2017-2018 State of Russian Ice Dance

[Marta25]

The program they showed at the test skates was great, probably the best thing Kustarova did all her life. This program NOW is a mess. Watch the lifts and the skating in general how it regressed since then, not to talk about the twizzles - Anton just wasn't even there. This program was very good three months ago, but it's not now. Far from it. The fact that you raise the bar so high for other teams but you call this the most beautiful of all the FD in the Russian team, well. That's a bold statement...

As always, potential will take you nowhere. Elena has it in spades. If she was unmotivated to train and still can come back so much better than Anton, that doesn't bode well for them.

Nope that was this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YWrE4lMkbs&t=


Anyway, right now it`s hard to say what can become of them. Shibnev is too focused to keep up with her to have any presence on the ice. Those were two very messy performances and IMO they should withdraw from Tallin Trophy and rather skate in the last Russian Cup competition. I think it`s too early to compete on the international stage.

 

[coldblueeyes]

Nope that was this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YWrE4lMkbs&t=

I'd say it's a close one. What did Carmen great was the fact that the two were explosive and into the program, the most they ever were together. The first half of this FD, for me, was indeed one of the best things she did, and such a strong effort in Elena's comeback. But Alexei changed everything around - I think he wants to put his own stamp to their skating, and I hope he has any vision of what he wants, because right now it really pales in comparison to what it was before.

 

[bramweld]

Nope that was this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YWrE4lMkbs&t=


Anyway, right now it`s hard to say what can become of them. Shibnev is too focused to keep up with her to have any presence on the ice. Those were two very messy performances and IMO they should withdraw from Tallin Trophy and rather skate in the last Russian Cup competition. I think it`s too early to compete on the international stage.

Nope, that program was done by Antonio Najarro. And nope I don't agree with you all, their FD in particular is much better now based on Gorshkov's work, its also a lot more difficult. What I like the most though is how they skate. If they can do that after just changing coaches a little over two months ago, I am hopeful. I also love his junior team of Arina and Maxin, they won the junior FD today and I really like them. Thank goodness, I finally see a ray of hope in Russian ice dance.

Pulease, y'all have short memories. How many times she came to test skates with Katsalapov and he couldn't do half of what Shibnev did today. Even better a team that has been together four seasons now has the embarrassment of Minsk 2017 to cope with as they go into NHK. These guys showed great character today. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Marta25]

Nope, that program was done by Antonio Najarro. And nope I don't agree with you all, their FD in particular is much better now based on Gorshkov's work, its also a lot more difficult. What I like the most though is how they skate. If they can do that after just changing coaches a little over two months ago, I am hopeful. I also love his junior team of Arina and Maxin, they won the junior FD today and I really like them. Thank goodness, I finally see a ray of hope in Russian ice dance.

Pulease, y'all have short memories. How many times she came to test skates with Katsalapov and he couldn't do half of what Shibnev did today. Even better a team that has been together four seasons now has the embarrassment of Minsk 2017 to cope with as they go into NHK. These guys showed great character today. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I`m certainly not a fan of Katsalapov, but even on his worst day, he is still miles better than Shibnev.

https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20171108/1128413447.html
Elena confirms that they will be skating in Tallinn

 

[Barb]

What I like the most though is how they skate. If they can do that after just changing coaches a little over two months ago, I am hopeful. I also love his junior team of Arina and Maxin, they won the junior FD today and I really like them. Thank goodness, I finally see a ray of hope in Russian ice dance.

okay it is official, we already lost you and there is nothing we can do for you. If anyone had any doubts about the credibility and worth of your comments regarding other teams, I think you have already dispelled the doubt.

 

[Lana05]

I also liked Arina and Maxim. It's only 2nd their international year and they are in the final, hope they will get a medal there (fingers crossed for gold)

 

[coldblueeyes]

I also liked Arina and Maxim. It's only 2nd their international year and they are in the final, hope they will get a medal there (fingers crossed for gold)

I think they are right up there with their chances. S/A still have more mileage and experience over them, but the two teams have a lot going for them.

 

[Marta25]

Ushakova/Nekrasov really surprised me this year. They were a team I thought would maybe be one of the leading junior teams in the next quad, but they improved a lot and are already attacking teams like S/A and P/V, who are much more established in the Russian pecking order. In the next years, I hope they will be working on their posture and skating closer together.
Re the JGPF I absolutely think they have a big chance medalling there, they have the highest junior score for the Free Dance and received huge GOE in their last JGP.

 

[Snow63]

This showing was DISASTEROUS. Worse than I thought it would be. Anton is not even 1/2 of skater Ruslan is, let alone Nikita. I literally do not have words to descibe what I feel about their skates at Russian Cup event. And this dance... It's so generic and simple.... The lifts... where did they go? There was literally not 1 clean element in this free dance. Everything looked super awkward. It's way too soon for them to go international with this kind of level of prepareness. And I don't think it's even good idea to go to Nationals for them, they will lose all the reputaton and 'hype' they have now. Train, come back next season when you're actually ready.

On the bright side, Elena looks gorgeous :luv17: And much fitter. Too bad for her they're not awarding points for that

 

[Snow63]

Nope that was this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YWrE4lMkbs&t=


Anyway, right now it`s hard to say what can become of them. Shibnev is too focused to keep up with her to have any presence on the ice. Those were two very messy performances and IMO they should withdraw from Tallin Trophy and rather skate in the last Russian Cup competition. I think it`s too early to compete on the international stage.

Yes.

