2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Jontor]

Aliona is not planning on jumping a 3A tomorrow

She's not? Well then Trusova wins, no question.

 

[chasingneverland]

I was really looking forward to seeing Anna skate! What does this mean for her WS and SB if this ends up being the only international event?

Pneumonia is no joke, it took Liza out for a while (and she was hospitalized as well?). Hopefully her immune system can take care of it quickly. And good for Anna and whoever else made the responsible decision to pull her out (parents, coaches, fed, etc.). Even though it's not covid, tests can give false negatives during the incubation period. And of course whatever infection she has is probably contagious as well.

Wishing Anna well and looking forward to seeing her healthy and back in competition soon!

It doesn't mean anything for her WS and SB. The GP this year being used for WS and SB at all.

It would actually be incredibly foolish to risk having her skate in an essentially "meaningless event" and potentially endanger her future health, regardless of the potential health risks to everyone else. She has nothing to prove.

I hope she gets better!!

 

[Jontor]

Is it just me? I can't put my finger on it, but I sometimes have a feeling that Kostornaia is phoning in her performances. I thought so the first time at Euros and I get the feeling again this season.

 

[Novalis]

She's not? Well then Trusova wins, no question.

My prediction for tomorrow: Alyona will skate clean, but it won't be enough to keep Sasha at bay. Sasha will fall with one quad, but otherwise solid. Liza T will not be clean, not even close, but she'll do enough to claim 3rd spot.

 

[Jontor]

I just realised, Nugumanova broke her SP record today with 68.47. Her previous record was 66.41 from Junior RusNats 2018.

Well done Liza!

 

[chasingneverland]

She's not? Well then Trusova wins, no question.

She has to be relatively clean. She's 8 points behind Alena. She can do it of course!!

 

[Edwin]

No official conformation from Anna Shcherbakova herself, her parents or her team as to her cold?

 

[Skatesocs]

I just realised, Nugumanova broke her SP record today with 68.47. Her previous record was 66.41 from Junior RusNats 2018.

I'm happy for you Nugumanova fans.

Apart from that, have to agree that Anna was missed.

 

[klena]

Russian Men more interesting than Russian Ladies - who would've thunk that could ever happen?
weakest ladies' comp (among so called 'top skaters') in maybe 2 seasons

1TV agrees with you
"An exorbitant level of competition is expected at the men's GP tournament"

 

[Fluture]

Anna has pneumonia??? I know she withdrew due to health reasons but is it confirmed that it’s pneumonia? If so, I‘m so sorry for her. Wishing a speedy recovery!

Now, for the SP today:

1. Aliona: well, that program is just bad. The flatline sound and the terrible music cuts... sigh. But I also know that she loves and enjoys it, so I can‘t totally hate it. It‘s about her dying because of her boyfriend breaking up with her and then remembering she‘s a a queen and getting up to fight again, I think that says it all. It‘s cheesy and so very much the typical teenage stuff. Oh well, let her be, she IS a teenager after all. And this season doesn‘t matter anyway. I just think that next season they need to play to her strengths. It shouldn‘t be a program she hates but maybe not... this either.

As for the performance itself.. she‘s not back yet. The 2A was gorgeous as ever and the spins were much, much better than at her last competition. But the lutz and combo were eeked out and she lost a level on the step sequence. Should have gotten ! on the lutz, too. She’s elegant and beautiful in her skating as always but she was focusing on the technical elements and it showed. This program, if it wants to have ANY chance of working, needs to be performed. Without the 3A she also has zero chance at victory tomorrow but.. she‘s getting there. One step at a time.

2. Liza. That 3A Unfortunately, after that perfect start, mistakes creeped in and prevented her from taking the lead. I‘m still not a fan of her skating but I do think this program suits her, the costume looks great and she has improved tons on steps and spins. Overall: well done! If she‘s clean and/or lands a quad, she can win silver tomorrow!

