2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Amei]

Wasn't she on weight loss pills for her wedding though?
And I do believe she had said publicly she was retired before the whole ban thing came out, she only forgot to file in her paperwork.

I wouldn't say she was "cheating" as the reason she was taking pills had nothing to do with sport at all. And the forged document thing had something to do with the place she got the pills too, it wasn't just that she decided to forge them right?

I've not seen read any interviews of her explanation on why she was taking what she was taking but a few points:
- Water pills are banned not necessarily because they give performance-enhancing benefits but because they are considered masking agents of performance enhancing drugs because they flush your system
- I doubt and have hard time thinking it credible going on an explanation she only forgot to file her retirement paperwork, based on Googling articles - she didn't miss 1 test she missed 3 tests which prompted an investigation. A reasonable or believable 'reason' that she only forgot to file her retirement paperwork goes away once you miss your second test. When she got contacted for the first test if she was truly going to retire she should have immediately been in contact with the Fed about filing her paperwork - not after missing 3 and then taking a test and failing it
- I tried Googling it and couldn't find an interview or anything with an explanation from her which honestly I'd like to read it because based on what has been reported, she missed 3 tests and failed another - I'd really like to see what the explanation is for missing 3 tests before failing another.
- While the ban might not have been announced prior to her retirement she would have certainly known about an investigation. She could have thought if she announced her retirement that it would stop the investigation and potential punishment.

My memory on this situation is spotty, but nonetheless I feel like it's a really harsh ban considering she wasn't actually cheating in sports, and people who have cheated via doping before have gotten away with much less.

Well, per my original comment, all Russian athletes should have reasonably anticipated any infractions were going to be severe based on the turmoil that the state agency was dealing with, Sotskova would certainly have known about that as she went to the Olympics unable to compete under her country's flag for that reason.

 

[Scott512]

You're kidding?? Tsurskaya? That's giant, how did I never notice?

Maybe she was slouching?

 

[readernick]

Chronically injured? Coronavirus was Alionas main problem this year and she was healthy last year when she had almost a perfect debut season. I am sure she has other nagging injuries but that's part of the job in that sport. I sure hope this amazing skater is not chronically injured. I would love to see her skate for many years to come.

I love Aliona's skating. I hope she skates for years. Eteri is an extremely effective coach. However, the way coaches like Eteri achieve success/ consistency is through high numbers of practices, jump drills, and run throughs. There is a point where the body can no longer maintain this amount of stress. I worry Alena has reached this point and if she returns to such an environment ( many coaches use this style, not just Eteri, because it works) she might become permanently injured and not be able to skate. If she doesn't practice like that, she won't be competitive. What can she do? It is a difficult situation.

 

[Scott512]

This was on the front page of sports here in the US. Is this a headline in Russia??? https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mo...ter-banned-10-years/ar-BB1ecZB5?ocid=msedgntp

Unbelievable.

10 years is a lot.

I hope Maria can move on with her life I know she just went through a divorce too. Her dad died a couple years ago at the CSKA facility.
Poor Maria has been on a bad luck roll.

 

[el henry]

Like I said whether you fly or travel by car, the entry rules are THE SAME.

Last summer manyyy Americans entered Canada ILLEGALLY using the Alaska loophole. Not necessarily suggesting US skaters like Jason Brown done that. But last summer the entry rules were very strict. You had to be a Canadian citizen or a close family member of a Canadian citizen or an essential traveler to be able to enter Canada. Skating lessons are not considered essential so either Jason has pretended to be traveling into Canada for essential reasons (like medical reasons) or has Canadian family members.

This year the rules are more lenient and allowing people with work/student visas to enter the country too.

But either way, being a US citizen doesn't give you an advantage.

I'm afraid this is incorrect, at least as of June 2020.

Jason entered Canada legally for skating in 2020. The first time he tried, he had a letter from his host family and maybe from TCC? He was rejected. He then obtained letters from Skate Canada, maybe from USFS, maybe from some other Canadian bodies. He was admitted the second time, simply to train at TCC. Kaitlyn and JeanLuc had the same issues returning to Montreal, and needed letters from Canadian authorities, and were allowed in simply to train.

