2021-22 Russian Women's Figure Skating

[starlight97]

It thankfully doesn't matter in terms of chances they receive, but I'm a bit surprised they chose Maya over Alena nonetheless.
I think it's the most fair thing to do considering Alena's last season and the fact Maya hasn't had her opportunities yet since she comes fresh out of juniors, but still I would have thought they'd exchange Maya and Alena in terms of National Team.

EDIT: Do Eteri and Mishin, officially or nepotism/corruption wise, have any influence in the NT decision?

 

[Minz]

Interesting that you think the 3-time defending national champ and World champ is the Olympic team spot up for grabs.

I think to win anything more than a GP event this season certainly needs more than that triple axel, which she still hasn't competed in over a year. My doubts on her getting a quad is that she has had issues in the past of getting injuries when learning new elements and it seems to take her longer to master a jump.

She almost did the 3A under spotlights, and a month and a half before that she could barely land a triple-triple. And last time she learned it in only a few weeks. I’m not concerned about the 3A. The quad however, I’m not so sure, since she has been injured multiple times trying do learn one. Fingers crossed though.

 

[LiamForeman]

I think with Sasha, what she needs most of all is a solid 3axel. Then, she would be replacing a 2 Axel in both programs, BIG points. It seems her 4lutz is most stable, as well as her 4toe, so she should just continue on making her 4sal even bigger. The one she opened her LP with this past season was the hugest 4sal I can remember. I could see her LP layout: 4sal/3axel/4lutz-3toe/4lutz/////4toe-eu-3sal, 3lutz-3loop, 3lutz. That seems totally doable for her. If she misses her first 4lutz she can change to a 4toe for the next jumping pass. This seems almost a perfect plan for her, so long as she gets the Axel. It's loaded but not a kamikaze mission.

 

[ELEk3k]

It thankfully doesn't matter in terms of chances they receive, but I'm a bit surprised they chose Maya over Alena nonetheless.
I think it's the most fair thing to do considering Alena's last season and the fact Maya hasn't had her opportunities yet since she comes fresh out of juniors, but still I would have thought they'd exchange Maya and Alena in terms of National Team.

EDIT: Do Eteri and Mishin, officially or nepotism/corruption wise, have any influence in the NT decision?

This is unlikely. They could turn to Eteri for advice so that she would choose the one whom she considers the strongest from her group, but I do not believe in that. If Eteri does this, then she will lose credibility in Russia. If she suffered from favoritism, then she would slow down Alina so that Medvedev would receive gold, but Eteri does not need this. She always says let the strongest win. And she also said that how can I slow down someone, these are the same athletes who also want to go to the top.

 

[flanker]

Well, though there are some talks and disappointments about the composition of the national team, those are exactly my feelings about both Maiia and Dasha getting into the team

 

[silveruskate]

She almost did the 3A under spotlights, and a month and a half before that she could barely land a triple-triple. And last time she learned it in only a few weeks. I’m not concerned about the 3A. The quad however, I’m not so sure, since she has been injured multiple times trying do learn one. Fingers crossed though.

She started after test-skates and landed it when Anna was in Lombardia which is around a week. So even better!

 

[LiamForeman]

This is unlikely. They could turn to Eteri for advice so that she would choose the one whom she considers the strongest from her group, but I do not believe in that. If Eteri does this, then she will lose credibility in Russia. If she suffered from favoritism, then she would slow down Alina so that Medvedev would receive gold, but Eteri does not need this. She always says let the strongest win. And she also said that how can I slow down someone, these are the same athletes who also want to go to the top.

Oh, I think Eteri knows how to get the best from her students. It's almost why I think Eteri might have "suggested" Alyona get reserve team. It will make her HUNGRY. I think Daria and Maiia are already hungry enough. This just might be Eteri knowing how to get the best out of Alyona. But sure, when it comes down to the team, Eteri only wants the top. No favorites. Whoever will make her the most winning.

 

[brakes]

What is that tool in front of Eteri next to the cellphone?

 

[Amei]

What is that tool in front of Eteri next to the cellphone?

Its likely for boot issues

 

[brakes]

Its likely for boot issues

Are you sure it's not not for motivational issues?

 

[JazzUp]

What is that tool in front of Eteri next to the cellphone?

who said it's Eteri's?

 

[Amei]

Are you sure it's not not for motivational issues?

Given the coach and the tendency for people (not necessarily on here) to take things out of context, I'm hesitant making what should be an obvious joke out of caution that someone will misrepresent it.

 

[chasingneverland]

Won't lie I was a bit gutted to see Aliona was the one left off the team but after thinking about it I guess it makes sense. And as others have said it just means you can't rely on past accomplishments and need to show up next season (same for everyone, really).

