- Joined
- Apr 10, 2019
I gasped out loud on at least three of those pictures. Does RusFed not care about things like that?
2021-22 Russian Women's Figure Skating
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My thoughts about the FS:
Dasha: She needs to work a lot on her performance. I know she was injured so I will give her time.
Liza N.: An enjoyable program. She is very elegant and her dresses as well. However, she still struggles with URs. I hope she improves for the Cup of Russia.
Ksenia: I didn't see the movie and I just heard it is about an insane woman. I thought the dress was mimicking a straitjacket. But I am not sure. She is a great performer unfortunately, the jumps are not there yet.
Sofia: It was much better than her SP. I liked her dress and program. She has URs as well. I hope she can improve for Torino.
Maiia: What a improvement since her junior debut. I think she is above Dasha now and an Olympic team contender. I liked her dress and performance. I am sure the Salchow will be there. Despite the fact that Tango Roxane is overused she nailed it.
Aliona: She forgot the Step sequence I will have to see it complete before giving my opinion. I am sure she will be there performance wise when the 2 3A are back.
Anya: I loved her interpretation. She has grown a lot in performance. She lives her music and makes you live it with her. I hope she regains her quads for Torino.
Liza T.: Without 3A her program looks empty. I did not like her dress either. However, she is the Empress and I am sure she will be enjoyable. I am not sure about making the Olympic team though. She is fierce though and she said she is not afraid of her six contenders.
Kami: She felt the pressure of being the best at the SP. I hope she controls her nerves. You need nerves of steel this season. She is my favorite.
Sasha: What a comeback! She is unstoppable with 5 quads I hope she keeps her consistency.
I was so happy to see all the Russian ladies fighting so hard and giving us such a spectacle. I am grateful to them for working so hard during these difficult times. I hope Olympics take place and none gets injured.
Dasha: She needs to work a lot on her performance. I know she was injured so I will give her time.
Liza N.: An enjoyable program. She is very elegant and her dresses as well. However, she still struggles with URs. I hope she improves for the Cup of Russia.
Ksenia: I didn't see the movie and I just heard it is about an insane woman. I thought the dress was mimicking a straitjacket. But I am not sure. She is a great performer unfortunately, the jumps are not there yet.
Sofia: It was much better than her SP. I liked her dress and program. She has URs as well. I hope she can improve for Torino.
Maiia: What a improvement since her junior debut. I think she is above Dasha now and an Olympic team contender. I liked her dress and performance. I am sure the Salchow will be there. Despite the fact that Tango Roxane is overused she nailed it.
Aliona: She forgot the Step sequence I will have to see it complete before giving my opinion. I am sure she will be there performance wise when the 2 3A are back.
Anya: I loved her interpretation. She has grown a lot in performance. She lives her music and makes you live it with her. I hope she regains her quads for Torino.
Liza T.: Without 3A her program looks empty. I did not like her dress either. However, she is the Empress and I am sure she will be enjoyable. I am not sure about making the Olympic team though. She is fierce though and she said she is not afraid of her six contenders.
Kami: She felt the pressure of being the best at the SP. I hope she controls her nerves. You need nerves of steel this season. She is my favorite.
Sasha: What a comeback! She is unstoppable with 5 quads I hope she keeps her consistency.
I was so happy to see all the Russian ladies fighting so hard and giving us such a spectacle. I am grateful to them for working so hard during these difficult times. I hope Olympics take place and none gets injured.
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2019
Sasha's program was definitely the highlight of the day. And while she still doesn't have a very choreographed program in the beginning due to the quads, I don't think that a clean Kamila could catch her, even if she only landed say, 4 of the 5 quads. I also think that this is a style that really suits her abilities. The severity of the music in places masks her less fluidic features, and she's improved so much in other areas that with a five quad program, even with mistakes she can definitely still get high PCS marks. These two programs really work on her, and I love that she finally gets something that I feel matches her. Based on test skates I think she is the OGM favorite.
I don't think Kamila is in as good of shape as we're led on to believe. OGM contender IF she is clean, but this is not the right vehicle for her. I also think that many quads is still too much for her. We saw her make the same mistakes at RusNats, so I don't really know if I can say this is just some pre-season jitters, especially because of the way she falls. We saw missteps in some of the jumps yesterday and today (Daria not getting enough height because of misstep/imbalance right before picking, for example) or step outs. But to me Kamila has technique issues with takeoff, not fitness issues, which is why her jumps get so wieldy and why her combos don't flow well together. It also makes her unpredictable. We can see this in how her takeoff seems to affect her axis in the air and how she always adjusts a little between combos. If she fell on a quad like Anna, okay, well at least she can save it with the rest of the program, but it's not the same situation because Bolero is way too rhythmic to be missing a step in, and it just doesn't suit her strengths. I don't get it.
