2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[ruga]

Does anyone know why Kanysheva is not going to JGP Riga?

She is not???
Apparently Khromykh is going instead. Maybe Kanysheva is injured. It can't be visa problems or anything else. RusFed is being weird with JGP.

 

[Rashela]

I was really hoping to see Alena's programs :sad46:

 

[Fluture]

Does anyone know why Kanysheva is not going to JGP Riga?

Just saw it. This makes me so sad... I guess it means she is still injured. Oh well, I guess it also means I can fully focus on senior test skates and catch up with the JGP later. I just hope whatever it is, it won't be too bad and won't affect her too much. Poor girl. I wonder what happened.

 

[Scott512]

Where are the mods?

Can we please stop talking about Alysa? She is not a Russian lady.

There was a light-hearted video posted on Boss T’s YouTube channel; it shows the 4A being interviewed. Can anyone please translate what is being said? It looks interesting.

People keep bringing her up in this thread in comparison to the Russian girls. This happened last season with Rika. Perhaps it should not happen but when you do any comparisons two other top skaters who are non-Russians then it makes sense it happens.

Does anyone know why Kanysheva is not going to JGP Riga?

Nope. I hope she's not badly injured.

 

[nussnacker]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86AvOo6RvfE
good morning!

Aliona has the voice of a cartoon character

 

[nussnacker]

Omg is that what she said? The translation just showed up as "Hello teachers!" I'm missing out

She said: "I wish all students to have good grades, don't irritate your teachers so that you won't get into unpleasant situations. Hello to H&S teacher!"

 

[flanker]

She is not???
Apparently Khromykh is going instead. Maybe Kanysheva is injured. It can't be visa problems or anything else. RusFed is being weird with JGP.

Riga has potentially weakest starting field in ladies, so maybe they want to give Maiia the chance for a good placement. I'm not saying this is the reason, just the idea.

 

[Edwin]

Riga has potentially weakest starting filed in ladies, so maybe they wat to give Maiia the chance for a good placement. I'm not sayint this is the reason, just the idea.

Small injury, not quite ready, who knows?

But where to send Alyona Kanysheva where she has the best chance of collecting 15 or 13 points. i.e. Gold or Silver finishes? Up against Valiyeva, no! Sinitsyna? No in my book also.
FFKKR is making JGPF qualification awfully complicated, as there seem to be more and better fellow contestants for the medals in the Korean girls now.

 

[Fluture]

Riga has potentially weakest starting filed in ladies, so maybe they wat to give Maiia the chance for a good placement. I'm not sayint this is the reason, just the idea.

I don't believe that's the case and if it was, it would be very unfair. Maiia had her chance at the JGP and she could have won a silver. She didn't. I know she was injured in the summer and JGP France was hard due to the altitude. But still... If she gets a second event she should earn her placement herself and not be "gifted" an easy assignment. I was hoping for Maiia to get a second JGP too but not under these circumstances. Aliona was injured too, so why would Maiia deserve a weak field but not Aliona? Sounds unfair and I don't believe that's the case. RusFed has never made it easier for one of their girls, they all had to earn their opportunities. I believe the reason is a different one and I can only hope it doesn't mean Aliona has reinjured herself.

 

[flanker]

I don't believe that's the case and if it was, it would be very unfair. Maiia had her chance at the JGP and she could have won a silver. She didn't. I know she was injured in the summer and JGP France was hard due to the altitude. But still... If she gets a second event she should earn her placement herself and not be "gifted" an easy assignment. I was hoping for Maiia to get a second JGP too but not under these circumstances. Aliona was injured too, so why would Maiia deserve a weak field but not Aliona? Sounds unfair and I don't believe that's the case. RusFed has never made it easier for one of their girls, they all had to earn their opportunities. I believe the reason is a different one and I can only hope it doesn't mean Aliona has reinjured herself.

If Kanysheva is OK, no doubt she will receive her two events as well, we are still not even in the half of the whole JGP series. So the idea is not about "unfairness" towards particular skater, from the RusFed's perspective it would be about maximizing the numbers of competitors for JGP final (and I'm underlining that it's only the idea so please no pitchforks and torches on RusFed in this case ).

