2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Skatesocs]

what's publicly documented, and have helped to pass my ideas through ISU Congress to improve the system.

BTW, have you ever tried to tell them that +Half Loop combos should just be considered two jumps? This is obnoxiously annoying to me. Your response will help determine how much irritation I have to allot towards the ISU for subjecting me to this.

 

[Scott512]

I quoted myself on accident, I’m sorry. I can’t say for sure what’s gonna happen around the world, but in my country it’s currently hot and the numbers are just getting worse. As this pandemic depends a lot on governmental decisions, I think the key will be adapting to different levels of social distancing according to the numbers. However, in my country, people don’t take social distancing seriously and disrespect it all the time, as we’re not in full lockdown. Here, things will just get worse in the next months. My epidemiology professor, who’s counseling my state’s governor, said he thinks we’ll be in an on/off social distancing mode, according to the numbers. Numbers get lower, we can make social distancing more flexible. Flexibility will make the number of cases grow, and we’ll need to be more strict with social distancing again. And so it goes until we have a vaccine and/or a cost-effective drug. However, this is in my country, I can’t say anything about the other places, because after two months of making charts every day with the numbers worldwide, I was starting to get depressed and I just don’t want to know about numbers all the time anymore. I check things once a week. In terms of skating, I think events should be held without an audience, and judges should watch and judge on video, as I read somewhere ISU is very worried about the judges’s health, they’re mostly elderly, right? In terms of spreading the disease, it will spread, of course, by having these tournaments, but we’re talking about careers and lives. If the commerce and the industry can reopen and still work during covid, so should athletes. Will it be 100% safe? No. But I think life has to move on where it’s possible. If we had figure skating in my country, for example, I would say figure skating should have the next season cancelled. And the trips for the events should have reduced number of staff members too. Again, not ideal. And maybe just allow the tournaments in countries where the numbers are low. I don’t even know what I’m talking about, this is my fan heart speaking louder than my doctor-to-be heart. By no means I’m trying to minimize this disease, but with organization (and I mean crazy/strict/OCD level organization) and maybe special flights, just for athletes, or where the athletes don’t mix with the regular travelers, maybe it could be possible. Maybe. Is it feasible and/or financially interesting? Probably not. But if the ISU really wanted, it could be possible. Who knows. Thank god I’m not responsible for these sports’s decisions, it’s so hard, and I don’t even think I have the best opinion about it.

Duff covid-19 is a big problem but in America the covid-19 deaths have been reduced by 90% since April 21st so there is hope even though there is a spike in cases in many of our states. But now it's thousands and thousands and thousands of young people getting coronavirus and they aren't going to die from it so while cases are going up here in the USA the percentage dieting has gone down tremendously. It's pretty simple to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer when you get in and out of your car but a lot of people here where I live in Florida are not doing that. Now masks are going to be mandatory soon because the problem is been asymptomatic people even young people are spreading this virus and even if they don't get the symptoms they can still spread it which is why this has been the trickiest virus or disease of my life. Young athletes with strong immune systems are getting coronavirus because they're out and about acting like nothing is wrong going to parties and hooking up if you know what I mean. Coronavirus is something we're going to have to learn where to live with around the world it's not just going to go away like H1 N1 apparently did.

As for figure skating and covid-19 I think we can still have a season I'm just not sure spectators are going to be there. And I'm talking about all levels Juniors Challengers and seniors.

 

[Scott512]

Poor? Who made her fly to Japan in the midst of a pandemic, while all the other skaters sat and waited?

Zhenya thought she made the right move by going to Japan to prepare for shows. but as it turned out it was not. I'm sure she and her team listen to doctors that this virus would not be permanent . How do you think she feels going to Japan and then being stuck there due to covid-19? Why hammer her on it?

 

[Thrashergurl]

I don’t believe Japan had any restrictions when Medvedeva initially went there- for her show. Nobody was prepared for this virus.

 

[Scott512]

I don’t believe Japan had any restrictions when Medvedeva initially went there- for her show. Nobody was prepared for this virus.

