2020-21 Russian Pairs' figure skating

[gordana]

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.

That's because survivors and warriors are very similar spiritually.

 

[hanca]

Why would we care that some junior pair skater skates two or three seasons to the same style of music, when senior ice dance champions are also using three seasons the same style? And some senior skaters even used the same music for several seasons (didn’t Hanyu used some music even three seasons?) If this style works for Kostiukovich, let her keep it! They are juniors after all.

 

[chasingneverland]

I love Polina so so much! This makes me sooo happy!

 

[eterislouisvuitton]

Polina is such a firecracker. She's grown up so much and this is amazing.

Kostiukovich/Ialin reminds me so much of Mishina/Mirzoev. Two seasons before the Olympics they were primed for greatness, but the guy was 5 years older than the girl, inevitably like in all pairs, disagreements and tension arised. The girl became womanly and outgrew the guy, and the partnership ceased to exist.

Mishina and Kostiukovich found new partners suitably very fast. On the other hand, Ialin and Mirzoev don't have much success. They are aging out of juniors, short, among other things. Mirzoev tried that girl Gubina that was 8 years younger than him, as did Ialin with Ponosova, who is 7 years younger. It seems he is now with Vislobokova, hopefully she will not outgrow him like Polina did.

Mishina and Kostiukovich are fighters. They endured. In their first season with their new partners, they were not on the national team but reached great success. And then with Mishina, she is now one of the top pairs in the world.

I found this old interview with Polina and Dima. https://rsport.ria.ru/20190815/1557543547.html

Interviewer: Mishina survived the breakup of a couple who took silver at the 2016 junior world championships.
Ialin: Nastia is a fighter, she will endure everything.
Interviewer: Will Polina endure everything?
Polina: silently nods in approval.

There are many more girls than there are boys looking for partners, and I do think Ialin is a very strong and stable skater, even through Polina's changing body last year. I hope that he can find another partner small enough for him and have success.

On the other hand, Polina and Lesha looked great today. Her personality and programs exude such unique energy that I wish she would wear something different. It's a small detail but all of her costumes could be exchanged for one another, as they are all black pantsuits with a few designs or cutouts.

 

[hanca]

I may not be very popular to say this, but I don’t think Vislobokova/Ialin will last very long. One season, max two. Vislobokova is much bigger in statue in comparison with Kostiukovich. Not only height, but also build. Ialin is not particularly tall for a pair skater. Last season he struggled with lifting Kostiukovich, and now he is having even taller/more robust partner. Last season he struggled with back pains... and Vislobokova struggled with jumps. Possibly just due to puberty, so it may settle, but she has not been landing them for quite a while, so it may not be as easy to regain the jumps. I think what happens is, Ialin tried with some small but not very experienced much younger skater. She wasn’t doing much progress (or very slow) and it was clear that she would be nowhere ready to move to senior. In the meantime, Vislobokova was also trying with some guy with little pair experience. It also didn’t go that great. So Vislobokova and Ialin realised that if they want to have at least some season, they need an experienced pair partner. There were none available so they decided to try with each other, but at some stage the reality will hit. If Ialin was struggling with lifts with Kostiukovich, why does he thinks that with Vislobokova it will be alright? And without jumps she definitely won’t be ready to skate for seniors.

Lina Kudriavtseva used to skate with Spiridonov and now she is skating with Zaporozhets. I don’t think Zaporozhets is a very good partner (skating wise). She also has the figure that might be compatible with Ialin. But even though her jumps are pretty stable, she struggled with throw jumps. That would be a possible partner for Ialin, if it doesn’t work out with Vislobokova. Or finding out where Labazina is. She was skating with TJ Nyman but I heard that broke down. She is a pretty decent pair partner and her size would also be a better match. Well, we will see.

 

[eterislouisvuitton]

I may not be very popular to say this, but I don’t think Vislobokova/Ialin will last very long. One season, max two. Vislobokova is much bigger in statue in comparison with Kostiukovich. Not only height, but also build. Ialin is not particularly tall for a pair skater. Last season he struggled with lifting Kostiukovich, and now he is having even taller/more robust partner. Last season he struggled with back pains... and Vislobokova struggled with jumps. Possibly just due to puberty, so it may settle, but she has not been landing them for quite a while, so it may not be as easy to regain the jumps. I think what happens is, Ialin tried with some small but not very experienced much younger skater. She wasn’t doing much progress (or very slow) and it was clear that she would be nowhere ready to move to senior. In the meantime, Vislobokova was also trying with some guy with little pair experience. It also didn’t go that great. So Vislobokova and Ialin realised that if they want to have at least some season, they need an experienced pair partner. There were none available so they decided to try with each other, but at some stage the reality will hit. If Ialin was struggling with lifts with Kostiukovich, why does he thinks that with Vislobokova it will be alright? And without jumps she definitely won’t be ready to skate for seniors.

