Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov Split | Page 70 | Golden Skate

Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov Split

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sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Several people have said Elena brought the spark to I/K's partnership. I will not be surprised if she brings it along with her and Ruslan.
Katsalapov is the one who was technically behind Elena, based on how much he botches the twizzles. Who knows, maybe pairing with Victoria will be a good thing for him.

Alexandra has excellent edges and skating skills, but she is a singles skater for now. I'm confused as to why you bring her up?

wrong thread, that was for another
sorry

Elena Radionova not Elena Ilinykh
 

uhh

Medalist
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
we'll see how they do in skating skills and if Ruslan can do proper underhead lifts ;)

I would be more concerned about S/K's lifts - Nikita not being about do get in a spreadeagle position will limit them a lot, especially as if you look at teams with smaller height differences they tend to rely on using that position fairly frequently. I guess they'll stick with rotational, straight line in a lunge position and 1 foot curve lift & be thankful that the number of lifts in the FD has been reduced.
 

elif

Medalist
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Several people have said Elena brought the spark to I/K's partnership. I will not be surprised if she brings it along with her and Ruslan.
Katsalapov is the one who was technically behind Elena, based on how much he botches the twizzles. Who knows, maybe pairing with Victoria will be a good thing for him.

Alexandra has excellent edges and skating skills, but she is a singles skater for now. I'm confused as to why you bring her up?

Maybe he wrote wrong thread. He/She could be talking about Radionova.
 

Abraxis12345

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Ilinykh and Zhiganshin have been approved apparently. I think this "try out" is smoke and mirrors for the new announcement that Zueva is coaching Sinitsina and Katsalapov. Because logistically, it is very difficult to get visas on short notice. Nikita can't call someone and then flyout to the US the next day. They need to get this all sorted out and visas have set periods. They can't magically extend it one week on short notice.

Elena is apparently happy with Kustarova and for all the flack she gets, the one thing you can say about Kustarova is that most of her pairs stay together forever (Sinitsina and Zhiganshin are her first top pair to ever break up after success). Bobrova/Soloviev, Monko/Khaliavin, Rubleva and Schefer all started together. Rubleva and Schefer ended together and it looks like Bobrova and Soloviev will. And there's Yanovskaya and Mozgov, two very smart individuals. They both really like each other but agreed from beginning to never date because they know the skating partnership is more important. Mozgov knows he will never get along with a partner as well as Anna and he, like Anna knows that they are the only ones who are physically suited to each other.
 

elif

Medalist
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Ilinykh and Zhiganshin have been approved apparently. I think this "try out" is smoke and mirrors for the new announcement that Zueva is coaching Sinitsina and Katsalapov. Because logistically, it is very difficult to get visas on short notice. Nikita can't call someone and then flyout to the US the next day. They need to get this all sorted out and visas have set periods. They can't magically extend it one week on short notice.
I'm not sure. Russian Federation says they will gave each them only regional funding. I don't know how much it is but I don't think its enough for living in USA and working a top coach.
 

Abraxis12345

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
I'm not sure. Russian Federation says they will gave each them only regional funding. I don't know how much it is but I don't think its enough for living in USA and working a top coach.

There are other ways to pay for Zueva...
 

uhh

Medalist
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
Ilinykh and Zhiganshin have been approved apparently. I think this "try out" is smoke and mirrors for the new announcement that Zueva is coaching Sinitsina and Katsalapov. Because logistically, it is very difficult to get visas on short notice. Nikita can't call someone and then flyout to the US the next day. They need to get this all sorted out and visas have set periods. They can't magically extend it one week on short notice.

They were originally planning to work with Morozov in NJ, so presumably the visas were arranged for that anyway. But I guess S/K, assuming funding is not an issue will stay with Zoueva. Although it is interesting that she says she has many teams trying out with her at the moment - S/K, rumoured Tobias/Tkachenko, she mentioned some Chinese teams going to her in a post Worlds interview before anything was mentioned about S/K, and juniors from the USA and Canada. Plus she already has the Shibs, I can't see her taking all those teams on, so she picks & chooses whoever looks the best in May.
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
I'm not sure. Russian Federation says they will gave each them only regional funding. I don't know how much it is but I don't think its enough for living in USA and working a top coach.

Well, he can always sell his car that he got from Federation for the team gold at Sochi and contribute financially.
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
They were originally planning to work with Morozov in NJ, so presumably the visas were arranged for that anyway. But I guess S/K, assuming funding is not an issue will stay with Zoueva. Although it is interesting that she says she has many teams trying out with her at the moment - S/K, rumoured Tobias/Tkachenko, she mentioned some Chinese teams going to her in a post Worlds interview before anything was mentioned about S/K, and juniors from the USA and Canada. Plus she already has the Shibs, I can't see her taking all those teams on, so she picks & chooses whoever looks the best in May.

