2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Fluture]

Oh, for crying out loud. I love Anna and loved her performance so I hate doing this but the arguing about her having a clean lutz when mostly, if not for the entry, it would look totally similar to her flip, is just...

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6n0jGHJoxD/?igshid=cw9jcy96qe0u

Quad lutz and flip at Nats. This is the first video I found. The edges, sorry to say, look the same.

She deserved silver today and if she skates cleanly at Worlds, it is hers to win. But she‘s jumping 5 lutzes with questionable edges and that‘s a fact.

 

[colormyworld240]

Does anyone else think this press conference was inappropriate? Some of the questions that were asked by the main interviewer:

1) Alena, how was it easier/more difficult to skate last knowing that the other two failed/made mistakes?
2) Anna, you must have known you would've won if you made no mistakes, but you failed to when you fell. Do you see it as winning silver or losing gold?
3) Sasha, you are seen as one if not the best jumping talent, how is it to be just third after the short and the free?

I mean even if they weren't teenagers, I think this was too direct and quite harsh? Normally the interviewers have to ask their questions more, politely? I'm not sure that's the right word.

 

[Mishaminion]

*Sigh* And how is that less of a conspiracy theory than those who thought Anna should've won? Couldn't it just be a difference of opinion? How is it that one disagreement over judging is more valid than another; both have multiple people backing them up, no one's crying wolf. Who's to decide which "scandal" is more "real" than another?

For example there were many who though Sasha was overscored in the short, and many who thought it was fair. Is that a more real scandal and the other scandals? I don't think we should be labelling others' opinions as conspiracy theories or real/not real if we've giving our own opinions as well.

Or maybe none of it is a scandal at all?

It is difference of opinion.

Which is not a scandal, is it?

Nothing wrong with difference of opinion but people screaming scandal/conspiracy/wuzrobbed happens EVERY SINGLE COMPETITION it seems and it is getting really really old.

 

[Fluture]

Does anyone else think this press conference was inappropriate? Some of the questions that were asked by the main interviewer:

1) Alena, how was it easier/more difficult to skate last knowing that the other two failed/made mistakes?
2) Anna, you must have known you would've won if you made no mistakes, but you failed to when you fell. Do you see it as winning silver or losing gold?
3) Sasha, you are seen as one if not the best jumping talent, how is it to be just third after the short and the free?

I mean even if they weren't teenagers, I think this was too direct and quite harsh? Normally the interviewers have to ask their questions more, politely? I'm not sure that's the right word.

Oh wow. That is so mean. And to think they had to ask such nonsense questions after a physically and mentally tiring FS, when they probably just wanted to go and sleep... poor girls.

 

[colormyworld240]

Oh, for crying out loud. I love Anna and loved her performance so I hate doing this but the arguing about her having a clean lutz when mostly, if not for the entry, it would look totally similar to her flip, is just...

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6n0jGHJoxD/?igshid=cw9jcy96qe0u

Quad lutz and flip at Nats. This is the first video I found. The edges, sorry to say, look the same.

She deserved silver today and if she skates cleanly at Worlds, it is hers to win. But she‘s jumping 5 lutzes with questionable edges and that‘s a fact.

Why is only your option a fact? What about those who think Anna should have had the highest PCS and because SS is only 1/5 components? Or that Alena's 3A was as UR as Anna's 4F? This chat thread has become extremely toxic calling others' opinions conspiracy theories and their own opinions fact, even though both are going against how the judges scored.

 

[colormyworld240]

Or maybe none of it is a scandal at all?

That's exactly what I said. None of them are scandals, just opinions. Which is why I don't understand the whole "why are there so many wuzzrobbed scandals/conspiracies" every time someone expresses a difference of opinion.

 

[Falun]

Does anyone else think this press conference was inappropriate? Some of the questions that were asked by the main interviewer:

1) Alena, how was it easier/more difficult to skate last knowing that the other two failed/made mistakes?
2) Anna, you must have known you would've won if you made no mistakes, but you failed to when you fell. Do you see it as winning silver or losing gold?
3) Sasha, you are seen as one if not the best jumping talent, how is it to be just third after the short and the free?

I mean even if they weren't teenagers, I think this was too direct and quite harsh? Normally the interviewers have to ask their questions more, politely? I'm not sure that's the right word.

I agree. Their translator does, too, as you can see by her awesome eye-rolls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04LnEDyo2NU

 

[colormyworld240]

Oh wow. That is so mean. And to think they had to ask such nonsense questions after a physically and mentally tiring FS, when they probably just wanted to go and sleep... poor girls.

I think the idea of the questions are not an issue as they're interesting and directly relate to the competition and their skates, it's the way in which he asked. I believe interviewers are support to be trained to phrase things in a more polite way. I haven't seen questions phrased like this in any press conference. Yes, questions from the press but not the main interviewer.

 

[Mishaminion]

Does anyone else think this press conference was inappropriate? Some of the questions that were asked by the main interviewer:

1) Alena, how was it easier/more difficult to skate last knowing that the other two failed/made mistakes?
2) Anna, you must have known you would've won if you made no mistakes, but you failed to when you fell. Do you see it as winning silver or losing gold?
3) Sasha, you are seen as one if not the best jumping talent, how is it to be just third after the short and the free?

I mean even if they weren't teenagers, I think this was too direct and quite harsh? Normally the interviewers have to ask their questions more, politely? I'm not sure that's the right word.

