The ISU and SC have a different stories regarding Fedor Andreev's situation

[siberia82]

I'm now in the process of responding to some older posts, so please be patient.

Wow, what a skater! Thanks Siberia for posting on youtube - I had never seen Fedor before so I decided to check him out and what a pleasant surprise he was! A man whose skating is actually on a par with his gorgeous looks - THIS is the kind of skater I want to see at Worlds and other major competitions!

Let's hope he'll 'pull a Contesti' by going to skate for another country and becoming a smashing success! After all, they have many things in common: they're of the same age, they were badly treated by the figure skating associations in their own country, they've had to wait for years for their chance, they're handsome and their skating is wonderfully artistic - yes, please Fedor, do show them like Contesti did that it's never too late to become a great success if you've got what it takes!

Good luck!

It's nice to see that you're very supportive of a skater you've just discovered! :thumbsup: I too hope that Fedor can pull off a "Contesti", but it all depends on how hard he's willing to work for it.

I did a quick search on YouTube, and I chose what I considered to be his more interesting performances. If you enjoy watching them, I'll share more.

1999 Junior Canadians Ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_V5XsK-Sos

2000 Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paBkyjQeocw

2000 Skate Canada SP (the commentators mention during the replay that Fedor's style reminded them of Urmanov ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW2Z_nfQCnc

2002 Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocByM0bScNI

2004 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP8HIdacoOo

2008 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJkIVqzcTTE

 

[siberia82]

But I know from before that Siberia has very good taste in skating men, Koffe e.g.

LOL about Siberia - it does look like she's got great taste in men!

I'm glad you approve!

I've posted these photos of Fedor elsewhere on this forum, but in case some of you missed them, here they are :

http://img01.picoodle.com/img/img01/3/10/9/f_Fedor4m_cfc30a2.jpg
http://img19.picoodle.com/img/img19/3/12/10/f_Fedor3m_6de5ae5.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23107833@N07/2215022068/sizes/l/
http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii281/MoreAbsoluteSkating/2008SCChallenges/DSC03149.jpg

My God, not having had the pleasure to watch him skate nor see him at all in fact for literally years, I was shocked (pleasantly so) to see this tall, elegant, lyrical young man appear on my screen. He's grown so much, not only in height, but his skating as well.

Out of curiosity, when was the last time you saw him skate? I agree that the way he expresses himself on the ice---facial expression, hand gestures, posture, etc.---is simply sublime.

Once again, thanks for the link, shocking to see him after so many years ~ no longer a boy, now a man, and an even more beautiful one at that, lol.

Fedor was a very pretty boy in his youth, and now he's a very beautiful and sexy man.

P.S. yes, I think I too recall that Sasha had a crush on him at one point, but alas, Tanith Belbin was his gal.

Did you know he also dated Tessa Virtue? (He seems to have a thing for gorgeous ice dancers .) I'm not sure if they're still together, though.

EDITED TO ADD: oops, forgot to also thank you for the info. about his back, never knew he had a bad one, sorry to hear. Ah, my hopes of him & Sasha skating together one day as a pair are dashed.

Fedor severely injured his back in April of 2004 while practicing a quad. This interview will help you catch up on his 3-year absence from the sport: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnRTvBl-Mw4

You're aware that he briefly practiced pairs skating with Jenny Kirk, right?

 

[screech]

In 2004, Fedor outjumped Jeff (with the old system was still in place) by 4 triples and performed one more combination over his teammate, yet Buttle was handed the bronze medal on a plate while Andreev finished off the podium. How is that fair? :scowl:

IIRC, Fedor defeated Jeff in the LP, however SP scores kept Jeff in 3rd. One of the flaws of the old system.

 

[siberia82]

Lovely program - you can see Buttle's touch, definitely - and well skated apart from the axels (pity).

Jeff will be designing programs for at least 5 other skaters (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090312.WBGoFigure20090312181421/WBStory/WBGoFigure), and I'm fairly certain that "Violin Concerto" served as advertisement for his choreography skills.

It's indeed a pity about the Axels. Fedor has a BEAUTIFUL one , and if he had landed all of them at Nationals, he could've made the podium. :disapp:

I don't recall seeing Fedor skate before but now I'm certainly looking forward to seeing him at Euros if the AZE thing works out (still can't spell it ).

My trick is to break down the name down into syllables: A-zer-bai-jan. See, it's no longer intimidating!

:agree: to Fedor for wearing a simple costume, I hope others follow his lead.

We can thank Jeff for that refreshing change. Marina usually gave her son grotesque Russian unitards that nobody should be caught dead in.

But he needs to drop the Zac Ephron haircut. It doesn't look good on anyone. He's too good looking to hide it with all that hair .

:agree: The more we can see his face, the better!