Very true TG. There were no restrictions so Evgenia thought she would get some skating and some practice in and make some nice yen too. No one was ready for this virus that is very accurate. Medical people around the world are used to viruses going away like H1 N1 did 10 years ago. It's not happening now it's not going to just go away because of the hot summer or whatever so people are going to have to learn to social distance and learn to live with Coronavirus and their society no matter what country they live in.

 

[icetug]

TAT and others were trying to justify Alina's total exclusion (etc.)

It only proves that TAT is much more politic (or cautious) than two years ago. She easily could have said: "Zhenya's program was simply more entertaining than Alina's"...

 

[Scott512]

It only proves that TAT is much more politic (or cautious) than two years ago. She easily could have said: "Zhenya's program was simply more entertaining than Alina's"...

So this is the softer kinder more gentle Tatiana Anatola Tarasova. let's see if this continues. My money says nyet!

 

[Kelti]

I don’t believe Japan had any restrictions when Medvedeva initially went there- for her show. Nobody was prepared for this virus.

When she made the trip WHO has announced global pandemic for 2+ weeks, Japan’s cases has been escalating by day. Right after Japan announced they will be in lock down mode, Med announced she’s going to Japan.

She probably didn’t intend for this to cause disturbance to so many Japanese, but it’s also overly naive to say that no one was prepared for this virus when the virus was very much a big problem worldwide by then.

Having said that, I’m glad she managed to keep herself safe in Japan and has been getting adequate ice time during most of her stay. It will be nice if Canada border opens up soon and the foreign skaters can return to train with their coaches.

 

[Finley]

I don’t believe Japan had any restrictions when Medvedeva initially went there- for her show. Nobody was prepared for this virus.

Japan hadn't yet closed it's borders but they had just made the monumental decision to postpone the Olympic Games. This is what is known as a clue. Given the magnitude of the impact, financial and otherwise, of this decision it's fair to say that Japan had some awareness of the seriousness of the situation. Also requesting their own citizens not to travel between prefectures indicated some understanding of the problem at hand.

Immediately upon her arrival in Japan, Zhenya posted on IG for people to be safe, stay home if possible and not to travel if they didn't have to. It would seem she was also aware of the serious potential consequences of international travel. She explained that she felt she had no choice but to travel due to the show.

If she believes this to be true, then she believes it. If her fans believe it, they have every right to do so.

At the time I honestly couldn't get my mind around the idea of anyone believing that someone advised her to make that trip in good faith. "The Olympics have been put off, World's has been cancelled, but the Sailor Moon Show must go on!" I thought her choice was ill-advised at best, self-serving at worst.

Since then so many more unbelievable choices have been made by people who really should've known better that I will believe just about anything. And in the grand scheme of things her decision to travel abroad was ultimately harmless. I had a lot to say about it at the time, but the world looks different now.
And since then, let's just say that for me, learning has occurred.

 

[lopsilceci]

It only proves that TAT is much more politic (or cautious) than two years ago. She easily could have said: "Zhenya's program was simply more entertaining than Alina's"...

If she truly didn't want her bias to show, she should have just said nothing

 

[Finley]

If she truly didn't want her bias to show, she should have just said nothing

I don't think this is possible. TAT. Must. Speak. :roll5:

 

[dunffvanstorn]

Duff covid-19 is a big problem but in America the covid-19 deaths have been reduced by 90% since April 21st so there is hope even though there is a spike in cases in many of our states. But now it's thousands and thousands and thousands of young people getting coronavirus and they aren't going to die from it so while cases are going up here in the USA the percentage dieting has gone down tremendously. It's pretty simple to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer when you get in and out of your car but a lot of people here where I live in Florida are not doing that. Now masks are going to be mandatory soon because the problem is been asymptomatic people even young people are spreading this virus and even if they don't get the symptoms they can still spread it which is why this has been the trickiest virus or disease of my life. Young athletes with strong immune systems are getting coronavirus because they're out and about acting like nothing is wrong going to parties and hooking up if you know what I mean. Coronavirus is something we're going to have to learn where to live with around the world it's not just going to go away like H1 N1 apparently did.

As for figure skating and covid-19 I think we can still have a season I'm just not sure spectators are going to be there. And I'm talking about all levels Juniors Challengers and seniors.