Was the word or implication of the term failed really used? Because that would be a very unfair and quite a rude thing to say!

 

[colormyworld240]

Was the word or implication of the term failed really used? Because that would be a very unfair and quite a rude thing to say!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTrlzdxspKc

 

[Mishaminion]

That's exactly what I said. None of them are scandals, just opinions. Which is why I don't understand the whole "why are there so many wuzzrobbed scandals/conspiracies" every time someone expresses a difference of opinion.

Yeah I'm not the one claiming wuzrobbed though.

 

[colormyworld240]

Yeah I'm not the one claiming wuzrobbed though.

Right, but wuzrobbed is the same thing as her lutzes should've been called in this skate. That's the difference of opinion. Because the scoring was so close, calling any edges, underrotations, downgrades, PCS differences, etc., could've affected placements between Anna and Alena.

 

[Amei]

Does anyone else think this press conference was inappropriate? Some of the questions that were asked by the main interviewer:

1) Alena, how was it easier/more difficult to skate last knowing that the other two failed/made mistakes?
2) Anna, you must have known you would've won if you made no mistakes, but you failed to when you fell. Do you see it as winning silver or losing gold?
3) Sasha, you are seen as one if not the best jumping talent, how is it to be just third after the short and the free?

I mean even if they weren't teenagers, I think this was too direct and quite harsh? Normally the interviewers have to ask their questions more, politely? I'm not sure that's the right word.

No, those are pretty standard questions.

 

[Falun]

Was the word or implication of the term failed really used? Because that would be a very unfair and quite a rude thing to say!

Yes, it was. "How easy was it for you to be the last of the field, especially after seeing and knowing that the two other girls had failed and had made some mistakes; was that easier for you to compete?" (around 1:50 in the video).

 

[Mishaminion]

Right, but wuzrobbed is the same thing as her lutzes should've been called in this skate. That's the difference of opinion. Because the scoring was so close, calling any edges, underrotations, downgrades, PCS differences, etc., could've affected placements between Anna and Alena.

Not really. I think the scoring for both should have been a little lower but overall not enough to affect the placements

 

[colormyworld240]

Not really. I think the scoring for both should have been a little lower but overall not enough to affect the placements

That's fine. That's your opinion. But if someone thinks the opposite, it's not a conspiracy theory. It's just an opinion like you saying you think Anna's edge was inside and should've been called as such.

 

[Fluture]

Why is only your option a fact? What about those who think Anna should have had the highest PCS and because SS is only 1/5 components? Or that Alena's 3A was as UR as Anna's 4F? This chat thread has become extremely toxic calling others' opinions conspiracy theories and their own opinions fact, even though both are going against how the judges scored.

My post was about the lutzes because you claimed that no one had a proof for Anna‘s edge problems. I provided a video. Anna‘s PCS and Aliona‘s 3A are a different matter. I haven‘t said anything about my opinion being a fact other than the lutz edge which, yes, based on video evidence of multiple occasions and watching live today, I consider as such. This is what I replied to and you chose to avoid it by talking about the 3A and PCS instead.

As for the 3A... I‘m assuming you mean the first one and the axis indeed was a bit wonky and the landing not as beautifully held as usually. But to me it looked fully rotated, both in real-time and on video, that’s all I can say. Judges agreed on that. Whether that is right or not, who knows, we probably both don‘t. As for PCS, I don‘t quite agree on that either. Anna is closing the gap and rightly so but she‘s, as lovely as she is, still not completely there yet. Even with better interpretation than Aliona today, Aliona‘s maturity and simply presence on the ice, make her the better overall skater in my eyes. Anna seems still a bit juniorish but I‘m sure she‘ll grow out of that soon. She‘s an artist at heart and truly musical.

 

[Mishaminion]

Why is only your option a fact? What about those who think Anna should have had the highest PCS and because SS is only 1/5 components? Or that Alena's 3A was as UR as Anna's 4F? This chat thread has become extremely toxic calling others' opinions conspiracy theories and their own opinions fact, even though both are going against how the judges scored.

The problem is not about having an opinion on who should have won but making baseless accusations.

Some people (not you as far as I've seen) have already brought out the "results were rigged!!!" argument.

 

[Mishaminion]

That's fine. That's your opinion. But if someone thinks the opposite, it's not a conspiracy theory. It's just an opinion like you saying you think Anna's edge was inside and should've been called as such.

Yes it is an opinion. But I am not claiming the results were rigged to be that way

 

[nussnacker]

It was so heartwarming to see Aliona call the girls to the top of the podium, so they could stand together and sing the anthem together. It was almost like they could share this win as a team.
I know people like to say rivalries ruin friendships, and they’re not that best of the friends anyways, but I feel like girls genuinely like and care about each other despite being rivals (not that they have to).

It’s probably unrealistic to be happy for someone else if you lose, especially when you’re a teen who’s hungry for all those wins, but I still think girls are handling all of it with so much maturity and respect towards each other.

After all, they push each other more and more, like no one else could. If not for Alexandra and Anna, would Aliona ever be pushed to go for her 3As? If not for Alyona, would Anna and Sasha be pushed to learn 3A and catch up on PCS.
They are all truly remarkable and unique, and all deserve to win. It’s so amazing to watch them compete against each other, to see how they improve and keep pushing each other.
I just hope fans and media would not manage to pit the girls against one another.