2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Scott512]

Three. And BTW Misha Kolyada and Evgeni Semenenko already secured three spots for the next worlds for Russia.

How close did the 3 spots and up? Did they get the 13 on the button? At least another deserving skater will get the go to the Olympics and it looks like I'm going to have the Olympics wave some Corona virus precautions in place.

I mean I don't think the athletes really enjoyed themselves at worlds too much because they couldn't go anywhere for a week. It might be that way at the Olympics but I hope not.

3 dance teams at worlds I hope they keep the 3 spots for the Olympics.

I hope the medalists in all disciplines got some nice prize money from this and they get the keep some of it.

 

[silveruskate]

Anna and Sasha also did better

Crazy is taking one's best against other's worst/not best is not a good comparison. Most ladies here skated subpar and nowhere is written that Aliona would somehow skate better under the same conditions in this season as the medalists did even without her going down.

This wasn't anything against Anna and Sasha. I was praising Aliona's incredible consistency last season. Deserved praise!

 

[Scott512]

The choir of naysayers who are either living in the past or just unhappy about how the things go is still there. But it's getting smaller and smaller. At the same time, "E la nave va" as Fellini said - something like "and the ship goes".

Lipnitskaya would have won Sochi games with ease should she have skated in the main event same as she did in the team event. But she did not. Sotnikova's win proved to be much narrower. Still it was symbolic as the manifestation that "the Russian era" has started in the ladies' figure skating. Since 2014 every main event of the year was won by a Russian skater: Sotnikova-Tuktamysheva-Medvedeva-Medvedeva-Zagitova-Zagitova-Scherbakova - what a nice row of "-va"s

Yes, there were big events that skaters from other countries won, yes, sweeps were rare and not in the Olympics/worlds.

This year sweep is obvious for everyone but the most die-hard opponents. But next year, I think, they all will go. We have Valieva and Co. coming of age. Looking around at the current field I don't see anyone who can realistically challenge the Russian Olympic team whoever is going to be there. The only 2 candidates are Rika and Alysa. But I don't think so. Rika is going to be 20 - if she has not mastered quads by now, chances are low that she will in the Olympics ready format. Even in the cleanish SP she struggled with landings. Well, miracles do happen but, once again, I don't think so. Alysa...well, she is the prodigy with quads who lost them. We have not seen a single example of a junior skater who regained her quads after puberty as she had lost them. May be she will be the first one but hardly. Her landings were URed even back then.

So, ladies and gentlemen, we have entered the new era - the era of Russian ladies podium sweeps!...and we all know whom "to blame" for this.

Amazing post and the point you make about the ova's making a great row of champions is wonderful.

I think all skaters will be better next season because they will have a more normal off season and they won't miss 3 or 4 months of training and hopefully no one will catch Corona virus in the figure skating world. Or pneumonia for that matter. It's really important all of these athletes take the right vitamins every day to keep their immunity strong. They can't take their immune systems for granted anymore because many athletes have been hit with coronavirus. This reminds me I need to go take my vitamin C my vitamin D3 and my immunity pill.

 

[Amei]

Three. And BTW Misha Kolyada and Evgeni Semenenko already secured three spots for the next worlds for Russia.

I believe they will have to send someone to Nebelhorn to confirm the third men's spot

 

[flanker]

I believe they will have to send someone to Nebelhorn to confirm the third men's spot

For the olympics. I spoke about worlds.

 

[esteticlove]

I think similar to many posters here, I can share how underwhelming this competition felt. However, I don't think it was because of the mistakes everyone did, but just by the fact that it all came down to the question in what order the 3 Russian ladies were going to occupy the podium. In other words, after the fantastic RussNats competition, this felt more like a training for them

 

[Shayuki]

I think similar to many posters here, I can share how underwhelming this competition felt. However, I don't think it was because of the mistakes everyone did, but just by the fact that it all came down to the question in what order the 3 Russian ladies were going to occupy the podium. In other words, after the fantastic RussNats competition, this felt more like a training for them

Trusova even was 3rd at Russian nationals, and Tuktamysheva was 7th.

It must be relaxing skating at worlds when just a small portion of their toughest competitors are skating there.

 

[nussnacker]

BTW Anna and Sasha together supporting Morisi today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7AlYOpLqD/

Their friendship is so adorable!

 

[nussnacker]

So, ladies and gentlemen, we have entered the new era - the era of Russian ladies podium sweeps!...and we all know whom "to blame" for this.

In the last 2 worlds, Eteri has been a coach (at some point of time) to 5 out of 6 ladies world medalists.

 

[flanker]

They're truly enjoying their time without mama Eteri, papa Sergei and uncle Daniil:

 

[chasingneverland]

We definitely don't know this for sure. With Sasha it doesn't seem to mean that less quads equals less falls. I mean she OVERrotated the 4S here. And as others have said, she probably thought that she had to do 5 after the SP.

If you'll read my posts, I also said that she probably thought she HAD to do 5 to even have a chance at top 5 much less a medal.

However, actually you're wrong. She IS cleaner when she doesn't do the 4S and 4F - neither of which were clean here. Mainly because it doesn't backload as many jumps when she's tired. She's also only landed the 4S once this year and never landed the 4F.

 

[sclloyd]

Finally got to watch everyone’s performances. Watching international competitions in the US sucks, NBC is just the worst.

Liza still isn’t my fave (and Anna deserved her spot on the podium) but I think she was the real winner of the competition in the same way Maia was at the cup final for finally landing those quads.

