2021-2022 Russian Men's Figure Skating

[AlexBreeze]

And, I guess, at this point, Kolyada is the only realistic candidate for the GPF, even with Hanyu’s WD, because Semenenko skates with Kolyada in Rostelecom.

Semenenko's chances mostly depend on Jason's result in France

 

[anonymoose_au]

For the 3rd i hope they don't pull a Kovtun

How do you mean

 

[vorravorra]

It looks like the Fed took all its 'mushrooms' to other disciplines and gave up on the men, so I don't expect much of the men's scoring this season. The European Champion and European silver medalist, both skaters with real PCS, lines, choreo, skating skills, performance ability have been scored in the 7s. What the hell has been going on with Aliev's PCS, really?.. Danielian they actually may have trouble remembering I suppose but he hasn't forgotten how to skate in the time he was away. I guess we have to be grateful Kolyada actually got 8s. And apparently only Aliev and Gumennik underrotated in this competition, everyone else was kindly given q's (except for Frangipani with downgrades). I wonder if the Fed will wake up by the team event and actually spare a few mushrooms to whoever is going to be skating there. They have their sights set on the gold after all.

 

[mrrice]

Haven't seen the program yet but, I am very happy to see Mikhail pull up from 4th to take the Silver in Italy. I really love his smooth skating, balletic style, and perfect posture. Bravo!

 

[elektra blue]

How do you mean

putting on the team a fed favourite inconsistent skater that can can get great scores when he's on but more often he's not and screwing up someone more deserving in the process

 

[IndiaP12]

Petr said he needs to work on his stamina. Yes, he definitely does. His jumps are looking the best they ever have - never have I ever seen a guy improve his jumps so much after growing so much! That opening 4T and 4S+2T+2Lo - and his triple axels in the practices, but he needs the stamina to put it all together and not flop in the second half. He didn't even skate badly here though he was really lowballed

 

[lariko]

Semenenko's chances mostly depend on Jason's result in France

If his best bet at Rostelecom is bronze (Hanyu still participates) Brown beats him with either 3rd or 4th in France, which is pretty doable for him. So, yeah, Semenenko’s chances are slim.

 

[anonymoose_au]

@IndiaP12 I was thinking of you when Petr skated! He was awesome

I wonder about the stamina issues for some of our Russian men. One thing that's very noticeable at Plushy's Academy is the amount of off-ice training the skaters do. Is this an unusual thing for skating schools, or maybe they do and I just don't follow them closely? Plushy's first coach was a weight lifter who had his students do lots of stamina training, so I guess that's where he got the idea

It's also a bit of a worry about Dima. I hope he's OK and knows he's got full support whatever the outcome.

 

[lariko]

putting on the team a fed favourite inconsistent skater that can can get great scores when he's on but more often he's not and screwing up someone more deserving in the process

With all the love in the world, it would be hard to make out one camp from another. I think they would love nothing more than someone who could skate consistently with the holy grail of 3+ different quads, but it’s hard to say who could put this performance at the Olympics, even among the Semenenko-Kondratyuk-Erokhov group, who look the best atm…

Kolyada is the only one to get consistently high PCSs even with the falls, and the two of the seniors with the most international experience, Samarin and Aliev, are having troubles. They are socializing everyone 17 and older, so I have a feeling they might end up with Kolyada, Semenenko as the most senior among the former junior cohort and a junior-straight-to-Olympics-no-pressure (played by either Kondratyuk or Erokhov?)

Bit I dunno, I have a feeling if Aliev recover by the Nationals, RusFed might just collectively visit a church and light the candles.

 

[lariko]

Is this an unusual thing for skating schools, or maybe they do and I just don't follow them closely

It seems standard. At some point, Samsonov even commented that Uno when he took training in Russia wasn’t used to the amount of the off-ice training Russians do. They always list it as General Fitness trainining and they list plenty of hours that goes under that category.

 

[Weathergal]

Something light-hearted for this Monday: Who did it better?

Don Quixote: Alina Zagitova or Roman Savosin?
Sex Bomb: Evgeni Plushenko or Nikolai Shelyakin? (wait for the costume change...)
Toxic: Liza Tuktamysheva or Petr Dubovitsky?

