2021-22 Russian Women's Figure Skating

[Alex Fedorov]

Just look at the newspapers. Valieva the first woman to land a quad at the Olympics. It's everywhere. Valieva matters and nobody else does for the Russian Olympic Committee. They didn't want any OTHER woman to have that title. She will be the only women's skater with a Gold is what they expect. She will have 2 golds and become a figure skating superstar, the others can make do with a forgettable in comparison silver and bronze. You can like it or loathe it.

Also don't kid yourselves, Valieva will 99% win Gold. Her having that 1 fall is even helpful as she didn't "peak". And I wouldn't bet against her winning the next Olympics, pushed by everyone. Figure skating wants (some may say needs) its new Yuna.

Skaters' points are given not in the newspapers, but on the ice. Otherwise, why hold competitions at all - let the journalists determine who is in what place, and the athletes will rest at home on the couch, completely safe from the covid infection.

Exactly 20 years ago, before the start of the Olympics in Salt Lake City, articles about Plushenko's inevitable victory were published in the largest Russian newspapers. I remember one of the headlines - "We will flatten everyone!" (a pun based on the consonance of the verb "flatten" - on Russian "плющить", "plushit'" with the surname Plushenko). But on the very first jump in the short program, Evgeny fell - although, as he himself said, he never made mistakes on this element. And he also started the FS with a mistake. And skater, about whom they said that he was not 99%, but 200% champion, loses to Yagudin.

Subsequently, Evgeny became a figure skating legend, and received Olympic gold, but that was another story. And then, at 2002, he was not ready. Whether Kamila is ready is still unknown. Yes, she was quite definitely led to that Olympic gold back in 2020, if not earlier. But that doesn't mean she doesn't have weaknesses.

 

[Autumn Leaves]

We are all very critical towards Rusfed, but they may have had other considerations, like lowering the risk with positive testing. I read somewhere that if an athlete has already participated in the team event, you can’t substitute them, like it happened with Vincent. There is a lot of time until the individual competition and maybe it was smart to risk only 1/3 of the team to not be substituted in case of positive test or other issues.

Otherwise, I hate this team event since 2014 and hope it doesn’t lead to burnouts. They should at least move it after the individual competition, when the pressure is gone and it could be fun.

 

[starlight97]

We are all very critical towards Rusfed, but they may have had other considerations, like lowering the risk with positive testing.

If I can assure you of one single thing, it's that of all Federations RusFed does not care about Corona .
It was internal politics and childish adults getting offended on the backs of these amazing 3 girls.

 

[Azikin]

I don't think she'll be around in four years. It will be grueling to maintain that level until 2026, and there will be a steady stream of young up-and-comers who will do everything a little bit better than Kamila does now. A clean Alina was untouchable four years ago, and now the Russian Olympic team members are all doing jumps Zagitova could never imagine landing.

We'll see. Technical content cannot make such a huge leap forward as in the past 4 years, that's simply not possible. Quintuples are not coming. As for presentation, Kamila is a goddess. 'Nough said.

 

[Dawn825]

Not being able to chose between the 2 pairs makes sense. They both have powerful coaches who wouldnt back down. BK beat TM at Nationals but TM beat them at Euros, so the choice is unclear. But for the ladies...it seems ET would have the power to just say Anna is doing it. So unless she was the one who felt too bad for Sasha to do that (which sounds very out of character), its hard to understand.

 

[flanker]

What does Sasha Galliamov say that Anya is trying to shut him up?

 

[karina17]

Uh, does anyone know what's going on with the talk that Russia/ROC might lose their team gold due to "legal issues?"

I keep seeing rumours about vaccination records, doping, or recreational drug use, the cancelled team medal ceremony, and then Mark, Kamila, Mishina/Galliamov all missing from their practice sessions today (Mark and M/G have said they just had a day off but I don't think anything has been said about Kamila yet). Anyone know what is happening?

 

[flanker]

Uh, does anyone know what's going on with the talk that Russia/ROC might lose their team gold due to "legal issues?"

I keep seeing rumours about vaccination records, doping, or recreational drug use, the cancelled team medal ceremony, and then Mark, Kamila, Mishina/Galliamov all missing from their practice sessions today (Mark and M/G have said they just had a day off but I don't think anything has been said about Kamila yet). Anyone know what is happening?

