2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[flanker]

That's why I said it would have been interesting to see Anna. Sasha was bad yesterday, too. Alena was off today. Julia and Evgenia both declined after leaving Eteri. No one is saying Sasha is done.

Sasha is not done, but people have to face the truth that coaching and working with skaters isn't just learning to jump and this stuff or allowing as many quads as requested.

 

[onrsvm]

I am so happy to see Liza Tuk grab the gold medal. It has been a 5 years to be crowned as a world champion. Many Russian teenagers had to retire because of the upcoming quad girls and bloody competition area. However, Tuktik has never given up to this day and she is even training for quads disregarding her age. I believe many of us do not expect that someday she will come back, but she does. Yes I felt sorry about Sasha and Alena, but please they are too young and they can easily recover to reach top again. Thus, today is Liza's day and I am so happy to see her again at the top of the podium.

 

[silveruskate]

For the millionth time, it would have been interesting to see Anna here because she has stayed with Eteri and thus had little interruption with a coaching change. How doesn't that make sense?

My reaction was to that post and the other one before. No it wouldn't have been interesting since it's hardly any time since they left Eteri and not enough to say they've declined which you suggested by mentioning Yulia and Evgenia. Evgenia has actually produced technical content greater than when she was with Eteri so you're wrong about that anyways. Like I said, Aliona even went to Novogorsk so most of her training has been with Eteri. Yet she didn't have the 3A at the least, enough for some people to already say she declined.

 

[nussnacker]

first, she's injured. It probably wasn't a good idea to even go for 4 quads considering that, but let us remember that fact. Second, just last week she landed 3 quads, and one of the best quad salchows I've ever seen her do. The only time she landed 4S with Eteri last season was Japan Open, which, honestly, while impressive in height and distance, lacked flow and a running edge. Third, recall that Alyona hasn't had a lot of time on ice, and she only received this FS around three weeks ago. You can't just place a few statistics down and say: "leaving Eteri makes a skater worse". There are tons of lurking variables and other factors that led to these so-called "deteriorations".

Was the injury confirmed?

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

And Eteri isn't a magical wizard, she can't just whisk away q's and edge calls.

Or can she...?

 

[Thrashergurl]

Medvedeva didn’t decline because she left Eteri. She had a serious injury. It had nothing to do with her choice to leave. I don’t think Alena or Sasha have declined either. This is an incredibly odd season and both have had a major coach change.

What a huge accomplishment for Liza today. Does this make her the First Lady outside of their little “3A” nickname to defeat both Sasha and Alena since moving to seniors? Huge for her. Never count her out. All skating clean might be a different story, but today she is the clear winner.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Evgenia has actually produced technical content greater than when she was with Eteri so you're wrong about that anyways.

So you're saying Evgenia improved after leaving Eteri then. If you think that we really can't have a realistic discussion.

 

[nussnacker]

My reaction was to that post and the other one before. No it wouldn't have been interesting since it's hardly any time since they left Eteri and not enough to say they've declined which you suggested by mentioning Yulia and Evgenia. Evgenia has actually produced technical content greater than when she was with Eteri so you're wrong about that anyways. Like I said, Aliona even went to Novogorsk so most of her training has been with Eteri. Yet she didn't have the 3A at the least, enough for some people to already say she declined.

She was in Novogorsk for less than 2 months, around 1,5, since she left 2 weeks earlier.
Since then, it’s practically 4 months with Plushenko, so she wasn’t with Eteri most of the time (post-quarantine I mean)

 

[flanker]

oh my god these are the comments i was just waiting for. ONE bad skate. Sasha had bad skates under Eteri right? And Eteri isn't a magical wizard, she can't just whisk away q's and edge calls. We really need to stop looking at one bad competition and using at as precedence for a skater's entire career.

One bad skate with Eteri usually caused "She's done" narrative here. So don't be surprised.

 

[mrrice]

Who is Alena Kostornaia's Choreographer? Her SP is Brilliant in every way. The Music, The Costume and Choreography are top notch. Bravo!!

 

[Skatesocs]

Does this make her the First Lady outside of their little “3A” nickname to defeat both Sasha and Alena since moving to seniors?