For context: The guys are doing a challenge of recreating famous programs. They are brilliant!

Thank you so much for sharing that CrazyKittenLady. That was really fun and made me smile. I loved how they even skated to their starting positions already in character.

 

[vorravorra]

No, that’s standard. At some point, Samsonov commented that Uno when he took training in Russia wasn’t used to the amount of the off-ice training Russians do. They always list it as General Fitness trainining and they list plenty of hours that goes under that category.

Plushenko's school puts a greater emphasis on it than most other schools. The students who come in at first have trouble keeping up with the regimen. AoP has really good facilities which also helps. Rozanov's students were a special category since he had his own ideas about off-ice training and refused to participate, and you could clearly see the difference in stamina between his students and those from other groups.

 

[lariko]

Plushenko's school puts a greater emphasis on it than most other schools. The students who come in at first have trouble keeping up with the regimen. AoP has really good facilities which also helps. Rozanov's students were a special category since he had his own ideas about off-ice training and refused to participate, and you could clearly see the difference in stamina between his students and those from other groups.

Good for them to put even more emphasis on it.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Rozanov's students were a special category since he had his own ideas about off-ice training and refused to participate...

For real? Cripes, he's lucky he lasted a year there and he better not have asked for a reference. Bringing him along with Sasha T was the dumbest decision ever. You know when you're an employee you're supposed to respect your employer? Mr Rozanov must have missed that memo. That final interview he gave before leaving biggest WTAF ever.

Ahem, sorry, I'm a bit grumpy about that.

AoP has really good facilities which also helps.

But yes lovely facilities, I'd probably run if I was there, although it'd be more a brisk walk

 

[lariko]

I’m afraid I will need to figure out what I should get for comfort food for France, because it proved emotional today, and I have a foreboding France would be even more so.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

I’m afraid I will need to figure out what I should get for comfort food for France, because it proved emotional today, and I have a foreboding France would be even more so.

Cake? Andrei did win that Minsk Ice Star competition after all...

 

[Paulipau]

Guys your are making me low key angry with saying Russian men this Russian men that. All men are inconsistent, not just Russians.

Look at Boyang yesterday...

It is interesting tho how in Russia the choice for Olimpics is getting more and more difficult. With the ladies stepping up every competing and guys stopping down every competition.

Currently it seems to me like Kolyada and Semenenko are a lock, they both brought medals.

I dont think that Kolyada deserves those PCSes, he defitely could deserve them with a right program and good performance, but those mistakes everywhere are very disruptive and he looks so stiff and uninspiring in his free program. I think he even looks a bit silly...

And I hope to see Kondratiuk as a 3rd.

I dont understand Gumennik, he has a lot of fans but for me he is such an incomplete skater that it is hard to watch him.I dont find him artistically superior to Semenenko and Zhenya is a more poweful skater with more consistency.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Imo, at this point Kolyada and Semenenko seem like a pretty safe bet for Europeans. The third spot is wide open. Honestly, I think Gumennik is not that far behind Kondratiuk. He has the tech and he should have the components as well (though the mushrooms are missing). He also beat Mark when they went head to head at Denis Ten memorial.
Let's see how Erokhov does at the Warsaw challenger. If he manages another skate with five clean quads across the two programs, they better get his visa application for Estonia going. And then there are Lutfullin and Yablokov. Depending on how they do at their senior challengers and at JGPF, I wouldn't write them off either.
Of course, it will all come down to RusNats, and since it's men's skating, there could be major upsets. Until after Europeans it's all just speculation anyway, but that's half the fun of it.

 

[Paulipau]

. He also beat Mark when they went head to head at Denis Ten memorial.

That's not a very strong argument, Mark used this event for trying his 4Lz.

And I strongly disagree that Petr should have same components as Mark.

 

[lariko]

Cake? Andrei did win that Minsk Ice Star competition after all...

That cake had been eaten, along with DT cake France, though, incidentally has my three favourite Russian seniors, Aliev, Danielian and, of course, Mozalev. Given what I had seen so far, all of them are not having a good season, due to injuries/health. What fan would I be if I didn’t root for them on the low! But it will take some serious ammunition in food department.