2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating | Page 635 | Golden Skate

2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

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This has consequences of course. For Russian ladies that means that if you are fortunate enough to get a EC or WC assignment then you are safe for years to come. The World Ranking system works that way. If you just show up at Worlds and bombs at 18th place, you still get a lot of World Standing points. Samodurova is having that blessing now. She still lives on her European victory, but we all know she will never score that much ever again. But she gets to be on the National Team, and she gets funding. Same goes for Konstantinova and Sotskova before her.

Gubanova has been so close so many times. It's a vicious circle. If you get in - you stay in. If you don't get in - it's damn hard to get in later.

Reading this with interest.

What about someone like Sakhanovich, who medaled twice at junior worlds but has never been to Europeans or senior worlds? Is there any charmed circle effect for success at juniors? I was thinking about this recently after watching Marin Honda in the recent NHK and saying to myself "I have just seen a beautiful skater skate" and then being surprised by the scores she got. Seems kind of cruel somehow. So weird sometimes, the way reputation and status work in the world.
 
If I remember correctly Gubanova was the skater that made some unfortunate, snide remarks about Zagitova related to doping that came at awful timing with all the issues Russia had with a reputation of doping. Given that and that she is now falling behind in technical arsenal of Russian ladies she's unlikely to ever really get out of Russia for international competitions.
I think you're confusing her with Nastya Shabotova, who did make some idiotic remarks about doping in Khrustal'nyi, created a huge scandal and is now representing Ukraine; Gubanova though too did make some snide remarks in her video chat with fans about Alina personally (that she didn't deserve the OG medal and her success was due to "chemistry") that went unnoticed at the time, but which were unearthed a year or so later by a tabloid specializing in hateful hype.
 
What about someone like Sakhanovich, who medaled twice at junior worlds but has never been to Europeans or senior worlds? Is there any charmed circle effect for success at juniors? I was thinking about this recently after watching Marin Honda in the recent NHK and saying to myself "I have just seen a beautiful skater skate" and then being surprised by the scores she got. Seems kind of cruel somehow. So weird sometimes, the way reputation and status work in the world.

Reminds me of Zijun Li at her last worlds. Her PCS score of 49.54, ranked 22nd out of 24 skaters in the FS.... for a program without falls or pops (but with 2 carrots).
 
Reminds me of Zijun Li at her last worlds. Her PCS score of 49.54, ranked 22nd out of 24 skaters in the FS.... for a program without falls or pops (but with 2 carrots).

I of course had to go and watch this program immediately, thank you. (Helsinki, 2017.) She didn't have a whole lot of speed, which was most noticeable to me in the step sequence, and her spins were slow too. I don't want to derail too much from Russians, though, so I will mention that she was coached by Mishin at the time. He of course has no visible reaction to the score -- it's amusing, you can do the quick 5-second rewind on youtube and his face is identical before and after -- but she is obviously disappointed.
 
Nastya said Alina did great and took advantage of her opportunities. She also said on a livestream almost 2 years ago the foolish silly and embarrassing comment about chemistry that no one cared about until someone in the media uncovered it a year-and-a-half later to hurt her and Alina as Alina was heading into a GP in France. It was like a plot against the Olympic champion and World Champion and Anastasia was a pawn in it. She's suffered greatly in various ways. That live stream was seeing live probably by a thousand people and after that many thousands more and nobody said or wrote anything about it until it was uncovered a year-and-a-half later. Nastya has gotten the short end of the stick a lot in her career but she can be her own worst enemy and that interview with that rodina character was bad and a bad idea.

Nastya looks healthy and strong and fit and she can skate well into her 20s. But so many girls are coming up it will be hard for her to stay afloat in the murky shark infested waters of Russian ladies figure skating.
"Foolish, silly and embarrassing", in the eyes of Zagitova fans. But what if she was right with whatever she said :unsure:
 

FS results for SPb championship
1. Samodurova - 129
2. Onishchenko - 123
3. Gubanova - 122
4. Sviridenko - 120
5. Moroz - 116
6. Talalaikina - 115.


Overall:
1. Samodurova - 200
2. Gubanova - 192
3. Sviridenko - 184
4. Onischenko - 184

Score sheets:
SP: http://fskating.spb.ru/images/result/2021/10111220ChemSPB/-_K_Scores.pdf
FS: http://fskating.spb.ru/images/result/2021/10111220ChemSPB/-__Scores.pdf
 
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Gubanova's SP gives me of Anna Pogorilaya vibes. (Which is a good thing, Anna was one of my faves)

Does the timer for no international competitions start when you apply to change countries or could Gubanova theoretically switch countries right today?
 
think Nastya should switch to Estonia. She has no ISU ranking and that's because she never gets to do any International competitions. I've never seen a skater of her god-given ability have no ranking. She never even had a chance to do international events when she earned them like a couple years ago her season's best gave her the opportunity for a Grand Prix event but it did happen. She hasn't even done a Challenger in 2 years. She was buried before 3A became seniors.

if Nastya is okay with her career situation and never being in the top tier of the Russian ladies then she should do what she wants. I like many just want her skating again.
Speaking as an Estonian, she'll never get the citizenship (unless she has an estonian parent, which I don't think she has), seeing what difficulties Zabijako had to endure with her partner. I also think at this point the Estonian fed is way too protective of Eva-Lotta Kiibus.
 
