Your post touched me to tears.
Wish people would not bring their political opinions to the forum. I hope you don't start talking about Lilah Fear not being a real Brit, Smart and Dieck being fake Spanish, etc in ice dance.It really means a lot. Happy for him! Great skate and compose!!
Also, at least Nika and Luka ARE real Georgians not the fake ones who not only do not know how to say say one word in Georgian but also do no want out of disrespect for any nationality and country which is not Russia. And, well, all former occupied countries by Russia for them are
Bingo. Take a drink!
talking of which... I decided I didn't want to get out in the snow and wind... I can deal without wine..Bingo. Take a drink!
Everything Nika has learned, he learned at the Russian figure school from Eteri Tutberidze in Moscow, she has been taking care of him since he was a little boy. He lives permanently in Moscow. Let's be honest and not ignore other people's work or downplay the role of coaches. There are only 2 ice rinks in Georgia and there are no specialists, they have to turn to the help of specialists from other countries.
I hope I feel the same way after seeing ice dance scores. Although I fear a medicinal glass may be needed later.
Yes, Tutberidze has done a huge amount for Georgian skating and skaters.
I would go as far as saying that she has done more for Georgian skating than she has for Russian skating. Russia would have had the same success through other coaches. I don't think Georgian skating would have developed in the way it has without her spearheading things. But, it is still important for skaters who originally come from a country to be successful as that is what inspires the next generation.
According to her Wikipedia biography, although ET was born in Russia and works there, she's half-Georgian, 1/4 Russian and 1/4 Armenian. So perhaps she feels some familial ties to that country.Yes, Tutberidze has done a huge amount for Georgian skating and skaters.
But he has become a different skater since last summer when he spent a few weeks at the summer school with Benoit (and Adam SHF). Nika has spoken about this in a few interviews, about how for the first time he has been encouraged to consider the performance aspect of skating, and of expressing emotion through movement, and of just enjoying skating. Also of his enjoyment in doing the dance and improvisation classes. He's clearly a quick learner, and it was quite evident in his FS. You could see at the start he was visibly relaxing and thinking positive thoughts and images. He was happy. In the past he has always seemed tense and strained. I'm very happy for him that he has found this new confidence and joy in skating, and that he's making big steps in the performance side, whilst retaining and improving his technical side. We're starting to see his personality in his skating.
If I'm not mistaken, I think the highest Men's score at Europeans is still Mark Kondratiuk's at Euros 2022 with 286 points
I was at the rink for the event, and after each performance, either Molly or Mark would hop into the Kiss and Cry and conduct a 30 second interview with the skater(s) - if they were willing to.
Mark was excellent, though - it was clear that he'd prepared very thoroughly (as he does for commentating) - and he brought a great energy to the event.
I'm not a huge fan of his skating style, but having witnessed how lovely he was with fans just now at the Gala, I'm a fan of him as a human
That's what always used to be done by commentators in the past. Not sure why they stopped, although David Santee's infamous "So how does it feel to come second?" (or words to that effect) to Brian Orser in the K&C at the '88 Olympics, when Brian hadn't known yet that his marks weren't quite high enough for the gold, may have had a small influence. (There was a newspaper cartoon the next day of a TV person chasing after him shouting: "David, wait, you forgot your brain!")
No way would i want someone pushing a mic in my face after i had just got done skating.
