2014 Worlds: Which Skaters are not going?

[Mrs. P]

It's actually 3 worlds, (2010 silver, 2011 silver, 2013 gold). I'm actually more impressed by Yuna's post Vancouver career than before. She had a life outside of FS after the Olympics and to accomplish what she did after winning her dream gold is pretty special. And the manner she finished off her skating career with 4 clean programs at her final two two major competitions is just icing on the cake.

Oh yeah, I guess I was thinking during the previous quad (2011-2014). But yes, after Vancouver she won three World medals.

FWIW:

World medals
2 golds (2009, 2013)
2 silver (2010, 2011)
2 bronze (2007, 2008)

Olympic medals
1 gold (2010)
1 silver (2014)

GPF medals
3 gold (2007,2008, 2010)
1 silver (2009)

GP medals
7 gold
1 bronze

4CC medal
1 gold.

Really not a bad haul for Adelina to emulate.

 

[noskates]

Wow - I wonder if anyone in the future will come close to Yuna's record! That is pretty impressive.

 

[skatedreamer]

I'm pretty sure it was Adelina's choice not to attend. Russia would be far more likely to get 3 spots next year if she competed. Anna will have to skate pretty well to finish in the top 10.

Just curious...you don't think that the federation is holding her back because they're afraid she'll be scored way lower by different judges? Not arguing, just asking for an opinion. After everything she's said about "wanting more gold," it seems odd to me that she wouldn't want to go to Worlds. As Scott512 said earlier, I'd like her to confirm that it was her own choice.

OTOH, maybe Adelina herself is afraid. Any OGM is a lot to live up to, but the controversy around hers makes the pressure much more intense.

Full disclosure: I'm one of those who believe she was gifted the OGM and really wanted to see how she would do @ Worlds w/ a different set of judges. What annoys me is the possibility that the federation made this decision instead of letting her make it for herself.

 

[Pippuripihvi]

Just curious...you don't think that the federation is holding her back because they're afraid she'll be scored way lower by different judges? Not arguing, just asking for an opinion. After everything she's said about "wanting more gold," it seems odd to me that she wouldn't want to go to Worlds. As Scott512 said earlier, I'd like her to confirm that it was her own choice.

OTOH, maybe Adelina herself is afraid. Any OGM is a lot to live up to, but the controversy around hers makes the pressure much more intense.

Full disclosure: I'm one of those who believe she was gifted the OGM and really wanted to see how she would do @ Worlds w/ a different set of judges. What annoys me is the possibility that the federation made this decision instead of letting her make it for herself.

I guess it's possible that its the federation's decision and not hers. And I am not sure if it has anything to do with the way she was scored at the Olympics.

After all, Russia has a different system of supporting the athletes financially, so, as a consequence, they can impose decisions on athletes. Most athletes in Russia are subsidized by the government and they get salaries from the government. The federation has different goals and they do not always correspond with the ambitions of the individual skaters. I assume, that now the federation is more interested in getting a bigger number of stronger players in the field rather than betting all on one skater.

And when it comes to Sotnikova, she's already gotten the highest reward of the season (OGM), so it's a kind of smart from the authorities to let Pogorilaya get more experience. Although I want to see Adelina's skate and see her real scores, I believe that there's a bigger objective that the rus federation is keeping in mind and it has little or nothing to do with Adelina's scrores.

 

[Pippuripihvi]

Wow - I wonder if anyone in the future will come close to Yuna's record! That is pretty impressive.

Anyone or just ladies?

 

[aeviterna]

Anyone or just ladies?

Has any man matched Yuna's record?

Anyhow, I'm not surprised that Adelina's not going. I was curious to see by how much her scores would deflate, but I'm also happy that she gets to fully enjoy her OGM for a few months before starting fresh next season.

 

[skatedreamer]

I guess it's possible that its the federation's decision and not hers. And I am not sure if it has anything to do with the way she was scored at the Olympics.

After all, Russia has a different system of supporting the athletes financially, so, as a consequence, they can impose decisions on athletes. Most athletes in Russia are subsidized by the government and they get salaries from the government. The federation has different goals and they do not always correspond with the ambitions of the individual skaters. I assume, that now the federation is more interested in getting a bigger number of stronger players in the field rather than betting all on one skater.

And when it comes to Sotnikova, she's already gotten the highest reward of the season (OGM), so it's a kind of smart from the authorities to let Pogorilaya get more experience. Although I want to see Adelina's skate and see her real scores, I believe that there's a bigger objective that the rus federation is keeping in mind and it has little or nothing to do with Adelina's scrores.

Understood, and thanks especially for making the point re: how the Russian federation supports its athletes. I know that's how it worked under the old Soviet system but wasn't really aware that it had continued (although maybe not entirely in the same way). Agree that the federation's goals aren't necessarily in sync with the skaters' and shouldn't always have to be. Unfortunately, they're also not in sync w/ those of us who want to see Adelina's "real" scores!

 

[Pippuripihvi]

Has any man matched Yuna's record?

I assume that Plushenko has to some extent.

