2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[SkateSkates]

Sasha’s program looks so much better with “only” 3 quads - the added transitions and choreographed touches really do make a difference. Plus the 4Teu3S combo in the 2nd half will always amaze me. I think this is a really smart strategy for her and I could see her PCS rising significantly if she performs at the level of this morning’s practice.

 

[Jontor]

So if Trusova's only going for 3 quads, and they're Lutz, Toe and Toe, that now means Shcherbakova has the highest planned BV of the 3, correct?

Yes, if both are clean in the long and has GOE+3 on everything, Anna will score 6,73 points more than Sasha, excluding PCS.

 

[LiamForeman]

Sasha’s program looks so much better with “only” 3 quads - the added transitions and choreographed touches really do make a difference. Plus the 4Teu3S combo in the 2nd half will always amaze me. I think this is a really smart strategy for her and I could see her PCS rising significantly if she performs at the level of this morning’s practice.

I agree. This was the first time I saw an actual program from her this season. She is a great SKATER as well as a jumper.

 

[renebaebae]

I really hope they call all Anna's Lutzes like they should this time around but who am I kidding?

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I really hope they call all Anna's Lutzes like they should this time around but who am I kidding?

I really hope people wait and see how Anna performs her lutzes in the actual competition, instead of automatically pre-judging her... but who am I kidding? :sarcasm:

 

[theharleyquinn]

I wonder if we will ever see Sasha's 3Lz3Lo again before the end of the season

 

[ec00834]

I wonder if we will ever see Sasha's 3Lz3Lo again before the end of the season

She's doing it in her free program.

 

[theharleyquinn]

She's doing it in her free program.

My fault - I should've been more specific. I mean in the short.

 

[Tolstoj]

My fault - I should've been more specific. I mean in the short.

i hope so, the ones she did at the Test Skates and Skate Canada were huge and amazing.

 

[Mishaminion]

Very impressed with Sasha's continued improvements in performance quality.

I like her new FS layout, I think 5 quads was just too ambitious...we know she could do run throughs but achieving 5 quads in a high pressure competition is a different matter.

This strategy is a good one, she still has quads but is going for cleaner skates and higher PCS also.

 

[renebaebae]

I really hope people wait and see how Anna performs her lutzes in the actual competition, instead of automatically pre-judging her... but who am I kidding? :sarcasm:

well seeing as how she's gotten away with it almost all season, it's pretty predictable. I'll be looking to see if she has fixed it this time or if she'll be called out for it.

 

[Amei]

Is she doing the 3A in the free? Anyone know her free skate layout?

The sheets that were sent out earlier this week still listed her as doing the same layout in both programs that she did at the GPF. I imagine if she lands the triple axel in the SP, they'll go with the layout that was practiced today in the FS, if she falls on it in the SP then I bet we see the 5 quad layout FS.

 

[Batsuchan]

Cuties!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7rmzx2oq5f/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7rAgoiJSFl/

 

[PaulE]

Not to be a U.S.A. snob or anything, and I am sure that Austrian potatoes are of excellent quality -- but I feel compelled to mention that Austria is NOT the "Potato Capital of the World." That honor goes to Blackfoot, Idaho (Google it )

This town is named for the Blackfoot Indians and became the capital of Idaho's famed potato district (Bingham County) when some anti-Mormon politicians bribed the state legislature to take the honor away from the town of Eagle Rock.

Here are a couple of junior skaters practicing their Russian split jumps (in costume) at the Idaho Potato Museum.

https://secureservercdn.net/184.168...vercdn-net/idaho-potato-museum-2031489530.jpg

Thanks for the mention of my home town. We used to get 2-week spud vacations in high school in order to go out and pick potatoes (I admit that I went to high school in the 1950s so I don't know what happens now).

The Blackfoot Indians are actually in northern Montana and Canada. The local Indians are the Bannock-Shoshone I believe. The local legend was that there had been a brush fire and the local Indians were walking around with soot on the moccasins when the white settlers came.

