2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[theteez]

Why should she apologise?! She's done nothing wrong.

Um chill. The apology is just a token of expression for the fans/audience expecting her to perform - she's in the gala roster.

 

[theteez]

this is an opinion Message Board we form opinions and give them. Of course everyone of Sasha's wishes and desires should be follow through on by her. But only after real deliberation and I'm not sure that's happening.

Alina got banged up in her free skate and wants to rest today she should not do the gala. Her SP was amazing and she has mastered her short program. FS is obviously more of a battle for her.

it is true that they struggle to reel her in. Everyone commends Sasha for going for it.all the time. But she may need to rethink things once Aliona keeps beating her because Aliona does not beat herself.



Sasha is an awesome girl doing incredible things and we all appreciate that. But I would not mention Sasha in the same sentence as Yuzuru or Nathan. If she reads things like that it will fill her head that she's on the same level as the greatest men in the world of figure skating. In my opinion that is risky business even as great as she is. Something similar happened to golfing on Michelle Wie especially with the media and it did not exactly help her career let's put it that way.

The last paragraph 100% agreed!

 

[Scott512]

Hopefully she is okay and simply doesn't want to risk hurting herself more.

She's a lovely sweet young lady, she didn't need to apologise but she did anyway.

True. But she did apologize because she's polite and respectful. But she did not have to by any means.

Something to make us smile again:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B50TJBZJQKz/?igshid=kvdqk2dn46u9

That's cute. But Alyiona won that duel with Sasha too. Muawaaaaaaaa!

 

[Edwin]

They met the most tough opponents on GP series, and on GPF. The score of Eteri trio vs. the world is 7:0 now Purely from the perspective of abilities those three don't have equals unless they make serious mistakes. With two, maybe three mistakes, Rika could catch (if I don't count Alina now, that's special case), but for the rest having a chance they would have to completely fall apart on the ice. Not that it is impossible, but I guess very improbable this season. Now all three are full of self-confidence and their will to dominate all life is on the Sauron's level

One Rink to Rule them All, right ;-)

Khrustalniy by itself is almost a federation of its own in senior ladies, and in junior girls this GP in the end had the upper hand over the other powerful Moscow rinks.

 

[Thrashergurl]

Sounds like the 3A have really affected Alina’s mental balance. She struggled with this last season without the 3A. I wonder if we will see her at Nationals. Skaters usually bounce right back from a fall or a defeat, and skate with injuries all the time. This seems to be more.

 

[VenusHalley]

Yeah last year she skated on galas with injuries. Even done that quad video while injured....
Is it really so bad she could not skate sans jumps? Or is it something mental?

 

[katymay]

Sounds like the 3A have really affected Alina’s mental balance. She struggled with this last season without the 3A. I wonder if we will see her at Nationals. Skaters usually bounce right back from a fall or a defeat, and skate with injuries all the time. This seems to be more.

I don't think that is it really. I think she might be just burned out. Also, she has been so busy with shows, and commercials and appearances-perhaps she is just thinking, why go back to the grind? What for? She has done it all and won it all. And yes, now that 3A has moved up, and Liza has a quad, the future isn't as promising for Alina or Zhenya. And, right now she is reaping the rewards of her success, and why not? So what I wonder is if it would hurt her brand to take a year off? I wonder if she might withdraw from Russian Nationals, but I wonder if that would hurt her endorsement contracts-with Puma for example. She is gorgeous, and I wonder if now is a good time for her to really cash in, and put competitive skating on the back burner. (Although it seems as if she has already been doing this somewhat)

 

[Scott512]

The last paragraph 100% agreed!

Thanks.

The comparison to men's does not interest me because there are millions of people like my self that prefer ladies figure skating to men's figure skating and women's tennis to men's tennis. It doesn't mean there is good as the men obviously they are not but for what we get out of these Sports they're just as valuable to the viewer as the men are if not more so in some cases like 4A.

Sounds like the 3A have really affected Alina’s mental balance. She struggled with this last season without the 3A. I wonder if we will see her at Nationals. Skaters usually bounce right back from a fall or a defeat, and skate with injuries all the time. This seems to be more.

if that's what happened with Alina it's okay. This is sports and this is life. Alina will bounce back because she always has before. Bad FS but a great SP.

3A baby hurting the confidence of Rika as well. These three girls are adorable and amazing and so sweet. But even as fragile and tiny as they are they do intimidate people. It's just the way it is. But in a year or two there may be one or two girls that can challenge or beat them and put the pressure on them like they have to othets this season.

 

[Lunalovesskating]

3A baby hurting the confidence of Rika as well. These three girls are adorable and amazing and so sweet. But even as fragile and tiny as they are they do intimidate people. It's just the way it is. But in a year or two there may be one or two girls that can challenge or beat them and put the pressure on them like they have to othets this season.