Yuna's / Plushy's:
World medals
2 golds (2009, 2013) - 3 gold (2001, 2003, 2004)
2 silver (2010, 2011) - 1(1999)
2 bronze (2007, 2008) - 1(1998)

Olympic medals
1 gold (2010) -2 (2006, 2014)
1 silver (2014) - 2 (2002, 2010)

GPF medals
3 gold (2007,2008, 2010) - 4 (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005)
1 silver (2009) - 2 (2002, 2004)
+ 1 bronze (1999)

GP medals
7 gold - 18 gold
1 bronze
+ 3 silver

4CC medal
1 gold.

+ Plushy won 7 European championships and was second 3 times

Well, so Yuna hasn't actually matched Plushy's record. But she still has time on her side, and Plushy doesn't. But for ladies, she the one!

 

[ClockwiseSpinner]

I think it's the Russian federation who doesn't want Adelina to skate at worlds.
After all the criticisms, if Adelina skates at worlds in Japan and gets a score which is significantly lower (and that's very likely they know it)
than the score at Sochi, than that gold medal would lose even more prestige than now (with all the complaints).

Adelina is a teenager who loves skating, she probably really wants to go and doesn't care much about these strategy games.
Russian federation instead... may be much more concerned about their credibility.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Well, so Yuna hasn't actually matched Plushy's record. But she still has time on her side, and Plushy doesn't.

Not according to him

 

[Pippuripihvi]

Not according to him

Yean, and it's a kind of sad. I wanted him to skate forever. I imagined him being 40, and still doing some crazy things and saying 'that's what we called figure skating when I was young'. And not because I like him (I had always been on the team Yagudin), but he's one of a kind, and I do respect him greatly.

 

[aeviterna]

... Well, so Yuna hasn't actually matched Plushy's record. But she still has time on her side, and Plushy doesn't. But for ladies, she the one!

Oh, I actually meant as far as never placing off the podium in her entire career, haha -- never leaving an event without a medal is insane. Queen of not only the ice but also anti-headcasing, for sure.

Yuna's actually been pretty firm about retiring for real this time, but I am very afraid SK will pressure her again to return for Pyeongchang. She'd be 27 then and I doubt she'd be able to pull a Carolina, if SK can even really convince her to make that run.

 

[Skater Boy]

after having the OG gold medal with Adelina they want to push forward Lipitniskaia and Pogorilaya at the WC. Certainly Mao has the best chance to win in Japan.

Well that may be their goal but it might be at the cost of a spot for next year (3 ladies versus 2)

 

[Skater Boy]

Oh, I actually meant as far as never placing off the podium in her entire career, haha -- never leaving an event without a medal is insane. Queen of not only the ice but also anti-headcasing, for sure.

Yuna's actually been pretty firm about retiring for real this time, but I am very afraid SK will pressure her again to return for Pyeongchang. She'd be 27 then and I doubt she'd be able to pull a Carolina, if SK can even really convince her to make that run.

Well some of these federations seem to have power but not in Canada or US. You would think Skate Canada would have had or forced Chan and V and M to earn three births. Heck in men they might only have one after all this.

 

[Pippuripihvi]

I think it's the Russian federation who doesn't want Adelina to skate at worlds.
After all the criticisms, if Adelina skates at worlds in Japan and gets a score which is significantly lower (and that's very likely they know it)
than the score at Sochi, than that gold medal would lose even more prestige than now (with all the complaints).

Adelina is a teenager who loves skating, she probably really wants to go and doesn't care much about these strategy games.
Russian federation instead... may be much more concerned about their credibility.

Do you mean the Russian federation or the Russian skating federation? These are different .

Do you really think mister Putin spent a few moments thinking about whether or not they should spend Adelina to worlds? His hands are full right now, and I guess now he really doesn't care what anyone thinks about the Russian federation.

And the decision about Adelina is being made by FFKKR and it has nothing to do with Putin.

And as someone who reads Russian I assure you that most people in Russia are done with Sochi and had forgotten about it already. They think that Adelina deserved the medal and there's nothing she has to prove and no one she has to prove anything to.

 

[bunnychan]

I think The Mission program suits him well. He did pretty awesome in Italy(winter universiade). Hope he'll be back stronger next year.

I hope so too! I do think his best this year was 4cc, though, especially the Mission program. Had he gotten that score at the Olympics, he'd have been in 11th or so.

 

[msadot]

BUT... is it confirmed Adelina will not skate?

 

[humbaba]

The Olympics are a lot more important than worlds ...

Are they? Why? Some question the disproportionate value placed on Olympic results compared to other achievements in an athlete's career.

 

[Isabel_O'Reilly]

Oh, I actually meant as far as never placing off the podium in her entire career, haha -- never leaving an event without a medal is insane. Queen of not only the ice but also anti-headcasing, for sure.

Yuna's actually been pretty firm about retiring for real this time, but I am very afraid SK will pressure her again to return for Pyeongchang. She'd be 27 then and I doubt she'd be able to pull a Carolina, if SK can even really convince her to make that run.

Yulia also has never left an international event without a medal.

 

[Mrs. P]

Yulia also has never left an international event without a medal.

True, since she was part of gold medal team the Olympics. But she placed 5th at the individual event, so she really can't hold the same claim as Yuna that she's never finished off the podium any individual event. Yuna has never finished off the podium EVER, either intentionally or domestically.

Julia's finished off the podium at nationals once or twice, I think. Of course the competition at Russian nationals is a bit stiffer, so I'd cut her a break there.