 

[Fluture]

If Kanysheva will be OK, no doubt she will receive her two events as well, we are still not even in the half of the whole JGP series. So the idea not about unfairness towards particular skater, from the RusFed's perspective it would be about maximizing the numbers of competitors for JGP final (and I'm underlining that it's only the idea so please no pitchforks and torches on RusFed in this case ).

Yes, but Kanysheva was assigned to JGP Courchevel at first and withdrawn from that already. And now again? Something's off there. It's not exactly fair to have a skater prepare for an event and then withdraw them just a few days before. Athletes make sure to peak at a competition, that's why it was so sad for Sinitsyna that she couldn't compete in Lake Placid. If the idea was simply to maximize the number of competitors for the JGPF they would have made the changes sooner, not two days before the event starts since JGP Riga officially starts on the fourth. It's not exactly great for Maiia either because she now only has two days to mentally prepare for the competition. So, that's why I believe it has something to do with Kanysheva herself, rather. The likeliest conclusion is that she's injured again but it could be something else, too.

 

[flanker]

Yes, but Kanysheva was assigned to JGP Courchevel at first and withdrawn from that already. And now again? Something's off there. It's not exactly fair to have a skater prepare for an event and then withdraw them just a few days before. Athletes make sure to peak at a competition, that's why it was so sad for Sinitsyna that she couldn't compete in Lake Placid. If the idea was simply to maximize the number of competitors for the JGPF they would have made the changes sooner, not two days before the event starts since JGP Riga officially starts on the fourth. It's not exactly great for Maiia either because she now only has two days to mentally prepare for the competition. So, that's why I believe it has something to do with Kanysheva herself, rather. The likeliest conclusion is that she's injured again but it could be something else, too.

I'm not intending to sound harsh but top athlete has to deal even with such situations. And this sport is from big part about nerves and confidence in herself. At least she still has the chance for two entries. There were skaters who were promised the spot and then didn't receive anything, because the ISU world championship is only once a year...

 

[SkateSkates]

Yes, but Kanysheva was assigned to JGP Courchevel at first and withdrawn from that already. And now again? Something's off there. It's not exactly fair to have a skater prepare for an event and then withdraw them just a few days before. Athletes make sure to peak at a competition, that's why it was so sad for Sinitsyna that she couldn't compete in Lake Placid. If the idea was simply to maximize the number of competitors for the JGPF they would have made the changes sooner, not two days before the event starts since JGP Riga officially starts on the fourth. It's not exactly great for Maiia either because she now only has two days to mentally prepare for the competition. So, that's why I believe it has something to do with Kanysheva herself, rather. The likeliest conclusion is that she's injured again but it could be something else, too.

Even though we are just finding out about it now, if Alena is injured I’m sure Maiia knew there was a chance she would be subbed in and was preparing to compete as well. Remember, they train at the same rink now.

 

[SkateSkates]

Also, I’m hoping Kanysheva can recover in time for 2 assignments. Even if she has to skate in the last 2 events she can still make the final.

And no this event doesn’t have Kamila or Alysa, but the top Korean junior will be here and has just as good of a shot for gold as Daria/Maia.

 

[Fluture]

I'm not intending to sound harsh but top athlete has to deal even with such situations. And this sport is from big part about nerves and confidence in herself. At least she still has the chance for two entries. There were skaters who were promised the spot and then didn't receive anything, because the ISU world championship is only once a year...

Well, of course they have to deal with such situations and I have no doubt that they will, both of them. Maiia will make sure to skate her best there since she now was lucky enough to receive a second event. But it still is weird and it makes people worry and wonder what happened. There was no logical reason to withdraw a skater so shortly before the event, none, other than that one of the two skaters was unable to compete for some reason. Again, if it was done to maximize the chances for the final, it would have happened sooner. RusFed would not intentionally create challenges for the girls by not making the changes soon enough if the goal was to get as many girls into the final in the first place! That's why there's talk about Aliona being injured or having other issues that prevented her from competing. I was merely explaining why I thought your idea about the RusFed playing games to maximize spots for the final, in this case, didn't make a whole lot of sense.

As for the Worlds, I'm choosing to ignore that remark since it has nothing to do with the discussion at hand. JGP and Worlds are two fundamentally different competitions and they have different criteria with which to qualify for as well. So, I don't really see the comparison there.

