Hey, ImaginaryPogue! I answer only to this part ..I've gotta ask, plushyfan, given that Takahashi, Oda, Hanyu and Kozuka have very different styles (Chan is similar to Kozuka stylistically, imo)
He did not take place in Russian Cup Events, i.e. did not try to qualify.Maybe I ve missed sth but why Bariev didnt participate?
I heard even Kovtun supported sending Menshov in a twitter ...is it true? Trankov says "without exception" so it may be.
Kovtun might prefer Jr Worlds, after all for that matter, where he will likely win & certainly medal.
I heard even Kovtun supported sending Menshov in a twitter ...is it true? Trankov says "without exception" so it may be.
Well, it's not sticky true at all, or at least taken out of the context. After diva Trankov started this instagram/twitter war, Kovtun replied with the profanity language the meaning of which is "I don't care, go 'f-word' yourself.": WARNING! NSFW (profanity languge): http://instagram.com/p/TyMIn6iBag . After sometime when things got escalated he posted the similar pic "to Menshov" and got replies from supporters that he shouldn't care and should keep training. After that he deleted that instagram stuff as not required anymore and the hashtag in his twit is dead now: http://instagram.com/p/TyZJj3CBV0/ .While his first twit/instagram with profanity language is fine and well. I think his position is quite clear.Yes, Kovtun sent tweets with the hashtag "#заМеньшова," which translates "To Menshov"
Well, it's not sticky true at all, or at least taken out of the context. After diva Trankov started this instagram/twitter war, Kovtun replied with the profanity language the meaning of which is "I don't care, go 'f-word' yourself.": WARNING! NSFW (profanity languge): http://instagram.com/p/TyMIn6iBag . After sometime when things got escalated he posted the similar pic "to Menshov" and got replies from supporters that he shouldn't care and should keep training. After that he deleted that instagram stuff as not required anymore and the hashtag in his twit is dead now: http://instagram.com/p/TyZJj3CBV0/ .While his first twit/instagram with profanity language is fine and well. I think his position is quite clear.
Diva Trankov found his field. He was quiet when he got the spot at Euro last season without being a RN medalist because the book allows it. Now technically everything was done by the book too (the bronze unlike gold/silver doesn't give the automatical spot in Team), but he is playing Robin Hood at some else's expense. Very nice. If it were not RusFed with all the support to him as Olympic hope in Sochi, he might have been fined on the disciplinary ground. Where his sport principles were just a couple of weeks ago when he didn't give his GPF gold with prize money to BazLar I wonder. I feel sorry for Tanya who has to deal with this big baby on the regular basis. The said war did nothing good neither to Kostya nor to Kovtun. Menshov is a really nice guy in person, has good sense in cologne and classic male fashion. The lucky girl who he will marry. At RN he skated in new boots because he damaged one of his boots just before the event. It's absolutely the same situation as with BazLar but the pair decided to withdraw because they didn't want to risk Vera in lifts since Yura didn't feel quite fit in new boots. Kostya's situation was partly similar to Liza's- go through the troubles but still skate. Kovtun is getting the hugest 'down payment' from RusFed and I wonder how it will work- either really well or he will join the Borodulin&Gryazev club. In any case this online fuss in a sandbox doesn't work well for both guys. Conclusion. As a Plu fan I look down at the whole twitter/instagram war. Since they are so busy with electronic devices instead of training in gym/rink, it's possible that they all bomb at the events they get assigned to, once again confirming that there is only one male skater in Russian Men field. The one who will go to London, Ontario, to get the second spot for Russia and get his duty less occuppied in Sochi (no need to compete in Team event).
Kovtun and Trankov got a spot in EC on different grounds. There are two ways when a non-medalist of RN can get a spot in EC: 1. ask for a release from a qualifying round (RN) before RN due to medical or other reasons, like VolTran last season, BazLar this season, etc. 2. by RusFed special decision based on Coaching Council recommendation regarding the 3rd spot, like Kovtun this season. Gold and silver get qualified automatically. Things have been like that for decades, they were not created just now. If Trankov decided to play Robin Hood against the book, he should have done it on their own expense last season, when the same book gave him a EC spot without being a RN medalist. What he did does no good, neither to Kovtun or Menshov or Trankov himself, but to the reputation of RusFed in general. I think they will stick with their original decision regarding Kovtun but whomever they choose will be under really serious pressure in Zagreb.Thanks for clearing that up, Let's Talk. Don't think it's a good idea for Kovtun to do that either, though both are entitled to their opinion.
Though I'm not sure if v/t spot's last year is comparable-- wasn't Trankov injured? And they were the reigning silver world medalists. Kovtun had a great jgp season, but that's not quite the same thing.
Zhenya did well considering he just started training quad 4 days ago
Voronov is meh
Gachinski looks like being dropped by the fed. sad Kovtun does mostly terrible at Nationals but Menhov gets the bronze
I enjoyed more Petrov and Samarin's FS
This is what is probably going to happen (see Euros 2012, where he received even 8.75 in TR!!)... And he's probably not going to compete agains Chan, Hanyu, Takahashi, since he's probably not going to WorldsYeah, for 30 years old and just recently having had surgery, Plush acquitted himself amazingly well, especially with his technical content. The artistry was fairly tepid and the fp did not seem cohesive or dynamic or all that exciting. As it stands, I can't see him beating stellar Chan, Hanyu or Takahashi, unless judges go crazy giving Plush reputation points for skating while 30 and still landing difficult jumps (even despite some of the jumps being wonkily landed).
Speaking of style, grace and presentation skills, ITA that Alexander Samarin is a skater to watch out for -- hopefully he matures well and continues to develop a unique style. He already seems to have better artistry than Kovtun. But what's up with the military theme at RN (it's an old-fashioned fs standard). I didn't see a vid posted for Petrov -- eager to see what his skating is like. Last, but not least, I truly enjoyed watching Mikhail Kolyda. Forget about Kolyda's unsuccessful 3-axels, he has lovely lines and great style and presence on the ice. He reminds me a bit of a young Ilia Kulik. Kolyda could give Plush some tips re how to be more graceful and how to fully engage one's upper body while skating.
I saw Petrov's posted sp. Well, finally does Mishin and team have a viable contender in this youngster who seems to have the jumps and artistic potential along with more flexibility than Gachinski exhibits? Actually Petrov has more of a facial resemblance to Kulik than does Kolyda. Petrov also styled an iconic Johnny Weir-opening pose. Still, right now, I'm more enamored of Kolyda's wonderful movement qualities -- he's surely had dance training in the mold of another Mikhail.
Yeah, for 30 years old and just recently having had surgery, Plush acquitted himself amazingly well, especially with his technical content. The artistry was fairly tepid and the fp did not seem cohesive or dynamic or all that exciting. As it stands, I can't see him beating stellar Chan, Hanyu or Takahashi, unless judges go crazy giving Plush reputation points for skating while 30 and still landing difficult jumps (even despite some of the jumps being wonkily landed).
Kolyda could give Plush some tips re how to be more graceful and how to fully engage one's upper body while skating.
I really enjoyed Mikhail Kolyada's skating, something about him reminds me of Dornbush's style but with more of smoothness and with a hint of that "Russian style" that I'm not good at putting into words.