2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating | Page 560 | Golden Skate

2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

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Sometimes suprises happen. The first program I rewatched after the livestream was Nugumanova. That was almost perfection.

Lower PCS than Samodurova, Gulyakova and Trusova is a shame.
 
Unfortunately today I only managed to watch the last four competitors at Rostelecom. I also missed Anna today, I wish her a speedy recovery!
Liza: the 3A was something beautiful, such a shame for the mistake later on in the combo. All in all, I would totally put her ahead of Sasha, but I didn't expect such a gap between them. I have to say, though, that this time I enjoyed Liza a lot more than during her other outings this season, so well done!
Sofia: was really solid, I'm not a fan of her FS but I think her SP suits her. I didn't expect her score to be so low and judging by her face, she didn't expect that too.
Sasha: the mistake on the 3A did really cost her, but I think she's going to take the lead tomorrow. It's good she tries every time with the axel, sooner or later she's going to hit it. Also, this is the right season to try it out in competition and get used to it. About the program, I liked her SP as usual, I don't think the fall particularly affected her presentation.
Alena: I'm in the minority here, but I actually like her SP and her SP's music. Today her performance didn't particularly convince me, though. In the step sequence I thought she was a little disconnected from the music, actually. But she totally deserved the first place today!
 
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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!
Someone explain to me why KV is not there when she can skate against the big girls and the stages of the Russian cup?

For Anna my God this came at the bad time. I hope it isn't what I'm worried it is.

That's pneumonia by the way. It kicked Lizas ass 2 years ago.
 
Sometimes suprises happen. The first program I rewatched after the livestream was Nugumanova. That was almost perfection.

Lower PCS than Samodurova, Gulyakova and Trusova is a shame.
No surprise Little Liza has the gubanova PCS curse.
 
Someone explain to me why KV is not there when she can skate against the big girls and the stages of the Russian cup?

For Anna my God this came at the bad time. I hope it isn't what I'm worried it is.

That's pneumonia by the way. It kicked Lizas ass 2 years ago.
Kamila is not old enough for GP Russia.
 
Someone explain to me why KV is not there when she can skate against the big girls and the stages of the Russian cup?

For Anna my God this came at the bad time. I hope it isn't what I'm worried it is.

That's pneumonia by the way. It kicked Lizas ass 2 years ago.
Internationally she is still a junior until the Olympic season. She can take part in the senior events organized by her federation (Russian Cup and Nationals) but she cannot take part in ISU sanctioned senior events such as the Grand Prix series, of which Rostelecom Cup is a part. It's the same situation with other promising juniors (for example Alisa Lyu took part in the ISP Points Challenge and The Las Vegas Invitational, both organized by her federation and aimed at senior skaters, but not in Skate America which is part of the Grand Prix series).
 
Just like after the test stakes I have to say that so far pairs were the highlight of the event. As for the ladies all the cup stages offered more interesting performances (praise the exceptions).
 
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.
This descripyion of her program was just amazing :bow::laugh2: I know someone else had a different explanation in the next page but. Personally I liked this way more. Its the perfect teenage cheesy overdramatic reaction to such a breakup!
 
Today I felt like the ladies was actually the least interesting. Normally it is the most
That's it. Maybe tomorrow the interesting thing to watch will be whether Sasha can catch up with Aliona's margin, but otherwise I did not enjoy the ladies much. Every cup stage ladies competition (incl. juniors) till now was somehow more interesting, but maybe it's just the disappointment that speaks from me.
 
Someone explain to me why KV is not there when she can skate against the big girls and the stages of the Russian cup?
Because she's a junior internationally. In Russia (and other places like the US) you can skate at the senior level nationally at 14 and as Russian nationals and the Russian cup are national she's eligible there (same with Anna F, Daria, Maiia this year, and others before them like Alina, Anna, Sasha, Alena, etc) but because the GP is international she's not eligible because she's still too young - to be senior level internationally you have to be least 15 and 15 by July 1st I think.
 
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That's it. Maybe tomorrow the interesting thing to watch will be whether Sasha can catch up with Aliona's margin, but otherwise I did not enjoy the ladies much. Every cup stage ladies competition (incl. juniors) till now was somehow more interesting, but maybe it's just the disappointment that speaks from me.

We miss Anna Shcherbakova, we really do.
She would probably have kept a cool head since she was rostered to skate last and she is with world's best and most experienced coaching team.

More and more press quotes with Kostornaya and Trusova are appearing and being interpreted for their actual meaning and significance by both fans and experts alike.
 
More press clippings:






All these and other clips and quotes were from a press conference under social distancing and mixed zone meetings.