 

[Fluture]

Even though we are just finding out about it now, if Alena is injured I’m sure Maiia knew there was a chance she would be subbed in and was preparing to compete as well. Remember, they train at the same rink now.

Yes, if Aliona is injured then I'm sure Maiia knew. What I was talking about was the idea that Alena is completely fine and was just withdrawn to make sure Maiia had a better chance at the final. I disagree with this and don't think it is what happened. That's what I was trying to explain.

 

[Vandevska]

This is the original source: https://rsport.ria.ru/20190902/1558144393.html

"Medvyedeva: when the cubes appeared on my stomach, I thought: “Oh, I did it!”
In an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti, two-time world champion and Olympic Games vice-champion, Yevgeniya Medvyedeva, spoke about why she had to change part of her wardrobe, remembered the most amazing acquaintance of the summer and admitted that acclimatisation still exists.

Reflection in the mirror

Q: Right after the World Championship in Saitama, you told that you intend to change your own body over the summer so it becomes possible to do more complex tech. With such a high summer workload did you succeed?
A: Despite the fact that I performed a lot in shows, I had more than enough time to implement everything I had planned. Even more than I expected. Accordingly, I managed to do everything. I changed my off-ice training very much - with an emphasis on just how to properly develop muscles.
Q: Working on yourself like that, as a rule, is not quick. When did you really begin to realise that the result you are striving for was starting to appear?
A: Speaking specifically about working with the body, about increasing muscle mass, developing the right muscles, and so on, I'm generally not a very fast person. I know people who only need to go to the gym for a week, and they are shaping up before your eyes. But it doesn’t happen to me. Therefore, from the very beginning I understood that quick results should not be expected. You just need to work every day, adhere to the schedule and nutrition, and then, maybe, someday the result will come.

Q: Well, when did that moment come when you looked at yourself in the mirror and said: “Oh! I did it”?
A: When “cubes” appeared on the upper part of my stomach. This greatly aided my moral confidence. Well, after that everything started to go upwards: during training, I began to feel stronger, looking in the mirror, I saw I was becoming slimmer, respectively, all this added motivation to further work on myself"
Q: Cubes on your stomach, I suppose, is not your only goal?
A: We work a lot on the leg muscles. There was a noticeable increase in muscle mass over the summer, my weight also increased in this regard, but, you know, this weight is different. The fat layer that always interferes with the athlete, slows down the work of muscles. But when the muscles themselves become powerful and well-developed, it gives a feeling of strength. On ice, I constantly feel that the muscles have become stronger and sharper, even jumping has gained a different rhythm. True, I had to change my wardrobe: all my trousers became tight, but the top, on the contrary, turned out to be too loose. Actually, this was just the first indicator for me that all the efforts in the gym were not in vain.

Best Lutz in the World

Q: After the World Cup, you and your coaches probably discussed a plan for working on jumps, on adding complexity to your programs. To what extent have these plans been implemented?
A: Discussing plans is a sort of a big word in this context. In our country, such discussions are usually very abstract and take two to three minutes. "Trying?" - "We try!". We decided in advance that we would add complexity to the tech part of the programs, and due to more complex images, we decided to have some cool costumes sewn for us ...
Q: I primarily meant jumping, being interested in your plans.
A: In terms of jumping, in my short program, in place of a triple Rittberger now stands a triple Lutz, and in the free there are two Lutz'es - instead of flips.
Q: Does this mean that you finally managed to overcome the problems with the wrong edge on the Lutz?
A: It is incredibly difficult for any skater to 'knock out' the inside edge on the Lutz, I can tell you that for sure. Therefore, I have to constantly monitor every move in this jump. There is progress in this regard, and it is significant, but absolutely correct execution is still only achieved by great efforts.
Q: Which skater, in your opinion, has the best Lutz in the world?
A: I like the way Nathan Chen jumps. I liked how Yuna Kim does the triple Lutz. It was always very correct and very beautiful.
Q: Talking about what you are actively trying to learn the quadruple Salchow - is this just talking, or is there something behind all this?
A: We are working on this jump, and we are working a lot. Still, let's not forget that I am learning a new jump in just a month and a half.
Q: Every athlete usually immediately understands whether he is destined to master this or that element or not.
A: I have done some good attempts at this quad, that is, from the feeling I understand myself this element is absolutely real. I'm generally not the kind of person who runs off to show others only half down work. The goal is to show the quad jump in competitions I enter.