So far nothing officially explained apart fromt he fact that the medal ceremony was postponed becasue of the "legal issues". everything else, incl. the talks about the failed drug test, is a speculation based on a tweet.

There is a thread here about this:

Team medals delayed by legal issue

What the heck? This could be bad. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/winter-olympics/olympic-medals-in-team-figure-skating-delayed-by-legal-issue/ar-AATDjsC

www.goldenskate.com

 

[flanker]

On another note, definitely related to russian ladies. ISU council called for gradual raining of the senior age eligibility:

Совет ISU выступил за поэтапное поднятие возрастного ценза до 17 лет в фигурном катании («Матч ТВ»)

Совет Международного союза конькобежцев (ISU) выступил за поэтапное поднятие возрастного ценза в фигурном катании, сообщает «Матч ТВ» со ссылкой на источник, знакомый с ситуацией.

www.sports.ru

The matter is submitted to the ISU congress.

ISU council also conducted a survey among the coaches and skaters, and according to it 86 % were for raising the age.

Более 86% фигуристов и тренеров проголосовали за повышение возраста в опросе ISU («Матч ТВ»)

Более 86% фигуристов и тренеров, принявших участие в опросе комиссии спортсменов Международного союза конькобежцев (ISU) по поводу возрастного ценза в фигурном катании, выступили за его поднятие.

www.sports.ru

But nobody asked me, how's that possible

 

[NaVi]

On another note, definitely related to russian ladies. ISU council called for gradual raining of the senior age eligibility:

Совет ISU выступил за поэтапное поднятие возрастного ценза до 17 лет в фигурном катании («Матч ТВ»)

Совет Международного союза конькобежцев (ISU) выступил за поэтапное поднятие возрастного ценза в фигурном катании, сообщает «Матч ТВ» со ссылкой на источник, знакомый с ситуацией.

www.sports.ru

The matter is submitted to the ISU congress.

ISU council also conducted a survey among the coaches and skaters, and according to it 86 % were for raising the age.

Более 86% фигуристов и тренеров проголосовали за повышение возраста в опросе ISU («Матч ТВ»)

Более 86% фигуристов и тренеров, принявших участие в опросе комиссии спортсменов Международного союза конькобежцев (ISU) по поводу возрастного ценза в фигурном катании, выступили за его поднятие.

www.sports.ru

But nobody asked me, how's that possible

Raising the age to 16 is perfectly fine.... but 17 is too long. I honestly don't understand why these people are so insisted on setting a trajectory for making 17 the age. Just vote to have it set at 16 and then later on you can have another vote to make it 17 if it's really necessary.

Here's my issue with the ISU raising the age to 17.
1. They do very little to try to popularize junior skating. Juniors events are always held in empty arenas and it's absolutely depressing.
2. Career length in figure skating has as much to do with general wear and tear and weariness as it has to do with being shown up by young skaters with thinner bodies. There's going to be as many skaters you never see on the senior level as skaters who stay around longer. And if skaters haven't found beneficial opportunities already by age 17 then there's a good chance they're going to move on to college.
3. Also, raising the age to 17 could lead to really absurd circumstances when the junior events have a higher level of jump difficulty but also not marketed at all.

Look at Polina Edmunds. She became a senior at age 16 and was really only relevant at the senior level for a year and a half till the point when she got injured. (Yes, Trusova and Scherbakova have had longer relevant careers than Polina Edmunds) And when she got injured she started focusing on college. The US would be shooting themselves in the foot if they support raising the age to 17 because they're going to lose so many people who decide to focus on college.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

What does Sasha Galliamov say that Anya is trying to shut him up?

He was asked what he didn't like about Nathan Chen's performance. He replied that the performance was great, but in those moments when Nathan seemed to be dancing with an imaginary girl, his hands were placed too high, as if he was holding this girl by the neck. When Galliamov began to supplement this "analysis" with the words that Nathan should dance on ice at least once in his life with a real, and not an imaginary girl, in order to understand how to hold her in his hands, Anya made these gestures.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

So far nothing officially explained apart fromt he fact that the medal ceremony was postponed becasue of the "legal issues". everything else, incl. the talks about the failed drug test, is a speculation based on a tweet.

There is a thread here about this:

Team medals delayed by legal issue

What the heck? This could be bad. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/winter-olympics/olympic-medals-in-team-figure-skating-delayed-by-legal-issue/ar-AATDjsC

www.goldenskate.com

unfortunately, I can't say what I really think about all this. Self-censorship.

