2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[flanker]

Here is an article about it. I wish I spoke Russian but Google translate does a fairly good job of getting the point across.

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086366726.html

Again, no conspiracy theory. Maybe there is an entrance fee to make the short list of nominees and her 'team' (sponsors or managers?) didn't pay it or didn't make the required deadline. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation and there probably is. And also, how much does this really matter? I don't think Alina would or should have won against Yuzu for MVP or Madison Chock for costume in the eyes of the ISU judges.

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086366726.html

Somehow I don't understand what the team should have to do about it (if TT is meant by that), where was the role of any team in voting for anyone in any category. Also when we know that in march Alina was even preparing a special program for the awards, it means that in that time she either wasn't out of the nominations or she was and nobody told her or her team. Just like it was said, what looked like Zakarian's child at the beginning, is suddenly something he don't want to have anything to do with that now. Looks like one big mess.

 

[Fluture]

Here is an article about it. I wish I spoke Russian but Google translate does a fairly good job of getting the point across.

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086366726.html

Again, no conspiracy theory. Maybe there is an entrance fee to make the short list of nominees and her 'team' (sponsors or managers?) didn't pay it or didn't make the required deadline. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation and there probably is. And also, how much does this really matter? I don't think Alina would or should have won against Yuzu for MVP or Madison Chock for costume in the eyes of the ISU judges.

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086366726.html

Thank you! I read it with google translate but it doesn‘t say anything about Alina‘s sponsors. It says “team“ but who knows what‘s meant by that - management or coaches or whoever. Either way, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. In the end Zakarian didn‘t provide an answer either - he might have done better not commenting at all.

Btw, I‘m not saying you shared any conspiracy theories, I‘ve just been reading a lot on instagram and twitter and the explanations there tend to become very far-fetched. So, just clarifying.

I liked Alina‘s FS costume a lot, I wouldn‘t have minded seeing it among the three final nominees. But you‘re definitely right it doesn‘t really matter anyway.

 

[dunffvanstorn]

Here is an article about it. I wish I spoke Russian but Google translate does a fairly good job of getting the point across.

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086366726.html

Again, no conspiracy theory. Maybe there is an entrance fee to make the short list of nominees and her 'team' (sponsors or managers?) didn't pay it or didn't make the required deadline. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation and there probably is. And also, how much does this really matter? I don't think Alina would or should have won against Yuzu for MVP or Madison Chock for costume in the eyes of the ISU judges.

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086366726.html

Maybe they called the 3 most voted “nominees”. Why would they ask people to vote if there weren’t nominees before? They probably didn’t plan this award very much, and are trying conceal their lack of planning. I also don’t think skaters will feel less valuable if they don’t win this award. I mean, “it’s just plastic” Cady Heron moment.


Enviado do meu iPhone usando Tapatalk

 

[Finley]

Thank you! I read it with google translate but it doesn‘t say anything about Alina‘s sponsors. It says “team“ but who knows what‘s meant by that - management or coaches or whoever. Either way, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. In the end Zakarian didn‘t provide an answer either - he might have done better not commenting at all.

Btw, I‘m not saying you shared any conspiracy theories, I‘ve just been reading a lot on instagram and twitter and the explanations there tend to become very far-fetched. So, just clarifying.

I liked Alina‘s FS costume a lot, I wouldn‘t have minded seeing it among the three final nominees. But you‘re definitely right it doesn‘t really matter anyway.

I didn't feel accused by you I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't trying to stir it up. Sometimes things get more lost in translation than that article I linked to.

At this point I am 100% ready to let it go!

And good luck to all the nominees!

 

[JazzUp]

Somehow I don't understand what the team should have to do about it (if TT is meant by that)

Ari then specifically clarified in another post that he did NOT mean TeamTut; so the "Alina's team" that failed to act is either one of the two she has left:

- Masaru & Iriska (Alina's dog & cat)
- "team" of her sponsors

Most probably, Masaru & Iriska just refused to sponsor the Ari Skating Awards

 

[lopsilceci]

I remember I even voted for Alina for best costume, she definitely was on that list, and on others too, but I guess she was taken out of it after the break/pause announcement.

She wasn't taken out of it... I'm sure about this because my sister voted shortly before the end of the voting and Alina was still in all the categories.

