2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

[Shayuki]

It's indeed interesting question - why 4Lz before 4T? 0_0 I can think only about two possible reasons:
1) she already did 4T but Daniil just didn't record it
2) she has some problems with it and they decided to try another jump with unexpected success. And Lutz most likely because Sasha already did it and inspired her to be maximally competitive



Btw, remind me what was her best triple until now? 3Lz?

Anna's? Lutz has always been her best triple. It was also the triple she learned first.

Outside of that though, the triples aren't amazing. The Flip is okay but the edge is so-so. She also has sometimes struggled with fully rotating it. The salchow is extrordinarily tiny and the -3T is one she's underrotated and fallen on frequently. The loop has also been tiny but actually, her very last competition made me think that perhaps her Loop is her second-best triple after the Lutz. It suddenly stopped being tiny.

Then again, considering that she's done the 4T... I doubt it actually is that bad of a jump, either.


Ah, right. Lutz was certainly the plan, it wasn't something that was inspired by Sasha, I don't think. Back in early 2017, Daniil said that the two quads Anna had been working on are 4T and 4Lz.

 

[russianfan]

https://streamable.com/yf4sn

Slow-mo... Not UR. Clean Quad Lutz.

clean as a whistle to me...

 

[tars]

clean as a whistle to me...

It really is. With good speed, impressive height and better landing than last year's 4T (which was clean anyway).

 

[MaiKatze]

She'll need a generous invite - she will be in the Seasons Best top 75, just, and so will qualify for that. Has there ever been a skater taken so far down though, though if anyone's going to be it'll be her.

She would also need the Host Pick at Rostelecom. She's outside the Top 24 World Standings and so has no guaranteed spot.

If she had the year off she could always come back as a 'come back skater' and get 2 spots on account of her bronze medal at the 2016 World Championships, but there's going to be awful lot of competition next year. How they're going to handle it is anyone's guess.

She's going to be in ice shows in Japan this summer, so it might be we get a little glimpse of her form, if she jumps there. I'm not sure with her back, but I think if she's not coming back this season it'll be very hard to ever come back to the international stage next year. I've always thought if one skater could have lasted it was her. I recently watched Elena Radionova at 2013 GPF. And when you watch this you just become wary of all those girls who jump Quads now. It's going to be hard. As there are so many of them, one might prevail, but there are and will be only three spots. Who knows what next season will bring. I just would love to see Anna back, but not if she's not ready, please no repeat of last season. And if she misses the GP, so be it.

 

[Shayuki]

It really is. With good speed, impressive height and better landing than last year's 4T (which was clean anyway).

I noticed that the landing sounded a lot more light. Perhaps it's just a coincidence or a different volume level / microphone, but the landing "tap" is not nearly as loud and sounds like quite a gentle landing in comparison. I assume that's because this one wasn't as close in rotation so she could loosen the rotation up a little before landing.

 

[Shayuki]

Wait wait...she even did a transition into it?? :shocked:

Yeah. The angle and quality are pretty bad but I'm rather certain that it's the standard Choctaw-Mohawk Lutz entry. It should tick "Difficult entry" and "preceding steps".

 

[Mawwerg]

Wait wait...she even did a transition into it?? :shocked:

It's Eteri school style. If somewhere a transition could be inserted it will be there.

 

[Tyranid]

https://streamable.com/yf4sn

Slow-mo... Not UR. Clean Quad Lutz.

Wow. She gets air time like Michael Jordan.

But then... when you check the slow-mo, she prerotates. The ISU really needs to punish this.

 

[Shayuki]

Wow. She gets air time like Michael Jordan.

But then... when you check the slow-mo, she prerotates. The ISU really needs to punish this.

:think:
The rules allow for 180 degrees of pre-rotation. Top 4 in Olympics, for instance, pre-rotate Lutz, several of them more than Anna pre-rotated this one.

Now, if pre-rotation was forbidden by the rules that'd be one thing but because it's allowed... why would the ISU punish it?

And realistically, who would push for ISU to enforce "strict no pre-rotation Lutz" technique? Osmond pre-rotates, she's the top Canadian lady. All the top Russians pre-rotate. Miyahara pre-rotates(among other stuff). Bradie Tennell pre-rotates... Indeed, there's no significant fed who would want pre-rotation on Lutz to be against the rules and they would never out-influence Russia, Canada and Japan.

 

[moriel]

Yeah. The angle and quality are pretty bad but I'm rather certain that it's the standard Choctaw-Mohawk Lutz entry. It should tick "Difficult entry" and "preceding steps".

Sounds like a regular jump entry for Eteri group, i mean, do we ever see them *not* doing steps into jumps?
If anything, for Eteri standards, this is an easy entrance, because could be a charlotte spiral into jump or whatever like that.

 

[Fluture]

:think:
The rules allow for 180 degrees of pre-rotation. Top 4 in Olympics, for instance, pre-rotate Lutz, several of them more than Anna pre-rotated this one.

Now, if pre-rotation was forbidden by the rules that'd be one thing but because it's allowed... why would the ISU punish it?

And realistically, who would push for ISU to enforce "strict no pre-rotation Lutz" technique? Osmond pre-rotates, she's the top Canadian lady. All the top Russians pre-rotate. Miyahara pre-rotates(among other stuff). Bradie Tennell pre-rotates... Indeed, there's no significant fed who would want pre-rotation on Lutz to be against the rules and they would never out-influence Russia, Canada and Japan.

