2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Finley]

Even when they lose, they always say "This and this wasn't done right (my spins were horrible etc) I need to work and practice more so that it won't happen in the future again".
Alina lost gold twice this season, not once did she attempt to say that others have it easier. Alyona, Alexandra and Anna lost to each other multiple times, they never blame anyone else but themselves for losing.

When Alina got silver at Euros I remember her expressing her gratitude for that medal and saying she "could have been left with nothing." Humility looks good on anyone.

 

[JazzUp]

I think other girls like Alina ... would never say that in interview because they are trained for this kind of things.

Alina was not "trained for this kind of things", she was just raised better.

 

[Scott512]

I understand very little Russian, so I'm not able to comment on exactly what Gubanova said in her interview, but based on her body language with the interviewer, it seems very possible that she could have been lured into a sense of false security. She seemed really comfortable and friendly with the interviewer, and I think that maybe that allowed her to let her guard down and be more honest about things than she should have. I work in PR, I rehearse people for interviews with the press all the time, and sometimes no amount of coaching can keep someone from saying something detrimental to their personal brand if they're caught off guard to get too comfortable. I'm not sure if Nastya has an agent, but I really doubt that she had a team of people behind her helping her practice responses to difficult questions, or instructing her on how to be as diplomatic as possible.

I agree with every word. Nastya was very comfortable and let the words flow. I also think she does not have PR representation. She could use you Vesper. As I said before she did not mean any harm. She just answered as she saw fit.

 

[ruga]

But undoubtedly having more experience with journalists and media will help to avoid saying controversial things, which Nastya probably doesn't have or has less than top skaters.

 

[Scott512]

They could peep about each other lol. But it's true, they rarely talk about competitors and concentrate on their own skating and mistakes. Probably you learn to analyze yourself better when you're training in a competitive environment.

100% true. 3A focus on themselves and take care of business. You almost never hear them talk about anyone else. EGs girls have the advantages that Gubinova never had with great competition in your own group.

 

[Fluture]

Even when they lose, they always say "This and this wasn't done right (my spins were horrible etc) I need to work and practice more so that it won't happen in the future again".
Alina lost gold twice this season, not once did she attempt to say that others have it easier. Alyona, Alexandra and Anna lost to each other multiple times, they never blame anyone else but themselves for losing.

Well, I agree that I have never heard an Eteri girl blame other competitors for their failures. They also always talk about improving, even when they‘re winning. Definitely a good thing.

However, I would say that the situations described here are still very different. Alina lost gold, yes. At Euros and GPF. But she won silver there. Nastya, however, once was a direct competitor to Alina and now is in a completely different stage of her career. She was never even close to Euros or GPF, let alone a medal there. It still doesn‘t excuse her comments but I would say it‘s a bit of a different situation than Alina and the 3A for example who usually win and/or medal vs. Nastya who rarely is sent to international competitions at all. And it‘s not always because she doesn‘t work as hard as others do. Let‘s admit it, she‘s had some pretty bad luck as well and judging hasn‘t been in favour at all for her, either. As young as she is and given how much she gave up for this sport, I can see how she would feel this way. Again, I‘m not saying it‘s necessarily right or clever to say such things because it‘s not. But she‘s only 16 and she probably wasn‘t taught what to say in interviews. And admit it or not, girls on the top level do get to practice what kind of answers they should give and which they should avoid. Idk, for me it‘s very clear that everybody feels jealous once in a while. Everybody. It‘s just that most don‘t voice it or manage to be more diplomatic. To me it‘s very obvious that she was tricked into a false sense of safety and said things she shouldn‘t have said. Hopefully she will learn from this. Again, I do not agree with the things Nastya said in this interview. But I do think it‘s really wrong to make her seem to be this bad human being with a total lack of sportsmanship when no one of us here can imagine what it feels like to be in her position. We don‘t know. So, let‘s just acknowledge that she was very naive for saying this. But... not judge her character or how “she was raised“. The girl is only 16 and has had enough pressure on her shoulders. I just feel it‘s always easy to judge when in fact, most of us in here would do much, much worse in the public spotlight than those girls.

