Alena Kostornaia

[Scott512]

Even if Aliona does not get selected for Worlds, she may get WTT, it's not cancelled. WTT is a great competition.
next season even if she doesn't get the Olympics, she may get worlds. The world team usually is different then the Olympic team. So her career isn't over. It's very sad that circumstances hurt her this season, but don't give up.

This is her fan fest. It's time to rally. I'll start. I really like this short program and her dress is beautiful. And I can't wait to see her new free program and her new dress.

Yeah I want different girls to go to worlds that did not get a chance to go to the Olympics. Unless a Russian girl wins the Olympics and is 100% healthy after that which would be hard to believe. Russia is going to be stack with 6 or 7 or 8 girls next season counting the 3 babies coming up to seniors it's going to be off the charts insane. I wish the ISU would come up with the ranking system kind of like tennis or golf so the top athletes can get rewarded with go into these great competitions.

I mean a year from now Russia legitimately could have like 8 of the top 10 skaters in the world in the ladies discipline and they only get to send 3. That's a jjoke.

Well aliona is skated today did anybody see it and can give in and give analysis on how she did?

 

[McBibus]

Pretty decent.
So nice for her to finish clean. I really think it was important for her mind.
Even intentionally going for a 2S in the combo would mean her brain was working and she was fully concentrated.
As usual lately we see two skaters: one in the 1st half that almost look like a true Aliona (not there yet) and another in the 2nd half that look like an aliona with a 10 Kg bag on her shoulders.
That's why I would not select her for worlds being in the shoes od the russian federation.
This needs to be solved, and I hope the off season works will do it

I mean a year from now Russia legitimately could have like 8 of the top 10 skaters in the world in the ladies discipline and they only get to send 3. That's a jjoke.

Yes and no.
Unique events like olympics or worlds almost always have a "country quota".
I would prefer (like you) that skaters only represents themself and the best are selected based on a ranking but i can't see it happening.

When ISU really fails the skaters is that there are only 4 international competitions (and 2 of them are continent based):
GP Final (GP stages do not count because a skater can only appear in 2 out of 6 events so there never would be a full ranking)
Worlds
Euros
4 continents

To remain in winter sports I see all the best skiers every week end.
F1 and moto GP are with us with a competition with all the best almost 20 times per year

It is impossibile to male a living out of a sport that keeps it's best talent away from competition so much and away from each other pratically always.
Alina is so famous because she won Olympics, and olympics remain a dream for ever athlete, but a sport that only thinks about the next olympic since the day the last olympics ends is a poor sport.

We need some sort of skating circus where all the best fight each other regularly, possibily with differents rules and scoring systems so that the best would emerge at the end of the season, but the result will not be the same every day.
(I mean it will be boring to see the same SP+FS every time, but when launching something like a Skating world cup it could be ok at first)

People develop attachemnt not only to the sport but to the champions and their storyes.
We are lucky that today we have youtube, streaming and social media and we knew what this wonderful girls got trough (I'm very happy for Maya today btw).
Some years ago we would have totally lost track of them and ever our attetion to the sport would fade.

A start could be to select the 12 or 15 to skaters in the workd and have them run at every GP event along with 6 to 8 wild cards from the organition

 

[Vemvane]

Aliona was so gutsy to go out there, when she is still clearly so tired. Her last spin, you could see her just grind to a halt, but she got it out, and then I have no idea how she made it through the StSq. That took willpower, because she had no breath left. You could see it in the way her shoulders went. But she did it! She went out there and laid down what she could, and showed so much determination and courage. So, so proud of her for being so brave.

 

[Scott512]

Pretty decent.
So nice for her to finish clean. I really think it was important for her mind.
Even intentionally going for a 2S in the combo would mean her brain was working and she was fully concentrated.
As usual lately we see two skaters: one in the 1st half that almost look like a true Aliona (not there yet) and another in the 2nd half that look like an aliona with a 10 Kg bag on her shoulders.
That's why I would not select her for worlds being in the shoes od the russian federation.
This needs to be solved, and I hope the off season works will do it


Yes and no.
Unique events like olympics or worlds almost always have a "country quota".
I would prefer (like you) that skaters only represents themself and the best are selected based on a ranking but i can't see it happening.

