NBC Sports and Patinage Magazine Reviewer - About Zagitova, Kostornaya, Medvedeva and Tuktamysheva
NBC Sports and Patinage Magazine columnist Jean-Christophe Berlo, who writes about figure skating for more than 15 years and covers almost all competitions in this sport, summed up the results of the women's Grand Prix finals.
Berlo, who attended all the training and official performances of all skaters in Turin, explained why Kostornaya, Shcherbakova and Trusova should think about the future, why Zagitova had the best programs from Tutberidze’s students, and Tuktamysheva was highly praised for the components.
“I have to say a lot about all the girls who performed in the series finale,” began Berlo. - For me it was incredibly exciting to see their skating runs, they all rode very high quality with beautiful lines and positions. These skaters personified for me what I love most in figure skating.
Respect to Tutberidze
- Great respect to the team of Eteri Tutberidze, whose students Trusova, Shcherbakova and Kostornaya perform incredible jumps. Plus, I used to celebrate skaters with difficult jumps, but how did they skate? Basic sliding skills were low, very slow, plus no beautiful lines. Another question: is it for a long time? And only the future can answer ....
Once during the competition I had a chance to chat with Eteri, and then she noted that the skater’s career is very short. And this is true: the bill goes on every day. These girls are so young and beautiful, but I hope each of them imagines what a difficult test of adulthood awaits them ahead, and also understands that, in a couple of years, there will probably be completely different skaters in the top.
Let me give an example of Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the second man who landed on the moon 50 years ago. When he returned to Earth, he suddenly realized that he was unlikely to be able to do something even more grandiose. Then he was only 39 years old, and Aldrin thought: what will I do for the rest of my life? And I really hope that the girls are already thinking about their future. However, this does not negate the fact that I admire the work of Tutberidze and respect it.
Incredible Cleopatra
- How do you like Zagitova’s performance in Turin?
- Alina-Alina! (Loudly and with admiration he repeated the name of Olympic champion) She has the most interesting programs of all the Tutberidze girls, even more than Kostornaya’s. Alyona is the perfect combination of all the best qualities between the new generation and the Zagitova generation. "Cleopatra" - an incredible program, which Alina is given without a trace. Pay attention to how many different movements and beautiful choreography are in it. And it is precisely for this that she has absolutely deserved nines in the components, but to my great regret, in her free program she had under rotations on six jumps at once. Because her energy, body movements and work in general are a decoration of figure skating.
The strength and beauty of Kihira
- The quad Salchow of Kihira on Saturday, which may have ended in a fall, but still took place, surprised you?
- Not. Because I saw this jump performed by Kihira in training. Russian skaters opened the door to the world of female quadruples, as if opening a Pandora's box. And now everyone will follow them. You saw here in Turin the quadruple jumps from the American Alysa Liu in the junior competitions?
Kihira is essentially incredibly strong! She jumps two triple Axels in her free program, and now she has added a quadruple Salchow. If we talk about her programs, then Kihira obviously has a lot of energy for jumping this season. You know, I talked with her coach Mie Hamada, and she explained to me something that is beyond the understanding of Europeans and Americans. What is beauty in Japan? Hamada explained - strength and calm, as if in a Japanese garden. And Kihira is very focused on jumping and therefore does not at all look like such a garden.
The hope of Tuktamysheva
- This year in the finals of the “Grand Prix” one of last year’s participants was absent - Yelizaveta Tuktamysheva ...
- Yelizaveta - this is generally the main hope of women's skating. I admire her. Tuktamysheva was able to win the title of World Champion, and therefore had every right to complete her career altogether. However, she continued, and even seriously took up the triple Axel! And her quadruple Toeloop! Tell me at least one girl who would succeed after puberty? You do not remember more than one name. I really respect Yelizaveta for staying and determined to fight. I wish her all the best at the Russian Championship!
- And yet, what, in your opinion, was not enough for Yelizavate to get to Turin?”
- It seems to me that now this new generation of judges and fans, in principle, evaluate figure skating differently, they like changes, some new things, fresh things. As for her points for the components, I did not study them in detail, but she really rides well! She has good basic sliding skills from an early age, and from her victorious 2015 World Championships Tuktamysheva really added! Yes, now many people skate at a higher speed, but pay attention to how Yelizaveta interprets her programs! Now Zagitova is also brightly presenting her programs, Kostornaya began to learn this, Shcherbakova, too, is slowly starting to skate more meaningfully. Trusova is worse with these. Tuktamysheva’s has complex jumps plus interpretation, her assessment for the components should really be higher.
- However, this is rarely reflected in the protocols of the competitions ...
- This is what the ISU should think about. The five existing criteria do not always reflect the actual rating for the components.
Rebuilding Medvyedeva
- Another Russian woman, Yevgeniya Medvyedeva, can’t qualify for the finals of the series for the second time in a row ...
- She rebuilt her skating. Talk to Rafael Harutyunyan, Tracy Wilson and Brian Orser and you will definitely hear the answer: you need at least 18 months. And it's not just about changing skating, mastering new approaches to training and preparing for starts. It is also a change in the personality of the athlete. In Medvedeva performances, it is curious to see how her skating has changed since she began working with another group of trainers. The most striking thing about her is her crazy working capacity. One very significant person in the world of figure skating, who did not want to give his name, said: "Medvyedeva is 95 percent of the work and 5 percent of talent."
Do not forget about Carolina Costner. I remember her here in Turin in 2006. She was so young when she started performing at senior level. Carolina just landed jumping, as young girls are doing now, and then she started working on herself and turned into an icon that everyone admired.
- However, she did not have such crazy competition within the country as it is now in Russia ...
- Yes, here I agree with you.
Zagitova on the way to Costner
- The performance of the Tutberidze students in Turin turned out to be triumphant. After all, the Russians took the entire Grand Prix podium for the first time - plus they all train with the same trainer. However, the tournament ahead is even more amazing in intrigue and drama - the Championship of Russia. Does the older trio Zagitova - Medvyedeva - Tuktamysheva have a chance to get into the national team?
- When I talked with Kostornaya, I noticed that this girl is very smart. She noted that in figure skating there are two ways - to be like Costner or how she and Alexandra and Anna are - to do triple Axels and quadruples. A few weeks ago, Zagitova answered one of my questions that she would like to follow the path of Costner. She has yet to work hard to reach Carolina's level. But Alina is closest to her in style, presentation and components, which we saw on Saturday evening. So all of the three listed above have a chance, and I really want them to be able to really fight.
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From:
https://www.sport-express.ru/figure...ochnic-zagitova-kostornaya-medvedeva-1619773/
