2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

[Vandevska]

TAT has basically been Zhenya's 2nd trainer and lead cheerleader. I doubt something specific happened... can you honestly imagine TAT and Vaytsekhovskaya paying a friendly visit to SAMBO? Even if they keep far away from Eteri that is just not going to happen

Yeah sure it's because of TAT...

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They're just representing characters from the Madoka Magica anime. It doesn't really make sense when you haven't watched it, I guess but they're doing it well and it looks beautiful regardless. The most important things to know is that the magical girl genre is always based around normal school girls turning into these super hero type fighters in pretty dresses to combat some evil force with their super powers. Sailor Moon is THE magical girl anime. Madoka is a bit of a deconstruction of that, taking a darker turn on the typical magical girl premise. Madoka, who is played by Alina here, is the kind and a bit naive protagonist with surprisingly strong powers and Homura, played by Evgenia, is her stoic friend/rival/protector (the relationship is very complicated), who travels through time again and again, trying to save Madoka from death and always failing, growing more and more desparate each time. I think the ad manages to capture the concept surprisingly well for how short it is.

I missed this somehow before lol! Thank you for the description! ^_^

 

[narcissa]

16 17 and 18 are not early teens. Zhenya was great at the olympics. What's done is done. Zhenya has to live with her bold decision. She seems happy and I hope she has a big comeback season next year.

Don't get your point. The point is what worked for her when she was YOUNGER won't work as she gets OLDER. People only age in one direction.

 

[Lechat]

I'm facepalming so hard at the last question. The Interviewer tried really hard to sell the idea that Alina should be resting after Europeans and should be the one to not get a spot for worlds. Clearly this is an amazing and totally fair idea. Rika and Bradie should also rest after they go to CC.

If Alina wins Europeans I hope she will officially be excluded from the "skate off" and these talks from the press will stop...

Zhenya changing her coach again also sounds like a dumb and clickbaity rumour. I'm 99.9% sure she will stay with Orser for at least another season.

Ahhhhhh!!!!! If there’s a competition Alina shouldn’t miss it’s the world championship. Her free was a total mess last year and I think she wants to medal this time.

 

[Lechat]

I don't think she's welcomed at sambo 70 anymore no matter what the director might say.

Yes must be ankward as hell.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Well if Zhenya is (or essentially has) moved to CSKA then that would explain the regression this season

Just when I thought Gubanova finally caught a break too by becoming the strongest skater at the school. Certainly if this move proves true Zhenya will be the number 1.

 

[malya]

Yeah sure it's because of TAT...

Ofc it is because of TAT & Vayts and 'many people at Sambo' are at crossroads. Please tell me why Zhenya should train at Sambo when the people she works with/ that support her work with and support CSKA over Sambo?

100% Alina, Zhenya and Eteri (or whoever you think is actually 'at fault' for this terrible surprising devellopment?) just want a safe place to train and no drama. People really should stop looking for some new 'scandalous reason' for everything.

Professional Sports 101: If you don't get along, keep away from each other. Everybody keep silent about the other 'side' and act like grown up professionals when you have to work together.

It would be nice if that is what is happening.

 

[BillNeal]

Ahhhhhh!!!!! If there’s a competition Alina shouldn’t miss it’s the world championship. Her free was a total mess last year and I think she wants to medal this time.

Agree, she would be hungry for that World medal and looking to stabilize after two subpar free skates at both Worlds last season and Nationals this season, that cause her to finish off the podium. There are obviously some issues that her team needs to address, otherwise with stiff competition from the Japanese ladies, the return of Liza and Caro, it's looking like the best hope for a World medal is a bronze.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Agree, she would be hungry for that World medal and looking to stabilize after two subpar free skates at both Worlds last season and Nationals this season, that cause her to finish off the podium. There are obviously some issues that her team needs to address, otherwise with stiff competition from the Japanese ladies, the return of Liza and Caro, it's looking like the best hope for a World medal is a bronze.

No matter how many times you make this exact post it always amuses me.

Why must your glass be half empty?

 

[malya]

Well if Zhenya is (or essentially has) moved to CSKA then that would explain the regression this season

Just when I thought Gubanova finally caught a break too by becoming the strongest skater at the school. Certainly if this move proves true Zhenya will be the number 1.

I didn't see the CSKA bonus for Gubanova this season either. Not sure if her change paid off

The team and GP spot announcement next season will disappoint me for so many amazing skaters regardless of who gets chosen...

 

[rachno2]

No matter how many times you make this exact post it always amuses me.

Why must your glass be half empty?

I mean, it's only half-empty for one skater. He's seeing it half-full for quite a few others

I didn't see the CSKA bonus for Gubanova this season either. Not sure if her change paid off

I still think Gubanova might be OK. She was a quasi-junior this season (listed as a sub for the JGP), which might have affected her standing with the judges (then again, Stanislava was in the same position last season and ended up going to Junior and Senior Worlds, so who knows!) Nastya just needs to get a GP assignment so she can show the world what she's capable of. Please give her a chance, RusFed

 

[Vandevska]

Ofc it is because of TAT & Vayts and 'many people at Sambo' are at crossroads. Please tell me why Zhenya should train at Sambo when the people she works with/ that support her work with and support CSKA over Sambo?

100% Alina, Zhenya and Eteri (or whoever you think is actually 'at fault' for this terrible surprising devellopment?) just want a safe place to train and no drama. People really should stop looking for some new 'scandalous reason' for everything.

Professional Sports 101: If you don't get along, keep away from each other. Everybody keep silent about the other 'side' and act like grown up professionals when you have to work together.