She better get that Guess sponsorship now lol.

It doesn't really affect her own funding that much. And as for rink funding - Eteri's rink has pretty much everyone else on the national team.

 

[icybear]

So what happens now that Evgenia has been cut from funding? Does this mean she has to pay Eteri out of her own pocket for ice time.

 

[Fluture]

So what happens now that Evgenia has been cut from funding? Does this mean she has to pay Eteri out of her own pocket for ice time.

She‘ll most likely still make the Moscow team, so she‘ll get some funding, if not as much as those in the main National team/reserve. Also, correct me if I‘m wrong, but I believe ice is provided by the club anyway and she‘s still a part of Sambo. Funding is mostly for costumes, skates, choreography, etc. all of which she‘s got ready should she want to compete next season (and her health allow it). And the woman managed to pay most of her training in Canada + living costs, which had to have been substantially more costly. So, I think she‘ll be absolutely fine - especially since being in Russia gives her a lot more opportunities for photoshoots/sponsorships in her spare time, as shown this year.

I‘m almost glad she didn‘t make the cut - she doesn‘t really need it and this way she gets to avoid the hate that was bound to be directed at her if she‘d made it over someone who competed this season.

 

[dante]

Its likely for boot issues

Or blades. Like a wrong edge.

RusFed will want to send someone who can deliver and not just those with highest scoring potential.

I think you are right. When you are consistently 4th, you need to take risks to get any chance of a medal or even gold. But when you are the consistent favorite, you'd take as little chances as possible.

There was a ruckus over Karen being chosen over Amber for this years worlds. It turns out USFS made the right call. They’ve also sent Polina Edmunds to her first senior international competition, which was the Olympics. She did pretty good.

Except that the Russian team for the Worlds will be decided after the Nationals, which is in half a year.

The key challenge with Russian language is cases and word endings in different cases.

Prefixes are much worse.
"По дороге домой я [...]шёл в магазин."
There is no rational explanation for why it should be "зашёл" instead of "вшёл" or something. You can only memorize it, along with the other 40,000 instances.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

i think Kamila and Anna would both have to have terrible seasons not to go. the likelihood of that based on history is not likely.

It depends how you define "terrible." If they aren't one of the three best next season, I don't think there's any chance for the RusFed to play favorites. If everyone is skating their best, I think Anna and Kamila are almost certain to make the team, but I would have said the same about WSMist Irina in 1998, OGMist Adelina and WSMist Julia in 2014, and WGMist Alina in 2019, and I would have been wrong every time. The only time I can think of the RusFed not picking one of the top women of the season was selecting Evgenia over Liza a few years ago.

 

[chasingneverland]

She‘ll most likely still make the Moscow team, so she‘ll get some funding, if not as much as those in the main National team/reserve. Also, correct me if I‘m wrong, but I believe ice is provided by the club anyway and she‘s still a part of Sambo. Funding is mostly for costumes, skates, choreography, etc. all of which she‘s got ready should she want to compete next season (and her health allow it). And the woman managed to pay most of her training in Canada + living costs, which had to have been substantially more costly. So, I think she‘ll be absolutely fine - especially since being in Russia gives her a lot more opportunities for photoshoots/sponsorships in her spare time, as shown this year.

I‘m almost glad she didn‘t make the cut - she doesn‘t really need it and this way she gets to avoid the hate that was bound to be directed at her if she‘d made it over someone who competed this season.

There is still one empty reserve spot anyway.

 

[Amei]

i think Kamila and Anna would both have to have terrible seasons not to go. the likelihood of that based on history is not likely.

both of them showed far more than Sasha did this season. yes, she could win it all with one clean competition, but she's never really shown she can do that since she's been a senior. i think her bombed world short hurt her chances, and if she can't prove she can be consistent, there isn't much reason to send her.

Agree, I think Trusova is the 1 most at risk of getting booted off the team of the 3 we all seem to have penciled in on the team (Shcherbakova, Valieva, Trusova) as she's the most unreliable 1 of the last 2 seasons and based on her own words of wanting to go for the 5 quads she's going to be all jumps, she gets bailed out that she can throw 4-5 quads and even if she falls on them can still manage 4-5 points a piece; I think if another skater pops up next season with a consistent quad and/or triple axel that the Fed would rather go with that skater over gambling on Trusova.

 

[Arbitrary]

A lot of skaters, even Trusova herself, consistent in practice or dueing minor competitions.
It's not easy to decide. What we can see now Tutberidze wasn't objective against Trusova and not too supportive for Kostornaya.