 

[flanker]

Raising the age to 16 is perfectly fine.... but 17 is too long. I honestly don't understand why these people are so insisted on setting a trajectory for making 17 the age. Just vote to have it set at 16 and then later on you can have another vote to make it 17 if it's really necessary.

Here's my issue with the ISU raising the age to 17.
1. They do very little to try to popularize junior skating. Juniors events are always held in empty arenas and it's absolutely depressing.
2. Career length in figure skating has as much to do with general wear and tear and weariness as it has to do with being shown up by young skaters with thinner bodies. There's going to be as many skaters you never see on the senior level as skaters who stay around longer. And if skaters haven't found beneficial opportunities already by age 17 then there's a good chance they're going to move on to college.
3. Also, raising the age to 17 could lead to really absurd circumstances when the junior events have a higher level of jump difficulty but also not marketed at all.

Look at Polina Edmunds. She became a senior at age 16 and was really only relevant at the senior level for a year and a half till the point when she got injured. (Yes, Trusova and Scherbakova have had longer relevant careers than Polina Edmunds) And when she got injured she started focusing on college. The US would be shooting themselves in the foot if they support raising the age to 17 because they're going to lose so many people who decide to focus on college.

I agree, I would come to terms with 16, but 17 is unnecessarily long. Also why exactly 17 was never ever explained. Meanwhile here in the Czech Republic a 14 y.o. girl tennis player Brenda Fruhvirtová is celebrated for her first victory at a professinals tournament...

 

[flanker]

Kami came with the explanation of the delay of the team medal ceremony



Good to see she is in a cheerful mood.

 

[Greengemmonster]

Omg I'm so so so relieved to see Kamila looking cheerful. I've been freaking the crap out about her potentially being upset and it affecting her training.

 

[Azikin]

On another note, definitely related to russian ladies. ISU council called for gradual raining of the senior age eligibility:

I just hope this won't cause Akatieva more delay.. she's had enough bad luck already and she's already a total freak show in juniors... something like young Gretzky..

 

[Alex Fedorov]

Kami came with the explanation of the delay of the team medal ceremony


Good to see she is in a cheerful mood.

this is yesterday's video, when nothing was said about doping. Today Kamila was not at the training session, although the day off did not seem to be planned.

I wonder if there will be age restrictions and covid tests for lawyers participating in figure skating competitions?

 

[flanker]

this is yesterday's video, when nothing was said about doping. Today Kamila was not at the training session, although the day off did not seem to be planned.

I wonder if there will be age restrictions and covid tests for lawyers participating in figure skating competitions?

I know it is a yesterday's video, but the medal ceremony should take place yesterday already so she already knew about its postponing (though probably not about the reasons).

 

[Alex Fedorov]

I know it is a yesterday's video, but the medal ceremony should take place yesterday already so she already knew about its postponing (though probably not about the reasons).

the message that lawyers intervened, and then the speculation about doping, appeared last night (Beijing time). That is, many hours after this video.

By the way, it's rather strange that the skaters' training yesterday took place very early in the morning - at about 4 o'clock local time. Not only for Anna, for Loena, for example, the same.

As a child, I saw how Canadian referees suddenly began to measure sticks of Soviet hockey players during matches with NHL teams, using the result as an excuse for a two-minute penalty. Moreover, the measurements were usually taken at critical moments of matches - for example, when our team was already in the minority. Then it looked like some unprecedented deceit. And today, these old Canadian tricks seem like innocent childish pampering. At least they didn’t take lawyers out on the ice.

 

[flanker]

As a child, I saw how Canadian referees suddenly began to measure sticks of Soviet hockey players during matches with NHL teams, using the result as an excuse for a two-minute penalty. Moreover, the measurements were usually taken at critical moments of matches - for example, when our team was already in the minority. Then it looked like some unprecedented deceit. And today, these old Canadian tricks seem like innocent childish pampering. At least they didn’t take lawyers out on the ice.

They tried this with us several times as well. I remember world championships 1996 in Vienna when shortly before the end we scored the winnig goal to 3:2 and they issued a protest about the sticks. Fortunately the stick they have chosen passed so one of the Canadians received the penalty and we've increased the lead to 4:2. Never ever I felt such a satisfaction as that day