Why am I going through this long story in the Russian Ladies thread? Because skaters need to return to the country of origin if rejected. Jason simply drove back across the border (Although he did drive 10 hours to another border crossing once he had all the documentation). Zhenya, or any other Russian skater, would have needed to get back onto a plane and return to Russia. The risk accompanying rejection at the border was simply too high.

 

[dante]

Taking back Evgenia definitely was a strategically smart move from Eteri. You think she only did it from the “goodness of her heart“? She‘s not stupid - it was all over the news for days and after the dramatic exit of two star students, taking back an old one - and a famous one at that - definitely helped.

Helped what, exactly? And why do you think that decision didn't involve goodness of her heart?

next year, there are three juniors will turn seniors so she doesn’t need another senior.

By the same logic, she doesn't need Daria, because she will have 3 other senior skaters.
Anyway, putting all eggs in one basket has never been her way.

I have never heard anyone call simple sore throat "ангина".

When I was younger, we always called sore throat "angina".

Ash lutz durbatulûk, ash lutz gimbatul, ash lutz thrakatulûk agh PR-ishi krimpatul.

One rink to rule them all!

 

[Shayuki]

No, sore throat is "горло болит". I have never heard anyone call simple sore throat "ангина". Maybe people who are sufficiently uneducated to not understand the difference exist, but Plyushenko/Aliona certainly weren't talking about a case of sore throat.

Hm, over here we call it angina. But it's not used for just any sore throat, but the one caused by bacteria, and it's far worse than the common virus-based ones. Only like 5% of them are caused by bacteria or something. Anyway, it's extremely painful, requires antibiotics.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I love Aliona's skating. I hope she skates for years. Eteri is an extremely effective coach. However, the way coaches like Eteri achieve success/ consistency is through high numbers of practices, jump drills, and run throughs. There is a point where the body can no longer maintain this amount of stress. I worry Alena has reached this point and if she returns to such an environment ( many coaches use this style, not just Eteri because it works) she might become permanently injured and not be able to skate. If she doesn't practice like that, she won't be competitive. What can she do? It is a difficult situation.

It is a tough situation, but she has almost zero chance of making it to the Olympics without Eteri's team coaching her. Alena has dealt with a lot of problems this season, more than her peers, and I think her dip in form with the jumps has a lot to do with that. However, her overall skating and performance ability has noticeably declined, and that's a bigger problem because she has to be winning on PCS without the quads.

 

[readernick]

It is a tough situation, but she has almost zero chance of making it to the Olympics without Eteri's team coaching her. Alena has dealt with a lot of problems this season, more than her peers, and I think her dip in form with the jumps has a lot to do with that. However, her overall skating and performance ability has noticeably declined, and that's a bigger problem because she has to be winning on PCS without the quads.

How would someone not decline with the health problems that Aliona has? Frankly she shouldn't be training with stress fractures and COVID-19 related issues ( possibly heart problems? Depending on whose translation you believe) Eteri isn't know for her ability to revive the career of injured athletes of Aliona's age. Those who are injured tend to leave Eteri and then retire because the training methods only work if you can maintain that schedule. Aliona's current health situation doesn't suggest she can. I hope I am wrong. I want Aliona to achieve her dreams.

 

[dante]

possibly heart problems? Depending on whose translation you believe

No source ever mentioned a heart condition.

 

[readernick]

No source ever mentioned a heart condition.

Angina was mentioned. Angina is a heart problem in English. Some say it just means sore throat in Russian, others deny this. But, heart problems are quite common in athletes recovering from COVID-19. Basically, she is not healthy, the severity of the issues varies depending on source, but none of it sounds good.

 

[Briananing]

This move means that Aliona desired to skate after the Olympics is probably just a publicity stunt (?) so that she wouldn't be passed down before the battle for the Olympics even started. I mean the judges would give you an advantage and the benefit of the doubt if they think that they could build you up to be a star and benefiting the sport, just like how new face but talented Adelina won her OGM over yuna kim who would retire right after.

 

[lappo]

This move means that Aliona desired to skate after the Olympics is probably just a publicity stunt (?) so that she wouldn't be passed down before the battle for the Olympics even started. I mean the judges would give you an advantage and the benefit of the doubt if they think that they could build you up to be a star and benefiting the sport, just like how new face but talented Adelina won her OGM over yuna kim who would retire right after.