When ISU really fails the skaters is that there are only 4 international competitions (and 2 of them are continent based):
GP Final (GP stages do not count because a skater can only appear in 2 out of 6 events so there never would be a full ranking)
Worlds
Euros
4 continents

To remain in winter sports I see all the best skiers every week end.
F1 and moto GP are with us with a competition with all the best almost 20 times per year

It is impossibile to male a living out of a sport that keeps it's best talent away from competition so much and away from each other pratically always.
Alina is so famous because she won Olympics, and olympics remain a dream for ever athlete, but a sport that only thinks about the next olympic since the day the last olympics ends is a poor sport.

We need some sort of skating circus where all the best fight each other regularly, possibily with differents rules and scoring systems so that the best would emerge at the end of the season, but the result will not be the same every day.
(I mean it will be boring to see the same SP+FS every time, but when launching something like a Skating world cup it could be ok at first)

People develop attachemnt not only to the sport but to the champions and their storyes.
We are lucky that today we have youtube, streaming and social media and we knew what this wonderful girls got trough (I'm very happy for Maya today btw).
Some years ago we would have totally lost track of them and ever our attetion to the sport would fade.

A start could be to select the 12 or 15 to skaters in the workd and have them run at every GP event along with 6 to 8 wild cards from the organition

Thank you for such imput.

I would like a combination of the ranking system like tennis and golf do and country quotas I don't want to eliminate the small countries. But like you pointed out you can't make a living in this sport unless you're someone like Alina. She doesn't have to compete anymore. So many skaters finish young because they're just arent opportunities to compete. They can't make money or they lose their funding like many of the skaters in Russia do. They need another kind of tour than a very short GP circuit which is only 2 months long. Maybe create teams that go around the country one some Saint Petersburg 1 from Moscow 1 from Stockholm when from Tallinn 1 from London 1 from Prague 1 from Tokyo 1 from Los Angeles and so on and so on and so on. There just aren't enough prevents to go around for all the talent out there.

 

[McBibus]

Lucky I did not close the stream after Kamila.
My girl is being interviewed: exhausted and definitely unsatisfied and not happy but she keep smiling and replying kindly and professionally.
SO PROUD about how she's growing as a person

 

[McBibus]

Thank you for such imput.

I would like a combination of the ranking system like tennis and golf do and country quotas I don't want to eliminate the small countries. But like you pointed out you can't make a living in this sport unless you're someone like Alina. She doesn't have to compete anymore. So many skaters finish young because they're just arent opportunities to compete. They can't make money or they lose their funding like many of the skaters in Russia do. They need another kind of tour than a very short GP circuit which is only 2 months long. Maybe create teams that go around the country one some Saint Petersburg 1 from Moscow 1 from Stockholm when from Tallinn 1 from London 1 from Prague 1 from Tokyo 1 from Los Angeles and so on and so on and so on. There just aren't enough prevents to go around for all the talent out there.

I love exhibitions, but the fact skaters need it and have time to do it even during the competitive season is the fail of ISU.

 

[bouncy]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL16MJTJOnh/

Reposting from teamkostornaya: Alena Kostornaya: "I will skate as much as my health allows." Aliona admits the idea of continuing to skate after the Olympics.

Seems like she's gonna push back her med school plan. I hope she could hang in there until 2022 Worlds and seize the opportunity if anyone in the OG team withdraws.

 

[Scott512]

I love exhibitions, but the fact skaters need it and have time to do it even during the competitive season is the fail of ISU.

It's a big fail of the ISU so what else is new..

What did Aliona say?

 

[elena23]

I love her new dresses and programs! It takes immense mental strength to go out after yesterday and put that performance out there. I know they're not her best result, but I have no doubt that she'll continue to train and up her stamina for next year.

 

[McBibus]

It's a big fail of the ISU so what else is new..

What did Aliona say?

nothing new, and nothing I expect from them in the next few years apart of some cosmetic change to the scoring system maybe

the interview was in russian... i did not undestood a single word...
but those eyes looking in the camera angels where playing

 

[Scott512]

nothing new, and nothing I expect from them in the next few years apart of some cosmetic change to the scoring system maybe

the interview was in russian... i did not undestood a single word...
but those eyes looking in the camera angels where playing

Well I'm glad Aliona stuck it out and scored a 140 points today that was my goal for her.

