2021-2022 Russian Men's Figure Skating

[Flying Feijoa]

Since it’s almost Christmas lists time, and Russian Nationals are basically Figure Skating Christmas, here is my wish list I am wondering how many of those could actually come true…

1. Olympics: Ignatov and one of Samarin/Aliev making the Olympics team
2. Yablokov and Dikidzhi making JWC selections, one of them medaling
3. Kutovoy and Popov getting 2 stages of JGP each for 2022/2023 (which, in term, requires Kutovoy to fully recover )
4. Mozalev working his way back up next season and making the Eu/WC

I am curious how much will change over the next few months.

Adding some other minor wishes:
1. Yablokov, Erokhov, Anisimov within top 10 at Nationals, more cute KnC moments with Coach Vika
2. Vetlugin and Kovalev rebounding and returning to Nationals next year
3. Generally better times for Danielian
4. Stable quad for Kirill Sarnovsky
5. Chistaya Liniya exporting to Canada (if they don't already?)

 

[lariko]

Adding some other minor wishes:
1. Yablokov, Erokhov, Anisimov within top 10 at Nationals, more cute KnC moments with Coach Vika
2. Vetlugin and Kovalev rebounding and returning to Nationals next year
3. Generally better times for Danielian
4. Stable quad for Kirill Sarnovsky
5. Chistaya Liniya exporting to Canada (if they don't already?)

Some nice items there

 

[Artemisa]

Without mastering 3-4 quads there is no point in continuing to skate??? The Fed will throw baskets of mushrooms in your direction if you skate cleanly and consistently with two, particularly if the other aspects of skating are up to par.

I agree .. I think at this point RussFed just want a men that they can push and that they can count on ... even is he only masters one 4 .. if he does one in the SP + 2 in de FS everytime with good landings ...would be more than enough to be at least at top 5

 

[vorravorra]

I agree .. I think at this point RussFed just want a men that they can push and that they can count on ... even is he only masters one 4 .. if he does one in the SP + 2 in de FS everytime with good landings ...would be more than enough to be at least at top 5

I don't think one is workable for a number of reasons. If the Fed wanted that it would have communicated that message already, and every single Russian man wouldn't be trying at least two while without question they would be more consistent with just one.

 

[Artemisa]

I don't think one is workable for a number of reasons. If the Fed wanted that it would have communicated that message already, and every single Russian man wouldn't be trying at least two while without question they would be more consistent with just one.

I don't think they would tell them ... because they can jump more than one type of 4 .. they for some reason can't land them in two programs ... so even if they land only 2 quads they probably would fall in one of them ... look at last weekend Kolyada ... in the program there was 3 ( only one with good landing) .... and look at Jason Brown ... no quads .. and he goes at GPF

 

[lariko]

and look at Jason Brown ... no quads .. and he goes at GPF

His 4S was ratified as fully rotated, even with 2-footed landing. So, he does have one quad now.

 

[Artemisa]

His 4S was ratified as fully rotated, even with 2-footed landing. So, he does have one quad now.

A lot of man have them ... landing them with consistency is a different story .... one with two foots .... wasn't that 4 that got him a ticket to the GPF ..... Jason has video of him landing 4 in practice a few years ago and almost one in competition a few years ago if I'm not mistaken ... so he has a 4 for a few years ... but he can't count on the consistency of the 4 .... he has other strategies to stay on top ... I thing that russian men should do

 

[vorravorra]

I don't think the Fed has enough mushrooms to put into men's skating to get anyone's scores up there with Brown's. They can help a little but not that much. Mushrooms are reserved for the disciplines with actual gold prospects. So they would need the men to provide some tech they can work with. Obviously actually having good PCS and GOE will help as fewer mushrooms will be needed.

