2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[anonymoose_au]

Is it too early to start playing the "who's in and who's out" Grand Prix finals game?

Here is my prediction. The 4 A's will win everything they enter, losing only to each other. The last two skaters need a 2nd and a 3rd. Rika Kihira should get third easily at NHK and if she is fully healthy, skating at home she can aspire to higher. That brings it down to who gets second at Cup of China, Young You or Elizaveta Tuktamysheva for the final spot.

Oh, I hope Liza makes it! Young You is very good though, so I'll have to keep my fingers crossed for the next week for her!

I think Aliona will be OK here, practices aren't everything, Med was really good at practice, but had difficulty translating it to the actual performance. Perhaps Aliona will do the opposite.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Yeah I've wondered about this too. I don't know how it works, but I can only guess that maybe they have to invite all of the "guaranteed" skaters before they can invite non guaranteed skaters? I'm also guessing that Russia makes trade-offs with other feds and uses its political influence for this sort of thing. Also, feds without major ladies' contenders probably would like to invite Trusova to help sell tickets (ya she isn't as famous as some of the huge Russian stars, but she still has somewhat of a following and hype around her).

In the old days I'm sure the top skaters would pick their events. Or at least the winner could pick any two of the six, then the second place getter could pick from the four left, then the bronze medallist would get the last two (because the podium winners couldn't meet each other - did they stop doing that or am I just imagining rules again )

 

[monochrom3]

In the old days I'm sure the top skaters would pick their events. Or at least the winner could pick any two of the six, then the second place getter could pick from the four left, then the bronze medallist would get the last two (because the podium winners couldn't meet each other - did they stop doing that or am I just imagining rules again )

This is exactly what happened with GP Assignments hahaha you’re not imagining it. That’s why Lilbet, Zhenya and Alina can’t meet each other at GPs this season

 

[Happy Skates]

In the old days I'm sure the top skaters would pick their events. Or at least the winner could pick any two of the six, then the second place getter could pick from the four left, then the bronze medallist would get the last two (because the podium winners couldn't meet each other - did they stop doing that or am I just imagining rules again )

Yes, thats my understanding of how it works as well. But that wouldn't apply to the case with Trusova that I was describing.

 

[el henry]

In the old days I'm sure the top skaters would pick their events. Or at least the winner could pick any two of the six, then the second place getter could pick from the four left, then the bronze medallist would get the last two (because the podium winners couldn't meet each other - did they stop doing that or am I just imagining rules again )

I cannot cite to the video, but I am certain that Meagan D. said they when they were world champs, she and Eric were offered their selection of GP spots. However, it went, wink wink nudge nudge, through the Fed. So Skate Canada asked them what they wanted, and they were fairly certain that Skate Canada would help them to get it (within reason, I don’t remember the year, but if a Russian team had been No. 2, they would not get Rostelecom for example, just like Nathan would not get NHK).

Sorry for the OT, but it’s the only “direct” example I know. Summary: it goes through the Fed, but the champs get what they want, within reason.

 

[Mathman]

Here are the official rules about selecting the Grand Prix contestants.. See especially 2.1a, 2,21 and 2.2h.

https://www.isu.org/docman-document...44-gp-general-announcement-2019-20-final/file

2.1 Seeded Skaters/Couples

a) Skaters/Couples who have placed 1 – 6 in each of the 4 disciplines (Men, Ladies, Pair Skating, Ice Dance) at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2019 will be considered to be Seeded Skaters/Couples and will be assigned, by draw, to skate in two events. ...

So officially the skaters do not get any say in the matter. (In practice they express their prferences and hope it works out that way.)

The document does not make clear if the skater's names are drawn out of a hat for each event, or if the federations draw for choosing first, second, third, etc. I think it is the federations order that is chosen by random draw, not the names of the skaters. (I might be wrong about this, but I don't think so.)

I think the whole process goes like this. I will use the men's field at Skate America as a clean-cut example.

Step 1. The USFSA makes its host picks. They go with

Nathan Chen
Jason Brown
To be decided.(later filled by Alexei Krasnozhon)

Step 2. They have to choose one of Chen, Hanyu or Zhou, but they have already chosen Chen, so they do not add anyone else to the roster in this round.

Step 3.Now they have to choose from among Uno, Jin and Kolyada. They choose Jin -- either because they are more afraid of the other two, or because they think the audience will like Jin, or because other federations have chosen before USA and Jin is the only one left.

Etc.

In the meantime they have asked the skaters for their input and made deals among the federations about who they will and won't select in the various rounds.