Lina Kudriavtseva used to skate with Spiridonov and now she is skating with Zaporozhets. I don’t think Zaporozhets is a very good partner (skating wise). She also has the figure that might be compatible with Ialin. But even though her jumps are pretty stable, she struggled with throw jumps. That would be a possible partner for Ialin, if it doesn’t work out with Vislobokova. Or finding out where Labazina is. She was skating with TJ Nyman but I heard that broke down. She is a pretty decent pair partner and her size would also be a better match. Well, we will see.

Sadly, I think the same. Ialin needs a girl who is like Pavliuchenko, or someone of Polina's height but with a smaller build and less curves. I hope he will not be outgrown by one prepubescent girl after another. But I think that if Vislobokova and Ialin were deemed ready, then there is some success going on. And she is 16, hopefully she won't grow too much more.

Ialin does not struggle with balance in lifts, or height in throws and twists. He struggles with the takeoff, as he is short and has to crunch over to get the girl off the ice. If a girl as small as Polina had to be starved to stay small enough for him, then I am truly quite worried about his future in pairs skating.

 

[eterislouisvuitton]

Pairs has finished, Pavliuchenko/Khodykin prevail over Kadyrova/Balchenko. As expected, the mighty Kostiukovich and her new partner too kthe junior pairs copmetition by a landslide. I would like to note that both the score they had here and at the St. Petersburg competition would have put them 2nd in junior worlds last year.

I think as long as Polina does not grow, K/B have an incredibly bright future.

 

[hanca]

Pairs has finished, Pavliuchenko/Khodykin prevail over Kadyrova/Balchenko. As expected, the mighty Kostiukovich and her new partner too kthe junior pairs copmetition by a landslide. I would like to note that both the score they had here and at the St. Petersburg competition would have put them 2nd in junior worlds last year.

I think as long as Polina does not grow, K/B have an incredibly bright future.

I don’t think they would get that score at the nationals though. I think the marking they got at this event was a bit generous. Because the other pairs were so much lower level, the judges did appreciate that at least someone is a half-decent pair. But they still need a lot of work. They were good, definitely, for a newly created pair, but they were not good to be the best junior pair yet. At the moment, from what we have seen this season, the pairs on the national team would beat them.

 

[nussnacker]

Kozlovskiy got Coronavirus. B/K will skip stage 3 of RC.

 

[Edwin]

so the virus has entered figure skating ...

 

[nussnacker]

so the virus has entered figure skating ...

The virus has already made itself too comfortable with pairs and ice dancers.

 

[Skatesocs]

Kozlovskiy got Coronavirus. B/K will skip stage 3 of RC.

I wish they'd enforce mask wearing properly at Russia Cup in the first place. It's incredibly concerning.

 

[Sugarpova]

well after Sasha got it I suspected the group is in danger

I wish they'd enforce mask wearing properly at Russia Cup

I doubt the problem is the masks (in this instance at least). they train together & obv they cant wear masks while training.
I agree geneerally tho, ppl are too reckless here with masks

 

[Edwin]

I have bought myself 'sporting masks' with a nose clip, headband, generous air inlet and replaceable carbon filter and exhaling valves. Hockey players use these kind of masks.
If they are good enough to play hockey in, they should be good enough for figure skating:

https://www.hockeyspullen.nl/neopreen-gezichtsmasker-copy.html

 

[Skatesocs]

they train together & obv they cant wear masks while training.

We aren't really seeing similar situations elsewhere though, where the excuse is "training together". They really need to establish protocol even in training, it sadly seems lacking.

 

[ancientpeas]

I have bought myself 'sporting masks' with a nose clip, headband, generous air inlet and replaceable carbon filter and exhaling valves. Hockey players use these kind of masks.
If they are good enough to play hockey in, they should be good enough for figure skating:

https://www.hockeyspullen.nl/neopreen-gezichtsmasker-copy.html

That is an impressive mask. I hope it will keep you safe and in good health.

 

[flanker]

We aren't really seeing similar situations elsewhere though, where the excuse is "training together". They really need to establish protocol even in training, it sadly seems lacking.

You mean like when in the Switzerland they tried to introduce face masks in the ice hockey, but all the players threw them away within the first period

 

[Skatesocs]

You mean like when in the Switzerland they tried to introduce face masks in the ice hockey, but all the players threw them away within the first period

Well, they're wrong too. You'd assume it would be easier for figure skating vs a team sport, though.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Kozlovskiy got Coronavirus. B/K will skip stage 3 of RC.

Oh man that's bad news! I hope it's only a mild case like Vladimir Morozov (he and Zhenya T are back to training now).

Also that the rest of Moskvina's teams are OK, as well as the amazing woman herself.

 

[Edwin]

No mask is completely comfortable, the throw away ones don't fit your nose and air leaks generously around it. A nose clip is required.

PS those masks are for field hockey (open air game with a ball) but were the only ones I could find with replaceable filters and exhaling valves at reasonable price.