2023 European Championships Women's Free Skate

[elektra blue]

I liked the pair Gutmann - Negrello in Osaka at the WTT. Ginevra skated fantastically in the sp. I haven't seen such a brave and good production from her since then, while her skating and performance are getting better and more mature

Ginevra is elegant but needs to upgrade her tech, while Pezzetta need to learn how to cope with pressure and how to control her power (like Frangipani btw)

 

[badknees]

Gurgenidze—I hope she will get close to podium in JWC. Also, RusFed is silent on those 20 transfers that were supposed to be decided a month ago…

Wow really? Is that what Russia is doing? Are they doing it with their top ranked skaters?

 

[fehervari]

Glad you liked it. Although, I love the costume. Shows her team are putting in the effort to have her look authentic.

Iida became one of my new favorites from last year's JGP series, precisely with this performance. and also another Finnish girl, Nella Pelkonen, in Courchevel

 

[badknees]

Gubanova bores me. And Kimmy frightens me. I know we don't want to body shame, but her weight can't be healthy, can it? Sad for Leona, but what can you do.

Of all the ladies, I liked the Georgian Fed Lady best.

I didn't want to comment on the weight either, but it really is concerning. I love the skaters that work out with weights and show the muscle in the legs and arms. Leona looks so fit. Ashley Wagner and Mariah Bell developed muscle in their last years also.

 

[LiamForeman]

Wow really? Is that what Russia is doing? Are they doing it with their top ranked skaters?

I really wouldn't be surprised if Russia sees the writing on the wall and lets their top skaters transfer so they can compete interrnationally. At the Olympics the skaters don't skate under the Russian flag anyway, so why not have Russian skaters take the podium under another non-Russian flag? The whole world knows they are Russian anyway. Petrosyan for Armenia for starters. Akatyeva for Georgia? lol

 

[fehervari]

Pezzetta need to learn how to cope with pressure and how to control her power (like Frangipani btw)

but if you control this power, what's left? ok, she has fantastic jumps, she's a quite good performer, but what makes her special is that she blows up the rink. I want it to stay that way. and I'd like her and Lorine Schild to run perfect programs in the same competition one day (I think Pezzetta would win the gold and I would be very sad )

 

[badknees]

Well, everything is as it should be, Russia with gold

Well, certainly Russia (or any one country) not represented here is unfortunate but the silver lining is seeing and allowing other skaters to have a chance to medal.
I'm an old lady fan and don't agree with skating being turned into a jump competition.
I would love to see things change to an artistic medal and a tech medal. Considering the jumps and the too many points awarded for them are not going to go away, I think the sport needs to progress and give due to the artistic side. Maybe even bring back figures??? Never should have gotten rid of those,

 

[elektra blue]

but if you control this power, what's left? ok, she has fantastic jumps, she's a quite good performer, but what makes her special is that she blows up the rink. I want it to stay that way. and I'd like her and Lorine Schild to run perfect programs in the same competition one day (I think Pezzetta would win the gold and I would be very sad )

clean programs? jumps landed? some medals maybe? i don't want her to water down her contents, i want her to land her triples and perform to her potential. if you have the power to land a quad but keep doing the human Zamboni on your triples then everything is pointless

 

[lesnar001]

Gubanova bores me. And Kimmy frightens me. I know we don't want to body shame, but her weight can't be healthy, can it? Sad for Leona, but what can you do.

Of all the ladies, I liked the Georgian Fed Lady best.

And yet you did just body shame her.

 

[JimR]

What should have been an easy cruise to victory for Luna turned into a debacle for her. When she smashed her toe pick on the ice three consecutive times while leaving the ice as some kind of provocation I lost a lot of respect for her. Can that be penalised?

Plus Repond was very unlucky in my opinion to not be ahead of Luna, so it would have been an injustice (in my opinion only) if Luna had of won ahead of Repond given the scoring, plus for gamesmanship using her toe pick to damage the ice and provoke some kind of reaction from Gubanova. I understand she was frustrated, but it was way out of line and wasn't some kind of involuntary reaction she did it three times as she was exiting.

Well done to Gubanova I did not think she had it in her today. I thought she'd fall and an easy win for Luna. Gubanova (and Repond) more or less skated their absolute maximum in both programs. Luna choked it's harsh to say but it's that simple. It will be tough to live with that performance especially if she never wins a gold in major competition.

It was a slow burn, but the last three programs were full of drama. Memorable ending.

 

[thatdarncat]

Well done Anastasia, not easy to go last with the pressure, I am surprise Luna finished ahead of Repond as she didn't put a foot wrong. Great final group of skaters!

