Mikhail Kolyada

[Tutto]

I am sorry if this has been discussed but he working with a sports psychologist, right?

yes he mentioned it a few times in various interviews
I was always of the opinion that his problems were 99% mental preparation but this season it goes beyond that to explain all that happens. A bad decision after bad decision take its toll - i think not only his confidence shot to pieces but his technique is going too

 

[rachno2]

Just a thought is it possible that so many jump issues this season in fact are due to Raf attempt to change his technique? To really work they ought to spend a long time on it as it was impossible, that 'intervention' caused more harm than good.
I don't remember him having so many tech problems before

Mika if you ever read this: Please do not go into despair this is a difficult season, it happens, it will pass, all will be well!!!:luv17:

I’ve wondered about this too. Maybe I’m crazy (correct me if I am!), but his jumps this season look less high and uncontrollable (when he lands them, that is). I’m not sure how much that is due to Raf’s influence or his physical condition, though. Ten days doesn’t seem to be enough time to instill a new technique.

 

[Tutto]

I’ve wondered about this too. Maybe I’m crazy (correct me if I am!), but his jumps this season look less high and uncontrollable (when he lands them, that is). I’m not sure how much that is due to Raf’s influence or his physical condition, though. Ten days doesn’t seem to be enough time to instill a new technique.

But could be enough to mess up the old one? Also I recall it was Raf who introduced that Lego constructor thing for layouts, moving jumps around - many thanks again for that :sarcasm:

 

[heyheyhey]

But could be enough to mess up the old one? Also I recall it was Raf who introduced that Lego constructor thing for layouts, moving jumps around - many thanks again for that :sarcasm:

Raf does that moving jumps around thing with Nathan & only because Nathan is actually capable of doing so & his technique is secure enough. His other students don’t normally do that unless it’s injury/circumstance related. I doubt Raf is the reason he’s been having a bad season, otherwise why does he do really well in one program but bomb another? He’s inconsistent not just from competition to competition but from program to program. 10 day summer camp is not gonna do that. It’s not realistic. He’s got much bigger problems. Even the elements he’s failing on is all over the place & differs from competition to competition.

 

[rachno2]

But could be enough to mess up the old one? Also I recall it was Raf who introduced that Lego constructor thing for layouts, moving jumps around - many thanks again for that :sarcasm:

I doubt 10 days is enough to ruin his technique. I actually think his jumps look better this season, if anything, so if Raf had any meaningful impact, it would have been a positive one (Ondrej Nepela and Finlandia were his best competitions of the season, after all).

But I don't think Raf had any real impact one way or another. I think Mikhail really really really wanted to make his mark and compete with the top men this season, and that lead to some reckless decisions about health, training and program layouts. It probably also lead to greater nerves, especially during the Grand Prix series.

I'm glad he was honest in that interview about how nervous he was during Europeans. That was a lot of pressure for him to be under after the first half of the season, and after that terrific short. I think that scary 3A fall was a result of adrenaline, as he had never been in that kind of position before.

 

[Tutto]

Raf does that moving jumps around thing with Nathan & only because Nathan is actually capable of doing so & his technique is secure enough. His other students don’t normally do that unless it’s injury/circumstance related. I doubt Raf is the reason he’s been having a bad season, otherwise why does he do really well in one program but bomb another? He’s inconsistent not just from competition to competition but from program to program. 10 day summer camp is not gonna do that. It’s not realistic. He’s got much bigger problems. Even the elements he’s failing on is all over the place & differs from competition to competition.