Iam quite impressed with how long the tread has gotten in reference to Fedor. i think the majority would have liked to see him skating for Azerbijan at Worlds, and would just be happy to see him skate internationally, if he could not do that with Canada.

Andreev may be "just" a mediocre (ex?-)Canadian skater, but clearly there's something very special about his artistry if some people care this much despite his shortcomings. Ben Ferreira was more successful, but nobody really talks about him anymore.

Although Fedor is handsome , i could never see him as hot as i cannot help remembering when i skated at his club , him wondering around the arena as a 13 yr old.

Just out of curiosity, what was your impression of him in those days?

haha that made me laugh. It definetly is one of the worst costumes I've seen!

How did Fedor not die of embarrassment every time he took to the ice??? It's almost as mysterious as why he wasn't allowed to compete at Worlds!

I think these past two years if he had really buckled down and trained hard he could have made the World team with his great choreography and jump. I don't think you can really expect to just pick up training in October or November and have expectations to be the top three in your country.

Remember that his chronic back pain only ceased in the late summer of 2007, and he didn't originally plan on returning to the sport. Making the World Team when Canada only had 2 spots was out of the question (although it turned out that he secretly yearned to be on the National Team).

But you're right that he had no excuse for not working hard this past year. :banging: The guy just didn't know how to handle the disappointment. He claimed to the media that he didn't care about his results, but his face in the K&C after his 2008 Canadians LP said it all. Have you noticed in the past he tended to brush off any low marks he received as if they didn't matter? The last time I saw him express true heartache in the K&C was after his 2001 Canadians SP.

I'm enjoying our discussion on the topic!

Me too. :yes:

IIRC, Fedor defeated Jeff in the LP, however SP scores kept Jeff in 3rd. One of the flaws of the old system.

Fedor's free skate was indeed ranked higher than Jeff's, but I already took that into account when I made my argument:

Buttle (who only had 2 clean triples in his LP) should've been ranked behind Nicholas Young in the free skate because the latter landed 6 good triples.

I should've added that Nicholas also outjumped Jeff in the LP by 4 triples, including a combo. Fedor's free skate still deserves to be ahead of Young because the former nailed to two 3 Axels while the latter didn't. (Nick's most difficult clean jump was a 3-lutz.)

And I've already stated why I thought Andreev's 4th place finish after the SP was too low.

 

[gopatrick]

Fürst describes Andreev as a multiple Canadian national medallist, which is obviously a mistake, but perhaps the rest of her information is accurate. Or not.
It seems that the more I try to find out what happened, the more muddled everything gets. :banging:

Actually that's not a mistake. Junior+Senior national medallist
_______________________________________
Siber, sorry for being off topic for a while...

Today is the first time I visited the forum after Worlds, and I found a thread is rather unpleasant. I would like to thank i love to skate to defend Patrick, but there's really nothing for him to be sorry about speaking out his mind. As I stated right after your first post regarding the w_o_w, it's mostly the media's fault. Unfortunately, many ppl just want to interpret things negatively, read what they want to read, and hate what they want to hate, making the off-ice background larger than life and creating the buzz the media looking for. I confess that excites me

I say it here because I don't want to bump up an unworthy thread
As cool as I am, I always stay away from things like MvsY now BvsP (but interested in watching), and only Siber knows how to call out my other side Thanks again Siber~you might not see me for a while...but u can always reach me via message/email, please let me know if u hear back from Fedor

 

[Nadine]

I'm glad you approve!

I've posted these photos of Fedor elsewhere on this forum, but in case some of you missed them, here they are :

http://img01.picoodle.com/img/img01/3/10/9/f_Fedor4m_cfc30a2.jpg
http://img19.picoodle.com/img/img19/3/12/10/f_Fedor3m_6de5ae5.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23107833@N07/2215022068/sizes/l/
http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii281/MoreAbsoluteSkating/2008SCChallenges/DSC03149.jpg



Out of curiosity, when was the last time you saw him skate? I agree that the way he expresses himself on the ice---facial expression, hand gestures, posture, etc.---is simply sublime.



Fedor was a very pretty boy in his youth, and now he's a very beautiful and sexy man.



Did you know he also dated Tessa Virtue? (He seems to have a thing for gorgeous ice dancers .) I'm not sure if they're still together, though.



Fedor severely injured his back in April of 2004 while practicing a quad. This interview will help you catch up on his 3-year absence from the sport: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnRTvBl-Mw4

You're aware that he briefly practiced pairs skating with Jenny Kirk, right?

Thanks, siberia82, for the links & the photos (in the last photo he looks strikingly similar to the late great Sergei Grinkov).