 

[halulupu]

OMG poor (or not very clever?) Nastaya. She is gigging the grave of her career. I mean really this girl should know better, 16 or not.

 

[Scott512]

If you expect Nastya to say I will work harder, I lost due to my own faults, this wasn't accomplished because I wasn't preparing correctly
You totally didn’t understand her situation at all.
Even when she was the only one who made clean performance she was underscored badly.She is the real jnr national champion in 2018 since Kostornaia made a huge fall in her SP and Trusova made a huge fall in FS.Talking about Konstantinova? She was 12th but she was 2nd in her FP.Judges even didn’t call her two footed jumps and gave her highest pcs.who will remember this?����

In this situation do you really expect her to say that you mentioned?

Cup final sp?She should have been first imo but at least should have been 2nd.
Konstantinova all her underotations got generous goe.Tuktamysheva?It’s so funny her fans saying she was underscored.Pcs 35 for her even she made a huge fall?Her poor skating doesn’t deserve high pcs.
At gpf she got 32 66 at Rcf she got 35 72.She definitely was overscored at cupfinal.
And I am sure most of her fans didn’t watch her performance in reality.In video she looks like she has charisma.In reality you only can see the poor skating the arms shaking.That's all.
Let me get this straight.She was overscored not underscored. Medevedeva was also overscored but she should ahead of Tuktamysheva.Rusfed was wise to send Medvedeva.


Honestly I like Nastya interviewed this way.She knew many people will curse her.People don’t know about her talent since people always judge skaters with their career.Then she was never able to get career as rusfed always has underscored her.She was brave and confident.

Since test skate is coming I would like to know if she will participate or not.I’m not sure as I remember someone said she said she will stay junior and explain why in that interview.This is why I had waited this interview long time.
She wasn’t listed as a substitute because she is senior reserve.Others are junior main or junior reserve.
If she goes to test skate she will go to jgp.

Payako my man you are breathing fire with your words and I like it.

I agree with a lot of what you said including how Anastasia has been low-balled in her scores over the years especially at home. I don't remember the Russian Junior Nationals competition you mentioned where she should have won ahead of Alena and Sasha. Is that available on YouTube? If so I would love to watch it. But to be honest Sasha and Alena and Anna for that matter have surpassed Nastya now. That is undeniable. The question is can Nastya close the gap on them this season? This is likley Nastyas last season to make her mark as a Russian figure skater. Otherwise if she continues to get buried and underscore the only thing she can do is change her citizenship to Belarus and skate for them. Let's hope it doesn't come for that and Anastasia has a healthy year and a great first season with her new coach and choreographer.

I adore Stasya she is beautiful and elegant but she's been put ahead of nastya twice unfairly in the opinion of many. Nastya is beautiful and elegant and her skating flows wonderfully with superb skating skills. But the Russian Federation has made it clear they do not adore her the way we do. I hope nastya I can still save her career in Russia.

If she never gets to the top Nastya can always do the money making professional shows for many years because of what a wonderful artistic skater she is. That is a natural environment for her. And the Russian ladies figure skater mantra in today's figure skating world as far as doing the money making shows goes means alot. Anastasia Gubanova from Russia sounds a lot better to me than Anastasia Gubanova from Belarus or some other country.

Now it's up to to Nastya to make strides this season and start to fulfill her vast potential. Hopefully she will get the scores she deserves.

 

[ruga]

As someone else said in the thread, I'm beginning to get worried that the 3A are each keeping one program. I really wish they would all get two new programs, especially because Anna's would be her fs. But I don't have a good feeling about it.

The only TeamTutberidze senior who has announced both programs is Alina. Both 3A and Elizabet have told only one name of the programs and I doubt they all are keeping programs for next season. Maybe they're still in progress or girls just don't want to announce it yet.

