2021-22 Russian Women's Figure Skating

[LiamForeman]

Hmm why are so many of the music choices so screamy? I love me some rock but the ending of Aliona's SP sounds kinda... Much... For an echoey ice rink. And I was looking forward to The Greatest Showman but Never Enough is probably my least favourite of those songs. It fits with Daria's style but I wish they'd branched out a little bit more. Like, even This Is Me would've been better. Not a fan of Sasha's music on first impression either, although her positions are looking much better now.

So far, it looks like Anna has the best SP, choreo and music wise. Her jumps look a bit small and underrotated though but she's less time to prepare what with her injury and all so she'll probably be fine come GP time.

Gotta say Maiia's SP is looking as great as ever.

I don't want to make any real comments on the music based on the vids, but my initial impressions:
1. Kostornaia- Great to see the 3axel. It's huge, it will be ready for RusNats. It looks mostly ready, so maybe she has time to learn a quad? As for the music... It has a style and Aliona fits it. IMO she is the most "professional" in her presentation. Whether the music is Olympic worthy is another issue entirely. But I like it and her attitude in it.

2. Usacheva- "Never Enough" is my favorite song from TGS, and I've imagined myself skating to it (only in my mind) Her runthrough I saw did not take into consideration really ANY of the music accents/highlights that I would have highlighted. In fact, she could have been skating to anything else since I didn't really see the choreo relating much at all to the music. But we'll see tomorrow in the actual event.

3. Trusova- I see some improvement in her extensions, but not enough. But she seems healthy and on fire, so that's a good sign.

4. Anna- I would love to see this program played side by side against any of her previous SPs. It looks VERY similar to previous ones. The only major difference I could see so far in this SP is that she is dorsiflexing her hands throughout.

5. Maiia- Didn't see much, but this is a good SP for her. Glad she kept it.

 

[Minz]

lt looks mostly ready, so maybe she has time to learn a quad?

Learning a quad right now might not be the best bet for her. She has been injured multiple times trying to learn one, and she has a higher chance of making the Olympic team skating with a triple axel than she does sitting on the sidelines in a cast. This goes for anyone; I'm hoping for an injury-free season for all.

 

[Shayuki]

Learning a quad? You never know of course, but to me that 3Axis doesn't look super steady in the air, pretty wild rotation. Also, it's underrotated. I think she needs to concentrate on stabilizing it before thinking about learning a quad.

 

[skatesofgold]

I'm pretty happy with most of the music choices from the Russian women, not too many warhorses.

 

[Anya00]

This might be kind of a long shot but are there any chances of Anna learning a 3A before RusNats or Euros? I know she was injured so I'm assuming she didn't get the amount of practice she wanted this summer - just wondering if they'd try to keep learning elements during the year to make up for it?

 

[Amei]

This might be kind of a long shot but are there any chances of Anna learning a 3A before RusNats or Euros? I know she was injured so I'm assuming she didn't get the amount of practice she wanted this summer - just wondering if they'd try to keep learning elements during the year to make up for it?

I'm sure they certainly do still attempt to learn new elements, in 2019-2020 season we saw both Trusova and Shcherbakova add in the quad flip, Trusova added the triple axel, there was talk that Kostornaia was learning a quad - I think a salchow?; last season we saw Valieva add in a quad and triple axel, Khromkyh added another quad. She has been training it at different times in the past, there was a video in the 19-20 season where she was both in and out of a harness on the jump. Additionally, Shcherbakova's Grand Prix events aren't until November its September 10th; I'm sure she'll probably try a Challenger before her GPs but she has a lot of time to focus on training/practice before her first GP event.

 

[Shayuki]

This might be kind of a long shot but are there any chances of Anna learning a 3A before RusNats or Euros? I know she was injured so I'm assuming she didn't get the amount of practice she wanted this summer - just wondering if they'd try to keep learning elements during the year to make up for it?

I don't think so, no. Even the state of her quads is in question and she needs to work hard to regain those. I don't think it'd be smart putting so much effort into 3A unless everything else is in order first.

 

[Amei]

I don't think so, no. Even the state of her quads is in question and she needs to work hard to regain those. I don't think it'd be smart putting so much effort into 3A unless everything else is in order first.

Disagree, if she has 1 of the quads solid, it makes sense to go the triple axel before gaining back a second quad, unless she's going to put 4 quads in, Trusova and Valieva both have quads and triple axels, they can do the triple axels in the SP, Shcherbakova would be going into the FS in the hole points-wise, her PCS advantage should make Trusova's lead minimal (if at all depending on Trusova's triple axel quality, and the other elements from both of them) but Valieva is likely not going to be too far behind her in PCS, so she likely won't be able to cut into the point deficit of a landed triple axel.

 

[spicymacaron]

Disagree, if she has 1 of the quads solid, it makes sense to go the triple axel before gaining back a second quad, unless she's going to put 4 quads in, Trusova and Valieva both have quads and triple axels, they can do the triple axels in the SP, Shcherbakova would be going into the FS in the hole points-wise, her PCS advantage should make Trusova's lead minimal (if at all depending on Trusova's triple axel quality, and the other elements from both of them) but Valieva is likely not going to be too far behind her in PCS, so she likely won't be able to cut into the point deficit of a landed triple axel.

Yeah, but you also have to take in account how easy/probable it is to get a jump. It's likely less difficult to get back a jump that she's had before, compared to a jump she's never(to my knowledge) landed.

