2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Scott512]

So poor Nika got sick with Coronavirus before competition, quarantined (I assume), but still went on to compete here? what?
Jesus Christ, I hope they made sure it's safe, because there were many other kids too close to one another.

Вероника Жилина. КР. Казань. 2020

www.youtube.com

Whaaaat? Veronika? This can't be true. This isn't the Olympics so if she was really sick when covid-19 then shut her down for a few weeks.

In America our most fit athletes are among our most fit athletes are football players do you know the football played with the helmets on and they are getting coronavirus in college and NFL like you wouldn't believe I think because they're in such close contact with each other breathing in and out and spittle coming out of their mouth and other people bringing it in and that's how it gets transferred.

She wasn't wearing a mask on the podium. Hmmm.

She is a phenomenon without question. But Veronika it is only Human after all.

 

[Alex65]

I think it's about the fact that she tested positive for coronavirus about a month ago and after that she was on self-isolation for 14 days and was not able to skate on ice. Thank God, Veronica didn’t get sick and she was able to start training again ten days before the competition. I'm sure she has passed the tests multiple times all this time and there is no reason to fear infection. In addition, according to the regulations, all athletes and personnel are tested immediately before arriving at the competition.

 

[colormyworld240]

I find Akatieva more musical than Zhilina and Petrosyan, and I also enjoy her performance more. That's probably an unpopular opinion.

 

[colormyworld240]

Eh, controversial opinion maybe but i've always found Akatieva very messy artistically. Charming sure but unrefined. She has an edge compared to her teammates cause she looks a bit more consistent while also having the ultra-si elements so that'll surely help her in the future.

But you can see in the steps sequence of both programs how she's barely hanging those edges, while others here like Osokina or Muravyova just skated way better, with more flow and speed in between those turns, but they have all other issues. (Osokina in particular with the underrotations, slow spins and not great extension). You mentioned Kostornaya, and Kihira they also skate way better than her, even at her age.

The jumps while impressive she is able to land them, they're as suspicious as Alysa Liu quads and 3a. But as talked night and day that's a whole separate discussion on the direction unfortunately this sport is moving (towards not calling anything for the skaters we're supposed to like, super harsh judging for the rest).

Overall Akatieva is going to be a bit like Medvedeva and Zagitova, her strenght is all in the consistency. She is not the best skater in any aspect really: you can find skaters with better SS, better posture, better spins, better extension, better performance qualities,... but the job is done, and it is always impressive when you see all put together.

As Aristotle said: "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts". Kihira could have won Worlds already based on her quality but she never skated at clean in both segments at the big events.

Akatieva's jumps are much bigger than Alysa's. And as much as I love Alina, Sofia's jumping content, skating skills, and performance ability are already way beyond Alina and Evgenia's at her age. I'd say she's also more of a complete package than most of the other top skaters today when they were novices.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

I enjoy watching novice skaters skate, but I've given up making assumptions about skaters. So many skaters that were good in novice have totally burned out now, and skaters who I never thought would be big (Matteo Rizzo) have exceeded all my expectations.

With them, it's better to not like on pressure - wait and see what will happen. Enjoy their skating now, but don't judge them and don't think for a second this is how they will definitely end up in senior.

 

[brakes]

https://m.fontanka.ru/2020/11/12/69541030/

The St. Petersburg Figure Skating Federation spoke in favor of increasing the age limit in women's competitions

After the next stage of the Russian Cup in Kazan, the President of the St. Petersburg Figure Skating Federation Sergey Chopozov announced his intention to apply to the Ministry of Sports and the Russian Figure Skating Federation with a proposal to raise the minimum age in adult women's competitions. He spoke about this on Thursday, November 12, in an interview with Fontanka.

“We all understand perfectly well that a 14-year-old's body is formed differently than a 20-year-old,” said Chopozov. - They have different physics, they jump in a completely different way. Do you know what is most offensive? That these 15-year-old girls do not understand that their careers, in fact, will end in 2-3 years. Therefore, I want both the Russian Figure Skating Federation and the Ministry of Sports to hear me: we need to increase the minimum age for girls to participate in adult competitions. I will ask for support in this matter from our head of the sports committee Anton Shantyr.

This is first time increasing age limit is backed officially in Russia.
I hope it's not just emotional reaction to Liza, Sofya and Stasya losing at Russian Cup, because they playing with fire.

 

[icetug]

This is first time increasing age limit is backed officially in Russia.
I hope it's not just emotional reaction to Liza, Sofya and Stasya losing at Russian Cup, because they playing with fire.

No, it's quite reasonable reaction to men and pairs from St. Petersburg winning all around at Russian Cup. They feel strong.

 

[nussnacker]

Akatieva's jumps are much bigger than Alysa's. And as much as I love Alina, Sofia's jumping content, skating skills, and performance ability are already way beyond Alina and Evgenia's at her age. I'd say she's also more of a complete package than most of the other top skaters today when they were novices.

