2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Shayuki]

Nope, I heard it’s very difficult to enter the Eteri’s group. So it’s the coach who choses the skaters.

Yep, you can't just "hire" Eteri. Ridiculous suggestion...

 

[Lzbee]

Oh I 100% think it was her choice. Who do you think forced the decision? SHE left Plushy and SHE approached Eteri.

Now, do I think there are external factors and doubts at work? Of course - she's had a subpar year, been injuried and ill, and can't get her jumps back - but she's still the one who decided to leave and approached Eteri...

Ok that's fine but why the aggressive tone?

 

[chasingneverland]

Ok that's fine but why the aggressive tone?

Wasn't aggressive at all haha. I was emphasizing it was her initiative. Perhaps italicized might be better but that's frequently missed.

 

[Deripashka]

Alina at least has an OGM, a World's gold medal, a RusNats championship title, and a Junior World's gold medal...

With Alina she was forced to stay - and they needed her to stay at least until the 3A turned senior. With Aliona, I think she wants to - it's just a matter of if she can - it's closer to an Evgenia situation. Also they don't need her at all. They could have USED her at her peak this year but they don't NEED. Anna and Sasha can keep the spots all by themselves and will medal unless things are catastrophic and they completely forget how to jump. And they DEFINITELY don't NEED her next year.

Yes, thats true, I just meant that in terms of "post sport carrier part of carrier". Eugenia is still competitively skating, but Alina already succesfully runing her business outside of competition skating. From this point of view, I think Aliona should more focus on things which will come when she leaves the competitions, same as Alina did and for that, her reckless changing teams and unpropper communication with somebody with big conections, isnt very wise. This doesnt mean Im against her decision, just she had to sit with Plushenko and normaly talk to him about her situation long before it end up like this, because now, press/media vultures and hyenas will feed on her and her breakup with Plushenko and that he may not like, because he is, above anything, an businessman in figure skating.

 

[chasingneverland]

Well everybody forget that Eteri, the same Alena is begging to take her now, is the one who tried to hold her back before she left. Eteri perfectly knew that when her girls left, they will lose something.

Eteri has never held anyone back (even when they're her favourites) - as long as they can skate their programs reasonably consistently - and even then is willing to allow them to try way harder programs then they need to win, like Sasha and Kamila just recently. The issue is at that point, they start struggling with consistency and fall so many times that their BV can't save them. In fact, she's the one who insisted that Aliona learn the 3A when she was too scared to before her international senior debut.

 

[yume]

Lol, either way, whatever she decides, Sergej went from wanting to upgrade to being the main coach with his own team of star students, including Sasha, Zhilinas and Aliona, to being completely downgraded to have none of them, and it being publicly announced that Aliona is trying to leave him and Plushenko.
A very tough year for the guy, don’t know where his career will go from here.

Perhaps, he overestimated his own abilities.

Boy thought he was Nikolai Morozov.

 

[Amei]

Yes, thats true, I just meant that in terms of "post sport carrier part of carrier". Eugenia is still competitively skating, but Alina already succesfully runing her business outside of competition skating. From this point of view, I think Aliona should more focus on things which will come when she leaves the competitions, same as Alina did and for that, her reckless changing teams and unpropper communication with somebody with big conections, isnt very wise. This doesnt mean Im against her decision, just she had to sit with Plushenko and normaly talk to him about her situation long before it end up like this, because now, press/media vultures and hyenas will feed on her and her breakup with Plushenko and that he may not like, because he is, above anything, an businessman in figure skating.

Doesn't Kostornaia plan on being a doctor? If so a pro skating career is probably not something she cares about, and it appears her parents are letting her drive her career.

We know Plushenko helped her get some sponsorships, wonder what will happen to those.

 

[zounger]

I think she is in position of Alina from 2019, means she should "prepare field" for herself in business and shows skating and that mean avoid any more scandals and just calmly working on her skating.

Let's not compare incomparable things.

 

[JazzUp]

 

[chasingneverland]

Yes, thats true, I just meant that in terms of "post sport carrier part of carrier". Eugenia is still competitively skating, but Alina already succesfully runing her business outside of competition skating. From this point of view, I think Aliona should more focus on things which will come when she leaves the competitions, same as Alina did and for that, her reckless changing teams and unpropper communication with somebody with big conections, isnt very wise. This doesnt mean Im against her decision, just she had to sit with Plushenko and normaly talk to him about her situation long before it end up like this, because now, press/media vultures and hyenas will feed on her and her breakup with Plushenko and that he may not like, because he is, above anything, an businessman in figure skating.

That's fair. I think Aliona still wants to try to get to World's/the Olympics though. Alina has already done all that. (There's no more pinnacles left for Alina to ascend to.) So the motivation isn't quite there for Alina especially when even her former OGM self wouldn't win nationally (and would need falls to even be third or fourth). Now her OGM self would still make GPF and is still competitive outside of Russia - she'd be around Kaori/Bradie probably even a bit higher due to higher PCS but she won't be able to get out of Russia.