Why not, it's a pretty good strategy! She lost her best two teams, and now the remaining best are Shibs and they are not that great at the moment. So taking several couples for trial and then get rid of the worse ones and keep the best ones is quite clever.
 

Abraxis12345

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Well, he can always sell his car that he got from Federation for the team gold at Sochi and contribute financially.

Neither are from poor families like Plushenko or Yagudin, and Katsalapov can pick up an endorsement deal that should last both of them the season. And standard of living in the Detroit area is low so living expenses shouldn't be too bad. As for Elena and Ruslan, Kustarova comes much cheaper and Ruslan can always do custom auto work to fund their training...
 

sisinka

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Sky_fly20 said:
we'll see how they do in skating skills and if Ruslan can do proper underhead lifts

I would be more concerned about S/K's lifts - Nikita not being about do get in a spreadeagle position will limit them a lot, especially as if you look at teams with smaller height differences they tend to rely on using that position fairly frequently. I guess they'll stick with rotational, straight line in a lunge position and 1 foot curve lift & be thankful that the number of lifts in the FD has been reduced.

S&Z had difficult lifts, Ruslan looked to have a lot of work in it, but indeed that lifts were difficult ones. I can hardly imagine that Ruslan would be able to do with Victoria that Swan opening lift…but frankly I can’t imagine that Nikita would be able to do with Lena those two lifts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMOJGgjjOdw&feature=player_detailpage#t=163 …Nikita & Lena had a lift in Ghost program where he put her on his thigh, but Lena didn’t have so difficult position plus there was no difficult entry into that position.
…or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMOJGgjjOdw&feature=player_detailpage#t=209 ,
Nikita also did one foot lift some time ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9DeKi2y3Uo&feature=player_detailpage#t=237 …but you can see that he was in big trouble to balance it well.

S&Z came into the season with a little bit different lifts or different entry into the lifts, to my poor understandment they changed it later (maybe they didn’t get levels, ot somebody from Russian Federation didn’t like it), but those lifts looked pretty cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=liXTSK8hpJg#t=78
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=liXTSK8hpJg#t=137

Rotation around neck – Ruslan can do it as well, one example above and another from last years SD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AigrPOJ3ZzM&feature=player_detailpage#t=34 .

But I must say that if we would compare both guys in lift‘s quality, it would be tough. Especially taken from opposite end…they both can execute lifts with unpredictable ending (Ruslan) or totally damaged lifts (Nikita).
Ruslan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLAXrrff3no&feature=player_detailpage#t=260
and that final lift in FD at Olympics in Sochi (video is not available yet), but it looked like this:
288ti6x.jpg
.

Nikita:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvSBcOTWoIc&feature=player_detailpage#t=157
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=v61SXfNtH1Y#t=99
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sO5VtI5Gl5c#t=111

…plus many lifts with shaky positions, shaky legs etc.

So I think that overall the final of “Mister Lifter“ will have door closed for both guys, at least for past three seasons.
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Nikita:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvSBcOTWoIc&feature=player_detailpage#t=157
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=v61SXfNtH1Y#t=99
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sO5VtI5Gl5c#t=111

…plus many lifts with shaky positions, shaky legs etc.

So I think that overall the final of “Mister Lifter“ will have door closed for both guys, at least for past three seasons.

OMG, Sisinka! You obviously went into a great deal of troubles to find all lifts Katsalapov has ever messed up! :clap:

But I agree that although Katsalapov may be in theory stronger, in reality I wouldn't say either of them is that brilliant. they are not bad (either of them) but not perfect either.
 

Ryan O

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
Canada
R/T no longer together... this is the best Easter surprise I received :laugh: sorry but I really couldn't stand them...
The Russian dance field is getting everyday more interesting, maybe they don't have a chance to win soon but if we think over a longer time I see more than a couple with a potential gold medal... and I'm pretty sure this is what that old fox named Tarasova also thought :rolleye:

I think Tkachenko is going to be 28 this year, so he's getting on in years. If he's going to make another partnership change, it needs to be the right one this time.
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
How do you want to concentrate fully on your practise, choreography etc…while you have 90% chance to skate with new partner, and 10% chance to skate with old partner. The same for both Lena and Ruslan. While Nikita and Victoria are in much more comfortable position – I am sure that in this moment they know on 80% if they will skate together or not, next week they will know it on 100%. But of course they will tell their final resume after coming back to Moscow – around 13th of May.
So Lena and Ruslan will stay in vacuum for one month and half….without knowing who they will skate with. I stop believing Nikita that this was not planned. I start to think that he tries to make elongation of this situation as long as possible…to destroy another couple who looks to be a rival for him.

