Alena Kostornaia | Page 329 | Golden Skate

Alena Kostornaia

McBibus!!!! You're so lucky that you get to see her live! I'm jealous!! Thanks for your live report!

I too am happy that we got to see a confident, committed, and commanding Aliona today! She was totally engaged and selling the program, which is exactly what I wanted to see. :clap:

However, I have to say that I am not sold on this program. 😐 I think the first part fits her like a glove -- it's smooth and slinky (like "Adios Nonino" and "Never tear us apart"), and I enjoy it, but I just feel like the second half doesn't fit her style. To me, the step sequence here feels a lot like the StSq in "You should see me in a crown" did -- the concept makes sense, and I can see that Aliona enjoys it, but the music is sharp and rough, and the choreo just does not seem to match; it doesn't hit hard enough. Aliona's skating is just too smooth and effortless, so to me it doesn't look right against the backdrop of this very harsh part of the song.

Personally, I think that for Aliona to have a good chance of making the Olympic team (and potentially even win), she needs to have an SP that the judges look forward to seeing, not one that they tolerate. If she can consistently score very high in the SP (once she adds the trixel), then I think that the RusFed would put her on the team so she can do the SP in the team event. But I'm not sure this program can do that for her. I think with the trixel, perhaps she can get back to the 85 level she reached before with this program, but I want her to have a program that the judges will want to give 90 to!

I can enjoy the program because I love Aliona and I can see that she loves it, but I think my grandma, or even my mom, would not enjoy the harsh vocals, and surely there are some judges that feel that way too.

Unfortunately, I think Team Tut doesn't really care how Aliona does, so I don't think they'll change anything.
And at this point, I'm not too sure what I would want them to do anyway. It's probably too late to try to make a brand-new program, so they could possibly repurpose one of her other programs (like "Lovely") as an SP, or she could pull a Yuzu and bring back "Angel" again. I know Aliona was tired of "Angel" by the end of the 2019-20 season, but that program did fit her skating perfectly (even if she didn't love it), and I think it has a higher scoring potential.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. If Aliona starts churning out clean programs with 3 big trixels and the other girls struggle, then perhaps the RusFed will back her, and the judges will score her generously no matter what program she has! :biggrin: I guess that's what I will root for! :hap10:



I disagree -- I think "Adios Nonino" was the best SP (and perhaps the best program) she ever had. To me, that program is perfectly choreographed from start to finish -- which is also why I don't think she can use it now, with 2 of the jump passes moved to the beginning. I think it just wouldn't fit...
But perhaps they could give her a new tango with much of the same choreography! Oh well, a girl can dream...

Anyway, I'm super happy to see Aliona looking happy! I hope she can pull of a clean FS and end the competition a dazzling smile! :cheer::cheer2:
I absolutely agree! She's so smooth and elegant, sharp choppy music doesn't work. Similar to Zhenya with Orange Coloured Sky, they're both programmed to make soft subtle movements.
 
Hey Guys!
How are we doing?

I'm happy to say that, even without the trixel today I saw Aliona.
Not a girld named Kostarnaia on the ice, but Aliona.
Not the best Aliona ever, but definitely recognizable starting from her simple presence on the ice with every movement being apparently effortless and natural, with an engaging exprexivity.
Great work from the team so far.
...
A last comment on how she looked on the rink: Stunning does not even begin to describe her.
Wow. I'm jealous because you got to be there to see Alyona. But your words describe the exact impression I had from watching her skating through the computer screen. I said at the time, "Alyona has her sparkle back." I'm so happy about that, and I'm so happy for her and for all of us to see the kind of skating that she delivers at her best.

@Batsuchan said:
I too am happy that we got to see a confident, committed, and commanding Aliona today! She was totally engaged and selling the program, which is exactly what I wanted to see. :clap:

I enjoyed your analysis of the short program. But I want to say that although at test skate I thought the music was all wrong for her, I'm now completely okay with it. With Alyona, and with all the skaters I truly love, it isn't the music itself that sways me. It's what she does with the music, how she expresses it or expresses some emotion that she wants to convey. She made huge strides in that direction today, and I feel confident that more will follow.

Thanks for the interpretations of her remarks, too. Very interesting. Good work from the coaches. Skating clean was a huge step, and her stunning presentation was too. That establishes her own confidence, and also the confidence in her consistency the judges will build going forward.
 
I still think the program is a dud, but damn can she sell anything.

If that ain't the truth! This program is like that scene in Cruella where she makes a haute couture dress out of garbage.

Aliona's impact!

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I absolutely agree! She's so smooth and elegant, sharp choppy music doesn't work. Similar to Zhenya with Orange Coloured Sky, they're both programmed to make soft subtle movements.

Actually, I think Aliona is very good at being powerful, sharp and dramatic -- like in the first part of "Eyes on fire" in "Twilight" or the dubstep section of "Lovely." 🔥 In fact, I think she is perhaps the best (of the singles skaters) at imbuing her movements with weight. However, I feel like the choreo in the StSq of her new SP doesn't really allow her to be sharp and rough like the music -- twizzles and loops and other footwork don't really allow her to be as explosive as I think she wants to be... Or at least she's not able to match the music completely yet.

