2022-23 Russian Women's Figure Skating

[Scott512]

What savage competition the Russian ladies have.
Anna takes off for injury, but here comes Sofia.

They can’t even exhale before someone is breathing down their neck.

Sofia took a big step forward today. This potential Sofia v Kamila rivalry that’s brewing has the makings of a legendary one.

This will be a real heavyweight battle going forward for these 2 young girls. I think some people think SA should have won today.

Are there threads at this forum for the Russian and Belarus GP events?

 

[lesnar001]

Anna's icky quads? The 4 - 3 she hit to start her legendary free skate at the Olympics set the stage for gold. Yes the controversy hurt KV but skating last at the Olympics after sasha Kaori and Anna did their career best would have put massive pressure on her anyway. Alina was very fortunate she skated 3rd to last at her Olympics. if she had the skate after Evgenia the pressure would have been totally different. I'm pretty sure KV would have liked to have skated 3rd from last at this Olympics.

Honestly, IMO I don't think it would have mattered where she skated in that final group.
The intense pressure she was feeling from the controversy must have been overwhelming.
She had become the most talked about skater at the Olympics - but certainly not in the way she hoped for when the Olympics started.

 

[Lurker11]

Honestly, IMO I don't think it would have mattered where she skated in that final group.
The intense pressure she was feeling from the controversy must have been overwhelming.
She had become the most talked about skater at the Olympics - but certainly not in the way she hoped for when the Olympics started.

Yes and only 15 with no parental support due to quarantine and isolation measures for a respiratory virus no athletes have died from.

 

[Scott512]

Honestly, IMO I don't think it would have mattered where she skated in that final group.
The intense pressure she was feeling from the controversy must have been overwhelming.
She had become the most talked about skater at the Olympics - but certainly not in the way she hoped for when the Olympics started.

And it affected her tremendously. And the adults all around KV failed her.

 

[Fried]

There is no way Shcherbakova is coming back this season. If she did it would be with very simple programs with no chance of medalling even in the GP events. She's a minimum of several months away from being in optimal competition shape.

If she did attempt a comeback for next season it would be 18 months out of competition by the time she skates again.

Anna won't come back. At some point the national squad will consist entirely of ice age starlets who are "still training and may come back" at some day.

 

[Azikin]

Some people will simply never learn to never underestimate Anna..

 

[Amei]

There is no way Shcherbakova is coming back this season. If she did it would be with very simple programs with no chance of medalling even in the GP events. She's a minimum of several months away from being in optimal competition shape.

If she did attempt a comeback for next season it would be 18 months out of competition by the time she skates again.

I doubt Shcherbakova competes until the new year, she mentioned recovering to not make the surgery in vain, and why not last season was a tough one and this 1 is domestic only at this point. I do think the Fed will press her to continue and perhaps has something to do with why they helped arrange treatment in Germany - I admit my knowledge of the 'champion's comeback rule' is very little, but when Russia is brought back Shcherbakova I believe will have the ability to use that and guarantee 2 GP spots regardless of ranking.

 

[alexocfp]

Some people will simply never learn to never underestimate Anna..

NCAO for life.

But, I said this before: I prefer for her to retire rather than comeback just to come back. Yeah, it’s pretty selfish to say this, but I don‘t want her back if she is going to be defeated by skaters she was easily handling previously. Not to say that I won’t root for her if she does return, I’m team Anna no matter what.

She accomplished everything that can be accomplished.

Zagitova is the prototype. Got out while on top and didn’t stick around for the changing of the guard, the quad era. Transitioned into a broadcast/ice show career and Brand Zagitova remains strong.

Zagitova hanging out with Anna has gotten Anna to let her hair down a little.

 

[koatcue]

Anya, Alyona will compete in shows mostly. Sasha, though, the other story..I expect her to skate. She is very ambitious, and I feel that she has so much to say. I hope I'm wrong in my assumptions about Anna and Alyona, but both of them are coming back from injuries

 

[uwoawuwoa]

Anya, Alyona will compete in shows mostly. Sasha, though, the other story..I expect her to skate. She is very ambitious, and I feel that she has so much to say. I hope I'm wrong in my assumptions about Anna and Alyona, but both of them are coming back from injuries

I don't know about Sasha....I'll see at her GPs.

Ever since this Mark love story sprouted and she switched to HIS coach at CSKA I've been in doubt regarding this decision. The way Mark jumps (the wild flinging of his body) is questionable enough. I hope she does not start flinging her body wildly with less control the same way if his coach teaches her such methods. I'd like this decision to be the right one for her but why her boyfriend's coach over other qualified coaches? I don't think she burned any bridges with Plushenko so it's not like she couldn't return.

This decision right before competition has me doubting, but I know she's fighter who'll push no matter what.

 

[Amei]

Anya, Alyona will compete in shows mostly. Sasha, though, the other story..I expect her to skate. She is very ambitious, and I feel that she has so much to say. I hope I'm wrong in my assumptions about Anna and Alyona, but both of them are coming back from injuries

I don't know about Sasha....I'll see at her GPs.

Ever since this Mark love story sprouted and she switched to HIS coach at CSKA I've been in doubt regarding this decision. The way Mark jumps (the wild flinging of his body) is questionable enough. I hope she does not start flinging her body wildly with less control the same way if his coach teaches her such methods. I'd like this decision to be the right one for her but why her boyfriend's coach over other qualified coaches? I don't think she burned any bridges with Plushenko so it's not like she couldn't return.

This decision right before competition has me doubting, but I know she's fighter who'll push no matter what.