 

[colormyworld240]

I miss Sasha going for all her quads (her determination is what I admire most about her skating) but the program does look better. She shows noticeable improvement in every competition in finishing her movements. It's so strange that some viewers keep saying Sasha should work on SS, spins, and interpretation instead of jumps as if she doesn't have the same training regimen as Anna and Alena and her coaches just let her jump for 8 hours everyday. Nevermind the actual dance videos showing that Sasha, like everyone else in the group, actually spends a good amount of time learning choreography and movement.

Everyone has natural talents and deficits. Anna is extremely flexible, and Alena is quite flexible as well. Unfortunately for Sasha, she doesn't have the natural flexibility but it doesn't mean she's not working on it. She is gifted in other areas, like her ability to build lean muscle which contributes to her jumping ability. But it's clear that Sasha works on all aspects of figure skating, like any other figure skater.

I also want to mention how impressive her triples are. They're seamlessly integrated into the choreography. While many skaters have transitions into their triples, Sasha's at the Euro practice don't even look like a transition into the jump; they just come out of nowhere in the choreography. While I don't think she is going to win if the 3A skate their planned content form practice cleanly, there are many aspects of her skating that I appreciate.

 

[skatenewbie]

i think Sasha FP layout will depends on the SP score. If she is 10+ below Alena then she might put 4 quad with 4F but i dont think they will push 5 quad again. Let's see how they did in SP today!

 

[kmw227]

Good luck to the 3A tomorrow! Hoping for 3 beautiful, clean performances

 

[Edwin]

Good luck to the 3A tomorrow! Hoping for 3 beautiful, clean performances

Yesterday's tomorrow is already today, and will the female skaters have any run throughs early this morning? Or is it straight into warmups for competition also starts reasonably early?

I agree on the notion that when Aleksandra jumps and cleanly lands her new triksel in SP, while Alyona and Anna also are reasonably clean, the thee Awesomely Amazing Aces are going to end up pretty close in SP scores, which might mean a different layout for Aleksandra's SP.

Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that Aleksandra with all her quad power actually ended up as the 'weakest' of the Tutberidze's Terrific Trio? Weak or poor is only relative here with respect to Alyona and Anna, since Aleksandra in her own right is a very formidable skater.

All the contestants the best of luck, clean skating and fair judging today, it is going to be some competition for the best scores

 

[Deripashka]

Will be any livestreams from competition?

 

[colormyworld240]

I just rewatched Anna's Skate America FS and want to say what a complete package she is. She has quads, all 3 types of triple-triple combinations, fast centred spins, flexibility in her spins and spirals, posture, air and landing positions, and incredible interpretation and performance. She's not just musical, she is also expressive in her entire body and face. Anna's performances are so genuine and sensitive; each one is different from the last and she's extremely versatile having done jazz, lyrical, "character", and classical pieces, though I do have to say classical is her best (last season's Rondo Capriccioso and this season's Firebird). Very few skaters can do what she's done as classical pieces require interpreting actual notes and phrases in music rather than a character/genre piece. She also feeds off of the energy of the audience. She really has it all.

I have to admit when I first saw her, during the first season she did dream catcher I believe 2 seasons before her international debut, all I saw was sensitivity and I thought: here's another tiny artist who is going to get buried in all the field of technically talented juniors. Her jumps were teeny tiny, her spins while flexible were wobbly and travelled so much, and her bent tano arm was really an eye-sore. But here she is now with bigger triples and huge quads, fixed spins, and straight rippons. All while keeping and improving on her artistry and flexibility. Even though I loved her last season, her un-pointed toes and sickled foot still bothered me. But this season I see she's pointing her toes more and turning out her feet. I love that she always acknowledges her issues in post-skate interviews; it makes sense as she's been steadily improving. The only thing I'd like her to improve on now are her skating skills. Every skater has their weaknesses, and imo that's Anna's weakness; if she can develop skating skills like Alena/Tarakanova/Valieva, I think she'd be absolutely perfect.

It's also been nice to see more of her personality and character this season. The interviews really highlight her approach to the sport her competitive mindset. And the clip where she was comforting Sasha after she won nationals was quite nice. All this knowing she broke her arm and leg while she was very young, missed her first international season, and chose to remain in the sport after her parents urged her to quite, makes me like her more. May the best skater win Euros and Worlds, but I'm definitely rooting for Anna to have her best skates and win a title or two .