Aliona's program seems really new to her. She's usually very good at staying on beat, but you could tell exactly where she missed it. You can see at the beginning her choreographed movements were one or two beats behind where would have musically made sense. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something I said before her debut senior season, right after test skates that I think I was right about before. That 3-2 combo after her first 2A in Twilight was sort of a humiliation tactic- who in seniors still does a 3-2? Certainly not someone from the Eteri camp when there are other ways to maximize the layout. But the layout left a perfect placemarker for an opening 3A set. And I thought that Eteri knew that she was motivated by shame and anger and was giving her that layout to force her into a 3A. And then we saw the 3A and that jump layout fit the opening of the program so much better than the initial 2A, 3-2 layout. I think they're doing the same thing again. I think that empty space in the program is left that way intentionally for a later program 3A instead of using it as an opening jump, and that the opening sequence is left that way intentionally for a quad. I think that layout makes more sense with this music. The build up between the 3A to the 3-2 to the loop, (or even a 3A-2T to 3A to loop) doesn't make sense. The 3A-2T to 3A cuts that musical build up. An opening sequence made longer with a quad and then a 3A would make way more sense. Then you add another 3A or combo later in the empty space. Anyways, just my two cents. We can see where she faltered with the StSq so I won't make comments there. I think once she is able to perform in time with the music as it is meant to be this will be a competitive program. I think what we're seeing now in this timid opening performance is someone who is no longer able to mask her anxiety. There is an immense amount of pressure on her after the transfer, and then not having quads, and then just in general that she has always been very tough on herself and usually she can take that away but the whole media craze about her not being able to return without a 3A and then having to work that all summer so you don't make yourself look a fool or your coach look a fool... that's just a lot. That she was so emotional she couldn't even mask it in the skate when she forgot the StSq really makes me think the exact opposite of having given up that she is just reaching a point where she will have to drop the mental blocks and overcome them lest she knows she gets left behind. I give a lot of props to Anna for not being like this. You can coach skating but psychology is often rigid.
I think my thoughts on the remaining programs are pretty in line with what the rest have said so I won't bore everyone with repetitiveness.
I don't think Kamila is in as good of shape as we're led on to believe. OGM contender IF she is clean, but this is not the right vehicle for her. I also think that many quads is still too much for her. We saw her make the same mistakes at RusNats, so I don't really know if I can say this is just some pre-season jitters, especially because of the way she falls. We saw missteps in some of the jumps yesterday and today (Daria not getting enough height because of misstep/imbalance right before picking, for example) or step outs. But to me Kamila has technique issues with takeoff, not fitness issues, which is why her jumps get so wieldy and why her combos don't flow well together. It also makes her unpredictable. We can see this in how her takeoff seems to affect her axis in the air and how she always adjusts a little between combos. If she fell on a quad like Anna, okay, well at least she can save it with the rest of the program, but it's not the same situation because Bolero is way too rhythmic to be missing a step in, and it just doesn't suit her strengths. I don't get it.
Aliona's program seems really new to her. She's usually very good at staying on beat, but you could tell exactly where she missed it. You can see at the beginning her choreographed movements were one or two beats behind where would have musically made sense. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something I said before her debut senior season, right after test skates that I think I was right about before. That 3-2 combo after her first 2A in Twilight was sort of a humiliation tactic- who in seniors still does a 3-2? Certainly not someone from the Eteri camp when there are other ways to maximize the layout. But the layout left a perfect placemarker for an opening 3A set. And I thought that Eteri knew that she was motivated by shame and anger and was giving her that layout to force her into a 3A. And then we saw the 3A and that jump layout fit the opening of the program so much better than the initial 2A, 3-2 layout. I think they're doing the same thing again. I think that empty space in the program is left that way intentionally for a later program 3A instead of using it as an opening jump, and that the opening sequence is left that way intentionally for a quad. I think that layout makes more sense with this music. The build up between the 3A to the 3-2 to the loop, (or even a 3A-2T to 3A to loop) doesn't make sense. The 3A-2T to 3A cuts that musical build up. An opening sequence made longer with a quad and then a 3A would make way more sense. Then you add another 3A or combo later in the empty space. Anyways, just my two cents. We can see where she faltered with the StSq so I won't make comments there. I think once she is able to perform in time with the music as it is meant to be this will be a competitive program. I think what we're seeing now in this timid opening performance is someone who is no longer able to mask her anxiety. There is an immense amount of pressure on her after the transfer, and then not having quads, and then just in general that she has always been very tough on herself and usually she can take that away but the whole media craze about her not being able to return without a 3A and then having to work that all summer so you don't make yourself look a fool or your coach look a fool... that's just a lot. That she was so emotional she couldn't even mask it in the skate when she forgot the StSq really makes me think the exact opposite of having given up that she is just reaching a point where she will have to drop the mental blocks and overcome them lest she knows she gets left behind. I give a lot of props to Anna for not being like this. You can coach skating but psychology is often rigid.
I think my thoughts on the remaining programs are pretty in line with what the rest have said so I won't bore everyone with repetitiveness.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2020
That would put her in the top 10 of the all time male free skate scores, and her PCS scores aren’t even factored by 2 like the men are.
So in effect, this was the highest scoring female skate of all time with room to spare.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2019
hmm... thats impressive.I'll just bring this post here
although I do wonder if "domestic scoring inflation" is a big factor.
probably to some degree, but also possibly less so since the scores are not published.
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2021
I wouldn't put much reliability on a random dude on the internet claiming that he knows the scores. Anyone can say they saw something, doesn't mean they actually did.I'll just bring this post here
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2014
My little impressions for what they're worth.
-Kamila-
SP: watered down version of Storm. Will do. Why not just keep Storm, that was a program worth repeating for once. And what a dream it could have been to go back to the Picasso one too.
FS: disliking it as much as last year, they could do so much better with her.
