Good heavens you have to be kidding me. Eteri would never stoop to those depths. This is just another reason not to like TAT. Her time has come and gone and her success as a coach should be recognized but also criticized as in this disgusting abusive incident. She also needs to be permanently removed as a commentator. TAT could use a Twitter page and that's it.
Yuna, With Caronever had any competition in their own country like the Russian girls have. The Russian girls coming up just push the older girls out of the way. These other grades never faced anything like. But in Russia this is sports and this is life.
I said carried ladies figure skating and you left ladies out. it's just undeniable they have and I include Evgenia in that as well. If she was still there it would be 5A! I can't recall any coach in any discipline ever having five skaters like these all within the last couple years. It's completely unprecedented and mind-boggling.
Exactly.
interesting take.
thank you for such a good explanation. I like everyone here wants figure skating to the better and for the best to compete. But it is what it is and as fans we have to adjust to what it is.
If they are more resilient, then because the competition is no was so fierce and the field is not so full of exceptional ladies as in Russian, which is nobody's fault, not even the Romans
But from the perspective of personal capabilities and performances, you can see japanese, US and other ladies highly struggling after 18. Just look on this season,in GP we've seen many ladies from those countries just recently considered huge talents or even prodigies, who had much more difficulties than Alina, Zhenya etc. In the US Karen Chen and even Megan Wessengerg were once seen as hopes of US skating. Japan? Wakaba Higuchi, Marin Honda, Mako Yamashita and others showed huge problems this season, and Satoko Miahara and Kaori Sakamoto have not even medalled in Japan Nationals. Troubles with technique, with Kaori openly confessed troubles with motivation, so it is not like those problems go only behind russian girls, they are everywhere and often much higher.
Yes, in some countries laides have the benefit that they can allow to take a break a season or more to put themselves together in terms of physical or health without risking there will be immediate replacement. But again, that's nobody's fault. You can't go to a girl who wants to train for a top skater and say "sorry, we have someone who we wanna make a long-term star, so we don't want to raise some concurence for her." Though, it seems that some people probably imagine this, like "someone needs more personal care and attitude" and so on. But why introducing the system with protected prima donnas, I like that everyone has equal opportunity and it depends on talent and not on "this is not the right time for bringing another star when we have one already."
It may sound cruel but in sport the sport should decide, not the favoritism. After all you can see it even in Alina's approach, when she said that she doesn't want to be chosen to Euros or Worlds just by choaches council. That's what someone who respects the sport says.
If they are more resilient, then because the competition is no way so fierce and the field is not so full of exceptional ladies as in Russia, which is nobody's fault, not even the Romans
But from the perspective of personal capabilities and performances, you can see japanese, US and other ladies highly struggling after 18. Just look on this season, in GP we've seen many ladies from those countries just recently considered huge talents or even prodigies, who had much more difficulties than Alina, Zhenya etc. In the US Karen Chen and even Megan Wessengerg were once seen as hopes of US skating. Japan? Wakaba Higuchi, Marin Honda, Mako Yamashita and others showed huge problems this season, and Satoko Miahara and Kaori Sakamoto have not even medalled in Japan Nationals. Troubles with technique, with Kaori openly confessed troubles with motivation, so it is not like those problems go only behind russian girls, they are everywhere and often much higher.
Yes, in some countries ladies have the benefit that they can allow to take a break a season or more to put themselves together in terms of physical or mental health without risking there will be immediate replacement. But again, that's nobody's fault. You can't go to a girl who wants to train for a top skater and say "sorry, we have someone who we wanna make a long-term star, so we don't want to raise some concurence for her." Though, it seems that some people probably imagine this, like "someone needs more personal care and attitude" and so on. But why introducing the system with protected prima donnas, I like that everyone has equal opportunity and it depends on talent and not on "this is not the right time for bringing another star when we have one already."
It may sound cruel but in sport the sport should decide, not the favoritism. After all you can see it even in Alina's approach, when she said that she doesn't want to be chosen to Euros or Worlds just by coaches council. That's what someone who respects the sport says.
Only thing we can do is wait and see whether the 3A will keep their ultra-c elements after puberty. Because if they do, that means indeed the beginning of the new era in the womens figure skating as it was 5 years ago with Yuzuru Hanyu to pushing men doing more than just one or two quads.
Unfortunately, in such periods, there will be always some that were unfortunate to be competitive elite athletes with the 3A , but as it seems, even in Japan and America, they are preparing their athletes with these prospects of quadruples and 3axels. Nobody says that this has to stop, you cannot stop the sport from going forward. Rafael and coaches of adult women, have made some conclusions based on their own athletes who are post-puberty , so there is no reason that we do not believe them. If it was easy for Medvedeva to learn a 4S at this age ( despite being in great shape last few months), she would do. It takes time that women now may cannot afford it ( especially for Russian ladies ). A youngster learns easier these jumps ( not only from physical point of you but from mental point , too). Yep, it is cruel indeed. But in what cost?
The reason that people have concerns is not because they have favorites. I love Anyas expression more than Zagitovas for example. It is because,IMO, there is a certain frequency in which they tend to retire after 2-3 years. Do they burn out too quickly? Can all the 3A withstand the amount of training that they are doing right now for more than 2-3 years? Is it only about motivation or the body cannot do anymore ( as Medvedevas showed us leaving the group? ) ? Being a medical student myself, i can tell , that the body has limits. So you go beyond them in order to win everything in 2 years and be in the world records and thats it ? I think that we need time to see all of these, because it is only 5 years that Russian figure skating in womens category has brought such a development.
What i do not understand, is why, sometimes, there is heavy criticism to these people that have concerns about age limits and whether the sport is becoming too technical. It is not like we do not love the sport,oh, we do!! And we do love really much all these girls and that is why you are trying to protect each one of them. For them it is their lives, we are just spectators. You cannot just say to someone, hey, i know it is your whole life, but a 15year old is bringing me medals, so go away. Lot of people just adore Tukts skating so much, and not only cause of 3axes in such an age... personally, i can relate with her because i am same age. And i want to relate. It is sport and art , afterall. I see myself in her and get really happy after watching her skate. Life is not only about winning all the time, why should sports be that? Just a thought...
If they are more resilient, then because the competition is no way so fierce and the field is not so full of exceptional ladies as in Russia, which is nobody's fault, not even the Romans