Regards your questions, the first time I ever saw Fedor was on a Memorial Tribute Show to Sergei Grinkov back in 1996. I think he was my beautiful baby niece's age at the time ~ 11 yrs. old ~ nice kid, very polite, but what stayed with me more than anything else is what he said about Sergei, which was that Sergei told him the best piece of advice is not to complain, it makes the practice that more tough & difficult. This gem has impacted my life to this day, as I tend to pass this along to those I know when the going gets tough, no matter what the situation. And of course I apply it to myself. Sergei's advice is right up there in my mind with Scott Hamilton's -- "the only obstacle in life is a bad attitude".

After that, I only recall reading a tad about Fedor in Katia's Gordeeva's book ~ that he was the son of their choreographer, whom had a great relationship with Sergei. But other than that, I honestly don't recall Fedor at all except when their was talk about him via the boards, I think that's the time he made his debut on American t.v.? Lol, and yes, the only program I recall from him was the one wherein he wore wings!?! I agreed with everyone that he was drop dead gorgeous looking, however I always thought he should go into pairs because if I recall correctly he never really made the top echelon of men's singles skating, and therefore was rarely shown on American t.v. Also, around that time I recall Sasha Cohen was also having problems landing her jumps, but still IMHO she was more successful than Fedor. Anyhow, I thought they should team up as a pairs couple (I wrote a long heartfelt post about this somewhere on GoldenSkate years ago when I felt sorry for Sasha after she missed medaling at some important competition or another, lol). It just seemed to me that they would be perfect ~ she the perfect petite size for pairs, exquisite artistry, toe point, back, not to mention equally fabulous looking like Fedor, et al ~ and also she could land the easier jumps without problem. And of course there was the rumour at the time that she had crush on Fedor, lol. But to make a long story short, obviously it didn't work out, and I had my fingers crossed for him & Jennifer Kirk when I heard they were going to team up as a pair, but that amounted to nothing... My last hope was for him to team up with Nicole Watt from Canada (whom was compared to Sasha Cohen because they looked like each other), as she had a crippling illness which kept her from really being able to compete full out, thus I thought pairs would be better for her, though she did manage to capture a silver medal at Canadian Nationals one year, but alas her juvenile arthritis made her leave the sport for good. ***Note: I read recently that she got married this year or was engaged, good for her!***

Anyhow, that's about the extent of my knowlege of Fedor Andreev, also what I read about him on the boards every now & again, that is how he was modeling, doing this or that, thus my classification of him as a dilettante.

That said, I am glad, siberia82, that you filled me in about his back injury, et al. My assessment of him has changed. I wish him all the luck in the world!:agree:

 

[Orion]

It's nice to see that you're very supportive of a skater you've just discovered! :thumbsup: I too hope that Fedor can pull off a "Contesti", but it all depends on how hard he's willing to work for it.

I did a quick search on YouTube, and I chose what I considered to be his more interesting performances. If you enjoy watching them, I'll share more.

1999 Junior Canadians Ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_V5XsK-Sos

2000 Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paBkyjQeocw

2000 SC SP (the commentators mention during the replay that Fedor's style reminded them of Urmanov ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW2Z_nfQCnc

2002 Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocByM0bScNI

2004 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP8HIdacoOo

2008 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJkIVqzcTTE

Thanks so much Siberia for taking the trouble of looking up these routines for me - what at star he is! He has that elusive quality that is all too rare among skaters, the thing that I'm always looking for but so rarely find - he's FEELING the music and he is able to express every little nuance of it to us, the audience, and make us feel it too!

I am so tired of those dry-as-a-bone skaters - you know, the yawn-inducing kind - who jump and then skate along for a while, jump again and basically just use the music as background noise - there's certainly no emotional investment or musical interpretation going on! That's why I'm instantly mesmerized when I see a skater who can express himself with passion and charisma.

The commentators sounded so excited about him, evidently believing he was going to become the next great Canadian skater - and who wouldn't have?! There are few things I find as sad as people of tremendous talent and personal gifts somehow not reaching the place they were meant to be whether it's because of circumstances beyond their control or personal failings. Come on, look at the guy (even if you disregard his looks), it's easy to see he was meant to be a shining star!

So how sad is this? If it ends here, pretty sad. But, wait a minute, it doesn't have to! If he really, really wants it he can still achieve it - again, look at Contesti! I have a card with a saying that is very appropriate in this case I believe:

"It's never too late to become what you might have been!"

Oh, and the Firebird program was amazing! Thanks for the pics too, I like the one with the sweater the best because I like it when they leave a little something to the imagination rather than being obvious about it!