Liza mentioned she thinks you must have quads to be competitive for Beijing but she’s been training that 4T right? I honestly think if anyone is going to upset the order of the Olympic team it’ll be her. Especially after realizing yesterday that she is not just competitive internationally, but that she is competitive within Russia. Granted... it was not everyone’s best skates and there are juniors up and coming...

Just goes to show we have no way to predict anything next season.

Sidenote: Aliona is super happy at TT, which makes me wonder if she’s already been given a spot there permanently? That’s a lot of messing around for someone who said “smiling at training doesn’t matter if you don’t smile on the podium.”

 

[Dawn825]

I had a depressing thought that the sweep looks like bad news for Kostornaia. Obviously predictions in this sport are for fools But Alena will now be up against 3 reigning World medalists and 3 15-year olds at their peaks.

She’s also almost 17, she’ll be fine.

I think her being almost 17 is exactly why people think she won't be fine. Eteri skaters don't tend to get better with age.

I loved her Perfume, but please no more dark programs.

Just cuz you said that, Daniil is literally going to make her skate to "In the arms of the angels" next year

Can she take out that darn quad sal???!!!!! It's literally not the jump for her.

This. With her toe jumps, she has long stretched out set ups and jumps. With the sal and axel, she looks like she's trying to land in the same spot she took off from. Just not great technique. I desperately wish she would go for clean. RusFed is never going to bet on her with this record. If she wants to play conservative till she makes the Olympic team then throw in 5 quads at the games before they can stop her, fine.

Liza should be taken seriously for the Olympics regardless, but especially if she comes into next season with a relatively stable 4T.

Yes, but honestly if she doesn't make I won't feel too badly. Yes, obviously she wants to go to the Olympics, but this medal here has already made the last 6 years worth it.

So apparently Dudakov and Daniil are not on the Rusfed team but are listed with the Georgian team.

Some coaches like Orser have multiple federations under their name so some feds are able to bring extra officials or trainers and still able to meet the quota if they want to.

I would buy this more if RusFed hadn't literally released a statement saying Sambo got to bring 3 coaches because they're special.

 

[Anya00]

Sidenote: Aliona is super happy at TT, which makes me wonder if she’s already been given a spot there permanently? That’s a lot of messing around for someone who said “smiling at training doesn’t matter if you don’t smile on the podium.”

It's plausible that she's already landed her 3A and they're just not posting it - either way, loving the entertainment from Alena and the juniors

 

[nussnacker]

I would buy this more if RusFed hadn't literally released a statement saying Sambo got to bring 3 coaches because they're special.

Laishev has no connection or association with Russian FS federation. He’s a head of 1 school that has a lot of FS teams within several rinks they own, moreover FS is by far not the only discipline in that school. They have a range of disciplines in both winter and summer sports, as far as I remember.

 

[nussnacker]

I think her being almost 17 is exactly why people think she won't be fine. Eteri skaters don't tend to get better with age.

Anna has already changed a lot physically over the course of the last year, and so far, dealing with puberty AND pneumonia, not only was she one of the most consistent skaters with quads this season, but she actually has shown significant improvements in her abilities. Alina also showed an improvement in her technique post 17, probably she had the best jumps she ever had in her life. Whereas, as an example, the girl who was competing at the same time as her and not with Eteri, I.e. Gubanova Nastia, was struggling a lot more dealing with puberty.

This statement is a generalization, which is far from reality. All of the ladies have different technique, they don’t jump similarly, and for that matter - outside of Eteri’s camp rare case that a Russian lady managed to stay in top shape past 18.

For all I know Sofia Samodurova has been training under tech wizard Mishin since a very young age - her technique is nothing similar to Liza and Sofia is struggling to land triples and doubles at this point. She’s also only 18. What happened in this case? Did Eteri look at her and that got Sofia to struggle with jumps?
or perhaps, there’s actually a thing called puberty that can mess with EVERY female skater?

That’s not an isolated case, there’s a whole list of non-Eteri Russian ladies, who weren’t competitive post-18, including Nastia T., Nastia G., Stasya K, Lena R., Anna P., Vika V. and so on and so forthbut people want and desire to see a certain picture of the world, and in that case they try and ignore all facts that don’t fit that picture.

 

[Shayuki]

I think her being almost 17 is exactly why people think she won't be fine. Eteri skaters don't tend to get better with age.

Eteri skaters probably have done better with age in comparison to the majority of other Russian ladies. It's not really specific to Eteri, but rather Russia. I don't think any other discipline of any other country experiences such competition.

 

[Dawn825]

This is definitely not the "picture I desire". I'm no fan of one-and-done champions. If Anna comes back stronger than ever next year I will be very surprised, but very pleased.
We can agree to disagree on Alina jumping better at 17 than 15.
If your point is that almost no Russian skaters get better with age, fair enough, but im not sure how that helps Anna.
Also who is Vika V?

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

This is definitely not the "picture I desire". I'm no fan of one-and-done champions. If Anna comes back stronger than ever next year I will be very surprised, but very pleased.
We can agree to disagree on Alina jumping better at 17 than 15.
If your point is that almost no Russian skaters get better with age, fair enough, but im not sure how that helps Anna.
Also who is Vika V?

Maybe Viktoria Vasilieva?

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

Not a great ladies event for a multitude of reasons. But congrats to Anna, Liza and Sasha nonetheless! First World title for Anna, a triumphant return onto the Worlds stage for Liza and excellent redemption for Sasha! Hopefully they continue to improve Olympic season because of the Olympic ladies event goes like this I will be disappointed.