2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating | Page 797 | Golden Skate

2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

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If I state that Trusova didn't won Russian nationals it's not criticism to Trusova. You can go count the frames and do the calculations. Both lutz and flip from Kawabata are around 55-60cm height. Shcherbakovas quad flip and Lutz are not there. Trusova in some of her jumps reaches 60+ cm. Maybe Valieva too, didn't check her.

For example Tsurskay's underotated triple Lutz was around 60cm. My point here is that just because this skaters can rotate fast (due to their body type, which apparently in Russia changes only when you retire) doesn't mean that they are doing something athletically better than skaters like Tsurskaya, Tyktamesheva etc.
I did not get what your post was about but I saw again praising of Kawabata who is in the different league from the top Russian skaters. Once again, bringing her here is the same as bringing some imaginary Romanian skater who jumps super impressive high single flips.

But I still had to dig the Net. I found some analysis that Trusova's 4T is 63-64 cm high. Valieva's 4T is 65-66 cm high. Hence, there is no need to bring here Kawabata with her 55-60 cm.


As for Anna, I myself tried to assess the height of her 4F during the Rusnats. The place to put the end of the arrow is based on real time footage: she was just past the red mark on ice in her highest point. So the height is at least 55 cm maybe a bit more. Hence, I see no point in bringing Kawabata yet another time to "prove" how tiny Anna's jumps are.
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Well, since 2022 Olympics are almost upon us we could consider the 2026 Olympics.

In addition to some potential veterans such as Kamila Valieva(Or even Shcherbakova, Trusova), there would also be skaters such as Sofia Akatieva, Sofia Samodelkina for 07 and Veronika Zhilina for 08. Now, when it comes to these, I think that Veronika Zhilina has the highest ceiling for sure, with Sofia Akatieva right up there as well. Both have triple axels and multiple quads. Akatieva should have a PCS advantage at this point in time, although I think Zhilina has plenty of potential there as well. Zhilina's the better spinner. Akatieva to this point has been far more consistent than Zhilina and if that doesn't change in a major way, she should be the prime favorite since someone like Valieva just can't compete with her tech content.


For the younger age groups still eligible for 2026, I don't think they would be nearly as strong overall. 09 has Sofia Titova from Plushenko's who has done very well lately, but I don't think she has nearly enough high-end potential to compete with these quad girls. Although I'm sure Plushenko will be trying to teach her quads and 3A. For Plushenko there also is Veronika's younger sister Alena, who's actually been learning 3Axel. However, I don't think she's nearly as talented as her older sister in just about any regard, especially jumps - even the 3A attempt's quite tiny. Hence, I don't expect these to really be able to compete.

Someone quite interesting for 10 is actually Krivonosova in my opinion. Of course, she's probably ahead of everyone else listed here in PCS categories, but in terms of jumps... Just last year I wouldn't have considered her to have any sort of a chance, but she's actually gotten some jumps out of nowhere, an absolute massive improvement in a year. Usually these skaters don't show such a dramatic improvement in jumps in such a short amount of time. Just some 5 months earlier she couldn't even get past a downgrade on a 3A attempt, but then recently did a massive fully rotated off-ice 3A. I mean the improvement in such a time is just insane, for a skater still learning 3-3.


