2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

[Lunalovesskating]

It‘s fine if she wants to try out new things, it‘s just a dress afterall but my personal favorite are still Olga (this woman is beyond talented to make almost every dress look fabulous!!) and the person who dresses the Korean girls. Does anyone know who he/she is? Because all the junior Korean girls I‘ve seen this season were wearing dresses that were just: :luv17: :luv17:

[...] Then she could have had the entire off-season to study how to move to a tango, how to really feel the music and rock next year with a mature, sensual tango. Now it‘s all kind of in a hurry and she has two programs she doesn‘t feel comfortable skating to yet. But her team will know better which choices are right for Zhenya. And she said she wants to try new things so I‘m sure she‘ll use a different choreographer some time. Maybe even next year since this is one of the most crucial ones with all the dominating juniors turning senior.

Lisa McKinnon makes the dresses for some of Korean girls like Eunsoo. Her dresses are really beautiful. I hope Evgenia works with her or with Olga in the future. She posts her dresses on Instagram. They really are amazing.

I enjoy Averbukh‘s choreos aswell. Yes. They should really let her work with someone experienced in tango to improve her sensual tango. She has skated to classic music all the time, a tango is a big change of style for her so she really needs to adjust to this new style. I really like the style of the SP (probably because of Sandra's influence) it is a new change for her but I think she adjusted to it already a bit more and when she gets more confident it will get better. As far as I know they only took Wilson as a choreographer, because she just changed coaches and Wilson works at TCC and therefore was quickly available for them. After the season they will probably now if Wilson fits her or not. I am looking forward to see what he will do with the choreo until Skate Canada as he was away in Spain and Japan during the time from the Russian test skates until Autumn Classics and could not work on new transitions, choreo etc. with her then.

 

[katymay]

nah...
I definitely don't miss it:
" intro, lap around the ice, long setup skating two-footed across the icerink, jump, setup, jump, crossover, setup, jump, some hands wigglings, step-sequence, crossover, jump, setup, jump, spins, setup, jump, chore-sequence, setup, jump and final spins."

Oh man, right? I don't miss that either. Nor the crooked 6.0 standard. But there needs to be a happy medium between Alina's crammed program, and the emptier programs that are more pleasing.

 

[moriel]

I agree about the FS dress. It seems a bit too bright for this darker and more mature theme. Overall, her dresses aren‘t too spectacular. Pretty, yes, but nothing compared to her former dresses. It‘s fine if she wants to try out new things, it‘s just a dress afterall but my personal favorite are still Olga (this woman is beyond talented to make almost every dress look fabulous!!) and the person who dresses the Korean girls. Does anyone know who he/she is? Because all the junior Korean girls I‘ve seen this season were wearing dresses that were just: :luv17: :luv17:

I have always preferred Averbukh‘s choreography. I won‘t deny it, I love programs with a story behind them, however tacky it might be. I‘m neutral towards Wilson. I really like the new SP and think it‘s more due to Zhenya not being comfortable skating to it yet than him creating a mess. But still, you can clearly see Sandra Bezic‘s work in this SP, too, so there‘s that... The FP is a result of lack of time + a new style for Zhenya. In my opinion it would have been a more strategically efficient choice to take a new SP but make the FP something she is comfortable skating to. Like, they could have easily made her Memory Exhibition into a program. Then she could have had the entire off-season to study how to move to a tango, how to really feel the music and rock next year with a mature, sensual tango. Now it‘s all kind of in a hurry and she has two programs she doesn‘t feel comfortable skating to yet. But her team will know better which choices are right for Zhenya. And she said she wants to try new things so I‘m sure she‘ll use a different choreographer some time. Maybe even next year since this is one of the most crucial ones with all the dominating juniors turning senior.

Yep, I agree. A safe choice would be an SP to whatever she wants, and FS in her old style, and a tango gala, for example.
I kinda understand she wanted to change everything entirely, but that is not a safe choice imho.

 

[Vandevska]

Yep, I agree. A safe choice would be an SP to whatever she wants, and FS in her old style, and a tango gala, for example.
I kinda understand she wanted to change everything entirely, but that is not a safe choice imho.

I think they might've wanted to make a statement, but that statement (at least as of yet) is not there.

 

[Eeyora]

I apologize if this has already been answered but does anyone know what is going on with Alena K’s health? The poor thing didn’t look well.

 

[Sugar Coated]

I think her problems with 2A might be connected to the fact that she started training 3A more.

That was exactly my thought. I’ve read that before. I think with one of the other Eteri juniors? That when they started training quads for one of the jumps it completely messed up that jumps triple.

 

[atsumiri]

That was exactly my thought. I’ve read that before. I think with one of the other Eteri juniors? That when they started training quads for one of the jumps it completely messed up that jumps triple.

no, there wasn't such an interview as far as I know.

 

[macy]

here's something to brighten everyone's day...

i had a dream last night that Trusova, Kostornaia, and Shcherbakova all skated their short programs at JGPF and were top 3 in that order, but Sasha had a 100 point lead over Alena and Alena had 30 points over Anna...and the long program wasn't until after the new year

 

[Sugar Coated]

I apologize if this has already been answered but does anyone know what is going on with Alena K’s health? The poor thing didn’t look well.

I’m worried that it’s nerves. She has a lot of pressure to live up to. I watched the FS program live and got really worried for her, you could see her shaking at the very beginning. She has always been the little carefree imp (I think that’s what Daniil called her) and I worry about her. I’m hopiny Daniil will be with her at the next events since they seem to have a good relationship and he seems really good at calming the girls before competition.

