2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Scott512]

Can someone explain to me why Sofia Samodurova gets such low scores? She doesn't make any obvious errors.

It's the Saint Petersburg curse.

Since she won Europeans two years ago I've seen scores of hers in the 180s and I'm like what? No one expects her to score like Anna for Sasha or aliona when she has her 3A. the score SS gets are ridiculous.

 

[Scott512]

Kamila is not old enough for GP Russia.

This is not a normal season it's a disaster of a season and she's allowed to skate in the Russian Cup Series even though she's too young. I understand the rules but they could really use her at this event in Moscow. It is what it is. I expect Sasha to come back and win tomorrow but if aliona gets this watch out! Who knows maybe Liza will surprise us.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

I actually really like Alyona's short program? Maybe her skating is just so good that I can like any program they give her.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

Not a great 3A attempt today by Sasha, but overall, I think her SS and PE are improving. I really hope she fixes that flip edge though because honestly if not for the lip, that flip would be worth a +5 GOE.

 

[rollerblade]

This is not a normal season it's a disaster of a season and she's allowed to skate in the Russian Cup Series even though she's too young. I understand the rules but they could really use her at this event in Moscow.

Russian Cup series are local events - with this year being their qualifiers for Nationals. I don't really know what their senior Nationals age rules are... I want to say 14, but Sotnikova won her first at age 12. I guess things have changed a lot since then.

Rostelecom Cup is an ISU event, and ISU decided not to alter the age requirements for this "disaster season". How could ISU have predicted Anna & Evgenia would withdraw when they made the GP announcement back in August?

 

[chasingneverland]

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??

Lol I am a full grown adult (with an engineering degree for that matter haha) and still read and LIKE YA fiction haha. (For that matter teen drama tv shows make me happy too, including Vampire Diaries haha.) It makes me happy - what's wrong with that? (Also, at 15 I LOVED Twilight hahahahaha).

 

[chasingneverland]

This is not a normal season it's a disaster of a season and she's allowed to skate in the Russian Cup Series even though she's too young. I understand the rules but they could really use her at this event in Moscow.

Haha. Skate Canada and France were cancelled and the Final was postponed. Also did you see the Cup of China ladies entries list?!?! There are like 5 people haha. As it is, Russa is one of the strongest fields (if not the strongest field) even with the withdrawal of Anna and Evgenia (and Alina not skating this year). Exceptions were not made to the others, they were not going to be made to this one either. It doesn't matter anyway - this is irrelevant for SB or WB lists.

And she's not too young for the Russia Cup as that's Russia's choice. Russia has frequently allowed juniors to skate in their senior events. I mean two years ago the top three places at Russian Nationals were juniors. Also Alysa (in the US) is the 2 time reigning National Champion while still being a junior internationally (she's a month too young now). There were no exceptions for her to join Skate America.

 

[Tolstoj]

Can someone explain to me why Sofia Samodurova gets such low scores? She doesn't make any obvious errors.

She got an ! on the flip edge with i'd say a little too negative GOE because of that (-2 for a flat edge is harsh).

This is not a normal season it's a disaster of a season and she's allowed to skate in the Russian Cup Series even though she's too young. I understand the rules but they could really use her at this event in Moscow. It is what it is. I expect Sasha to come back and win tomorrow but if aliona gets this watch out! Who knows maybe Liza will surprise us.

The anomaly is more the fact she was allowed to compete in the Cup Series as a senior.

Skaters here in Italy were not even allowed to compete in the GP series cause they canceled GP France, quite frankly the GP series this season makes no sense.

Either you find a way for athletes to travel abroad (UEFA Champions League is going as always with french teams also travelling abroad) or you cancel it all together. This weird in between is not particularly fair for the athletes that have no chances to compete even though they are qualified.

 

[Fluture]

still read and LIKE YA fiction haha.

Hey, me too, there‘s nothing wrong with that! If I was a figure skater, I‘d totally do a Harry Potter or Hungergames program haha.

So, I don‘t think there‘s a problem with Aliona skating to pop music but rather that the program is just... not good. (well, Twilight wasn’t brilliant either but she sold it, so let‘s wait, I guess?)

It‘s just a little all over the place at the moment, the two songs don‘t fit together very well, the cuts are distracting and a little jarring. (gets better the more you watch it, though) I just feel like for this season, it‘s fine but next season, they‘ll need to step it up and play to her strengths more. She can still do that with music she enjoys but the actual choreography could (and should, for an Olympic season) be better. Just my two cents, though.

 

[rollerblade]

The anomaly is more the fact she was allowed to compete in the Cup Series as a senior.

Not an anomaly.

Medvedeva won silver at the Russian Cup Finals as a "senior", in 2013-14 season. She was 14. (and probably still 13 at the start of the Cup series)

Ditto Gubanova in the 2017-18 season, also silver medal. Remember she was not age-eligible for the 2018 Olympics?

 

[margarete77]

Does anyone know if the scores at rostelecom at least count towards the technical minimum for Europeans /Worlds? Would be lovely if at least that would be possible for Liza N.

 

[lopsilceci]

I didn't read anything before watching the ladies event, so I found out about Anna's withdrawal only after the first group had finished. I was shocked and sad. Hoping for a quick and smooth recovery for her.