 

[norwegianfairytale]

If the Georgian Fed is really considering taking a ton of transfer from Russia, I hope they do it with care and don´t push out the skaters they already have. Gubanova just got Georgia 3 spots for next year and got them the first Euros title, can you imagine how sad it will be if she was to be replaced next year just because they took in skaters that are better then her? Particular when she went to Georgia because the Russian Fed didn´t want her.

 

[4everchan]

Of all the ladies, I liked the Georgian Fed Lady best.

HAHAHA!!!! I will have to watch this... i decided to sleep in... was watching tennis late last night... but I can imagine, seeing the results, that she would show some emotion, and positive emotions with a Gubanova win.... I am not very fond of her skating but I always appreciate when skaters find their own path to the top, especially when it's not a straight line.

 

[JimR]

If the Georgian Fed is really considering taking a ton of transfer from Russia, I hope they do it with care and don´t push out the skaters they already have. Gubanova just got Georgia 3 spots for next year and got them the first Euros title, can you imagine how sad it will be if she was to be replaced next year just because they took in skaters that are better then her? Particular when she went to Georgia because the Russian Fed didn´t want her.

There was only one spot for the Olympics. Gubanova pushed out other skaters.

Russia will pay their top skaters enough to ensure they don't leave, but it makes sense for someone with no ultra c and on the periphery of the national team.

 

[4everchan]

If the Georgian Fed is really considering taking a ton of transfer from Russia, I hope they do it with care and don´t push out the skaters they already have. Gubanova just got Georgia 3 spots for next year and got them the first Euros title, can you imagine how sad it will be if she was to be replaced next year just because they took in skaters that are better then her? Particular when she went to Georgia because the Russian Fed didn´t want her.

It depends if Georgian lady talks to Julia Sebastyen or Vivan Papp...
I think taking transfers is great but should complement your own, local talent... talent nurtured from childhood... at least for single skating as for dance and pairs, I appreciate the need to create a matching team... Georgia, had Elene a while back, she was a powerful and exciting skater, always fun to watch... they have had a few less successful skaters since then... but it would be a shame if they just accepted whatever Russia is willing to let them have instead of developing and nurturing their own talent. It sends the wrong message to the kids and their parents...

 

[koatcue]

Happy for Nastya. She deserves her win, especially given her being underscored on a regular basis

 

[koatcue]

It depends if Georgian lady talks to Julia Sebastyen or Vivan Papp...
I think taking transfers is great but should complement your own, local talent... talent nurtured from childhood... at least for single skating as for dance and pairs, I appreciate the need to create a matching team... Georgia, had Elene a while back, she was a powerful and exciting skater, always fun to watch... they have had a few less successful skaters since then... but it would be a shame if they just accepted whatever Russia is willing to let them have instead of developing and nurturing their own talent. It sends the wrong message to the kids and their parents...

This won't happen. Every country is interested in its own nationals first. And second, it takes much courage and will to change everything so drastically, especially when there are mixed signals on their possible return to international stage

 

[4everchan]

This won't happen. Every country is interested in its own nationals first. And second, it takes much courage and will to change everything so drastically, especially when there are mixed signals on their possible return to international stage

I am not sure I understand what you are saying. If you are saying that there won't be many transfers, well many Russians are already skating for Georgia... and other former Soviet Republics... and it seems, according to Papp, that Hungary has pushed her aside to welcome new talent from Russia. I also am not sure what you mean by every country is interested in its own nationals first...but skating federations have shown to have different ideas about what they promote inside their own boarders. Not every country believes in the same things... it's not that simple.

 

[lariko]

Wow really? Is that what Russia is doing? Are they doing it with their top ranked skaters?

We don’t know. All we know that there was an announced number of 20 applications for transfers, which were supposed to be reviewed in December 2022. Nothing happened so far.

 

[koatcue]

I am not sure I understand what you are saying. If you are saying that there won't be many transfers, well many Russians are already skating for Georgia... and other former Soviet Republics... and it seems, according to Papp, that Hungary has pushed her aside to welcome new talent from Russia. I also am not sure what you mean by every country is interested in its own nationals first...but skating federations have shown to have different ideas about what they promote inside their own boarders. Not every country believes in the same things... it's not that simple.

The uproar from the country-in-question's own skaters, that's what I also implied. Such transfers are covered by press. Even if skaters do transfer, there won't be guarantee for success, plus it takes some nerves and courage, as I said. It's not so easy, I agree. Don't forget about money/visa/competition from locals..Many things to take into account. And indignation/hate they might get. It could be easier to sit this out. I am talking about a higher echelon skaters or very promising, must say.