2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[TallyT]

Still, Sasha signed with Adidas while she was still a junior and Anya signed with Nike only in March of this year (at least that's when she announced it). I don't see why Aliona would reject a sponsor or why a company would have her future plans as an objection to sign her while she is already having success.

I doubt that her future plans actually have much to do with it. Advertising deals very much in the here and now, a reality TV star who works it can make a lot in just the few month they are recognised.

Marketability is a strange and sometimes confusing thing, and it doesn't always translate from sporting success the way you would think. Because of factors outside their control, none of the 3A got the world championship medal that would have given them that extra appeal to corporate sponsors. And that doesn't always translate as well either: Patrick Chan had three golds at a time when skating in Canada, while less than the nineties, was still popular and still never got the sponsorships offers such a record might have been though to attract.

The list Jazzup posted shows, rightly or wrongly, that Trusova is currently followed less than the others, but she was grabbed early by sponsors because of her enormously marketable 'schtick' of being tiny quad queen. Kostornaia is pretty and a beautiful skater (what is she like as a speaker, people? or on camera when not skating? I don't know) but she might just not be - onscreen but off-ice - what advertisers are looking for without that elusive Oly/Worlds gold.

Alternately, for all we know she may have received offers but they were ones she chose not to accept: the money, the business or the demands on her as sponsoree may just not have been what she and her family are looking for and if they have the income they need anyway, they could have chosen simply not to sign up until she does get the right one. Or she may simply not want to go that route at all, may feel she doesn't want or have to do the whole advertising thing, and why not?

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Still, Sasha signed with Adidas while she was still a junior and Anya signed with Nike in March of this year (at least that's when she announced it). I don't see why Aliona would reject a sponsor or why a company would have her future plans as an objection to sign her while she is competing/having success.

These companies have so many options to sponsor a Russian skater: active World and/or Olympic champions (Zhenya, Alina, Liza), the talented rookie trio this past season, and even accomplished juniors like Kamila. If any of them can't get sponsorship I think it's mostly because there are more great skaters than there are sponsors looking to get behind one of them.

 

[Scott512]

These companies have so many options to sponsor a Russian skater: active World and/or Olympic champions (Zhenya, Alina, Liza), the talented rookie trio this past season, and even accomplished juniors like Kamila. If any of them can't get sponsorship I think it's mostly because there are more great skaters than there are sponsors looking to get behind one of them.

Fair points DMD. But none of them skate to the level of Aliona with the beauty grace musicality interpretation and skill level with skating skills like this girl. The closest one with the Killa Kamila. But she's a junior and not on Aliona's level yet.

I believe she will get endorsements it's just a matter of time. Let's be honest the pandemic the last five months has changed a lot of things and companies are going to be leery about spending money as well. Because the profit margins for these companies is going to come tumbling down because people are fearful of spending money on companies like they used to because of the pandemic which is worldwide.

 

[SkateSkates]

Also, contracts are often in the works for months before they are signed and made public. Before the start of the season, Aliona was seen as the odd one out of the 4 - she was coming off and injury and didn’t have the quads of Anna/Sasha or the titles of Alina. It wasn’t until mid October when she made her senior international debut and completely shuffled the cards with her amazingly consistent and high quality 3A. While she is my favorite and has some of the best basics out there, she’s not doing quads, which the media has latched onto, and she’s not as well known as Alina/Zhenya/Liza. But hopefully this has all changed now that she not only had an extremely successful competitive season, but also won the Silver Doe award, made Russian Forbes 30 under 30, and won the ISU’s Newcomer of the Year Award.

Following this award, the Olympic Channel finally did a big interview and released both the text and video versions. Back in the fall, they did similar interview for Sasha and Anna but not Aliona. She just didn’t have the same media exposure or expectations so I don’t think she was on sponsors radars.

 

[Happy Skates]

Before the start of the season, Aliona was seen as the odd one out of the 4 - she was coming off and injury and didn’t have the quads of Anna/Sasha or the titles of Alina.

Is it just me, or wasn't Anna the one constantly seen as the odd one out/forgotten?