 

[Scott512]

I think it's not about being politically correct, but having an athlete etiquette and having sportsman like behavior.
She's probably easily manipulated, the interview although was about Nastya, seemed to be "What Nastya thinks about others" for a big chunk of it as well.
you kind of always expect athletes to say: I will work harder, I lost due to my own faults, this wasn't accomplished because I wasn't preparing correctly.
She doesn't seem to think this way...
She is focused on that other girls have reputation, hence Evgenia, Alina and Liza get bigger scores, although Nastya isn't any worse compared to them
In general, it all seemed to focus that all her competition just was more lucky, Evgenia and Liza just happened to get higher scores than her on FCR (although Nastya thinks she should've won the short), Alina got lucky because she was born before July 1st, Trusova and Shcherbakova just have it easier, because they are pre-pubescent...

I just think it's not the right approach, no need to downplay anyone's success to age, timing, whatever, she should focus on her own career.

I don't know.. it's fine when fans say "Nastya totally should've won the short there", but when she herself says that she isn't any worse and others just get generous GOEs due to their ratings, it's a bit...strange.

Nastya has to learn and she is. Last week she did an online interview and one of the ?s was which skaters lack artistry and instead of naming names she diplomatically said she didn't want to say anything bad about other skaters. So she is learning and I am sure looking back she knows the Rodina interview was not good for her and why it was not good for her. She is a kid and has to figure things out just the way adults do.

Like you said Nuss the interview was mainly about what she thinks about other skaters. That can be tricky. Its sometimes hard for teen girls to be generous to other teen girls. I cut Nastya slack because she is only 16 and she has been underscored alot in her career is not blossoming like she thought it would a couple years ago and Alina 3A and others have passed her by by alot. That bothers her and that is very human. But she has to be more diplomatic in the future. The Fed already doesnt like her she doesnt need her young compatriots following suit. I dont think that will happen.

I consider the Rodina interview a miss step for Nastya and that is all. Nothing more nothing less. A valuable learning experience for sure.

 

[elegance]

I just took my foot out of my own mouth. Lesson learnt. Please forgive my rookie mistakes.

 

[Edwin]

Valiyeva has chosen/been given quite sophisticated minimal music again?
Very interesting to wait and see how she interprets the music and expresses herself.
She is growing into a very special skater, not run off the mill at all.

 

[nussnacker]

Well, I agree that I have never heard an Eteri girl blame other competitors for their failures. They also always talk about improving, even when they‘re winning. Definitely a good thing.

However, I would say that the situations described here are still very different. Alina lost gold, yes. At Euros and GPF. But she won silver there. Nastya, however, once was a direct competitor to Alina and now is in a completely different stage of her career. She was never even close to Euros or GPF, let alone a medal there. It still doesn‘t excuse her comments but I would say it‘s a bit of a different situation than Alina and the 3A for example who usually win and/or medal vs. Nastya who rarely is sent to international competitions at all. And it‘s not always because she doesn‘t work as hard as others do. Let‘s admit it, she‘s had some pretty bad luck as well and judging hasn‘t been in favour at all for her, either. As young as she is and given how much she gave up for this sport, I can see how she would feel this way. Again, I‘m not saying it‘s necessarily right or clever to say such things because it‘s not. But she‘s only 16 and she probably wasn‘t taught what to say in interviews. And admit it or not, girls on the top level do get to practice what kind of answers they should give and which they should avoid. Idk, for me it‘s very clear that everybody feels jealous once in a while. Everybody. It‘s just that most don‘t voice it or manage to be more diplomatic. To me it‘s very obvious that she was tricked into a false sense of safety and said things she shouldn‘t have said. Hopefully she will learn from this. Again, I do not agree with the things Nastya said in this interview. But I do think it‘s really wrong to make her seem to be this bad human being with a total lack of sportsmanship when no one of us here can imagine what it feels like to be in her position. We don‘t know. So, let‘s just acknowledge that she was very naive for saying this. But... not judge her character or how “she was raised“. The girl is only 16 and has had enough pressure on her shoulders. I just feel it‘s always easy to judge when in fact, most of us in here would do much, much worse in the public spotlight than those girls.