I’ve read the situation in the US is better, but in my country,as we started self-isolating very early, before the pandemic was terrible here, the virus wasn’t circulating enough, and it gave the false feeling to people that the pandemic wasn’t that bad. From the end of May to now, people couldn’t stand staying at home anymore, because the numbers were low and they saw no point in social distancing. Then, everyone decided the pandemic was ok, and started to go outside and disrespect the rules - our health system is starting to collapse just now. My hospital’s covid ICU is full just now, it’s never been full before. The projections indicate that the situation will only get worse here.

But I also agree that athletes might not have a bad case of covid in case they get it (might, it’s never a certainty). The problem is that people from all over the world circulating might spread the disease even more, maybe causing problems to less prepared/rich countries than the US. We may still see another Italy example, I wouldn’t doubt it.

Epidemiologically speaking, I’m not sure if allowing the season to happen without MANY precautions is safe, and I don’t even mean just without an audience and wearing masks. Masks don’t filter the virus, not even N95s - it’s a fake feeling of safety.

If the season happens, the measures have to be very strict, not even allowing the warmups and collective practices. Each skater should have their own warmup, staff members shouldn’t be allowed to circulate everywhere, I don’t even think there should be a Kiss and Cry (some coaches are at the risk groups). It would have to be a totally streamed event, and judges would have to judge based on videos, and not by what they’re seeing right in front of them, because most judges are at risk groups too.

I don’t think skaters should quarentine 2 weeks before (as some people suggested somewhere I don’t remember exactly where) as it wouldn’t be possible, but I also wonder if they made fast tests in everybody - would they allow an asymptomatic skater who tested positive for covid to compete? I mean, I would allow it if the skater was VERY isolated from everybody else, but it’s still a risk.

Imagine if in the first GP event there’s massive contamination, the others would probably be cancelled. There are so many variables in this equation I can’t even think straight right now. It’s really, really hard to decide.

 

[dunffvanstorn]

Japan hadn't yet closed it's borders but they had just made the monumental decision to postpone the Olympic Games. This is what is known as a clue. Given the magnitude of the impact, financial and otherwise, of this decision it's fair to say that Japan had some awareness of the seriousness of the situation. Also requesting their own citizens not to travel between prefectures indicated some understanding of the problem at hand.

Immediately upon her arrival in Japan, Zhenya posted on IG for people to be safe, stay home if possible and not to travel if they didn't have to. It would seem she was also aware of the serious potential consequences of international travel. She explained that she felt she had no choice but to travel due to the show.

If she believes this to be true, then she believes it. If her fans believe it, they have every right to do so.

At the time I honestly couldn't get my mind around the idea of anyone believing that someone advised her to make that trip in good faith. "The Olympics have been put off, World's has been cancelled, but the Sailor Moon Show must go on!" I thought her choice was ill-advised at best, self-serving at worst.

Since then so many more unbelievable choices have been made by people who really should've known better that I will believe just about anything. And in the grand scheme of things her decision to travel abroad was ultimately harmless. I had a lot to say about it at the time, but the world looks different now.
And since then, let's just say that for me, learning has occurred.

I think she had an arrangement made so that she would get some ice time. If that was the right choice? I don’t know the whole story, it seems like there’s something off with this whole “I had no choice” thing, but there are probably things we don’t know. I haven’t made up my mind about this Zhenya situation, and I don’t think I want to decide if she’s right or wrong, but I must confess there’s something weird about it.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

There is no point to judge competitions based on videos. Because many things appear quite differently when you observe skaters live in the arena comparing to your tv screens.

 

[nussnacker]

I love this part.
And by the way
I like the most Kostornaya, Zagitova, Tuktamysheva, Tsurskaya, Tarakanova and Artemieva.
I dislike Shcherbakova, Trusova and Sotnikova.

I think people are so worked up about her Sochi win, that they close their eyes, perhaps unintentionally, to all the great qualities she possessed.
Really big explosive jumps, incredible spins (when it came to spins, she was way ahead of Yuna and Caro), quite a few difficult transitions, great skating skills, overall a very well rounded skater. She was also very passionate in her Sochi performances, energetic, she gave it her all that night!
She wasn’t a perfect skater, she had her problematic areas as well, but she surely was an awesome skater, which people often overlook.

