2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[chasingneverland]

By the way, that's a very interesting question. How would the Russian judges judge Rika Kihira today if she were to perform in Russia? Would she overtake Shcherbakova? I think Rika might even be the first

I mean her technical content was better than what anyone else put out today, although Kamila and Sasha can match it, when they're clean and have the 3A, respectively. Also Rika has better PCS (internationally) than anyone competing this season (so not counting Alina and Evgenia) that isn't Alena, and Alena wasn't here and regardless isn't close to peak strength.

She could very well be first, although I don't see Russian judges putting her there. International judges yes. The real question is internationally where does Kaori go?

 

[LoveSkater]

I read the frightening headline. ANNA SHCHERBAKOVA: "I'll do my best in my free program, I'll deal with my health later. Unnecessary heroism from Anya

 

[NAOTMAA]

If the judges had treated Rika as a Russian, she would have scored about 85, I think. If the judges were hostile to her, she would score about 75, right before Trusova

She's had some consistency issues in her SP but Rika has scored 80+ a number of times in her career. Even at her senior GPF debut against the reigning Olympic champion (a Russian!!!!) too! So its clear the international judges like her even though she's not Russian.

 

[chasingneverland]

I don't know how related this is to the thread but I would certainly put her in first given her performance. No question about it. (Yeah shaky combo whatever, she did a great 3A and had great steps and spins).

I would too. Based on what everyone did on the ice today, in their respective nationals, I would put her first. They all would be pretty close though from Rika to Maiia/Liza N/Liza T/Kaori.

 

[chasingneverland]

I read the frightening headline. ANNA SHCHERBAKOVA: "I'll do my best in my free program, I'll deal with my health later. Unnecessary heroism from Anya

I hate this. Anna is far too talented and has too much promise, especially with regards to Worlds/Olympics, to be risking it all at a "motivational" competition. Completely outside of skating, but she is also much too young a girl with far too much of her life and potential before her to risk her health at all. She's a sweetheart and should be protected.

 

[chasingneverland]

She's had some consistency issues in her SP but Rika has scored 80+ a number of times in her career. Even at her senior GPF debut against the reigning Olympic champion (a Russian!!!!) too! So its clear the international judges like her even though she's not Russian.

Oh yes. I would say Rika is very well liked internationally, even when she has little mistakes. (Same with Alina, Evgenia, and now Alena, and to a lesser but increasingly greater extent, Anna.) All of their international PCS reflect this.

 

[Amei]

I read the frightening headline. ANNA SHCHERBAKOVA: "I'll do my best in my free program, I'll deal with my health later. Unnecessary heroism from Anya

Is that the Google Translation version? If so, i wonder if someone could translate that because Google can be fickle with translations.

But I seem to remember so many people talking about how Shcherbakova/Trusova/Kostornaia's time was coming to an end and that not all of them are going to make it to the Olympics. Well here Shcherbakova has an opportunity to do something that hasn't been done in years in Russia and definitely not when the depth was as crazy as it has been for the last 3 years and that is winning 3 consecutive national titles. If she is able to do win it will make leaving her off the Olympic team difficult and put her in Russian figure skating history.

 

[LoveSkater]

She's had some consistency issues in her SP but Rika has scored 80+ a number of times in her career. Even at her senior GPF debut against the reigning Olympic champion (a Russian!!!!) too! So its clear the international judges like her even though she's not Russian.

I was referring to the hypothetical situation when the today's short program judging team in Russia would have scored Kihira. Russia has its own judicial traditions and I wondered how this judging team would have evaluated the Japanese skater. At Rostelecom Cup there was a situation, when a completely Russian team was judging, for example, Estonian figure skater.
And I'm sure that Rika skated so well today, that even in such conditions, she would be on the podium.

 

[anonymoose_au]

I read the frightening headline. ANNA SHCHERBAKOVA: "I'll do my best in my free program, I'll deal with my health later. Unnecessary heroism from Anya

Well hey that's the Eteri Factory for you.

Where's she in all this? People are always defending her here, but this level of "IDGAF" for my skater's health is breathtaking.

Can you imagine any other coach in the world getting away with this?

 

[Scott512]

So?... AoP got sponsored by a building company earlier this year, not individual athlete, but a coaching group. Does it mean anything?

I didn't know this that the coaches at TT had a sponsor and the coaches at PA had a sponsor. You and Alex wrote that's the case.
I am fine with that but I would rather sponsorships go to be top talent..

 

[LoveSkater]

Well hey that's the Eteri Factory for you.

Where's she in all this? People are always defending her here, but this level of "IDGAF" for my skater's health is breathtaking.