When I first saw her bird performance at Ice Age kids, I was already in complete awe how much artistic a kid can be. She was so expressive, it blew my mind. And agree about SS, she glides very smoothly, and has a very good speed.
Same thing with Kolesnikov Kolya btw, he has some innate artistic ability within him. It just shines through, the boy is crazy talented.

 

[flanker]

I find Akatieva more musical than Zhilina and Petrosyan, and I also enjoy her performance more. That's probably an unpopular opinion.

I still can't compare Sofia and Adeliya properly, because I know Sofia much longer (I saw some of her performances even before her appearance in the Ice Age), therefore I can compare how she was some three years ago and how she developed. On the other hand I know Adeliya for much shorter time, first time I saw her in the videoreportages from TT made before the last season and then at junior nationals. She impressed me not just by skating but by her personality, you can see much of her character in her eyes and smile, in interaction with coaches and other skaters (you can see "social intelligence" there far beyond 13 years old which is BTW her huge quality similar to Anna and to what made me huge fan of Anna). As for her skating, she is definitely very promising, but I'll have to wait at least a season to make a conclusion whether her skating would progress further.

As for Sofia, I agree, to me she is currently the most developed skater of the age 12-13 in all directions (for this age compared maybe only with Kamila), from the perspective of technique, performing and personality necessary for expressing emotions and characters.

Veronika for me represents huge talent from technical perspective, but so far not much as someone who is interpreting the content of the music (I don't mean rhythm of the music) and theme of the program. If I would compare Sofia or Kamila to dancer or ballerina, Veronika would be a tumbler. Of course she is only 12, in two or three years it could be different.

 

[Scott512]

I find Akatieva more musical than Zhilina and Petrosyan, and I also enjoy her performance more. That's probably an unpopular opinion.

It's a very fair and popular opinion. Why would you think otherwise?

All those girls are phenoms in their own ways. Let's see what happens in the next couple years if puberty hammers one of them hopefully they all stay healthy.

 

[Scott512]

This is first time increasing age limit is backed officially in Russia.
I hope it's not just emotional reaction to Liza, Sofya and Stasya losing at Russian Cup, because they playing with fire.

Damn right they're playing with fire. Anna Sasha a d Aliona carried Russian figure skating last year at age 15 for Anna 15 for Sasha and 16 for aliona. If the Brain Trust in Russia wants the Japanese girls winning these events then raise the age limit by all means

Liza Stanislava and Sofia have had their chances. They are absolutely super girls beautiful girls great personalities. But would anyone really have preferred them at Europeans or if there was a worlds last year instead of 3A? Nyet I didn't think so.

Anybody see Stasyas and Sofias scores this year? They are disastrous scores when compared to Anna Sasha and Kamila.

I mean do we really want Sofia Atkieva in Junior's for 4 years? I didn't think so. It's not fair that KV is getting to do so much at 14 and Sofia is going to have to wait three or four years to even be a senior when she's already better than almost all the senior Russian girls. EG needs to set some people straight.

 

[flanker]

Damn right they're playing with fire. Anna Sasha a d Aliona carried Russian figure skating last year at age 15 for Anna 15 for Sasha and 16 for aliona. If the Brain Trust in Russia wants the Japanese girls winning these events then raise the age limit by all means

Liza Stanislava and Sophia have had their chances. Would anyone really have preferred them at Europeans or if there was a world last year instead of 3A? Nyet I didn't think so.

Anybody see Stasyas and Sofias scores this year? They are disastrous scores when compared to Anna Sasha and Kamila.

I mean do we really want Sofia Atkieva in Junior's for 4 years? I didn't think so. It's not fair that KV is getting to do so much at 14 and Sophia is going to have to wait three or four years to even be a senior when she's already better than almost all the senior Russian girls. EG needs to set some people straight.

Still any change of the rules in that way would be applied only after the olympics with the highest probability (already when they tried to change it in 2018, the proposal was to start with that after the Beijing). It would not affect Kamila/Daria/Maiia, but it would affect Sofia/Adeliya/Veronika/Liza Berestovskaya etc.

 

[brakes]

I wonder if Mishin is pushing for it from behind of St Petersburg's federation.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

Akatieva's jumps are much bigger than Alysa's. And as much as I love Alina, Sofia's jumping content, skating skills, and performance ability are already way beyond Alina and Evgenia's at her age. I'd say she's also more of a complete package than most of the other top skaters today when they were novices.

Honestly, I do understand that she is more technically and in some ways more artistically advanced than Alina and Zhenya when they were her age, but I just find her SS and performance ability a bit weaker in comparison to those her age now. While Osokina and Muravyeva's tech content may not be able to compare, their skating skills and musicality are more apparent to me in their skating than Akatieva's. And her biggest competitors technically, Valieva and Samodelkina, also seem to have faster skating, better SS and more connection to music. I'm not saying Akatieva isn't a great skater, as she is and I am sure she can amount to great things in the future, I just feel like she's still lacking something to make me really love her skating. To be honest, there are better performers in the age group (Berestovskaya, Osokina), better SS skaters (Muravyeva, Samodelkina, going younger even Dzepka), better spins (Zhilina, Petrosyan), but her jumps may be close to the top (Zhilina's are better technically, but Akatieva is much more consistent), so I'm just lukewarm towards her skating. I think she's still lacking SS and performance to truly be a "full package" yet, but given she's still so young, I'm sure she'll grow to an amazing skater.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

I find Akatieva more musical than Zhilina and Petrosyan, and I also enjoy her performance more. That's probably an unpopular opinion.

