2015 Russian Nationals Free Dance

[sisinka]

Maybe he enrolled in a masters program. As I mentioned in another thread, he just has to be enrolled. I don't think they check if he is actually attending. And those physical culture institutes are very lenient to elite athletes.

If he entered masters program, he would not be named like graduates only, no? This year he came back to Moscow, there were articles about it, Nikita was mentioning his army duty, no word about any study... somebody mentioned that in his facebook or somewhere he wrote that he finished University in 2013, nothing about Masters.

As I know most of Universities - you study them for five years to get diploma, if somebody wants to continue studying after getting diploma, those people usually stay at University and are doing some work and learning young students (so Nikita should have his own class and give lessons to them every week), those people are really present at University for whole year.

 

[sisinka]

Do they both have to be attending, or is it ok if just one of them is? Because I'm pretty sure Sinitsina would still be a student.

Both of them must be fulfilling the criterias.

 

[sisinka]

He has to be enrolled at the time of the event so if he's not he can soon. They are just desperate for their season not be over because if it is then its totally over.

The academic year starts in September, he can't enroll now at the end of the first semester.

Nikita studied at Moscow State University. Look at page for foreign students (it is Faculty of History but I suppose that it is the same at every Faculty there) -
http://www.hist.msu.ru/English/Admin/frequently_asked.htm - Prospective students should submit their applications no later than 30 June of the intended year of entry....The academic year runs from 1 September to 30 June. Classes begin on 2 September. Winter exams are from 20 December to 25 January, followed by winter vacations. The second semester starts on 7 February.

 

[LisaM]

Would community college count? Because he could just enroll at some random community college at Ann Arbor, that's really easy to do.

 

[sisinka]

I think that Nikita answered himself more than anybody of us...look at his ISU biography...the page was updated in December 2014...look at Nikita's profession: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00054477.htm

Nikita KATSALAPOV
Profession: athlete

So in his own opinion he is an athlete, not student anymore.
Ruslan Zhiganshin finished University this year, he also changed the status from student to athlete.
Kosigina & Moroshkin who are also listed at Winter Universiade have profession student in ISU bio.

 

[sisinka]

Would community college count? Because he could just enroll at some random community college at Ann Arbor, that's really easy to do.

At every interview both Nikita and Marina Zueva described that the couple was on the ice or at ice rink for whole day without any break...never any notice about studying. And you also need good knowledge of English (speaking but also writing in English with good grammar) which Nikita certainly doesn't have watching his English during interviews.

 

[Abraxis12345]

At every interview both Nikita and Marina Zueva described that the couple was on the ice or at ice rink for whole day without any break...never any notice about studying. And you also need good knowledge of English (speaking but also writing in English with good grammar) which Nikita certainly doesn't have watching his English during interviews.

I went to a top 25 University in the US and if my Asian classmates' English is anything to go by, the standards must be very low...

 

[dorispulaski]

^^^^This
But engineering students of any nationality, including Americans going to school in America.



Technical courses of study do not require the very best English. just the ability to do the labs, exams, and homework. The standard for English in lab reports was "can I understand what you're writing about," when I was in college. Top Quality Content, not style, was the key.

 

[bramweld]

Oh the irony of it all. SinKats being shown a grace they have rarely shown this season. Let them be I say. They need the encouragement.

 

[sisinka]

http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/768814
…interview with Tatiana Tarasova…28th of December…

I&Z won Russian Nationals. Were you surprised that they “found“ each other so quickly and catched the audience attention?
Tarasova: “All found each other quickly. I liked a lot Sinitsina & Katsalapov at Russian Nationals.“

Did it happen that after I&K’s split we got two good couples?
Tarasova: “In my opinion we had a brilliant couple. And we got two good couples. But I am very glad that Stepanova & Bukin are coming at European Championships. They are young, they have their face.“

Can they grow into brilliant couple (S&B)?
Tarasova: “We will live, we will see (maybe in sense if we stay alive we will see). I hope so. If such couple (Stepanova & Bukin) would appear in any country then whole world would look at them like at candidates for Olympic Gold.“

Tarasova also thinks that Kovtun’s short program is the best on the planet. His short program at Russian Nationals was unique. Nobody shows short program with 2 quads.
The journalist also asked about similarity with Plushenko and Sotnikova as to need for Test Skate before important competitions. Tarasova answers that it can’t be compared, because Adelina just won The Olympics. She told that before the injury Adelina came at next level in skating, the highest level.

