Alena Kostornaia

[Scott512]

What Cosmetic Company is a sponsor for Aliona?

 

[Batsuchan]

Hello friends! After a massive delay, I'm finally getting around to collecting my thoughts about Skate Canada...

First off, I am extremely glad that I got to see Aliona skate live. Like I said, it was one of my dreams! At the end of last season/beginning of this season, I was terrified that Aliona would retire after this season and that I would never, ever have a chance to see her skate live in a competition. It's not like it's the end of the world, but I have been able to watch all my previous favorite skaters/teams live, and since I love Aliona and her skating most of all, I desperately wanted to see her. Also, I feel like watching skaters live is a different experience from watching them on video, and in the past, there have been times when my opinion of a skater or team changed after I saw them live.

Having rewatched the videos of her SP and FS (and spotting myself in the audience!), I do think the SP is a good vehicle for her, and it could really sparkle once she polishes it more. As for the FS -- Aliona just looked totally lost. One woman in my row said it looked like she was about to cry (due to the makeup, I think). I loved "Lovely" as an EX, but it did not work at all for me as an FS. The music change to the dubstep part came at an awkward place, and overall it was just meh.

In the gala, I finally saw the Aliona I wanted to see -- confident, 100% committed to the choreography, and just living the program. Earlier I had written that for me, Aliona is one of the best at imbuing her movements with weight/gravity. Here I was also impressed at how good Aliona is at moving slowly--she really knows how to milk the slow section at the beginning of her program, and I think that's actually quite difficult. It requires a lot of confidence and skill to maintain the tension/energy even in a slow section. A lot of people would be tempted to rush through the movements, but Aliona is just so committed to what she's doing that she draws you in.

And then those jumps -- explosive, airy, and buttery smooth on the landings. They looked like the jumps Aliona did in the 2019-20 season.

And in general, that is what I felt during the competition. There were times when Aliona looked like her old self, and I could really appreciate all that is wonderful about her skating--the incredible smoothness of her skating/glide, her big jumps, and her charisma--but in her SP and FS, it was not all there all the time.

There were some jumps that she did (the ones in the gala, her 3F+3T in the FS, even the height on her 3A attempt in the FS) that gave me confidence that her physical ability is 100% there. She even overrotated the 3S in the gala finale. There's definitely potential for a quad there. Having seen Aliona live at Skate Canada, I fully believe that she can recover her beautiful 3A and maybe even add a quad. I totally believe that she could potentially get back to her 2019-20 level (or exceed it, physically).

HOWEVER, it definitely seems like Aliona is facing a serious mental block or crisis of confidence right now, and it does not seem like she has anyone to help her get through it.
At the FS practice, when Aliona just skated around and around in circles, on the verge of tears, I don't think Eteri/Daniil even looked at her once. They were 100% focused on Kamila. Unfortunately for Aliona, Team Tut just has too many other girls who can make the Olympic team, so I don't expect them to put any effort into helping Aliona this season.

It pains me to say it, but the Aliona I saw in the FS practice and FS did not look like a contender for Russia's Olympic team, and looking at the judging this season and the comments from Daniil, I think her chances of making it to the Olympics are extremely low. Even if she manages to skate perfectly like the Aliona of old at Russian Nationals, I think they will bury her in the scores. (Of course I'd love to be wrong!)

Though this may end up being a lost season for her, I have great hope for Aliona in the future! Like I said, everything is there -- she has the physical ability and the star power. She needs time and possibly professional help to get through her mental problems. But if she does, I think Aliona has a very good chance to make a Worlds team over the next few seasons as the other girls to start to struggle as they go through puberty.

So I think Aliona will eventually have some big decisions to make. If she doesn't make the Olympic team this season, will she retire? Or will she try to be like Liza and keep skating (assuming Team Tut allows her to stay)? Would she consider trying to switch countries?

No matter what she decides, I will always support her!

If Aliona were to retire, it would be sad to lose such a natural-born skater with so much potential, but if that's what makes her happy, then I'd be fine with it. And if Aliona ends up modeling or acting or being a social media influencer instead, I'd have no problem with that! That black and white photo from the photoshoot she did today was just a knockout!

