Alina Zagitova

[zenskate]

That would be something...

But taking into account the fact that Alina's collection of plushies is increasing, I think one more Akita is needed to "deal" with them and defend Alina

Maybe they can track down the other puppy in my avatar and make it a family reunion.

Alina has nothing to prove, to anyone.

I wish her to have the WC she is working super hard for: with two clean skates of her programs. And I want to see a big smile. The rest.....not important.

I know she skates for a country, represented by its Federation, they invest in her, they get returns from her. She is part of their National Team and has earned her team spot fair and square, as well as her spot in all the important competitions this year.

...

I love watching her. She is the only one I watch for, she is the reason I love figure skating.

:clapper:

Well said lusk8! Alina proves herself through her actions and her achievements, and not with empty words.

RusFed is definitely getting their "returns" from Alina, to start they get their cut of that 2.5 million!

 

[Scott512]

Scott, I agree. The last two 15 y/o OGM were 20 years apart - Tara 1998 and Alina 2018.

Very true Mel. The competition for Bejiing will be unreal! Rika will be 19 then. Ancient.

 

[Scott512]

Alina has nothing to prove, to anyone.

I wish her to have the WC she is working super hard for: with two clean skates of her programs. And I want to see a big smile. The rest.....not important.

I know she skates for a country, represented by its Federation, they invest in her, they get returns from her. She is part of their National Team and has earned her team spot fair and square, as well as her spot in all the important competitions this year.

This season Alina worked hard to improve on things she needed to, to secure the technical advancements she had achieved and had to deal with changes in the way things are scored. She went through the natural physical changes expected at her age and dealt with them as gracefully as possible. She did not "tone down" her programs to make them easier to execute and she in fact incorporated a second 3Lz combo into her FS which had to be difficult feat, requiring her to do different entries into it and different combo set ups.

She did all that coming off a very hard season, her Senior First, where she skated non-stop and achieved her Individual Olympic Gold, after which she went on her first "large scale" foreign Ice Show tour, essentially skating on her own (without coaches around) for a good chuck of time. I'm glad she did this last bit because I dearly enjoyed her in all these Ice Shows, cherry on top for me. I love to see Alina skate just for the fun of it. She is amazingly entertaining and that's why she was asked to come again (to SOI for now, and I expect her to get other assignments as well).

So she trained "in house" a little less during the off season in the lead up to a season that demanded a lot more because of her adaptation to her own personal changes as well as the changes in the rules.

Worth it!

And she did amazing with it, her season so far, getting medals as either Gold or Silver in all her International assignments is the second best run of the year among all ladies. I call that a success. Success is not demanding perfection all the time, if it was the pool of "successful people" in Figure Skating would be exactly zero. Maybe Sonja Henie (from 1927-1936). But really, today, the sport is completely different and this difference calls for alternating placements eventually. Being on the podium, in any capacity, is an amazing feat. Alina said so herself.

Alina is not a whiner she is a winner.

She wins everyday by working hard (as we see in all backstage videos of her trainings), by attending her assigned competitions, by being a great sportswoman who treats all competitors with respect and kindness and by pursuing the best skates that she can deliver in that moment.

Each competition is a fresh new chance to reach that goal of delivering all that you want to deliver. Each new season is a fresh chance to incorporate new elements as you perfect the ones you did before.

To Alina I wish many fresh starts and new chances to amaze!!!

I love watching her. She is the only one I watch for, she is the reason I love figure skating.

Post of the year. Merci.

 

[Scott512]

I don’t know about you guys but I am just so excited to see Alina and Zhenya skating on the same ice for the first time in almost a year I can’t wait to see the Eteri/Brian interactions at the boards. Should be interesting

Alot of people are not looking forward to the drama and friction.

 

[lusk8]

As of now Alina is in Group 6 for practice (along with Sofia and Zhenya).

Time seems nice, not to early for the first run.

http://www.isuresults.com/schedules/WC2019_MusicRotation_All.pdf

 

[taylor1]

As of now Alina is in Group 6 for practice (along with Sofia and Zhenya).

Time seems nice, not to early for the first run.

http://www.isuresults.com/schedules/WC2019_MusicRotation_All.pdf

Fingers crossed she arrives for the Monday practices

 

[j00mla]

I can’t wait to see the Eteri/Brian interactions at the boards. Should be interesting

:sarcasm: I don't think they will have any significant interactions, moreover the only coach who can be named "Eteri's rival" is Mie Hamada

 

[flanker]

I don’t know about you guys but I am just so excited to see Alina and Zhenya skating on the same ice for the first time in almost a year I can’t wait to see the Eteri/Brian interactions at the boards. Should be interesting

They were on the same ice during the test skates and during rusnats. No blood till now, I hope this will continue
(But seriously, sometimes there are collisions, can you imagine if something like that would happen, how many people would be triggered and starting to find the culprit. Please let this not happen)

 

[paji15]

I don’t know about you guys but I am just so excited to see Alina and Zhenya skating on the same ice for the first time in almost a year I can’t wait to see the Eteri/Brian interactions at the boards. Should be interesting

I think both Eteri and Brian are proffesionalist in the first place. They are very well awared that they have there two very young girls who are already under extreme outside pressure. They were on the same ice twice - at test skates and then Nats, and non of them do really well. Sure it wasn't due to pressence of the other, but pressure on them is much bigger. Everyone is pushing them agains each other, because it's atractive, and now a lot of people are questioning their spot in the team. They both already have very tough season, both has to overcome big body changes, both has to overcome Olympic reality (Alina by winning gold and need to prove that she wasn't just lucky kid and she deserve it, Zhenya by winning silver and need prove that she is not old for continue). They both are medal aspirants, despite some troubles they both have. And they both love Japan so much and I can imagine that hey want to succeed there so much.