 

[sisinka]

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20141228/796937616.html
…Irina Zhuk (Stepanova & Bukin’s coach)…28th of December…

“We are happy that they gave us a chance to fight here at Russian Nationals. There are important not final placements but a chance to fight for those placements. And kids are simply happy with it otherwise they would capitulate (with precise translation dropped their hands which means – to become disheartened and lose the desire or ability to act or work).“

“I don’t want to insult anybody but not taking into account Bobrova & Soloviev, then there are four young couples and they have a right to fight between each other. It is not very good when they disconnect one or two couples, take them into leaders level and it becames simply impossible to catch them up, because there is a big distance. There was nothing like this at Russian Nationals and we got a chance to compete. “

“It was a shame for the result at home Grand Prix, not for fifth place, but for not allowing kids to fight. They put them immediatelly far from leaders, with big distance in Components and everything was clear. We worked on mistakes a lot, on emotional and psychological attitude. This year it happened that being abroad Sasha and Vania felt free and lightly but coming back to Russia they were clamped/constricted. But kids coped with it. “

Coaches mentioned that after Cup of Russia there were thoughts that the similar situation will repeat at next tournaments also. “Thoughts were creeping, but we push them away. We were adjusting kids that they are strong, noticeable, stylish, that they need to come forward and not to look at anything else. And we have obedient kids, so they did everything well.“
-------------------------


Well, after Tarasova being asked about I&Z and S&K and answering that Stepanova & Bukin are coming at European Championships…after Tarasova assurance that skating for another country Stepanova & Bukin would be pretending to fight for Olympic Gold (already in Sochi?)….

And then Irina Zhuk simply killed it all.

In every competition all skaters talk about enjoying own skating, Alexandra and Ivan also tell a stories about how they are enjoying everything…and suddenly Zhuk tells that Alexandra and Ivan would resign if not being sent to European Championships. If every couple was in the same mood then we would have no couples at major competitions, because they would all resign after some not succesful competitions.

I understand that Russian Fed support is important, but I was always naive to think that couple must show some results to prove they worth the support. In this moment at international stage Stepanova & Bukin are behind I&Z and M&K (I would say noticeably behind), they also lost to S&K at Cup of Russia (S&K are the only moment when I am ready to say that it was not too right).

And I&Z and M&K are really better – you can see it everywhere – in speed, in presentation, in Skating Skills, M&K are no worse in lifts then S&B…and what is no less important you can see I&Z and S&K dominance over S&B at internationals competitions also – both I&Z and M&K got higher points in both programs, they got higher placement at Grand Prix (second and fourth place against third and fifth place).

Sasha and Ivan were very happy to skate at Skate America because only taking their SD score which was the third highest in America – 56.37 points - it would mean fifth place at any other Grand Prix…and Sasha & Ivan’s overall score in America – 143.87 points – they would get fourth or fifth place at any other Grand Prix.

Why Irina Zhuk tries to say that all four couples should be marked in competitons like equal? Maybe in the beggining of the season, but not in the middle of the season when results and executed quality of skating speaks for itself and not really in favour of S&B.

On the other hand after reading Zhuk and Tarasova I can imagine how it happened that suddenly all four couples had similar Component score in FD. I can also imagine how did it happen that I&Z got about 5 points in both SD and FD in comparison with international competitions (although they executed better SD than at Grand Prix), M&K improved their SD score about 5 points and FD about 9 points in comparison with Grand Prix, S&B improved about 10 points in SD and 12 points in FD in comparison with Grand Prix… Because it was necessary to put all four couples into one row…

 

[Meoima]

Taraso also thinks that Kovtun’s short program is the best on the planet. His short program at Russian Nationals was unique. Nobody shows short program with 2 quads.
The journalist also asked about similarity with Plushenko and Sotnikova as to need for Test Skate before important competitions. Tarasova answers that it can’t be compared, because Adelina just won The Olympics. She told that before the injury Adelina came at next level in skating, the highest level.

oh God! Please save me!

 

[bramweld]

oh God! Please save me!

Tarasova and her repertoire, in her element so to speak :disapp: Truthfully though I think she's still reeling from the I/K split. She really loved that two.

Sisinka, from my understanding of things the Russian Fed always tries to clump them together like this. It in some way creates a superficial tension that mimics what they'll experience at EC and WC. But in reality the only couple who I could see earning their scores outside of Russia are I/Z and to a lesser extent M/K (I have an issue with her posture and their limited musicality atm). S/B are just good at this point. If you pay attention to S/K from the waist down you see they're not up to the level of the top 3 yet. They need to control their blades much better. Their choreography however I think is quite good.

 

[mnm464]

It seems that the judges want to reward S/K, but they aren't hitting TES well enough...

