2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[YuBluByMe]

I hope Alëna didn't mean anything with that comment "there is no tomorrow". It sounds like she wants to withdraw, and I would be very disappointed if she did.

Well, she is skating first in the 2nd group tomorrow, and maybe that is a good thing. She can totally focus on herself and won't be affected by the scoring drama of the others.

I hope she doesn’t withdraw, but I’m disappointed to see those words regardless. I get she’s upset, but I was an elite athlete myself and nothing like that ever came out of my mouth after a disappointment. “There’s no tomorrow.” That’s what a quitter would say! I bet Tuktymysheva doesn’t feel this way. She can a learn a thing or two from her.

I hope to see Kostornaia fight tomorrow. ....just....don’t give up. It ain’t over til the fat lady sings.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

While I do think this new SP for Alyona is not bad at all (I actually think the first half up until the flip was very nice), I do think Winter and the Four Seasons is a bit overused in skating. I don't think I preferred the Billie Eilish, but I really wanted something jazzy/upbeat/fun.

I would have to assume these new programs are for next season as well? It really wouldn't make too much sense to give them to her just now for RCF and possibly (unlikely now sadly) worlds. While I would've preferred to see either tango or Rachmaninoff, I can definitely see this program becoming a wonder after more refinement.

 

[nussnacker]

You mean the same Tutberidze who gave Diana,

I thought Diana was coached by Shpielband...

 

[alexocfp]

Lost in all the Alena talk is Kamila going from strength to strength.

Starting to get that unbeatable aura around her now.

Although if I said it once, I’ll say it a billion times: count out Anna at your own risk.

 

[Paulipau]

All these covid arguments don't seem to be making much sense to me. We saw her at test skates, we saw her at russian cup and at rostelecom, was she the old Alyona?
Nope, not nearly there.

It seems to me like Alyonas skating skills really degraded, and I think that it is clearly due to the fact that her body and proportions are changing. Even if you compare her junior years and last season programs you can see that she's lost some sharpness...but she gained the 3A and was still choreographed pretty damn good.
Now skills degraded further and noone seems to have an idea how to help her.

It's an awful timing for this to happen during the pandemic, when she was off ice for few months. So imagine you go on ice after 4 months with the complete different body dynamics. It's actually impressive that she kept her jumps (look at Lipnistkaya,Zagitova).

The thing is that she can be "fixed" (Tuktik, Medvedeva) but who in Russia would bother if they can get themselves a new shiny 14yo skater to last for few next seasons.

If I was her I would go for a 3A tomorrow, she mentioned she's getting out of 5, right?
If she can get one right and land everything else, she can still defeat Tuktit.

 

[nussnacker]

Not sure how much this competition will impact Aliona’s chances next season, but if she wants to compete for Olympics, she’s gotta up her game massively, because I can imagine all Anna, Sasha and Kamila are going to come out with several ultra-c.

Kamila landing that 3A again with great flow out is really solidifying her position as one of top 3 in Russia.
Daria, if she wants to have a chance, needs a 3A and a quad ASAP.
Hope to see clean skates from all these lovely girls tomorrow.

 

[alexocfp]

I hope she doesn’t withdraw, but I’m disappointed to see those words regardless. I get she’s upset, but I was an elite athlete myself and nothing like that ever came out of my mouth after a disappointment. “There’s no tomorrow.” That’s what a quitter would say! I bet Tuktymysheva doesn’t feel this way. She can a learn a thing or two from her.

I hope to see Kostornaia fight tomorrow. ....just....don’t give up. It ain’t over til the fat lady sings.

That’s probably the biggest thing I respect about Liza. She won’t quit and will battle until her last breath.

That she is still out there, not only giving it her all, but also remaining competitive with athletes 7, 8, and 10 years younger than her (with less wear and tear than her) is truly inspiring.

And she isn’t just filling out the entry lists; she is trying to improve as well.

