2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

[madison]

Alina always did well at practice. The problem is will she be able to handle the stress ?
I’m sure Rusfed would ask her to compete at Russian cup if they had doubt about her physical abilities

That is the reason that the Rus Fed should have made Alina skate here... because practice is different from a competition.
PRobably they dont want to upset Tutberidze though )) as Alina is her only senior this season, they - the RusFed cannot imagine a World team without a Tut skater.

 

[Lachinka]

Medvedeva was very gracious in a post-match interview, saying that she doesn't mind if Liza is picked for the World team in the end. It is believed that either Medvedeva or Tuktamysheva will get the third ticket.

“I want to say that I have great respect for Liza Tuktamysheva and in general all the girls who performed today. I think it sounds bad, but I see that Liza actually possesses a great desire and many forces in her skating. Liza, thank you so much for being with us, continue to move all of us forward and fall in love with figure skating. Honestly, I think Liza deserved to go to the World Cup. I will be very happy if fate is like that. I, too, was in a very difficult situation during the Olympic season. I know what it is. Let's all support each other and send love everywhere - to the left, right, up, down, around us. Any positive emotions will save the world. Who does not like it? - goodbye.”

Thats our sweetheart.

 

[icybear]

Lol some people here really think RusFed should drop Alina. Alina is the only one who has the potential to challenge Kikara and win gold in worlds. Evgenia had one good competition this whole season that included a fall and is only a domestic event. One good competition doesnt automatically means she's going to do better at the next competition at Worlds which is a completely different thing compared to a minor domestic competition.

 

[fabienne1996]

That is the reason that the Rus Fed should have made Alina skate here... because practice is different from a competition.
PRobably they dont want to upset Tutberidze though )) as Alina is her only senior this season, they - the RusFed cannot imagine a World team without a Tut skater.

Alina also wasn't perfect in every practice , looking at RusNats or even euros, she had falls in practice too. I remember even watching a video fro euros where eteri left in the trainings session or at least was not happy at all. So to say that alina is always perfect is wrong too

 

[madison]

Lol some people here really think RusFed should drop Alina. Alina is the only one who has the potential to challenge Kikara and win gold in worlds. Evgenia had one good competition this whole season that included a fall and is only a domestic event. One good competition doesnt automatically means she's going to do better at the next competition at Worlds which is a completely different thing compared to a minor domestic competition.

No, people dont argue that the RusFed should drop Alina. People say that Alina should have competed here, as the other 3 ladies.

 

[Lechat]

Please, lets be honest. Euros is no longer a valid competition in terms of medaling. Half of the field we saw today would get silver and some gold, including Zhenya. Plus, Alina's momentum has been decreasing throughout the season, the WR she made was in the very beginning of the season. Im not saying she shouldnt go to worlds, as probably she's on of the few chances to beat Rika, but lets face the reality. She's not in the best shape right now. At least mentally.

Did you see her practice with Dudakov at Euro ? She did very well all her jumps before the short. It was after, I see her jumping until she couldn’t jump anymore exhausting herself just before the free. I think she should jump less at practice and should be prepared more mentally.

 

[Lechat]

No, people dont argue that the RusFed should drop Alina. People say that Alina should have competed here, as the other 3 ladies.

This competition is for the third spot.
Why Alina should compete here ?

 

[flanker]

Lol some people here really think RusFed should drop Alina. Alina is the only one who has the potential to challenge Kikara and win gold in worlds. Evgenia had one good competition this whole season that included a fall and is only a domestic event. One good competition doesnt automatically means she's going to do better at the next competition at Worlds which is a completely different thing compared to a minor domestic competition.

Exactly. To be honest, if Rusfed would do something like that to Alina, I would be glad if she would say to them: "OK, if you are reducing all my accoplishments to one below 200 score, than I'm done with you."

Alina, in the case (I really don't think this would happen but in the case "what if") they woudn't want you there, come to my country, it would be my greatest honor if you would represent my flag. No only because you are a perfect athlete, but because you are honest, smart and wonderful girl in every way. And you have Masaru on your side :agree:

 

[madison]

This competition is for the third spot.
Why Alina should compete here ?

