2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

[Jontor]

Now I hope Gubanova and Tarusina run off and apply for Kazakhstan citizenship. They could then go to worlds next year!!

 

[j00mla]

The podium is much better than I dreamed, it became just perfect thanks to Med's come back to her normal level. What a wonderful day, guys!

 

[hippomoomin]

I am so happy for Alina. It is almost like a fairytale came true to win after all the ups and downs this season. Now she can continue her career with more confidence. I was hoping she can be on the podium before the event.

Did Evgenia also grow taller? When they stood next to each other, Alina was still a little shorter than Evgenia. The difference was about the same when they stood next to each other at the Olympics victory ceremony. Or wiki is actually accurate, Alina is 5'2" and Evgenia is 5'3"?

 

[luanddu]

I am so happy for Alina. It is almost like a fairytale came true to win after all the ups and downs this season. Now she can continue her career with more confidence. I was hoping she can be on the podium before the event.

Did Evgenia also grow taller? When they stood next to each other, Alina was still a little shorter than Evgenia. The difference was about the same when they stood next to each other at the Olympics victory ceremony. Or wiki is actually accurate, Alina is 5'2" and Evgenia is 5'3"?

Zhenya said back in January that her height is 159cm, so I think she hasn't grown.

 

[silveruskate]

You confuse me with someone, that's for sure. It's too difficult to find old posts but there are those where after the announcement I supported her decision contemplating the psychological blow that she received after not winning the Olympics and how difficult it would be for her to share the ice with Alina.

When things went the way they went like that awful short program that they scrapped later on, when she forgot how to jump, when miserable ongoing results were masked by long-term promises, yes, I actively expressed my doubts. But not in Zhenya but in Borser's skills as a coach. I still don't think that he is a good ladies' coach. You can put on Kazakhstan pullover, you can bring expressive mom to K&C but it cannot cover the need to be there for your pupils every day like Eteri does.

I still think that Medvedeva can do better with a different coach. Even at her best she lost more than 10 points to her Olympic score while Alina did not.

I see the progress in Eusoon Lim in just 1 season. Raf could be a good idea for Zhenya now that her return to Eteri is absolutely out of question...but I understand that things will stay next season like they are now. I just wish her luck.

You don't know the first thing about coaching a figure-skater so I don't get your disrespect towards Orser.

Zhenya has come back from injury, physical growth, mental challenges, a new country and a new coach, leaving this season with a fabulous 2A, better Lutz which is improving and a Loop combo. It might not have shown in the results yet, but Zhenya was 1/8th of a rotation from scoring 77/78 in her SP which was her first performance in international competition. Her FS didn't have the transitions and it wasn't a good choreography imo but she still managed 149 despite an UR on the 2A with the negative GOE that comes with it. The fact that you said this is her at her best says everything. I'm thrilled with Alina's scores and performances, but don't use her to try and shame someone else.

Despite this brilliant comeback at Worlds you're still trying to predict gloom as if she needs to change coach, or go back to Eteri. Zhenya was 43kg at the Olympics, she's gaining strength and muscle now like she needs to.

 

[Tolstoj]

Haha and some people were clueless enough to think Russia wouldn’t keep 3 spots.

I think there was a chance considering Alina's previous performances, Evgenia's season and Samodurova's score as debutant. Japanese podium sweep at home was a real possibility.

Hat off to the teams cause both Eteri prepared both Alina and Elizabet perfectly for Worlds, Evgenia Medvedeva showed her best here, and Sofia Samodurova skated clean all season, that made difference a bit of luck with japanese girls making costly mistakes between the two programs.

 

[andromache]

When things went the way they went like that awful short program that they scrapped later on, when she forgot how to jump, when miserable ongoing results were masked by long-term promises, yes, I actively expressed my doubts. But not in Zhenya but in Borser's skills as a coach. I still don't think that he is a good ladies' coach. You can put on Kazakhstan pullover, you can bring expressive mom to K&C but it cannot cover the need to be there for your pupils every day like Eteri does.

I still think that Medvedeva can do better with a different coach. Even at her best she lost more than 10 points to her Olympic score while Alina did not.

Evgenia and Alina are at very different points in their skating careers. Right now, Zhenya is adjusting to her mature body, weight/muscle gain, etc. Alina is in the middle of growing, trying to stay as slim as possible to hang on to her jumps - I would say Alina is now where Zhenya was during the Olympics. The jumps take more effort than they used to, there is a need to maintain a very strict diet and low weight in order to accomplish the jumps, but there is no major adjustment to technique yet. Zhenya is at the point where she cannot be healthy and maintain the low weight/strict diet forever (as it caused the fracture she had last season), so she has totally changed her approach. Of course it won't all come together perfectly right now.