 

[Sugar Coated]

no, there wasn't such an interview as far as I know.

It may have been Zhenya. That she started trying to train for a 4S but it messed up her 3S? I do remember reading or seeing it discussed somewhere, can’t remember who.

 

[atsumiri]

It may have been Zhenya. That she started trying to train for a 4S but it messed up her 3S? I do remember reading or seeing it discussed somewhere, can’t remember who.

no. It wasn't Evgenia either.

 

[moriel]

I think they might've wanted to make a statement, but that statement (at least as of yet) is not there.

I personally feel that the russian saying "throw the baby out with the bathwater" kinda applies here.
Over the years, Zhenya developed some serious strengths, and her new team decided to "rework it all" and basically scrapped many of those also.

 

[VenusHalley]

You can easily get depression at 14, especially in such stressful environment. Not saying its her case, but saying you cannot be depressed at 14 is just silly.

 

[Vandevska]

I personally feel that the russian saying "throw the baby out with the bathwater" kinda applies here.
Over the years, Zhenya developed some serious strengths, and her new team decided to "rework it all" and basically scrapped many of those also.

Might have happened, yeah.

 

[TGee]

I don't think she normally has bad posture, it is just in this program she seems to be racing to keep up with the music and choreo, and powering it through. Another factor is that she is taller now, and there is an adjustment period for that.

I agree.

Given 7cm growth since the Olympics, one would expect Alina's posture to be affected for some time.

It will take some time to strengthen muscles and adjust her balance. The ballet training will help, but she may be needing some other off-ice training to help with the transition.

However, I share the concern that with the pressure to get her programs competition ready, she's lost some time to work on fundamentals that would improve her overall presentation as well as protect her from injury during what seems to be a vulnerable time for female skaters.

 

[moriel]

I agree.

Given 7cm growth since the Olympics, one would expect Alina's posture to be affected for some time.

It will take some time to strengthen muscles and adjust her balance. The ballet training will help, but she may be needing some other off-ice training to help with the transition.

However, I share the concern that with the pressure to get her programs competition ready, she's lost some time to work on fundamentals that would improve her overall presentation as well as protect her from injury during what seems to be a vulnerable time for female skaters.

I dont think there was any specific pressure.
She started the season in the typical team Eteri degree of readiness - they all have somewhat final versions of the programs when the season begins.

 

[TGee]

I dont think there was any specific pressure.
She started the season in the typical team Eteri degree of readiness - they all have somewhat final versions of the programs when the season begins.

Yes, I agree that it's typical for Eteri's skaters, and as OMG, Alina may feel extra pressure to be ready out of the gate.

But both the Olympic season and growth have to have been an enormous physical stress. On top of that, she faces the challenge of OS which many would argue warrants an adjustment to the training regimen on its own.

You've made cogent arguments why within the Russian context it is necessary to be on top right out of the gate in the fall, but one can still wonder if this is the best strategic plan for Alina looking to the longer term.

And when one considers that the other two skaters that she shared that Olympic podium with have taken time out, one way or another, there may have been a window for Alina to take another path this season.

 

[moriel]

Yes, I agree that it's typical for Eteri's skaters, and as OMG, Alina may feel extra pressure to be ready out of the gate.

But both the Olympic season and growth have to have been an enormous physical stress. On top of that, she faces the challenge of OS which many would argue warrants an adjustment to the training regimen on its own.

You've made cogent arguments why within the Russian context it is necessary to be on top right out of the gate in the fall, but one can still wonder if this is the best strategic plan for Alina looking to the longer term.

And when one considers that the other two skaters that she shared that Olympic podium with have taken time out, one way or another, there may have been a window for Alina to take another path this season.

Overall, this season is the one for Alina to win stuff, simply put. It may be the last one where she actually *can* win stuff, regardless of long term strategy.
Same for Zhenya.

Because next season, one of the uber juniors will become russia's #1 and win the golds. All 3 are stronger than both Alina and Zhenya, and it is highly unlikely that all 3 will flop next season.

 

[TGee]

Overall, this season is the one for Alina to win stuff, simply put. It may be the last one where she actually *can* win stuff, regardless of long term strategy.
Same for Zhenya.

Because next season, one of the uber juniors will become russia's #1 and win the golds. All 3 are stronger than both Alina and Zhenya, and it is highly unlikely that all 3 will flop next season.

This may be true.

And since we have old idiomatic expressions on the mind (had I a coin for every time my mother used the 'baby out with the bathwater' one....)

I'm going to say that my view on the Juniors chewing through the Senior ranks is in line with an old British one

'The proof of the pudding is in the eating'

We will see if the fast rotations are enough to take podiums as seniors where speed, more mature (less princessy) themes are needed.

The current crop will need to evolve to do different kinds of programs as seniors. Yes, Yulia, Evgenia and Alina did this, but I am less confident about the expression of some of those coming up.

 

[andromache]

Do we know what Alina's goals are? Does she have any long-term goals? Since she has already won OGM, I would not be surprised if she would be content to compete (and win) until she is no longer in the Russian top 3, and then retire, or to win Worlds this year and retire before she is no longer on top. If the World title is her primary goal, it makes sense to go full steam ahead this whole season to dominate and win.

(I admit that it is hard to imagine Alina staying with Eteri and continuing to compete after this season, since she will be vying with 2-3 other seniors on Eteri's team.