 

[siberia82]

A fan on FSU reported that she spoke with both Fedor and Marina, and this is what they had to say about the bureaucratic mess (it's the 2nd paragraph):
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2202802&postcount=955

Was I on a wild goose chase these past couple of weeks??? If Fedor had no intention of skating in LA, then how did his name end up on the Entries List and the Practice Schedule in the first place? What's with all the confusing misinformation that I received? Why did the ISU spokesperson claim that it was SC's fault that he couldn't represent another country? Why did the PR coordinator of SC tell me that he planned to compete at Worlds (and then failed to prove his Azerbaijani citizenship to the ISU) if that wasn't the case? Judit Fürst also believed that Andreev was slated to skate in LA, so where did she get her info that his new federation failed to nominate him on time? It doesn't make any sense!!!!!!!!!! :scratch: :think:

Interestingly, "The Hamilton Spectator" blurb didn't mention anything about him wanting to compete at Worlds. I hope Fedor considers running an official website or something to better inform his fans what's going on with his skating. Poor Siberia ran around in circles trying to figure out what happened, and she was misled every step of the way by sources who are supposedly "dependable". :banging:

On another note, I'm so thrilled that he liked the group birthday card that I organized for him last month!!!

 

[siberia82]

To gopatrick, Nadine and Orion: I intend to your respond to your comments, but I wanted to share this first.


My intuition had a very hard time accepting what Fedor and Marina said to yukisnowflake. How can the ISU, SC and a former head of the Hungarian skating federation be THIS misinformed about Andreev's situation? They offered different reasons as to why his name was removed from the Entries List, but they ALL believed he wanted to skate in LA. If this whole thing was a simple mistake, why didn't any of the parties say so? Why would any of them need to create elaborate stories and point their finger at another organization if he didn't intend to compete at Worlds?

I don't think the ISU could've added Fedor by accident. The AZE federation must have nominated him as their entry, and he remained there for 5 full days before his name disappeared. I'd imagine the Azerbaijani officials wouldn't bother going through the motions if he already made it clear to them that his goal was to represent their nation next season.

I did some digging around, and I found a blurb dated March 13 on an Azerbaijani news site which contradicts Fedor and Marina's claim: http://www.day.az/news/sport/150170.html From what I can tell by using an on-line translator, it simply states that Azerbaijan will be represented at the 2009 Worlds by 4 skaters, including a men's singles skater, Fedor Andreev (Федор Андреев in the original text).

Moreover, "The Hamilton Spectator" said "...Andreev has been training at the Toronto Cricket Club." This is Brian Orser's rink. Why on Earth would Fedor be training there with his coach if he had no intention of competing at Worlds? He hasn't skated on the international scene in 5.5 years----would he really skip out on an opportunity to gain some much-needed experience? I'd assume he would want to at least try to earn an Olympic spot for his new country in LA and use the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy as a back-up plan. The latter has now become his only chance.

Has he attended a World Championships as a spectator before? I can't help but wonder if he was in LA simply for the skating, or was he expecting to represent Azerbaijan there.

Well, I may not know what's really going on, but it seems likely that Fedor and Marina weren't being completely honest with yukisnowflake. That's my two cents.

 

[siberia82]

Actually that's not a mistake. Junior+Senior national medallist

I never thought of it that way!

only Siber knows how to call out my other side. Thanks again Siber~

You're welcome! A few have told me that I bring out their inner fan girl/boy. I guess my sheer enthusiasm tends to rub off on people.

you might not see me for a while...but u can always reach me via message/email, please let me know if u hear back from Fedor

I don't know if you're still reading this thread, but I'll definitely keep you up-to-date. :agree:

Thanks, siberia82, for the links & the photos (in the last photo he looks strikingly similar to the late great Sergei Grinkov).

A fan once observed that Fedor looked like a cross between Sergei Grinkov and Tom Cruise.

Regards your questions, the first time I ever saw Fedor was on a Memorial Tribute Show to Sergei Grinkov back in 1996. I think he was my beautiful baby niece's age at the time ~ 11 yrs. old ~ nice kid, very polite, but what stayed with me more than anything else is what he said about Sergei, which was that Sergei told him the best piece of advice is not to complain, it makes the practice that more tough & difficult. This gem has impacted my life to this day, as I tend to pass this along to those I know when the going gets tough, no matter what the situation. And of course I apply it to myself.

Thanks for sharing your story with us! It's amazing how a few wise words can have a powerful influence on someone else's life. :yes:

The sound quality is horrible, but Fedor's interview and performance on the "Celebration of a Life" special is available for viewing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4df53v8W9Q You can see that he was already a gifted "artiste" at the tender age of 13.

Lol, and yes, the only program I recall from him was the one wherein he wore wings!?!

"The Flying Lizard Boy" look certainly doesn't suit him , but the "Feel Free" routine itself (I posted the link for it earlier) is pretty cool, IMHO. It's fun to watch a teenage boy skate to teenage boy music.

I always thought he should go into pairs because if I recall correctly he never really made the top echelon of men's singles skating, and therefore was rarely shown on American t.v.