Impression: she looks good, she'll polish up over the season. The others will be itching towards the dangerous 18/19yo and she seems to handle her puberty growth just fine.
Anna:
SP: she has had better ones but she'll sell it well and it at least shouldn't harm her.
FS: good choice for her imo.
Impression: I hope the 4s will be incorporated back in over the course of the season, but I have no doubt they will. Otherwise she looks less frail and worn out than at the end of her difficult 20/21 season, good for her.
Alena:
SP: Just...why? Now contrary to Anna I think this will in fact actively hurt her. She doesn't have the tech and she really needed to hammer those PCS and home in on what makes her stand out. This program does the opposite. If it was he choice so be it but oh well.
FS: Winter is lovely music and it suits her but the program looks empty to me for now. Let's see how it comes along.
Impression: what an improvement to last season, she should be very proud and so should her team. She's not on the other girls' level anymore in terms of tech and I honestly can't see her competing with Sasha, Kamila or Anna on their good days, but fingers crossed for her.
Sasha:
SP: good choices here imo, not a huge fan but it should score well. Not sure if that 3A needs to be tried again and again and again when it's never landed but they will figure it out as they go.
FS: very blunt choice and a very "obvious and simple" message but why not? Maybe the most expressive and in touch I've seen her in any program ever. And it's very much "her". Great FS to take to the Olympics imo, no matter the outcome.
Impression: she looks strong but she usually does so in low pressure situations. Her physical ability was never a question. Let's see if she has fixed her mental issues around competing. If she has, we're in for a treat.
-Kamila-
SP: watered down version of Storm. Will do. Why not just keep Storm, that was a program worth repeating for once. And what a dream it could have been to go back to the Picasso one too.
FS: disliking it as much as last year, they could do so much better with her.
Impression: she looks good, she'll polish up over the season. The others will be itching towards the dangerous 18/19yo and she seems to handle her puberty growth just fine.
Anna:
SP: she has had better ones but she'll sell it well and it at least shouldn't harm her.
FS: good choice for her imo.
Impression: I hope the 4s will be incorporated back in over the course of the season, but I have no doubt they will. Otherwise she looks less frail and worn out than at the end of her difficult 20/21 season, good for her.
Alena:
SP: Just...why? Now contrary to Anna I think this will in fact actively hurt her. She doesn't have the tech and she really needed to hammer those PCS and home in on what makes her stand out. This program does the opposite. If it was he choice so be it but oh well.
FS: Winter is lovely music and it suits her but the program looks empty to me for now. Let's see how it comes along.
Impression: what an improvement to last season, she should be very proud and so should her team. She's not on the other girls' level anymore in terms of tech and I honestly can't see her competing with Sasha, Kamila or Anna on their good days, but fingers crossed for her.
Sasha:
SP: good choices here imo, not a huge fan but it should score well. Not sure if that 3A needs to be tried again and again and again when it's never landed but they will figure it out as they go.
FS: very blunt choice and a very "obvious and simple" message but why not? Maybe the most expressive and in touch I've seen her in any program ever. And it's very much "her". Great FS to take to the Olympics imo, no matter the outcome.
Impression: she looks strong but she usually does so in low pressure situations. Her physical ability was never a question. Let's see if she has fixed her mental issues around competing. If she has, we're in for a treat.
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2019
(part 1, it's gonna be long)
So, after so many emotions and tears yesterday, I'm finally calmer to comment on my impressions of Test Skates.
So, I already know it's gonna be controversial, considering I usually don't like Team Tutberidze's choreo and music choices, but they did a decent job this year (even with Aliona, pardon me). The thing is these girls were so nervous (with the exception of Sasha and Anna) that it compromised the impression we could have of the programs. I'm gonna rank them based on my impressions and scoring potential to what I believe they'll be able to do, but predictions are just silly right now. So, let's go to it.
1st: Sasha Trusova.
So, I think this was a breakthrough moment for her. She needed this for her confidence, and I was so so happy she could do it that I had tears in my eyes by the end of her FS. That was amazing, that was an athletic accomplishment, and her team thinks that too, based on her being the only girl that made Eteri smile, Dudakov kissing her blade covers, and Daniiil and Dudakov shaking hands; that was a moment, not gonna lie, and I know part of it might have been for the cameras, but I don't care, I was taken by the moment.
- SP (Frida OST): the most interesting SP from Team Tutberidze, I'm kind of shocked that it worked so well for her. The 3A looks HUGE compared to last season, but people are overreacting when they say she was going for a 4A or even practicing it, of course she's not. But that's ok. I even liked the mismatching red hair with red dress, and I'm usually very critical of color palettes per se, as I study color theory a lot. However, even if her hair outside a skating rink isn't the most aesthetically pleasing, her red hair gave her personality on ice, and even if it's not the best tone of red, it still set her apart, and I think it looked really cool. Is it a Vogue Italia look? Of course not, but it works, it goes with the whole vibe they're creating for her, the strong, revolutionary female character, it works, okay? Also, let's not forget the Eteri Kris Jenner moment where she tells Sasha not to hide the sponsor logo in her jacket, that was priceless.