She can easily have ridden off into the sunset and made money doing photo shoots.

 

[nussnacker]

I hope Alëna didn't mean anything with that comment "there is no tomorrow".

I think more accurate translation would be „after today (~what happened today) tomorrow it’s a „no“
More likely she was asked a question about something she’s going to do tomorrow (possibly skate), and she answered with „no“.
I could be wrong, since I could only hear her voice.

 

[alexocfp]

Also, it’s amazing how Russia’s ladies manage to bring the drama on the ice and off the ice at the same time.

Can’t look away for a second.

Their on ice product is amazing, their press conferences are talked about for weeks, their coaches are entertaining, the real life storylines couldn’t even be written by the biggest Hollywood hack.

Firing on all cylinders they are.

 

[Minz]

That’s probably the biggest thing I respect about Liza. She won’t quit and will battle until her last breath.

That she is still out there, not only giving it her all, but also remaining competitive with athletes 7, 8, and 10 years younger than her (with less wear and tear than her) is truly inspiring.

And she isn’t just filling out the entry lists; she is trying to improve as well.

She can easily have ridden off into the sunset and made money doing photo shoots.

Honestly incredible.

 

[nussnacker]

I can’t help but think that something in Tsibinova reminds me of Pogorilaya. They have a similar body position before jumps and picking technique, I always think of Pogo when Ksenia skates. Though no crazy falls like those of Anna, which is a good thing.

 

[Shayuki]

I can’t help but think that something in Tsibinova reminds me of Pogorilaya. They have a similar body position before jumps and picking technique, I always think of Pogo when Ksenia skates. Though no crazy falls like those of Anna, which is a good thing.

Uh? Pogorilaya's picking technique was awful, in fact she barely used a toe pick at all, it was full blade all the way through. Tsibinova on the other hand has just about perfect picking technique.

 

[Shayuki]

That’s probably the biggest thing I respect about Liza. She won’t quit and will battle until her last breath.

That she is still out there, not only giving it her all, but also remaining competitive with athletes 7, 8, and 10 years younger than her (with less wear and tear than her) is truly inspiring.

And she isn’t just filling out the entry lists; she is trying to improve as well.

She can easily have ridden off into the sunset and made money doing photo shoots.

Yep, especially as Tuktamysheva already is a world champion which I'm sure she knows is the peak for her. But she still continues competing and performing well year after year. Almost all the skaters around her are changing but she's remaining, not quite the best but always competitive.

 

[NaVi]

I do find it weird that it seemed like she only did single flips and lutzes in the warm up(she might have but I only saw a 3S) and her Rozanov and Plushenko did not look confident.

I was wrong... she had a nasty fall on the 3T of her 3F+3T combination during the warm up.

https://i.imgur.com/CvItPQr.mp4

 

[Shayuki]

I was wrong... she had a nasty fall on the 3T of her 3F+3T combination during the warm up.

https://i.imgur.com/CvItPQr.mp4

Hm, a downgraded 3T

Some doubts about her combos, with that and what she showed in the actual SP...

 

[nussnacker]

Uh? Pogorilaya's picking technique was awful, in fact she barely used a toe pick at all, it was full blade all the way through. Tsibinova on the other hand has just about perfect picking technique.

I wasn’t talking about „full-blade“ and whatnot, I was talking about how her leg picks (before the jump). She doesn’t swing it too far away before picking, it’s kind of very close to her other leg and she has a hunch similar to Anna’s. Idk, it’s just the way they approach the jumps is so similar.

 

[Mauvedreamer]

I completely agree, the pacing of her by her team is just weird. Her previous programs, while not masterpieces by any means, were serviceable vehicles, especially in an uncertain and shortened season. Why change them now, before the Russian Cup where she should be focusing on jumps and stamina issues?
Also, while I think that the move to Plushenko will be probably beneficial for Sasha in the long run, I really hope that it will be the same for Aliona... I was unconvinced about her coach change in the past, I'm still unconvinced now, but I really hope for her sake that she will reach her desidered outcome with her new team...she is far too talented not to be able to go to Worlds at least

Who did Alena's new SP? Her Billie Eilish one was much better. Maybe the Fed made her change it when Lakernik went to visit?