 

[Scott512]

Also, contracts are often in the works for months before they are signed and made public. Before the start of the season, Aliona was seen as the odd one out of the 4 - she was coming off and injury and didn’t have the quads of Anna/Sasha or the titles of Alina. It wasn’t until mid October when she made her senior international debut and completely shuffled the cards with her amazingly consistent and high quality 3A. While she is my favorite and has some of the best basics out there, she’s not doing quads, which the media has latched onto, and she’s not as well known as Alina/Zhenya/Liza. But hopefully this has all changed now that she not only had an extremely successful competitive season, but also won the Silver Doe award, made Russian Forbes 30 under 30, and won the ISU’s Newcomer of the Year Award.

Following this award, the Olympic Channel finally did a big interview and released both the text and video versions. Back in the fall, they did similar interview for Sasha and Anna but not Aliona. She just didn’t have the same media exposure or expectations so I don’t think she was on sponsors radars.

it's a very complicated and lots of details in contracting and all of that.

Is it just me, or wasn't Anna the one constantly seen as the odd one out/forgotten?

Anna was.

 

[SkateSkates]

Is it just me, or wasn't Anna the one constantly seen as the odd one out/forgotten?

To me, after test skates it seemed like most people regarded Sasha and Alina as the clear leaders, with Anna likely 3rd and Liza, Zhenya and Aliona battling it out as alternates. Some people even predicted Aliona wouldn’t make GPF, but if I remember correctly most thought Anna would. That also had to do with assignments (and some skaters ended up really outperforming/underperforming expectations.)

But yes, you are correct, Anna was definitely “overlooked” at first in comparison to Sasha and Alina. That said I think more people were counting on her success due to her higher BV, plus with Aliona coming off an injury and repeating programs, not doing combos in summer shows, not skating clean at test skates, etc. people weren’t counting on her. It seems like Anna became the “odd one out” after Aliona’s debut and Japan Open when her teammates all scored considerably higher than her, but that didn’t last long

Interesting how they were ranked at the beginning of the season was completely flipped upside down and the opposite happened.

 

[Amei]

Regarding the lack of endorsements for Kostornaia, my question is probably something only people in Russia could answer - are figure skaters a hot commodity for endorsements without titles there?

Most of the time when I've seen anything about a skater getting any sponsor type deals worth anything decent is usually only after big titles, Shcherbakova and Trusova were unicorns - Trusova was setting records of landing quads as a junior which was really unheard of and Shcherbakova was similar in that she came into seniors with quads. Kostornaia it was an unknown if she would compete the triple axel as she had gotten injuries every time previously she had tried to train it, and even so - triple axels have been done sporadically for decades since the 90's and it was a staple in the sport with Mao Asada, it's not particularly a 'wow' or shocking jumps to see performed in ladies. Quads on the other hand have only been landed by 5 women in senior competition since 2002, and prior to the 2019-2020 season it was extremely rare.

While Kostornaia did come onto the senior circuit and win every competition she could, the end of season ran smack into a global epidemic and most companies are being mindful of a global recession happening. I agree with what others suggested, Shcherbakova's Nike deal was probably in the works for months; the interview where she talked about her Nike gear came out during the pandemic when most everything was shutdown. It could also be that Kostornaia has had offers but declined, from everything that's been translated my impression is that she isn't hardcore into figure skating being her career, she already plans on retiring after the Olympics and going to university for medicine as a normal student - that could be the source of a decision to forego endorsements; or it could be a reason companies have decided to forego offering her endorsements.

Is it just me, or wasn't Anna the one constantly seen as the odd one out/forgotten?

Yep at least on this board - I remember people suggesting that Medvedeva or Zagitova would still be sent to Worlds/Europeans over her even if she finished ahead of them at Nationals, and that she would be given a spot at junior worlds as a consolation. US TV broadcasts seem to do the same thing "she's not the best artist like Kostornaia", "she doesn't have the arsenal of quads like Trusova", etc. they can't seem to talk about her without talking down about her in how the other 2 were better than her.

 

[Shayuki]

Is it just me, or wasn't Anna the one constantly seen as the odd one out/forgotten?

Yes, for her entire career so far.

People were even thinking that she should have stayed another year in juniors.