Andreev's lack of commitment to the sport has always been his downfall. Although I agree he could've made a big splash in pairs, he probably wouldn't have gone far with his wishy-washy attitude. It's a great source of frustration and sadness for his fans to constantly see him fall short of his full potential.

That said, I am glad, siberia82, that you filled me in about his back injury, et al. My assessment of him has changed. I wish him all the luck in the world!:agree:

I'm happy that I helped you to see a different side to him. Since he's relatively unsuccessful, I know a lot people assume that Fedor only has fans because of his looks. Most don't even bother to check out his programs, thinking that someone with his lack of laurels must not be worth watching.

However, the fact that his popularity still endures despite the many setbacks shows how deeply his skating has touched the hearts of his admirers. An athlete of his status would normally fade into obscurity, but amongst current Canadian men's singles skaters, two FSU polls revealed that his fan base is surpassed only by Patrick Chan and Shawn Sawyer. Fedor has an FSU thread which is now 49 pages long, the only non-elite skater with that honour. I don't deny that his fans lust after him, but we wouldn't offer this much devotion if we didn't lurve the majestic and striking flair he brings to the ice.


Orion, I'll get back to you soon! Your patience will be rewarded with more of his performances.

 

[Orion]

Orion, I'll get back to you soon! Your patience will be rewarded with more of his performances.

Worth waiting for!

PS. My intuition is saying the same as yours......:yes:

 

[siberia82]

Thanks so much Siberia for taking the trouble of looking up these routines for me - what at star he is! He has that elusive quality that is all too rare among skaters, the thing that I'm always looking for but so rarely find - he's FEELING the music and he is able to express every little nuance of it to us, the audience, and make us feel it too!

I am so tired of those dry-as-a-bone skaters - you know, the yawn-inducing kind - who jump and then skate along for a while, jump again and basically just use the music as background noise - there's certainly no emotional investment or musical interpretation going on! That's why I'm instantly mesmerized when I see a skater who can express himself with passion and charisma.

The commentators sounded so excited about him, evidently believing he was going to become the next great Canadian skater - and who wouldn't have?! There are few things I find as sad as people of tremendous talent and personal gifts somehow not reaching the place they were meant to be whether it's because of circumstances beyond their control or personal failings. Come on, look at the guy (even if you disregard his looks), it's easy to see he was meant to be a shining star!

Yet another awesome post! Your analysis is spot-on, and you've only known his skating for about a week! I'm very impressed. :thumbsup: My incurable case of Fedor Fanaticism must be infectious.

So how sad is this? If it ends here, pretty sad. But, wait a minute, it doesn't have to! If he really, really wants it he can still achieve it - again, look at Contesti! I have a card with a saying that is very appropriate in this case I believe:

"It's never too late to become what you might have been!"

Great quote! If you read my signature carefully, you'll notice that I express a similar sentiment, but in poetic form.

Oh, and the Firebird program was amazing!

I agree that "Firebird" was an electric routine! Tracy Wilson got it right when she said the piece "...suits him well," "Fedor puts everything into his music," and "When a skater uses their music like Fedor just did, even with mistakes on the jumps, it's still an enjoyable performance, keeps you riveted to what they're doing."

Thanks for the pics too, I like the one with the sweater the best because I like it when they leave a little something to the imagination rather than being obvious about it!

:agree: I prefer the sweater one, too. He only takes off his shirt for modelling assignments. Fedor in real life isn't an exhibitionist like Joubert , and you can even see that with his skating. Buttle himself observed in this article (http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081208.wsptbuttle1208/GSStory/GlobeSportsOther/home) that “Fedor is a real good looking guy and I wanted to give him something sexy, even a bit subtle. He doesn't really need to do much to be sexy on the ice."

The "sexy, subtle" part reminded me of what I wrote in a fan letter that I sent to Fedor this past June (and he eventually replied to me!!! ): "You know how to seduce the audience without relying on any cheap gimmicks, which is a rare gift. The sultry beauty you create on the ice is nothing less than a masterpiece." It's nice to know that Jeff whole heartedly agrees with my assessment! :yes:


As I was looking around YouTube, I thought I'd give you a taste of his other routines. Most of the following performances are either well-designed programs littered with errors :disapp:, or programs that don't show off Andreev's presentation skills his as well as they could.

1999 Junior Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcoBUNd2G9c

2000 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvE_gulTfIc

2002 Canadians SP (he's sporting yet another UGLY costume! ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umvhQCAfL8s

2003 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ3JO8L7wUI

2003 Canadians Ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehvNUsUkVcM

2003 TL LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f301L7p66_0

2003 HFOI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lduyvpEY_xk

2005 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKU6YhXsDlw It should be noted that Andreev suffered from the flu at this event along with his back injury. Although at first glance this seems like the same program as his 2008 Canadians SP, he interprets the music slightly differently. The original expressed ardent passion with the red shirt and sharper/quicker movements, while the newer version suggested blossoming romance with the blue outfit and a softer, more fluid style. The guy's so talented that he can bring out different emotions with the same song!

