2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[silveruskate]

Congrats to Kamila. Her 4T is incredible and has so much height. Very talented.

As other posters said, I think it's best not to compare her to the 3A yet. Maybe Sasha during her first junior year would be a good comparison. You could say Aliona's too but she's a year older and it wouldn't be fair on Kamila to compare 13 yo Kamila to 14 to Aliona.

 

[silveruskate]

It also looks like Eteri really likes Usacheva? That was a beaming smile after her performance. Usacheva's air position during jumps reminds me a lot of Anna Shcherbakova. About Kamila, also I wonder why she uses her upper body a lot for her triples when she can just use her legs more like for the 4T.

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

Time schedule for senior worlds:
http://www.isuresults.com/schedules/WC2020_ColouredTimeSchedule.pdf

For me it's little depressing because ladies short and free will be fininshing sometimes around 4 a.m. :hopelessness:

I have to say, sometimes I like when competitions are at night, because I'm too nervous to actually watch I just like waking up to results.

 

[hippomoomin]

About Kamila, also I wonder why she uses her upper body a lot for her triples when she can just use her legs more like for the 4T.

I noticed that Kamila has quite strong arm muscles compared with the rest of her body, similar to those of Evgenia's. But I would say Kamila also has very strong leg muscles.

 

[Azikin]

Nastya was better than Stasya as a junior. The quality of the skating and the results there was no question who is better. It was simply political games in Stanislovas favor. Nastya actually did better in Senior Nationals then Junior Nationals one year they just ignored that. The FED does what they want.

Nastya at 14 and 15 was outstanding in Russian senior Nationals. But she of course got nothing for it. Stasya as much as I like her did not take advantage of her opportunities the past few years. That's putting it mildly. Now the door is shut on Anastasia. it must feel very bad to be 17 and know your competitive career is basically over before she had a chance. Same for Dasha. Now what of Nastya T? They can't all go to other countries. But I am surprised more of them do not change countries. especially if they get to still train in Moscow or st. Petersburg and just represent another country in competition. Both Nastyas owe the Fed nothing. Maybe its time to move on. If Shabotova and others can do it why not them?

Seeing Shabotova (and Safonova) as an example, it's not a simple matter to change countries, they both regressed and who knows if they can return to their previous form and if they are not overrun by local talent after all... I'd love for Nastya T. to change country (ideally for my own ) but who knows if that would be actually for the better...

 

[flanker]

I have to say, sometimes I like when competitions are at night, because I'm too nervous to actually watch I just like waking up to results.

Sometimes I feel it the same and don't wanna watch, but usually the curiosity is stronger and I already know I won't be able to sleep properly and at the end I would still turn the TV on... Asp. after the SP I want to see myslef at work after such restless night...

 

[flanker]

Seeing Shabotova (and Safonova) as an example, it's not a simple matter to change countries, they both regressed and who knows if they can return to their previous form and if they are not overrun by local talent after all... I'd love for Nastya T. to change country (ideally for my own ) but who knows if that would be actually for the better...

Yes, #NastyaForCzechia (even though the old hag Žákova wants Tuktamysheva).

 

[KOBOT37]

There is no way Russia lets Liza to change federations, that would be artificially creating more competition for the Russian Team.

 

[Arbitrary]

There is no way Russia lets Liza to change federations, that would be artificially creating more competition for the Russian Team.

I'm absolutely not sure Liza herself wants to change Fed.
She's still 1st subst for WC and knowing the situation with possible blocks/visas/WHO limitations and simply "entry denied for no reason", Liza still may found herself in WC-2020. May be even as the only RusFed representative.

There is no possibility to jump to another Fed "before" WC-2020 but doing it "after" means another year lost.
Also, which Fed has enough money to pay for a top-level coach?

 

[Scott512]

Seeing Shabotova (and Safonova) as an example, it's not a simple matter to change countries, they both regressed and who knows if they can return to their previous form and if they are not overrun by local talent after all... I'd love for Nastya T. to change country (ideally for my own ) but who knows if that would be actually for the better...

What is your country?

if you are buried for the rest of your career like some of these girls are you might as well change because you have absolutely nothing to lose.

Shabotova was kind of pushed out because of that silly thing she said about chocolate or whatever it was. Very unfortunate I think she's a very talented skater.

 

[Tolstoj]

So the decision by FFKKR to send Maya Khromykh to Junior World Championships over Kseniya Sinitsyna proved the right one.

