2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating

[Autumn Leaves]

What are the other URs, not called, that people are writing about all day, aside from Bell’s? Did Tursynbava, Kaori or Alina underrorate? Because they are the only three ahead of Evgenia. I am really asking; I am not good at discerning URs. Tennell‘s UR was so obvious that I saw it, but it was called.

 

[MissBeeFarm]

It is odd indeed, but could be a fluke on ISU's part.
Has this ever happened before? No doubt, other delegation leaders will protest this preferential treatment, unless there is a loophole in the rules.

This is the correct schedule, everything is quite normal, no need for anyone to protest. http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1819/wc2019/time0205.pdf

 

[skatingfan200]

What are the other URs, not called, that people are writing about all day, aside from Bell’s? Did Tursynbava, Kaori or Alina underrorate? Because they are the only three ahead of Evgenia. I am really asking; I am not good at discerning URs. Tennell‘s UR was so obvious that I saw it, but it was called.

You could argue about Tursynbaeva Lutz edge
https://www.imagebanana.com/s/1366/H4NAyPmr.html
and Zagitova´s 3lz3lo (landing 3lo)
https://www.imagebanana.com/s/1366/L56YjsB7.html

I think Zhenya´s 3T was rightfully called. Bell´s 3T was the biggest mistake from the TP.

 

[VenusHalley]

Why are the judges suddenly harder on Zhenya than they were before? That was borderline and there were much more obvious URs that weren’t called. I hope they aren’t too harsh in the free.

Well, there is a limited slot for favorite overscored ladies. Alina is taking that position for Russia, because she won some real important medal year ago, or something. I mean, when she is on, she is good... but I am but tired of judges picking few ladies to throughly douse in PCS and then skimp on others, especially if they are from smaller feds.

 

[Fluture]

They did not call many obvious URs with more than 90 degrees underrotation, while Zhenya's was borderline and could have passed as clean. The inconsistency in judging is what has people upset. If they want to be stricter on URs they should call everyone's equally.

This was my main problem. I don‘t disagree with Zhenya‘s UR. It was UR and should have been called as such. But then please be consistent and call all mistakes. From the top of my mind, I can think of Mariah‘s 3T (Mariah‘s actually one of my faves but that wasn‘t really fair) and Elizabet‘s lutz edge. I felt her GOE was too high on that jump with a flat edge and a very visible leg wrap. Her jumps have definitely improved in consistency and the coaching change turned out to be very successful for her but she still has pretty visible issues and a possible quad should not make the judges look past that. Same counts for Mariah. She is very artistical, a beautiful skater, but she does have problems with her 3-3 and it was clear today, even in real-time.

But overall, the Russian ladies really brought it today. With Alina in first place (and no lower than 3rd in the end unless something truly dramatic happens, I dare say), Zhenya in 4th and Sofia in 9th, the spots should be safe. Even if one of them has a bad FS, the other two should be solid enough to secure the spots. I‘m very happy with that, the girls were all great!

 

[Jontor]

You could argue about Tursynbaeva Lutz edge
https://www.imagebanana.com/s/1366/H4NAyPmr.html
and Zagitova´s 3lz3lo (landing 3lo)
https://www.imagebanana.com/s/1366/L56YjsB7.html

I think Zhenya´s 3T was rightfully called. Bell´s 3T was the biggest mistake from the TP.

Zagitova's Loop was called at Europeans but not here, and rightly so IMO. I think Alina skated perfectly, and I even think that it was the best ever skate she ever had...

 

[Alexz]

Alina: "What did you say about my Eteri?" https://twitter.com/i/status/1108386512973033472

 

[Alexz]

Btw I firmly believe Eteriya / Eteristan should participate at ISU competions as a separate nation.

We need flag and anthem of Eteristan

Yup. And citizens of this country would be called "Tutberyata".

 

[Mathman]

Eteristan national motto:

When all is said and all is done,
'Terigirls got a quad and you got none.

 

[Alexz]

It is actually sweet how Alina defends her coaches

ok, corrected.

 

[Amei]

How could SS be 9th with a clean program? No respect for euro champ.

Top 11 can medal? Really?

What are prospects for Russia keeping 3 spots? I would think good.

The good thing about Sofia S. is that her FS is where she has shined all year. I do think that had this competition been outside of Japan she would be ahead of Rika and Satoko.

 

[Scott512]

The good thing about Sofia S. is that her FS is where she has shined all year. I do think that had this competition been outside of Japan she would be ahead of Rika and Satoko.

True.

 

[NAOTMAA]

The good thing about Sofia S. is that her FS is where she has shined all year. I do think that had this competition been outside of Japan she would be ahead of Rika and Satoko.

I think Sofia suffers from being #3 Russian lady (by a big distance) so she lost a bit of ground there too.

 

[withwings]

Why are the judges suddenly harder on Zhenya than they were before? That was borderline and there were much more obvious URs that weren’t called. I hope they aren’t too harsh in the free.

...because she trains with Orser. No other reason why.

 

[Vandevska]

I am actually fine with Alina's PCS, considering the PCS scores the other ladies got. And ever since Russian Nationals I try not to complain over PCS, but I am to the moon and beyond butthurt over LilBet's 34.18 PCS score

 

[Fluture]

I am actually fine with Alina's PCS, considering the PCS scores the other ladies got. And ever since Russian Nationals I try not to complain over PCS, but I am to the moon and beyond butthurt over LilBet's 34.18 PCS score

I would have had Zhenya and Alina at about equal. With a performance like this from Zhenya, there‘s literally no reason why she should be behind her, other than that Alina‘s the new Russian #1. Had Alina not had her best SP of the whole season, I would have had her behind Zhenya. But yesterday she interpreted more than usually and felt her program more than she usually does.