 

[AshWagsFan]

Yes, for her entire career so far.

People were even thinking that she should have stayed another year in juniors.

Yes, but she is also probably the most well known in the general public! Some of her YouTube videos from this past season are much more popular than Alena’s and Sasha’s (her skate America free in particular, receiving 1.5 million views!)

 

[TallyT]

Yes, but she is also probably the most well known in the general public! Some of her YouTube videos from this past season are much more popular than Alena’s and Sasha’s (her skate America free in particular, receiving 1.5 million views!)

I'm not so sure about that, didn't she have a clip of the dress quick-change go viral? People watching that well might have gone looking for a bit more out of curiosity, but that doesn't mean they'd remember or follow her. I think, especially with the current ukase on competitions holding the three of them back from fame, we do have to wait a while to see what happens in the next year. And who actually takes the next worlds/Olympics, whenever they end up happening.

 

[GINO]

Yes, but she is also probably the most well known in the general public! Some of her YouTube videos from this past season are much more popular than Alena’s and Sasha’s (her skate America free in particular, receiving 1.5 million views!)

Not really, two Sasha’s videos from Skate Canada have over a million views https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv3Thw6C0Rk (1.6), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejyxJfwdYrU (1.1) and of course 13 million Exhibition Gala https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6ZSHKUSwyc

 

[voolfee]

Fair points DMD. But none of them skate to the level of Aliona with the beauty grace musicality interpretation and skill level with skating skills like this girl. The closest one with the Killa Kamila. But she's a junior and not on Aliona's level yet.

Wow, why are you exalt Alena so much? Please don't do that. This is offensive to other ladies who are no worse than her, and to those who are better, like Alina. And this is harmful for Alena herself, because you can see how she doesn't become stronger in PCS, but only weakens.

 

[flanker]

Wow, why are you exalt Alena so much? Please don't do that. This is offensive to other ladies who are no worse than her, and to those who are better, like Alina. And this is harmful for Alena herself, because you can see how she doesn't become stronger in PCS, but only weakens.

I don't think Scott intended anything harmful to other ladies or Aliona. He is very exalted by most of the russian ladies incl. Alina. Sometimes it is not an easy task to praise one while not saying something that could be turned against the others and many misunderstandings are caused of that. BTW that's why I used terms like 3A/4A and so and I believe many other people did it for the same reason. Not because we wouldn't recognize them as individuals but precisely because we din't want to leave any of them "forgotten".

 

[Orlov]

Wow, why are you exalt Alena so much? Please don't do that.

He has every right to do this. Are you a fan censor?

 

[Fried]

I don't think Scott intended anything harmful to other ladies or Aliona. He is very exalted by most of the russian ladies incl. Alina. Sometimes it is not an easy task to praise one while not saying something that could be turned against the others and many misunderstandings are caused of that. BTW that's why I used terms like 3A/4A and so and I believe many other people did it for the same reason. Not because we wouldn't recognize them as individuals but precisely because we din't want to leave any of them "forgotten".

The whole thing is basically worth nothing. You just have to see how quickly all of this was no longer true for Sasha just because she switched coaches and chose someone who was not comfortable with her fake fans.
Incidentally, the funniest thing is the view that Alyona probably doesn't have a sponsorship deal because she's not a materialistic Person.

 

[voolfee]

He has every right to do this. Are you a fan censor?

I don't mind if a person writes good things about Alena, but don't belittle other ladies in comparison with her.

 

[TallyT]

Incidentally, the funniest thing is the view that Alyona probably doesn't have a sponsorship deal because she's not a materialistic Person.

And you know she is... how?

 

[Fried]

And you know she is... how?

I don't know what she is or is not. That's why I don't say anything of the sort. Incidentally, I find it significant that the people who "know" what Alyona is not, also "know" what Sasha is, and "know" why she switched to Plushenko.

 

[flanker]

The whole thing is basically worth nothing. You just have to see how quickly all of this was no longer true for Sasha just because she switched coaches and chose someone who was not comfortable with her fake fans.
Incidentally, the funniest thing is the view that Alyona probably doesn't have a sponsorship deal because she's not a materialistic Person.

Yes,