2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[renebaebae]

All three girls didn't perform that well to me today. They all looked a bit tentative. Anna looked the most relaxed and enjoying her performance I guess.

Shame about Trusova, I think her issue is definitely psychological.

As usual lenient judging for both Anna and Alena. Thankfully, Anna got her URs called but again went uncalled with her atrocious lz edges. Alena also scrapped by with her uncalled borderline 3A and her lz edge too. Anyway, I think the podium is fine this way.

 

[Mishaminion]

Alyona deserved to win here, apart from her fall she was sublime.
Anna's 4F was awesome, but I agree with the calls she got, and she was lucky not to get Lutz calls.
Still... I think she might just win Worlds. The pressure is back in Alyona's shoulders now and Anna seems to do better when she is not the favourite

 

[colormyworld240]

If Sasha landed the quads today, she would’ve won gold, as neither Anna or Aliona were clean.
Sasha also never needed 5 quads to win gold. 4 quads and a double axel would be enough, as of now (they’re all trying to add more). By Worlds, 4 quads and a triple axel will in all likelihood be enough to control her own fate.

5 quads is Sasha being ambitious; not it being a necessity.

Where are you getting this information? Today, Sasha was 9 points behind Alena, the winner, and 10 points behind in the SP. Skating a program with 2 clean quads would not have been enough. And this is when both Anna and Alena had their worst performances this season. If they were clean even a 4 quad program would be close, and we know she doesn't get the GOEs even on her clean quads.

 

[Alex65]

In a sense, conspiracy theory regarding <<Lz Anna:
after the autumn letter from Rusfed tech. panels forgot about ribs for our girls in general. But some very strict ones, like here, cannot survive this and take revenge on their backs.

 

[Mishaminion]

What Anna needs is fair judging

And her Lutz called

I love her but I do not agree she is being too harshly judged when that Lutz edge is being ignored completely. She is so lucky she did not get an e in the SP or at least ! in the FS.

 

[Jontor]

And from what I remember she has not even had a clean 4 quad programm this season , or am I wrong, it's nothing against her but as of know we have not seen her go clean

She had a cleanish performance at Japan Open with a 4 quad program. But still scored only 160.

I think Sasha's problem now is mental. She overcharges at competitions and she needs to cool down.

 

[Mishaminion]

In a sense, conspiracy theory regarding <<Lz Anna:
after the autumn letter from Rusfed tech. panels forgot about ribs for our girls in general. But some very strict ones, like here, cannot survive this and take revenge on their backs.

Please dont start any conspiracy theories.

I thought the << was basically correct

 

[fabienne1996]

I am so tired of this nonsense about Anna's Lutzes. An e in the short? I strongly oppose this.

It's the edge when you pick that counts, and Anna always has an outside edge, then it sometimes goes to flat when she jumps up but that's okay!
An e means an inside edge and that is just ridiculous.

There are pictures of her lutz where you can't even see the difference between her flip, so no she doesn't always have an outside edge, most of the time this season she had flat or slightly outside but also at least one inside edge.

 

[silveruskate]

Congrats Aliona!

Not to ruin the Anna should have won pity party, but it was the correct result. For some reason according to posters here in every single competition Anna has always been underscored and should have won. And then the obvious detraction of Aliona, describing that she is always given an easy ride in the judging.

Anna didn't deserve a << for the 4Lz and I don't think her 4F was < at all, but her first 4Lz in combination was clear < to me. Her PCS was 2 points more than at GPF yet some posters are still acting like it's stagnant, whereas Aliona's PCS was 1 point lower than at GPF. The difference being only 1 point is criminal to me as I think Alioma is vastly superior in this aspect and should be 4/5 points ahead at least, but I understand that's subjective. Then the questionable edges are a thing. They did a slow-mo close up of that 4F edge and that edge was highly questionable definitely a ! at least. Her SP 3Lz was e and FS Lzes were questionable like always. I have seen her do true lutzes so she can do it, but forensic analysis cuts both ways.

Sasha...the pressure is obviously too much. I hope she can relax for Worlds and feel like an underdog, but this trend of not being clean must be hard mentally. Her 4Lz and first 4T were absolutely massive and higher than I've ever seen her do so I don't think she's 'losing' the jumps.

 

[Mishaminion]

She had a cleanish performance at Japan Open with a 4 quad program. But still scored only 160.

I think Sasha's problem now is mental. She overcharges at competitions and she needs to cool down.

I think it is mental too.

People are hoping she's grown too much and is losing her jumps but it is just not true.
She's adjusting somewhat but she can do these quads and does so in practice
At Nationals she was nailing her 5 quads in run throughs but struggled so much in competition.

She also has her loop combo back after struggling with it a bit earlier in the season.