Why only for the third spot? It should have been for at least 2 spots.
I mean Alina's latest performances were not conclusive in giving her a spot based on merits only, and not on reputation.
Even Sofya could have been made to skate here, but one knows what to expect from her, as she is consistent, and with PCS increasing.

 

[Lechat]

Alina also wasn't perfect in every practice , looking at RusNats or even euros, she had falls in practice too. I remember even watching a video fro euros where eteri left in the trainings session or at least was not happy at all. So to say that alina is always perfect is wrong too

I said she did well regarding the number of jumps. I never said she was perfect, nobody is.

 

[Lachinka]

It looks like the discussion is getting almost as sharp as the battle for the spots

 

[madison]

Exactly. To be honest, if Rusfed would do something like that to Alina, I would be glad if she would say to them: "OK, if you are reducing all my accoplishments to one below 200 score, than I'm done with you."

Alina, in the case (I really don't think this would happen but in the case "what if") they woudn't want you there, come to my country, it would be my greatest honor if you would represent my flag. No only because you are a perfect athlete, but because you are honest, smart and wonderful girl in every way. And you have Masaru on your side :agree:

Haha, it is not like Alina would want to give up to her lifelong Olympic salary or the back of an important federation as RusFed.
Whereas RusFed can very well exist without Alina as the next season they will have the 3A.
She needs more the Rusfed than the RusFed needs her.

 

[meadow]

It would be a joke yes. Alina did better than Zhenia at every event and Liza missed Rusnat and Euro. To be fair, Liza should be sent at worlds but because she was inconsistant last year, they asked her to compete to gain her spot. Not like zhenia who missed Rusnat and Euro.

I agree. It was fair to ask Liza to compete here, to see if she was healthy and fit to compete, and she did prove that. Honestly I thought the only way for Evgenia to get a spot on the world team was if Liza did poorly here and she didn't (except for the fall).
But apart from that, I don't really think that Evgenia can be a threat for Alina's spot right now, even with today good results. We'll see if they send her instead of Liza, but instead of Alina, I really don't think they will because one good competition is not enough to prove she's better than Alina at the moment.

(Also, it's not really important, but Zhenia didn't miss RusNat this year!)

 

[Lechat]

Why only for the third spot? It should have been for at least 2 spots.
I mean Alina's latest performances were not conclusive in giving her a spot based on merits only, and not on reputation.
Even Sofya could have been made to skate here, but one knows what to expect from her, as she is consistent, and with PCS increasing.

She merits her spot, she beat both Liza or Evgenia and qualify for Euro.

 

[Lechat]

I agree. It was fair to ask Liza to compete here, to see if she was healthy and fit to compete, and she did prove that. Honestly I thought the only way for Evgenia to get a spot on the world team was if Liza did poorly here and she didn't (except for the fall).
But apart from that, I don't really think that Evgenia can be a threat for Alina's spot right now, even with today good results. We'll see if they send her instead of Liza, but instead of Alina, I really don't think they will because one good competition is not enough to prove she's better than Alina at the moment.

(Also, it's not really important, but Zhenia didn't miss RusNat this year!)

It was last year, she missed Rusnat and Euro, the same for Lisa this year

 

[Arbitrary]

Haha, it is not like Alina would want to give up to her lifelong Olympic salary or the back of an important federation as RusFed.
Whereas RusFed can very well exist without Alina as the next season they will have the 3A.
She needs more the Rusfed than the RusFed needs her.

3A are the strongest force for RusFed in recent epoch but no way all three will be in good shape next season. One - almost sure, two is unlikely.
I bet for Kostornaya to last longer.
So Zagi being not that old may be still a valuable asset.
Medv is less likely and I'm very sorry for Tukt.