 

[nussnacker]

1tv exclusive about FS programs from Sambo-70

Danny G says Aliona’s problem is mainly mental, this is why 3A isn’t as consistent as they would have preferred. He says when it comes to physicality, she can do quads, but mentally she isn’t ready for them.

Хрустальный: произвольные программы на Олимпийский сезон

С какими произвольными программами в Олимпийском сезоне будут выступать ученицы группы Этери Тутберидзе Александра Трусова, Камила Валиева, Майя Хромых, Дарья Усачева, Алена Косторная и Анна Щербакова? Рассказывает заслуженный тренер России, постановщик программ Даниил Глейхенгауз.

www.1tv.ru

 

[Azikin]

What, Anna using Finnish music with a Finnish song name? Now that's something I was not expecting.

Apocalyptica seems like a bold and interesting choice but combination with those other songs is scary.. we will see..

 

[halulupu]

Wow! Shcherbakova has taken it up a few levels! Even that small segment is revealing .I feel she is really going to throw down the gauntlet .

Anna so far seems like loosing some ground. But she is and was always underestimate.

 

[Lzbee]

Disagree, if she has 1 of the quads solid, it makes sense to go the triple axel before gaining back a second quad, unless she's going to put 4 quads in, Trusova and Valieva both have quads and triple axels, they can do the triple axels in the SP, Shcherbakova would be going into the FS in the hole points-wise, her PCS advantage should make Trusova's lead minimal (if at all depending on Trusova's triple axel quality, and the other elements from both of them) but Valieva is likely not going to be too far behind her in PCS, so she likely won't be able to cut into the point deficit of a landed triple axel.

I don't think she'd be in that deep of a points hole tbh. She can get 82-83 with a perfect SP and the triple axelers can get 85 to 89 when clean. Which really only leaves Anna 2(!!) to 7 points behind.

Anna's 3 quad FS is actually still higher in BV than Kamila's 3 quad plus 3A layout by about 6 points so she'd "just" need to be cleaner than Kamila. We've long been saying that Sasha would win everything if she could put out clean in the FP but it hasn't happened yet (and if it does, she'll have to have lvl 4s and good GOEs as Anna will have GOEs and PCS too).

 

[Skatesocs]

Danny G says Aliona’s problem is mainly mental, this is why 3A isn’t as consistent as they would have preferred. He says when it comes to physicality, she can do quads, but mentally she isn’t ready for them.

She doesn't NEED a quad to win or be on the podium through this season. A 3A is all she needs. So I hope they don't ruin her chances, and let her keep the layout she had in 2019-20.

 

[spicymacaron]

She doesn't NEED a quad to win or be on the podium through this season. A 3A is all she needs. So I hope they don't ruin her chances, and let her keep the layout she had in 2019-20.

Maybe not the podium, but to win? I think she needs a quad.

 

[Lzbee]

She doesn't NEED a quad to win or be on the podium through this season. A 3A is all she needs. So I hope they don't ruin her chances, and let her keep the layout she had in 2019-20.

I would like this to be the case but I'm not sure it will be any more. Anna and Kamila will be getting the PCS that she used to get or higher so Aliona's PCS will have to rise to maintain the gap. She also won't have a GOE advantage on non jumping elements and they're likely to get all their levels too.

 

[nussnacker]

She doesn't NEED a quad to win or be on the podium through this season. A 3A is all she needs. So I hope they don't ruin her chances, and let her keep the layout she had in 2019-20.

I think she tried it in the off season, that’s why he’s mentioning it.

 

[Skatesocs]

I would like this to be the case but I'm not sure it will be any more. Anna and Kamila will be getting the PCS that she used to get or higher so Aliona's PCS will have to rise to maintain the gap. She also won't have a GOE advantage on non jumping elements and they're likely to get all their levels too.

No, she will not need a quad. She might be behind Shcherbakova and Valieva, but Kostornaia with three 3As will still be ahead of Trusova with the kind of layouts she's going for - certainly with her PCS and GOEs, and Trusova is likely to fall multiple times with those.

I don't remember her GP assignments, but she'll more than likely make the GPF. She just needs to re-establish herself as the strong, clean, consistent skater with strong SS and performance ability the judges already know she can be from the 2019-20 season - remember, she might not have a Russian title or a world title, but nor do Trusova and Valieva, and Kostornaia has two major reigning senior international titles that count.

I think she tried it in the off season, that’s why he’s mentioning it.

Right, thanks.

Maybe not the podium, but to win? I think she needs a quad.

Depends on the assignments. And remember, she DID win in the 2019-20 season, despite not having quads.

 

[spicymacaron]

No, she will not need a quad. She might be be behind Shcherbakova and Valieva, but Kostornaia with three 3As will still be ahead of Trusova with the kind of layouts she's going for - certainly with her PCS and GOEs, and Trusova is likely to fail with those.

I don't remember her GP assignments, but she'll more than likely make the GPF. She just needs to re-establish herself as the strong, clean, consistent skater with strong SS and performance ability the judges already know she can be from the 2019-20 season - remember, she might not have a Russian title, but nor do Trusova and Valieva, and Kostornaia has two major reigning senior international titles that count.



Right, thanks.



Depends on the assignments. And remember, she DID win in the 2019-20 season, despite not having quads.

She's going up again Rika, Kamila, and Alysa for Skate Canada and against Anna and Ksenia for IdF.

 

[Skatesocs]

She's going up again Rika, Kamila, and Alysa for Skate Canada and against Anna and Ksenia for IdF.

She'll be second at Skate Canada (with three triple axels) and second in IdF with zero triple axels, then. Will make the GPF, barring shenanigans.