2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[rollerblade]

Context matters. Those "amateur" NCAA athletes perform at a very high level, they just aren't allowed to receive money for it. Some of them quit playing collegiate level to enter professional drafts, where they can earn that sweet sweet 6 or 7-figure "rookie salary".

 

[Dawn825]

Is it just me, or does it seem like Sasha is getting some incredible height on her 3A?

I notice she has kind of unusual technique, she goes just for height and almost not at all for distance. The opposite of Valieva.

But the stands are huge and even if up to 100people will sit and watch the competition in the stands it will probably still feel verry empty.

I wonder if they'll have a clap track like US nationals I thought it was so ridiculous.

Ooof, this is not looking for Anna.
Sasha seems to be in amazing shape, she generally seems to peak later in the season.

I'd rather see Trusova win but I'm still definitely betting on Scherbakova. From what everyone is saying, this is all standard practice behavior from Anna, and we've seen Sasha have apic meltdowns when she tries too many quads.

Anna won't get a higher score than Sasha if Sasha lands her 3A. That was never a concern. It wouldn't happen nationally either.

Idk about that in Russia. If I remember right, they were 5 points apart at Nationals, which is (I think?) the point difference between a double and triple axel. And Anna would have been even higher with a clean spin.

 

[chasingneverland]

Idk about that in Russia. If I remember right, they were 5 points apart at Nationals, which is (I think?) the point difference between a double and triple axel. And Anna would have been even higher with a clean spin.

LOL. Two of those points were PCS. If Sasha (or anyone) doesn't land a clean 3A then yeah. But if Sasha landed a clean 3A with the rest of it clean then no. Also a 3A is just lower than under 5 points higher in BV. 2A is 3.30 and 3A is 8.

Remember also, that despite Anna not having a 3A her SP is perfectly optimized everyone else. So, if clean, she's still going to score well.

 

[chasingneverland]

Context matters. Those "amateur" NCAA athletes perform at a very high level, they just aren't allowed to receive money for it. Some of them quit playing collegiate level to enter professional drafts, where they can earn that sweet sweet 6 or 7-figure "rookie salary".

That was the point. Amateur is a misnomer.

 

[Hammer24]

I don't even know what NCAA is and I don't care.
This is figure skating and yes, some amateur girl who likes to put on skates for 2h twice a week and goes to a competition in her community once in a while jumping doubles and one 3T, that's an amateur skater. And yes, that girl can't even begin to imagine what WC skaters have to endure physically and mentally, leave alone the Russian ladies.
So nothing dismissive towards "NCAA", or what not, to feel sorry for here, and nothing I need to "Stop".

So I repeat my point: It's perfectly normal for Anna to cry in a bad practice because psychological and physical pressure are normal at her level in any sport. Not because she's in any particularly alarming situation.
If you want to avoid that pain and pressure, don't go professional, stay amateur.

Greatest NCAA coach of all-time...

“To be able to perform physically up to your own particular level of competency; you have to keep your emotions under control.”

John Wooden

 

[flanker]

I'd rather see Trusova win but I'm still definitely betting on Scherbakova. From what everyone is saying, this is all standard practice behavior from Anna, and we've seen Sasha have apic meltdowns when she tries too many quads.

Every variant is still on the table. Yes, Anna has shown nerves of steel despite circumstances and during this season she didn't fall a single time, but that doesn't mean her confidence can't be shaken and that her form may not be ideal (that's here as a variant, not that I truly know that). And Sasha can finally shake off the problems that prevented her to deliver clean programs before.

I am rooting for Anna but above all I wish her clean skates. If she will deliver a clean skate and still will be outscored by Sasha in case she delivers everything clean, than of course we can only congratulate Anna on a clean skate and Sasha on victory and that will be completely fair. I just don't want Anna (and also Sasha) to make serious mistakes that would leave them broken and with the unsolved question "what could've been different if I've skated clean".

Good luck to both girls and also to Liza.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

Does anyone have any detailed practice reports from afternoon practice? The ladies finished so long ago but still... crickets. I've heard Sasha went clean again (YAY!!) but what about Anya or Liza?

 

[Amei]

Greatest NCAA coach of all-time...

“To be able to perform physically up to your own particular level of competency; you have to keep your emotions under control.”

John Wooden

Mr. Wooden coached a team sport, where 1 person's emotions can impact other members of the team. Figure skating is a solo sport (for the most part), as someone else posted this isn't the first time a skater was upset practice went poorly (not sure if she was crying or if the picture was just taken when she was making a face upset), I mean I remember a Jr. grand prix event where Kostornaia messed up her opening jump and the rest of her performance she looked on the verge of balling her eyes, reportedly she had to leave practice at her Challenger event last year because she was upset and needed to calm down - she didn't exactly do to shabby at that event.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Anna had a very very rough runthrough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW28C9OeZnc

She just wasn't sharp today. The SP should be a breeze for her, put her near the top of the standings, and take some of the pressure off. As long as she gets those quads rotated, even falling on all three will still have her ahead of virtually everyone else doing 7 triples as long as she does everything else as well as she normally does.

 

[Amei]

Anna had a very very rough runthrough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW28C9OeZnc

I'm not overly concerned, Shcherbakova quite regularly has bad practices/warm-ups at competitions, and she pretty consistently delivers when it matters most.