... Think she's the first person to beat either of those two since 2017-18 season. Shcherbackova was 6th in 2018-19 JGPF, but I don't think either Kostornaia or Trusova lost to anyone outside the 3A since their *junior* international debut. Unless you count 2017-18 Russian senior nationals.

ETA: Oh wow Kosto did lose once in 2017-18 to another Mishin skater: Sofia Samodurova.

 

[karina17]

Wait on the protocol it says -6.00 for four falls for Sasha? Why did some lose two points?? I thought each fall lost a single point, which would be four total. Then I assumed the other two came from being late on the music or maybe her mini costume malfunction, but not all from the falls?

Falls cost -2 after the first 2 falls, so she lost -1 for the 4S, -1 for the 4Lz, -2 for the first 4T and then -2 for the last 3Lz.

 

[NAOTMAA]

First off congrats to Liza!!!

Having said that it's too bad we probably won't have a world's this year because considering Aleksandra, Alena and Anna at the moment and Kamila still being too young this would have been the best opportunity for Liza to slip in and make one last run for another world title. Door won't be totally closed next year, cause ice is always slippery, but still this year likely would have been far easier to do it

 

[Novalis]

oh my god these are the comments i was just waiting for. ONE bad skate. Sasha had bad skates under Eteri right? And Eteri isn't a magical wizard, she can't just whisk away q's and edge calls. We really need to stop looking at one bad competition and using at as precedence for a skater's entire career.

She's a female. It's not a wizard, it's a witch. There's been so much talk of Harry Potter here, you should have known better by now.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I don’t think Alena or Sasha have declined either.

Alena and Liza both had a 3A last season. Alena no longer has it, and Liza does. So I would say Alena has declined, and that has nothing to do with this weekend's performances. It just shows that it was possible to keep the hardest jumps with the covid interruption. And I'm not saying Liza is better than either Alena or Sasha, just that 2019 Alena is better than 2020 Alena at this point.

 

[flanker]

first, she's injured. It probably wasn't a good idea to even go for 4 quads considering that, but let us remember that fact. Second, just last week she landed 3 quads, and one of the best quad salchows I've ever seen her do. The only time she landed 4S with Eteri last season was Japan Open, which, honestly, while impressive in height and distance, lacked flow and a running edge. Third, recall that Alyona hasn't had a lot of time on ice, and she only received this FS around three weeks ago. You can't just place a few statistics down and say: "leaving Eteri makes a skater worse". There are tons of lurking variables and other factors that led to these so-called "deteriorations".

This reminds me one czechoslovak commedy with the scene "the grades are not great, but I wouldn't see it that dark" (which caricatured the Party conferences and unwillingness to see things as they truly are). Long story short. Three falls from quads and one from other jump can be hardly beaten by "but the Salchow" claim. This was bad day for Sasha (and honestly not very good day for Aliona) and such moments are the true trials for any coaching team and only when I see how the team is dealing with such moments (not once, not twice, but permanently) I can say it's a good team.

 

[silveruskate]

I've always been against the limitless quads for Sasha and still am. But she moved specifically to do this so if it's what she wants I don't think anyone can do anything else. She landed 3 just 2 weeks ago but I don't think that even matters. What matters is her success rate in practice which is something we don't know. I would move the 4T-3T as first jump.

Sasha fell on 4F, 4Lz and then popped 4T at Nationals. This is worse, but I would imagine she had more confidence before what happened at Nationals. To me they're just as bad.

 

[Tolstoj]

Does someone here have a link to Tuktamysheva piece she skated in the free? It's beautiful.

Asian style but the composer is russian.

 

[Fluture]

I've always been against the limitless quads for Sasha and still am. But she moved specifically to do this so if it's what she wants I don't think anyone can do anything else. She landed 3 just 2 weeks ago but I don't think that even matters. What matters is her success rate in practice which is something we don't know. I would move the 4T-3T as first jump.

Sasha fell on 4F, 4Lz and then popped 4T at Nationals. This is worse, but I would imagine she had more confidence before what happened at Nationals. To me they're just as bad.

I read that she's injured. If that's true (again, not confirmed), then doing 4 quads is the WORST idea ever. Sorry but it's just irresponsible.

 

[Kittosuni]

Will Plushenko and her wife condemn the blatant PCS overscoring here? Even if the recipient is his own skater?