Can you imagine any other coach in the world getting away with this?

On the one hand, Anya wants to become a three-time champion. In the fast-changing world of Russian figure skating, this is a rare and unique achievement, putting Anya next to Slutskaya and Butyrskaya.
On the other hand, Trusova and Valieva are still here and Anya will have to give it her all. It could be dangerous for her health. Anya trusts her coach and listens to her. Eteri could use her own influence and convince Anna not to compete. However, Eteri chose the path of "heroism" and suffering for Anna.

 

[Scott512]

He might not be going about it politely but IMO it’s good that he’s being so vocal about this. There’s blatant favoritism happening and that’s never going to change if everyone just accepts it quietly because “that’s just how things are”. Will any change come from this? Probably not, but there’s a much better chance of something happening than if he said nothing like every other coach.

I really hope Anna withdraws but it sounds like she won’t. She could seriously damage her health here and all for a competition that is nowhere near important enough to do that for.

This is the biggest event of the year! Only worlds can top it and that's in great doubt. I hope Anna has a good workout tomorrow and feels like she can get through her free state.
If she struggles in her run through pull her out. Anna is a great skater and on the world's team if there is a worlds this year no matter what.

I hope check Annas oxygen level before & after her run through.

As for the scoring controversies everyone is up in arms about. Evgeni Plushenko got over scored at times in his career. It's not even debatable even as great as he was and he is an all time great. Sasha has been over scored from time to time in some people's eyes. It's part of the deal of being great and having great expectations.

Being overscored is part of the deal of being great and having great potential. KV is not great yet. But she is very special. Sasha is clearly within striking distance and has a great chance of winning her 1st national title tomorrow. We should be talking about that not her head coach giving a stupid thumbs down that no coach would do and has to embarrass the other Russian coaches. Can you imagine EG doing that? I didn't think so.

I hope Anna wins tomorrow for her 3rd nationals in a row. That would be incredible with what she's going through coming off pneumonia and not being in good condition for endurance.

 

[Amei]

On the one hand, Anya wants to become a three-time champion. In the fast-changing world of Russian figure skating, this is a rare and unique achievement, putting Anya next to Slutskaya and Butyrskaya.
On the other hand, Trusova and Valieva are still here and Anya will have to give it her all. It could be dangerous for her health. Anya trusts her coach and listens to her. Eteri could use her own influence and convince Anna not to compete. However, Eteri chose the path of "heroism" and suffering for Anna.

2 things to note:
1. Shcherbakova if she is able would be a 3 time champ in a much more talented field than the other 2 ladies that have done it.
2. Shcherbakova goes after Valieva and Trusova who aren't guaranteed to be clean, she'll know what she needs to do to win before she steps on the ice. She might just need 1 clean quad and no falls elsewhere.

 

[anonymoose_au]

On the one hand, Anya wants to become a three-time champion. In the fast-changing world of Russian figure skating, this is a rare and unique achievement, putting Anya next to Slutskaya and Butyrskaya.
On the other hand, Trusova and Valieva are still here and Anya will have to give it her all. It could be dangerous for her health. Anya trusts her coach and listens to her. Eteri could use her own influence and convince Anna not to compete. However, Eteri chose the path of "heroism" and suffering for Anna.

Oh so it's fine to trust Eteri as a coach, but not Mishin, or Brian Orser, or Plushenko?

Eteri's just as capable of making a mistake as any of them.She let Zhenya Med continue training until her foot and back were so badly injured she couldn't skate for months after the Olympics. Gold star management right there, but Zhenya was the bad guy for leaving?

Considering an injury was what ended Eteri's skating career I find her laissez faire attitude to injuries disturbing. Has she learnt anything from her own experience? Seems not.

 

[eterialskating]

Anna could easily just pull out her VIP card and have her ticket to Worlds punched but she's a trooper and a consumate athlete who wants to earn her due. Also the possibility of becoming a 3 peat national champion in the Golden Era of Russian figure skating cannot be scoff at. She could do it now and Rus Fed would give her spot. The same chorus of people who are showing their fake concerns and want her to withdraw would be the same loud voices voicing their indignation when Rus Fed inevitably do so when that happens. She has that much clout.

For people who are genuinely concern about Anna's health obviously you've never seen much sport outside of figure skating. Tennis players, boxers, long distance runners, mountaineers e.g. are examples of athletes who have a gladiator and siege mentality. I've seen tennis players who look like they are about to pass out in a match because of heat or lingering injury but soldier on and win their matches. Mountaineers risk their lives climbing mountains even common trekkers do when they get up really high. I guess figure skaters especially ladies have a delicate image that haggard breathing after a lights out skate where every movement is performed would be considered alarming.