Choreographically, it's very bland and there's very little choreography. But even more, the music doesn't suit Alena. She's not feeling it at all even before the mistake. Alena does better with pop music or a character and she understands, and she performed her Billie program much better. I'm not talking about the jumps - everyone has falls and off days, but even with mistakes she was much more into it from beginning to the end. She's lost in this new music, and didn't she say in interviews before that she doesn't like classical pieces? Or was that slow music, I forget. For his first piece of choreography as a new coach, Rozanov actually did well with her first SP and chose movements that brought out Alena's performance, especially in the steps.

As for the coaches' reaction, I wouldn't read too much into it. Plushenko, Mishin, and Eteri are often stone-faced but they know their skaters best. Many people don't like to be coddled or fussed over when they make mistakes. Personally, whenever I made mistakes the last thing I wanted was for teachers to reassure me over and over; I just needed to process and move on. Perhaps Alena and other skaters

Do you remember all the bs they've been feeding us since summer? Best world choreographers, freedom in music choice, more smiling, praising Rozanov, laughing off Gleikhengauz's programs... The list is endless.

 

[Magill]

No, just Russian fs fora, full of insiders and stuff.

.... yeah, especially stuff

 

[Shayuki]

I wasn’t talking about „full-blade“ and whatnot, I was talking about how her leg picks (before the jump). She doesn’t swing it too far away before picking, it’s kind of very close to her other leg and she has a hunch similar to Anna’s. Idk, it’s just the way they approach the jumps is so similar.

Shrug. Pogorilaya just about doesnt pick with the tip, she strikes her skate very diagonally and it turns flat almost instantly. Anna's is also pretty bad but not on the same level. Tsibinova on the other hand picks with the toe pick, directly forward until the very end.

Perhaps they have a similar body type but that's not really a picking thing.

 

[LiamForeman]

My thoughts:
1. Kamila- I really think that placing second at Nationals when she lost both SP and LP to Anna when she was clean except for the step out on a 3A, really lit a competitive fire under her. I recognized that moment in my life when everything just finally "clicked" and I made a giant leap in my performances and there was no looking back. She was born to be the Prima dancer. I really hope she keeps this program. It's never been seen in international competition, it's perfect as is and will get full marks, so why waste time learning a new program when her perfect one right now will be "new" internationally anyway in several months? One thing I would LOVE to see if she keeps this program is a change in her hair/makeup. The dress is nice enough, but I think to represent winter she needs flawless, fierce, and drag-alicious eye makeup. Icy eyes, lashes like icicles, the whole deal. Slicked back hair. She is a STAR, and if she came out looking like one, and not just a talented nice young girl with no makeup and hair up in a boring bun, it could elevate her to another level. Think Kwan in 1995. She would be an international sensation if she brought some more Russian avant gardness to her presentation. Can't wait to see what she does tomorrow.
2. Daria- Continuing to establish herself. I love her skating and programs. I'm hoping she gets an ultra element or two. She's maxed out at this point.
3. Liza- Wow. Even skating before Alena, I was impressed with her strength. I thought "Wow she looks much better and has earned the Worlds spot", and we've seen how Covid affected her and how she continued to get better/improve. She's my pick for Worlds.
6. Alena- It's not that she had a mistake on the combo, it's that EVERYTHING seemed to stop after it, like she either forgot what she was doing or she just wanted to skate off the ice and go home. I realize she's an emotional girl, but come on, it's mistakes and rallying in those performances that make you better. Worlds is way too close, she can't go to Worlds and do this. Liza deserves it, even if Alena is somewhat clean tomorrow. It's Liza's last hurrah at a Worlds, give it to her please.