- Joined
- Dec 21, 2017
Again... are you still sure ?
2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating
- Thread starter Spirals for Miles
- Start date
Uhm, I think we'd like to talk about the strengths and weaknesses of Russian Ladies skating.
Russian
Ladies
Not just Juniors and their quads, and how because of them they absolutely must be ready to slay seniors everywhere once they get the chance.
We can cheer the amazing progress in Ladies in the past decade, the incredibly fast rotations that make higher rotation jumps attainable from just about any take-off.
But I'd like to be able to look back in Soviet Russian skating history and sincerely ask "What has been lost that needs to be recovered?"
Yes there has been rebuilding.
But the lack of resources in the program, facilities and the emigration of many coaches (including Eteri for a time) all took a great toll in the 1990s.
We don't need a skating skills specific thread to look at this. Frankly, there are likely other things that have been lost that other eyes than mine would note.
Perhaps I'm feeling my age, but it is exasperating to feel that we can't look to Russia's own history and say 'But wasn't this better?'. ..and 'Wouldn't rebuilding this reach higher in a Russian tradition?"
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2013
There are some improvements in some categories. You notice trends across age groups. Take mule kicks on takeoff, for instance. Common for the older skaters, but they become less and less common as you head towards a lower age. Take off technique in general becomes better. Aerial rotation position improves. The takeoff edges for skaters improve in general. Skating skills for the younger generation would be improving as well. Additionally, there's the issue that many skaters who actually have great skating skills... Don't have the other attributes to succeed. They might have the skating skills, but not the jumps. That's something that's all too common. Many talented skaters had to retire or switch off singles, or just might be ones that you've never gotten to see due to them not being competitive.
If we look at Eteri skaters(former..), we can even compare:
Evgenia Medvedeva at 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjVVeZLOmag
Sofia Akatieva at 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL0SyoBrHNM&t=9s
Akatieva's so far ahead despite being significantly younger.
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2013
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Just as an example....Sasha’s basic skating has drastically improved from last year to this year IMHO. It’s noticable in how she enters and even how she maintains her spin positions. I think it even shows in how confidently she is landing her jumps on very secure edge with excellent posture. Those improvements have paid off in her overall skating. I dislike Gubanova’s deflation but her skating skills have continued to grow too in spite of it. She’s exploring a new style...arguably in a more classic Russian style with little success so far. I think the skaters of today are creating a new tradition and style that will change the course of skating positively for years to come. These Russian girls are looking forward.
The elements are the most important to staying relevant...it’s true. Especially in a system that limits participation based on nationality. The thing I’ve noticed each year is that as the difficulty and quality of elements have increased over the years the skaters in turn have needed to and do increase other aspects of skating to stand out. Look at Gubanova as an example. It’s kind of why at the Junior Level skaters from other nations are facing a monumental task in keeping up. IMO the current state of Russian Ladies has created a very honorable tradition that many will aspire to for many years to come.
The elements are the most important to staying relevant...it’s true. Especially in a system that limits participation based on nationality. The thing I’ve noticed each year is that as the difficulty and quality of elements have increased over the years the skaters in turn have needed to and do increase other aspects of skating to stand out. Look at Gubanova as an example. It’s kind of why at the Junior Level skaters from other nations are facing a monumental task in keeping up. IMO the current state of Russian Ladies has created a very honorable tradition that many will aspire to for many years to come.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
I am actually afraid for her ankles. (Like, not really - I think just because she's so small that what she is doing with her feet and blades looks totally wild as though her boots are way too flexible!)
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2013
Actually, watching that video, it makes me wonder...
How would you compare that StSq to this more recent one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe-f1bFZj6A
I see what you're getting at...
But it doesn't remind me of skating in a dance boot...there's something jerky, and her cross-cuts aren't great, rather laboured and scratchy.
On the other hand, she has some great depth of edge and is nicely back on her blades for some of her one foot work.
Overall, one could say that there is an unevenness in her skating skills, with inconsistency and instability in the way she balances on her blades.
She seems more stable in the more recent clip below. Could be a better choice of boot, or evening out of developing.
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- Mar 24, 2017
Posts per page are now 20 per page by default (it was 10 before, and 15 before that). If you really want to, you can go and change the no. of posts per page in general settings to 10 again and then it will show as 800 pages. The actual number of posts is the same.
Oh that's right! Thank you! I wondered for a moment if it had gotten so bad that someone had to filter through the entire thing
Anyway - take it that if Vasilieva does not place in the top 3 she probably doesn't get a second GP and Tarakanova most likely does?
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2014
It was.
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2017
I don't know, I think the old one shows more of her edges but the new one shows how much she's grown :think:
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2018
Oh that's right! Thank you! I wondered for a moment if it had gotten so bad that someone had to filter through the entire thing
Anyway - take it that if Vasilieva does not place in the top 3 she probably doesn't get a second GP and Tarakanova most likely does?
Tarakanova already has a second JGP. Vasilieva only has one right now, and unless she manages to win silver with 190+, it will stay like that.
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2018
with that ridiculous underscoring(as well as overscoring other skaters) Vasilieva is unfortunately out of the game already, right after her SP
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2013
Speaking of the edges, this inside edge is pretty good: https://i.imgur.com/6qrWqWa.png
Which reminds me, after falling in her FS she accelerated with a counter turn off a standstill which is pretty cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxMzn1pXYJ8
Uhm, I'm with Andromache's questions about whether the fit of the boots, or mounting of the blades is problematic.
This boot looks wrong. She seems to be pronating. Her lower leg is at a different angle to the ice than is the blade.
Getting these things right and making adjustments as kids grow is as much an art as a science.
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- Dec 29, 2013
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It was announced in Yulia’s thread that she will again commentate the GP this year. :yay:
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2017
Can someone explain to me the name variations Russia uses? Alena/Alenka/Alyona, Alina/Alinka, Evgenia/Zhenya/Janny etc. just looking to be more educated since i know nothing about Russia
Not a native Russian speaker so feel free to correct, but:
There's the "normal" name -- this is your Evgenia, Alina, Maria, Daria, etc.
Then there's the short name, which is a nickname but can be used by anyone if the person likes it -- this is your Zhenya, Masha, Dasha, etc. Alina I think is too short to have one? Or is it Alya, and Alina just doesn't like that version?
And then there's the diminutive, which is a nickname for close family and friends -- this is your Zhenechka, Mashka, Alinka, etc.
Alyona and Alena are different ways to transliterate the name from Russian. I think Alyona is more correct but both are pretty fine.
