2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Fluture]

Honestly, I've never felt like Sasha was an especially "unmusical" skater. For example, in both her Big Spender and Kill Bill SP, I actually feel like she is performing really well. Especially in the Big Spender SP, where she's just so charming! Yeah, she hasn't always had the best flow in her skating, but she's never been a horrible performer or far far behind her peers in terms of performing ability. Her EX from this year, and last year, show that too.

For me, musicality and performance are two different pair of shoes. I don't think Sasha is musical. For me, musicality means an innate talent of hearing the music and responding intuitively to it, that you either have or don't have. I don't see that in her but what I do think is that she can be a great performer! Just look at her Unstoppable gala and how exciting that one was for the crowd - it actually got 13 million views on youtube alone! Same for Big Spender and Kill Bill that you mentioned.

She has a kind of intensity and power that can really get a crowd going. She's very charismatic, albeit in her own way. And this season, she's made a lot of effort to let her softer side shine, too, in the SP. She'll never be as graceful as Aliona or as musical as Anna but then again, neither of the two have her raw power. Case in point: that cantilever. If that isn't a performance move, I don't know what is. Every time she did that at the Europeans last year, I could hear the: "woaaah"'s coming from the spectators around me. (and my jaw was dropping too, the first time I saw it. ) Her ex from this season is great - she's so expressive in it, you can tell her emotions so easily! I loved her performance of it today. The program itself has the same fierce vibes that Unstoppable has but it feels like a natural growth - Unstoppable was more playful, Game of Survival is darker, more mature. If she performs in her competitive programs the way she does in that ex, I really see no reason why her "Performance" mark in PCS shouldn't grow rapidly. The SP has already shown a lot of improvements - it's the FS with all the quads where she's still too focused on the technical elements. But that will come, hopefully, in time.

In general, I think both Sasha's and Aliona's exhibitions are better than their competitive programs this season...

 

[Shayuki]

Personally, I think they could have invited some more skaters rather than having some skaters skate two exhibitions, there are plenty of talented ladies from 11 to 13 who'd be perfect to showcase.

Actually, not sure about what one can say about coaches on here so

 

[Amei]

Change of topic, then:

Was there really a banquet at Rostelecom? It‘s like covid doesn‘t exist for RusFed, nevermind half their national teams + coaches has already suffered from it. This is so unnecessarily risky. Smh

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Well to play what will be considered devil's advocate - I believe all of them had to get tested to perform at the event, right? if so, then they all tested negative then what's the problem with them getting together and enjoying life a bit? If someone didn't want to go to to it then they probably could have easily said no and not gone. None of the skaters are visibly in an 'at-risk' category for the virus and there's something to be said for not living your life in fear especially when it's a virus that most people survive.

Is Alina portraying the gypsy woman Esmerelda from Hunchback of Notre Dame? I hear the music at the beginning is "Notre Dame de Paris" done operatic style; then its a slow medley; then there's this quick piece of music for 10 seconds that sounds vaguely middle eastern; then it switches to.... Ave Maria?

Someone let Daniil have the music editor again...

Honestly, I've never felt like Sasha was an especially "unmusical" skater. For example, in both her Big Spender and Kill Bill SP, I actually feel like she is performing really well. Especially in the Big Spender SP, where she's just so charming! Yeah, she hasn't always had the best flow in her skating, but she's never been a horrible performer or far far behind her peers in terms of performing ability. Her EX from this year, and last year, show that too.

In exhibitions and short programs she's not a terrible performer, but then the FS happens and she wants to cram quads galore; then she loses all sense of performing a program.

 

[flanker]

Two skates at gala. How they dare. Bell, book and candle on them.

I wonder whether I've ever read more ridiculous, superfluous and meaningless complaint since the grieavance about that the public library does the data back up between the midnight and 1 a.m.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

On the topic of Kamila favouritism in Russia, the truth is - it was international panel of judges who gave her a win in a competition where she was able to jump only triples and the other girl jumped 3A and 4Lz (the way she could). It was not the Russian federation who favoured her in first place, they would just look stupid not to invest in her after they saw her scores in the international competition at that point of time.