2008 Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlMZaobpegM He skated to this music almost flawlessly in 2005, but CTV chose to leave it on the cutting room floor , so unfortunately only this very flawed version exists.

2009 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJkIVqzcTTE Hmmm, did Jeff choreograph the part where Fedor lightly bites his lip at the beginning?

 

[Orion]

Once again thank you Siberia for supplying a generous helping of vintage Fedor performances! There may be a stumble here and there, but not much, and frankly, it really doesn't matter because it's the overall impression that counts. Honestly, seeing all of those clips has been a revelation - seeing a hitherto rather obscure skater with all the qualities of someone who could have become world champion was, to say the least, unexpected. Yes, I dare say that, because artistically and performance-wise he's right up there with the very best ever!

So darn, why isn't he where he was born to be (at the very top, delighting fans all over the world)?!?! What went wrong and when and where?

Would you believe I actually got tears in my eyes watching one of those performances?! There is no hesitation at all when he skates, he's giving himself totally over to the music and the perfomance and he carries himself beautifully out there on the ice. Pure class.

Another thing I like is that I'm not picking up any of those vibes you often get from goodlooking guys that they believe that they're God's gift to women. None of that. He doesn't seem full of himself in the least. Instead he seems bashful and very polite.

As you yourself hinted, yes, he may be absolutely gorgeous but that's not what a fan makes - it's his stunning skating! His physical beauty is just icing on the cake. No, really! :yes:

 

[siberia82]

There may be a stumble here and there, but not much, and frankly, it really doesn't matter because it's the overall impression that counts. Honestly, seeing all of those clips has been a revelation - seeing a hitherto rather obscure skater with all the qualities of someone who could have become world champion was, to say the least, unexpected. Yes, I dare say that, because artistically and performance-wise he's right up there with the very best ever!

We think so alike that I'm beginning to suspect you're my long lost twin sibling.

I only started following the sport last year, and the very first event that I watched was the 2008 Canadians. Jeff initially captured my heart, but as a newbie, he was the sole skater whom I recognized, so I'm sure this made it a lot easier for me to become a fan. Everyone else was "faceless", and it took a few repeated viewings of the event to familiarize myself with the other athletes.

Despite his "second-rate" status, Fedor really stood out amongst the lower-ranked guys, and I was surprised to discover that I enjoyed his lyrical style almost as much as the reigning Olympic bronze medallist. He possessed that elusive "it" factor, and I even asked myself, "How is it that I've never heard of this guy before? He's a such a natural!" This was my first clue that Andreev was a much, much better skater than his mediocre-to-poor results would suggest.

After researching his career, I realized that it's more accurate to say that he's a first-rate talent who shows up to competitions severely undertrained. hwell: I can only imagine what he might have accomplished if he offered the sport his undivided attention. *sighs* O please Skate Gods, make Fedor give it his ALL next season (and not just 2.5 months of worth of it)!

So darn, why isn't he where he was born to be (at the very top, delighting fans all over the world)?!?! What went wrong and when and where?

This is a constant lament for all of his admirers. Since you're new to his fandom, I should warn you that we all suffer from Fedor Frustration----the agony of knowing that he could've been so much more than what he is today. :banging:

Would you believe I actually got tears in my eyes watching one of those performances?!

Yes, because I occasionally react the same way when I watch his "Celebration of a Life" program! :yes: How can a 13-year-old child be so magical on the ice??? It's almost beyond my comprehension. His skating back then was already hauntingly beautiful, and it's absolutely tragic that most of that promise failed to materialize.

There is no hesitation at all when he skates, he's giving himself totally over to the music and the perfomance and he carries himself beautifully out there on the ice. Pure class.

Indeed, Fedor skates with his entire soul! Every fibre of his being is perfectly synchronized with every note, and the audience is magnetized by his charismatic presence. He's an extremely rare combination of extrovert and "artiste". I find that most extroverts are showmen, while most "artistes" are introverts. It's part of the reason why I consider him to be the favourite of my favourites even though he's the least successful.

Another thing I like is that I'm not picking up any of those vibes you often get from goodlooking guys that they believe that they're God's gift to women. None of that. He doesn't seem full of himself in the least. Instead he seems bashful and very polite.

I've never met the guy, but I know a few people who have, and they've told me that Fedor is a true gentleman. He's certainly not a narcissist like Sandhu, and that's very refreshing! :agree:

As you yourself hinted, yes, he may be absolutely gorgeous but that's not what a fan makes - it's his stunning skating! His physical beauty is just icing on the cake. No, really! :yes:

Wheeee, you understand! Orion, I'm really glad I bumped into you on this thread.

