On the other hand, if we’re looking at all the skaters who got their jumps back, most did it before Aliona left Eteri. So it’s not necessarily a matter of coaching. In my honest opinion, I think the pandemic hurt Aliona the most because she was going through the end of puberty, and I think it was Anna that said training suppresses the changes, when you stop, suddenly you grow? A long off ice period must certainly make that transition much more difficult.
I’d concede on the point of illness but because covid affects everyone differently, I’m hesitant to say it should have just been easy for Aliona to recover as Anna and Liza did without knowing all the details. Anna got pneumonia and seemed over it quite quickly considering, but then Liza got pneumonia and seemed far worse. I don’t think the type of illness matching is a good excuse for comparing progress and regression.
However, they are all excuses at the end of the day from a competitive perspective. Yes Eteri reigns and has a good method for sweeping podiums and bringing up new talent. I think the reasoning for my withholding judgement on Plushenko but not judging Eteri in the same manner is because the sudden nature with which he got his students, and that he got them out of shape. Eteri’s girls and Mishin’s girls had the stability of their coaching environment. Moving coaches is hard enough without other circumstances.
Perhaps all his skaters will crash and burn, I just don’t think it’s been long enough for him to really work with his girls and team to make that call. And using three skaters as a sample size? Meh. What happened to Aliona this season roughly mirrors what happened to Julia after the Olympics, does it not? Save the eating disorder, she was brilliant and then she wasn’t. Same with Medvedeva. Same with Alina, though her to less of an extent because of the uncatchable sudden increase in technical content. Can we say Eteri ruins superstars because when each of them hit 17-18 they were no longer competitive? Or is that simply part of what figure skating is now? Liza and Mariah Bell and Bradie Tennell say no, it isn’t, so clearly there is more going on behind the curtains. But then, the latter two have no 3A or quads. But Amber Glen gained a 3A so what gives? It’s so difficult for us to judge.
Aliona left Eteri in July. Aliona was the only one to have programs at that point in time. Anna had a post about returning to the rink in August. Anna had her 4Lz back by test skates (but not in combo) and she fell there in September. (She didn't have her 4F back yet then.) So I don't think Anna at least had her jumps back before Aliona left.
I don't think I was saying anything about ease of recovery - more that she wasn't the only one affected. Also we don't know at what point Anna got COVID/pneumonia because her stages were earlier than Aliona's - Anna was done both her stages by the end of October. At both stages also Anna only did one quad - a 4F. (She said neither her 4F or her 4Lz where stable yet so she was going to go with whichever one was better for competition and only one of them.) (I would argue that's still barely having her jumps back, especially as she could do neither in combo at the time.)
Then we didn't really hear or see of Anna or get any reports of her training until she withdrew from Rostelecom Cup a month later (at the end of November.) Two months after her last appearance, she won RusNats - with a waterer-ed down program where she only did two quads - as opposed to her original plan which was 3 quads. She also was clearly still recovering from COVID/phenumonia (a month after Rostelecom which she had to withdraw from) at RusNats as: (1) she had done no run throughs before it because she couldn't get through them (2) she could barely breathe after her SP and (3) she had a fever AT the competition. Or perhaps you missed the heated discussions here about how Anna shouldn't be at RusNats - or Liza T or Sasha for that matter - and from a health perspective, it's completely correct. (Anna was lucky about how it turned out at RusNats and so was Sasha - it easily and statistically could have been much worse. Anna's own coach didn't think she could because she couldn't even get through a runthrough so she wasn't doing them.)
Liza also barely made it through her RusNats FS.
Both girls - Anna and Liza - were told to withdraw and both decided to skate at RusNats against their coaches wishes. There were rumours and pleas for them to withdraw (Mishin in particular said he might withdraw Liza) right up until the warmup for the FS. SO clearly here, neither of them are better.
I'm curious to know how you think Liza seemed to be far worse than Anna when Anna is the one who skated with a fever (and said she'd been having fevers for the last month).
Also even at Channel 1 Cup it was obvious neither was quite in form yet. Nor do I think they still are. So, all that to say, I don't think Anna recovered quickly at all. I don't think any of them did. I don't think any of them are completely recovered. (And that doesn't count long term effects.)
As for the sudden nature of Plushy acquiring his skaters. Aliona's was sudden. Sasha's departure was not and was clearly planned out and organized.
Furthermore, I disagree that there is any stability in any coaching environment during a pandemic! (They can't even train consistently planning which events to peak for because they might be cancelled.) Also that's not counting the adverse effects that happen when someone DOES get sick.
I'm using four skaters as a sample size which admittedly is small but that's about all it took for Eteri to gain her reputation and Mishin also only has 3 skaters to judge from (from females). As for Yulia, she at least made it to the Olympics and I think Eteri learned through this experience. Also NO skater has gone through what Yulia did that season. She was only 15 at the Olympics (younger than Aliona was last year.) Also there's a difference between an international season and going to the Olympics when you're expected to win OGM as a 15 year old AT HOME.
Also the year after the Olympics Yulia placed 5th at the GPF. (I'm not even sure Aliona would have made the GPFs even before she got COVID. I think it would be Anna, Sasha, Liza T, Rika, Kaori, and Bradie.) As for Evgenia, perhaps you're forgetting the bronze medal she won at Worlds at 19. (Even if named to the team, Aliona would not get a bronze - she should be top 10 but definitely not even close to a medal contender.) Also Evgenia went to the Olympics at 18 - she was clearly obviously competitive at 18 and absolutely dominant at 17. (Aliona is 17 NOW.) As for Alina, the year after the Olympics she placed silver at GPF and Euros (same as Anna did last year) and won Worlds. And the year AFTER that, she placed 6th at the GPF winning the SP. Remember what it takes to make it to the GPF?? (And there she was mostly just outgunned as one of only two that didn't have 3A/quads.)
Even before leaving Eteri there were questions surrounding Aliona - she was already injured. Also Mariah Bell didn't make her own World's team so perhaps not a good comparison.
I have high hopes for her for next season.. if she's staying with Eteri...
