2020-21 Russian Pairs' figure skating

[aka_gerbil]

I don’t think the federation is worried about a team like T/M, because T/M will easily qualify for the nationals. However, they don’t want to lose/keep out of nationals teams who belong there (like team number 5,6,7), who could easily not qualify if they went against all the stronger teams. There is no point having at the nationals weak teams and having the stronger (but not the completely strongest) teams off nationals. To create even a semi-decent team cost money and resources, so the federation doesn’t want to keep such teams off the nationals. Plus, you never know when they will be needed to be sent to Europeans/worlds. One year Russia had to send their team number 3,4 and 5 to the worlds because the top two teams were not able to compete. So to have the teams ready, they need to be at the nationals.

I sort of wonder if a better strategy would have been for RusFed to have byed at least their medalists from last year through to nationals this year, but giving them the option to skate in a couple of RC events to get competitive experience with this years programs without factoring them into the qualification for the remaining spots at nationals. Sort of like Nebelhorn in an Olympic year—you have teams skating there just to compete, but others trying to earn the remaining Olympic spots.

 

[hanca]

I find handing out byes unfair. If a skater/ team are that good, it should not be a problem for them to earn their spot in the nationals. If a skater/team later approaches the federation and show a medical certificate that they couldn’t compete at the Russian cup events, the federation has right to allow someone to compete at the nationals, but that decision should be made on individual basis, not treating all winners or all medalist from last years nationals differently than the other skaters.

 

[Sugarpova]

Sasha G tested positive. they wont compete @ the 2nd stage

 

[anonymoose_au]

Sasha G tested positive. they wont compete @ the 2nd stage

Oh no! Poor Sasha, hope he gets well soon!

On a more positive note, Evgenia and Vladimir are training well, Maxim T posted this on his Insta stories

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGFCdC3JzTc

Looking good!

 

[flanker]

Sasha G tested positive. they wont compete @ the 2nd stage

Sad news

 

[hanca]

It seems that they are only two senior pair teams competing. If I was one of the Moscow teams, e.g. Balabanova/Sviatchenko or Pepeleva/Pleshkov, I would quickly sign up. The worst they can be is third. If they compete in one of the later stages, it may be overcrowded and they could end up 6th or 7th.

 

[hanca]

A pairs figure skating competition 'Mozer Team Prize' will happen on October 5-6: https://sportvokrug.ru/sports/fs/event/7366/competitors/all:true
And even though this comp is for first sport category it is going to have a variety of different teams - from ones that are no longer junior eligible to one that will become junior eligible in 4 years.
Currently listed pairs are:
Yatsenko (2003) Zaporozhets (1999) new
Balabanova (2003) Sviatchenko (1999) - just placed 3 at Russian cup event in seniors
Pavlova (2004) Spiridonov (1998) new
Boyatintseva (2004) Shagalov (1999)
Kostyuk (2004) Rud (2004) new
Grafova (2005) Shvetsov (2001) new
Finokhina (2006) Antonyshev (2001)
Trubacheva (2006) Smirnov (2002)
Cheremnykh (2008) Butenko (2003) new
Kudryavtseva (2008) Astakhov (2004) new
Kuznetsova (2008) Venediktov (2005)
Kulagina (2010) Belkin (2006)

Cannot really imagine the first 3 and the last one skating in the same competition
On a serious note, I am looking forward to Nastya Kostyuk's debut in pairs. Let it all work out for her
And let, please, there be a live stream. I simply cannot miss this.

The Moser’s competition is now listed on 2nd-3rd November. And there are a few more pairs added. In total 13 pairs now. https://sportvokrug.ru/sports/fs/event/7366/competitors/

 

[gordana]

Tarasova / Morozov are skipping Grand Prix this season.
https://rsport.ria.ru/20201008/figuristy-1578845446.html
Rostelecom Cup option was open for them, but it didn't fit their training schedule.

 

[nussnacker]

Ms Rona is really targeting russian pairs, huh...

 

[hanca]

Ms Rona is really targeting russian pairs, huh...

Dancers are not doing much better. Shpilevaya and Zahorski had it too.