So I don't think it is mostly about the physical side at all but just the opposite

 

[colormyworld240]

And her Lutz called

I love her but I do not agree she is being too harshly judged when that Lutz edge is being ignored completely. She is so lucky she did not get an e in the SP or at least ! in the FS.

I think her lutz was flat in the SP and ever so slightly outside in the FS, even on the downgraded ones. It's hard to see edges when they aren't a deep outside, but only the picking edge and hen it leaves the ice counts. I've never seen her inside edge touch the ice on her lutzes. Even Anna's flip is on a very shallow inside edge.

This is more subjective but I think she should've gotten a bigger boost as she's the only one of the top 3 to have given any performance today. Sasha and Alena were both visibly nervous and going through the movements which is understandable as Sasha was falling and Alena knew she had to be perfect. But Anna was extremely expressive and completely embodied her music, I can't even think of one single improvement she can make in interpretation and performance, yet she wasn't even in the 9s for IN. Because the margin was so close today, I really think it should have gone to Anna (with the 4Lz downgrade, Alena's borderline 3A, and Anna's performance overall). I don't think it's any big conspiracy, just missing small technical errors that happens at every competition, but I do think Anna got the shorter end of the stick in comparison to both Alena and Sasha as far as the technical goes. I also think Anna may have benefited the compared to the other lower ranking skaters who were judged harshly, but I don't think that would've affected placement.

 

[dhjh811]

She was, but two of the calls were questionable, and even just one going the other way would've given her the gold. So, I stand by my statement that she should've won.

I am so tired of this nonsense about Anna's Lutzes. An e in the short? I strongly oppose this.

It's the edge when you pick that counts, and Anna always has an outside edge, then it sometimes goes to flat when she jumps up but that's okay!
An e means an inside edge and that is just ridiculous.

No, her lutz edge in the SP was more inside than it has ever been. Usually, I say hers is flat.

 

[Lzbee]

I am so tired of this nonsense about Anna's Lutzes. An e in the short? I strongly oppose this.

It's the edge when you pick that counts, and Anna always has an outside edge, then it sometimes goes to flat when she jumps up but that's okay!
An e means an inside edge and that is just ridiculous.

Hmmm according to the ISU guideline videos, it's the trace on the ice that matters. I'm not sure that just being on the outside edge until you pick would give the trace that the video shows.

 

[SkatingFan9]

Where are you getting this information? Today, Sasha was 9 points behind Alena, the winner, and 10 points behind in the SP. Skating a program with 2 clean quads would not have been enough. And this is when both Anna and Alena had their worst performances this season. If they were clean even a 4 quad program would be close, and we know she doesn't get the GOEs even on her clean quads.

It’s math. Just count the points that she lost today and add them to her totals. She lost 10 points alone from falling on her quad lutz (assuming +3 GOE).

 

[Mishaminion]

Agree. You are brave for saying this. Here on GS RSL wrong edges don't exist (of course unless the skater is Medvedeva).

But for a long time Evgenia's flutz was ignored by the judges/tech panel

 

[Mishaminion]

I think her lutz was flat in the SP and ever so slightly outside in the FS, even on the downgraded ones. It's hard to see edges when they aren't a deep outside, but only the picking edge and hen it leaves the ice counts. I've never seen her inside edge touch the ice on her lutzes. Even Anna's flip is on a very shallow inside edge.

This is more subjective but I think she should've gotten a bigger boost as she's the only one of the top 3 to have given any performance today. Sasha and Alena were both visibly nervous and going through the movements which is understandable as Sasha was falling and Alena knew she had to be perfect. But Anna was extremely expressive and completely embodied her music, I can't even think of one single improve she can make in interpretation and performance, yet she wasn't even in the 9s for IN. Because the margin was so close today, I really think it should have gone to Anna (with the 4Lz downgrade, Alena's borderline 3A, and Anna's performance overall).

Her Lutz was inside in the SP and completely flat in the FS

 

[Jontor]

And her Lutz called

I love her but I do not agree she is being too harshly judged when that Lutz edge is being ignored completely. She is so lucky she did not get an e in the SP or at least ! in the FS.

I strongly disagree with this. (See my earlier post). Anna's Lutzes are just fine in my book.

 

[Jontor]

But for a long time Evgenia's flutz was ignored by the judges/tech panel

That I agree with. Zhenya always had a superclear flutz that was completely ignored for years.
That is not the case with Anna.

 

[colormyworld240]

Her Lutz was inside in the SP and completely flat in the FS

Can you provide a gif with her inside edge touching the ice? Because I really don't see it even watching multiple times.

 

[Mishaminion]

I strongly disagree with this. (See my earlier post). Anna's Lutzes are just fine in my book.

Well you have your opinion. If you think they are fine then good for you.

I know Anna CAN do an outside edge Lutz but for some reason her edge seems to get worse at times