 

[Finley]

I think she had an arrangement made so that she would get some ice time. If that was the right choice? I don’t know the whole story, it seems like there’s something off with this whole “I had no choice” thing, but there are probably things we don’t know. I haven’t made up my mind about this Zhenya situation, and I don’t think I want to decide if she’s right or wrong, but I must confess there’s something weird about it.

I agree. I always thought it was about ice time. I think it was the right choice from her perspective, as an athlete determined to remain competitive to pursue her Olympic dream. Even the 'I had no choice' phrasing could have been construed within the context that she had to have access to ice in order to maintain her condition. That it would be too hard for her to come back from a long period of time off the ice. That it would place her at more risk for injury. Any of those explanations are plausible. It was just the 'show' part of it that didn't sit right with me. There is no way of knowing what she was told and by whom. Since she has access to ice she probably made the right decision for herself. That's really all she needs to care about.

 

[Tolstoj]

I think people are so worked up about her Sochi win, that they close their eyes, perhaps unintentionally, to all the great qualities she possessed.
Really big explosive jumps, incredible spins (when it came to spins, she was way ahead of Yuna and Caro), quite a few difficult transitions, great skating skills, overall a very well rounded skater. She was also very passionate in her Sochi performances, energetic, she gave it her all that night!
She wasn’t a perfect skater, she had her problematic areas as well, but she surely was an awesome skater, which people often overlook.

Her career made her performance at the Olympics look worse.

Cause she has always been a great skater with amazing qualities, and yes actual great speed, good skating skills, the performance was there and the jumps too for the most part.

But you know it was the Olympic Champion, figure skating queen, skating two clean performances against a literal nobody up to that point, as Adelina didn't win any major medal prior to that event.

You can debate on the final result, and raise valid arguments on all sides (like for me Carolina should have won the short program, her Ave Maria was the best program of the Ladies event), Yuna was effortless, and she has amazing flow, Adelina had the audience and one more triple jump, tho i think the gap between the two scores was ridiculous, judges basically said it wasn't even close, which to me was not true, as a matter of fact when Yuna finished her program, many foreign commentators thought she won the gold.

PCS in particular was nonsense in my opinion, i don't think she should have been basically tied to Yuna on that or even above Carolina. Koreans really took that issue and noticed how much Shekhovtsova played a big part in that sudden rise of components during the Olympic season.

Lovely skater, victim of poor judging imo.

 

[Scott512]

I’ve read the situation in the US is better, but in my country,as we started self-isolating very early, before the pandemic was terrible here, the virus wasn’t circulating enough, and it gave the false feeling to people that the pandemic wasn’t that bad. From the end of May to now, people couldn’t stand staying at home anymore, because the numbers were low and they saw no point in social distancing. Then, everyone decided the pandemic was ok, and started to go outside and disrespect the rules - our health system is starting to collapse just now. My hospital’s covid ICU is full just now, it’s never been full before. The projections indicate that the situation will only get worse here.

But I also agree that athletes might not have a bad case of covid in case they get it (might, it’s never a certainty). The problem is that people from all over the world circulating might spread the disease even more, maybe causing problems to less prepared/rich countries than the US. We may still see another Italy example, I wouldn’t doubt it.

Epidemiologically speaking, I’m not sure if allowing the season to happen without MANY precautions is safe, and I don’t even mean just without an audience and wearing masks. Masks don’t filter the virus, not even N95s - it’s a fake feeling of safety.

If the season happens, the measures have to be very strict, not even allowing the warmups and collective practices. Each skater should have their own warmup, staff members shouldn’t be allowed to circulate everywhere, I don’t even think there should be a Kiss and Cry (some coaches are at the risk groups). It would have to be a totally streamed event, and judges would have to judge based on videos, and not by what they’re seeing right in front of them, because most judges are at risk groups too.

I don’t think skaters should quarentine 2 weeks before (as some people suggested somewhere I don’t remember exactly where) as it wouldn’t be possible, but I also wonder if they made fast tests in everybody - would they allow an asymptomatic skater who tested positive for covid to compete? I mean, I would allow it if the skater was VERY isolated from everybody else, but it’s still a risk.

Imagine if in the first GP event there’s massive contamination, the others would probably be cancelled. There are so many variables in this equation I can’t even think straight right now. It’s really, really hard to decide.