My one wish for Aliona is that when she skates, that she can skate like she did in the gala. If that means she never does a 3A again, I would be okay with that, as long as we get to see a confident, charismatic Aliona.
One skater I really (unexpectedly) enjoyed watching at Skate Canada was Mai Mihara, because everything she did was beautiful, but more importantly, it looked like she was so happy to be back on the ice and competing again. All I want is to see that joy from Aliona when she skates.

And for her to get a cosmetics or jewelry sponsorship!

 

[Batsuchan]

Some additional odds & ends...

I'm not sure if this has been posted or not, but here's a version of Aliona's SP with CBC commentary (i.e. Ted!):


Also, my clips of Aliona in the gala finale:


And my video of the medal ceremony -- you can see Aliona talking to Liza at the beginning:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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A few other tidbits:
During the gala, Aliona came out to watch Liza's EX/hung out with Dasha Pavlyuchenko before she performed. Then Aliona stayed to watch Dasha and Denis' EX.

Later, when the skaters were waiting to come out for the finale, Aliona was dancing while Gilles/Poirier performed their EX. I wish I had recorded it, but I didn't...

I forgot to mention earlier that I brought a gift for Aliona. The Skate Canada website said "no gifts allowed" and they announced in the arena that we weren't allowed to throw anything onto the ice. However, I thought I might try to give it to her at the end of the gala (so it wouldn't matter even if I got kicked out afterwards). So at the end of the gala, when all the skaters were skating around the rink and waving, I called out to her and tried to hand it to her as she passed by, but she told me "I cannot." (Yes, she spoke to me!!)

Afterwards I went to the hotel where the skaters were staying and left it with the front desk, so hopefully she got it!

 

[sclloyd]

I think what stings most about Daniil’s words for me is that after Skate Canada she said something about it being an okay showing for her because she didn’t complete the content she wanted to (3x3A, messy steps, etc.) but she was very happy anyways because she “somehow overcame [herself] mentally”. The SP was not perfect but it was clean and scored better than everyone except Kamila and Sasha’s SP if I’m not mistaken. So to get not even an utterance of praise must hurt. Hopefully she internalizes the confidence she felt at the end of NY, NY and proves her detractors wrong.

 

[Decoder]

Hello friends! After a massive delay, I'm finally getting around to collecting my thoughts about Skate Canada...

(The whole post)

Thx a lot for the detailed report.

Before I started reading, I was expecting some optimism. But I feel frustrated when I finish. I feel very upset when I read this part:

At the FS practice, when Aliona just skated around and around in circles, on the verge of tears, I don't think Eteri/Daniil even looked at her once. They were 100% focused on Kamila. Unfortunately for Aliona, Team Tut just has too many other girls who can make the Olympic team, so I don't expect them to put any effort into helping Aliona this season.

However, let me try to think about and digest it a little differently. In RLT, someone pointed out that very often Aliona just skated around during the 6-minute practice, so no big deal for that part. However, on the verge of tears? This clearly shows that it is a mental issue. I don't think Eteri/Daniil not looking at her says anything, I am afraid, because they see each other almost everyday, and they knew she had this issue. This is also evident from Daniil's interview. At that moment right before the skate, looking at her could probably make her more nervous. So, I don't think we can claim that Eteri/Danill had abandoned her just because they didn't look at her direction.

But one thing is clear: there is a mental issue. How to deal with/overcome/attack it? This is going to be hard, but still possible.

I just checked Team Tutberidze's vk page and saw small video clips of Aliona, from Instagram (stories) @ Mаlenago and @ Рhpoliblok. (Also posted above by patee.) So I feel that the working relationship between the team and Aliona hasn't changed that much before and after she pulled down her thank you note from Ins.

Honestly, I don't think Daniil trashed Aliona in his interview (he could have worded something better). On the contrary, I feel that the team was trying to find a way to help her. Is everything going to work out? I don't know, but I hope so. I'll wait to see what's going to happen in her next GP, and possibly GPF, and then....

I'll wait and pray.

 

[Azikin]

Thx a lot for the detailed report.