I am sorry I am not attacking Raf I actually like him and would love to see Mika working with him full-time. All I was trying to say that the short time they spend working last summer was not enough for any improvement as it would take months and years to re-work jump technique and in the end did more damage than good not intentionally of course
No question there are other problems with Mika this season non related to his internship with Raf, but never before he made so many uncharacteristic mistakes on ALL his jumps so I merely trying to find some explanation

 

[heyheyhey]

I am sorry I am not attacking Raf I actually like him and would love to see Mika working with him full-time. All I was trying to say that the short time they spend working last summer was not enough for any improvement as it would take months and years to re-work jump technique and in the end did more damage than good not intentionally of course
No question there are other problems with Mika this season non related to his internship with Raf, but never before he made so many uncharacteristic mistakes on ALL his jumps so I merely trying to find some explanation

Oh no, I didn’t take it as an attack lol, no need to apologize, not like I’m his lawyer haha. But I have followed many of his skaters before so I’m familiar with how he works so was just giving some insight. It seems he’s been having more health problems this year than usual and also changing his content more than usual so I think that may have more to do with it? Idk he’s a strange case, just that he can do so well in one program & then be absolutely dismal (like worse than his typical bombs) in the same competition leads me to think it’s not really technique but something else otherwise he’d be consistently bad across the board.

 

[Tutto]

I doubt 10 days is enough to ruin his technique. I actually think his jumps look better this season, if anything, so if Raf had any meaningful impact, it would have been a positive one (Ondrej Nepela and Finlandia were his best competitions of the season, after all).

But I don't think Raf had any real impact one way or another. I think Mikhail really really really wanted to make his mark and compete with the top men this season, and that lead to some reckless decisions about health, training and program layouts. It probably also lead to greater nerves, especially during the Grand Prix series.

I'm glad he was honest in that interview about how nervous he was during Europeans. That was a lot of pressure for him to be under after the first half of the season, and after that terrific short. I think that scary 3A fall was a result of adrenaline, as he had never been in that kind of position before.

I feel so bitter about that situation at Euro, the whole season it is like every time he manages to pick himself up, something else happens. If Javi was in 1st after the short as was expected and Mika was not to skate last the pressure wouldn't be so astronomical and maybe he would have been alright (of course obviously we'll never know) as things were it was just too much for him to cope at that point in his career and after the season he's been having.
And now his confidence is shuttered again to pieces ...sigh...

 

[rachno2]

I feel so bitter about that situation at Euro, the whole season it is like every time he manages to pick himself up, something else happens. If Javi was in 1st after the short as was expected and Mika was not to skate last the pressure wouldn't be so astronomical and maybe he would have been alright (of course obviously we'll never know) as things were it was just too much for him to cope at that point in his career and after the season he's been having.
And now his confidence is shuttered again to pieces ...sigh...

Unfortunately, he's going to have to learn how to deal with these situations if he ever wants to be a world podium contender. If he hadn't been leading after the short at Euros, it would have been an injustice on the judges' part.

I know I worry about his mental state too much, but he really seemed beat down in that interview yesterday, and at a loss as to what content to try at Worlds. It must be so frustrating to not have a FS layout that he feels comfortable with.

 

[Tutto]

Unfortunately, he's going to have to learn how to deal with these situations if he ever wants to be a world podium contender. If he hadn't been leading after the short at Euros, it would have been an injustice on the judges' part.

I know I worry about his mental state too much, but he really seemed beat down in that interview yesterday, and at a loss as to what content to try at Worlds. It must be so frustrating to not have a FS layout that he feels comfortable with.

I know it is breaking my heart to see him like that trying to put on a brave face.
Can't they go back to Nepela's layout the season is lost anyway and try to practice it as much as possible for Worlds? I think it would be the only sensible thing left under the circumstances. Could we write to him and beg?!!!

 

[rachno2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHnYIuXpAdY

Here's the interview with English subtitles

 

[heyheyhey]

Maybe he could take a season or at least GP off? Not like his position is really in any danger for the immediate future, get his health in order and take some time to rest, train, and comeback for Nationals.

 

[vorravorra]

Maybe he could take a season or at least GP off? Not like his position is really in any danger for the immediate future, get his health in order and take some time to rest, train, and comeback for Nationals.