So I'd say that overall, for 2026 the safest bet would be Sofia Akatieva, with Veronika Zhilina having incredibly high potential if she could reach it. Possibility a veteran could make a stance if able to sustain the jumps for so long. And I'd have Krivonosova as the June 2010 birthday joker card, similar to how Valieva is for 2022.
07ers who has a shot:
Samodelkina. Quite a full package. Artistry and SS above average, good spins, jumps with high tech content and great consistency. Still have doubts about her on international judging. From what I recall, the last time she entered an "international" comp, the judges hammered her with downgrades and low PCS, thus losing to Berestovskaya, but that was like 2 yrs ago? We'll see.
Akatieva. Great overall package again. Not so much artistry showing but I believe she has potential. SS and spins are decent. Jumps are exquisite. Great consistency as well for such difficult tech content. And she's under Eteri, I don't see any reasons for her to fail.
Petrosyan. She has great artistry and SS, great spins, jumps are 2nd tier for now with a poor lutz edge. But she seems to be improving and mastered a 4T. She could be the next DariaU/AlenaK
Berestovskaya. Great spins and performance. Average SS and jumps. I know people don't have high hopes for her but she's a real fighter. She's still hanging on with the rest of the group with 2 quad toes in her program. I'm eager to see the become of her.
08ers:
Zhilina. She's everything but consistency. Excellent jumps and spins. Superb height on jumps and extraordinary flexibility. Her performing skills are a bit disastrous at the moment but I believe it could be fixed. After all, she did alright at Ice Age Kids. The only thing she lacks is consistency and I doubt she's gonna gain any of that leaving Eteri.
09ers:
Titova. She's not exactly OUTSTANDING but she's just 11. People expect her to have a 3A or quad right at this second but I think she's doing well enough already. Nothing stands out but then nothing is dragging her, and she has great consistency and confidence, which I believe is more important.
Rubtsova. Eteri girl, and training a triple axel. Jumps are good, overall decent package. Lacking a bit of consistecy but again she's only 11.
Astashenkova. The new girl with a 3A who popped out of nowhere (well Army of Skaters actually). I guess she has a jumping talent and maybe if she moves to Eteri/Davydov she could be "The One".
Dzepka. She is everything except the fact that she is so fragile and doesn't have a decent coach. A few years ago when I first saw her jumping her 1A I thought she was gonna throw a 3A with that height and air time. Sadly, her coach doesn't add her her talent. Her skating skills are to die for and spins are also very beautiful. But I expect her to be a wasted talent if she doesn't change coach ASAP.
Melkumova. Again another exquisite talent. She probably figured out all the jumps by herself when she was with Lyutikov. One of a generation skating skills (except it's two since there is Dzepka). But again uncertainty for her she hasn't been in competition for over a year and now she's with Buyanova and I doubt that's a good choice.
10ers.
Zhilina. She's a weaker version of her sister IMO. Well everyone has their own views end of story.
Korobitsina. Is she born before June 30? She a great talent, she has everything in her. But she's quite tall and her coach is an unknown person so unless she comes to Moscow, I don't really see a future for her.
Krivonosova. She has a great shot is she switches to Eteri/Davydov. Not that Lutikov is bad, but he doesn't have the experience. She is probably one of the best in terms of PCS.
 
I still found myself enjoying Aliona's FS by the end. Her carriage on the ice is still miles better than anyone else. But I've never been a fan of Shae-Lynn so frankly she needs all the help she can get.

Whether or not it's a good decision at the end of the season I don't know, but selfishly I'm always happy to see new programs from Aliona.
 
I believe that the biggest talents of the next quad.
Jumps : Veronika Zhilina. She's unbeatable in this area. Jaw-dropping height, great air time. She could execute super difficult transitions in and out of her jumps. Best technique. Insane tech content. Quad toe and triple axel (plus quad sal and an ur quad lutz in practice). Nobody could beat her. Zero consistency. Perfect. It makes her beatable and make the competition interesting.
Spins : TBH there are too many. I can't pick there will probably be over 10 on the list but as spectacular as jumps could be, they serve no purpose without jumps so I'm not ranking this.
PCS : Krivonosova/Dzepka. It's almost impossible to pick one between them. They are both excellent performers (Krivonosova is more expressive and Dzepka is more classic and elegant). Great use of arms, pretty postures. Superb skating skills (the best 3 of the quad including Melkumova). Packed and difficult transitions throughout programs, they are eye candies.
Overall packages : Dzepka/Melkumova. Great jumps. Both of them have great height on their jumps. Melkumova could jump without any setting up and she learnt all her triples with Lyutikov who has no experience of teaching triples. She could do all her jumps with weird and insanely difficult transitions. Dzepka simply floats on her jumps like a fairy. Her jumps are sky high but you don't feel the power like you do with Gabby Daleman's jumps, she's light as feather. Exquisite skating skills. Melkumova is fast with extremely deep edges, she could handle all the transitions like a piece of cake. Dzepka is so light as if she has wings and floats. She's fast and light with nice edges and beautiful posture. And her coach has no other student that has skating skills close to her and she was her first coach, so yes she's just a skating skill prodigy. Nice spins. Dzepka has tight fast spins, with the most beautiful positions you have ever seen. Melkumova also has some nice spins.

This is all ranked on raw talent wise, excluding other factors
 
Well considering the dumpster fire (I actually had no issue with it, but the criticism was loud and continuous) that was Aliona's original FS, maybe assistance is needed.