Russian Federation has some rule that all changements must be solved until 31st of May, but it certainly doesn’t mean that all this must be solved in last possible day – 31st of May. I would be very pleased if Russian Federatio start to use their brain and stop this vacuum situation – this is not nice to Lena and Ruslan – this is awful.
Tatiana Tarasova told about a split: “It is a gift by the wide Russian soul to the whole world.“ She was right. Nikita gave the biggest gift to whole skating world in all Russian Ice Dance history….but everything has its barriers.

Agreed. This is really weird situation tbh.:scratch:

Does she (Elena) has someone strong inside the Fed to support her? I mean, they could push to at least approve their couple ASAP!
 

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Agreed. This is really weird situation tbh.:scratch:

Does she (Elena) has someone strong inside the Fed to support her? I mean, they could push to at least approve their couple ASAP!

The odds are in her favour. Recall, Zueva said their was no pre-arranged plan for Katsalapov to come her. So either this is true or she's trying to distance herself from the situation. Neither of these scenarios look good for Nikita. The fed wouldn't possibly put them back together if I/Z look promising and Z turns out to be a more reliable and trustworthy partner. The only way they would be reunited is if Nikita called it quits at Zueva immediately and tried to reconcile with Lena. (If he is indeed in a relationship with Victoria, no way is he going to do that.) As it stands S/K are staying till May 12th, this is four weeks, so he has no immediate plans to do that. He wants out. Putting them together would be too volatile a situation. This will be a lesson to all that talent and hard work alone are not sufficient for a great pair. Also needed in the mix is compatibility with respect to personality types and other related issues.
 

Abraxis12345

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Both S/Z and I/K are done. I think the situation is too far gone for any hope of reconciliation. Ruslan is the only one who is even acknowledging the split in his social media and he looks like he is ready to go on with his post -Vika life. Elena seems to be accepting her fate, Vaitsekhovskaya heard that Elena is working her *** off with Kustarova and that Elena, for once in her life, made 2 mature decisions (i.e., choosing the guy with the right character, not the one with good looks, and choosing the coach she respected rather than the one with the name cache).
 

sisinka

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
OMG, Sisinka! You obviously went into a great deal of troubles to find all lifts Katsalapov has ever messed up! :clap:

Taking into account that it happened at main competitions, videos can be find everywhere. And people were discussing it a lot as well.
The same for Zhiganshin. They both improved but they need another big improve to be taken great in lifts and avoid such situations.

But I agree that although Katsalapov may be in theory stronger, in reality I wouldn't say either of them is that brilliant. they are not bad (either of them) but not perfect either.

Agree.
 

elif

Medalist
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Both S/Z and I/K are done. I think the situation is too far gone for any hope of reconciliation. Ruslan is the only one who is even acknowledging the split in his social media and he looks like he is ready to go on with his post -Vika life. Elena seems to be accepting her fate, Vaitsekhovskaya heard that Elena is working her *** off with Kustarova and that Elena, for once in her life, made 2 mature decisions (i.e., choosing the guy with the right character, not the one with good looks, and choosing the coach she respected rather than the one with the name cache).

Of course Zhiganshin is very happy. He is very very lucky he teamed up wth Ilinykh.:eek:hwell:
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
The odds are in her favour. Recall, Zueva said their was no pre-arranged plan for Katsalapov to come her. So either this is true or she's trying to distance herself from the situation. Neither of these scenarios look good for Nikita. The fed wouldn't possibly put them back together if I/Z look promising and Z turns out to be a more reliable and trustworthy partner. The only way they would be reunited is if Nikita called it quits at Zueva immediately and tried to reconcile with Lena. (If he is indeed in a relationship with Victoria, no way is he going to do that.) As it stands S/K are staying till May 12th, this is four weeks, so he has no immediate plans to do that. He wants out. Putting them together would be too volatile a situation. This will be a lesson to all that talent and hard work alone are not sufficient for a great pair. Also needed in the mix is compatibility with respect to personality types and other related issues.

No I don't want them back anymore. It's too late, the damage is done.
What I'm saying is let I&Z be an official couple at least. No need to see if S&K works first.
 
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