Something like that?

 

[tempo]

Cup of Russia, stage 3, Sochi.
Ladies SP, both KMS+MS ranks.

Live stream at 16:00 msk (9 hours countdown):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrAYZx2DocM

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Good luck to Maria, Alena, and Alina today!

 

[flanker]

BTW any info on Masha's practise?

 

[Nord Stream 2]

BTW any info on Masha's practise?

Don't ask (((

 

[Mishaminion]

So pleased Alyona had a good practice after a not good one. Bless her, everyone has an off day...hopefully she's not lost any confidence from it.

Masha... I've not seen anything from her practices but I've heard rumours they're not good.

 

[flanker]

Don't ask (((

 

[macy]

i wonder if Masha's stuggles are more mental or because she hasn't ever gotten used to post-puberty changes. i feel so bad for her- been there and done that. saying it sucks is an understatement. i hope she can find joy in her skating again, whether that means winning medals or just doing it for pure enjoyment.

 

[Scott512]

I completely agree. I’d feel the same if 3a was not allowed but a quad combo was. It is very unfair.

Super worried about Alina

Cup of Russia, stage 3, Sochi.
Ladies SP, both KMS+MS ranks.

Live stream at 16:00 msk (9 hours countdown):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrAYZx2DocM

Who is competeting there? The Nastyas?

i wonder if Masha's stuggles are more mental or because she hasn't ever gotten used to post-puberty changes. i feel so bad for her- been there and done that. saying it sucks is an understatement. i hope she can find joy in her skating again, whether that means winning medals or just doing it for pure enjoyment.

And her father passed away just a few months ago in his early forties. Who knows what that has done to Masha. But she was in bad form for a long time before that tragedy happened. It's just so hard for a figure skater to stop the slide going the wrong way once it starts.

 

[Resa]

Cup of Russia, stage 3, Sochi.
Ladies SP, both KMS+MS ranks.

Live stream at 16:00 msk (9 hours countdown):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrAYZx2DocM

Who are the participants? I don't find the infos

 

[flanker]

Who are the participants? I don't find the infos

https://fsrussia.ru/results/1920/3etap/index.htm

There is a thread for The Cup of Russia:
https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?83085-Cup-of-Russia-3rd-Event

 

[moriel]

i wonder if Masha's stuggles are more mental or because she hasn't ever gotten used to post-puberty changes. i feel so bad for her- been there and done that. saying it sucks is an understatement. i hope she can find joy in her skating again, whether that means winning medals or just doing it for pure enjoyment.

I would say it is a combination of several factors:
- studies: unlike many russian skaters, she is not in a physical education course. The place where she studies is fairly demanding, and likely requires her to be present at classes.
- family issues which she had recently obviously took a toll on her.
- possibly financial issues: she is not in the team anymore, which means she has to pay more from her own pocket and gets less funding overall. Coupled with the mentioned family issues, this could be also relevan.
- bad coaching historically: while she was with Buyanova, she had UR issues which got worse over time, and her team never really addressed it. Buyanova was like "judges are nitpicking" in interviews.
- coaching change recently: adaptation time and so on

 

[Nord Stream 2]

Who are the participants? I don't find the infos

In about 15 minutes... Usacheva, Khromyih, Berestovskaya, Sultanmagomedova.
In 4 hours... Gubanova, Gulakova, Tsibinova

 

[Resa]

In about 15 minutes... Usacheva, Khromyih, Berestovskaya, Sultanmagomedova.
In 4 hours... Gubanova, Gulakova, Tsibinova

Thank you!

 

[macy]

I would say it is a combination of several factors:
- studies: unlike many russian skaters, she is not in a physical education course. The place where she studies is fairly demanding, and likely requires her to be present at classes.
- family issues which she had recently obviously took a toll on her.
- possibly financial issues: she is not in the team anymore, which means she has to pay more from her own pocket and gets less funding overall. Coupled with the mentioned family issues, this could be also relevan.
- bad coaching historically: while she was with Buyanova, she had UR issues which got worse over time, and her team never really addressed it. Buyanova was like "judges are nitpicking" in interviews.
- coaching change recently: adaptation time and so on

i think the thing that makes me so sad and angry when it comes to these skaters who are stuggling is the criticism they receive. i have seen so much nastiness and hate toward Masha on this forum recently, and it's so uncalled for. ALL of these girls are doing their best under their circumstances...not many stop to think about what they may be dealing with off the ice that affects them on the ice, and it's so unfair to them. we should be cheering on and encouraging them all, because that's the least they deserve.