And yes. He was too focused to keep up and she tried her best not to run from him. Literally. He's balletic? Yeah, right. They should be happy they went against Morozova/Bagin and not Popova/Mozgov. It's not good to lose 20 points to 5th or 6th national team at local event.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I agree with a lot of the criticisms of their FD showing here. That was pretty awful. I also think Elena lost the ability to appropriately portray music since Sochi because I don't get all that smiling and perk with the drama of the Spartacus music. It's like she knew her and Ruslan's Carmen SD was well-received and decided to use the same smiley expression for every other program afterwards. I guess it's better than those OTT faces with the O lips and such she was making with that blues SD last season.

 

[bramweld]

You guys are talking crazy. This is not a team that has even a month of milage on that dance, they switched coaches two months ago and have only been skating for four months. Do you guys remember the awfulness that was SinKats COR 2014? They're not pushing to be a part of these OG, they're making waves for the future.

But regardless, I absolutely love it. Are you telling me that the craptastic performance given by Katsalapov a week ago is better than what these two gave us over these two days? These two were able to stay vertical and most importantly even though he knew he was winded he beckoned her to continue and fought through those twizzles. Have we ever, and I mean ever seen Katsalapov do that? I know what I'm talking about. I like Arina and Maxim AND I like these two, regardless. Credibility be washed down the drain they have a good thing going here.

 

[coldblueeyes]

I hope Alexei has a good plan for these two. They won this stage of the Russian Cup, and now they are going to a CS too, so I gather that's a possible way to reach Nationals. But changing the programs so much with a month and a half until RN is not the most sensible decision on his part - and it seems a bit presumptuous. Hopefully they can pull through and at least get some experience out of it. Reaching the top 6 would be a good result for them at this point.

 

[Marta25]

I hope Alexei has a good plan for these two. They won this stage of the Russian Cup, and now they are going to a CS too, so I gather that's a possible way to reach Nationals. But changing the programs so much with a month and a half until RN is not the most sensible decision on his part - and it seems a bit presumptuous. Hopefully they can pull through and at least get some experience out of it. Reaching the top 6 would be a good result for them at this point.

Top 6 will be tough. I guess B/S, S/B, S/K, Z/G, P/M, L/D will be in the top 6 at Nationals. Right now, I don`t see any of them losing to I/S. All of them had their programs since summer and look much more comfortable than I/S with their programs. I guess I/S just need to use this season as learning experience and trying to move up in the next few seasons.

 

[coldblueeyes]

Top 6 will be tough. I guess B/S, S/B, S/K, Z/G, P/M, L/D will be in the top 6 at Nationals. Right now, I don`t see any of them losing to I/S. All of them had their programs since summer and look much more comfortable than I/S with their programs. I guess I/S just need to use this season as learning experience and trying to move up in the next few seasons.

That's why I said top 6. They are likely to stay behind those teams, especially with all the changes in their programs.

 

[MK's Winter]

The program they showed at the test skates was great, probably the best thing Kustarova did all her life. This program NOW is a mess. Watch the lifts and the skating in general how it regressed since then, not to talk about the twizzles - Anton just wasn't even there. This program was very good three months ago, but it's not now. Far from it. The fact that you raise the bar so high for other teams but you call this the most beautiful of all the FD in the Russian team, well. That's a bold statement...

As always, potential will take you nowhere. Elena has it in spades. If she was unmotivated to train and still can come back so much better than Anton, that doesn't bode well for them.

This program looks more difficult in the steps compared to what kustrova did. We call this going for higher levels. You could tell it was new to them. They started skating in June or July and you are expecting what? The lifts were more innovative but need some cleaning up on the exit transitions. The just switched coaches not that long ago and he completely changed both programs. Elena stated that in the interview and seems well aware that time is needed as it is for any new dance team. I am not expecting some break out season for a team that has been together since the summer. I love how we expect teams to gel after literally 2 seconds together.....

 

[coldblueeyes]

This program looks more difficult in the steps compared to what kustrova did. We call this going for higher levels. You could tell it was new to them. They started skating in June or July and you are expecting what? The lifts were more innovative but need some cleaning up on the exit transitions. The just switched coaches not that long ago and he completely changed both programs. Elena stated that in the interview and seems well aware that time is needed as it is for any new dance team. I am not expecting some break out season for a team that has been together since the summer. I love how we expect teams to gel after literally 2 seconds together.....

I don't expect them to get their stuff together right now, but it's frustrating to see that they had a good foundation at the test skates, with a path paved ahead of them with Kustarova, and for the sake of more difficult steps, they had to go back to the drawing board with a new coach. That's why I think it's a bit arrogant of Alexei to do that to them right now, why should they bother with going for 'higher levels' - and I'll use that term very loosely - when what's going to come out is a splat? They should work on the basics, that's what. At this stage less is definitely more. Unless Anton was just having a terrible competition, they can't allow themselves to make that many mistakes, especially when they have to work their way up. But then, yeah, first competition, new coach, and all of that. I do see where they are and where they want to go, but I'm not deluding myself into thinking of a finished product that will never come out like the fandom wants - it's like Frida all over again.

 

[noidont]

Why so critical? This is Russian Cup. S/K made a much bigger mess at a GP event their first season together. I/S's goal is to skate at National, not to win or anything. I like the FD. Original version seems more together at first glance but the new dance is more difficult and interesting. They are probably building this FD for next season.
That being said, Shibnev just can't keep up. But it might not matter. Sinitsina and Stepanova can't keep up either.

 

[bramweld]

Why so critical? This is Russian Cup. S/K made a much bigger mess at a GP event their first season together. I/S's goal is to skate at National, not to win or anything. I like the FD. Original version seems more together at first glance but the new dance is more difficult and interesting. They are probably building this FD for next season.
That being said, Shibnev just can't keep up. But it might not matter. Sinitsina and Stepanova can't keep up either.

Love this You tell them :clapper:

 

[gmyers]

It is now mathematically impossible for Russia to have a team at the gpf!