Russian World Team | Golden Skate

Russian World Team

russell30

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
and they are...

Pairs:
Mukhortova/Trankov
Petrova/Tikhonov
Kawaguchi/Smirnov

Men:
Andrei Lutai
Andrei Griazev

Dance:
Domnina/Shabalin (tough on Domnina to compete i think!!)
Khoklova/Novitski

Ladies:
Elena Sokolova
Arina Martinova (picked based on excellent debut at world's 06)
 

emma

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Thanks for this info...I'm so glad K/S will be there -- but, does anyone have an update on her injury?
 

russell30

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Hi Emma, no update as such for Yuko, I can only assume they are back in light training - but four weeks is not long to come back from an injury. Russian Federation are hoping they will be fit, but they were picked due to a dismal display from Obertas/Slavnov.
 

alyona

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Kawaguchi is okay and competes already althouth she's still in pain. This weekend I saw their performance on Russian Cup Finals, which was an additional skate off for Worlds, you can find notes here: http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showpost.php?p=232605&postcount=64

The list above is not difinitive - I'd rather consider a full application with alternates. Pisseev also announced Saturday that Griazev's and Martynova's spots are not for sure - he will see Martynova and Voronov's performances at Jr Worlds. If Arina fails then it can be Ievleva who're going to Tokio (but Alexandra was a mess at skate-off, so Arina should have a very hard failure to miss World team). If Voronov wins or simply demostrates really nice and flawless performances then he is considered too.

If Maria Mukhortova heals her injury then Mukhortova & Trankov are in a Worlds team (which I strictly count on). If she's not, then "we will have to ask Obertas" (c) Pisseev. But as I know Maria and Maxim skate their programs already and Maria is even able to do her jumps and throws.

Men
Andrey LUTAY
Andrey GRYAZEV

Substitutes
Sergey DOBRIN
Sergey VORONOV

Ladies
Elena SOKOLOVA
Arina MARTYNOVA

Substitutes
Alexandra IEVLEVA

PAIRS
Maria PETROVA - Alexey TIKHONOV
Yuka KAWAGUCHI - Alexander SMIRNOV
Maria MUKHORTOVA - Maxim TRANKOV

Substitutes
Yulia OBERTAS - Sergey SLAVNOV
Elena EFAEVA - Alexey MENSHIKOV

Ice Dancing
Oxana DOMNINA - Maxim SHABALIN
Yana KHOKHLOVA - Sergey NOVITSKIY

Substitutes
Ekaterina RUBLEVA - Ivan SHEFER
Anastasia PLATONOVA - Andrey MAXIMISHIN
 

goodbyemylover

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Wasn't Klimkin's placement 5th? I think since there are only two spaces for Russia's men, there are only two substitutes as well.

Good for Lutai though; he's very promising!
 

alyona

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Klimkin didn't announce his retirement officially but he was upset with his Nationals performances (btw he was in 4th place there) and recent injuries and definately lacks motivation and drive esp. regarding his age. So he's at Averbukh's tour now and looks quite happy (I saw him at Tarasova's show twp weeks ago, and he performed very nice there).

He could made the Worlds team easily by winning Russian Cup Finals last week or simply skating well there, but he chose not to come.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Hey, Kindertotenlieder - I love your name! What a magnificent song cycle (especially when Fischer-Dieskau is singing :love: ). Welcome to Goldenskate!
 

iloveaxel

Match Penalty
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
this article

Just found this Russian Tour article on yahoo message board.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/SkateFans/message/177957

24th of February in Yoshkar-Olu the Ice Symphony project "Stars on Ice"
performed....The first city of the tour was Astan. Due to winter weather
conditions skaters were delayed leaving the Kazakhstani capital, so the show was
delayed by 2.5 hours.

Despite the 10 hour flight with 2 transfers, the bus ride fro Cheboksar to
Yoshkar_Olu, the fatigue and lack of sleep, the participants didnt' make the
audience wait much. As soon as they had changed, wtihout warmup they went on the
ice and did the program as it should be done....

Participants were Tot-Mar, Navka-Kostomarov, Abt, Sokolova, Klimkin,
Petrova-Tikhonov, Leonova-Khavlko, Tishler _ Mitnik (acrobats),
Drobyazko-Vanagas, and stars Anna Bolshova and Ekaterina Guseva, who sang as
well as skated.

I can't believe that Sokolova and Petrova-Tikhonov are still on tour instead of preparing for the upcoming world championships. It seems to me Petrova-Tikhonov have completely abandoned their desire of capturing a medal for Russia.
 

alyona

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Just found this Russian Tour article on yahoo message board.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/SkateFans/message/177957



I can't believe that Sokolova and Petrova-Tikhonov are still on tour instead of preparing for the upcoming world championships. It seems to me Petrova-Tikhonov have completely abandoned their desire of capturing a medal for Russia.
Yah, it's really weird. Tikhonov stated that they'd be on tour up to March 1st, and then they'll return to SPb for intense training fot the World Champs. But are 2 or 3 weeks of training enough to skate the best at Worlds after - mmm - half a year of doing shows? There is a lot of rumours about them not participating in upcoming event.

Anyway they deserved a spot at the Worlds regardless of their competitive records this season. I can only wish them the best.

btw Obertas & Slavnov are doing Plushenko shows right now in spite of their being top alternate for Worlds' team.
 
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iloveaxel

Match Penalty
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
btw Obertas & Slavnov are doing Plushenko shows right now in spite of their being top alternate for Worlds' team.


Thanks for letting me know. I really feel bad for them. I like their skating and feel they are treated very poorly by Russian fans and federation. Sure, they have some technical problems, but it's not like they are not trying hard.

At least, Plushenko still invites them to shows, that's a little bit comfort.
 

krenseby

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Thanks for letting me know. I really feel bad for them. I like their skating and feel they are treated very poorly by Russian fans and federation. Sure, they have some technical problems, but it's not like they are not trying hard.

At least, Plushenko still invites them to shows, that's a little bit comfort.

Uhhm, Plushenko's running a business. ;-) It's possible that he has a heart of gold, but he's also got a wallet full of cash..
 

Kasey

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
And they also seem to have been a last minute replacement for Totmianina/Marinin.
 

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Russian figure skating fans back over there must be grimacing in agony when they look at the team they are sending to Worlds. How the mighty have fallen, I guess even the strongest go through their cycles.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Martinova didn't do well at Junior Worlds, in fact she finished behind her teammate Alina Leonova, who was skating at HER first international competition. She got only 43 for her SP at JW, and that might not be enough to make the cut at Senior Worlds.

Substitute skater Ievleva at least got a 50 in the SP at Euros. But Worlds in Japan is a different kettle of fish from Euros in nearby Poland. Ievleva is less experienced than Martinova and the pressure might be too much for her.

In a way, the RFSF is reaping what it has sowed. They have a habit of not filling their JGP ladies' allotments, so their skaters haven't had the opportunity to gain valuable experience. They send ladies to one event and if they don't medal, they usually won't allow them to do a second event. Tactics like that are fine if you have deep reserves of talent like the Japanese and US ladies. Too often we see a Russian skater finish 4th and then disappear, never to be seen again.

Or there is a promising skater like Veronika Kropotina in the 2005-2006 season who medaled in two events and made the GPF, then withdrew from the final and was never seen or heard from again.
 

Kasey

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
FYI, after yet another "test skate" for Griazev and Ievleva yesterday, the Worlds team is now Sokolova/Martinova, Lutai/Voronov.

Women's is iffy, but I'm thinking men's will be down to 1 spot next year.
 
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