbeing.

It seems to me that the pressure of internal competition and being (perhaps) regarded as #3 in her training group may be affecting her really negative. I don't think it's healthy for someone so young and so accomplished to feel like they can't even make a mistake or their career might be negatively affected. Personally, Alena is the junior that I am looking forwards to seeing in seniors the most, and I really hope that she is not cast aside in favor of her quad-jumping training mates before that can happen. Seeing her so distraught after a mistake makes me think that she's carrying way too much pressure on her shoulders at the moment

Alenka will be fine, she fell in SP at the last russian jr nationals and then had a clean FS and finished 2nd.. and I daresay that was a more difficult competition with more pressure on her, no matter how much overscored certain skaters may have been yesterday.. hopefully she will be in a better condition tomorrow..

 

[Azikin]

Let the battle begin

She didn't cry..

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

She didn't cry..

I was just going by your picture...I haven’t had a chance to catch up with yesterday’s videos yet

Somehow I doubt we’ll see crying after the FS

 

[macy]

Here we go again Where, and I mean it seriously, where it is written that somehow Eteri or her team doesn't see the potential that enlightened people like you see? Why? Should that be somehow related to one mistake? I can't see a correlation. Anna fell both in SP and FP last time in Canada. Sasha fell in Kaunas during FP. Why? Because they all are delivering very hard programs, if they wouldn't make any mistakes, I would be really starting to doubt if they are even human beings They are doing harder programs with less mistakes than most of their competitors. Why that should have anything to do with the recognition of their potential? Just the opposite. Programs for them are made that way just because their potential is recognized, not because it isn't. Seriously, this is more about the sentiments towards Eteri, nothing more, as usually.

By the way, those worries about Alëna's mentality: see it from opposite perspective. Just after the beginning she made an elementary mistake, she knew her srore is at stake, she can't afford any more mistake, and yet with that burden she delivered perfect skating in the rest of her program. Her emotions were shaken but she hold it till the end. That is strength. Strength is not about doing no mistakes, strength is about dealing with mistakes you have done.

the only reason i said this is because none of us know what goes on in a skater's head. i didn't say eteri doesn't believe in her or no one else in her team does, i'm saying maybe alena has trouble seeing the talent in herself like so many people do. sometimes you yourself don't see what sets you apart when you're surrounded by so much talent every single day, especially when you train every day with your main rivals. it has nothing to do with what anyone else thinks of her like you are saying. sometimes it gets to people and they think too much into it. i'm not "enlightened", i'm thinking and considering how she may or may not be feeling. it's only speculation, because i myself experienced similar thoughts as a competitive skater. skating is a mind game more than anything else; anyone who has competed before can speak to that.

i'm only referring to her reaction and how emotional she was when she got off the ice, and one of the possible reasons why she was this way. obviously none of us know the real reason.

 

[Imagine]

Let the battle begin

....

Eteri’s fashion has come a long way...

 

[flanker]

the only reason i said this is because none of us know what goes on in a skater's head. i didn't say eteri doesn't believe in her or no one else in her team does, i'm saying maybe alena has trouble seeing the talent in herself like so many people do. sometimes you yourself don't see what sets you apart when you're surrounded by so much talent every single day, especially when you train every day with your main rivals. it has nothing to do with what anyone else thinks of her like you are saying. sometimes it gets to people and they think too much into it. i'm not "enlightened", i'm thinking and considering how she may or may not be feeling. it's only speculation, because i myself experienced similar thoughts as a competitive skater. skating is a mind game more than anything else; anyone who has competed before can speak to that.

i'm only referring to her reaction and how emotional she was when she got off the ice, and one of the possible reasons why she was this way. obviously none of us know the real reason.

I've said that because it's all the same everytime. Any skater falls or makes any other more serious mistake and people are of course like "that can happen, it wasn't his/hers day, next time will be better" and all. But Eteri's girl makes such mistake and we are in the endless debate about the pressure on girls, about seeing their potential etc. Yes there is a pressure. Alëna herself said it in interview with Ted: "This season people are expecting results from me." But that is nothing special anywhere else, when you are one of the favorites. The special thing in Eteri's groups is just that any of the girls is achieving exceptional results, which are not probable to be achieved anywhere else. In other teams there are max one top skater, with Eteri there is succesful nearly everybody (at least girls). Yes, that probably makes the environment somehow different. But it is also the way how to be on the top. And when you are anywhere else,at the end you still have to compete with the best. You can't run away from it.

 

[Azikin]

I did it!!!!! After some consideration, I bought a ticket to Ostrava tomorrow, so if nothing unpredictable happens I'm coming to cheer for our said ice princess! Now she will have to stop being sad and show her best, that's guaranteed!

 

[flanker]

I did it!!!!! After some consideration, I bought a ticket to Ostrava tomorrow, so if nothing unpredictable happens I'm coming to cheer for our said ice princess! Now she will have to stop being sad and show her best, that's guaranteed!

You are obliged to do some comic relief for Alëna

 

[rikaquegira]

TBH if anything I think the pale, melancholic expression actually helped the PCS rather than hurt them. It certainly went with the theme and the style of the music. If I was a judge I would be like dang, that's some commitment to character right there [emoji23].

LOL
I thought the same thing!
The whole popping the axel and getting super sad actually fit the mood of the program so well! The performance was so emotional! She could use that same sad, sad expression next time! [emoji23]

Joking aside, it was heartbreaking to see her like that. I wish her good luck in the Free! And let’s pray it was just a silly mistake and that she is well and healthy!