3. Sasha... that 3A I really wanted her to land it this time, it would have been a great confidence boost for RusNats where she‘ll need it against Kamila and Anna. But it was all off from the beginning, she entered it cautiously and then further slowed down right before the take off. The landing looked really painful and overall, I‘m just happy she didn‘t injure herself. Good on her for fighting back afterwards, though I‘ve seen her do better combos. PCS were too high, as well, she had a serious mistake after all. Overall, I like this program (and costume...) much, much better than Aliona‘s but today wasn‘t her day. Tomorrow will be, however! I don‘t think there‘s anyone who can beat her. Liza could put up a fight with clean 3As and 4T but she‘d have to be perfect. Aliona isn‘t planning on doing a 3A and Anna has withdrawn. So, I think Sasha‘s safe for now. But I really hope she gets over those 3A nerves, she needs it in the SP.

4. Guliakova. She‘s good, she did well, I like her dress and... that‘s about it? Congratulations! I‘m sorry, there‘s really not that much more I could say about her.

5. Nugumanova. FINALLY they didn‘t bury her completely technically. Her jumps actually all looked around to me this time, too. The combo was two-footed for sure but I felt it looked rotated. Anyway, I thought she had the best performance and I would have had her lead in PCS. But of course, she‘s not a favorite so that was never gonna happen...

6. Samodurova. Why is she getting such low scores??? I mean, sure, her jumps are tiny and the lutz edge is questionable but that was a really good performance! That‘s all I can say: She.deserves.better.

Not a Russian lady, technically, but Ryabova has the weirdest pause between her jumps I‘ve ever seen. It looks...bad.

Don‘t remember much of the rest, will have to rewatch. But did I remember correctly: did the commentator REALLY say Safonova was the Russian Champ after he also mentioned her 14th place at Euros in the same sentence? At first I thought I‘d understood him wrongly but then he was all like: “The current Russian champion.. an unlikely champion maybe but that‘s the reality.“

That made my day. If we can choose: Ekaterina Kurakova, Russian Champ.

 

[Edwin]

Seems 1TV's international Youtube channel doesn't have the usual individual routines, and the 1TV website has them geoblocked for now.

Any non authorised recordings might get a copyright strike, so perhaps one should check the fan channels for clips fast?

 

[Jontor]

Not a Russian lady, technically, but Ryabova has the weirdest pause between her jumps I‘ve ever seen. It looks...bad.

It's weird isn't it! I remember that from last season too. Surely that must affect her GOE negatively?

 

[Jontor]

I'm happy for you Nugumanova fans.

Apart from that, have to agree that Anna was missed.

Yes, without Anna the whole competition lost at lot of ooomph.

In my mind though, I have Anna comfortably in the lead after the short.

 

[Skatesocs]

In my mind though, I have Anna comfortably in the lead after the short.

she probably would have been, had she just rotated everything.

 

[silveruskate]

In her most recent interview Aliona said the program was about not giving up (not dying), thinking about her with her jumps and 3A on a personal level, and then the world with Covid. Second part is that success is still possible if you believe and hope.

 

[Fluture]

It's weird isn't it! I remember that from last season too. Surely that must affect her GOE negatively?

I remember it from last season, too but I thought it was even more pronounced here.. well, they butchered that combination overall, she got an e and a q on the lutz, and a < on the 3T. No idea how the GOE would have looked like for a clean combo, but I cannot imagine it‘d be good...

 

[Fluture]

In her most recent interview Aliona said the program was about not giving up (not dying), thinking about her with her jumps and 3A on a personal level, and then the world with Covid. Second part is that success is still possible if you believe and hope.

Well, I like that interpretation better, personally, but the last one was so over-the-top in its cheesiness that it almost worked.

 

[silveruskate]

I wish Anna well, and she was missed. I've been looking forward to seeing Kamila skate her SP again. In my opinion it's the best program of the year. Just have to wait, but I really hoped she could have competed somehow. The 5th stage with Alena, Kamila and Tuktamysheva should be the best yet!

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

did the commentator REALLY say Safonova was the Russian Champ after he also mentioned her 14th place at Euros in the same sentence? At first I thought I‘d understood him wrongly but then he was all like: “The current Russian champion.. an unlikely champion maybe but that‘s the reality.“

In this rare instance I must defend Simon because he definitely said "current Belarussian champion", and I guess what he meant by unlikely was that Safonova isn't native Belarussian.

 

[Fluture]

In this rare instance I must defend Simon because he definitely said "current Belarussian champion", and I guess what he meant by unlikely was that Safonova isn't native Belarussian.

Okay, so I did understand wrongly then, my bad.