I don't judge her or her character, and I don't think she's a bad human being.
I think what she says reveals more about her attitude, and that's the biggest problem, not her public image.
She needs to fix that for herself, not for anyone else.
I think she thinks pretty highly of her skills, since she said she totally could've gone to 2018 olympics and placed well there if not for her age, which um... is a very generous outlook on her own performances that season.
And an athlete should probably be always dissatisfied with himself, look for things to improve, rather than focus on how the world and universe is so unjust.

Focusing on that will be the real problem that might ruin her performances, not any other things.

 

[Scott512]

Its alright, I understand. And I didn't mean to suggest that every young person needs an agent or a PR professional to keep them from putting their foot in their mouth. Everyone is different. I think Alina is more introspective, thoughtful, and private than your average person, and that has helped her a great deal even before she became Olympic champion. Not everyone is so graceful.

Not every young person needs an agent or a public relations person. But if you're a prodigy it's probably a necessity.

Well said about Alina. She seems completely undamaged by any negativity that's come her way. She is shy but she is not weak.

 

[nussnacker]

Valiyeva had chosen/been given quite sophisticated minimal music again?
Very interesting to wait and see how she interprets the music and expresses herself.
She is growing into a very special skater, not run off the mill at all.

it's exogenesis, and I'm excited to see her perform to that music.
I think she will sell it so well!

 

[Vandevska]

All Eteri girls always focus on themselves and what they could improve, and being aware of how they did is what helps them further improve imo (and here I include Zhenya too because she was basically raised with Eteri too). No matter if they win or lose, they're always aware of things they need to improve. And none of them has bashed other skaters in an interview.
Perhaps Gubanova just wasn't used to this type of interviews, but i can't completely agree that it's just the interviewer's fault.

On another note, i can't wait to see the new programs, I'm sooo excited. I wish it was during the weekend but I'll get to see them after work so it's okay ^^

 

[Vandevska]

Also, if Gubanova thinks Alina was just lucky, and that the 3A are lucky with their bodies, she should very badly. So much nonsense.

 

[Scott512]

I don't judge her or her character, and I don't think she's a bad human being.
I think what she says reveals more about her attitude, and that's the biggest problem, not her public image.
She needs to fix that for herself, not for anyone else.
I think she thinks pretty highly of her skills, since she said she totally could've gone to 2018 olympics and placed well there if not for her age, which um... is a very generous outlook on her own performances that season.
And an athlete should probably be always dissatisfied with himself, look for things to improve, rather than focus on how the world and universe is so unjust.

Focusing on that will be the real problem that might ruin her performances, not any other things.

Nastya maybe a little bitter that she missed out on the Olympics in 2018 because she was too young by a few months. Whether people think she's being realistic or not is okay either way. But her skating skills at that time were superb and this was before puberty. so she obviously thinks she could have been the third Russinas and placed better than Masha who was 8th. That is certainly debatable but you would expect nothing less than a young athlete thinking highly of themselves and their potential. and her skating skills at that time was certainly better than Maria's or Stasyas Now reality has to set in for Anastasia. She needs to save her career this year with her new coach. If she doesn't at the very least have a good season thena few more Russian girls will pass her by. But that's sports and that's life. Timing is important in many instances.

 

[Edwin]

Seems like Gubanova is quite the airhead of late.
16 year olds giving unsupervised, unguided interviews after being dismissed from a prestigious rink for a reason means you’re bound to be baited or lured into some traps.
Also it could mean a bad start at your new rink, if your reputation precedes you.

 

[Watch]

You do NOT need an agent or any 'practice sessions' to know that you should definitely NOT give interviews to a PoS that calls herself an "expert" in FS (that can't tell the difference between the jumps, though) and threatens to bash a 15 year old's head because she won an Olympic Gold medal instead of her favourite. You just need a certain level of decency, that's all.

I'm still REALLY confused about this. The woman gets interviews with a lot of skaters and seems to have some general cred as something between a journalist and a "serious" blogger, do people in the inner circles of the figure skating community not know the extent of her crazy behaviour? I've seen Russian pseudo-journalists get very tactless and unprofessional, but these things she said are on a completely different level. Personally, I don't watch anything she puts out on principle, only read summaries of the interviews at most. This person doesn't deserve a platform or access to skaters.