2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[KOBOT37]

Alina will be fine... from her speech, it was clear that she didn't have fun competing for a long time now and was forcing herself to continue, last year it made sense but now if become painfully clear- she isn't beating 3A so why stick around anymore ? she has won everything,can make money without competing,has fame, has entire life ahead of her and finally can relax, eat all the chocolate she wants...

Eteri was absolutely correct when she said that after you took off your gold medal, you need to work like you never won it,but after you win every gold medal there is, logical question is 'why should I?' and if money isn't motivation anymore, what is the point going on? "but what about other sports, legends compete for ages", pardon me but in which sports? and who? In most popular sports (Football, basketball,Tennis,Boxing to name a few) difference between money superstar makes competing and not competing is Tens of millions and may even reach 100 million, Federer and Djokovic for example, have immense pragmatic motivation to continue competing, does Alina? sorry but no.

Sure, there are few (very, very few) people who love their job so much that even after winning everything several times continue to come first to Training and leave the last, continue to have every second of their day planned,how they train, how they eat, how they rest, how they.... but this is (very) rare and if you read Alina's speech, about how he speaks about starting every season anew, about training, about tiredness she isn't one of these people(and there is nothing wrong with that).

So I doubt Alina is even coming back to competitive skating, I will be happy to be proven wrong tho.

Meanwhile Eteri... with her success she made huge amount of enemies and haters and regardless of how 3A do(well,if Medvedeva somehow manages to upset any of 3 and get a medal at Nationals... she will receive more hate than she ever did but that is unlikely to happen) rest of the season she will be 'coach of Juniors who is incapable of training Seniors','BeforePubertyDze', a monster and a factory manager who uses skaters and throws them and this will go on season or two until 3A will become 'Adult women', but for what 'Salvation' to come she needs to keep at least 2 of them happy, preferably all of them happy, which will be hard, losing at GPF is one thing... you don't feel like a lose but losing at worlds... after the worlds TeamTutberidze will have at least, 2 losers who lost gold medals and I hope they have an idea how to keep them together.

P.S regarding to some people's opinion that Eteri needed to change her methods to make Alina happy, uh, how about no? Eteri will never, ever do that, there is only one way in her team: Work, work and more work. and there will never be another, even if her it's her own granddaughter who needs 'different working environment'

 

[KOBOT37]

Eteri's sister... Russians have saying "Хуже умного врага только глупый союзник"(Only thing what is worse than a clever enemy is a dumb ally), I understand that she is trying to defend her younger sister, that insane amount of hate is directed to their family now, that there is some truth to that she is saying (but only,extreme one side of it) but for god's sake, shut up already.

 

[thatbeatingheart]

Never a calm day with the Russian Ladies! I wish I spoke Russian because all the slightly different translations and interpretations about what Alina said or meant are leaving me a little puzzled. Skipping Nationals and therefore not competing at Euros or Worlds either doesn't sound like retirement to me? Especially if she continues to train and work on new elements. Unless she said something that indicated an indefinite break, then I'd say it's more likely than not that she will not compete again. Who could blame her? It must be so difficult when there's no medals left you want to win and on top of that (possibly) dropping from Russian #1 to #4 within one season. For selfish reasons I do hope she can retrieve the joy in competing, I think she really started to grow as an artist this season and I would love to see more of that. This season's SP and EX were beautiful and fit her perfectly. :luv17:

 

[KOBOT37]

few quotes from Alina herself:

"I want to be motivated to compete again".

"I wrote diaries to myself and promised myself to compete. First at world I promised myself to compete and do whatever I can, then I promised myself to go to Japan Open. Every time I wrote to myself I kept my promise, at GFP I didn't write that, I didn't have such motivation".

"I won everything there is to win and I have proven everything to everyone, After Olympics, I also won worlds"

"I have everything in my life while you always need to lack something"

"I will take part in a lot of shows"

Sure, I don't want to see the writing either, but it is on the wall.

Eteri's speech pretty much was "look guys, I tried to convince her to stay but I couldn't, maybe when she wont compete she feels bored from all these shows and will realize that she wants to win, we are ready to do everything if she every comes back" but in a polite way (Eteri has a very tragic life tbh, this year is year of her Triumph and still, somehow bad in her life manages to overshadow the good).