 

[madison]

I agree. It was fair to ask Liza to compete here, to see if she was healthy and fit to compete, and she did prove that. Honestly I thought the only way for Evgenia to get a spot on the world team was if Liza did poorly here and she didn't (except for the fall).
But apart from that, I don't really think that Evgenia can be a threat for Alina's spot right now, even with today good results. We'll see if they send her instead of Liza, but instead of Alina, I really don't think they will because one good competition is not enough to prove she's better than Alina at the moment.

(Also, it's not really important, but Zhenia didn't miss RusNat this year!)

I think that the RusFed will go with Liza. She has the 3A and she proved today that she is able to land it even with one month before the Worlds. So in one month, she will be even more prepared as she will have more time to overcome the missed training time due to illness.

 

[gravy]

It's David Wilson...his choreography peaked with Yuna Kim. There is a reason Hanyu dropped him after 2014. I can't believe he managed to make a tango so insipid.

Really really hope Med uses Shae Lynn Bourne next season. Even Bourne at her worst (Jun Hwa's LP) is so bad it's good.

His work with Javier was pretty magnificent. I think his Guys and Dolls is the best program David has ever created. Going back to how David sucks at working tangos though, even his Adios Nonino with Yuna was pretty bad with the music edits. I much preferred her tango with Tom Dickson. But yes, I don't think David is as good as everyone claims.

As for Jun's program, I disagree that it's so bad that it's good. That program is downright god awful. I also don't like the terrible White Stripes cover Shae gave to Marin but I'd be interested in seeing their output. Evgenia does sassy well--I wish she had stuck with her first short program.

Medvedeva was very gracious in a post-match interview, saying that she doesn't mind if Liza is picked for the World team in the end. It is believed that either Medvedeva or Tuktamysheva will get the third ticket.

“I want to say that I have great respect for Liza Tuktamysheva and in general all the girls who performed today. I think it sounds bad, but I see that Liza actually possesses a great desire and many forces in her skating. Liza, thank you so much for being with us, continue to move all of us forward and fall in love with figure skating. Honestly, I think Liza deserved to go to the World Cup. I will be very happy if fate is like that. I, too, was in a very difficult situation during the Olympic season. I know what it is. Let's all support each other and send love everywhere - to the left, right, up, down, around us. Any positive emotions will save the world. Who does not like it? - goodbye.”

Beautiful. She's really coming into her own. Reminds me of Aliya Mustafina who mellowed out as she got older.

 

[Fluture]

Alina always did well at practice. The problem is will she be able to handle the stress ?
I’m sure Rusfed would ask her to compete at Russian cup if they had doubt about her physical abilities

I think Alina has been having chronic UR issues this season and especially in the latter half they showed more and more. The constant over training and pushing in practice isn’t helping either. This is of course partly a mental problem as she seems to hit most of her jumps just fine in practice but I think a lot has also to do with the fact that she‘s grown. Even in practice, jumps are frequently underrotated. But she always lands all of them in the runthrough so the potential is obviously there. So, I think it would make sense for rusfed to supervise her training and see how her team works on this and how she’s improving. That‘s nothing spectacular, they did that last year with Zhenya, when she was injured and it wasn‘t 100% clear that she will be ready.

I don‘t think she will lose her spot but I do see that the Alina we have seen in the last few competitions isn‘t the same Alina from the beginning of the season, that‘s why I said that GP and challenger events don‘t really cut it as an argument. It‘s too far away now, a lot has changed. Of course Alina could skate lights out at Worlds and beat Rika, she has the potential. I think she will skate without any falls. This is the only medal‘s she‘s missing. She will be determined.

But I agree. Right now, I cannot see how they could take away Alina‘s spot. They would have to justify not telling her in advance and giving her the chance to compete for her spot. That wouldn’t be fair. If they were thinking about it, she should have been here. The fact that she wasn‘t makes me think that her spot is safe. Unless she withdraws, it should definitely be hers. But we will see what rusfed decides to do in the end.

 

[Lechat]

I think that the RusFed will go with Liza. She has the 3A and she proved today that she is able to land it even with one month before the Worlds. So in one month, she will be even more prepared as she will have more time to overcome the missed training time due to illness.

I think the same, they should send the GPF team.