I kind of like the new programs and music.
But it takes time.

 

[Skatefan15]

After everything she’s gone through (and still going through) she did amazing today! She really fought for everything her body allowed her to, during the last few elements you could tell how tired she was, but she pushed through!

I’m so happy she’s considering staying around past 2022. Her skating is just so rare (especially her skating skills) and it would be sad to see her leave so early so I’m really looking forward to what’s next.

I like this free program a lot more than the first one (which I did like as well), even though it wasn’t skated to its full potential, you can see how good it will be when it is at its full potential. I can’t wait to see the pictures from her free today especially after yesterday’s were so stunning!

I’m very sad she won’t be going to worlds but as I said in the comp thread, this could be a good thing overall for her health. I know she’s disappointed to not be going, but now she can train at her own pace to allow her health to get better (and get her 3A back when her body allows of course). Can’t wait to see her skate again!

 

[McBibus]

Well I'm glad Aliona stuck it out and scored a 140 points today that was my goal for her.

Yes: you called fo it.
Next time please try calling for 165

 

[Fluture]

She‘s done it! And she fought. I‘m proud of her. There are many things to say - about her, the sport, this season, the next one. For now I‘m just happy she gave it her all.

Well done, Aliona.

 

[bouncy]

I want to first congratulate Aliona for simply going out there, leaving aside the scores. It takes tremendous courage to compete against the younger troop and skate a completely new program after the catastrophic SP day. I have no idea how she put herself together before the FS and managed to land all the jumps. It was not perfect, not anywhere near her past performances, but she did it anyhow.
Scorewise, I think there's very little chance RusFed send her to Worlds given Liza's stellar performance, but it's not over for Aliona. She missed the Worlds once, twice, and this is very likely the thrice, but she has made her mind to stay in the field even though she knows time is no longer on her side and that it's only gonna be tougher every year after.
Today she's (probably) experiencing the lowest point in her entire career, but she will start from here and make her first step to comeback from now on.

 

[McBibus]

I want to first congratulate Aliona for simply going out there, leaving aside the scores. It takes tremendous courage to compete against the younger troop and skate a completely new program after the catastrophic SP day. I have no idea how she put herself together before the FS and managed to land all the jumps.

The truth is that this tiny girls, behind the princess look and the emotional side they show sometimes, are way harder than the ice they skate on.
They all deserve huge admiration.

This sport is much more traumatic than 1st look suggests.
The ice is hard and cold yet they land on it, fall on it and fight on it every day for hours just to get out that one day in a princess dress and make it look like poetry and the most natural and easy thing in the world.

That's why when every piece of the puzzle finds is place like it happened for Maia today I'm really really happy.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

She‘s done it! And she fought. I‘m proud of her. There are many things to say - about her, the sport, this season, the next one. For now I‘m just happy she gave it her all.

Well done, Aliona.

Exactly. She reminded me her "elder sister" Alina Zagitova at Worlds 2018. Everything was wrong about her, physically and emotionally, yet she didn't give up and she was 5th and given the circumstances, this was a victory (and Carolina Kostner got Worlds Bronze at 29, that was great and she wouldn't have had it otherwise)*. It is just the same with this competition for Aliona Kostornaia. And I would say, it was really necessary that she should go on, for her mental strength.

Someone compared her situation with Anna Shcherbakova's, but it has nothing to do. From what I understand (from automatic translations so it may be wrong) the latter got CoViD rather early, and with little symptoms (how she went on skating while testing positive, if she did, I don't know but she doesn't appear to have had an off-ice period then), but later she had a pneumonia; she was not completely OK at Nationals but she had had only 5 days off-ice, and from what I read, 5 days can be recovered rather fast. Aliona Kostornaia went to the same camp on May 26th after the first confinement, but then, and without having recovered her 3A by the way, she had a new off-ice period between July 17th and August 2d (roughly), which is, from what I read several times, just the duration from which everything have to be re-learned from scratch. Then she recovered partly, had her 3A back (not ready for comp' at Rostelecom Cup though), then she had CoViD and had a new 2-week off-ice period until December 2d, but then she still had after-effects and on top of that, a sore throat lately, what we can wonder is how she managed to skate so well in spite of all that.
A wretched season for her in a wretched season overall, but if she is not too weary from it, if on the contrary she is still in fighting mood, she may emerge absolutely wonderful next season, a "super-Aliona".