It's an unbelievable situation on so many levels and it will be almost impossible for medical people to figure this out and for sports and in this case figure skating to figure out what to do about practice at these events. We really need a vaccine very badly but even if they get a vaccine how can they get that to six billion people? I'm worried about the poor countries getting decimated by covid-19.

 

[Scott512]

I think people are so worked up about her Sochi win, that they close their eyes, perhaps unintentionally, to all the great qualities she possessed.
Really big explosive jumps, incredible spins (when it came to spins, she was way ahead of Yuna and Caro), quite a few difficult transitions, great skating skills, overall a very well rounded skater. She was also very passionate in her Sochi performances, energetic, she gave it her all that night!
She wasn’t a perfect skater, she had her problematic areas as well, but she surely was an awesome skater, which people often overlook.

So true Nuss. You perfectly explained Adelinas strengths jumping spinning and explosiveness and they were great in Sochi much better than at any other time in her career. People intentionally did not give Adelina credit for the qualities she had in Sochi. For that one event the Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia Adelina was great. Her career of course does not compare to Yuna or Carolina . But for that one event in the Winter Olympics she was on their level and even better in certain areas as you pointed out Nuss. Once GOAT material material Tara Lipinski said Adelina deserved the gold I never looked back. no matter what the vicious Korean fans put adelina through hell it made me even happier that she won Olympic gold. Once Tara said what she said it it was game set match for me. Thats six years ago. Adelina is long gone. I'm so sorry she got injured a lot and did not have the free ride that Carolina as good as she was had for 15 years in Italy and Yuna as great as she was had for her entire career in South Korea. Now I'm concerned with how long Alina and Zhenya can hold on. I hope it's for a long time yet because they are great for their sport. But they won't be able to hang around and skate and thrilled are fans as long as Carolina and Yuna did that's for sure.

Nuss your post got me fired up and I'm going to go to YouTube and look for Ddelina's Olympic performances and feel the awesome energy she brought to the arena in a way it's a shame that was the peak of her career and everything got worse from there. But that's Sports and that's life.

 

[dunffvanstorn]

So true Nuss. You perfectly explained Adelinas strengths jumping spinning and explosiveness and they were great in Sochi much better than at any other time in her career. People intentionally did not give Adelina credit for the qualities she had in Sochi. For that one event the Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia Adelina was great. Her career of course does not compare to Yuna or Carolina . But for that one event in the Winter Olympics she was on their level and even better in certain areas as you pointed out Nuss. Once GOAT material material Tara Lipinski said Adelina deserved the gold I never looked back. no matter what the vicious Korean fans put adelina through hell it made me even happier that she won Olympic gold. Once Tara said what she said it it was game set match for me. Thats six years ago. Adelina is long gone. I'm so sorry she got injured a lot and did not have the free ride that Carolina as good as she was had for 15 years in Italy and Yuna as great as she was had for her entire career in South Korea. Now I'm concerned with how long Alina and Zhenya can hold on. I hope it's for a long time yet because they are great for their sport. But they won't be able to hang around and skate and thrilled are fans as long as Carolina and Yuna did that's for sure.

Nuss your post got me fired up and I'm going to go to YouTube and look for Ddelina's Olympic performances and feel the awesome energy she brought to the arena in a way it's a shame that was the peak of her career and everything got worse from there. But that's Sports and that's life.

I think the huge Youtube campaign against Adelina also contributed to it. Who hasn’t watched those koola king videos, and the “should Yuna have won” series. It made me a little biased against her win, not against her, she had no fault. I always got the impression Rusfed wanted Yulia to win, and then made all that was possible for having a gold medal. In terms of spins and flexibility, she beat Yuna. In terms of “planned layout” too. She had the energy and the crowd, I also agree. But scores wise, she landed one her jumps two-footed and used full blade assist for all her huge jumps. The step sequence being level 4 also didn’t convince me, and she had one serious underrotation too (maybe it was on a 3-2-2? I can’t remember now.). She was lovely and beautiful at that night, and a silver would have made her shine more and have an easier life. Imagine all the hate she would have NOT gotten had she received a silver medal. Were the fans right for cyber-bullying her? Absolutely not. Again, she’s not to blame.