 

[eaglehelang]

"but what about other sports, legends compete for ages", pardon me but in which sports? and who? In most popular sports (Football, basketball,Tennis,Boxing to name a few) difference between money superstar makes competing and not competing is Tens of millions and may even reach 100 million, Federer and Djokovic for example, have immense pragmatic motivation to continue competing, does Alina? sorry but no.


'

Offhand : Sir Chris Hoy, track cycling, Great Britain. Been to 3 Olympics. 1st Olympic Gold=2004, last OG Gold = 2012
Lin Dan, badminton, 2X Olympic champ, China. Still competing at age 36, gunning for 4th Olympics in 2020. From a badminton powerhouse country where there are lots of talents. He makes far more $$$ from endorsements than tournaments.

In many other sports, the top athletes retire in their 30s, even the women. Not because of the money they make but because many sports require experience to excel. The more experience, the better they are at defeating their opponents.

 

[Mishaminion]

I've been away mostly.

Struggling to catch up...so much seems to have happened in such a short time.

On Alina, I'm happy if she's happy...that's all that really matters. It is her life, her career and her well-being. I wish her the best no matter what she does.

If this is what she needs to do for herself, I support her.

If she returns, I'll be glad of course.

If she doesn't, I'll miss her but she has opportunities outside of competitive skating...and I support her whatever she chooses to do.

 

[flanker]

And do you expect her to return to competitive skating?

Yes, I do.

I expect it as much as I expect Osmond and Kostner to return. She hasn’t been happy. She had won it all.

Alina is neither of them. She isn't suffering from any noticeable injury, she is in a great shape, she doesn't have problems with technique. Giving a break is nothing exceptional. The list of top athletes who never had it would be much shorter than those who had.

How unfortunate for you to take my complimentary post and turn it into a negative. Shame on you!

Serve yourself. Your "compliments" reminded me that saying: "with friends like this, who needs enemies." You made a conclusion that is in accordance with previous comments, opinions, your wish. And your wish is not Alina's world.

 

[pearly]

Offhand : Sir Chris Hoy, track cycling, Great Britain. Been to 3 Olympics. 1st Olympic Gold=2004, last OG Gold = 2012
Lin Dan, badminton, 2X Olympic champ, China. Still competing at age 36, gunning for 4th Olympics in 2020. From a badminton powerhouse country where there are lots of talents. He makes far more $$$ from endorsements than tournaments.

In many other sports, the top athletes retire in their 30s, even the women. Not because of the money they make but because many sports require experience to excel. The more experience, the better they are at defeating their opponents.

It's a shame that in skating fluidity and beauty of movement come with age and experience, while jumps are much easier in youth. And with the system that values tech more, we have what we have.

 

[Mishaminion]

It's a shame that in skating fluidity and beauty of movement come with age and experience, while jumps are much easier in youth. And with the system that values tech more, we have what we have.

Not entirely true. There are younger skaters with those qualities and there are older skaters who never have them.

 

[P44]

In fact Alina and Alena are just a year apart. Yet no one thinks that Alena is too old to learn a quad ...
Even Elizaveta learned one.
I don't think it is (physically) impossible for Alina to learn a quad (if it's what she wants).

 

[AkikoNana]

After reading many Alina’s quote, I’ve come to a conclusion.
She said she want to rest (mentally) but continuing skate in shows (that certainly requires a lot of training though it isn’t as hard as competitive training is).
She said she need new motivation...and what a better time to take a break than now?
Seriously...this year 3A are almost unbeatable for some reason. Training hard knowing that is not that simple...plus last year she struggled with puberty and she started the season already done mentally after Olympic gold. She push herself until worlds and this year she believed that she could compete only for herself, maybe with less pressure, but it wasn’t.
So, now she can take the time she needs in the toughest year because 3A and that’s all.
Didn’t Yuna Kim do the same when she was off mentally after 2011 worlds (she was also mentally tired after Olympic gold) and she comeback in 2013 worlds without competing for two years?
And ok, Alina is skating for Russia but...who can foretell what will be the future?