Elizabet‘s PCS were... well, ridiculous is the only word I can think about and I’m sorry because I don’t want to insult her. But I was a bit annoyed because it’s not really fair to the other skaters who were lowballed in PCS such as Satoko and others. I want the judges to reward points were points are due and Elizabet was very strong in the technical aspects. PCS not so much. German Eurosport guys mentioned, too, that they were surprised at the difference between her and the other skaters (e.g. Lim) because ”they would have seen her strengths more in the technical aspects of the scores, not in both“.

We have to give her credit, she‘s improved tremendously in consistency and confidence but there are still visible issues with her skating and those are suddenly overlooked because she‘s... well, more consistent and Eteri‘s girl. And that‘s not okay. If anyone wants to ask what flaws exactly:

Flat lutz edge, not so good airposition on most jumps (very obvious leg-wrap), lack of commitment to the music and a blank expression. That‘s why I feel her GOE and PCS were not exactly justified. I‘d have had her at about Eunsoo’s score, maybe a bit higher. But certainly not 75.

Alina, however seemed very strong and while I don‘t agree with a score of that level (I‘d have had her a bit closer to the others, she was very clearly the best but not by that far), she really showed that she‘s now the obvious favorite for the gold. I don‘t think anyone can take it away from her, not even Rika, unless she makes a lot of mistakes. Which I think she won‘t. She looked very confident in practice and here as well.

 

[hippomoomin]

Honestly Sofia's strength is her consistency this season, while the other Russian ladies have up and downs. But at an event when almost all top 10 skate clean, she looks very generic.

The good thing about Sofia S. is that her FS is where she has shined all year. I do think that had this competition been outside of Japan she would be ahead of Rika and Satoko.

 

[flanker]

Eteriya/Eterissiya; Eteristan indicates a turkish country, not russian.

Some time ago, I've called it The Land of Eteri

 

[sx98423]

...because she trains with Orser. No other reason why.

... brians students do more than fine in terms of PCs. its probably bc zhenya hasn't been doing so hot until recently and hasn't had a wow performance yet

 

[Vandevska]

I would have had Zhenya and Alina at about equal. With a performance like this from Zhenya, there‘s literally no reason why she should be behind her, other than that Alina‘s the new Russian #1. Had Alina not had her best SP of the whole season, I would have had her behind Zhenya. But yesterday she interpreted more than usually and felt her program more than she usually does.

Elizabet‘s PCS were... well, ridiculous is the only word I can think about and I’m sorry because I don’t want to insult her. But I was a bit annoyed because it’s not really fair to the other skaters who were lowballed in PCS such as Satoko and others. I want the judges to reward points were points are due and Elizabet was very strong in the technical aspects. PCS not so much. German Eurosport guys mentioned, too, that they were surprised at the difference between her and the other skaters (e.g. Lim) because ”they would have seen her strengths more in the technical aspects of the scores, not in both“.

We have to give her credit, she‘s improved tremendously in consistency and confidence but there are still visible issues with her skating and those are suddenly overlooked because she‘s... well, more consistent and Eteri‘s girl. And that‘s not okay. If anyone wants to ask what flaws exactly:

Flat lutz edge, not so good airposition on most jumps (very obvious leg-wrap), lack of commitment to the music and a blank expression. That‘s why I feel her GOE and PCS were not exactly justified. I‘d have had her at about Eunsoo’s score, maybe a bit higher. But certainly not 75.

Alina, however seemed very strong and while I don‘t agree with a score of that level (I‘d have had her a bit closer to the others, she was very clearly the best but not by that far), she really showed that she‘s now the obvious favorite for the gold. I don‘t think anyone can take it away from her, not even Rika, unless she makes a lot of mistakes. Which I think she won‘t. She looked very confident in practice and here as well.

I agree with everything you're saying, but in a slightly different way. For example, I think it's fair that Zhenya is behind Alina PCS considering the showings she's had internationally this season, and the fact that even though I think that Alina's 3Lz was a bit UR, everything else was PERFECT. She's the Olympic Champion, and the difference was only 0.73, Zhenya still has the second highest PCS of the SP.
Another thing is that all the ladies in the last 2 groups got a PCS boost, with Sofia getting the lowest score (31.71) which is only 5.65 points lower than Alina's.
Now, Elizabet getting thirty-FREAKING-four (34, I was just being dramatic ), - basically the same as Satoko and Kaori, that's the only one I'd say is the odd one out when it comes to PCS scores in the last 2 groups.
There's a multitude of ways the FS can go, but I think Alina's in a pretty good position. Even if Rika has a clean FS, she's still far away in points to be second if Alina's clean.

Confession: Ever since the whole media outbreak after Zhenya moved, little by little I started rooting for Alina less and less. It's not fair, I know, and I'm still not sitting at home wishing she'll have a disaster of a skate, but it's just how I feel. I'm sorry to all Alina's fans here. I guess it happened because she is the only other Eteri skater from the same generation, and Eteri changing her narrative from "Alina really did great because of Evgenia, Evgenia is perfect" to "Evgenia only did that well because of Alina" just didn't sit right for me, and I involuntarily took sides. That's the outcome of the Eteri-Evgenia "war" for me.
And before you call me an Eteri hater, just so you know, I bought presents for the whole team and wrote them a letter, which I gave personally to Sergey and Daniil 2 weeks ago. I have mad respect for the team, but my heart can only fit Evgenia right now.