 

[bramweld]

It seems that the judges want to reward S/K, but they aren't hitting TES well enough...

I agree. But you see this was always the problem with S/K even in their previous pairings. S had major bobbles in GP and in the SD at OG. K well notoriously at WC and he always struggled with his twizzles throughout the season. He was lucky that Lena could match his speed and cover for him so well.

So they just need to mature as skaters. Half of the problem is that this partnership is new, but the other half has to do with their own issues.

 

[elif]

Tarasova: “We will live, we will see (maybe in sense if we stay alive we will see). I hope so. If such couple (Stepanova & Bukin) would appear in any country then whole world would look at them like at candidates for Olympic Gold.“[/I]

I'm sorry If it is insulting but this kind of idiocy needs a strong reply from skating gods. They have many strong dancers and they choice to promote a couple literally cannot skate for olympic gold? If it is best russians offering, thank you. I'm now fully behind Papadakis/Cizeron and Weaver/Poje for olympic gold.

 

[hanca]

I'm sorry If it is insulting but this kind of idiocy needs a strong reply from skating gods. They have many strong dancers and they choice to promote a couple literally cannot skate for olympic gold? If it is best russians offering, thank you. I'm now fully behind Papadakis/Cizeron and Weaver/Poje for olympic gold.

Well, if someone said last about Papadakis/Cizeron that they are candidate for the next Olympic gold, everyone would be thinking 'Huh???' Papadakis/Cizeron's last season's results were 15th at Europeans and 13th at worlds. And yet this season they may be fighting for a medal at worlds. So in regards to Stepanova & Bukin, I can't see it at this moment, but maybe Tarasova knows what she is talking about. Maybe the next season they will be there next to Papadakis/Cizeron.

 

[uhh]

P/C's basic quality was always evident though, particularly Guillaume. People have been talking about his posture & style ever since they first apeared in Juniors 3 seasons ago. Their problem was usually in their heads, plus Didier's obsession with destroying the Lyon school meant they didn't get any backing from the federation until they moved away. Now they are clear number 1 in France, with a lot of support from him, enabling them to step into the void at the top of ice dance after the Olympics straight away and start putting down markers, and the coaching change seems to be helping them eliminate the mental weaknesses. S/B in contrast are still only 3rd or 4th in Russia, she's notably weaker than he is, their coaches still seem a little clueless about levels (taking half the season to fix the twizzles when even a fan who has skimmed the judges handbook can tell you why they were getting level 2s...), the height difference is manageable for now but it makes many of their lifts look ungainly & if she fills out at all I can see them having problems - in short, there's a lot more for them to overcome than there ever was for P/C.

 

[Mattieu]

Well, if someone said last about Papadakis/Cizeron that they are candidate for the next Olympic gold, everyone would be thinking 'Huh???' Papadakis/Cizeron's last season's results were 15th at Europeans and 13th at worlds. And yet this season they may be fighting for a medal at worlds. So in regards to Stepanova & Bukin, I can't see it at this moment, but maybe Tarasova knows what she is talking about. Maybe the next season they will be there next to Papadakis/Cizeron.

Bukin is a good skater, but will never be able to skate like Guillaume.
Guillaume was phenomanal since I first saw him 8 years ago. He is exceptional talent, possibly the best male ice dancer ever.
Gabriella brings a lot too, way more than Stepanova ever will. Stepanova is just another good Russian skater, which is above average flexible, she is not the talent Gabriella is. (I am trying to be impartial as of course P/C are for my country ).

 

[hanca]

P/C's basic quality was always evident though, particularly Guillaume. People have been talking about his posture & style ever since they first apeared in Juniors 3 seasons ago. Their problem was usually in their heads, plus Didier's obsession with destroying the Lyon school meant they didn't get any backing from the federation until they moved away. Now they are clear number 1 in France, with a lot of support from him, enabling them to step into the void at the top of ice dance after the Olympics straight away and start putting down markers, and the coaching change seems to be helping them eliminate the mental weaknesses. S/B in contrast are still only 3rd or 4th in Russia, she's notably weaker than he is, their coaches still seem a little clueless about levels (taking half the season to fix the twizzles when even a fan who has skimmed the judges handbook can tell you why they were getting level 2s...), the height difference is manageable for now but it makes many of their lifts look ungainly & if she fills out at all I can see them having problems - in short, there's a lot more for them to overcome than there ever was for P/C.

I wouldn't see it so dark. Soon Bukin may be skating with Sinitsina when she gets fed up of Katsalapov making constantly mistakes.