Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov Split

desertskates said:

I've heard that restaurants with the most delicious and nutritionally balanced food only let blonde couples and their parties in. Sadly, we may see hungry dark haired people wandering the streets in the near future.

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This might be a viable theory if those two restaurants sold delicious and nutritionally balanced food. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where both photos were taken) and can say that the first place is, in my opinion, neither delicious nor nutritionally balanced. The second place just opened and I haven't been there yet, though it's Korean barbecue so it's probably at least delicious.

I may have to start going out to eat more so that I can see this beautiful blond couple in person. Too bad I'm just a brunette - I'm sure I will be invisible to them.

desertskates said:

One thing I really wonder is what would happen if Gracie's hair becomes damaged from bleaching and she goes back to the natural brown.
Now, for the ice dance, let's look at each team skate and then decide. Having a meal means nothing.

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There are pictures of gracie at 11 years old and she looks blonde, may be she has a retouch now in her hair but I think she is truly blonde.

sky_fly20 said:

its off season, and they have been recieving positive feedbacks by Zoeva

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Has Zueva ever advertised negative feedback for any of her couples.

chapis said:

There are pictures of gracie at 11 years old and she looks blonde, may be she has a retouch now in her hair but I think she is truly blonde.

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Truly?! The roots don't lie... http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/i.../GracieGold_crop_exact.jpg?w=1500&h=1500&q=85

Look at her pics at 2011 Junior Nationals. That's closer to her true hair colour. She just bottle dyes it to keep the perception of her being blonde/"gold"... and apparently give ubers like sky_fly something to fawn over.

Children often have fairer hair, when they turn into aldults, their hair colors will turn darker. It also applied for me. My hair was brownish when I was a child, now it's black. I think it's the same with Gracie.

Viki looks a bit on the heavy side...

MK's Winter said:

It kills me how one picture is supposed to cement them as better than I/Z. Sky Fly let the skaters skate and leave it at that.

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Not if attention - any form of attention - is all they want. Look at how their posts - again and sadly - bring about more replies than anyone else's.
For myself, I hope the FD that Ilinykh/Zhiganshin are working at according to the interview info at their fanfest thread, turns out to be a huge success and that they skate the lights out. Can't wait to read what their theme is; I hope for it to be classics and non-drama; something V/M-style.

sky_fly20 said:

its off season, and they have been recieving positive feedbacks by Zoeva

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positive feedbacks about what? how blue their eyes are?
I would only believe in any positive feedback if it comes from the judges they test skate infront of.


I am just wondering what kind of choreography would I/Z go with. Can't wait till the season starts!!

Meoima said:

Children often have fairer hair, when they turn into aldults, their hair colors will turn darker. It also applied for me. My hair was brownish when I was a child, now it's black. I think it's the same with Gracie.

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This. Graicie's hair now is very very dirty blonde if you want to be generous. In reality, if talking to a real person on the street, it's brown. She dyes it. Nothing wrong with that at all but if you think her hair color without dye is currently blonde, you are not rooted in reality.

tulosai said:

This. Graicie's hair now is very very dirty blonde if you want to be generous. In reality, if talking to a real person on the street, it's brown. She dyes it. Nothing wrong with that at all but if you think her hair color without dye is currently blonde, you are not rooted in reality.

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"Rooted?"
:agree: Agree with everything in the post (incl. that nothing is wrong with dyeing).

kittyvondutch said:

http://instagram.com/p/oivumnqBjN/

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That looks cool! Her extension and posture is to die for.

I'd be surprised if we see any really spectacular lifts from either new team this season though. It's hard enough for couples with a long history together to meet all the requirements to get their levels, but the new couples have to learn their new balance points & build up the trust required for the lifts.

Ilinykh looks very beautiful. This shows she is working for aesthetic beauty. :thumbsup: This lifts reminds me classical free dance or ballet free dance. Of course I hope to see a waltz love but her expression remind me Ave Maria, I don't know If this is good direction for her :scratch:

Gorshkov told that all changes must be done until 31 of May. But it is Saturday. So I suppose that a big day for press when Gorshkov and others will open their minds and tell everything, it should be Friday. Before telling the press there must be some meeting of Ispolkom or all Russian Federation to decide all things. This will be a long discussion, because one of the topics will be split / new couples…and this season so many couples split, so the whole discussion and final resume will probably take some hours, maybe even a half day, because as usually some people will have a totally different opinion…which will lead to loud discussions.

But Zueva planned to come to Moscow at the end of May and she told about a test skate of S&K that time. Until this time no info about Nikita and Victoria and Zueva in Moscow, no info about their test skate. So final date for test skate of S&K is today or will be tomorrow in the morning (looking at the fact that Federation must have time for a meeting to decide everything after that test skate).

In such conditions I really don’t understand Russian Federation’s behaviour. If a test skate was not done until now (and I am sure that some insider would tell such news immediatelly if it already happened), so it probably means that Russian Federation will see just one or two practises of S&K. If Federation really wants to see some result from that long try-out, they should see all elements on the ice - spins, twizzles, step sequences, Paso Doble pattern – all of this about five times to make sure how good is couple in performing it…some lifts on or off the ice), some sequences from free dance – repeated few times also, and of course basic skating side by side, in holds – like all dancers are learning. This is the show for more than one practise. Having a fifty minutes of practise with Zueva where kids will show just about maximally ten elements with long breaks and talking to Federation – this is really not going to show a perspective and condition of the couple.

While I&Z spent whole month and half in Moscow and Federation had an opportunity to see their practises any time (I am sure that every week there was somebody from Fed who observed a couple secretly). This is once again about having a different approach to both couples. And how about Zueva? She will certainly confirm to Federation that S&K are exceptional and she never met somebody so great and “Russian“ like those two (she already told so much superlatives about a couple). How could she tell it without seeing I&Z even once and make a comparison?

Do you think russian federation refused to see Sinitsina/Katsalapov in test skate? Possibly Zoueva doesn't want to show her new team like Kustarova. They are rescheduling and rescheduling this event and I don't think there will be test skate for Sinitsina/Katsalapov ever. That is not big thing but Zoueva's control over Russian Federation is..

sky_fly20 said:

Andreev is definitely not as hot as he used to be
he looks like the typical middle aged 30 year old dad's body
with a bulging stomach and weight gain

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Hey dude, maybe you should post some pics of how ripped your body was when you were a 30 year old. I know they're probably Polaroids, but still...

Oh sky_fly... I can only hope to be in as good shape as you when I turn 53.

kittyvondutch said:

http://instagram.com/p/oivumnqBjN/

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Gorgeous pic of Elena!

I/Z photos, hair cut
https://www.facebook.com/zavodilkin/media_set?set=a.234415003238991.77795.100000114783681&type=3

Elena's instagram is full of pictures of her and Ruslan today, including one with him that she's captioned 'My team'. It seems like they're getting along really well, and I'm happy that they ended up as partners. I think they'll mesh very well together.
I also give props for Elena probably influencing Ruslan's style - that haircut is very nice on him!

(Elena's instagram: http://instagram.com/blackswanei)

Ruslan's hair volume is very thin
that not very good news, he could go bald before 30

that isn't good new especially beauty and aesthetics are important in Ice Dancing