Before I started reading, I was expecting some optimism. But I feel frustrated when I finish. I feel very upset when I read this part:



However, let me try to think about and digest it a little differently. In RLT, someone pointed out that very often Aliona just skated around during the 6-minute practice, so no big deal for that part. However, on the verge of tears? This clearly shows that it is a mental issue. I don't think Eteri/Daniil not looking at her says anything, I am afraid, because they see each other almost everyday, and they knew she had this issue. This is also evident from Daniil's interview. At that moment right before the skate, looking at her could probably make her more nervous. So, I don't think we can claim that Eteri/Danill had abandoned her just because they didn't look at her direction.

But one thing is clear: there is a mental issue. How to deal with/overcome/attack it? This is going to be hard, but still possible.

I just checked Team Tutberidze's vk page and saw small video clips of Aliona, from Instagram (stories) @ Mаlenago and @ Рhpoliblok. (Also posted above by patee.) So I feel that the working relationship between the team and Aliona hasn't changed that much before and after she pulled down her thank you note from Ins.

Honestly, I don't think Daniil trashed Aliona in his interview (he could have worded something better). On the contrary, I feel that the team was trying to find a way to help her. Is everything going to work out? I don't know, but I hope so. I'll wait to see what's going to happen in her next GP, and possibly GPF, and then....

I'll wait and pray.

Well said. I'm not sure about this "on the verge of tears" but that "circling around" was sure disturbing. It's obvious that relations are not ideal within Eteri group but I think it's only expectable. So many amazing skaters for most of which this is the most important season of their careers and only 3 of them can go to Olympics. If this is not a barrel full of gunpowder then I don't know what is. One can only hope it will hold until Olympics, then I expect big changes.

 

[Batsuchan]

However, let me try to think about and digest it a little differently. In RLT, someone pointed out that very often Aliona just skated around during the 6-minute practice, so no big deal for that part. However, on the verge of tears? This clearly shows that it is a mental issue. I don't think Eteri/Daniil not looking at her says anything, I am afraid, because they see each other almost everyday, and they knew she had this issue. This is also evident from Daniil's interview. At that moment right before the skate, looking at her could probably make her more nervous. So, I don't think we can claim that Eteri/Danill had abandoned her just because they didn't look at her direction.

I should clarify that this was not during the 6-minute warmup -- this was during the FS practice earlier in the day. In the 6-minute warmup Aliona looked more composed and actually did some jumps.

But in the FS practice (what I saw of it), Aliona fell on her 3A attempt in the run-through and then looked like she was on the verge of tears for the rest of the practice. (I have videos, but I don't plan on posting that). Eteri/Daniil didn't look at her, but she didn't look at them either -- to me it seemed like she knew they wouldn't have anything helpful or encouraging to say to her, so she didn't even bother trying to talk to them when she was clearly getting flustered and upset. She seemed very much alone on the ice.

I did see her talking to Eteri once she got off the ice, and maybe they talked a lot after they left the rink, but to me, the whole vibe I got was that Aliona was an afterthought, and she knows it.

I feel like Aliona's in a really tough situation -- it feels like the coaches won't really work with her if she's not an Olympic contender, but to be an Olympic contender, she needs their attention and support.

And I'm not really criticizing Eteri/Daniil here -- this is how they've always operated. Except that in 2019, Aliona was able to make them pay attention to her because she decided she was going to do 3As no matter what, and she did.

If Aliona wants to have any chance this season, she absolutely needs to find that same fighting spirit and really believe in herself!

 

[patee]

 

[Scott512]

I should clarify that this was not during the 6-minute warmup -- this was during the FS practice earlier in the day. In the 6-minute warmup Aliona looked more composed and actually did some jumps.

But in the FS practice (what I saw of it), Aliona fell on her 3A attempt in the run-through and then looked like she was on the verge of tears for the rest of the practice. (I have videos, but I don't plan on posting that). Eteri/Daniil didn't look at her, but she didn't look at them either -- to me it seemed like she knew they wouldn't have anything helpful or encouraging to say to her, so she didn't even bother trying to talk to them when she was clearly getting flustered and upset. She seemed very much alone on the ice.