If I remember well, they didn't even remove Anton Shulepov from the best costume category even after everyone asked them to because of how inapropiate his costume was.

 

[TallyT]

What is sad is that this sort of thing has become so is "popular" around the world in the Twitter culture.

It has been for years, we can't even blame it totally on the rise of social media, what Yuzuru was subjected to round about 2013 by Takahashi fans - sometimes at competitions pretty much to his face - is nauseating. What makes it worse is they are doing it, basically, to teenagers, at such a vulnerable time in life.

The problem is, every star has a lunatic fringe: the bigger the star, the larger the fringe who go off the rails. Yuna and Evgenia had huge fan bases at the time Adelina and Alina took their expected OGMs, so the reaction was hideous. Alina, however, is lucky that she amassed and has kept a huge fan base of her own, far bigger than the lunatic fringe that hate her. Adelina... didn't.

 

[Finley]

Ari then specifically clarified in another post that he did NOT mean TeamTut; so the "Alina's team" that failed to act is either one of the two she has left:

- Masaru & Iriska (Alina's dog & cat)
- "team" of her sponsors

Most probably, Masaru & Iriska just refused to sponsor the Ari Skating Awards

Thank you for adding this explanation. It is tough trying to navigate Russian conversations with Google translate.

Given that Alina doesn't seem to have a management team at the moment it would seem, by process of elimination, one of her sponsors may have accidentally dropped the ball. Shiseido and Puma have been nothing but absolutely wonderful to Alina from day 1. I base that opinion on the way they have marketed her and on all the recent exposure she has received from both of late. I can only assume that this is all a misunderstanding. And if it isn't we will never know any way.

On the other hand this seems exactly like the kind of shady move that Masaru might pull. "If I'm not nominated, then nobody will be nominated!" :dev2:

- - - Updated - - -

She wasn't taken out of it... I'm sure about this because my sister voted shortly before the end of the voting and Alina was still in all the categories.

If I remember well, they didn't even remove Anton Shulepov from the best costume category even after everyone asked them to because of how inapropiate his costume was.

Omg, that costume.....

 

[kmw227]

If I remember well, they didn't even remove Anton Shulepov from the best costume category even after everyone asked them to because of how inapropiate his costume was.

IIRC, I think they switched it to Anton's other costume and claimed they meant to nominate that one even though it was literally just a blue shirt. But still

 

[Finley]

It has been for years, we can't even blame it totally on the rise of social media, what Yuzuru was subjected to round about 2013 by Takahashi fans - sometimes at competitions pretty much to his face - is nauseating. What makes it worse is they are doing it, basically, to teenagers, at such a vulnerable time in life.

The problem is, every star has a lunatic fringe: the bigger the star, the larger the fringe who go off the rails. Yuna and Evgenia had huge fan bases at the time Adelina and Alina took their expected OGMs, so the reaction was hideous. Alina, however, is lucky that she amassed and has kept a huge fan base of her own, far bigger than the lunatic fringe that hate her. Adelina... didn't.

This post hits me in the heart a little bit. After 2014 I joined this board and followed social media accounts of the skaters who were medalists from the Olympics. It was like taking a bite from a poison apple. I don't think I posted here even once. I've since made up for lost time.

To this day I won't go into a Davis & White or Virtue & Moir thread or follow any of the four on any SM. None of the skaters are to blame for that. I loved them then and I loved them now. But a small, vocal and exceedingly toxic segment of their fanbase made it intolerable.

I loved both Yulia and Adelina. I followed them both. I had to unfollow Adeline because the abuse and negativity she was getting was just too much. It was sad. I never re-followed her. Even after she created a new account.

I think one of the reasons I defend Alina so fiercely is residual guilt for never having once defended Adelina on any social media platform. Even though what she was going through was worse and even more unfair. Not like anything I had to say would have made a difference, but at least I would have said something at the time. It just felt so crazy and unhinged I didn't even know where to start.

I'm grateful to have missed Yuna v. Mao and Daisuke v. Yuzu.

 

[Scott512]

This post hits me in the heart a little bit. After 2014 I joined this board and followed social media accounts of the skaters who were medalists from the Olympics. It was like taking a bite from a poison apple. I don't think I posted here even once. I've since made up for lost time.

To this day I won't go into a Davis & White or Virtue & Moir thread or follow any of the four on any SM. None of the skaters are to blame for that. I loved them then and I loved them now. But a small, vocal and exceedingly toxic segment of their fanbase made it intolerable.