His position is in danger because in addition to Samarin, Kovtun may pull himself together a bit more and he does well at Nationals anyway, Aliev may recover, Erokhov may be over his injuries, even Voronov may still be around. And whoever might come from juniors. Russian men nowadays don't miss the GP series unless they literally can't compete like Erokhov. We may talk about it being a good idea but there is a reason they feel under pressure to compete. Misha is not anyone's particular favourite to wait for him and roll out the red carpet when he decides to return. Plus don't forget he is already 24.

 

[vorravorra]

Of course it's been brought up again that we have no idea where his back is currently at and he's not going to talk about it unless he has to withdraw from a competition.

 

[vorravorra]

Re: that conversation in the men's thread. All I have to say that if Misha has (or will have) reached that "not a step back" point when it's not about winning or losing but about survival, then he should go to Worlds and do whatever he is capable of doing physically. It will be a one-off thing as these always are but it may be worth it. So far when the sh&t got real and his career truly was in danger after screw-ups had reached a critical mass, it kicked him into that fight or flight mode. If not, then, well, he should stay home.

 

[rachno2]

Re: that conversation in the men's thread. All I have to say that if Misha has (or will have) reached that "not a step back" point when it's not about winning or losing but about survival, then he should go to Worlds and do whatever he is capable of doing physically. It will be a one-off thing as these always are but it may be worth it. So far when the sh&t got real and his career truly was in danger after screw-ups had reached a critical mass, it kicked him into that fight or flight mode. If not, then, well, he should stay home.

How can we be sure it has gotten to that point though? For all we know, he could be going into Saitama with the expectation of the podium. He is the defending WBM, after all. What worries me far more than his mental state, though (we can only speculate on that), is his inability to find a layout that works and to stick to it. That is a tangible concern that does not inspire me with confidence, and it should give the fed pause, too.

This is all of course my opinion, and he has a right to make his own decisions. I fully expect to see him at Worlds, and he may very well surprise us there. But based on the results this season and the layout changes, I personally believe staying home is the right call.

 

[vorravorra]

How can we be sure it has gotten to that point though? For all we know, he could be going into Saitama with the expectation of the podium. He is the defending WBM, after all. What worries me far more than his mental state, though (we can only speculate on that), is his inability to find a layout that works and to stick to it. That is a tangible concern that does not inspire me with confidence, and it should give the fed pause, too.

This is all of course my opinion, and he has a right to make his own decisions. I fully expect to see him at Worlds, and he may very well surprise us there. But based on the results this season and the layout changes, I personally believe staying home is the right call.

We can't be sure, this not about us. He is the one who has access to the inside of his head. But even he can't be sure, really, because it's not about hoping to be able to fight but being truly ready to do it.

I am pretty certain the Fed has been given all the pause it can carry and has given up on men's spots this season. There is a real danger of no medals in any discipline at Worlds, this is what on their minds, not Misha's mental well-being.

 

[coldblueeyes]

I am pretty certain the Fed has been given all the pause it can carry and has given up on men's spots this season. There is a real danger of no medals in any discipline at Worlds, this is what on their minds, not Misha's mental well-being.

Exactly. The other disciplines probably reserve more hope for medals than the men--even dance, which is high praise. With the treatment the Fed is giving to the choice of ladies for Worlds, I'm sure they're a lot more concentrated on that than anything else, tbh.

 

[Tatjana]

Someone posted the link to the interview with subtitles already, thank you.

Misha was obviously very upset about his performance in Tallinn. I don't think this desaster in the free was health related. As for the hand - he cut it on the I believe first fall he said and it was bleeding. That's why he kept looking at it. But he didn't re-injure it, at least he didn't say that.
He said he is far from his best shape right now (and as pointed out in the video, now would not be the right time to peak) and he also said that actually he never was in his top form at any competition this season, only at Europeans he came close to it.

The flip: I think it is a good idea, even if he risks an edge attention or edge call. He doesn't like the loop at all and he rarely did it well. Better a flip with some edge deduction (he didn't get one this time, which is encouraging, but it is a kind of lottery) than a popped/messy loop.