- FS (Cruella OST): now, don't get me wrong, of course I'm aware she's not the best dancer, the program doesn't have lots of choreography going on, but she shows improvement in her interpretation, she's showing things she never did before (the shoulders, the eyes), and it works. For me, what's so brilliant about this music choice from Team Tutberidze is that the jumps go so well with the music, it's fantastic. When Florence sings "But you're stuck in the past And I'm ahead of the game" and bam, another quad, that was like amazing... and then, again, when she lands the last 4 Lutz and "I wanna be your dog" starts, that's insane, I'm a rock fan, I loved it, I think this program works entirely because of the quads, but it DOES work, and that's what matters, because we're not gonna pretend she's capable of giving us Romeo and Juliet delicate and elegant choreography like Pluschenko was trying to pretend, she's a fierce girl, with a fierce personality, she needs to show that on the ice, her personality was rarely shown in her previous programs, and now we can see she loves both SP and FS. That's it. I didn't use to be a Sasha fan, but she's won me, I'm impressed.
2nd: Kamila Valieva.
- SP (In memoriam, Kiriil Richter): So, Kamilla showed us what we already expected from her, I actually thought after her SP that it was game over, everybody else would be done, and not because I like the program, but because she was the best in the SP, and I think she might break Aliona's SP record this season, the girl skated like a professional. Was it interesting? Not much. Was it original? Not much. Did it work? Hell yes. She did exactly what she had to do, she laded her jumps, made beautiful movements, that's the Kamila formula for magic. Is it my cup of tea, or is it she my favourite? In my opinion, Kamila still lacks personality on ice, it's all too beautiful, and almost zero face expression, she had good body interpretation, but for me it's not enough. She doesn't show emotional vulnerability in her programs, and I think that's key for interpretation. But she won the SP miles ahead of everybody else, who cares, she might still beat Sasha if she manages to have a decent layout in the free.
- FS (Bolero): we all hate Bolero, but TT won't change it just because we don't like it. I don't think this FS was as much of a disaster as everybody said, it just showed she's not comfortable with the current layout and how bad the program is, but she can make it less worse if she lands all her jumps. I would make her skate with 2 3As in the FS, if that's possible, I don't know about if this layout is even possible, but 1 3T, 1 4T and 2 3As with the massive GOE her 3A will get might be enough to beat Sasha. Ok, but seriously, am I the only one who likes Kamila, but that can't root for her? Because, for me, Anna, Aliona, Sasha, even Maya and Daria seem to have much more personality and seem to have a story that we can relate to, because they've had struggles, fights, highs and lows. I know in the end the winner is the one who delivers in the day, but it doesn't change who I root for, you know. I recognize all of Kamila's qualities, I just can't make myself root for her.
3rd: Anna Shcherbakova.
Now, everybody is saying that Anna is done, that she might not even be in the Olympic team, but I think that's not as simple. Among all the girls who participated here, she was the most committed to her program, to the interpretation, to the choreography. I don't think Eteri and her team can be mad with her for her performance, if they know she's giving the best she has at the moment considering her injuries. I think Aliona should learn from her that she can commit to her performance even if her current layout doesn't allow for her to win. And that's Anna's magic, she can commit and deliver. I wasn't as big of a fan of hers, but her strength is something no one can deny, and when a girl can be that inspiring, she deserves her place in the Olympic team, because we know she'll get at least the quad flip back. I'm sorry to the Anna haters, but her jumps weren't worse than at Worlds; in fact, most of her jumps looked better. Is it the best technique? No, it's hideous technique, but her initial 3Lz3Lo in the free was huge, the lutz edge seemed less flat, and that's impressive for her, I never thought her technique would be addressed, but it even seems like her toe pick is a tiny bit better.
- SP (The Songs of Distant Earth, Kiriil Richter): I don't care what anyone says, I like this program. Do I like the recycled movements from Alina's Cleopatra? Of course not. But I think the music builds and has a nice climax, which can become a moment for an Olympic performance. Now, can they please give her a very special dress for this performance to work? Not Olga Ryabenko's usual rounded dress that looks "cutesy", she needs to look powerful and strong, let's give her that, ok? Even a jumpsuit would be nice.
- FS (Ruska, Apocalyptica; The Master and Margarita soundtrack, Igor Korneliuk; Lacrimosa): I like this program too, I think it'll become special with time and with her quad flip back. Listen, it's the same Daniil thing every time, but it worked in this one, even the chaotic music cuts happened to work. If it's always the same facial expressions, at least she has facial expressions, look at Valieva or Kostornaya's faces during their programs and Anna's always-the-same facial expression won't bother you. I might have become a Team Anna person this season, and I didn't even see it coming. But, let's be honest here, she needs at least 1 quad back, otherwise her spot for the Olympic team is in danger
(end of part 1)
So, after so many emotions and tears yesterday, I'm finally calmer to comment on my impressions of Test Skates.
So, I already know it's gonna be controversial, considering I usually don't like Team Tutberidze's choreo and music choices, but they did a decent job this year (even with Aliona, pardon me). The thing is these girls were so nervous (with the exception of Sasha and Anna) that it compromised the impression we could have of the programs. I'm gonna rank them based on my impressions and scoring potential to what I believe they'll be able to do, but predictions are just silly right now. So, let's go to it.
1st: Sasha Trusova.
So, I think this was a breakthrough moment for her. She needed this for her confidence, and I was so so happy she could do it that I had tears in my eyes by the end of her FS. That was amazing, that was an athletic accomplishment, and her team thinks that too, based on her being the only girl that made Eteri smile, Dudakov kissing her blade covers, and Daniiil and Dudakov shaking hands; that was a moment, not gonna lie, and I know part of it might have been for the cameras, but I don't care, I was taken by the moment.