Maya fought for her every element both in the qualifications at Russian National Championships and in the World Championships.

Kseniya, who I thought would be a lock and able to displace a higher ranked junior from her excellent Open Test Skates performances, never competed with the same attack and authority since, and seems to have regressed even in spirit.

In a sense we are at a loss when only one rink is representing the federation, but it is what it is.
The Tutberyats are just stronger, more determined competitors, hardened, toughened, able to bounce back, to collect themselves when it matters.

None of the girls wants to be less compared to the others.

Dar'ya skating at her very best under enormous pressusre right after Kamila's world championships skating run just testifies of her character, a character raised by her trainers collective and nurtured by her parents.

Yeah financially it is a bit of a disaster.

For all the successes of one club, you have dozens of clubs at a loss because they can't even participate at these events.

That only leads to let Eteri be in charge of all ladies figure skating in Russia, what Irina Viner does in RG.

As a watcher yeah you see more prepared skaters undoubtedly, but they all have a very very similar packaging done by the same choreographers always. Frankly i'd be more okay with all of this if Eteri allows to send these skaters to more choreographers, to bring more variety.

Sinitsyna may not be the most consistent jumper among the russian junior but you got to respect Panova's team work on skating skills, gliding,... her programs were excellent this season.

Imagine a competition with only Eteri skaters: athletically would be very exciting, artistically extremely boring cause it's one style applied to every single skater.

As for RusFed i don't think this proved anything: Sinitsyna would have also been fourth here most likely, it wasn't an Eteri sweep and it would have been more difficult anyway with Alysa being in the mix.

You can't blame them cause Eteri has the most prepared ladies, so maybe more chances to get medals, but you can't even praise them for betting all in one single club while the others at home watching.

 

[flanker]

You can't blame them cause Eteri has the most prepared ladies, so maybe more chances to get medals, but you can't even praise them for betting all in one single club while the others at home watching.

I would say that this too often is modified into "you can blame Eteri for having the most prepared ladies"

 

[Edwin]

Yeah financially it is a bit of a disaster.

For all the successes of one club, you have dozens of clubs at a loss because they can't even participate at these events.

That only leads to let Eteri be in charge of all ladies figure skating in Russia, what Irina Viner does in RG.

As a watcher yeah you see more prepared skaters undoubtedly, but they all have a very very similar packaging done by the same choreographers always. Frankly i'd be more okay with all of this if Eteri allows to send these skaters to more choreographers, to bring more variety.

Sinitsyna may not be the most consistent jumper among the russian junior but you got to respect Panova's team work on skating skills, gliding,... her programs were excellent this season.

Imagine a competition with only Eteri skaters: athletically would be very exciting, artistically extremely boring cause it's one style applied to every single skater.

As for RusFed i don't think this proved anything: Sinitsyna would have also been fourth here most likely, it wasn't an Eteri sweep and it would have been more difficult anyway with Alysa being in the mix.

You can't blame them cause Eteri has the most prepared ladies, so maybe more chances to get medals, but you can't even praise them for betting all in one single club while the others at home watching.

It is a bit of a stall/balance in standing still: no other rink is able to break into the very top, for they lack the ultra-si.

#TeamTutberidzeForProgress collecting all these medals, all this prize money, only makes them stronger and more firm in their superiority.
They still need to finish the Senior World Championships on a high first, though, before they can relax and start making plans for next season.

There are no 2005 born 'reserves' for senior assignments next year, so TShchK have to bear all the load.
And only 2007 born Adeliya Petrosyan will be added to the junior ranks, meaning VUK will have to bear their load as well.

Will be interesting to see wether Tuktamysheva, Medvyedeva and Zagitova will have any chance of displacing the Amazingly Awesome Aces, unless one of them drops out.

What about Gulyakova, Samodurova, Shulskaya, Tsibinova? Sinitsyna, Vasil'yeva, Tarakanova? Frolova will probably remain in Juniors for one more year?

The off season developments and preparations for the Open Test Skates will be most interesting to follow. First, in May, FFKKR will determine the national teams and allocate the resources. Who will be replaced?

 

[Tolstoj]

It is a bit of a stall/balance in standing still: no other rink is able to break into the very top, for they lack the ultra-si.

#TeamTutberidzeForProgress collecting all these medals, all this prize money, only makes them stronger and more firm in their superiority.
They still need to finish the Senior World Championships on a high first, though, before they can relax and start making plans for next season.