I loved both Yulia and Adelina. I followed them both. I had to unfollow Adeline because the abuse and negativity she was getting was just too much. It was sad. I never re-followed her. Even after she created a new account.

I think one of the reasons I defend Alina so fiercely is residual guilt for never having once defended Adelina on any social media platform. Even though what she was going through was worse and even more unfair. Not like anything I had to say would have made a difference, but at least I would have said something at the time. It just felt so crazy and unhinged I didn't even know where to start.

I'm grateful to have missed Yuna v. Mao and Daisuke v. Yuzu.

I agree with every last word you wrote.

If it's true that alina does not have a management team that is a little bit bizarre. She needs representation and protection in all levels of management including lawyers. So when someone like that crazy Rodina girl make hateful and threatening statements towards her legal action can be taken.

 

[lopsilceci]

The only difference is the form, not competing is the real thing. Nevertheless, once again when the skating awards were announced, it was nowhere said "if you take a break you can't be in nominations" (and once again, when you read the definition of the "most valuable skater", it has literally zero justification to not nominate Alina, because currently hardly anyone would fulfill that more), so unless Tarasova would toss the set of the rules for the awards out her skirts that would support her claims, there is no reason for assumption this is the entitled reason why to completely ignore still reigning olympic and world champion.

As for my opinion on her, you could say I'm biased and I would not disprove that. I gave her a chance several times, the last time when she visited the Sleeping beauty, but then she started with her unnecessary and unprovoked verbal asaults again. I guess her visit there was a variant of my beloved "I'm a fan but..."

Also, Tarasova's comments don't make sense when we consider that the ISU supposedly only took into account the performances from Grand Prix and Euros/4CC for the awards...

From their website:

Based on the results and experiences at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating individual events and Final, ISU European Figure Skating Championships and ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships of the 2019/20 season...

If only those competitions count, then Evgenia only competed in her 2 Grand Prix events, while Alina also competed in the Final. So Alina had as much right (if not more) as Evgenia to be considered for the shortlist of nominees.

 

[Amei]

If I remember correctly most everyone on this board thought these ISU awards were supremely stupid when they were announced...now we're arguing over them

 

[Amei]

Any word on what's going on with Medvedeva? Is she still on lockdown in Japan? Training? Any ETA on her getting to Canada?

 

[colormyworld240]

Thank you for your answer; I think my issue lies with "best skater" equals "winning skater".

I may agree that such and such a skater is the winning skater, (indeed who won would be a fact) but I do not think I am not obliged to agree that they are the "best". I can disagree that they were judged accurately, I can disagree that the elements are given proper weighting, I can disagree on the color of the costume. That's the beauty, and the problem, of a judged sport. "Best", for me, is subjective. Now I know if someone loves a skater who is winning everything in sight, they will use that record to support why their skater is "best". As well they ought. But I can argue with that if I disagree, and I will

It is much like the issue I have with more rotations in the air as the only definition of "progress". It may be progress to some, it may inspire thrills and chills, and who am I to argue with that? But it is far from the only definition. At least for me.

ETA: and in response to other posts, I hated figures back in the day, because, well, Toller. And Compulsory Dances with the same music all day made me mental. But I think the idea to have them at junior comps, where in most countries absolutely nobody attends, is a great idea. Instill them while they're young.:agree:

You can disagree all you want, and that's called a difference of opinion. But we're only fans, and we don't get to decide the rules. There are way too many opinions to make everyone happy anyways - some want only jumps, others want to remove the emphasis on jumps. However, the competitive skaters are trying to win medals under the ISU, not fan wars. That's the difference; you and I can disagree all we want but the most important thing to the skaters is how they do competitively, which is governed by the rules under the ISU. They're not trying to win in our eyes, they want the real medals, and we want them to win those medals as well. Medals that are rewarded for skates that are judged under a specific set of rules that everyone knows.

For the record, I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with the heavy emphasis on jumps. However, they are the most valued elements under the system that everyone willingly participates in. Fans don't get to change the rules for their favourites; everyone has different favourites and winners are not decided by votes from the public. And I am thankful for that, if we just look at the bashing of skaters from fan disagreements in the Russian ladies' thread. Plus, if winners were only deserving based on the fan's POV, no one would be deserving. Even Hanyu has plenty of people who dislike his skating. Sasha Trusova is far from my favourite skater, but if she comes out with her however many quads programs next season and wins over all my favourites, she would be the deserving winner and I don't think the rules should be changed just because my favourites aren't winning.