I find her more musical than Zhilina, who, though much improved this season, is still a little stiff and in areas, disconnected from the music. I'm not the biggest fan of Petrosyan, but I have to disagree with saying Akatieva is more musical than Petrosyan. Petrosyan is one of the most musical skaters of her generation, in my opinion of course. She really seems to be feeling the music (not super apparent in her FS this year, but her musicality has always shined in her SPs).

 

[Scott512]

Still any change of the rules in that way would be applied only after the olympics with the highest probability (already when they tried to change it in 2018, the proposal was to start with that after the Beijing). It would not affect Kamila/Daria/Maiia, but it would affect Sofia/Adeliya/Veronika/Liza Berestovskaya etc.

Probably so. But because he's never developed a special 12 to 14 year old girl he can't relate what they go to in Moscow a k a TT.

 

[colormyworld240]

I find her more musical than Zhilina, who, though much improved this season, is still a little stiff and in areas, disconnected from the music. I'm not the biggest fan of Petrosyan, but I have to disagree with saying Akatieva is more musical than Petrosyan. Petrosyan is one of the most musical skaters of her generation, in my opinion of course. She really seems to be feeling the music (not super apparent in her FS this year, but her musicality has always shined in her SPs).

From what I've seen, and I only watched her at her last cup event, Petrosyan is very expressive in her face (reminds me of Anna) and her movements are dramatic, (maybe similar to Daria). But I find she's skating on top of the music - she has great commitment to her movements but they look very rehearsed and sometimes I find her ahead/behind her music, even in the SP, without the awareness to react to it. While she has these big expressive movements, imo there are no changes in her posture or upper body that comes from feeling the musical changes (in both accents and phrasing); she's performing the theme/character but not the actual music. On the other hand, in all the performances I've seen from Akatieva: Ice Age, last season, and this year's Mulan, she's always been so responsive to the music in her body movements and the small details. She doesn't have the big facial expressions but I think she can work on that as I seen an improvement in her SP. Maybe Petrosyan will be able to showcase this with future programs that don't just depend on more dramatic movements, but I don't see it yet.

Regarding spins, I think Zhilina is the best currently. Petrosyan spins like Anna did in novice, very flexible and fast but also uncontrolled and a lot of travel. Anna has learned to control them (took a few season) and they're much more centred now, so I'm sure Petrosyan can as well. Akatieva spins like Alena did in juniors: not the most speed or flexibility, but still very good in both, and good control and centring.

 

[Amei]

Yeah, I don't think Maya will have any reason to stay in juniors after such good results among seniors at Russian Cup...

Well I think it would be reasonable to keep her options for staying in juniors an option - international results and national results don't always match. Additionally she would definitely be on the main Junior national team whereas in seniors she would be at best on the reserve team, I don't know what the funding amounts are but I would assume that main team members get more money to cover their training than reserve team members. But alternatively next year won't Akatieva and Zhilina be juniors? They both have more difficult content than Maya, sticking around for to be beaten by younger skaters might seal her fate of not being able to get senior GP assignments.

Not only an injury, but I read somewhere they lost their ice-nowhere to practice. I assume now they have ice back.

Osokina?? I thought she trained at CSKA with Sotnikova's old coach, Buyanova, that's who she was with at Test skates but I noticed on the entries/results it has a different skating club and I didn't see Buyanova anywhere.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

No, it's quite reasonable reaction to men and pairs from St. Petersburg winning all around at Russian Cup. They feel strong.

Now that's a theory I can get behind
Of course, men and pairs naturally have a longer maturation period and shelf-life. Top ladies are like cottage cheese but St Petersburg is better at making cheddar. Both are tasty and good...

I wonder if Mishin is pushing for it from behind of St Petersburg's federation.

Mishin strikes me as being old enough not to bother with politicking (and not exactly influential either). He usually shies away from controversial media, unlike one of his ex-students... His trademark non-strategic choreo/jump layouts just make me think he gives short shrift to gaming the scoring system, let alone trying to bend their rules. Plus he has stated in the past that he prefers coaching men.

Rukavicin might be more likely, since he has quite a few young teen/early adult ladies who are lovely skaters but have been ousted from the top by their prepubertal compatriots - Nugumanova, Gubanova, Talalaikina, Leonova (if she hasn't retired yet). No other major SPB ladies' coaches come to mind.

 

[EpperlyA]

Who is the Sambo-70 skater currently doing a program to “Reflection” from Mulan?