2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[silveruskate]

This was quite an emotional skate for Anna. Skating so soon after pneumonia and performing really well. Also emotionally she gave a lot in this performance, maybe because of her struggles recently.

No doubt there are breathing issues and after effects of pneumonia, but she has clearly been training a *full schedule* for weeks to perform at this level today. That wouldn't be possible if skating a FS would cause severe long-term health issues. It could just be hyperventilating or something like that, with the pre-existing breathing issues as an added reason.

The only thing that makes me nervous is I remember Anna skating a SP run-through on the first training day when both Kamila and Daria were skating FS.

 

[Scott512]

Worse than covid. She had pneumonia just month ago, her state was pretty serious.

As I'm thinking about it, Kogan and Gorshkov should raise their butts in the morning, go to the team and promise them Anna goes to Worlds or at least be given a chance to be selected in some additional competition.
Then let the team, Anna and her parents decide what to do. It would be classy act towards classy athlete.

That makes sense man. Too much sense apparently. Of course Anna would be on a world's team in the unlikely World championships this year because of covid of course Anya would be on the team with Sasha and they would have a decision on the third choice. Alyona or Liza?

 

[anonymoose_au]

Sorry but particular people who see only one side of the coin also keep forgetting that in the past competitions for instance Sasha's clear wrong edge was not receiving "e" as it should, while those particular people were only ranting about Kamila's and Daria's components. And no one of the people who literally became vulgar about one thing, ever admitted the other one. So, do not even try to tell me something about "the same criteria", becauase that's not the thing.

But it's a liiiiiiittle bit interesting Sasha's only starting to get called on this long standing and glaring issue now, isn't it?

My goodness, what could have changed from last season? I really have no idea

 

[Lzbee]

Yes clearly not. She just finished her program and is about to cry. Probably she isn't at 100% capacity after her illness but I find this talk that she is "in danger" and risking herself a bit over the top. She's not jumping on a half torn ligament or on a cracked bone. She has a harder time breathing, worst that can happen is she won't get through the program endurance-wise. But not even that will happen since if she wasn't doing full Free Skate runthroughs in training, they wouldn't have sent her (aka see Alena).

I'm no medical professional but I have asthma and anecdotally I can say that not being able to breathe like that is very painful and can cause coughing and lightheadedness. My asthma especially gets triggered in cold air. The worry is that if she hyperventilates during a skate, she could also injure herself from falling on jumps.

 

[bubblecherry]

Come on now, Anna’s breathing was clearly not normal or okay. You don’t have to convince yourself that it was, for any reason.

 

[chasingneverland]

The other concern is this quote from 3 days ago:

"I train separate elements without limitations, but we have not been doing whole run-throughs for a long time now – it can have a bad effect. I do not do full run-through, but I hope that by the start I will get in shape and be ready to perform at full strength. When I returned from serious injuries, there was no such rush to specific competitions, I recovered calmly. Here, I will not allow myself to miss the Russian Nationals. It seems to me that I will come there in any condition and will show everything I can. Still it’s a selection for more important competitions. I just won’t forgive myself if I don’t even try to perform, qualify, but sit at home watching everyone compete."

This combined with the fact that no one has seen her do a FS runthrough and her "joking" comments about stamina and breathing after the SP, and people are understandably worried.

 

[silveruskate]

The other concern is this quote from 3 days ago:

"I train separate elements without limitations, but we have not been doing whole run-throughs for a long time now – it can have a bad effect. I do not do full run-through, but I hope that by the start I will get in shape and be ready to perform at full strength. When I returned from serious injuries, there was no such rush to specific competitions, I recovered calmly. Here, I will not allow myself to miss the Russian Nationals. It seems to me that I will come there in any condition and will show everything I can. Still it’s a selection for more important competitions. I just won’t forgive myself if I don’t even try to perform, qualify, but sit at home watching everyone compete."

This combined with the fact that no one has seen her do a FS runthrough and her "joking" comments about stamina and breathing after the SP, and people are understandably worried.