 

[silveruskate]

Kamila's 4T looking real good.

 

[Greengemmonster]

On the topic of Kamila favouritism in Russia, the truth is - it was international panel of judges who gave her a win in a competition where she was able to jump only triples and the other girl jumped 3A and 4Lz (the way she could). It was not the Russian federation who favoured her in first place, they would just look stupid not to invest in her after they saw her scores in the international competition at that point of time.

But they were beautiful triples!!! And I say this as someone who adores Alysa.

Kamila is a gorgeous skater without quads. With quads she's just out of this world.

 

[anonymoose_au]

If she performs in her competitive programs the way she does in that ex, I really see no reason why her "Performance" mark in PCS shouldn't grow rapidly.

Indeed.

But of course exhibition skates are different...there's more freedom (you can't roll around dramatically on the ice in competition for one thing!) There's no judges or lots of pressure, most skaters I've seen really come alive in Galas even if they don't do well in competition. Everyone's there for a good time after all.

I for one loved Sasha's Big Spender, it was what made me a fan of hers - it helps I tend not to hear lyrics when I'm watch skating because I'm concentrating on the skater and they fade into the background.

Also I'm not musical myself so I'm very easy on skaters in that department.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

But they were beautiful triples!!! And I say this as someone who adores Alysa.

Kamila is a gorgeous skater without quads. With quads she's just out of this world.

I agree and it's not me who frequently disagree with the judges opinion, that's for sure

 

[Vlad Karigov]

You're validating nasty behaviour towards a skater because her coach did something you didn't agree with.

No, I'm just being consistent with Plushenko's attitude, he asked the public to support skaters with higher TES no matter how that ended up affecting Valieva and Usacheva at the time, both girls with 14 years ... By common sense it is Impossible for Plushenko to mention even a word about it now since he is receiving the same thing that he proposed ... besides, no one attacks Kostornaia, asking another skater to win is not attacking; If Kostornaia is very affected in the video it is because to his sadness he realized that he is no longer the best skater in the eyes of the Russians, and that was a worse blow than if she was harassed.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Actually, not sure about what one can say about coaches on here so

There's the Coaching Cauldron thread: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/coaching-cauldron.86862/

 

[silveruskate]

No, I'm just being consistent with Plushenko's attitude, he asked the public to support skaters with higher TES no matter how that ended up affecting Valieva and Usacheva at the time, both girls with 14 years ... By common sense it is Impossible for Plushenko to mention even a word about it now since he is receiving the same thing that he proposed ... besides, no one attacks Kostornaia, asking another skater to win is not attacking; If Kostornaia is very affected in the video it is because to his sadness he realized that he is no longer the best skater in the eyes of the Russians, and that was a worse blow than if she was harassed.

Yawn. You would be singing another tune if this was a different skater.

 

[silveruskate]

Sasha's Kill Bill is incredible.

 

[Amei]

On the topic of Kamila favouritism in Russia, the truth is - it was international panel of judges who gave her a win in a competition where she was able to jump only triples and the other girl jumped 3A and 4Lz (the way she could). It was not the Russian federation who favoured her in first place, they would just look stupid not to invest in her after they saw her scores in the international competition at that point of time.

A couple of points on that though at the JGPF:

• SP doing the triple axel as a combination like Liu does isn't that big of an advantage against skaters doing a back-loaded 3-3 combination like most of the top Russians do. Liu's TES BV was 33.39 while Valieva's was 31.81.
• FS: Liu fell on her opening triple axel, and while she did land the 2 quads and other triple axel they were all under-rotated where she received negative GOE

 

[Amei]

Indeed.

But of course exhibition skates are different...there's more freedom (you can't roll around dramatically on the ice in competition for one thing!) There's no judges or lots of pressure, most skaters I've seen really come alive in Galas even if they don't do well in competition. Everyone's there for a good time after all.