 

[lariko]

A lot of man have them ... landing them with consistency is a different story .... one with two foots .... wasn't that 4 that got him a ticket to the GPF ..... Jason has video of him landing 4 in practice a few years ago and almost one in competition a few years ago if I'm not mistaken ... so he has a 4 for a few years ... but he can't count on the consistency of the 4 .... he has other strategies to stay on top ... I thing that russian men should do

This was his historic first ever fully rotated quad in competition.

Figure skating at the very top is not particularly kind to jacks-of-all-trades. It disproportionately rewards outstanding qualities (such as Brown reportedly has in everything that is not jumping) despite the cries for 'balanced' package. The pendulum swings the PSCs way atm, with GoEs used to reward lower difficulty content so long as PCSs are great, so yes, the guys who are just getting into juniors will be shuffled more toward the glide and pleasure derived from watching the program.

But Russians performed unevenly in GP, with no preference really of the higher PCS guys over better jumpers.

Kolyada was the best in PCSs and went highest (above average)
Ignatov performed better/steadier than Semenenko, basically on jumps alone (above average)
Semenenko was rewarded for improving his spins and skating with more panache (above average)
Aliev's PCSs were low in first event, higher in the second event, but he overall wasn't particularly rewarded for his artistry/pleasure derived from watching him in second event. Samarin got similar assessment, at average in the event (like, literally at 20)
Mozalev's scores accurately reflected just how different he was on day 1 and day 2, scores averaging not in his favor with no benefit of doubt PCS, average (not below avg because he placed 24th/40 with only 1 event)
Kondratyuk, Gumennik and Danielian overall had unlucky performances and their PCSs went unnoticed, below average

So, it's really kinda mixed message. Honestly, I don't know what I would make of it. Jump, not jump? Spin, not spin? Glide, not glide? Perform, not to perform?

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Artur Danielian is out of Golden Spin. RusFed neglected to name a substitute (e.g. Savosin...), so another spot and chance for tech minimums or a SB at a Challenger is lost.
Universiade has been cancelled as well, for those who haven't heard it yet. The scheduling was bad, right before RusNats, but it would have been a nice consolation prize for someone like Lazukin.

 

[lariko]

Artur Danielian is out of Golden Spin. RusFed neglected to name a substitute (e.g. Savosin...), so another spot and chance for tech minimums or a SB at a Challenger is lost.
Universiade has been cancelled as well, for those who haven't heard it yet. The scheduling was bad, right before RusNats, but it would have been a nice consolation prize for someone like Lazukin.

Erokhov would have been great too, unless he is injured, for a chance to get TES in the free. Hope Danielian could skate better in the Nationals.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Erokhov would have been great too, unless he is injured

Don't speak this into existence, please. I've been worried ever since he withdrew from the Moscow City Championships.
This season started so promising and now it all turns to dust. Cancellation of the JGPF just was the latest blow. All these promising juniors deprived of a chance for a major title for the second year running. Lutfullin was in fantastic form and Yablokov - of course - is always a dark horse. And they all need the competition experience of a major event to prepare them for seniors.
All that's really left to do now is hope that everyone stays healthy so they can give their best at RusNats. No injuries or positive Covid tests on the eve of the competition, please!

 

[AlexBreeze]

I've been worried ever since he withdrew from the Moscow City Championships.

Skaters often withdraw from such competitions. He's probably just preparing for the RusNats.

 

[lariko]

I am also hoping it was due to RusNats or there was a small chance that he could go to Zagreb, but then everything got reshuffled. Luckily, the junior guys at least have junior nationals too, but I really did look forward to seeing all the guys in JGPF on the big ice.

The other problem is that with 20/21 season being empty line for everyone who didn’t make it to the World Championships, the guys who had great 19/20 rank will not have it next year. So, yeah, that Zagreb is really important for Mozalev to get his second international score in, but there is like 30 men competing there. thanks goodness he did okay in Ten Memorial and his 7th counts…

 

[vorravorra]

I am also hoping it was due to RusNats or there was a small chance that he could go to Zagreb, but then everything got reshuffled. Luckily, the junior guys at least have junior nationals too, but I really did look forward to seeing all the guys in JGPF on the big ice.