 

[Orion]

We think so alike that I'm beginning to suspect you're my long lost twin sibling.

Separated at birth?!

I only started following the sport last year, and the very first event that I watched was the 2008 Canadians. Jeff initially captured my heart.

You only started watching last year?! You obviously pick up things very quickly! I admit to having a head start on you since I've been following the sport ever since I can remember and I've seen a parade of skaters come and go (the good, the bad and the indifferent!). Still we've reached the same conclusion about Fedor which just goes to show that when someone has got IT, they've got IT and it's clear for all to see!

I, too, have loved Jeffrey Buttle since the first time I saw him skating - way back. As I said before, I'm looking for artistry, musical interpretation and emotional investment from a skater and it's usually something you can spot right away whether someone has it or not. In the cases of Jeffrey and Fedor it was instantly recognizable. And once my opinion is formed about a skater I usually never find reason to change my mind. In fact, I can only remember one instance when a skater has gone from being someone I didn't care for that much to being a favorite, and that was Todd Eldredge!

This is a constant lament for all of his admirers. Since you're new to his fandom, I should warn you that we all suffer from Fedor Frustration----the agony of knowing that he could've been so much more than what he is today. :banging:

So that's why I'm having a headache?! I know exactly what you mean - after one week of watching Fedor - I feel so frustrated, so helpless, what's a girl to do?! It can't end like this, can it? Surely someone doesn't get divine gifts like this and then NOT being able to use them fully? Surely someone must be able to do something about this? I don't know about you, but I feel like kicking something in pure frustration! Somebody DO something! Please, pretty please?

Wheeee, you understand! Orion, I'm really glad I bumped into you on this thread.

The pleasure is all mine!! :agree:

 

[siberia82]

You only started watching last year?! You obviously pick up things very quickly!

What I lack in experience, I more than make up with my enthusiasm!

I admit to having a head start on you since I've been following the sport ever since I can remember and I've seen a parade of skaters come and go (the good, the bad and the indifferent!). Still we've reached the same conclusion about Fedor which just goes to show that when someone has got IT, they've got IT and it's clear for all to see!

I'm a relative newbie to sport, but many people on GS and FSU consider me to be Fedor's biggest fan. You've followed figure skating for a long time, but you've only discovered his skating a couple of weeks ago. We're "opposites" in that sense, yet our opinions are identical. That is cool!

I, too, have loved Jeffrey Buttle since the first time I saw him skating - way back. As I said before, I'm looking for artistry, musical interpretation and emotional investment from a skater and it's usually something you can spot right away whether someone has it or not. In the cases of Jeffrey and Fedor it was instantly recognizable.

I was so so so sad when Jeff retired , but I was so so so happy when the news broke out in early November that he choreographed Fedor's programs!!! What a dream come true! It's like I got a 2-for-1 special.

So that's why I'm having a headache?! I know exactly what you mean - after one week of watching Fedor - I feel so frustrated, so helpless, what's a girl to do?! It can't end like this, can it? Surely someone doesn't get divine gifts like this and then NOT being able to use them fully? Surely someone must be able to do something about this? I don't know about you, but I feel like kicking something in pure frustration! Somebody DO something! Please, pretty please?

Oh dear, I see that you've already experienced the full symptoms of Fedor Frustration. I thought I would ease you into the process, but it looks like you were hit hard within a short time period. I'm afraid that there's no known cure. His admirers must endure both heartache and joy when we watch him compete. In the past two seasons, we got super-duper excited before Nationals (his fans are very guilty of hyping him ), hoping that Andreev will somehow pull off two strong performances despite the short training time. We then have to cry on each other's shoulders when things go wrong.

The same thing happened when his name appeared (and then disappeared) on the Entries List for Worlds. I know some poor souls who were working on fancy banners and bought tickets for the men's event solely because of him, and in the end they wasted their $. For 5 days we were ecstatic beyond description, and then the rug was cruelly pulled from beneath our feet.

It helps to see the bright side of things, though. Did you get the chance to watch Fedor's 2008 CBC Newsworld interview or read the StarPheonix.com blog entry that I've posted on this thread? When you consider his back injury, his lack of motivation, his "old" age, etc., it's a miracle that he's skating at all. It was utterly painful to see him miss all of his planned 3-Axels at Canadians, but his fans would've suffered a lot more if he had quit for good.



Btw, I've noticed that the ISU finally moved Andreev's name from Canada to Azerbaijan on the Men's List: http://www.isufs.org/bios/fsbiosmen.htm However, his bio STILL says "TBC" with April 1st listed at the bottom: http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00002284.htm The webmaster may have updated something on his profile, but it looks exactly the same to me as before.