I for one loved Sasha's Big Spender, it was what made me a fan of hers - it helps I tend not to hear lyrics when I'm watch skating because I'm concentrating on the skater and they fade into the background.

Also I'm not musical myself so I'm very easy on skaters in that department.

Am I the only 1 whose reaction is to roll my eyes at the all rolling around on the ice that gets done during exhibitions? It's really some of the stupidest choreography in my opinion; I keep wondering if they do that to fill some kind of time requirement like when you add descriptive adjectives to meet a word requirement for a paper.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

A couple of points on that though at the JGPF:

• SP doing the triple axel as a combination like Liu does isn't that big of an advantage against skaters doing a back-loaded 3-3 combination like most of the top Russians do. Liu's TES BV was 33.39 while Valieva's was 31.81.
• FS: Liu fell on her opening triple axel, and while she did land the 2 quads and other triple axel they were all under-rotated where she received negative GOE

My point was that she won comfortably in the international competition with the easiest programme she ever did where all the other girls, including Alysa, were certainly a very good competitors. And that was a very obvious signal (for the Russian federation) what international judges want to see. The same, it was not Tarasova or someone else from Russian federation who said 'Girl on the ball' is the best junior performed programme they've ever seen, some other (from ISU) said that. So to say how it is the Russian federation who is pushing Kamila over their own other skaters is just not true.

 

[Magill]

Sasha's Kill Bill is incredible.

I don;t know what exactly makes you say that right now but I could not agree more

 

[anonymoose_au]

Am I the only 1 whose reaction is to roll my eyes at the all rolling around on the ice that gets done during exhibitions? It's really some of the stupidest choreography in my opinion; I keep wondering if they do that to fill some kind of time requirement like when you add descriptive adjectives to meet a word requirement for a paper.

I'm not a fan myself for no other reason than ice is cold and hard! I'm hate idea of falling when I go skating so it's hard to imagine people found it for fun.

I don't mind a dramatic ending (aka "dying on the ice"), but too much rolling around is a bit weird. I think it comes from contemporary dance? Or whatever one it is on Dancing with the Stars where they don't wear shoes.

 

[[email protected]]

Another set of crocodile tears. "Poor competitors - they had to tolerate 2 guests doing 2 performances each. Their world will be ruined".

One just has to remember that one of those guests is Olympic champion who won her medal fair and square without any massive outrcries. And she is both the REIGNING Olympic and world champion with the biggest household brand in Russia as of now. Isn't it obvious that the organizers would give her enough air time? Imagine that we have a gala in Korea and somehow Yuna decides to show up. Will we observe the same amount of "tears" that she diminishes "true competitors" if she is given 2 slots? It is just ridiculous.

As for Kamila, if she skates like she skated during this gala I could watch her forever. Fabulous, for the lack of a stronger word.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Yawn. You would be singing another tune if this was a different skater.

Also as far as I know Plushy hasn't complained about Liza winning?

Also I did see a fancam of Aliona in the Kiss and Cry and it seemed like it was just one very loud man yelling about Liza being better, which while very mean and inappropriate (hope he gets a ban from attending future events if they find out who he was) is not the whole crowd turning against Aliona. I thought on the whole this was a very supportive crowd, they really got behind Eva-Lotta and I feel like if Moris had won they would have been happy for him.

In regards to the difficulty should outweigh quality the difficult thing about figure skating is that it's classed as a sport, the Olympic motto is "Higher, Faster, Stronger" the idea is to always push the boundaries, do harder and harder things. If these things aren't rewarded athletes on the whole won't attempt them (Sasha probably would as she seems to love quads for quads sake) but, then is it still a sport for Olympic purposes?

Also Liza landed her 3A in that SP Plushy complained about and she landed them at Rostelecom too, I don't think he was suggesting for one second if you try difficult jumps and fail them you should win just because.