Of course now everyone's changed their opinion and Shae-Lynn's choreo is not to be touched and if it looks bad it was obviously the fault of crappy skaters and their crappy coaches. Or maybe just particular skaters and coaches. I bet you a million dollars if this were Anna or Kamila and their team this discussion wouldn't be happening this way. If anything Shae-Lynn would be blacklisted forever for daring to make those skaters and that team look anything less than perfect.
But why do you care so much what other people think? If you like it, and presumably the skaters and their coaches like it, then it's ... fine?

But don't come here and pretend that this forum/thread overwhelmingly steers clear of criticizing Anna. That is dishonest after pages upon pages tearing her jumps and technique (and sometimes personal character) apart, for over a year now.
 
So, is it 3 and a half weeks until this team event in replacement of Europeans? I can't wait that long!
I hope evegenia is happy or at least satisfied in training, and that tarasova isn't telling her she must do a beilmann. Hope that ksenia, wherever she is, is ok.
 
Tbh I'm not in favour of changing a program especially this late. I feel that changing the program to Anna Karenina (however much I loved that program) led to a bigger injury on Zhenya's part.

Aliona's program change is suuuuuuuuuuuper super super late. And tbh Aliona is sort of injury-prone in a way, especially towards the end of the season. I didn't enjoy the FS a lot, but I still don't like these news.
 
It is weird. Aliona was off the ice for a while and would have had plenty of work to do to get ready for the team event without a program change. Now she has a program change and will probably not even go to the team event because of it. If that's true, she is being judged for a World team spot entirely on how she skates a new program for the first time at the Cup final. Unless this new FS is ten times better (🤞🤞🤞), I definitely don't think her old FS was problematic enough to deserve this. It may not have been special, but it was nice skating to nice music - a dumpster fire is Vladimir Morozov skating to Candyman 😬 I don't know if this change will bode well for Aliona, but Lakernik's actions don't bode well for Elizaveta.
 
The last few comments will make the thread very "fun" I imagine.


It's late but to be fair it's been done before. But I guess it's more worrying because she was recently sick + she was having issues with her jumps.
I imagine it is hard even for a perfectly healthy body. At the very least you lose some consistency of where things (elements) are in the program etc.
 
It is weird. Aliona was off the ice for a while and would have had plenty of work to do to get ready for the team event without a program change. Now she has a program change and will probably not even go to the team event because of it. If that's true, she is being judged for a World team spot entirely on how she skates a new program for the first time at the Cup final. Unless this new FS is ten times better (🤞🤞🤞), I definitely don't think her old FS was problematic enough to deserve this. It may not have been special, but it was nice skating to nice music - a dumpster fire is Vladimir Morozov skating to Candyman 😬 I don't know if this change will bode well for Aliona, but Lakernik's actions don't bode well for Elizaveta.
Agreed. I would've liked to have seen her just refine her old FS because it did have potential. But with Lakernik helping her out, it sounds like they really want her on the team so it might not matter as long as she's clean...

There's a lot of pressure on her now because if she's not clean and Liza is snubbed, there'll be riots. Likewise, if she skips the team competition next week and doesn't have a 3A by the cup final, she'll also get a lot of hate.

I guess what I'm saying is, she had a lot of work to do already, why add more? I don't really get it.
 
I find it a bit hilarious to question scores here and there, and techniques and whatnot, and directing it to certain skaters - and also comparing it to old time skaters. It just can't be done. I was re-watching Medvedeva's World wins the other day, and wow how things have changed just in a couple of years. Those programs just doesn't cut it anymore. They were lovely, yes, but they are not comparable. Which also means that we can't compare scores, techniques, skating skills and whatever, because they were judged back then with what was the norm in those days.

This is totally incorrect. Of course you can compare the skating, you must, otherwise you're not accurately assessing what's possible and how things should be valued in skating. And Medvedeva's 2016 program, you seriously think that is not comparable to current programs?? There is literally nothing aside from Quads that is much different about her skating then and what the current crop of top girls are doing. This shows a very big lack of understanding to me. Shcherbakova would have won Nationals if she went out and performed Medvedeva's 2016 programs from Worlds, just with the Quads slotted into the LP instead of the "only Triples" program that was being skated back then.
 
I imagine it is hard even for a perfectly healthy body. At the very least you lose some consistency of where things (elements) are in the program etc.
No, I agree it's still very hard to do. I won't take away from the worries related to that.
 
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