I didn't remember the no full run-throughs in training. If that's the case maybe this satisfies the "not allow myself to miss Russian Nationals". Number 1 in SP is enough in my opinion for Worlds selection. Maybe we're all fools thinking the coaches even considered allowing her to do a FS and she'll withdraw tomorrow.

 

[chasingneverland]

I'm no medical professional but I have asthma and anecdotally I can say that not being able to breathe like that is very painful and can cause coughing and lightheadedness. My asthma especially gets triggered in cold air. The worry is that if she hyperventilates during a skate, she could also injure herself from falling on jumps.

Exactly. Also there is a world of difference in the lung capacity and physical capabilities you or I need and a professional athlete needs, particularly one skating one of the hardest programs in the world - if not the hardest, depending on what she does, with 1/2 quads and backloaded 3-3's.

 

[chasingneverland]

I didn't remember the no full run-throughs in training. If that's the case maybe this satisfies the "not allow myself to miss Russian Nationals". Number 1 in SP is enough in my opinion for Worlds selection. Maybe we're all fools thinking the coaches even considered allowing her to do a FS and she'll withdraw tomorrow.

They asked her about her stamina and breathing after the SP today in regards to the FS and her response was something along the lines of "it's good to have faith/believe".

I hope they withdraw her.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

I didn't remember the no full run-throughs in training. If that's the case maybe this satisfies the "not allow myself to miss Russian Nationals". Number 1 in SP is enough in my opinion for Worlds selection. Maybe we're all fools thinking the coaches even considered allowing her to do a FS and she'll withdraw tomorrow.

Oh I wish, but Anya just gave a statement saying she would try to squeeze the maximum out of herself for the FS and worry about health issues later. I'm just hoping a sensible adult can talk her out of trying a quad combo and backloaded 3-3s (hey Eteri weren't you trying to cut down Sasha's quads, do you maybe want to do the same here? Please?)

 

[chasingneverland]

Oh I wish, but Anya just gave a statement saying she would try to squeeze the maximum out of herself for the FS and worry about health issues later. I'm just hoping a sensible adult can talk her out of trying a quad combo and backloaded 3-3s (hey Eteri weren't you trying to cut down Sasha's quads, do you maybe want to do the same here? Please?)

I would want that at the very minimum. (Same with them and Kamila - they watered down her program when she was recovering from injuries last year.) I fully believe that if Anna competes she'll leave it all on the ice - she's an amazing performer and competitor. I just think it's foolish for her to do so. It would be foolish at the Olympics but it's absurd to here.

 

[LoveSkater]

Well as difficult as it is to accept the way Plushenko has gone about this, if he's can bring about less biased/corrupt judging then I'm all for it.

When Plushy loses, he often refuses to admit defeat. Just like another world-famous blond man. In 2010, he awarded himself a platinum Vancouver medal on his Web site, and called his loss "an anti-Russian conspiracy. It is logical to expect accusations of bribery, bias, etc. from such a man
I hope the federation will not punish his students, but try to explain the situation to him.

 

[silveruskate]

When Plushy loses, he often refuses to admit defeat. Just like another world-famous blond man. In 2010, he awarded himself a platinum Vancouver medal on his Web site, and called his loss "an anti-Russian conspiracy. It is logical to expect accusations of bribery, bias, etc. from such a man
I hope the federation will not punish his students, but try to explain the situation to him.

Well I think it's clear there is favouritism so he isn't wrong in this case. But the accusation of bribery so far is completely baseless.

 

[anonymoose_au]

There was an article about various dress colors and someone mentioned that female skater's costume of rose and violet more attactive from the Board point of view.

Well the Board has no taste and I don't like them.

In other news I just realised...did you mean the Board as in this board? Whoops I thought you meant the Russian Figure Skating Board. If you didn't, well I'm embarrassed because I love Golden Skate!

 

[NadezhdaNadya]

Plushenko stated in the interview that he has upcoming meeting with Lakernik where he intends to review video recordings. So, he doesn’t just make accusations without supporting them. I assume he had reviewed the materials before talking. I think we had all seen the obvious mistakes made by the three other ladies.