Agree on your Trusova thinking, it goes along with Kostornaia and Shcherbakova - I think they've all started to get a taste outside the life of the grind of the Russian figure skating scene and with the ban lasting for who knows how long, I think the desire to compete or at least for it to be their priority isn't necessarily there.

Regarding Trusova and returning to AoP, would he really want her back to train her? he spoke about her being a difficult person to coach:

Sasha is an incredibly talented girl. From the “physics” points of view she is generally the strongest of all! Stronger than Chen, Ovechkin, and Cristiano Ronaldo! I worked with Sasha and saw how much she can do for training quadruple jumps. The volume is simply enormous! No one even dreamed of such!

Sometimes in training she really jumped five quads, although it was unstable. But in competitions, it never succeeded. In my opinion, it’s all about psychology. What Sasha lacks. As soon as she learns to cope with nerves at the decisive moment, she will start to beat everyone.

It’s not easy for coaches with Sasha, because she has her own opinion on everything. For example, she told me: “I have to do five quads – that’s it! And what place I will take, it doesn’t matter anymore … ” But you don’t come to results like that. For the year that we worked, I didn’t manage to reach Sasha.

However, the coaching staff, headed by Eteri Tutberidze, did not succeed either. I see that even after leaving our academy, Sasha stubbornly jumps a triple axel in the short program and goes to five quadruples in the free program, although they still fail. In this sense, nothing has changed so far. Unfortunately.

 

[Lipa.strom]

Three mealists:

 

[Lipa.strom]

Good combo of colours:

 

[Amei]

Shcherbakova reacquiring her triple loop montage:

 

[alexocfp]

Shcherbakova reacquiring her triple loop montage:

My friend showed me this earlier. Im going to paraphrase what I told him.

That last fall didn’t look so good.

Yes, I know it’s Anna and I know as well as anyone that the rules don’t apply to her when it comes to anything skating related, but will it be the worst thing in the world if she heals up for a few more weeks/months coming off surgery to repair a long standing knee issue?

In before I am told that THIS is her taking it easy. Haha

I sound like an overprotective parent reading the above.

Well, now I open myself up to being called a hypocrite since I’m the one that agreed with Anna for not withdrawing from nationals 2 season ago. I got no counter argument to that.

Ok, now that I’m rereading this, I’m just going to take a breath and trust Anna. Nobody has lost trusting Anna after all.

 

[uwoawuwoa]

Agree on your Trusova thinking, it goes along with Kostornaia and Shcherbakova - I think they've all started to get a taste outside the life of the grind of the Russian figure skating scene and with the ban lasting for who knows how long, I think the desire to compete or at least for it to be their priority isn't necessarily there.

Regarding Trusova and returning to AoP, would he really want her back to train her? he spoke about her being a difficult person to coach:

I think he would try to make it work with her one final time, because the olympics was the biggest wake up call and heartbreak she received for pushing 5 quads. She pushed and it still was not enough to win. I think she learned her lesson by that point and would be a bit easier to work with. This is assuming she has learned from the past.

If not and she's still set in the original ideals after speaking with him I agree that based on his past responses he would probably not work with a student who does not listen to his advice.

 

[Fried]

New season New over coming!

 

[Lipa.strom]

My friend showed me this earlier. Im going to paraphrase what I told him.

That last fall didn’t look so good.

Yes, I know it’s Anna and I know as well as anyone that the rules don’t apply to her when it comes to anything skating related, but will it be the worst thing in the world if she heals up for a few more weeks/months coming off surgery to repair a long standing knee issue?

In before I am told that THIS is her taking it easy. Haha

I sound like an overprotective parent reading the above.

Well, now I open myself up to being called a hypocrite since I’m the one that agreed with Anna for not withdrawing from nationals 2 season ago. I got no counter argument to that.

Ok, now that I’m rereading this, I’m just going to take a breath and trust Anna. Nobody has lost trusting Anna after all.

Anna published this by herself with the music in her instastories surely not for asking her fans to become her overprotective parents I guess

 

[Amei]

My friend showed me this earlier. Im going to paraphrase what I told him.

That last fall didn’t look so good.

Yes, I know it’s Anna and I know as well as anyone that the rules don’t apply to her when it comes to anything skating related, but will it be the worst thing in the world if she heals up for a few more weeks/months coming off surgery to repair a long standing knee issue?

In before I am told that THIS is her taking it easy. Haha

I sound like an overprotective parent reading the above.

Well, now I open myself up to being called a hypocrite since I’m the one that agreed with Anna for not withdrawing from nationals 2 season ago. I got no counter argument to that.

Ok, now that I’m rereading this, I’m just going to take a breath and trust Anna. Nobody has lost trusting Anna after all.

I'm sure she's had rougher falls in the past (the laying on the ice like she was contemplating life choices was very relatable, lol) and unfortunately she's used to the road to recovery given the leg break a few years ago. She's said in an interview that she was taking it slow so I'm going to assume she's doing this training with the blessing of her doctors.

 

[alexocfp]

Anna published this by herself with the music in her instastories surely not for asking her fans to become her overprotective parents I guiess

I'm sure she's had rougher falls in the past (the laying on the ice like she was contemplating life choices was very relatable, lol) and unfortunately she's used to the road to recovery given the leg break a few years ago. She's said in an interview that she was taking it slow so I'm going to assume she's doing this training with the blessing of her doctors.

I have stopped worrying. For the most part. Haha

I‘m going to try to be the cool parent, rather than the overprotective parent, going forward. Haha