Ilinykh & Zhiganshin:
I have problems how to judge this couple.
It is said: “No risk, no gain.“ They went for big risk…and it didn’t pay off too much.
During season there were some minor changes in this FD, but after European Championships team decided to make bigger changes and create more difficult Transitions during whole dance. Why?
While their SD was marked very well since the beginning of the season and suddenly it started to look like Lena & Ruslan are immediately a part of World top teams, FD was criticised by so many people in terms of music/choreo/Transitions. Many people argued that with such choreography there is no possibility to compete with top couples. Even at Press Conference I&Z were asked what are they going to do with that “not very successfull“ FD.
After Cup of Russia many people immediately started to expect top results which for example I&K had problems to achieve skating together for 4 or 5 years. Their skating at Grand Prix Final was criticised because they finished last, their Russian Nationals routines were criticised for not being perfect (not to mention tiredness from not planned GPF two weeks early), their European Championships result was criticised for not getting the medal. Simply the couple started to be judged like every other couple skating together for years, and expectations were the same. Such behaviour is understandable from judges who should judge only what they see on the ice without putting any attention to off ice stories…but such behaviour is not understandable from anybody else…
The situation and expectations became even bigger after win at Russian Nationals. Russian number 1 is always expected to win every competition, if not…than to get medal at least, if not…well, rather don’t think.
Visibly Lena & Ruslan put a lot attention to such talks (in my opinion more than they should) and together with their coaches they started to take bigger and bigger risk in making changements in an attempt to make FD more competive and try to fulfill big expectations.
There is a question whether their coaches should allow to take such risk. Maybe not but maybe they had no other choice. On the other hand there is Russian Fed who always has the last word and if somebody should put a barriers and stop taking too much of risk, it should definitely be Russian Fed. Instead of it we could notice multiple articles about number 1 Stepanova & Bukin, poor result of I&Z at European Championships, no good perspectives at coming World Championships, hard situation of Russian dance, Lena coming back to Nikita because of poor results with Ruslan etc.
What happens if you constantly change choreography in program? Usually you don’t have enough time to get used to new parts, so you must skate all new parts under big control, you must be concentrating all the time to every small move. In the middle of season Lena noticed that they started to feel moments during dance where they can breath more and relax more…this all was killed with changements in programs. Before every element you need some seconds to concentrate and get ready for the element. With all new Transitions Lena & Ruslan lost time to prepare for next element, they had to concentrate on every single move in every second… no break, no time to take a breath. Even couple skating together for years would struggle with adapting to new parts in programs, so what to speak about dancers who skate together for almost 12 months only.
I can’t say that mistakes at European and World Championships were caused by those changements in FD, in case of European Championships I have another opinion, but those changements definitely made execution of all elements and presenting of the dance much more difficult.
Taking into account all circumstances they did maximum to make their FD competive and result was not bad at all.
Not taking circumstances into account, this FD is not presenting the team how it should be done and everybody hopes that next dances will be about 70% better choreographed.
As to mistakes – it was nice to see that Lena was fighting to get maximum from Twizzles, she didn’t put her free leg down and saved at least Level 2. Thanks to extended lift I&Z lost another point which could keep them in front of G&P (the difference in final standings was less than a half point).
After Twizzles all other elements were clean, I can see another small improvement in execution of spin and lifts.
Once again that strange strategy of judges – after poorly executed element they went down with GOE in all next elements. Step Sequences are if not the best then one of best we can see and while top couples gets GOE +2.20 points and P&C even +2.36 points, I&Z’s second Step Sequence got GOE +1.26 points only…for what?
Skating Skills lower then top 6 teams is not showing reality also.
I have problems how to judge this couple.
It is said: “No risk, no gain.“ They went for big risk…and it didn’t pay off too much.
During season there were some minor changes in this FD, but after European Championships team decided to make bigger changes and create more difficult Transitions during whole dance. Why?