I always mantained that Aliona saying a couple years ago that she would have left the sport after the Olympic season was a bad move on her part; it didn't lead to a fall from grace by the federation but it could have been a reason why she had more difficulty in finding sponsors unlike her teammates Sasha and Anna, a point which I remember was made when she left Eteri. Mind you, I'm not saying that she shouldn't want to have a different life after her Olympic season, that's her choice and hers only, I just think that it was a bad decision to announce it so early in her career, from a sponsor and also from a fan perspective (I don't know if I'm the only one who, at the time, tought "well, don't get too attached to her skating because a couple more years and she will be gone!").

 

[Samoyed]

Angina was mentioned. Angina is a heart problem in English. Some say it just means sore throat in Russian, others deny this. But, heart problems are quite common in athletes recovering from COVID-19. Basically, she is not healthy, the severity of the issues varies depending on source, but none of it sounds good.

But as far as I understand this is a little bit like 'false friend' situation. 'Angina' in Slavic languages means 'Tonsillitis' in English.

 

[yume]

Where is Daria Panenkova? I thought she was coaching at Sambo.

 

[ELEk3k]

Worst comes to worst...what happens if Eteri says no, but Plushenko doesn’t take her back..?

What will happen if Plushenko leaves to Eteri from Trusova? Trusova: Wtf with this Russian FS!?!?!

 

[saturdaysun]

Isn't it tomorrow in Russia already? #HasEteriDecidedYet

 

[LiamForeman]

In all honesty I believe that's the secret to her success. When you train everyday with pretty much the biggest competitors in the field, you know exactly what you need to do to be competitive and try to get in front of them. I'd imagine that's rather stressful but, again, it leads to good outcomes in competition. They aren't afraid to compete b/c they compete every day. They come in battle tested and it's why so many of them are so focused when they go out to compete.

That's how I am/was. I want to be around the best people, even if I am the worst in the group. Because I know that no matter the group I will never be the worst for long (second worst maybe, but not THE worst!! lol). I never understood these skaters who want to be the sole Queen of the Ice at their rink, where they are the top and have no competitors stealing their thunder. I guess some people need that kind of coddling, reassurance, but I think it is weak. How are you going to maximize your potential if all you're told is how wonderful you are? I'm really tough on myself, and I am aware of all my flaws/faults real or imagined. I wouldn't want to have to tell people at the rink to shove it and stop lying to me if they are just laying it on thick and kissing up to me. I don't do flattery. Especially when it's unwarranted. Doesn't work for me. Tell me what I'm doing WRONG, please. I already know what I'm doing right, you know?

It appears Aliona needs the coddling and being the sole "star". She tried it for a year with Plush, but it didn't work. I'm glad she's going back to Eteri. She was the number one skater in the world a year ago. She needs to rediscover her magic with Eteri that got her to the top. All is not lost. I just hope she regains her health quickly. Who knows, maybe the whole health situation was exacerbated by the stress of the AOP fiasco and once she's back 'home' her health will remarkably return.

 

[Arbitrary]

When Sport-Expess called Tutberidze directly to ask her about Kostornaya, Eteri answered something like "I love you all."
The agency experienced difficulty to parse her answer.

 

[riddle]

Angina was mentioned. Angina is a heart problem in English. Some say it just means sore throat in Russian, others deny this. But, heart problems are quite common in athletes recovering from COVID-19. Basically, she is not healthy, the severity of the issues varies depending on source, but none of it sounds good.

As a technical term angina probably means the same in most languages and refers to a type of pain (from latin angere, to press together). Specified further, it can also refer to the illness that causes this pain.

From Wikipedia

• Angina pectoris, chest pain due to ischemia
• Angina tonsillaris, throat pain due to an inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis)
• Abdominal angina
• Angina bullosa haemorrhagica
• …

Informally used, in English angina is short for angina pectoris, in Russian it is short for angina tonsillaris (and some have said, they use it to describe any type ofbsore throat). In German it can mean both, young people as Fluture understand it as tonsillitis, old people the same way as you in English.