Whatever it was that prevented him from competing in LA might still be in place. Whether it's his own paperwork, SC not letting him go, or something else completely, who knows.

 

[siberia82]

Only 3 other figure skating journalists besides IFS have offered me any sort of reply. Please keep in mind that the following statements are merely opinions. None of them have contacted any official sources, nor or they interested in looking into the matter.


From the editor of "Ice Skating International: Online":
Different sources are saying different things, so where the truth lies remains unclear. And since the process of releasing a skater from one country to another frequently gets very political, finding the truth can be difficult.

Fedor is very briefly mentioned on this page (http://www.iceskatingintnl.com/current/content/worlds%2009m.htm): Missing was the Canadian, Fedor Andreev, who was entered for Azerbaijan, but whose paperwork was not properly completed.



From Rob Brodie of the "Ottawa Sun":
It seems to me everybody involved is coming up with a reason to say 'it's not our fault.' While I am a little less likely to think that about Skate Canada, I certainly wouldn't put it past the ISU to do everything but give a straight answer.

My own opinion is this: Fedor went to the Canadian championships with the intent of making Canada's team going to L.A. for the '09 worlds. When that didn't happen, he shouldn't be allowed to shop around for another country to represent. If he wants to represent Azerbaijan, he should have to declare that at the start of the season (which may explain Skate Canada making him wait until next season).



From Bev Smith of the "Globe & Mail":
Canada would've released him with no issue because he hadn't skated internationally for Canada for at least three years. He is not in LA because he did not have the proper documentation to skate for Azerbaijan.


Make of it what you will. Despite my best efforts, I'm no closer to the real story than when I began. *sighs* I feel a bit like Tom Cruise in that famous scene from "A Few Good Men":

Siberia: "I WANT THE TRUTH!!!"
Everybody Else Involved: "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!"

It might be out there, as Fox Mulder would say, but it doesn't look like I'll ever find it. :scowl: Anyways, I hope everything will sort itself out and that we'll get to see Fedor become the marvelous skater we all know that he's capable of being in 2009/2010.

 

[sillylionlove]

This would be a great plot for an Oliver Stone movie!! He loves the conspiracy theories!!

But on a serious note...sure hope that this get worked out by next season.

 

[gsrossano]

From the editor of "Ice Skating International: Online":
Different sources are saying different things, so where the truth lies remains unclear. And since the process of releasing a skater from one country to another frequently gets very political, finding the truth can be difficult.

Fedor is very briefly mentioned on this page (http://www.iceskatingintnl.com/current/content/worlds%2009m.htm): Missing was the Canadian, Fedor Andreev, who was entered for Azerbaijan, but whose paperwork was not properly completed. The editor confirmed to me that the author made an assumption when she wrote that, and since there's quite a bit of misinformation regarding Andreev's case, he doesn't feel the need to change it.

My reply to the inquiry whether Alexandra Stevenson had a source for her statement "Missing was the Canadian, Fedor Andreev, who was entered for Azerbaijan, but whose paperwork was not properly completed," was that she did. Anything that might have been taken to mean assumptions were made or that an official source was not consulted was not the intended message.

In addition, "since there's quite a bit of misinformation regarding Andreev's case, he doesn't feel the need to change it" is not a position I have expressed or hold.

 

[siberia82]

This would be a great plot for an Oliver Stone movie!! He loves the conspiracy theories!!

:chorus: I can almost hear the voiceover of the trailer: "The greatest cover-up in figure skating history..."

It's weird that there are several answers floating around. I don't even know if I should be planning a trip to London, ON for the 2010 Canadian Championships or Oberstdorf for the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy! Plenty of skaters have switched allegiance without leaving a mystery behind.

My reply to the inquiry whether Alexandra Stevenson had a source for her statement "Missing was the Canadian, Fedor Andreev, who was entered for Azerbaijan, but whose paperwork was not properly completed," was that she did. Anything that might have been taken to mean assumptions were made or that an official source was not consulted was not the intended message.

Oh, thank you for the clarification. Now I feel silly for misinterpreting your message. I thought your "Yes" was for the "assumption" part of my question, not the "source". May I ask who it was that informed Ms. Stevenson that Andreev's paperwork was incomplete?



I've replaced a couple of vids on my YouTube account, which is why a few of the links are now broken.The following performances are of slightly higher quality than the ones I've posted before (I wanted to make sure Fedor looked his best ). I recommend the HQ option, which is the red button beneath the screen.

1996 Celebration of a Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hstaZRgW5Uw

1999 Junior Canadians Ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nukpnmOQQMA

2008 Canadians SP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kABXlnrw4eM

2008 Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUuqL-inz9k

2009 Canadians LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5fMW9-t99E