I did see her talking to Eteri once she got off the ice, and maybe they talked a lot after they left the rink, but to me, the whole vibe I got was that Aliona was an afterthought, and she knows it.

I feel like Aliona's in a really tough situation -- it feels like the coaches won't really work with her if she's not an Olympic contender, but to be an Olympic contender, she needs their attention and support.

And I'm not really criticizing Eteri/Daniil here -- this is how they've always operated. Except that in 2019, Aliona was able to make them pay attention to her because she decided she was going to do 3As no matter what, and she did.

If Aliona wants to have any chance this season, she absolutely needs to find that same fighting spirit and really believe in herself!

Thank you for your posts on skate Canada and all the information you've given us from being there. I'm sorry you didn't give your present probably because of the coronavirus situation.

But it is depressing to read you write that Aliona is an afterthought at TT. I'm not surprised KV is the main focus of the group although what would Anya who's been there like 13 years think of that? If Aliona does not pull off a minor miracle and make the Olympic team there's no way she returns to TT. If she leaves them after this season she needs to do so quietly without any controversial comments no matter what anyone from TT says. None of us like to see this beautiful girl suffering and it seems she is.

Initially I was happy with AK going back to TT yeah but then when sasha followed her back to TT I was the focus will be on KV sasha and Anna. At this point all I care about is that aliona makes the Grand Prix final and there is a realistically good chance of that. Then she's gonna need a free skate at nationals where she can do 2 triple axles. If she is scored fairly she would have a real chance at the top 3 among senior Russians.

Sometimes I have the feeling that TT took AK back mainly to keep her away from Mishin or another coach.

 

[Scott512]

Well, why not discuss it? We can discuss whether Alyona is incredibly beautiful or insanely beautiful?

Insanely beautiful! With Aliona it's as if you took some some facial beauty from Zagitova, Gubanova, Konstantinova and Samodurova and combine them all together and it came out to Aliona! I did some modeling so I know about these things. Although the most important thing is that Aliona is the most beautiful skater in the world and for her to find her form by Russia nationals. I think she's getting pretty close to nailing her triple axle again. If she does do it she's back in the game.

 

[bouncy]

Is this photoshoot for some cosmetic sponsorship?

 

[patee]

Is this photoshoot for some cosmetic sponsorship?

I think we don't know yet what this photoshoot is actually about... (Or we do! It's about memorializing Aliona's beauty for the ages!)

 

[patee]

 

[nussnacker]

I did see her talking to Eteri once she got off the ice, and maybe they talked a lot after they left the rink, but to me, the whole vibe I got was that Aliona was an afterthought, and she knows it.

I feel like Aliona's in a really tough situation -- it feels like the coaches won't really work with her if she's not an Olympic contender, but to be an Olympic contender, she needs their attention and support.

I don’t think she’s an afterthought.
If she was, they wouldn’t even bother changing the programs. It’s surely an additional effort in an already busy season, but they are willing to do that in an attempt to help her.
And as bad as those words seemed from him, (which also made me very disappointed in him) he said their wish is for her to skate cleanly with 3*3A. That their connection is great and they discuss everything and she understands them. Daniil probably meant no harm and maybe had to think on his feet with his answers, because he was caught on the entrance somewhere when he was answering questions. But as FS is such a publicized sport, he should’ve known better and been very very careful about what he’s saying. He‘s not an idiot and should know how his words will be taken and printed.


What bothers me is that Anna started at a much worse point than Aliona this season. She started 1.5 month late, adding vacation time, she was probably off ice for 2,5 months.
She had less time than Aliona to get back her quads and get back consistent 3-3 and she managed.

I don’t think Aliona has any physical issues that prevent her from doing the same and skating consistently with 3*3A. She’s not any less talented than Anna. As Danny G said it’s not the lack of talent or motivation, it’s not her missing practices, because that’s not the case. He also mentioned that she competed better than how she trained, so her competitive instincts are still there.


