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- Sep 30, 2006
It's crazy that a former world champion, 2 time former world champion and current Olympic champion may not be making the team (unless Rusfed sacrifices Anna to prop up Alina). The 3As could very well sweep the podium at Worlds.
2019-20 Ladies' power ranking
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- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
It's not unheard of; in 2016 Liza (2015 World Champ), Adelina (Reigning OGM), and Julia (2014 WSM) were left off after missing the podium at Nationals. I wouldn't count Alina and Evgenia out just yet; the youngsters aren't going to land the hard jumps 100% of the time, so it will be interesting to see if the veterans can hold it together and sneak onto the World team if errors happen.
2016 Elizaveta: she missed the GPF and finished 8th at Nationals, and while Lipnitskaia is 1 of my favorites - both she and Sotnikova were never the same after the Olympic season and never back in the form. Zagitova there is the potential that she's still going to have her form from last World Championships but still not be good enough to beat out 3 other skaters to make it on the team to go to Europeans/Worlds.
That's because she had 2 bombs last year; the only reason she wasn't watching Europeans and Worlds at home was because the top 3 finishers at Nationals were underage - this season those 3 competitors are age-eligible and have so far looked stronger than they did last year.
Let's not forget Canada is not a cheap place to live and if she doesn't keep herself on the national team or if she gets knocked to the reserve team would her funding be enough to stay in Canada. I get the 'pursuit of your dream' but hopefully someone keeps her realistic about how much of her money she's made is going towards funding staying in Canada when there are quality coaches in Russia that will be cheaper especially if this time next year she's putting out the same results
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2019
Skating is all she’s ever known, I think she will
Keep skating similar to Alena Leoneva
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2015
Well in all fairness, she was dealing with issues with puberty as well as a huge burn on her leg at Nationals. But she looks, as far as possible, to be in peak form right now, pretty close to what she was at world's last year, and her scores at World's are nothing to sniff at.
I think it's quite ironic for everyone to be prematurely counting her out when only Trusova, of all the new Russian ladies, have actually surpassed Alina's clean scores. Alina, when clean, can still score ~235 to 240. Alena for now has scored 234, and Anna 227. Obviously, both girls have lots of room for improvement, and likewise for scores to go up; Alena, if she puts in that 3A into the SP may get a leg up over her perhaps, and if Anna's PCS rises will make them great contenders. But they'd be contenders nonetheless; Even sans 3A or quad, Alina is, and still can score pretty competitively against her younger peers with her current tech alone.
It's hard to say what will happen in figure skating, and obviously we're all going to have our own opinions of how the season may turn out – how the season unfolds, we'll have to see. Alina may make it to World's, she might not, but if she continues skates like how she's been skating at World's, at Test Skates, and at Japan Open, I'd be hard pressed to count her out of the game yet.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2017
National Team usually consists of 6-7 people so as long as she gets big enough scores to keep her WR and SB and gets GP spots, she should be fine. The question is if it's the federation that pays for her living and training in Canada. It seems to cost a few times more than what your average Russian skater spends (many local coaches get salary from fed so most skaters train for free and living costs are smaller as many skaters live with their parents, not to mention lower cost of living overall).
But it will be very hard for Zhenya if she doesn't get to go to major tournaments. The GPF chances are basically gone, qualification to Worlds and Euros will be even harder. She might not lose all fed support, but getting sponsor contracts and show offers will be much more difficult.
Obviously anything can happen and RusNats will probably be the most important tournament for top Russian skaters.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
It's the price of skating in a country where the sport is so popular and competitive. Of course the pros to this are support from the federation (financially - everyone can be a figure skater in Russia as the fed covers many costs, access to great facilities, coaches, choreographers, specialists) and the possibility of becoming a huge star with all the sponsorships and $ that follows if you're successful. On the other hand, skaters from smaller federations can make the world team much more easily, but don't have the same resources and aren't as popular even if they are successful (ie. less $).
Though this year, is probably the most difficult year that the Russian ladies have had, ever. Alina and Liza are pretty much in the best shape they've ever been in (Alina like when she won Olympics and Liza when she won Worlds) but aren't even ranked in the top 3 FS scores (only program that has been scored internationally so far for all the top Russian ladies). With previous years, though the competition was still tough, experienced skaters were left off the world team because they had regressed even by a little bit, but this year could be different.
It's likely TUT will decide who is going home.
There is only one competition in the FS world where all four of 4A may swim in the one free-for-all bloodbath...
The RusNats. RusNuts, if you please... The Great Civil War.
Last time it happenned in early 1990 when RusNats decided who will be the next Olympics Champion in pairs.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2017
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
If she's as good at Nationals as she was at Worlds, I think it's more likely than not she'd make the World team. Evgenia and Liza probably can't top Alina's best. Sasha probably has to fall a few times to be vulnerable, maybe Anna too, but I don't think Alena is sure to skate clean with the 3As she needs to beat Alina. The problem is that a few mistakes from Alina could find her place behind all five of those skaters.
This is not granted. RusNats are.What about GPF?
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
Why not? She's already done a FS with two 3As, one was UR but she still scored 157 which is close to what Anna and Sasha have scored. I think Anna, Alena, and Alina are very close right now. But if we're assuming they all skate completely clean at nationals, the 3A will probably get the spots as their BVs are much higher, more than what I believe PCS can make up. Especially since Alena's GOEs are up there with Alina's.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2019
They're just saying that its not a sure thing that Alena will skate clean with two 3As. Yes she's done it once before, but that doesn't mean she'll do it every time (which is clear from the practice today). Don't get me wrong, I love Alena and believe in her, but I don't think its 100% a given that she will skate clean. And all this person is saying is that its not 100% a sure thing that she'll land the 3As, just like its never a 100% sure thing that the quad girls will land quads. And if Alena falls on 3As while Alina goes clean, then Alina would win. I believe in Alena though and hope she goes clean like she's done before.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
It's not 100% given that ANY of them will skate clean, though. Looking at this season so far, Alena has landed her 3As 1/1 competition attempted. So far it's 100% of the time. Same for Anna's 4Lz and Alina's FS jump layout. Sasha has also landed 4Lz and two 4Ts at 100% of her skates this season (which is all she needs to score 160+). So far it looks to me like they all have the same likelihood of going clean in the FS.
Sasha has landed three 4Lz an six 4T this season.
Doesn't matter.
She needs to land all those in two decisive tournaments: RusNats, to be selected for Worlds, and Worlds itseft, if selected.
There's 25% probability she will succeed but she has everything needed right now to succeed.
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2019
The latest news tells me that Alena may have in SP 85. In FS, Alena's sum can easily be 160 and higher. Not bad for competition...
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2019
There’s no way Trusova should come close to Aliona with PCS. That’s something fans should be concerned with instead of whining about skaters being dinged for URs and time deductions.