 

[rikaquegira]

I did it!!!!! After some consideration, I bought a ticket to Ostrava tomorrow, so if nothing unpredictable happens I'm coming to cheer for our said ice princess! Now she will have to stop being sad and show her best, that's guaranteed!

OMG you’re going to see her live! You’re so lucky! [emoji7] Tell us everything later!
And take some cheering banner or something! [emoji23]

 

[typeyournamehere]

Lol, I love how the YouTube sheep are all like, "b-b-b-but but...she popped a double Axel! She should be last place! Total scandoruru!!!" like, um no...You have the privilege of watching the rise of probably the greatest on ice performer in the last decade...sit down, gtf over it, and shut up. So you're going to complain when the artistic components of this sport aren't rewarded properly, but you also going to b***h and moan when they are rewarded properly, like which is it then? :think: Sorry your preferred nation isn't stomping the field but you look petty and dumb. OMG she popped a double Axel. End. Of. The. Freaking. World. Hope she does well in the free. I still hate her FP, but that's her choreographer's fault. She could skate the Chicken Dance and I'd still watch it cause she's that artist.

such people need to remember than double axel has only 3.3 base value, so with clean 2A she would have like, what, 74-75 points? which is totally a fair score for her i think

 

[Azikin]

OMG you’re going to see her live! You’re so lucky! [emoji7] Tell us everything later!
And take some cheering banner or something! [emoji23]

Haha, no time time to make a banner, I had something small in Bratislava for Anna but it wasn't visible anyway..
I just hope to meet her in person, we will see, unfortunately I won't be able to stay until the victory ceremony, that is after the men's FS, as I assume, which diminishes my chances...

 

[tinybluemoon]

I've said that because it's all the same everytime. Any skater falls or makes any other more serious mistake and people are of course like "that can happen, it wasn't his/hers day, next time will be better" and all. But Eteri's girl makes such mistake and we are in the endless debate about the pressure on girls, about seeing their potential etc. Yes there is a pressure. Alëna herself said it in interview with Ted: "This season people are expecting results from me." But that is nothing special anywhere else, when you are one of the favorites. The special thing in Eteri's groups is just that any of the girls is achieving exceptional results, which are not probable to be achieved anywhere else. In other teams there are max one top skater, with Eteri there is succesful nearly everybody (at least girls). Yes, that probably makes the environment somehow different. But it is also the way how to be on the top. And when you are anywhere else,at the end you still have to compete with the best. You can't run away from it.

I don't think it's Eteri girls, I think at this point it's just Alena. Even with the popped 2A she is still currently Russia's most consistent skater. She has still never fallen at an international competition. You expect her to deliver it clean. When Anna or Sasha (or even Alina at this point) mess up or fall you go 'what a shame'. When Alena popped her 2A I literally exclaimed holy shiz out loud. Because like Ted said she just does not make mistakes. She's almost at 2016 Evgenia level consistency. With her you can usually just sit back and enjoy the program knowing she will deliver it cleanly and beautifully. So,yes, while in the grand scheme of things it was a tiny mistake and probably won't cost her gold it was also a big shock for both her and for the viewers, hence the over dramatic reaction from everybody.

 

[flanker]

I don't think it's Eteri girls, I think at this point it's just Alena. Even with the popped 2A she is still currently Russia's most consistent skater. She has still never fallen at an international competition. You expect her to deliver it clean. When Anna or Sasha (or even Alina at this point) mess up or fall you go 'what a shame'. When Alena popped her 2A I literally exclaimed holy shiz out loud. Because like Ted said she just does not make mistakes. She's almost at 2016 Evgenia level consistency. With her you can usually just sit back and enjoy the program knowing she will deliver it cleanly and beautifully. So,yes, while in the grand scheme of things it was a tiny mistake and probably won't cost her gold it was also a big shock for both her and for the viewers, hence the over dramatic reaction from everybody.

I can just repeat Ted's words: "sometimes you need to make a mistake." I completely agree with that. And that's it, you need to take it that way when you are top athlete. It is not that I would wish her making mistakes, not at all, I think there is no need to explain the meaning of it. For me Alëna is my second favorite lady just after Alina. And we know now what Alina was going through after last worlds.Till now. She proved she is strong minded girl today and I expect no less from Alëna.

 

[tinybluemoon]

I can just repeat Ted's words: "sometimes you need to make a mistake." I completely agree with that. And that's it, you need to take it that way when you are top athlete. It is not that I would wish her making mistakes, not at all, I thnk there is no need to explain the meaning of it. For me Alëna is my second favorite lady just after Alina. And we know now what Alina was going through after last worlds.Till now. She proved she is strong minded girl today and I expect no less from Alëna.

Absolutely. And as far as mistakes go it certainly wasn't the end of the world as it is being portrayed. Can't even say she will come back from it because there is nothing to come back from - she's still first. She will most likely finish with a gold medal around her neck. I will instead say she will grow from it. And that's never a bad thing, just more experience under the belt and a memory that she will hopefully rewatch this time next year as she is preparing for her first senior competition and have a giggle at the dramatics of.

 

[macy]

just watched some practice videos from today on instagram, it looked like she had a good session. her jumps were fine. excited to see her tomorrow!

 

[BillNeal]

What’s happening with Alena? She has some nice qualities to her skating and should be confident. But instead she is taking it way too hard on herself, being in tears because of a pop on a 2A. She needs a supportive coaching team around her that lets her know that it’s okay to make mistakes. That’s how everyone learns after all. I think she is receiving a lot of stress in her training environment and will benefit from a coaching change.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

where can one watch practice videos?