I do think it’s the same issue we heard about earlier, that she doesn’t want to try jumps, when she feels weird, because she’s scared she’ll get injured.
Likely this also means she doesn’t want to do runthroughs at the same amount as others.
Probably also the reason why she just skates in circles, because she’s afraid to try the jumps. The reports I read from SC is that she tried 1 3A fell and had a hard time bringing herself to do another one. I don’t think they purposefully tried to pay attention to Kamila, but Kamila does jump a lot more often in practice, hence why there’s a feedback to give. If Aliona doesn’t feel like she can jump without getting injured that day, there’s likely no possibility to give her feedback on her jumps.

So I see this as not having anything to do with just 1 thing, it is likely a complex issue. I don’t see any issue in her technique, because her 3-3 are still massive and rotated, she is capable of rotating that 3A.

Likely she’s not training the jumps enough for them to be super clean and consistent, that’s why they are giving her issues. I don’t know what can help her, perhaps she needs a sports psychologist to help her get rid of that fear, but I really hope she‘s able to pull herself together and go for the jumps more often. There’s still a chance and not all is lost yet for Olympics. I believe she’ll do what she can, I just wish Aliona would go for it and be at her best, no matter how hard it is.

 

[nussnacker]

Btw, apparently Aliona got a „Lovely“ tattoo. Seems like she really loves that program. Now if she could only make it sparkle in competition like she does in an EX.

 

[nussnacker]

Is this photoshoot for some cosmetic sponsorship?

From what I gathered this is a amateur photographer, who works as a sound operator for Match TV. She wanted to do a photoshoot for free for Aliona. She contacted her Fan Account and they reached out to Aliona asking if she wants to take some photos pro bono.

Brands better stop sleeping on Aliona, seriously.

 

[Ella339]

Thx a lot for the detailed report.

Before I started reading, I was expecting some optimism. But I feel frustrated when I finish. I feel very upset when I read this part:

At the FS practice, when Aliona just skated around and around in circles, on the verge of tears, I don't think Eteri/Daniil even looked at her once. They were 100% focused on Kamila. Unfortunately for Aliona, Team Tut just has too many other girls who can make the Olympic team, so I don't expect them to put any effort into helping Aliona this season.

However, let me try to think about and digest it a little differently. In RLT, someone pointed out that very often Aliona just skated around during the 6-minute practice, so no big deal for that part. However, on the verge of tears? This clearly shows that it is a mental issue.

I do think it’s the same issue we heard about earlier, that she doesn’t want to try jumps, when she feels weird, because she’s scared she’ll get injured.
Likely this also means she doesn’t want to do runthroughs at the same amount as others.
Probably also the reason why she just skates in circles, because she’s afraid to try the jumps. The reports I read from SC is that she tried 1 3A fell and had a hard time bringing herself to do another one.

Relevant RLT posts about Aliona not jumping during the 6' warmup: mine, Jontor's.

As I've written over there, I think there could be several things at play here:
* She says herself she struggles with a lack of stamina and some forgetfullness, and she didn't pre-Covid. Some after-effects are a possibility. Whether she can or can't get over them in time is a big question mark...
* I find Daniil's words about her showing up to "practically" every practice, having trouble turning off her emotions (kind of a weird expectation in itself?) worrying as well.
* In general, I imagine the whole situation must be pretty anxiety-inducing for her. Honestly, I'm shocked to read she spent most of a practice session close to tears, and no one lifted a finger to help her. I didn't even imagine things were that bad.

As for all the comments about "getting herself together", "picking herself up by her bootstraps", "just needing some tough love", etc., they're widely off the mark in my opinion.
I'm sure she's doing the very best she can at the moment, with whatever physical and/or mental challenges she might be dealing with. She wouldn't be where she is, having her 3A back, etc., if that wasn't the case!
What she needs is support.

perhaps she needs a sports psychologist to help her get rid of that fear

They all do! Uncle Brezina had a great interview about this recently. If a male veteran like him can talk about this so openly, it is more than time for the stigma about this to disappear! Mental health is health. And I'm sure everyone involved wants all of these athletes to be as healthy as they can, for both the short and the longer term.

 

[Decoder]

Relevant RLT posts about Aliona not jumping during the 6' warmup: mine, Jontor's.