Who's that RUDE girl at 0:40?! That's absolutely careless behavior and inexcusable. Also the girl at 2:17!
This is so wrong. Scherbakova's music was being played, so she had the absolute right of way. No one should have cut through her way like that.

2:17 didn't seem that bad, at the :40 second mark...I can't particularly identify the skater but instances like that are when a referee should call that skater over and give them a warning, they do a stunt like that again and they should get pulled off the ice.

 

[Amei]

0:40 looks like the Georgian skater (first name is Alina). She seems like an inexperienced rookie who is not very familiar with competition rules, but to her credit she immediately moved away when she realized her error. Let's not make such a big deal of this, as it was clearly non-intentional, and unlike in the Eunsoo Lim incident, no one got hurt (there wasn't even slight physical contact between the skaters).

well I didn't say they should pull her off immediately, but pull her to the side and remind her of the right of way rule and if it happens again, then you pull her off the ice.

 

[TallyT]

Excuse me?! Not a big deal?! Do skaters have to actually get hurt to make it a big deal?!
What happened there IS a big deal. No excuses! Rookie or not rookie, you shouldn't skate so carelessly and irresponsibly.

Just because you are a rookie doesn't mean you can drive carelessly and put people's lives in danger. Same is true for skating. I've seen so many incidents happen because of careless skaters like her.

Come on, when the big names do it - and they do, more often than folk like to admit - no one pulls them over. If she does it again, sure. If not... let it go.

 

[Jontor]

I'm not overly concerned, Shcherbakova quite regularly has bad practices/warm-ups at competitions, and she pretty consistently delivers when it matters most.

I wonder if Anna gets distracted with the other skaters in general? When she's alone on the ice...it's a different story.

 

[Amei]

I wonder if Anna gets distracted with the other skaters in general? When she's alone on the ice...it's a different story.

she trains everyday on a full rink so I would think if getting distracted by other skaters was a problem, it would have been something they worked her through by now, I mean she doesn't have Pogorilaya style falls but falling leads to more chances of landing weird and getting injured.

 

[colormyworld240]

Anna had a very very rough runthrough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW28C9OeZnc

Who's that RUDE girl at 0:40?! That's absolutely careless behavior and inexcusable. Also the girl at 2:17!
This is so wrong. Scherbakova's music was being played, so she had the absolute right of way. No one should have cut through her way like that.

Let's not crucify her, it was an accident and I'm sure she'll be more conscious of it next time.

I really hope Anna isn't affected by all the comments people make about her on social media and I really hope she hasn't seen the Meagan Duhamel video.

It's too bad there's no audience, she could really use the support and energy. All the mistakes on her triples just looks like she's second guessing herself, especially the pop and wobbles, which isn't normal for her. She's still smiling and expressive when the music picks up in the second half though so hopefully the gives the jumps the attack that she usually has.

 

[RatedPG]

Well, I just caught up and before World Champs, I was worried about Sasha. But, now I’m worried about Anna. She actually cried quite a bit.... I think the pressure is quite high in her as she knows this is her opportunity to win a Worlds. I just hope to see everyone skate their best tomorrow.

 

[alexocfp]

I am always surprised how people tend to be forgiving for their favourite skaters but decide not to grace other with that forgiveness. It is also surprising for me, how easy is to judge someone's losing attention for a moment, like the posters didn't do anything like that in their lives.

Maybe she was warned by the judges, maybe she was warned by her coaching team. Maybe she was not, because the judges decided that it was an accidental situation and this was a lesson for her. It is easy to sit in front of the compuer and bash someone for something that was done unintentionally.

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Reading the descriptions before seeing the video, I was expecting an all time collision.

There are multiple skaters on one sheet of ice. People get close to each other. These 2 incidents are nothing really. Everyone took evasive action with plenty of time to spare.

It‘s a nothing incident in both cases.

 

[readernick]

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Reading the descriptions before seeing the video, I was expecting an all time collision.

There are multiple skaters on one sheet of ice. People get close to each other. These 2 incidents are nothing really. Everyone took evasive action with plenty of time to spare.

It‘s a nothing incident in both cases.

Yes, this happens all the time and, frankly, in less a skater is completely mentally disturbed they would never get in another skaters way on purpose. It risks injury for everyone involved. Usually when a collision does occur both skaters ( or pairs because that is where the most serious collisions occur) are hurt or stunned. Occasionally a skater may need to be reminded to be more careful (not everyone is used to training in large groups/ has great awareness of their surroundings), but fans really make these situations into something they aren't.

 

[DSQ]

Anna had a very very rough runthrough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW28C9OeZnc

Who's that RUDE girl at 0:40?! That's absolutely careless behavior and inexcusable. Also the girl at 2:17!
This is so wrong. Scherbakova's music was being played, so she had the absolute right of way. No one should have cut through her way like that.

At 2:15 Anna wasn’t skating and then restarted so the other girl changed direction. Fine to me.

0:40... I think it looks closer than it was. I think the other girl is much further forward and was changing direction anyway.

Neither seem to be noticed by Anna

 

[karina17]

Anna and Sasha are still in practice, but they've finished their runthroughs. Liza's practice is over.

Anna: 2A, 3F3Lo, 3Lz3Lo x
Sasha: 3A fall, 3F, 3Lz3T x

Liza did her 3A clean in the runthrough, not sure about the rest.

All the best for later!