Has to be 2 years after last international competition, and 1 year since RusNats.
Ah. Well she won't be at nationals this year and her last international competition was Golden Spin in 2018 as far as I can see... But would RusFed even let her go? She's had international success in the past...
 
Speaking as an Estonian, she'll never get the citizenship (unless she has an estonian parent, which I don't think she has), seeing what difficulties Zabijako had to endure with her partner. I also think at this point the Estonian fed is way too protective of Eva-Lotta Kiibus.
I chose Estonia because it's close to Saint Petersburg where Nastia lives.

Why protect Eva? She ain't Alina and Alina wasnt protected anyway. Two good skaters in a low level federation is better than one.
A good way for them to grow their federation and lady skaters is taking in a couple of the Russian lady tier 3 skaters.
 
"Foolish, silly and embarrassing", in the eyes of Zagitova fans. But what if she was right with whatever she said :unsure:
Nastya was only right in saying that Alina did great at the Olympics and took advantage of our opportunities. If she meant chemistry as it was her 3rd year at TT and things were clicking in that's one thing but if she meant chemistry like most people think she meant then that was way out of line. Nastia was only 15 when she said this so I cut her some slack for youth and exuberance and envy.

Nastya really has no more wiggle room in her career for immature behavior or saying the wrong thing.

No more interviews with evil Rodina who has said and posted the most horrible things about Alina.

I'm more focused on nastier getting her season finally started and she seems in better shape than last year let's see what she can do. She has an opportunity to go back-to-back gold in the Saint Petersburg cup. Nastya has done very little winning in the last few years so she needs to win this event today. It will be interesting to see if she keeps the free skate from last season or has a new one. I hope she gets to skate in minor events because she needs all the competitions she can get.
 
Things we need to consider about changing countries is that its not allways that simple.
Firstly we need to consider how easy and how likely a skater is to gain citicenship in said contry. It usually helps a lot if you have a parent or grandparent who is from the contry you are applying for.
Secondly is funding and training oppertunities. Russia has a good system and good funding for its skating schools and even if Gubanova isnt on the main team i think she might be on the StPb team. But even if she isnt she is still indirectly benefitting from all the money that exists in russian skating federations in terms of coaches, choreoraphers, high quality competitions, good ice accessability etc. Some of theres less direct things a skater who changes countries could still keep but any direct funding would be lost and many things that where previousy paid by the fed (Russian/Moscow/StPb/club etc) they might then have to pay for them selfs such as traveling to competitions, entrace fees, coaching fees, icetime fees, dresses, choreography etc. So if you or most likely your parents doesnt have a lot of money changing countries might not be in your best interest.
Thirdly we should consider the situation is the potential new fed. How is their economic situation and can they help out with any of the things mentioned in piont two. What does the domestic competition look like. A country that has raised a good skater themself can justifiably be protective of said skater and not wish for another Russian skater to take its place in internatinal competitions. Maybe they have a promising junior skater they want to promote. All smaller feds dont want medals for the skae of medals but often value skaters that they themself have raised and that train in said country. And by beiing there every day serves as an inspiration to younger skaters in a way a stronger russian skater that would probably only show up to win the national championship never could.
 

FS results for SPb championship
1. Samodurova - 129
2. Onishchenko - 123
3. Gubanova - 122
4. Sviridenko - 120
5. Moroz - 116
6. Talalaikina - 115.


Overall:
1. Samodurova - 200
2. Gubanova - 192
3. Sviridenko - 184
4. Onischenko - 184

Score sheets:
SP: http://fskating.spb.ru/images/result/2021/10111220ChemSPB/-_K_Scores.pdf
FS: http://fskating.spb.ru/images/result/2021/10111220ChemSPB/-__Scores.pdf
Sports.ru comment section is being very rough on SS winning this competition. Many were commenting how they did not count Sofia's under rotations but they did nastyas.
One even wrote the Mishin Mafia strikes again against Nastya just like at the Russian Cup Final in February. I found that comment very funny and very sad.

SS may have deserved the gold medal here. Even though nastya looks more fit than the last couple years she's not in competition form since she hasn't competed in 10 months. Sofia I skated in test skates plus 2 Russian Cup events and maybe something else so she's in normal mid-season form.

I have not seen the video of the free skates to see if they propped up Sofia like they did Guliakova at the Russian Cup Final . But I find it peculiar that Nastya scored about 22 points lower than last year when she won the same event. She better have bombed the free skate otherwise such a massive point drop in one year when she's in better form now than a year ago would make absolutely no sense. But with the Russian Federation and the games they play I guess it would make sense. They probably can't even believe nastya is back. Lol.
 
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Ah, Gubanchik. All the talent in the world and pissed it up the wall. Such a waste. She could have been anything. I feel like she will look back with regret one day at how she conducted herself while "training" at CSKA. I know it's tempting for a young person to go a little wild when they first move out of home but nastya took the piss that year and paid a price for it.
where pray tell is Sima?
Show skating. I don't think she'll return. She was upgraded to Master of Sports International Class last week though.
 
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