What video recordings? Skating performainces in slow motion so they can review underrotations, edges and even excessive pre-rotation or video recordings of the briberies? Both?!?

 

[anonymoose_au]

When Plushy loses, he often refuses to admit defeat. Just like another world-famous blond man. In 2010, he awarded himself a platinum Vancouver medal on his Web site, and called his loss "an anti-Russian conspiracy. It is logical to expect accusations of bribery, bias, etc. from such a man
I hope the federation will not punish his students, but try to explain the situation to him.

I told myself not to engage... but firstly Plushy did not award himself a platinum medal. That was a joke Yana made regarding the metal makeup of a silver medal and his fan club ran with it.

Secondly, I'm not sure what you'd call Joe Inman sending an email to every judge he could find regarding Plushy's transitions (or lack thereof), but I'd call it dodgy as Hell.

Thirdly Gabbi Papindakis also stepped on the gold medallists spot at Euros. No beeps were given. Was it poor sportsmanship, yeah. Will Gabbi still be dragged for it 10 years later? Survey says no.

 

[chasingneverland]

They should withdraw Sasha too, for that matter. This quote from Plushy is worrying: "Sasha is injured today. Rides with a serious injury.."Yes, there is an injury. But we didn't film. Sasha is great, she said - I want to compete, I will fight." These girls. This isn't good or healthy at all. I worry about them - all of them. They're such talented, determined girls. But I worry that their competitive spirit is detrimental. Especially as if left to them all of Anna, Alena, Saha, and Liza would compete, despite not being even close to completely healthy.

Another thing is, while Eteri skaters may receive favourable judging, they definitely aren't the only ones. Although in some cases I'm not sure if it's Eteri bonuses or reputation bonuses, as they are the same skaters and the best Russia has, at the time, especially considering Alena is missing. (Evgenia and Alina also tended to receive v favourable scoring.) (However, the counterpoint to it just being a blanket Eteri bonus is that Maiia doesn't seem to get the.) However, that's not to say that Plushy's skaters and even Mishin's at times (unless you're Sofia, apparently) don't get favourable judging. Because they do. Alena, in particular, this year has received some very favourable scoring. I mean Alena without a 3A outscored Sasha with just a step out of her 3A and has struggled at times although her scores don't necessarily reflect that. This all indicates that there is reputation scoring involved, rather than merely "coach" scoring. And even coach scoring extends to Plushy and Mishin's skaters, or how else would you interpret Liza N's scores?

 

[flanker]

But it's a liiiiiiittle bit interesting Sasha's only starting to get called on this long standing and glaring issue now, isn't it?

My goodness, what could have changed from last season? I really have no idea

Look, Sasha had wrong edge, it wasn't called and it doesn't bother you. That's all that needs to be said.

 

[chasingneverland]

I told myself not to engage... but firstly Plushy did not award himself a platinum medal. That was a joke Yana made regarding the metal makeup of a silver medal and his fan club ran with it.

Secondly, I'm not sure what you'd call Joe Inman sending an email to every judge he could find regarding Plushy's transitions (or lack thereof), but I'd call it dodgy as Hell.

Thirdly Gabbi Papindakis also stepped on the gold medallists spot at Euros. No beeps were given. Was it poor sportsmanship, yeah. Will Gabbi still be dragged for it 10 years later? Survey says no.

I agree with everything except for the platinum medal controversy. Seeing as it appeared on his official website, I highly doubt either him or someone very high up in his camp didn't at least approve it.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Look, Sasha had wrong edge, it wasn't called and it doesn't bother you. That's all that needs to be said.

TBH I can't tell any jump that's not an axel apart very easily. So I actually had no idea Sasha had a flip issue.

Apparently she does, and you're right it should have been called all along, but until now it never was.

Why is that? I can tell you why, it begins with "P" and ends in "O". Claiming it's a coincidence, I don't think so.