I still think the program is a dud, but damn can she sell anything.

If that ain't the truth! This program is like that scene in Cruella where she makes a haute couture dress out of garbage.

I agree with both of you, Aliona can really sell anything! I just wish she had a worthy program that would be a knockout with her charisma, rather than a mediocre program that she makes good... But perhaps this program will grow on me as Aliona continues to polish it. And it certainly stands out from what everyone else is doing! (y)
 
Totally agree about the SP. Beth Hart is the antithesis of Aliona’s personality .. it is world weary, so downbeat it is almost grunge
As others have also said I SO wish her team would have reworked Lovely as a SP .. while the song is sad, it has fight, depth and courage is fresh, youthful and was a real success as a gala.. what are the chances they will bring it back?! Please..
 
Totally agree about the SP. Beth Hart is the antithesis of Aliona’s personality .. it is world weary, so downbeat it is almost grunge
As others have also said I SO wish her team would have reworked Lovely as a SP .. while the song is sad, it has fight, depth and courage is fresh, youthful and was a real success as a gala.. what are the chances they will bring it back?! Please..
I think lovely is somehow more depressing but since we’re talking about something along those lines, I found this song after listening to an interview with her where I thought she said she liked The Next Step. I didn’t know if it was a genre in Russian, if I’d mistranslated, or if it was a band. I still don’t know if this is exactly what she was referring to but since then I’ve wanted to see a performance to this song in particular. I always thought she would time her 3F-3T perfectly to it. I think it would have to be mixed with something else since it’s redundant but the intro to the end of the first chorus I think would be so good for part of an exhibition program.


 
I think lovely is somehow more depressing but since we’re talking about something along those lines, I found this song after listening to an interview with her where I thought she said she liked The Next Step. I didn’t know if it was a genre in Russian, if I’d mistranslated, or if it was a band. I still don’t know if this is exactly what she was referring to but since then I’ve wanted to see a performance to this song in particular. I always thought she would time her 3F-3T perfectly to it. I think it would have to be mixed with something else since it’s redundant but the intro to the end of the first chorus I think would be so good for part of an exhibition program.


Yes!! This is Aliona. Interesting she might have referred to the band .. music (and math) is an international language and who was it that said “by your music I shall know thee”. Wish there was a way music suggestions could reach her team..
 
Well what I'm not happy about are these two programs. For Olympic season they're really weak and not suited for Alenka at all, unfortunately. But I believe she can still get much better skating them. This 3rd place is a good stepping stone. After all, Tuktamysheva's best is still much lower than what Alenka is capable of...
 
Well, I was worried about how Aliona would do skating after Kamila, if Kamila skated really well, and this was about what I expected... :(

I'm proud that she hung in there until the end, but she just had no fight in her, no fire in her eye like yesterday... 😭

Also, forget the SP -- the FS is the one they need to change ASAP. At the test skates I thought it looked empty, but Aliona said she forgot parts of the choreo, so I decided to reserve judgement, but now -- I feel like there was no choreo in that at all besides the step sequence. It was just skating around and jumping, so there was just nothing for Aliona to sell even if she were in the mood to do so. 😡 Bring back the "Lovely" FS they originally planned last year!!!! Or even "Twilight"!!! :pray: :pray:

By the end I was worried she wouldn't even make it on the podium, so at least she walks away with a bronze medal, (y) but it's clear she has A LOT of work ahead of her if she wants to have a shot at making the Olympic team.

The younger Aliona would have taken a setback like this and be super motivated to do better, but now I am not so sure...Aliona's confidence has been shaken with all the events of the last year, but I really, really hope she can believe in herself again. I said it before the competition and I'll say it now -- I think Aliona CAN do it, she CAN do 2 clean programs with three 3As and sell them, she just has to believe it!! 💪💪
 
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I am not upset at all. On the contrary, I think this is a good try out. I believe Aliona and the team now should have a simple and clear strategy (maybe they already have): stabilize the 3A and polish the programs. Aliona can sell any program, we know that, and I am fine with the current ones. The key is to get that 3A back and skate clean. I am optimistic.
 
I am not upset at all. On the contrary, I think this is a good try out. I believe Aliona and the team now should have a simple and clear strategy (maybe they already have): stabilize the 3A and polish the programs. Aliona can sell any program, we know that, and I am fine with the current ones. The key is to get that 3A back and skate clean. I am optimistic.
I agree. Correct me please if I am wrong but this is the first time Aliona has gone head-to-head with Kamila in competition and she held her own despite nerves. Possibly the nerves came from that anticipated event. Now it is out of the way and Aliona has an idea about later events. The elephant in the room has vanished…she can focus on her own strategies and capabilities. I got the feeling her team has sidelined her somewhat too in Kamila’s favor but that may change after today. No doubt she is a fighter and her wings remain intact. I would be surprised if her programs changed but I bet we see some retooling in both if her team is smart.
 
Whoever made her angry in 2019 and made her go for 3A needs to comeback and make her angry again. ;) Or I hope this competition was enough to do that.
I believe in her!
This event was something aliona can build on. By nationals she will need to be able to do multiple triple axles in the free skate. I expect that to happen. If that happens she has a great chance to make the Olympic team.
 
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