- SP (Frida OST): the most interesting SP from Team Tutberidze, I'm kind of shocked that it worked so well for her. The 3A looks HUGE compared to last season, but people are overreacting when they say she was going for a 4A or even practicing it, of course she's not. But that's ok. I even liked the mismatching red hair with red dress, and I'm usually very critical of color palettes per se, as I study color theory a lot. However, even if her hair outside a skating rink isn't the most aesthetically pleasing, her red hair gave her personality on ice, and even if it's not the best tone of red, it still set her apart, and I think it looked really cool. Is it a Vogue Italia look? Of course not, but it works, it goes with the whole vibe they're creating for her, the strong, revolutionary female character, it works, okay? Also, let's not forget the Eteri Kris Jenner moment where she tells Sasha not to hide the sponsor logo in her jacket, that was priceless.
- FS (Cruella OST): now, don't get me wrong, of course I'm aware she's not the best dancer, the program doesn't have lots of choreography going on, but she shows improvement in her interpretation, she's showing things she never did before (the shoulders, the eyes), and it works. For me, what's so brilliant about this music choice from Team Tutberidze is that the jumps go so well with the music, it's fantastic. When Florence sings "But you're stuck in the past And I'm ahead of the game" and bam, another quad, that was like amazing... and then, again, when she lands the last 4 Lutz and "I wanna be your dog" starts, that's insane, I'm a rock fan, I loved it, I think this program works entirely because of the quads, but it DOES work, and that's what matters, because we're not gonna pretend she's capable of giving us Romeo and Juliet delicate and elegant choreography like Pluschenko was trying to pretend, she's a fierce girl, with a fierce personality, she needs to show that on the ice, her personality was rarely shown in her previous programs, and now we can see she loves both SP and FS. That's it. I didn't use to be a Sasha fan, but she's won me, I'm impressed.
2nd: Kamila Valieva.
- SP (In memoriam, Kiriil Richter): So, Kamilla showed us what we already expected from her, I actually thought after her SP that it was game over, everybody else would be done, and not because I like the program, but because she was the best in the SP, and I think she might break Aliona's SP record this season, the girl skated like a professional. Was it interesting? Not much. Was it original? Not much. Did it work? Hell yes. She did exactly what she had to do, she laded her jumps, made beautiful movements, that's the Kamila formula for magic. Is it my cup of tea, or is it she my favourite? In my opinion, Kamila still lacks personality on ice, it's all too beautiful, and almost zero face expression, she had good body interpretation, but for me it's not enough. She doesn't show emotional vulnerability in her programs, and I think that's key for interpretation. But she won the SP miles ahead of everybody else, who cares, she might still beat Sasha if she manages to have a decent layout in the free.
- FS (Bolero): we all hate Bolero, but TT won't change it just because we don't like it. I don't think this FS was as much of a disaster as everybody said, it just showed she's not comfortable with the current layout and how bad the program is, but she can make it less worse if she lands all her jumps. I would make her skate with 2 3As in the FS, if that's possible, I don't know about if this layout is even possible, but 1 3T, 1 4T and 2 3As with the massive GOE her 3A will get might be enough to beat Sasha. Ok, but seriously, am I the only one who likes Kamila, but that can't root for her? Because, for me, Anna, Aliona, Sasha, even Maya and Daria seem to have much more personality and seem to have a story that we can relate to, because they've had struggles, fights, highs and lows. I know in the end the winner is the one who delivers in the day, but it doesn't change who I root for, you know. I recognize all of Kamila's qualities, I just can't make myself root for her.
3rd: Anna Shcherbakova.
Now, everybody is saying that Anna is done, that she might not even be in the Olympic team, but I think that's not as simple. Among all the girls who participated here, she was the most committed to her program, to the interpretation, to the choreography. I don't think Eteri and her team can be mad with her for her performance, if they know she's giving the best she has at the moment considering her injuries. I think Aliona should learn from her that she can commit to her performance even if her current layout doesn't allow for her to win. And that's Anna's magic, she can commit and deliver. I wasn't as big of a fan of hers, but her strength is something no one can deny, and when a girl can be that inspiring, she deserves her place in the Olympic team, because we know she'll get at least the quad flip back. I'm sorry to the Anna haters, but her jumps weren't worse than at Worlds; in fact, most of her jumps looked better. Is it the best technique? No, it's hideous technique, but her initial 3Lz3Lo in the free was huge, the lutz edge seemed less flat, and that's impressive for her, I never thought her technique would be addressed, but it even seems like her toe pick is a tiny bit better.
- SP (The Songs of Distant Earth, Kiriil Richter): I don't care what anyone says, I like this program. Do I like the recycled movements from Alina's Cleopatra? Of course not. But I think the music builds and has a nice climax, which can become a moment for an Olympic performance. Now, can they please give her a very special dress for this performance to work? Not Olga Ryabenko's usual rounded dress that looks "cutesy", she needs to look powerful and strong, let's give her that, ok? Even a jumpsuit would be nice.