Mental preparation: He's been doing a lot of things and reading and works with the psychologist, but the result won't come overnight. This is what I told him.

Coaching change: The coach in Russia I thought he could go to is Alexei Urmanov (someone else mentioned him, too). Alexei seems to be a very calm coach, instilling confidence. He has the experience - he competed at the highest level, he also had ups and downs and nerves, he knows the technique (he had great jumps, good old Mishin school). I think he really helped Julia Lipnitskaia, but she stopped too early for the full effect to show. Mishin doesn't seem to be an option, Rukavitsin I think would be even worse for him than Valentina Chebotareva, the Moscow coaches - I don't really see that either.
Misha seemed ready for a change at the end of last season, but then he eventually didn't change but chose the "internship" option to get fresh input. In addition to maybe that what he wanted wasn't approved, he probably in the end shied away from leaving his comfort zone - his home St. Petersburg. He also would have felt bad to leave Valentina Chebotareva. But my feeling is that Valentina is at a loss right now, she doesn't know what to do with Misha and also Stasia. She said to me - and Misha confirmed it - that he has been skating better in practice this season than last season. Less mistakes, less pops. But it doesn't show in competition. Misha has said that he skated his free with three quads in practice. He is capable of doing it. I think he needs a coach that instills confidence and calmness, that is experienced and that has a fresh eye and will see things from a new and different perspective.
Hopefully Misha will be able to put out decent performances at Worlds. Valentina Chebotareva apparently said (not to me, but I heard it from a reliable source) that she is afraid he might not be sent to Worlds after the desaster free in Tallinn. But honestly, none of the potential substitutes has been doing really better and we don't know the status of Sergei Voronov. He didn't come to the Russian Cup Final. The Federation won't decide things in a rush. They probably will look at practices closer to Worlds, too (although we know that good practices don't mean good performances in competition, unfortunately.)

 

[Tutto]

Whole post

Tatjana, many thanks for the update- God bless you! Not knowing what's really happening is the worst, there are still more questions than answers but some points are certainly more clear today.
1) his hand - hopefully no further injury but really Mika's got some really bad luck this season with his health
2) his flip - I respectfully disagree, I think it is a bad idea. One of the reasons the judges love Mika is his pure technique, their eyes wary of endless UR, cheated take-offs and hooked landings rest on Mika's jumps. They prove again and again they are more than willing to reward him when he lands them. Sadly , URs are not alien to Mika anymore, now a (f)lip, next he might be losing his reputation with the judges.
His loop is a beautiful jump when successful, it is not like he is not capable, it seems like a mental issue mostly and running away from it won't solve anything- strictly IMHO
3) it is not the first season he's been working with the psychologist, I'd say at least three seasons now - not against of course but obviously the psychologist is only one piece of the puzzle and something is just not working
4) it was me who mentioned Urmanov actually. I am pleased you are of the same opinion. Yes as a coach he hasn't got a proven track record but at least he is the Oly champion he knows what it takes to compete at the top (unlike Valentina no offence) I wonder if Mika ever considered Urmanov - what was your impression?
Any foreign coaches in my opinion will be no good for Mika, he will be feeling even more pressurised to deliver good results because of money spent (presumably?) by the fed.
5) very surprised that his practices this season were better than the last season's. Surely his illness alone made it so unlikely. Not sure if skating a 3 quad program once in a while in practice means a lot. If he could do a 4-5 quad program in practice pretty regularly i'd say it would be a good indication of him doing a 3 quad one in competition (like Eteri's girls alway were doing 3-3-3 in practice and warm-ups and then naturally 3-3 were not a problem for them at all) Their approach I always feel is a bit too optimistic?


EDT: Mika is safe. the final lists for Saitama:
https://fsrussia.ru/news/4271-ispol...rnoj-rossii-na-chempionat-mira-v-yaponii.html