A Million Scarlet Roses

Q: By what criteria did you choose choreographers for this season?
A: Yes, they somehow decided right away that Ilya Averbukh would stage a short program, and Shae-Lynn Bourne would be stage the free program.
Q: Because…?
A: “Just because they decided so.” Point. Ilya and I chose music together, although I was the first to offer the Exogenesis option, and the program was staged in a few days immediately after the World Cup. There were no questions at all with the Memoirs of a Geisha. As soon as I first heard the music, in my head it immediately clicked that the only person who could stage a program using it was Shae-Lynn. I can’t explain why. But I simply did not see any other choreographer for this program. In general, everything that Shae-Linn does is very close to me. She feels amazing music, movements, while the programs that she stages are always different from others and very recognisable. True, it is very important that these programs are executed exactly as they were conceived and worked out. Then they really sparkle.
Q: Was this your first experience with Bourne?
A: “Not really.” We crossed paths on more than one occasion, and this year in Korea there was even a case when I urgently needed to stage a show number. Shae-Lynn helped me a lot. She came up with a number for the Alla Pugachyova song "Million Scarlet Roses". Quite unusual things quite often happen in my career. For example, the step sequence in the short program of Averbuch was staged for me by Jeffrey Battle (2008 world champion).
Q: How did he fit in there?
A: When I returned from Moscow to Canada, I told Brian (Orser) that we need to think about how to make a sequence. He immediately responded: "as they say, what is there to think? Here is ice, and here is Jeffrey".
Q: What do you like most about this sequence?
A: Weird question. I already like the fact that I have it.
Q: Not so long ago, Tat'yana Tarasova recalled in an interview how Mao Asada always carefully set up the sequences, in which each step was thought out and put clearly into the music. That's why I asked you about it.
A: In the sequences, in my opinion, the most important thing is that they are technically performed at the fourth level. If you listened to the third Exogenesis symphony - Muse, then you probably noticed how rhythmic this music is. Skating a program using it without falling into musical accents, in my opinion, is simply impossible.

With and without a coach

Q: What is the reason for your arrival in Moscow this early?
A: First of all, the fact that it gives me the opportunity to calmly acclimatise before Test Skates.
Q: So you start to recognise acclimatisation exists?
A: Yes. Plus, I wanted to stay home longer.
Q: Does the aforesaid mean you will again return to Russia well in advance of the December national championship?
A: Yes. In general, I will try to the best of my ability to do this before all Russian starts. Although it is unlikely I will arrive in advance of the Cup of Russia.
Q: Which of your trainers will accompany you to the Test Skates?
A: Tracey Wilson will be with me during the short program, and Brian will fly in directly from Riga for the free. One of his athletes performs in Latvia at the Junior Grand Prix stage, so immediately after that, Brian will rush to the airport to be able to make it in time.

Q: CSKA still recalls with admiration how you worked there last season. Now you are doing the same. Is it difficult, or has it become a habit?
A: Not every athlete admits to this, but working without his personal trainer is always difficult. It doesn’t matter how motivated you are, how much you love to skate, but in training every minute there are some situations you want to discuss with someone, to get an outside assessment. Especially - an assessment of a person who knows all your strengths and weaknesses. It’s also hard for me without Brian and without Tracy, but I don’t complain. In addition, in Moscow I do not feel abandoned. There is Yelena Germanovna (Buyanova), who helps me in CSKA, there is Irina Anvarovna (Tagayeva), who will definitely make a remark if she sees that my legs or arms are “hanging”, or something else hurts her eyes from a choreographic point of view, so I’m not alone on the ice. Moreover, elementary safety regulations don't allow it.
Q: Orser noted at the beginning of your working together that it would only be possible to talk about some results in a year and a half, not earlier. This deadline expires in December. What has changed?
A: The work has become completely different. If in the first months I had to constantly adapt to some things, only now it sometimes seems I am skating in Cricket Club for many years.