The other problem is that with 20/21 season being empty line for everyone who didn’t make it to the World Championships, the guys who had great 19/20 rank will not have it next year. So, yeah, that Zagreb is really important for Mozalev to get his second international score in, but there is like 30 men competing there. thanks goodness he did okay in Ten Memorial and his 7th counts…

Mozalev needs to raise his SB, he should be able to at least get one assignment next season based on that. But it looks like that's it for Danielian. I would personally give Erokhov another chance internationally but unfortunately it isn't happening.

 

[lariko]

Mozalev needs to raise his SB, he should be able to at least get one assignment next season based on that. But it looks like that's it for Danielian. I would personally give Erokhov another chance internationally but unfortunately it isn't happening.

Well, as always, in the immortal words of Mulan’s father, I’ll pray some more I know Mozalev can do it, so fingers crossed.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

One thing that's really bugging me is that RusFed doesn't maximize their entries at Challengers or at least Senior Bs. They sent zero athletes to Lombardia, because it was the same weekend as test skates. Well, I am sure they could have found three guys to sent to Italy who didn't participate in test skates. No replacements at CS Austria (granted, that probably was too short notice), no replacement at Golden Spin. Is it a money thing or do they really decide based on an influential coach's intervention if someone gets to go?
The guys at the Cup of Russia events are skating their hearts out, and most of them never even get to see international ice. And if they do, they get one event and one chance to score an SB on which basically their whole future career depends. And when they crumble under that pressure the articles on sports.ru appear complaining of inconsistency and laziness.

 

[lariko]

One thing that's really bugging me is that RusFed doesn't maximize their entries at Challengers or at least Senior Bs. They sent zero athletes to Lombardia, because it was the same weekend as test skates. Well, I am sure they could have found three guys to sent to Italy who didn't participate in test skates. No replacements at CS Austria (granted, that probably was too short notice), no replacement at Golden Spin. Is it a money thing or do they really decide based on an influential coach's intervention if someone gets to go?
The guys at the Cup of Russia events are skating their hearts out, and most of them never even get to see international ice. And if they do, they get one event and one chance to score an SB on which basically their whole future career depends. And when they crumble under that pressure the articles on sports.ru appear complaining of inconsistency and laziness.

Maybe they do not want to spread the net too too wide, because what I see is them looking at the same guys. In a way, it makes sense to focus on potential olympians withiut too many wild cards. If someone did show insane potential, I think they would have acted differently. But because they are all more or less pro/con, and they sort of thought they had #2 in Semenenko… socializing someone really junior this season is only worth it when it’s Valieva-class super-Nova, who has it all. They have Russian Nationals, and they have European as last test of mettle before Olympics. So… let’s see.

Honestly, I am biting nails here.

 

[vorravorra]

One thing that's really bugging me is that RusFed doesn't maximize their entries at Challengers or at least Senior Bs. They sent zero athletes to Lombardia, because it was the same weekend as test skates. Well, I am sure they could have found three guys to sent to Italy who didn't participate in test skates. No replacements at CS Austria (granted, that probably was too short notice), no replacement at Golden Spin. Is it a money thing or do they really decide based on an influential coach's intervention if someone gets to go?
The guys at the Cup of Russia events are skating their hearts out, and most of them never even get to see international ice. And if they do, they get one event and one chance to score an SB on which basically their whole future career depends. And when they crumble under that pressure the articles on sports.ru appear complaining of inconsistency and laziness.

Yes, money is a factor. If you are not a national team member you are not going to get financing to go. How influential a coach is also plays a role. All the coaches can do is submit an application, they don't make unilateral decisions, and if the coach knows the right people to talk to, their students will have more of a chance.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Gumennik is out of Golden Spin as well.