As to her changing both programs so late, I guess it was demanded by the Federation? (I mean, "advised"...)
Their advice was attended to, but then, others were overscored, and she was scored rather severely.

Her dresses are not wonderful, but they are beautiful and suit her well, which I couldn't say of many dresses in this championship.

* EDIT : Thank you @Fluture ! I really thought Carolina Kostner had medalled at Worlds 2018, I don't know why.

 

[bouncy]

As to her changing both programs so late, I guess it was demanded by the Federation? (I mean, "advised"...)
Their advice was attended to, but then, others were overscored, and she was scored rather severely.

I think the judges were lenient with her on the GOEs (maybe with some potential q calls as well) but I agree Aliona was not the only one they gave a pass to.

Then she recovered partly, had her 3A back (not ready for comp' at Rostelecom Cup though), then she had CoViD and had a new 2-week off-ice period until December 2d, but then she still had after-effects and on top of that, a sore throat lately, what we can wonder is how she managed to skate so well in spite of all that.

She had her 3A back once this season? Oh I didn't know! I really wish the whole Covid thing didn't happen so that she could continue to work on it until she reclaims it. I'm going to be completely honest here - this string of misfortune has left me with endless bitterness and angst. Her life has turned upside down from the day Worlds 2020 got canceled, though canceled for good.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

I think the judges were lenient with her on the GOEs (maybe with some potential q calls as well) but I agree Aliona was not the only one they gave a pass to.

She had her 3A back once this season? Oh I didn't know! I really wish the whole Covid thing didn't happen so that she could continue to work on it until she reclaims it. I'm going to be completely honest here - this string of misfortune has left me with endless bitterness and angst. Her life has turned upside down from the day Worlds 2020 got canceled, though canceled for good.

After Rostelecom Cup she said she still had only a 20% success rate at it, that was definitely too short to be attempted in a program, even only as a solo jump.

I forgot to say that from her ISU bio, this season she has grown 5cm (1m50 to 1m55) but at this Final, she really seemed to be higher than that (maybe 1m58? Heights are so tricky on ice/with blades), which of course need additional adaptation.

I don't think judges were as lenient in GOEs with her as with others, far from it, but I think this is not the thread to discuss it?

 

[Fluture]

(and Carolina Kostner got Worlds Bronze at 29, that was great and she wouldn't have had it otherwise).

Kostner didn‘t win Bronze at 2018 Worlds, though, I remember that because I was very, very heardbroken about it. Osmond, Higuchi and Miyahara were the podium back then.

As for the dress: I LOVE the SP one. Fire on ice. Fiery emotions and icy mind, that‘s her. If she manages to skate this program cleanly and with full energy, it can be brilliant. Same for the FS, although I‘m neutral towards the dress there. Beautiful but nothing too spectacular. Also: Nothing what she did today or yesterday in terms of choreography comes close to what those programs are supposed to be like. She‘s said it herself - she was focused on landing her jumps.

As for the result: It sucks, of course. After last season it sucks especially. And this is the THIRD Worlds in a row she‘s missing through no fault of her own (qualified to JWC in 2019 - injury, 2020 WC - canceled, 2021 - COVID hampered her chances). So, nothing positive about that.

But maybe there is one good thing about all this: Aliona is stubborn. Remember when they told her she‘d always be a top 10 skater at best? She wanted to win even more. Remember when they told her that without ultra-c, they‘d send her back to juniors? She recovered the 3A. Maybe she‘ll look at this 6th place here and it will give her just the motivation she needs.

It won‘t be easy, in fact, at her age and with the way a certain system has transformed the sport, it might almost be a mission impossible. But it‘s not over until it‘s over and even if it‘s not the Olympics - there‘s other ways to earn glory in sports.