We'll see where Zhenya and Alina are next season and compare again.

By the way - are you suggesting that male skaters do not need to have their coaches there every day but that ladies do? That seems unlikely - it probably just depends on each skater, and maybe the ages of the skaters as well. Older skaters can handle more independence in their training. But if an older skater prefers more coach involvement like Tursynbaeva does, that's okay too.

 

[fabienne1996]

Zhenya said back in January that her height is 159cm, so I think she hasn't grown.

But didn't alina grow like 8 cm this past season? So she would have to bet at least the same height? Cause I also thought that zhenya has grown a bit taller

 

[NAOTMAA]

I think it's easy to laugh now but the last two months it really did look like the Russians would lose the third spot.

Alina had mega meltdowns in her last two long programs. She scored only 123? in the free at Euros which combined with her short score would have barely made her top 10 here. Evgenia struggled the majority of the season and lost to Bradie Tennell twice of all skaters. Sofia was too much a newbie to carry them as she didn't have the reputation. So yeah losing three spots was very real.

It truly is remarkable at how gutsy and clutch they were here. They proved themselves every bit the champions they are. Now if only they can give whatever they have to the men!

 

[Seruleane]

While the first sentence isn't true at all (hello Tara Lipinski) I am quite happy that Alina proved me wrong. I still think the programs are atrocious but clearly the fault is on her choreographer. You can tell she's an incredibly hardworking girl and anyone who has a heart must feel even just a tiny bit of joy for her after the season she's had.

I'm glad you give credit and criticism where it is due. I think Alina will do better if they give her programs that allow her to show more of her beautiful positions and flow across the ice. I believe she actually has very good skating skills but due to the number of steps and transitions, she has to hurry through them and it makes people unfairly think she has poor posture and bad skating skills. I think Eteri and team will learn, and hopefully her programs will be better suited next year. Don Quixote and Black Swan were both masterpieces though, IMO.

 

[Lechat]

I'm happy for Alina and Evgenia. Really, it was Alina's Euros performance that caused Liza to miss Worlds. Had Sofia not been the European champion, the Russian Fed would not have had to send her to Worlds. They just couldn't leave someone with a big, recent title at home.

I really thought Alina would win the europeans because she had no threat exactly like the worlds last year but this is sport and everything can happen. Alina is human and even a top athlete can fail sometimes.
At the Europeans Sofia won her worlds ticket so it was fair to send her and Rika struggled with her 3A and finished 4th I don’t think Liza could do better than Rika or Zhenia.

 

[sx98423]

Evgenia and Alina are at very different points in their skating careers. Right now, Zhenya is adjusting to her mature body, weight/muscle gain, etc. Alina is in the middle of growing, trying to stay as slim as possible to hang on to her jumps - I would say Alina is now where Zhenya was during the Olympics. The jumps take more effort than they used to, there is a need to maintain a very strict diet and low weight in order to accomplish the jumps, but there is no major adjustment to technique yet. Zhenya is at the point where she cannot be healthy and maintain the low weight/strict diet forever (as it caused the fracture she had last season), so she has totally changed her approach. Of course it won't all come together perfectly right now.

We'll see where Zhenya and Alina are next season and compare again.

By the way - are you suggesting that male skaters do not need to have their coaches there every day but that ladies do? That seems unlikely - it probably just depends on each skater, and maybe the ages of the skaters as well. Older skaters can handle more independence in their training. But if an older skater prefers more coach involvement like Tursynbaeva does, that's okay too.

if you watched closely over this season alina has progressively gotten quite a bit thicker to point where it must be intentional. i think her days of trying to keep her jumps are close to over. her jumps have been bigger, with more pop, much better than when she was stick thin. it seems like they've figured out that alina doesn't actually need to starve herself to have beautiful jumps and are focusing on more muscle power. she is significantly bigger than at the olympics (and i mean this in the best way) and her jumps still got better. all she needs now is her consistency

and there has been major technique adjustment,she's using her legs more and her body less. do you really think she's just been starving herself and trying the same thing when it was obvious that it wasn't gonna work anymore lol? obviously there was major overhaul in her training.