 

[Scott512]

Well hey that's the Eteri Factory for you.

Where's she in all this? People are always defending her here, but this level of "IDGAF" for my skater's health is breathtaking.

Can you imagine any other coach in the world getting away with this?

This is a parental decision in my opinion. Then the coaches then Anna's. I don't want to see her huffing and puffing like I do after 5K race at the end of her free program tomorrow. If she performs tomorrow we know she's going to be super exhausted at the end.

By the way moose what do you think of plushy having sasha do multiple quads in the free skate at the Moscow GP while injured? Oopsies. If EG was the coach there would have been an uproar. What Sasha did in Moscow while injured was unbelievable but girls like her and Anna are wired differently than we are. Doing quads while injured was super risky and could have damaged her career. If Sasha has a bad free skate tomorrow you know the Moscow GP free skate debacle is having a lingering effect.
A Warrior attitude is fantastic. Sometimes she needs to pull back and I hope so she can learn that.

I hope Sasha Anna and KV skate well and anyone who wins will deserve it.

 

[chasingneverland]

Well hey that's the Eteri Factory for you.

Where's she in all this? People are always defending her here, but this level of "IDGAF" for my skater's health is breathtaking.

Can you imagine any other coach in the world getting away with this?

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I mean Plushy is letting Sasha skate with what even he says is "a serious injury" because she "want to compete..[and] fight." Liza isn't completely well either but Mishin's letting her skate. And that doesn't even begin to consider the irresponsibility of Plushy letting Sasha attempt a 3A and 4 quads while injured at Rostelecom, which was another competition where top competitors had withdrawn and the doesn't mean anything, relatively speaking, particularly for Anna and Sasha, with respect to future more prestigious and important competitions, like Worlds and the Olympics.

For the record, I don't think any of these above decisions are right. None of them should be skating here and all of them, including Alena, have been rushed back, in a season where none of their training is normal. However, pretending like other coaches in the world (or Russia) aren't doing the same and "getting away" with it is wrong.

 

[alexocfp]

Anna could easily just pull out her VIP card and have her ticket to Worlds punched but she's a trooper and a consumate athlete who wants to earn her due. Also the possibility of becoming a 3 peat champion in the Golden Era of Russian figure skating cannot be scoff at. She could do it now and Rus Fed would give her spot. The same chorus of people who are showing their fake concerns and want her to withdraw would be the same loud voices voicing their indignation when Rus Fed inevitably do so. She has that much clout.

For people who are genuinely concern about Anna's health obviously you've never seen much sport outside of figure skating. Tennis players, boxers, long distance runners, mountaineers e.g. are examples of athletes who have a gladiator and siege mentality. I've seen tennis players who look like they are about to pass out in a match because of heat or lingering injury but soldier on and win their matches. Mountaineers risk their lives climbing mountains even common trekkers do when they get up really high. I guess figure skaters especially ladies have a delicate image that haggard breathing after a lights out skate where every movement is performed would be considered alarming.

Was just thinking the same thing. Athletes at the top level of their profession play hurt all the time.

In fact, not playing hurt gets you branded as soft.

Also missing from all these arguments is that the athletes themselves don’t want to quit unless they have to.

Plus the competition is fierce. For every person that quits, countless are ready to take their place. It’s also the reason why the skaters are so great.

This isn’t an amateur, friendly rivalry sport in Russia.


We have people skating that are 2 weeks removed from Covid.

Us mere mortals can never understand what these warriors battle through.

And coaches in all sports send their players out to play with injuries.

This is sport at the highest level. People will perform until they collapse. And probably continue performing after they do too.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Oh please you can't compare the vitriol and hatred Plushy gets for so much as showing his face to what Eteri or any other coach gets.

I've never seen such hatred, you'd think Plushy was a serial killer.

There's always 500 people ready to defend the WORST actions of Eteri here. But I'm all by myself trying to point out maybe, just maybe Plushenko isn't evil incarnate who feasts on the souls of children.

I mean honestly, what world am I living in?!

Everyone tells me that I'm being unfair on Eteri, maybe I am, but then what are all you Plushy haters then?

Maybe he ran over your cat, or stole your wallet. If so please tell. Because all I see is a group of people who don't like a person for some petty reason and are doing all they can to destroy his life's work.

 

[Jontor]

Probably a silly question:

Unless I missed something earlier, the first non Axel edge jump didn’t come until skater 13. Is there a reason the Russian ladies don’t do them? Is it scoring reasons? Or was this just a coincidence?

The first skater, Tsibinova, also had a 3Lo.
3Lz and 3F are the most valued jumps.