- FS (Ruska, Apocalyptica; The Master and Margarita soundtrack, Igor Korneliuk; Lacrimosa): I like this program too, I think it'll become special with time and with her quad flip back. Listen, it's the same Daniil thing every time, but it worked in this one, even the chaotic music cuts happened to work. If it's always the same facial expressions, at least she has facial expressions, look at Valieva or Kostornaya's faces during their programs and Anna's always-the-same facial expression won't bother you. I might have become a Team Anna person this season, and I didn't even see it coming. But, let's be honest here, she needs at least 1 quad back, otherwise her spot for the Olympic team is in danger
(end of part 1)
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No, except for Trusova. The rest of the skates, save Anna's (with no quad or 3A) ,were underwhelming.
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- Joined
- Mar 20, 2019
(part 2)
4th - Maya Khromykh.
Yes, Maya is in front of Aliona here, and Aliona used to be my favourite, but she can't be with what she's showing us this season, I'll talk about it later, but let's go to Maya. I've been watching Maya silently for the last couple of seasons, and although I got really nervous when she couldn't land her quad attempts, deep in my heart I knew Eteri is not dumb to make her jump something she wasn't landing in practice. She's not making Daria jump any 3A right now, right? I kind of felt Maya had a mental block with her quad toes, and I was so so happy at Russian Cup Final when she landed both her quads, it was beyond me. Unpopular opinion: Maya is much better than Valieva in interpretation. Maya is special, I like her underdog narrative, and I think she might surprise us with a 3A really soon, and maybe 2 quad + 2 3As between the 2 programs by Russian Nationals. It might be enough to get the Olympic spot if Anna doesn't have her quad back, but let's see.
SP - I'll take care of you: I already thought this program was good last season, but it's even better now. I don't care about "generic", there's no scoring or deduction for "generic" in figure skating, she delivers it, she loves it, she performs it, and that's more than what Aliona gave us with her same singer program. Her jumps look better and everything. It was, performance-wise, the best SP of the day (Sasha's is more creative, but she doesn't have the advantage of having had it the past season, so this one goes to Maya).
FS - El Tango de Roxanne: cringe. cringe. cringe version of this song. I think the fall in the 4 S distracted her from the rest of the program, but this program can work, they just need the right dress for her, that one didn't do her any favors. Do I think Maya is the best or 3rd best skater right now, the one to get the Olympic spot? Maybe not, but she's fighting, and I think she might surprise us by Russian Nationals. Somebody noticed the many sports rus articles about her this week, and I noticed them too, we didn't see any articles about Daria, did we? They're not dumb, they need give her the hype because, if Anna falters, Maya is right there, ready to deliver.
5th - Aliona Kostornaya.
Listen, I know we all love Aliona, but I'm seriously worried about her. She has in her eyes the same "lost desperate puppy" expression she had last year at Russian Cup Final. It's not that her programs aren't good, I think they have potential, but if she's about to cry every 5 seconds in her programs, how can she show us fast glide, fast spins, decent jumps? She can't. And the thing is, with Daniil throwing her under the bus in interviews 5 min before the SP, it doesn't help her either. I even wonder if her mental health is ok, or if she needs help with that, because what I see in her is not a lack of shape, is not a loss of skating skills / musicality, it's desperation. Aliona is an all or nothing type of person, she knows her current layout won't allow her to win, but she's not even trying, she's letting all that anxiety take over her and then she forgets steps, she forgets to listen to her music, it's all chaotic. She looked dead for most of her FS, I don't even know how people are predicting her as 3rd spot right now, that was a mess. And I'm sorry if I'm being harsh on her, but I might have to agree with Daniil, it's all in her head. She needs to put it together, otherwise she won't even beat Maya. Even with her URed 3As, that won't be enough if she's not even trying to sell her programs.
SP - Am I the One: I. Like. This. Song. Sorry. I don't think the song is bad for her at all. I don't think it's all screaming, but maybe because I'm used to and particularly like this style. However, if she's not trying to sell us this program, there's no choreography that will work. She has to be 100% committed for this program to work, the choreography is not empty, she didn't do everything she was supposed to, that's it. And I think she might be in shape to do the complete choreography, but her mental state doesn't allow her to. This girl needs help, seriously, like a sports psychologist or something, her instability for the last year and a half show us it might not be just a "teenager" problem. That's it. The program is not the problem, her head is.
FS - Winter: Same as the SP, she looked dead, she had the same eyes she had at Russian Cup Final. Was it a little bit better than at Russian Cup final? Yes, but it's not enough, it won't be enough. That's a disappointment, but not because of the choreography, the choreography is always bad and she somehow gets to sell it. She needs to reimagine her "crown" and convince us she even wants to go to the Olympics, because she's not trying hard enough now.
6th - Liza Tuktamysheva:
SP - Oblivion: her best yet. It was really good for her. That's it.
FS - Arabic inspired music: not good. Cheap. But it's the same every year, the questionable taste programs, choreography, costumes. We're not fooling anyone, she has no chance, but she's an awesome skater and has an awesome personality. It's just not enough this year. Sorry to the Empress fans, I'm a fan too, but it won't be enough to beat the Eteri girls.
7th - Daria Usacheva:
Poor Daria. She got the cheap load of the programs by Daniil. She was really upset before and after her FS, and I wouldn't be surprised if she switched coaches right now, something is off. I know she said she was injured, but the dinamics between her, Eteri and Daniil seemed off. I don't know, something's weird going on. Unless she gets a 3A very soon, we might see desperate measures from her, and it's not like I want that to happen, but it might.