While their SD was marked very well since the beginning of the season and suddenly it started to look like Lena & Ruslan are immediately a part of World top teams, FD was criticised by so many people in terms of music/choreo/Transitions. Many people argued that with such choreography there is no possibility to compete with top couples. Even at Press Conference I&Z were asked what are they going to do with that “not very successfull“ FD.
After Cup of Russia many people immediately started to expect top results which for example I&K had problems to achieve skating together for 4 or 5 years. Their skating at Grand Prix Final was criticised because they finished last, their Russian Nationals routines were criticised for not being perfect (not to mention tiredness from not planned GPF two weeks early), their European Championships result was criticised for not getting the medal. Simply the couple started to be judged like every other couple skating together for years, and expectations were the same. Such behaviour is understandable from judges who should judge only what they see on the ice without putting any attention to off ice stories…but such behaviour is not understandable from anybody else…
The situation and expectations became even bigger after win at Russian Nationals. Russian number 1 is always expected to win every competition, if not…than to get medal at least, if not…well, rather don’t think.
Visibly Lena & Ruslan put a lot attention to such talks (in my opinion more than they should) and together with their coaches they started to take bigger and bigger risk in making changements in an attempt to make FD more competive and try to fulfill big expectations.
There is a question whether their coaches should allow to take such risk. Maybe not but maybe they had no other choice. On the other hand there is Russian Fed who always has the last word and if somebody should put a barriers and stop taking too much of risk, it should definitely be Russian Fed. Instead of it we could notice multiple articles about number 1 Stepanova & Bukin, poor result of I&Z at European Championships, no good perspectives at coming World Championships, hard situation of Russian dance, Lena coming back to Nikita because of poor results with Ruslan etc.
What happens if you constantly change choreography in program? Usually you don’t have enough time to get used to new parts, so you must skate all new parts under big control, you must be concentrating all the time to every small move. In the middle of season Lena noticed that they started to feel moments during dance where they can breath more and relax more…this all was killed with changements in programs. Before every element you need some seconds to concentrate and get ready for the element. With all new Transitions Lena & Ruslan lost time to prepare for next element, they had to concentrate on every single move in every second… no break, no time to take a breath. Even couple skating together for years would struggle with adapting to new parts in programs, so what to speak about dancers who skate together for almost 12 months only.
I can’t say that mistakes at European and World Championships were caused by those changements in FD, in case of European Championships I have another opinion, but those changements definitely made execution of all elements and presenting of the dance much more difficult.
Taking into account all circumstances they did maximum to make their FD competive and result was not bad at all.
Not taking circumstances into account, this FD is not presenting the team how it should be done and everybody hopes that next dances will be about 70% better choreographed.
As to mistakes – it was nice to see that Lena was fighting to get maximum from Twizzles, she didn’t put her free leg down and saved at least Level 2. Thanks to extended lift I&Z lost another point which could keep them in front of G&P (the difference in final standings was less than a half point).
After Twizzles all other elements were clean, I can see another small improvement in execution of spin and lifts.
Once again that strange strategy of judges – after poorly executed element they went down with GOE in all next elements. Step Sequences are if not the best then one of best we can see and while top couples gets GOE +2.20 points and P&C even +2.36 points, I&Z’s second Step Sequence got GOE +1.26 points only…for what?
Skating Skills lower then top 6 teams is not showing reality also.
First of all it was already written about the idea at the beginning of the season. She had that rose pastel dress and he in black, like here and at Euros. Second, and more importantly it doesn't make sense because the devil, the satan, is supposed to be a supernatural entity and usually fights with God over the human soul. The Devil is a fallen angel, well in christianity and islam at least. Anyway, it was obvious from the choreography as well, and the last pose says it all. BUT I have to say that Anna did overact her part (just like the Paso) which in many cases is used to stress the evil (which might've confused sisinka), and that was something I didn't like at all.
... i am wondering if it were just not memorable or if i were already tuning out because of the results from the first two teams from the final flight...
shibs are the only 5th place finishers not to be invited ...