 

[colormyworld240]

Well, that is the whole issue in a nutshell. But to me, that's the question, not the answer.

Some people don't like it, as is their right. Those people in fact go on message boards and say that they don't like it. Some people say that they think X is a better skater than Y even though the ISU says otherwise. Some people are not overawed by the word "official." The ISU isn't my daddy. The fact that the ISU encourages and rewards jumps over all other aspects of skating is not necessarily sacrosanct and above criticism. Speak Truth to Power. :yes:

It is


True, but that doesn't make it "right." Furthermore, even in the current IJS point system SS plus Interpretation plus Choreography plus Performance plus GOEs do add up to a substantial percentage of the point total. This is obscured by the fact that ISU judges do not discriminate very well between skaters who are outstanding in these areas and those who are just pretty good.

There is no answer to the question, though. It's everyone's right to dislike the scoring system, but no scoring system is going to be liked by everyone. I don't have an issue with anyone not liking the system, the issue comes from the bashing of the skaters winning under it. I would argue the the word "official" is what everyone cares about. It's where all the arguing and bashing comes from. When our favourites don't win those "official" competitions. The ISU may not be your daddy but their opinion is much more important to all our favourite skaters than ours. The skaters are not satisfied with only winning the fan's hearts, they want those medals. And we want the medals for them.

If the rules were up to the fans, there would be no rules. We clearly can't come to an agreement on anything, as you can see in the many disagreements. So a small group of who they decide are the most qualified people gets to decide, no one is happy, but everyone plays by it. The lucky fans and skaters will have views and skills that align most with those rules. Just like how it would be under any other set of rules. So what's the answer to the question, then? Which of the fans gets to decide what's more important?

 

[Finley]

I agree with every last word you wrote.

If it's true that alina does not have a management team that is a little bit bizarre. She needs representation and protection in all levels of management including lawyers. So when someone like that crazy Rodina girl make hateful and threatening statements towards her legal action can be taken.

I agree and disagree with you. I like the idea of her having representation and protection and a damned good lawyer. I hope she has those things or gets them soon.

As for taking action, I am conflicted. Alina and her parents' strategy of never commenting, defending, explaining or even addressing anything ever has actually worked thus far. I honestly don't know how they have kept so quiet in the face of so much criticism about literally every single thing. I would have had to say something! I guess they feel like if you don't say anything no-one can use it against you. They have absolutely proved the point that 'silence is golden'. And every single relative or member of her extended family or even friend of the family has followed their example been respectfully silent on any issues related to Alina.

It's a good strategy because nothing ever sticks to her. She just keeps it moving. But I absolutely want her to have a good lawyer and a good accountant.

 

[plushyfan]

Any word on what's going on with Medvedeva? Is she still on lockdown in Japan? Training? Any ETA on her getting to Canada?

I also really don't understand it. If Eteri could go home from US why Zhenya can't go anywhere from Japan? Isn't allowed to go to Canada? Who is coaching her? How can anybody coach her at all? Why is she so quiet about her plans about her possibilities? It's so mysterious...

 

[icetug]

If only those competitions count, then Evgenia only competed in her 2 Grand Prix events, while Alina also competed in the Final. So Alina had as much right (if not more) as Evgenia to be considered for the shortlist of nominees.

Please notice that the category Evgenia got nomination is the "Most entertaining program", so the number of her performances doesn't really count...

If Eteri could go home from US why Zhenya can't go anywhere from Japan? Isn't allowed to go to Canada?

You answered the question yourself - it's quite a difference between coming home (everybody's welcome) and entering another country (you need a visa and to stick to some restrictions). As quite recently Koshiro Shimada came back from Japan to Switzerland, I hope Evgenia is on her way to Canada now.

 

[plushyfan]

You answered the question yourself - it's quite a difference between coming home (everybody's welcome) and entering another country (you need a visa and to stick to some restrictions). As quite recently Koshiro Shimada came back from Japan to Switzerland, I hope Evgenia is on her way to Canada now.

I believe Zhenya has visa for years in Canada but I understand what you say... I hope so..