It was a very predictable competition, I must say and tomorrow will probably be the same. A russian ladies competition without any Eteri ladies just isn't the same.
The men's event really was the surprise and most exciting one for me.

Anyway, congratulations in advance to tomorrow's winner Sasha and Aliona and Liza for the silver and bronze respectively.

 

[dancelion21]

I hope Sasha takes the flip out of her short program. She already took it out of the free program at the last Russian Cup event since it's been getting so many ! calls (which are correct, imo. A lot of them probably deserve e calls). Replacing the flip with a loop in the short program would help her TES since she would get much better GOE.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Does anyone know if the scores at rostelecom at least count towards the technical minimum for Europeans /Worlds? Would be lovely if at least that would be possible for Liza N.

I suspect minimum scores will be waived for major events.

 

[Scott512]

She got an ! on the flip edge with i'd say a little too negative GOE because of that (-2 for a flat edge is harsh).



The anomaly is more the fact she was allowed to compete in the Cup Series as a senior.

Skaters here in Italy were not even allowed to compete in the GP series cause they canceled GP France, quite frankly the GP series this season makes no sense.

Either you find a way for athletes to travel abroad (UEFA Champions League is going as always with french teams also travelling abroad) or you cancel it all together. This weird in between is not particularly fair for the athletes that have no chances to compete even though they are qualified.

Agreed.

There is a very weird in between going on like you pointed out.

As for Killa Kamila it probably should be all or nothing and I thank letting her skate in these two Cup Series Advance with the big girls at obviously she has shown she belongs and she's pretty much on the same level as Sasha Anna and aliona so that gives us interested in seeing her in a GP event even if it's not the right thing to do.

The event of the year will be Russian Nationals and it will be like a Mini World Championship and I hope Anna is healthy for that.

 

[Amei]

The anomaly is more the fact she was allowed to compete in the Cup Series as a senior.

Skaters here in Italy were not even allowed to compete in the GP series cause they canceled GP France, quite frankly the GP series this season makes no sense.

Either you find a way for athletes to travel abroad (UEFA Champions League is going as always with french teams also travelling abroad) or you cancel it all together. This weird in between is not particularly fair for the athletes that have no chances to compete even though they are qualified.

The Russian cup series is a domestic competition series so it does not have to follow ISU regulations, like the age restrictions and the bonus that are given out. And it's not like she's the only 14 year old skating as a senior at the Cup series; the only 'special' that was given to her was allowing her to skate at Senior test skates, which might've been allowed due to a legitimate reason. Domestically Russia seems to have always allowed 14 year olds to compete at senior events, it used to be even earlier before their field was so stacked, Sotnikova won nationals when she was 12, 2 years ago the entire senior ladies podium was swept by skaters that were not age-eligible by ISU standards. Additionally the ISU used to allow 14 year olds to compete on the GP series, the 2 most names I can think of were Lipnitskaia and Radionova who did well on the senior GP series as 14 year olds.

Honestly I think the ISU should have allowed the GP series to be an anomaly this year and allow the skaters that were within 1 year of age eligibility to skate at a senior GP event since the Junior series was cancelled. With several vaccine options likely to be available very soon, it's highly likely that the Beijing Olympics go on as planned, skaters that are juniors this year are possibly missing out on a lot of competition experience and possibly will have their first senior season further behind than the already senior eligible skaters and it will be an Olympic year.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Anyway, congratulations in advance to tomorrow's winner Sasha and Aliona and Liza for the silver and bronze respectively.

If I've learnt anything it's you can never be sure of a podium unless somebody's 20 points ahead or something. I'll be nervous for Sasha and Liza Tuk until the end!

 

[Amei]

Does anyone know if the scores at rostelecom at least count towards the technical minimum for Europeans /Worlds? Would be lovely if at least that would be possible for Liza N.

As politely as this can be said: Europeans/Worlds is out of reach for Nugumanova right now without some crazy technical improvement on her part and more than few other girls getting injured/sick. Next year isn't exactly looking great either because the current crop of top seniors probably aren't retiring and there will be at least 3 more Eteri skaters, 1 of which is getting penciled in by a lot of people as the favorite for Olympic gold and that was before she had a triple axel.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I hope Sasha takes the flip out of her short program. She already took it out of the free program at the last Russian Cup event since it's been getting so many ! calls (which are correct, imo. A lot of them probably deserve e calls). Replacing the flip with a loop in the short program would help her TES since she would get much better GOE.

The curse of a power jumper! I think even Liza has had issues with staying on the correct edge of a flip during her career!

 

[sclloyd]

Lol I am a full grown adult (with an engineering degree for that matter haha) and still read and LIKE YA fiction haha. (For that matter teen drama tv shows make me happy too, including Vampire Diaries haha.) It makes me happy - what's wrong with that? (Also, at 15 I LOVED Twilight hahahahaha).

Same I have and MS in mechanical engineering and I love stuff like Teen Wolf, Supernatural, Harry Potter. I even rewatch the first Twilight film pretty often. I don’t know why people pretend they don’t like cheesy things just for the sake of appearing mature. If you don’t then you don’t, but there’s no need to shame the rest of us