SP - Never Enough: I like it for her, because the FS is so bad, this is almost a masterpiece compared to it. Let her skate with it, it wasn't that bad, everybody's usde it before, who cares, judges won't score her less for the lack of originality.
FS - Nessun Dorma: Well, here we can see Daniil didn't even try to make this choreography match the music. There was ZERO effort. The music version is not great, but it could be saved if Daniil tried... And maybe that's one of the reasons she was so upset, maybe she saw everybody else, even Maya had a better program than her. That was chaotic. Unless they change the choreography, this is not gonna work, and it's so sad, because Daria has such lovely qualities, but it won't be enough against the quads, triple axels and everything else.
4th - Maya Khromykh.
Yes, Maya is in front of Aliona here, and Aliona used to be my favourite, but she can't be with what she's showing us this season, I'll talk about it later, but let's go to Maya. I've been watching Maya silently for the last couple of seasons, and although I got really nervous when she couldn't land her quad attempts, deep in my heart I knew Eteri is not dumb to make her jump something she wasn't landing in practice. She's not making Daria jump any 3A right now, right? I kind of felt Maya had a mental block with her quad toes, and I was so so happy at Russian Cup Final when she landed both her quads, it was beyond me. Unpopular opinion: Maya is much better than Valieva in interpretation. Maya is special, I like her underdog narrative, and I think she might surprise us with a 3A really soon, and maybe 2 quad + 2 3As between the 2 programs by Russian Nationals. It might be enough to get the Olympic spot if Anna doesn't have her quad back, but let's see.
SP - I'll take care of you: I already thought this program was good last season, but it's even better now. I don't care about "generic", there's no scoring or deduction for "generic" in figure skating, she delivers it, she loves it, she performs it, and that's more than what Aliona gave us with her same singer program. Her jumps look better and everything. It was, performance-wise, the best SP of the day (Sasha's is more creative, but she doesn't have the advantage of having had it the past season, so this one goes to Maya).
FS - El Tango de Roxanne: cringe. cringe. cringe version of this song. I think the fall in the 4 S distracted her from the rest of the program, but this program can work, they just need the right dress for her, that one didn't do her any favors. Do I think Maya is the best or 3rd best skater right now, the one to get the Olympic spot? Maybe not, but she's fighting, and I think she might surprise us by Russian Nationals. Somebody noticed the many sports rus articles about her this week, and I noticed them too, we didn't see any articles about Daria, did we? They're not dumb, they need give her the hype because, if Anna falters, Maya is right there, ready to deliver.
5th - Aliona Kostornaya.
Listen, I know we all love Aliona, but I'm seriously worried about her. She has in her eyes the same "lost desperate puppy" expression she had last year at Russian Cup Final. It's not that her programs aren't good, I think they have potential, but if she's about to cry every 5 seconds in her programs, how can she show us fast glide, fast spins, decent jumps? She can't. And the thing is, with Daniil throwing her under the bus in interviews 5 min before the SP, it doesn't help her either. I even wonder if her mental health is ok, or if she needs help with that, because what I see in her is not a lack of shape, is not a loss of skating skills / musicality, it's desperation. Aliona is an all or nothing type of person, she knows her current layout won't allow her to win, but she's not even trying, she's letting all that anxiety take over her and then she forgets steps, she forgets to listen to her music, it's all chaotic. She looked dead for most of her FS, I don't even know how people are predicting her as 3rd spot right now, that was a mess. And I'm sorry if I'm being harsh on her, but I might have to agree with Daniil, it's all in her head. She needs to put it together, otherwise she won't even beat Maya. Even with her URed 3As, that won't be enough if she's not even trying to sell her programs.
SP - Am I the One: I. Like. This. Song. Sorry. I don't think the song is bad for her at all. I don't think it's all screaming, but maybe because I'm used to and particularly like this style. However, if she's not trying to sell us this program, there's no choreography that will work. She has to be 100% committed for this program to work, the choreography is not empty, she didn't do everything she was supposed to, that's it. And I think she might be in shape to do the complete choreography, but her mental state doesn't allow her to. This girl needs help, seriously, like a sports psychologist or something, her instability for the last year and a half show us it might not be just a "teenager" problem. That's it. The program is not the problem, her head is.
FS - Winter: Same as the SP, she looked dead, she had the same eyes she had at Russian Cup Final. Was it a little bit better than at Russian Cup final? Yes, but it's not enough, it won't be enough. That's a disappointment, but not because of the choreography, the choreography is always bad and she somehow gets to sell it. She needs to reimagine her "crown" and convince us she even wants to go to the Olympics, because she's not trying hard enough now.
6th - Liza Tuktamysheva:
SP - Oblivion: her best yet. It was really good for her. That's it.
FS - Arabic inspired music: not good. Cheap. But it's the same every year, the questionable taste programs, choreography, costumes. We're not fooling anyone, she has no chance, but she's an awesome skater and has an awesome personality. It's just not enough this year. Sorry to the Empress fans, I'm a fan too, but it won't be enough to beat the Eteri girls.