 

[hanca]

St Petersburg Federation posted Panin Memorial roster (scheduled for the next week, will be closed to the audience)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGFlYv2JrO6/?igshid=1irmgmq8pjfn3

Pairs:
Akhanteva-Kolesov
Vasilieva-Volodin Isn’t this their first competition?
Vislobokova-Yalin I didn’t see that coming! But in my view it won’t last because she can’t jump. Their first competition.
Pavlova-Spiridonov It will be also their first competition.
Solovieva- Ivanov Their second competition if we count the test skates where they did pretty well.

 

[chooey]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGFgrkHJVnr/?igshid=1o9p9rcf815md

Dmitry Rilov asked for support for his mother who was infected with coronavirus

 

[aka_gerbil]

I find handing out byes unfair. If a skater/ team are that good, it should not be a problem for them to earn their spot in the nationals. If a skater/team later approaches the federation and show a medical certificate that they couldn’t compete at the Russian cup events, the federation has right to allow someone to compete at the nationals, but that decision should be made on individual basis, not treating all winners or all medalist from last years nationals differently than the other skaters.

It’s the norm for feds like usfs and Skate Canada though. Top 5 teams get automatically byed through to the next years nationals, without having to do regionals/sectionals or the SC challenger event, and if illness or injury keeps them out of fall international assignments, there is no worry about losing the opportunity to compete at nationals.

I know that it’s not how RusFed typically does it, but it’s far from a typical year. Byeing the top teams/skaters would help take the pressure off the lower ranked skaters and make it more fair for them to get to nationals, especially with a situation shaping up thanks to virus and injury that a lot of the best are going to end up at the same events together.

 

[hanca]

It’s the norm for feds like usfs and Skate Canada though. Top 5 teams get automatically byed through to the next years nationals, without having to do regionals/sectionals or the SC challenger event, and if illness or injury keeps them out of fall international assignments, there is no worry about losing the opportunity to compete at nationals.

I know that it’s not how RusFed typically does it, but it’s far from a typical year. Byeing the top teams/skaters would help take the pressure off the lower ranked skaters and make it more fair for them to get to nationals, especially with a situation shaping up thanks to virus and injury that a lot of the best are going to end up at the same events together.

One year, Tuktamysheva went from 2nd at nationals and 1st at worlds to 8th at nationals the following season. She is not the only one who had such huge jumps in ranking from year to year. Putting someone into nationals without them earning it is just unfair. In Russia, skaters usually get a pass to the nationals if they get a GP event. As a result, there were times when Sotskova, Pogorilaya, Trurskaya and Panenkova scored very, very low at their GP events in their last competitive seasons and still had a trip to the nationals, taking place of someone else who deserved it more. For example, Sakhanovich one season did not manage to get to the nationals even though in her challenger event she scored 200, and yet someone else scored at GP 150 and took the place at the nationals. If the same person had to qualify through the Russian cups, she would never got in.

 

[flanker]

Today's senior pairs SP:



Junior pairs SP:

 

[kmw227]

Polina Kostiukovich seems to be thriving with her new partner and I, for one, could not be happier for her. She's one of my favorite pairs girls

 

[hanca]

Polina Kostiukovich seems to be thriving with her new partner and I, for one, could not be happier for her. She's one of my favorite pairs girls

Actually I can see them overtaking Akhanteva/Kolesov this season (based on A/K last competition, where Akhanteva wasn’t landing jumps/throws and didn’t even appear to fight for it.)

 

[BabySloth]

Wow Polina and her new partner are surprisingly good for a new team.

 

[flanker]

As I said, I have one objection. The SP of Polina&Aleksei reminds the Survivor program she skated with Dmitry during the 18/19 season too much, incl. the costumes.

 

[hanca]

As I said, I have one objection. The SP of Polina&Aleksei reminds the Survivor program she skated with Dmitry during the 18/19 season too much, incl. the costumes.

Yes, it is more the style of Kostiukovich/Ialin, rather than the style of Vislobokova/Briukhanov. But that’s fine with me, because I don’t think the Figaro program and the Romeo and Juliet actually suited to V/B. V/B did not seem to have a sense of rhythm; it seemed to me like rushing through the programs and hoping some of the moves will accidentally fit into the music beat and music highlights. It is not anything that would cost them points (at least not at junior level), but it didn’t make watching them very pleasurable for me. Kostiukovich/Briukhanov did not have the timing issues today, so for me watching the new pair is a HUGE improvement. Now I am curious to see whether Vislobokova/Ialin will have those issues, or if having new partners just made the problem disappear.