I want to believe that the fact that they interact with each other at Nats a little, can help them a lot, the atmosphere will be a little less intense. And I'm sure Brian and Eteri are here to help theirs girl, no matter what. Any personal atipathies between the four of them are not on place now. If they will be salty against each other, it can affect not only the other, but also their girl. They can feel it and the tension is aready there without any drama, the coaches are there to help them, not otherwise.

So I hope it will be all without any collision and unecesarry add pressure. That's what they deserve. Let's them shine as they work hard for. I'm always cheering more for Alina, but wish them both a good luck.

 

[Giltedge]

:2thumbs:

Do you think Japan will give her another Akita if she wins Worlds?
Masaru is growing up, and needs a friend.

Bah Only on condition that another Akita would come with another Iriskat.

 

[Giltedge]

Alina will be 19 Alena 18 Sasha and Anna 17 and Liu 16. I doubt a 15 year old will win Bejiing.

:thumbsup: This is a timely reminder and strong debunk to those who try to paint Alina as some sort of has-been who belongs to "the previous generation". Alina is very much in the mix with the other new seniors joining her next season.

 

[Scott512]

They were on the same ice during the test skates and during rusnats. No blood till now, I hope this will continue
(But seriously, sometimes there are collisions, can you imagine if something like that would happen, how many people would be triggered and starting to find the culprit. Please let this not happen)

A German girl clipped Oksana in the shin in 94 at the olympics so it can happen. But it wont. Alina and Zhenya will have no interactions other than hi. That is because of Zhenya distancing herself from Alina. Its that simple.

 

[Arbitrary]

Very true Mel. The competition for Bejiing will be unreal! Rika will be 19 then. Ancient.

She may be not allowed to participate at all. If ISU decides to raise the minimal age for female skaters to, say, 21?
Who knows...

 

[skatingfan200]

A German girl clipped Oksana in the shin in 94 at the olympics so it can happen. But it wont. Alina and Zhenya will have no interactions other than hi. That is because of Zhenya distancing herself from Alina. Its that simple.

Do not create fiction about Zhenya. Esp. in Alina´s fanfest.

 

[Wombat1800]

The real pressure on them lays in the almost obvious fact this WC is the last for both.

Or this is what many may think.

This is Alina's fan fest, where we are positive and encouraging, please don't make pessimistic comments suggesting Alina and Zhenya are done when they are both in the mix, go to the edge if you want to do that

 

[Scott512]

Do not create fiction about Zhenya. Esp. in Alina´s fanfest.

am I seeing things? What thread am I in?

Not fiction. Moscow to Toronto is major distance. Thus its normal for them not to have the relationship they use to. They rarely see each other. Its like graduating college and you lose touch with your friends when you go your seperate ways Thats whats happened here. Its okay. Its sports its life. Its nohing against Zhenya. She made the move she wanted to and she seems happy..

 

[Scott512]

This is Alina's fan fest, where we are positive and encouraging, please don't make pessimistic comments suggesting Alina and Zhenya are done when they are both in the mix, go to the edge if you want to do that

People forget Alina is only 16. She is the same age as Rika, alina is making adjustments to her growth spurts. I cant wait to see her next season.

 

[paji15]

People forget Alina is only 16. She is the same age as Rika, alina is making adjustments to her growth spurts. I cant wait to see her next season.

Yea, Alina is very young. She still can learn a lot of things. It's not a long ago she doesn't have a cantilever, and now? She is not learning 4Lz Lo and F (from what we know) without a reason. She is very well awared how the very best junior girls in the world look like. Maybe she will be able to do it, maybe not. Only time will tell. But look at Kaetlyn Osmond, she became very top lately. Why Alina cannot too? Only because she won the Olympic at 15 doesn't mean she cannot be better.

 

[lesnar001]

The real pressure on them lays in the almost obvious fact this WC is the last for both.

Or this is what many may think.

Yup, sure.

The Gold and Silver medalists from the 2018 Olympics are "finished".

And it always seems to be just them. Nobody else.

And yet there is only one Senior lady attempting a quad.
And only 2 Senior Ladies doing triple axels (and not always successfully).

But only Alina & Evgenia will be affected by the upcoming "quad revolution".
Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[lesnar001]

I guess the original premise is based on the belief that the 3A will have a seamless transition to the senior level.

AND that Alina and Evgenia are incapable of increasing their technical arsenal.

Seeing that neither have even reached the age of 20 yet, I think they CAN learn new tricks.
And they certainly will have the "motivation" to do so.