That‘s not what I wanted to say at all! Zhenya isn’t big, of course she isn’t! In fact, Zhenya is EVERYTHING but big. Her legs are still thin even with this dress and in her workout clothes she looks slender but strong and healthy. It‘s just that sometimes the proportions of one‘s body together with how a dress is being cut makes you look different from what you really look like. I can‘t account from how it looks in person because I‘ve never seen it but on screen, this dress creates sort of an illusion. Her FS skate doesn‘t have this issue. It‘s just some of us fans being used to dresses fitting Zhenya 100% and now having a hard time accepting she might try something new and it might not work the very first time. Because I‘m being honest here: The dress she has in the SP doesn‘t help portray the image the program was set out to show. A litle sassy, flirty and sexy. That‘s what Sandra said. This dress is neither. And that‘s why we are worried a bit. Because we see Zhenya is having a hard time to interpret this program even though she already did it wonderfully at test skates and so we want everything to be 100% perfect in terms of packaging and presentation so that she can just “ease into it“.
I hink looks play an important role in how you are able to present yourself. If Zhenya feels confident and sexy in her new outfit then everything‘s perfectly fine. Her issues, however, make me wonder whether she truly does. And even if it‘s not the costume that‘s causing all these problems primarily (which is kind of obvious that it‘s not a dress problem) it can still turn to be an important factor. Last year Zhenya changed dress after her injury, as to not associate the emotions of pain and suffering with her dress but rather a “new start“. And after these two competitions, I think this could help. Erase the SCI failure that bothered her in France, too. Give her a new dress, new make up, new hairstyle and make a few changes to the choreography. I believe it would feel like a different program altogether and might help her leave the issues of the past behind and go into this competition (RusNats) with a fresh mind and fresh strength to fight. But that‘s just what I think, her team is the one who has to decide in the end.
But imo, it‘s not like it‘s too much of an issue to send the requirements to Olga and she sends dresses back to Canada. She‘s been making dresses for Zhenya for ages, she knows her measurements. And from what I‘ve seen she has lots of customers all over the world, so oversea shipping probably wouldn‘t be a problem either. If Zhenya wants a change, that‘s fine but why not make it next year when there‘s ENOUGH time to talk to the dress maker she chooses, try the dresses on, see whether they fit properly and make alterations before the season even starts.
That‘s actually one of the few problems I have with her team. They always seem to want to rush and make every change there possibly is NOW but in the end try to be layback too a la “you don‘t have to win everything right now“. It‘s a bit confusing, honestly. Why not take it bit by bit? First one program in new style, like a tango and something lyrical + a sassy program for ex. Next season when she‘s comfortable with that, choose a jazz program as the competitive one. This season when there‘s already a lack of time make the dresses with Olga whom Zhenya knows. Next season, by any means, choose somebody else. Focus on the flutz and axel first, then change combos, maybe in GPF when there‘s nothing to lose. But NOT when she has her (so far) most important competition coming up that she needs to win to go to the final! I think both Zhenya and her team underestimated the impact such heavy changes can have on one‘s soul, that they can sometimes be simply overcharging. Brian said they had a plan of 4 years. Great! Then why rush everything now?
Don‘t get me wrong, I don‘t hate her team or want her to go back to her old one. It‘s just that recently I‘ve come to question some of the decisions that‘ve been made. I will continue to believe in Zhenya and her team, however. They said it takes at least one year. Let‘s give them one year and see. I wish Zhenya all the best at Nationals and lots of support. My pretty critical post above should in no way mean that I‘ll stop supporting her or anything. Nope, not gonna happen. I‘ll be dying with nervousness before RusNats but I‘ll be her fan whatever happens, now and in the future.
