Yeah a real mystery. Why does she not compete at the last cup?
2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating
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Maybe she thought it was no idea as she hadn't competed in any of the cups before (because of injury???) and wouldn't qualify for RusNats anyway. But with all the withdrawals she could have challenged Tsibinova and Tarakanova for a medal and gone to Nationals. It would have been enough even with a 4th place.
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- Mar 16, 2019
Depends. Perhaps she wasn't included in team Spb, didn't get funding, thus couldn't afford the travel and hotel costs.
I was thinking that too, but then again that doesn't make sense as Nugumanova and Talalaikina has been competing at the cup and they are weaker skaters than Gubanova and both placed below her at Nationals last year (and at the RC Final). And they all have the same coach unless Gubanova has changed again.
It also doesn't make sense as I am sure that RusFed wants to have the best skaters at Nationals. Right now, Kostina and Molchanova have both qualified, but they don't have the potential to score over 180 points. Same goes for the alternates Onishchenko and Sultanmagomedova. Gubanova, with just a clean-ish skate, is at least 190 points material.
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They either real seem to hate her at the Federation or she and her team lack some strategic planning abilities
Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think RusFed is that mean. I would guess that Gubanova has probably been injured/sick (COVID?), and didn't have enough time to get back into shape for the Russian Cup.
At the same time, we have three National Team skaters, Medvedeva, Sinitsyna and Zagitova, that haven't competed at all this year. Still, they got invited to RusNats because of this strange season with the pandemic and injuries. They all withdrew. Gubanova just missed out on that National Team this season. Shouldn't she be the next in line for an invitation to Nationals?
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The two remaining alternates listed are Arina Onishchenko and Kamila Sultanmegomedova.
Yes, I know. But Gubanova is better than both of them, and she is better than some that has already qualified. My point was that Gubanova just missed out on being a National Team member this season. Those alternates didn't, they were way behind.
Its a real shame. Something odd is going on
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I just watched Gubanova's skate and it was so good! It's shame we won't get to see her at Russian Nationals. I really hope she got a new free skate though, because last year's FS was not it.
I don't think it's odd. It's just unfortunate.
In Gubanova's case I think she has been unlucky with being close but not quite there. And after a while it becomes a pattern.
We must remember that in the Figure Skating World, every Federation loves its stars. That is part of the sport. And sure, why not! After all, the stars are huge advertisments for the sport and all the Federations realize that. They need their stars.
In Russia, that means you are a star in Russia to a certain level, but you never become a big star if you don't have international achievements. And that's the problem here. There are so many, but so few spots for Russian Ladies to compete internationally.
Usually, RusFed are very strict on who to send to Europeans, Worlds etc. They follow the placings at Nationals. But if they have stars, they might do something else, like they did a couple of years ago when neither Tuktamysheva or Medvedeva qualified for Worlds. It was actually Konstantinova. But they knew they had to send in one of those two stars instead of Stasya. And it worked! Because all Federations love stars. I am sure that if they had sent Tuktamysheva instead she would also have medalled. The Figure Skating world love stars.
So, when the RusFed appoints the National Team each year, they want to have some stars in there. So this year Zagitova and Medvedeva were clear, although they didn't take part at Nationals. The rest of the National Team are as the placings at Nationals, except for Shulskaya, who should have been on the team instead of Samodurova. But they chose Samodurova instead, she is a European Champion after all. Shulskaya got the consolation prize of being on the National Junior's Team. The National Team gets funding, so if you're in there you are safe financially.
This has consequences of course. For Russian ladies that means that if you are fortunate enough to get a EC or WC assignment then you are safe for years to come. The World Ranking system works that way. If you just show up at Worlds and bombs at 18th place, you still get a lot of World Standing points. Samodurova is having that blessing now. She still lives on her European victory, but we all know she will never score that much ever again. But she gets to be on the National Team, and she gets funding. Same goes for Konstantinova and Sotskova before her.
Gubanova has been so close so many times. It's a vicious circle. If you get in - you stay in. If you don't get in - it's damn hard to get in later.
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- Feb 27, 2014
Oh no I hope she didn't change coaches again. That would mean like for changes in 4 years. Maybe the coaches arent travelling
With all their skaters because of covid.
If Nastya changed coaches it might have been a bad idea and they may have put a black mark on her and maybe that's why she wasn't invited to the Russian cup series. The coaches play rough and are sometimes bitter with their skaters. Look at the butcher Buyanova and what she said about Nastya. It was ridiculous in so unnecessary.
Yes, last year's free was meh. But if she hasn't changed it, that might be a clue that she has been injured/sick and did not have the time to work on a new free.
Or, she might have been coach-less again. Why can't anyone take on Gubanova pro bono? Eteri, please?
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- Nov 24, 2006
Wasn't there talk of Gubanova changing countries? She hasn't competed internationally in two years, right? So she's ready to go for Azerbaijan or Uzbekhistan.
I think there was just a lot of wishful thinking from Gubanova fans that she should change country. As far as I know, we have never heard anything substantial about that.
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- Feb 27, 2014
Yes but it was just talk.
I think Nastya should switch to Estonia. She has no ISU ranking and that's because she never gets to do any International competitions. I've never seen a skater of her god-given ability have no ranking. She never even had a chance to do international events when she earned them like a couple years ago her season's best gave her the opportunity for a Grand Prix event but it did happen. She hasn't even done a Challenger in 2 years. She was buried before 3A became seniors.
if Nastya is okay with her career situation and never being in the top tier of the Russian ladies then she should do what she wants. I like many just want her skating again.
If I remember correctly Gubanova was the skater that made some unfortunate, snide remarks about Zagitova related to doping that came at awful timing with all the issues Russia had with a reputation of doping. Given that and that she is now falling behind in technical arsenal of Russian ladies she's unlikely to ever really get out of Russia for international competitions.
Maiia tried rippon 4T! although quite unsuccessfully, it's interesting to see she has learned 2 types of quads now.
Ma gurl can do anything!
Happy for her, and hoping she'll have a clean program with her quads one day.
Aside from that, this wasn't that bad at all (although it's hard to tell judging from the scores): one more fall on 3F, and a minor mistake on 3Lz-eu-3Sal landing. All other jumps looked pretty good, and she didn't fall on hydroblade, so I call this a progress
Except land a quad in competition if I'm remembering correctly...They really need her to spend time with Shcherbakova who can mess up a quad and it not affect the rest of her performance. Perhaps since the quad salchow hasn't been working they are going after the quad toe now
Except for those of us who have to try and manage watching the livestream and family at the same time as well...which usually means I watch Russian Nationals at a delay and a see few performances during some "bathroom breaks"
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- Feb 27, 2014
Nastya said Alina did great and took advantage of her opportunities. She also said on a livestream almost 2 years ago the foolish silly and embarrassing comment about chemistry that no one cared about until someone in the media uncovered it a year-and-a-half later to hurt her and Alina as Alina was heading into a GP in France. It was like a plot against the Olympic champion and World Champion and Anastasia was a pawn in it. She's suffered greatly in various ways. That live stream was seeing live probably by a thousand people and after that many thousands more and nobody said or wrote anything about it until it was uncovered a year-and-a-half later. Nastya has gotten the short end of the stick a lot in her career but she can be her own worst enemy and that interview with that rodina character was bad and a bad idea.
Nastya looks healthy and strong and fit and she can skate well into her 20s. But so many girls are coming up it will be hard for her to stay afloat in the murky shark infested waters of Russian ladies figure skating.
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