Exactly! And I don‘t get all this fuss about pre-rotating anyway. I mean, you only see if a skater pre-rotates if you look very, very closely and that‘s only if you have some knowledge about figure skating. The casual viewer? In no way is he or she going to get this right. The rules are already confusing, no need to make them even more so.

 

[Resa]

Exactly! And I don‘t get all this fuss about pre-rotating anyway. I mean, you only see if a skater pre-rotates if you look very, very closely and that‘s only if you have some knowledge about figure skating. The casual viewer? In no way is he or she going to get this right. The rules are already confusing, no need to make them even more so.

Look at Tuktamysheva's jumps and then look at Medvedevas, Zagitovas, etc. (any Prerotator) Jumps - subconciously, you will feel that Liza's Jumps are better to watch. Because they are smoother, have delayed rotation and are therefore more elegant and more vigorous/stronger!! I always recognize the prerotated Jumps, even without slow mo etc, because they look far superior and more laboured than actual technically perfect Jumps Imo. :agree:

 

[Fluture]

Look at Tuktamysheva‘s jumps and then look at Medvedevas, Zagitovas, etc. (any Prerotator) Jumps - subconciously, you will feel that Liza's Jumps are better to watch. Because they are smoother, have delayed rotation and are therefore more elegant and more vigorous/stronger!! I always recognize the prerotated Jumps, even without slow mo etc, because they look far superior and more laboured than actual technically perfect Jumps Imo. :agree:

Well, yes, that may be the case for you and others who are more invested in figure skating, but as I have many casual viewers in my family who know absolutely nothing about it, I can tell you that they mostly watch out for the presence of a skater on the ice and whether they fall or not. So seeing a skater who had no visible mistakes (e.g. step-outs, falls...) get severe point deductions just because they pre-rotated would greatly confuse them. And not only them but many, many more spectators. I‘m not saying that just because of the people in front of the TV, the rules should be lax or something like this, but we should definitely take into consideration that figure skating - like any sport - is kept alive not only by the athletes and the coaches but also the people who watch it, buy the tickets for competitions and shows etc.

Besides, there‘s also the fact that the current elite athletes mostly pre-rotate. Kaetlyn, Medvedeva, Zagitova, Miyahara and so on, so on. So what if Tuktamysheva‘s jumps look better? She‘s not been to Worlds, Olympics or anything this year....

And I definitely enjoy watching Zagitova jump. There’s nothing laboured as far as I can see. And Kaetlyn’s jumps are huge, even though she pre-rotates. That‘s just my opinion, though.

 

[hanca]

Look at Tuktamysheva's jumps and then look at Medvedevas, Zagitovas, etc. (any Prerotator) Jumps - subconciously, you will feel that Liza's Jumps are better to watch. Because they are smoother, have delayed rotation and are therefore more elegant and more vigorous/stronger!! I always recognize the prerotated Jumps, even without slow mo etc, because they look far superior and more laboured than actual technically perfect Jumps Imo. :agree:

Yes, they are so great. They are beautiful, high quality etc etc, but she very rarely lands them. But they are perfect. And rare, even for her.

 

[Helena b]

A new video about Russian ladies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMczgOaTBqQ&feature=youtu.be

 

[Spirals for Miles]

wonderful vid!

can I ask why Daria's not in here? at first I thought: this year's seniors only but then I saw Gubanova

 

[Helena b]

wonderful vid!

can I ask why Daria's not in here? at first I thought: this year's seniors only but then I saw Gubanova

I actually forgot that she's a junior. She looks so mature compared to tiny Trusova|Kostornaia|etc that I percieve her as a senior already . That's actually my first video ever so... If that's not so terrible, I have a few ideas about juniors as well.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I actually forgot that she's a junior. She looks so mature compared to tiny Trusova|Kostornaia|etc that I precieve her as a senior already . That's actually my first video ever so... If that's not so terrible, I have a few ideas about juniors as well.

You should include Anastasia in that one too :agree:

Btw: It’s a great video...thanks for sharing.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

I remember that for the 2016/18 season, the Russians were sending 3 ladies to some JGPs. This past season however, only 2 Russian girls appeared at any one Grand Prix. Why was that? Grand Prixs at home can send 3 girls? A new rule so that one country can’t sweep the medals? Just curious.

 

[Shayuki]

Sounds like a regular jump entry for Eteri group, i mean, do we ever see them *not* doing steps into jumps?
If anything, for Eteri standards, this is an easy entrance, because could be a charlotte spiral into jump or whatever like that.

It's a pretty regular jump entry, yes. As said, a standard jump entry... Nothing that special or creative about it. Even so, remember that this is a Lutz jump. Comparisons to Lutz entries:

1. Medvedeva. Same entry, but Medvedeva's Lutz afterwards stalks more(and of course, edge issues).
2. Zagitova. SP, she has... a three-turn into an edge change, which barely even is connected to a Lutz(two-footed in between and all)? I wouldn't even count this as any sort of an entry. Even more of a non-entry to the second Lutz. No hint of anything there.
3. Osmond. FS... Three-turn into a mohawk? Not sure if you can even call that a Mohawk, it's not... That clear.

In any case, this entry by Shcherbakova is superior to the Lutz entries of the top 3 skaters at Olympics, especially Zagitova who had no entries to speak of.