In Darkness and no beaches

Q: Those shows in which you performed after the World Cup were perceived as a continuous stream of fairly uniform performances, or did you remember something special?
A: The Stars on Ice - Canada show was very cool. Kurt Browning performed there, with whom I had never talked before, although in principle we were familiar. Kurt quite often comes to Cricket Club to skate, but there we just greeted each other. Here, throughout the show, we were close by and talked a lot. Kurt turned out to be an interesting companion, opened my mind in a completely new perspective and, despite the fact that he is much older than me, there were no age limits at all. We did the same thing, talked about the same things, understood each other perfectly, it was great.
Q: When Browning performed in competitions, watching how breathtakingly he commands his skating runs, every time I recalled this phrase said about one of the literary heroines: "One look at her was like a university education."
A: I agree, it is very similar.
Q: The format of the show allows you to use it as a kind of training mode?
A: It was more complicated. If after each show I had the opportunity to get additional ice time, I could have easily used this time for training. If at the same time there was an opportunity to work in the dry hall, it would be great overall. But the problem is that there is no excess ice time nor a gym in the show, therefore, in fact, all such performances are held in the off-season, when most skaters have not yet even begun to prepare for the next season.
Q: But did you have such plans?”
A: In that way certainly not. At that time we had not yet created a workout plan for general physical exercise, a nutrition plan, so all these shows I actually put in the column "rest" - instead of a trip to the south or somewhere else. So going to the beaches this season did not happen, but this is for the best.
Q: Do you adapt quickly to stage conditions during various shows?
Q: The hardest thing is to ride in the dark. Although you get used to it. At first, your spatial awareness is completely off: you don’t see the boarding, where you jump, where you land, and this, of course, is annoying. The boards of the rink always confuse me and am constantly afraid to end my performance not where I want to.

How to say No!

Q: Your life is now strongly dependent to some business projects?
A: Since I am still an active athlete, there is not a single project I could not refuse. In other words, no matter how many proposals I have received, I will not do anything if it is at the expense of my main job. Any offer is very carefully considered in terms of dates, travel arrangements, my employment at one time or another.
Q: Do you have to refuse a lot?
A: I have to. In this regard, I've learned a very important thing: if you want to achieve something global in your life, you need to be able to say no to people.
Q: This is not always easy?
A: I know. I feel very awkward about this when, deep down in my heart, you realise that you absolutely don't need this or another, and saying “no” without twisting your tongue. This is not necessarily about business contacts. Sometimes a person just wants to come for a visit, I want to see him myself, but I look at the clock and I understand that I can not afford to go to bed later than ten in the evening, if I have training the next day. We have to somehow escape in such a way that the refusal does not sound offensive.
Q: How comfortable do you feel in public when you come to Moscow? Surely people will recognise you out on the streets?
A: This does not stop me from meeting friends, riding the Metro. In general, I relate calmly to the fact that people recognise me. I like to meet people, I like to talk with them.

Q: Your first start is planned almost immediately after Test Skates at the Autumn International tournament in Oakville, like last year. What is this choice connected with?
A: With nothing. Just that Oakville is very convenient for us in every way. Half an hour drive from Toronto. We couldn't find, as they say, a single argument against.
Q: It is quite typical for American and Canadian ice dancers to attain their competitive shape by the end of summer. And what about singles? Personally, can you say that you are ready for the season?
A: We do not have any specific date when we begin to skate our programs in full - all this happens as you gain physical fitness. First, we skate bundles of two or three elements and it even happens you die on the third element. Then you start collecting your jumps, slowly adding sequences, spins.
Q: And then you go out and do three program run throughs for a workout?
A: This is definitely superfluous. But at the moment, I think I'm pretty well prepared for the season.

Thanks a lot!

 

[believed]

Thank you Edwin for the translation!!

 

[SkateSkates]

Yes, if Aliona is injured then I'm sure Maiia knew. What I was talking about was the idea that Alena is completely fine and was just withdrawn to make sure Maiia had a better chance at the final. I disagree with this and don't think it is what happened. That's what I was trying to explain.

Ahh got it. Yes I agree with you here

 

[zounger]

It looks like only one Russian girl will make it to JGPF this season. Nice slap to RFFS.