Would love to get the full versions.

FFKKR provided a good resume too:

 
Its a shame that Shcherbakova is/was ill and was unable to compete here, hopefully she will be recovered by Nationals and the Cup final.

Hopefully she is "over" the illness and now it's just a matter of getting back into competition shape where it was a bit of a toss up if she would compete here and last minute it was decided that no she shouldn't try to compete here. If she's still actually sick where it was clear there was no way that she was going to compete, I'm disappointed that she didn't withdraw sooner where someone else could have been named a replacement and competed at the GP event.
 
Its a shame that Shcherbakova is/was ill and was unable to compete here, hopefully she will be recovered by Nationals and the Cup final.

Hopefully she is "over" the illness and now it's just a matter of getting back into competition shape where it was a bit of a toss up if she would compete here and last minute it was decided that no she shouldn't try to compete here. If she's still actually sick where it was clear there was no way that she was going to compete, I'm disappointed that she didn't withdraw sooner where someone else could have been named a replacement and competed at the GP event.
But do you know that it was going on for some time now? Cause otherwise, you know, she might have JUST fallen ill. Pneumonia quite offten develops of a less severe cold, so it might have been a deterioration of some less severe condition which they had hoped to control but failed.
Of course, I also hope she'll be alright for Nationals.
 
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.

She's off an on, like most skaters. The jumps were good today but the actual performance was better at stage 4. She came alive during the steps there. Either way, I'd say this SP and her Twilight program are the best programs from her performance wise, far better than any of the lyrical programs she has had. It might be more obvious when she's not completely performing, but it's much better when she is.

So much criticism on these pop programs and even more now with her boyfriend leaving story behind it. She's a 17, the story is something she's into (who remembers her rant about vampires during that one interview?) Why push her to grow out of that phase so quickly? Everyone's tastes change at their own rate, she shouldn't have to "grow up and skate to lyrical programs". These themes are popular in the high school age group and Alena is exactly in that point in her life. Also, I know people who still like Twilight/read YA fiction well into adulthood. It's so strange how her "fans" can't support what she likes and insist that she skate to something she doesn't like/learn to like something else??
 
Caught up with the SP after a long day, and found it very enjoyable to watch. I was really pleasantly surprised by the standard set by the first group - Elizaveta Nugumanova started the competition off with a bang with her 3Lo-3Lo combination, and was a delight to watch. Anastasiia Guliakova had a very pretty dress, and really does spin so nicely; couldn't work out where she fell behind her music, though, to finish so completely after it!

I thought Sofia really laid down a very solid performance, and was so dynamic and fun to watch on the ice; I was just as surprised as she looked when her scores came through - was she hammered by under rotations? It's possibly my favourite of her short programmes as a senior, but it just doesn't seem to get much love from the judges. 🥺

As for the top three overnight, I am so happy for Liza, landing her 3A, hitting her levels with her spins, and finishing in second. She didn't appear thrilled by the performance, if her expressions in the Kiss and Cry were anything to go by, and it is such a pity that she couldn't get the combination on the flip. But I certainly enjoyed watching her skate, and that 3A looked so comfortable and secure.

Sasha has improved so much with this SP - she is hitting musical accents at the start very crisply, and her upper body is much softer and more dynamic throughout the skate. She has moments of willowy grace, here and there, and it is such a pleasure watching her journey and her growth. She'll get that 3A landed in competition, I'm sure of it, though today I flinched when I saw the way her ankle and boot twisted beneath her in the landing.

Aliona is every bit as fun to watch in this SP as she was with her Twilight one. I do miss her beautiful 3A, but the Ina Bauer into 2A is lovely. When she takes off with her step sequence, it always makes me smile - she radiates confidence and sass. Today it didn't seem quite as sharp as it was before, but I suspect that the camera angles may have had something to do with that impression - can't quite find the words to explain why right now, because it is half past midnight and I am tired, but I will probably repair to Aliona's fanfest in the morning and possibly expound upon my camera framing hypothesis there. But maybe not. It's enough for me that she made me smile.
 
Today it didn't seem quite as sharp as it was before, but I suspect that the camera angles may have had something to do with that impression - can't quite find the words to explain why right now, because it is half past midnight and I am tired, but I will probably repair to Aliona's fanfest in the morning and possibly expound upon my camera framing hypothesis there. But maybe not. It's enough for me that she made me smile.
Cameras do a lot in SS.
Just think as twizzlers (anybody does it). If the camera is inline they look much more beautiful than from the side or a 3/4 view.
Knowing the programs may help directors giving us the best experience.
 
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