There are no 2005 born 'reserves' for senior assignments next year, so TShchK have to bear all the load.
And only 2007 born Adeliya Petrosyan will be added to the junior ranks, meaning VUK will have to bear their load as well.

Will be interesting to see wether Tuktamysheva, Medvyedeva and Zagitova will have any chance of displacing the Amazingly Awesome Aces, unless one of them drops out.

What about Gulyakova, Samodurova, Shulskaya, Tsibinova? Sinitsyna, Vasil'yeva, Tarakanova? Frolova will probably remain in Juniors for one more year?

The off season developments and preparations for the Open Test Skates will be most interesting to follow. First, in May, FFKKR will determine the national teams and allocate the resources. Who will be replaced?

I hope Gulyakova - Sinitsyna are in for seniors, while Sotskova and Konstantinova out of big international appearances, Samodurova maybe with one senior GP.

There is absolutely no reason to keep Sinitsyna in juniors another year, that would be the definitive kiss of death for her career which would follow Tarakanova's path. (as predicted on the summer of last year btw, when everyone said another year in juniors was going to be fine)

If these girls don't get senior events, they are all pretty much doomed.

Ironically they have higher chances to stand out by starting to bomb domestic events and change country, look at Kurakova: she was going nowhere in Russia, despite being very talented back then too, and through Poland and a decent-good coaching situation she can compete for many years in seniors now.

 

[Edwin]

From the big interview with Apollinaria Panfilova and Dmitriy Rylov:

- Women's single skating or men's single skating?

Dima: Men's.

Polina: At the moment, men's. I'm not very interested in looking at our (female) juniors right now. (Senior) World Championships will be interesting, there will be competition. And what happened at the Grand Prix Finals and the European Championships - it was absolutely clear to everyone. And in men's skating there is always competition in both juniors and seniors. It is interesting to watch them. In general, two years ago in the women it was better. I liked it better. I do not deny the merits and talents of our trinity, which now stands on the pedestal, but they are perceived as one skater. TShchK, here you have one. And they are all different. They are all human. When they make errors, for some reason everybody is shocked. It is very strange.

-----
From: https://sport24.ru/news/other/2020-...-kostornoy-shcherbakovoy-foto-video-instagram

Strange train of thought by Polina?

 

[bytheriver]

Maybe Polina is saying that in Russian juniors there isn’t much competition? Which in some sense is true because Kamila is miles ahead of all the other Russian juniors. Dasha is getting there, but she just started to get consistent and has no big jumps yet.

Hopefully Sofia moving to juniors next year starts to shake things up. I could see her passing Maia quickly as the Russian junior #3, and maybe even Dasha unless she gets a 3A or quad over the break.

 

[Edwin]

Maybe Polina is saying that in Russian juniors there isn’t much competition? Which in some sense is true because Kamila is miles ahead of all the other Russian juniors. Dasha is getting there, but she just started to get consistent and has no big jumps yet.

Hopefully Sofia moving to juniors next year starts to shake things up. I could see her passing Maia quickly as the Russian junior #3, and maybe even Dasha unless she gets a 3A or quad over the break.

Which of the many Sof'ya's? Akat'yeva will have to wait till 21/22 season. Samodelkina or Muravyova?

Usachyova is already well underway in stabilising her triksel. Khromykh's quad Salchov is competition ready.

Samodelkina, who is a lovely skater in her own right, will have to add quite some skating skills, interpretation and expression, and get rid of underotations to become a threat to VUK in her first junior season.
For Samodelkina's sake, its probably best #TeamDavydov don't push her past breaking point, even though she is a sturdy girl, in the race to the top. Quick wins here don't pay off in the longer run towards 2022 Olympics.

 

[flanker]

BTW Russian junior ladies for the next JGP season are probably:
Valieva
Usacheva
Khromykh
Petrosian
Samodelkina
Muravyova?

And at least one else.

 

[Edwin]

BTW Russian junior ladies for the next JGP season are probably:
Valieva
Usacheva
Khromykh
Petrosian
Samodelkina
Muravyova?

And at least one else.

Osokina I hope. She flies

Frolova will probably be in the mix too.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

BTW Russian junior ladies for the next JGP season are probably:
Valieva
Usacheva
Khromykh
Petrosian
Samodelkina
Muravyova?

And at least one else.

Probably Frolova - 6th at senior nationals, 8th at junior nationals, 3rd at Youth Olympics

Is Zakharova eligible, or on the wrong side of the age line?