As I've written over there, I think there could be several things at play here:
* She says herself she struggles with a lack of stamina and some forgetfullness, and she didn't pre-Covid. Some after-effects are a possibility. Whether she can or can't get over them in time is a big question mark...
* I find Daniil's words about her showing up to "practically" every practice, having trouble turning off her emotions (kind of a weird expectation in itself?) worrying as well.
* In general, I imagine the whole situation must be pretty anxiety-inducing for her. Honestly, I'm shocked to read she spent most of a practice session close to tears, and no one lifted a finger to help her. I didn't even imagine things were that bad.

As for all the comments about "getting herself together", "picking herself up by her bootstraps", "just needing some tough love", etc., they're widely off the mark in my opinion.
I'm sure she's doing the very best she can at the moment, with whatever physical and/or mental challenges she might be dealing with. She wouldn't be where she is, having her 3A back, etc., if that wasn't the case!
What she needs is support.


They all do! Uncle Brezina had a great interview about this recently. If a male veteran like him can talk about this so openly, it is more than time for the stigma about this to disappear! Mental health is health. And I'm sure everyone involved wants all of these athletes to be as healthy as they can, for both the short and the longer term.

Yes, support, and help. The hard part is how to support and help. I don't know, it's actually very complicated and each individual is very different. All of us fans here are worrying about her and hope the coaches (and Aliona herself) can do more. Maybe something is already working out as we speak? As for the "healthy" part, true, but in my opinion, her next outing with a total score of 230+ would be the best gift she herself wants.

 

[nussnacker]

* She says herself she struggles with a lack of stamina and some forgetfullness, and she didn't pre-Covid. Some after-effects are a possibility. Whether she can or can't get over them in time is a big question mark...

When did she say that? I can’t remember hearing that from her, I always thought these are just assumptions from fans.

* I find Daniil's words about her showing up to "practically" every practice, having trouble turning off her emotions (kind of a weird expectation in itself?) worrying as well.

this is quite a normal phrase about work/training, I believe. It doesn’t mean you are not allowed to have any emotions, it’s sort of a phrase for turning your head off and focusing on your work without any other thoughts and getting distracted. Like how you do a routine task, which is what he was talking about. That Aliona needs to get back into that routine.

* In general, I imagine the whole situation must be pretty anxiety-inducing for her. Honestly, I'm shocked to read she spent most of a practice session close to tears, and no one lifted a finger to help her. I didn't even imagine things were that bad.

Well… I don’t know how normal it is in general, but this has been something going on with Aliona for a while, even in juniors. She cries quite often when the practice isn’t going perfectly.

As for all the comments about "getting herself together", "picking herself up by her bootstraps", "just needing some tough love", etc., they're widely off the mark in my opinion.
I'm sure she's doing the very best she can at the moment, with whatever physical and/or mental challenges she might be dealing with. She wouldn't be where she is, having her 3A back, etc., if that wasn't the case!

Maybe it is off mark. Unfortunately we don’t know everything to make that conclusion. We also can’t know what would be the best way to help her.

Those words about picking herself up don’t come from being simple minded and not understanding her situation.

My main worry is that the time is limited. Regardless how much effort it took her to skate at 19-20 level, to get back there after you lost your shape unfortunately takes even more effort than just maintaining it. I think everyone here wants to see her skate to her full potential this season in particular and not have any regrets about how it went. I admire that she keeps fighting despite results not being what she would hope for. I know she’s already working hard climbing back to where she is now, but only she can help herself in this situation. It will be really tough, but I do think Aliona is a fighter and she’s capable of doing it. She didn’t come back to Eteri because it was going to be easy training with her, she came back knowing it will be hard to get back to her shape. She’s a tough cookie, I will just hope thing swill get better by France.

 

[sclloyd]

When did she say that? I can’t remember hearing that from her, I always thought these are just assumptions from fans.

She mentioned stamina in an interview after her performance in Finland. Something to the effect that it was very difficult for her to complete the steps and remember the choreography at the end of performances when she is so tired, and will work on choreo. Also mentioned that she was going to be following Eteri's guidance to run at least 40 minutes daily.