7th - Daria Usacheva:
Poor Daria. She got the cheap load of the programs by Daniil. She was really upset before and after her FS, and I wouldn't be surprised if she switched coaches right now, something is off. I know she said she was injured, but the dinamics between her, Eteri and Daniil seemed off. I don't know, something's weird going on. Unless she gets a 3A very soon, we might see desperate measures from her, and it's not like I want that to happen, but it might.
SP - Never Enough: I like it for her, because the FS is so bad, this is almost a masterpiece compared to it. Let her skate with it, it wasn't that bad, everybody's usde it before, who cares, judges won't score her less for the lack of originality.
FS - Nessun Dorma: Well, here we can see Daniil didn't even try to make this choreography match the music. There was ZERO effort. The music version is not great, but it could be saved if Daniil tried... And maybe that's one of the reasons she was so upset, maybe she saw everybody else, even Maya had a better program than her. That was chaotic. Unless they change the choreography, this is not gonna work, and it's so sad, because Daria has such lovely qualities, but it won't be enough against the quads, triple axels and everything else.
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2019
You don’t have to like or root for her, but saying it as if she had no struggles, flights, highs and lows is so ridiculous. Of course she had them too, like everyone. I understand if you say you can’t relate to her, but it’s something different.
Of course she had her highs and lows. She got injuries, she couldn’t do quads, but she came back stronger. She had a brilliant 1TV cup performances under her belt and underwhelming performance at Cup Final right after. She (just like all of them) is always working hard on constantly improving herself, and her growth over the seasons is so visible, it can’t be denied.
Just because she’s viewed by many as a favorite for Olympics, I feel like there are certain people, who feel the urge to not root for her, root against her or bring her down for no reason. Not talking about you at all right now, but I’ve seen many Russians mocking her for being viewed as favorite and calling her names because of that. It’s really upsetting, she’s only 15, she did nothing wrong, she’s just very talented.
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- Joined
- Mar 20, 2019
I actually feel like test skates should have been closed off this season. It's the Olympic season! This shouldn't be a spectacle for us, it's supposed to be used as feedback on program choreography, music choices, jumps, everything. There's lots and lots of progress to be made still.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2019
Look, I completely agree that Sofia is not competitive in the current Russian field anymore. But do you really need to belittle her past accomplishments and European Championship victory? Initially she got just one GP spot, so it wasn't as if her Euro's gold medal just fell into her lap. She skated her heart out throughout the season to finally be rewarded with a trip to Minsk, where she beat the reigning Olympic champion after all.
Did the stars align for Sofia in 2019? Yes, no doubt about that. Does this mean her victory is somehow less worthy? No, it doesn't! So much in figure skating comes down to circumstance and, yes, luck. But it still takes a true champion to be able to take that opportunity and not falter under the pressure.
For everyone counting out Shcherbakova let me just point out - when has that ever worked out for you? It seems every year at test skates she's not the best there and people start declaring her done and the season never works out that way.
Regarding her toe-pick being better, pre-illness last year I remember a good number of people remarking it looked better but then she got sick and was limping her way to finish the season and she probably had to revert to the hammer-toe to force the jumps
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2021
I don't
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2019
I thought Anna was very good. Aside from the quads, everything else was ALL there. The spins are also better, but they can definitely improve more. Since her other jumps are all so solid all she has to do is focus on her 2 quads which she has jumped before.
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2019
Daria....she said she got the 3A. And then injury ruined it. Her 2A is so big so of course. I'm just going to have to wonder why there is no footage. For Daria especially, she needs people to have confidence in her ultra-C capabilities more than anybody. Work on the 4S is not even talked about anymore.
In comparison, Maiia has even learned the 4T-3T. Everything is going so well, smart decision to keep that stellar SP. The FS is still comparable to last year's at least. I am a bit shocked more skaters didn't keep programs.
Valieva. With the layout she's going for it's clear to me that Eteri has every confidence in her ability to perform it. I think it's just a matter of time until it comes. All the vital signs are still perfect. She might have to adjust to her new height but she has plenty of time.
In comparison, Maiia has even learned the 4T-3T. Everything is going so well, smart decision to keep that stellar SP. The FS is still comparable to last year's at least. I am a bit shocked more skaters didn't keep programs.
Valieva. With the layout she's going for it's clear to me that Eteri has every confidence in her ability to perform it. I think it's just a matter of time until it comes. All the vital signs are still perfect. She might have to adjust to her new height but she has plenty of time.
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2019
Sasha is still absolutely crazy! She wants to restore the 4Lo and add it to competitions, and the 3A to the free program too. Just be careful. I hope Eteri is able to pull her back. It's just incredible to even be able to train 4 different quads for a free skate and land them all. 5 quads and a 3A too? Do it the season after the Olympics.
And then Aliona is the opposite. Her coaches really believe in her. Daniil saying the quad is all in her mind means he thinks she can do it for the Olympics. But she's scared of injury and doesn't want to risk. I don't think we'll see her do a quad if she herself doesn't want it, she's not even keen on training it. Complete opposite to Sasha who carry on jumping until someone told her to stop. It's hilarious that they are polar opposites!
And then Aliona is the opposite. Her coaches really believe in her. Daniil saying the quad is all in her mind means he thinks she can do it for the Olympics. But she's scared of injury and doesn't want to risk. I don't think we'll see her do a quad if she herself doesn't want it, she's not even keen on training it. Complete opposite to Sasha who carry on jumping until someone told her to stop. It's hilarious that they are polar opposites!
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