It would be nice if that is what is happening.

I agree with the bolded, and I also think people should not create drama, but I don't think that statements like yours above ".... because of TAT ...." and stuff are actually doing that. I am actually not blaming anyone, my previous response was just sarcasm. As I said, even if it wasn't for those "external forces", I still don't think she would've been welcomed at Sambo. So maybe she just felt more support and felt more comfortable with training there.

 

[Scott512]

Don't get your point. The point is what worked for her when she was YOUNGER won't work as she gets OLDER. People only age in one direction.

I guess we just disagree and i feel like a cat chssing its tail on this subject.

How do you know it wouldnt work? Did you watch the oympics? There was no decline in Zhenya. So im supposed to believe she wold have declined under eteri 6 months later? She wss great in PC. Im sure Zhenya would have done very well with her old coach this season. And she would have been on the euro and world team too. I hope Zhenya turns it around next season with more time under her new coach and team. BO says it takes 18 months. Thats an eternity in figure skating especially since Russia has so many great girls coming up.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I don't understand how anyone would think Alina's Worlds spot is in jeopardy. She was the best Russian in 4 international events this season. She was the second best (age eligible) skater at Nationals. What could she possibly do at Euros that would make her not one of the three best women to send to Worlds?

 

[andromache]

I don't understand how anyone would think Alina's Worlds spot is in jeopardy. She was the best Russian in 4 international events this season. She was the second best (age eligible) skater at Nationals. What could she possibly do at Euros that would make her not one of the three best women to send to Worlds?

Finish off the podium?

Which I think is basically impossible. Even her worst previous performances would still get her a bronze at Euros this year.

 

[esteticlove]

Ahhhhhh!!!!! If there’s a competition Alina shouldn’t miss it’s the world championship. Her free was a total mess last year and I think she wants to win this time.

Fixed. :cool14:
Alina has the strongest TES without a 3A. Her PCS are also very high that's why I don't see her medalling lower than a clean Tuktamysheva. The biggest rival is Rika Kihira, only if clean. I didn't follow the Japanese Nationals but as far as I remember Rika didn't get gold which would mean that she had some troubles. She's a strong contender but has to work on her consistency. A GPF - scenario is possible but it doesn't mean that Alina has absolutely no chance of winning Worlds this season.

 

[malya]

With Gubanova, Sakhanovic, Tarusina, Tarakonova we got so many ladies that could pop of with GP spots next year and do what Sofia has been doing this season... I don't envy the people who have to decide

I agree with the bolded, and I also think people should not create drama, but I don't think that statements like yours above ".... because of TAT ...." and stuff are actually doing that. I am actually not blaming anyone, my previous response was just sarcasm. As I said, even if it wasn't for those "external forces", I still don't think she would've been welcomed at Sambo. So maybe she just felt more support and felt more comfortable with training there.

I'm sorry but at this point it should be obvious that some people associated with the russian ladies just don't get along, and I did not even blame TAT for not getting along with everyone. Sadly TAT has always been very vocal about her dislikes so it's hard to not notice any conflict

Everybody should go and be friends with whoever he wants - and train where he feels comfortable. After the whole lost gold/look at those private SMS on tv/keeping Alina in juniors/no freedom/... drama in the media I doubt anyone even remotely involved feels 100% comfortable around each other. At this point they just need to act decent in public and I'm satisfied

 

[narcissa]

I guess we just disagree and i feel like a cat chssing its tail on this subject.

How do you know it wouldnt work? Did you watch the oympics? There was no decline in Zhenya. So im supposed to believe she wold have declined under eteri 6 months later? She wss great in PC. Im sure Zhenya would have done very well with her old coach this season. And she would have been on the euro and world team too. I hope Zhenya turns it around next season with more time under her new coach and team. BO says it takes 18 months. Thats an eternity in figure skating especially since Russia has so many great girls coming up.

Hmm, I see a pretty clear decline in her jumps from 2015 Worlds to 2018 Olympics.

That being said, I'm just going by what Zhenya says. And she knows her own body well. Even Eteri says that the secret to her skaters' success is the hard training regime and multiple runthroughs. It's not hard to see that that wears you down when you no longer have the right body for it or the youth to bounce back from injuries. Do you think the reason behind the men's inconsistency is that they're not doing enough runthroughs? Sounds like a joke.

Zhenya, as an Olympic silver medalist and 2x World Champion, probably doesn't care that much about another World medal as much as she does to go to the next Olympics. The probability of that is probably close to 0% with Eteri. Even if it's 5% with Orser, it's a rational and very mature decision for her. She is smart to see the forest for the trees.

 

[tothepointe]

I don't think people should read too much into the fact that she has been training in Moscow for a month. She obviously went for Nationals and then stayed for Christmas which runs until the 6th in Russia. She has no upcoming competitions so why not stay at home with her family and friends.

 

[hippomoomin]

Now I have googled the title of the video and it seems Alina and Evgenia are portraying two Anime characters. Probably the two are good friends in the story.

It was most likely edited. I vaguely remember the girls filming in different times. It looks beautiful but I don't understand the concept

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Agree, she would be hungry for that World medal and looking to stabilize after two subpar free skates at both Worlds last season and Nationals this season, that cause her to finish off the podium. There are obviously some issues that her team needs to address, otherwise with stiff competition from the Japanese ladies, the return of Liza and Caro, it's looking like the best hope for a World medal is a bronze.

World bronze being her best hope?! I'mma just put this right here: http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/pbslto.htm