Zagitova catapults to gold in France | Golden Skate

Zagitova catapults to gold in France

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
Russia’s Alina Zagitova rose from fifth place to capture her second consecutive Grand Prix medal of at the 2017 Internationaux de France de Patinage on Saturday. Teammate Maria Sotskova won the silver, while Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada slipped to third to finish with the bronze.

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“It felt easy to skate and it was nice with the audience too, so I enjoyed performing,” said the 2017 Russian national bronze medalist. “Unfortunately, I made an error on the triple flip and I’m upset about that, but overall, I think it was not a bad performance.”
“Today I am pleased to have skated a clean free program and that I was able to cope with my nerves,” said Sotskova. “It was not the maximum of what I can do, but it was a consistent performance and from there I just want to improve.”
“This program is one that I’ve wanted to do for a few years, said Osmond when asked how she made “Swan Lake” her own. “To finally skate it this year, I worked with Jeffrey Buttle on the choreography. He brought a different style to the ballet, trying to make the choreography like the ballet, but also contemporary so that it fits my style of skating instead of the pure ballet style, which isn’t always quite what I am.”

What are your thoughts on the ladies' event? We're you surprised with the outcome?
 
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Medalist
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Mar 26, 2014
Alina Zagitova had just 1 season of international junior career becoming senior during her second year. And her career is nothing but spectacular so far:

JGP France - gold
JGP Slovenia - bronze (the only meltdown so far)
JGPF - gold
Russian Senior nationals - silver (after Medvedeva)
Russian junior nationals - gold
European junior festival - gold
Junior worlds - gold
Lombardia trophy - gold
CoC - gold
TdF - gold

Looks like her competition with Medvedeva is the main intrigue now that Evgenija showed her vulnerability. With a clean SP Alina can have 74+151=225 score which is higher that Medvedeva had at NHK.

And answering the question neither I nor most of GS members were surprised by Zagitova's win judging by their predictions in the prediction thread. The surprise is Maria Sotskova's silver. But it has little to do with Maria because she still cannot clear 210 threshold. It had to do with Osmond's not skating SP to her usual 75-77 standard.
 

tars

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Alina Zagitova had just 1 season of international junior career becoming senior during her second year. And her career is nothing but spectacular so far:

JGP France - gold
JGP Slovenia - bronze (the only meltdown so far)
JGPF - gold
Russian Senior nationals - silver (after Medvedeva)
Russian junior nationals - gold
European junior festival - gold
Junior worlds - gold
Lombardia trophy - gold
CoC - gold
TdF - gold
Wow. :shocked:
 

GGFan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
Love Zagitova's ambition, triple lutz-loop combo, and her fighting spirit. Hate that the ISU is rewarding her programs as if they are sophisticated, nuanced, or creative choreographically.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Good for her!!! SP problems but all taken care of! She has the ability to REBOUND!!!
 

russianfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 4, 2017
looking at the predictions not many people believed in Sotskova's finishing even 3rd...
 

ragdoll

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
I love Zagitova. She looks so exquisite and the balletic style really suits her. I'm conservative when it comes to figure skating and a well skated and well presented ballet style programme melts my heart. If Zagitova keeps going like this, i
t may not be long before she beats Medvedeva.
 

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
Let's hope the pressure doesn't get to her and that she performs well at her GPF debut!
 

quadrupleaxel15

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Let's hope the pressure doesn't get to her and that she performs well at her GPF debut!

We will have Evgenia there too and everyone will be expecting her to win so the actual pressure might be lower on Alina since she only has to be the 2nd best.

Technically there is not much of a difference, but when you think about it anytime Alina competes alone she has to be the best to please her team. When she is with Evgenia she might focus on her own success only and forget about some of the external pressures.
 

MaiKatze

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 4, 2012
Good job everyone. How Alina came back was just awe inspiring. If it comes together for her she can really challenge for the Olympic Gold. I hope for it, because the Ladies discipline needs all the excitement it can get. I'm still mad that Sotskova's team forced her to skate to Clair du Zzzz. She has to have the bam factor to make the team and especially to get higher PCS. She's such a sweet charmer in her Exhibition so it's the programs and NOT her. I'm honestly rooting for her now, because I think Elena, even clean will never beat Maria again. And I want at least one of the russians be from another school of skating. As great as Polina Tsurskaya's jumps are, her programs are like second hand Medvedeva's and that's also her style of skating. So, Sotskova it is. I'm hoping for Kaetlyn to get it together with the LP. I don't think it'll happen, but for any podium chance at OG she must skate a least a clean SP which didn't happen here either.
 

Tolstoj

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Love Zagitova's ambition, triple lutz-loop combo, and her fighting spirit. Hate that the ISU is rewarding her programs as if they are sophisticated, nuanced, or creative choreographically.

Her programs are very sophisticated (especially the SP), some of the elements of her steps sequence are way more difficult and creative than what other skaters (known to be more artistic) have.

Alina has to improve on the flow of her skating and a little more maturity would add an extra quality to these programs;

Also to not panic when she does mistakes, and because both the SP and LP are classical pieces she should be a little more composed.
 
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