??? Rika has been confident as ever. Consistent as ever. She has been injured for months now (tendon) therefore her watered down content (no Lutz, but a Quad) and two mistakes. Just look at her face after and before performances. She is happy and confident

 

[Mishaminion]

Yeah last year she skated on galas with injuries. Even done that quad video while injured....
Is it really so bad she could not skate sans jumps? Or is it something mental?

Why can't you just accept the explanation she herself gave instead of speculating unnecessarily?
Perhaps you do not mean it that way, but it really does look like an insinuation that she lied to the fans in her speech.

 

[VenusHalley]

??? Rika has been confident as ever. Consistent as ever. She has been injured for months now (tendon) therefore her watered down content and mistakes. Just look at her face after and before performances. She is happy and confident

Rika went for the quad. She did not fall until now... She has good season so far considering her injuries.
She looks happy even if she is not winning all the time.

 

[Lunalovesskating]

Rika went for the quad. She did not fall until now... She has good season so far considering her injuries.
She looks happy even if she is not winning all the time.

Exactly

 

[Scott512]

??? Rika has been confident as ever. Consistent as ever. She has been injured for months now (tendon) therefore her watered down content (no Lutz, but a Quad) and two mistakes. Just look at her face after and before performances. She is happy and confident

3A rocks the boat of a lot of the ladies with more to come. It's undeniable. It's also a numbers game and three against one is not good for the one. Even Alysa had to feel the pressure from facing numerous Russians in the Junior Grand Prix final. I have no doubt that Rika is not 100% this season. But after a couple years as a senior no one is 100% anymore.

 

[AkikoNana]

Rika has also almost 0 competition in her country at this moment...she’s not challenged by 3 prodigy with big jumps.
Sakamoto, Higuchi and Miyahara are far from her, as the GP series has showed.
At the other side, be a Russian senior now is like going to war: you have to fight or you’ll die

 

[Edwin]

3A rocks the boat of a lot of the ladies with more to come. It's undeniable. It's also a numbers game and three against one is not good for the one. Even Alysa had to feel the pressure from facing numerous Russians in the Junior Grand Prix final. I have no doubt that Rika is not 100% this season. But after a couple years as a senior no one is 100% anymore.

True. Tutberidze's Terrific Trio grew up together, learned, fell, cried, fought and laughed together. Their bond is strong and invisible, they feel each others support even when they are competing against each other like in the Final.
They are an indomitable unit at their current level, all still fresh and eager to prove themselves.

Of course each competitor skates for herself, but it takes a very strong character and good psychological coaching not feeling intimidated by the prospect that your triksels or quads might not be good enough when competing against Aleksandra, Alyona and Anna. Without the same skills, you hardly have a chance and need to wait for mistakes.

At the other side, be a Russian senior now is like going to war: you have to fight or you’ll die ��

We'll see in three weeks how the National Championships unfold in Krasnoyarsk. The 'battle' will most likely be on for the reserve spots and remaining minor assignments for the rest of the season.

Medvyedeva and Zagitova have already many show performances booked in Moscow ice shows over the New Year? Has Tuktamysheva any show participations in Sankt Peterburg?

 

[Edwin]

Official FFKKR interviews with Olga Yermolina are out:
Alyona's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzbG4ni8mU
Anna's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIFFyxh1G2E
Aleksandra's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0FNy6zOGgY

No real surprises compared to the earlier interviews. All three will be working hard towards the National Championships, but new ultra-si elements are also still in the pipeline, to be unveiled when ready.
Seems these interviews were taken after the gala, since Aleksandra's hair still was slightly dark on one side ;-)
Anna the brightest in her answers, Aleksandra the most giggling (but having the most secrets it appeared to me), Alyona quite reserved.

 

[Sugar Coated]

Thanks.

The comparison to men's does not interest me because there are millions of people like my self that prefer ladies figure skating to men's figure skating and women's tennis to men's tennis. It doesn't mean there is good as the men obviously they are not but for what we get out of these Sports they're just as valuable to the viewer as the men are if not more so in some cases like 4A.
if that's what happened with Alina it's okay. This is sports and this is life. Alina will bounce back because she always has before. Bad FS but a great SP.

3A baby hurting the confidence of Rika as well. These three girls are adorable and amazing and so sweet. But even as fragile and tiny as they are they do intimidate people. It's just the way it is. But in a year or two there may be one or two girls that can challenge or beat them and put the pressure on them like they have to othets this season.

I would argue that figure skating is a sport where the ladies are as good and even better than the men. Obviously men have greater capacities for sports that involve strength and speed. And I do think this makes men more suited for the 3A as they will have more power for jumps. But I’m not convinced that they are necessarily more suited for quads. The lighter body weight of females as well as tendency to have better balance (for landings) may make ladies just as suited for landing quads now that they are learning them from a young age. There is a reason only women do the balance beam in artistic gymnastics - the greater skills related to balance may be particularly useful for landing a quad.