The difference also is that Alina's goals are outside of skating. Aliona's goals are still within the sport so it's harder to look for connections and realize the impact for her success following her career when all her focus is still on her career.

Also Aliona won't have the sponsorships and star power that Alina has because Alina has had a MUCH more successful career. (Although that could change. I'm hopefully Aliona at least makes it to World's.)

Also I think Aliona in general after skating doesn't want a pro career - I think she has medical aspirations. So connections don't matter really for that. No, for Aliona her time and existence in the skating world is now and for her skating career.

 

[yume]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Evgenia has ever said anything controversial about team Eteri, has she?
Orser did say some stuff, but Evgenia herself never said anything.

"I left because i want to have a long career"
The level of shade.

 

[dante]

Eteri has always been pragmatic when it comes to the results. 6 top skaters is better than 5.

can she actually continue to skate? Stress fractures, COVID 19, and that's just the beginning.

I only hope at least some of those reports were merely an excuse for Alena's poor performance...

Non-alcoholic Or maybe it's a vodka joke

Here in Russia we all have non-alcoholic vodka in the tap.

If the girls gave their all to the Olympics they might be willing to skip the worlds. And next year there will be more than adequate substitutes.

The next year there would have been only 1 spot for Russia.

Well, that these negotiations leaked immediately is no accident. This is about humiliation. The only question is to what extent. In case of refusal, Kostornaya is burned.

Alena came to a rink full of kids with smartphones. I'm surprised there is no news story shot in 10 angles.

TSL is recycling Russian rumour mills, lol.

I always thought they come up with rumors by themselves.

 

[kwanatic]

Very interesting turn of events but, honestly, I'm not surprised. After that first competition I remember thinking I wouldn't be surprised if Alena jumped ship and now with where she placed last weekend, I'm definitely not surprised.

Sasha going to Plushenko made sense to me; Alena going to Plushenko never did. Considering how high up the priority list she was in Eteri's camp last season I was shocked she left. She's had a rough season with all of the injuries, Covid stuff, etc. but so have others She's getting left behind by skaters she used to be clearly ahead of and I think she's panicking because she realizes it.

The group is still very crowded and, at this point, Alena is close to the bottom BUT I think Eteri will take her back. Not only is it an opportunity to stick it to Plushy ("she came running back to me after one year") but it's a chance to further cement her status as Queen Coach by bringing Alena back to form. Similar to the work she's doing with Evgenia, if by chance she can't get Alena back to form then she can blame it on a lost year of training b/c Alena was with a different coach. It's a win-win situation either way.

If Eteri can get Alena back on form, get that 3A back and possibly introduce a quad, Alena could challenge for the top. Imagine last year's Alena...now give her a quad or two. She'd be on par with both Anna and Kamila and would easily overtake Daria and Maiia as well. Despite the drama of this season Alena at her best is still one of the top skaters in the world and Eteri knows it and the RusFed knows it.

 

[macy]

I think i would be surprised if Eteri didn't take her back. she has nothing to lose from it whatsoever. if Sasha did try to come back at some point, maybe it was under the conditions that they wouldn't try to limit her jumping again, and they were against it so they said no. it wouldn't necessarily have to be Eteri outright refusing her.

 

[Skatesocs]

Here in Russia we all have non-alcoholic vodka in the tap.

You wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

You wouldn't have it any other way!

Isnt that just water

 

[nussnacker]

Tatyana Tarasova: “Kostornaya left Tutberidze announcing it so loud it was heard all over the country. Now she needs to apologize so that the whole country can hear that too."

Tarasova taking that 180 on Tutberidze....
Lol, the lengths she’s going.

 

[icybear]

If Alena goes back, she'll probably get another new set of program cause its not like Eteri going to bother with the choreo from the "world class foreign choregrapher promised by Plushenko." Which means she will have gone through 8 programs in under one year. 2 from Danill G last July, 4 from Plushenko camp. And probably 2 new ones before this July. Wow!

 

[Dawn825]

"I left because i want to have a long career"
The level of shade.

I don't think that's shady. Evgenia straight up said Eteri told her to retire after the Olympics and she didn't want to. Eteri never denied it.

 

[Lechat]

I think i would be surprised if Eteri didn't take her back. she has nothing to lose from it whatsoever. if Sasha did try to come back at some point, maybe it was under the conditions that they wouldn't try to limit her jumping again, and they were against it so they said no. it wouldn't necessarily have to be Eteri outright refusing her.

I would not be surprised because it’s the olympic season with kamila, Maia and Dasha’s debut in senior and Sofia and Adelia competing with seniors. I’m sorry for Alena but I really want Dasha to make the olympics. If she take Alena back, it means less time for the other girls.