 

[starla16]

if you watched closely over this season alina has progressively gotten quite a bit thicker to point where it must be intentional. i think her days of trying to keep her jumps are close to over. her jumps have been bigger, with more pop, much better than when she was stick thin. it seems like they've figured out that alina doesn't actually need to starve herself to have beautiful jumps and are focusing on more muscle power. she is significantly bigger than at the olympics (and i mean this in the best way) and her jumps still got better. all she needs now is her consistency

and there has been major technique adjustment,she's using her legs more and her body less. do you really think she's just been starving herself and trying the same thing when it was obvious that it wasn't gonna work anymore lol? obviously there was major overhaul in her training.

Alina has stocky but athletic build like a taller Kostornaia
I find Zagitova. Kostornaia and Trusova more relying on muscle power which helps them when they adjust to puberty

I cannot say the same for Shcherbakova that looks like an upgraded Med version
even Med figure out to stop starving and is now putting on muscles, maybe Shcherbakova is just naturally skinny . Of all the Eteri junior Valieva is the one that wont survive puberty with unsustainable take off, iffy lutz and technique reminds me of Julia.

 

[Scott512]

While the first sentence isn't true at all (hello Tara Lipinski) I am quite happy that Alina proved me wrong. I still think the programs are atrocious but clearly the fault is on her choreographer. You can tell she's an incredibly hardworking girl and anyone who has a heart must feel even just a tiny bit of joy for her after the season she's had.

Tara won euros? The United States has no equal to Euros. Okay I'll make an amendment to what I posted earlier Alina has won all the major jr.titles and all the major senior titles for a European.

Atrocious? Lol.

 

[Jontor]

What were the Technical Judges thinking during Samodurova's skate? At first they thought her 3Lz was a 3F so when she did her third 3F they flagged it as a repeat jump. They corrected it later...

 

[sx98423]

Alina has stocky but athletic build like a taller Kostornaia
I find Zagitova. Kostornaia and Trusova more relying on muscle power which helps them when they adjust to puberty

I cannot say the same for Shcherbakova that looks like an upgraded Med version
even Med figure out to stop starving and is now putting on muscles, maybe Shcherbakova is just naturally skinny . Of all the Eteri junior Valieva is the one that wont survive puberty with unsustainable take off, iffy lutz and technique reminds me of Julia.

honestly i hope your wrong about kamila she's a such gem but i feel like there's a pretty high chance that you're right. the amount of body twisting she does right now to get her combos out doesn't make me optimistic about her jumps surviving puberty. but i'm sure her team will do everything they can to fix the issues before they turn into a huge headache when she gets older. i really want to see if they manage to fix her jumps a bit for next season, they managed to kinda fix alena's leg wrap so maybe they'll actually pull it off.

 

[starla16]

honestly i hope your wrong about kamila she's a such gem but i feel like there's a pretty high chance that you're right. the amount of body twisting she does right now to get her combos out doesn't make me optimistic about her jumps surviving puberty. but i'm sure her team will do everything they can to fix the issues before they turn into a huge headache when she gets older. i really want to see if they manage to fix her jumps a bit for next season, they managed to kinda fix alena's leg wrap so maybe they'll actually pull it off.

if you look at Kamilas jumps she has a force take off, its scary they way she even toe picks. That is already an alarm her problem might be worse than Julia if this wont get fixed.

 

[starla16]

What were the Technical Judges thinking during Samodurova's skate? At first they thought her 3Lz was a 3F so when she did her third 3F they flagged it as a repeat jump. They corrected it later...

Samodurova always get low score in Japan same when she was in junior grand prix where she was underscored and dint podium placing in 4th.
She better hope she wont get assigned in Japan in the near future.

 

[[email protected]]

You don't know the first thing about coaching a figure-skater so I don't get your disrespect towards Orser.

I assume that you are a figure skating coach and registered just some days ago to explain things. I believe that you can explain anything. But I read those things in hundreds or even thousands since 2014 including those from people who think a lot about their understanding of figure skating.

No matter what explanations one brings there are facts. And one of those facts is that Tursynbaeva could achieve nothing with Orser and in 1 year got the worlds silver with Eteri. One could see or just imagine improvements in Medvedeva's skating. The fact is that she lost 12 points to her OG results in her absolutely best skate of the season. And I attribute her getting the worlds podium to her unbelievable grit and will in addition to her strong basics (double WC) rather than to Orser's work.

Let's finish with this - we won't understand each other.

 

[Fluture]

if you look at Kamilas jumps she has a force take off, its scary they way she even toe picks. That is already an alarm her problem might be worse than Julia if this wont get fixed.

Well... there‘s the thing... Kamila will be 15 during the Olympics. It will be her first senior year. So, she doesn‘t necessarily “need“ to fix the technique, it should serve her fine until then, unless she becomes injured which I don‘t hope. It would surprise me if Eteri wasn‘t aware of that.