But it’s the flexibility that you really see the difference between men’s and ladies skating. And female advantages in flexibility means that there are several moves that are standard for most ladies (e.g. Bielmann, leg lifts) and not men. Looking at some of Kamilas spins you’d be hard pressed to find a male that even comes close to that. So I actually think that ladies figure skating may be more advanced than men and that women are possibly more suited to the sport. Better spins due to flexibility, better balance and lighter weight may make them equally capable of landing quads and possibly even with more fluid, aesthetically pleasing landings.

 

[Fluture]

This came from the commentators on the official ISU stream who would (should) know better than to report something they got on Twitter or a message board. That's why we take it as relevant. The coaching team themselves gave interviews in the past about various mental games they'd play with Alina to get her motivated. Call me crazy, but I don't think a skater should arrive to a competition like GPF or Worlds to see how they feel. It's not fair to the federation, to the alternates, to the fans who bought expensive tickets to see 6 skaters skate.

I don‘t think the commentators lied or made something up either. And that‘s what‘s so confusing to me. I am not an elite athlete, of course, but it seems like ... a pretty bad idea to go to a competition with a mindset that‘s unsure whether you‘re actually going to compete. Athletes need to prepare mentally for competitions, they need to be confident and ready. Letting a skater who‘s doubting all that (I assume this is what happened) go to a competition thinking “I‘ll try a few practices and then decide“, doesn’t seem responsible to me. Coupled with the comments about retirement from Eteri, I am a bit puzzled and worried right now. Frankly, I don‘t exactly care about the fed or the alternates or the fans. I mostly think that it was terrible to let Alina go through with this and I‘m afraid it might hurt her more than simply withdrawing before would have. She has nothing left to prove. Why torture herself and go through a competition if she‘s got such serious doubts?

I don‘t want Alina to retire now. She‘s got nothing left to prove, true, but I think it would be better for herself if she healed, went to Nationals, skated lights out and then took some time off. She can still decide what she wants to do then. But please don‘t let her go to another competition unless she‘s 100% mentally as well as physically ready to compete. Everything else is simply irresponsible.

 

[Scott512]

Rika has also almost 0 competition in her country at this moment...she’s not challenged by 3 prodigy with big jumps.
Sakamoto, Higuchi and Miyahara are far from her, as the GP series has showed.
At the other side, be a Russian senior now is like going to war: you have to fight or you’ll die

It's true and the insane competition these girls grow up with in Moscow really pushes them forward and they aren't scared of anything. Yet.

True. Tutberidze's Terrific Trio grew up together, learned, fell, cried, fought and laughed together. Their bond is strong and invisible, they feel each others support even when they are competing against each other like in the Final.
They are an indomitable unit at their current level, all still fresh and eager to prove themselves.

Of course each competitor skates for herself, but it takes a very strong character and good psychological coaching not feeling intimidated by the prospect that your triksels or quads might not be good enough when competing against Aleksandra, Alyona and Anna. Without the same skills, you hardly have a chance and need to wait for mistakes.



We'll see in three weeks how the National Championships unfold in Krasnoyarsk. The 'battle' will most likely be on for the reserve spots and remaining minor assignments for the rest of the season.

Medvyedeva and Zagitova have already many show performances booked in Moscow ice shows over the New Year? Has Tuktamysheva any show participations in Sankt Peterburg?

Their bond is unbelievable especially with what's at stake. I know Yulia and Adelina had an excellent rivalry for a few years. but they were in different camps with different coaches these three girls know everything about each other. 3A on top of everything are so likable and easy to root for. They never say anything out of line. Alina as well.

 

[Scott512]

I would argue that figure skating is a sport where the ladies are as good and even better than the men. Obviously men have greater capacities for sports that involve strength and speed. And I do think this makes men more suited for the 3A as they will have more power for jumps. But I’m not convinced that they are necessarily more suited for quads. The lighter body weight of females as well as tendency to have better balance (for landings) may make ladies just as suited for landing quads now that they are learning them from a young age. There is a reason only women do the balance beam in artistic gymnastics - the greater skills related to balance may be particularly useful for landing a quad.

But it’s the flexibility that you really see the difference between men’s and ladies skating. And female advantages in flexibility means that there are several moves that are standard for most ladies (e.g. Bielmann, leg lifts) and not men. Looking at some of Kamilas spins you’d be hard pressed to find a male that even comes close to that. So I actually think that ladies figure skating may be more advanced than men and that women are possibly more suited to the sport. Better spins due to flexibility, better balance and lighter weight may make them equally capable of landing quads and possibly even with more fluid, aesthetically pleasing landings.

Fair points sugar and true. figure skating is the one sport where in some instances the women can be as good as the men. Especially with certain moves where being smaller and lighter like females are can really pay off for them.