 

[Lechat]

In fact Alina and Alena are just a year apart. Yet no one thinks that Alena is too old to learn a quad ...
Even Elizaveta learned one.
I don't think it is (physically) impossible for Alina to learn a quad (if it's what she wants).

Alena is tiny she didn’t have a grow spur like Alina and didn’t struggle with puberty

 

[KOBOT37]

According to Business-Online:

1. Alina would lose money from contracts if she announced retirement.

2. Eteri and other coaches had bad relationship with Alina since offseason. Reason- motivation and work ethic.

3. After GPF Eteri gave her a choice: either work as you worked before or leave the group.

4.After Nationals last year Alina wasn't answering Eteri's calls for several days and wanted to retire. Coaches told her to leave after Winning Euros.

5. In Summer Alina told Eteri that she wouldn't continue competing if she couldn't fight with 3A for medals.

6. Alina may have decided to take a break to find a new coach, Negotiations with unnamed coach started before GPF and both sides want to work together.

7.Alina was studying Quads in Summer this year.

https://sport.business-gazeta.ru/news/249072

Take it with grain of Salt.

 

[Edwin]

According to Business-Online:

....

Take it with grain of Salt.

Obviously, there is lots of conjecture and projection is this article.

Nevertheless, it probably holds some truth. Motivational issues in such a strict training regime like in Khrustalniy leads to friction and arguments, either on ice or off ice. All parties concerned are human, with their own feelings and ambitions.

And trainers do look towards the future and will have to make tough decisions regarding stragglers in such a highly competitive atmosphere. You don't want a foul apple spoiling your whole harvest.

 

[KOBOT37]

Footage from Navka's Show, Alina is doing 3L

https://twitter.com/kostyalesik/status/1205817318959394816

 

[Mishaminion]

That article does sound very gossipy and speculative.

But...and this is a bunch of what ifs on my part...

If Alina did leave Eteri...oh boy, that would fuel the "Eteri can only train/make successful the younger skaters theory.

But where would Alina go? She would be facing the same dilemma Zhenya faced...could Alina go to BOrser too?

That would cause a sensation

 

[KOBOT37]

Obviously, there is lots of conjecture and projection is this article.

Nevertheless, it probably holds some truth. Motivational issues in such a strict training regime like in Khrustalniy leads to friction and arguments, either on ice or off ice. All parties concerned are human, with their own feelings and ambitions.

Coaching change for Alina makes no sense.

This isn't Medvedeva situation,she didn't lose her trust in Eteri and Co(at least, it's not hinted anywhere in this article) reasons of rumored bad relationship between Alina and Coaches are lack of motivation and refusal to work hard(alleged), if she doesn't fix that, no coach is going to help her.

Also, negotiating with new coach when you have motivational issues seems strange.

 

[SkatingFan9]

Also, negotiating with new coach when you have motivational issues seems strange.

That’s because it isn’t true.

 

[ruga]

The only good coach that could take up Alina is probably Arutunian. He speaks Russian, his students have shown results and besides Bell he doesn't have another top lady AFAIK. But I doubt she's going to change coaches, Evgenia did because she had a clear goal (Beijing and OGM), while Alina has won everything. So unless she decides that she wants to become multiple champion, I don't think we'll see her make a drastic change.

 

[Mishaminion]

Coaching change for Alina makes no sense.

This isn't Medvedeva situation,she didn't lose her trust in Eteri and Co(at least, it's not hinted anywhere in this article) reasons of rumored bad relationship between Alina and Coaches are lack of motivation and refusal to work hard(alleged), if she doesn't fix that, no coach is going to help her.

Also, negotiating with new coach when you have motivational issues seems strange.

A reason to possibly change coaches could be to train in a more relaxed, less pressure filled environment.
Alina has been training every day with the younger ladies, with their quads and 3As, knowing long before any of us just what they are capable of. That cannot be easy and probably quite mentally draining.

It's only speculation anyway.

Still, it's her life and her reasoning whatever she chooses to do.