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- Feb 19, 2021
Its quite shocking considering all the quads she was showing in training at the end of last season even if she hasn't had much success in novices up till now, with her new content she would be a big threat.
2023-24 Russian Women's Figure Skating
- Thread starter AlexBreeze
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- May 27, 2021
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Zhilina is very talented but pretty inconsistent and at the age when growth is becoming an issue, Bazyliuk on the other hand is super consistent and at the age when girls' form grow steadily with every start. Can't see anyone stopping her.
I think 2020/21 Valieva was better than Olympic Valieva, both technically and artistically. There was effortlessness and abandon in her skating that she's been lacking since then imho. Much will depend on her quads though - if she lands them, her PCS will skyrocket like usual, but if she falls I think the judges slowly but surely will 'let her go'. Akatieva has some health problems and she's not as steely competitor as Shcherbakova, but I still favour her chances.
Kostyleva impressed me so much last season, there is something special about this kid's charisma and competitiveness, but of course some hidden talent can emerge in this age category next year.
Especially since she's only 13.
They could have let her try to build consistency in juniors before switching to pairs.
Zhilina is Trusova but a better athlete, jumps are more consistent, components are better (just not rewarded) and more potential to improve.
Her quad toe is one of the most stable jumps in the world at this point. Yes, the Valieva of previous years is finished. Her skating is slower, more laboured (will improve once growth stops and is able to adjust the mechanics), but the programs simply need to and will accommodate this (as happens with every other skater not at the previous level of Valieva). The exhibition last week gave us a glimpse with her unmatched plasticity and flexibility, she had the audience in the palm of her hand. She won't score a combined 270 or 280 again (no-one will), but she will be able to put up a score that can contend for gold for years to come. Her high PCS has always been deserved, other skaters scoring high PCS not so deserved. I won't name them.
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- May 27, 2021
Alena Zhilina's partner is Andrei Rud — TASS.
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- May 27, 2021
Kamila Valieva, Adeliia Petrosian and Maiia Khromykh in training.
I'm very glad to see Maiia
I'm very glad to see Maiia
I've never gotten the impression that she wants to compete. I think that is why Eteri didn't take her. I think she likes hanging out on the ice with her sister and friends, but the training and competing part just isn't something she enjoys.
Veronika is probably the greatest athlete on the ice I've ever seen. She is missing the musicality, but maybe that will come.
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- Aug 14, 2022
Maiia looks quite well... I'm happy she has her triple-triples back. Hopefully it's a sign she's ready for a season. Adelia is busy restoring her quads. I believe that 4T was underrotated but still nice as for July
I hope Kamila will have her quad back soon, that's nice she isn't pushed for that so early
I honestly think Zhilina has one of the highest potential ceiling from all the Russian girls right now. Some might raise their eyebrows but I think she is in the league of Akatieva.
She does have consistency issue but I think pacing her now as she transition to seniors is a key. let her stick to 2 quads for now.
She is not the most artistic out there but she is also not the worst. I think a "themed program" ala Trusova will work for her. a Lyrical program just doesn't suit her.
Plushenko's team has done a great deal for her. I especially admire that they are going all out and that they are fighting for her but there are areas that need to be addressed especially factors outside the rink. Plushenko's camp needs to rethink their PR work. A more "positive PR" will work wonders for Zhilina especially for her reputation.
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- May 27, 2021
Sport24 says it's mononucleosis.
The fed likes Zhilina given her scores and the chances she got despite bombing sometimes. But true that she (and Titova) could get more (as TP blatantly ignoring URs or judges showering them with outrageous PCS) if their head coach could talk less.
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It comes around quick
Maiia looks quite well... I'm happy she has her triple-triples back. Hopefully it's a sign she's ready for a season. Adelia is busy restoring her quads. I believe that 4T was underrotated but still nice as for July
On the video she built seemed to build up for her quad toe then pulled it and made it an easy triple.
Once she up against the best in the world (Russian senior women) instead of the best in world juniors like Gorbacheva, maybe the pressure of it becomes an issue. As good as Akatieva is she only pulled it together all year at Russian Nationals and even then there were big errors. Compare to Kamila at the same age in 2021/22 and Akatieva last season and Kamila only broke down as expected in the free skate of the Olympics. Apart from that nearly set a new world record at every start.
That would be the only thing that could stop her.
To me she is Trusova but better. Trusova jumped 5 quads but seemed to have a similar diet to Shcherbakova to get it over the line at the Olympics, which you can sustain for one event but not a season or career. Zhilina jumps are built on muscle not lightness.
I think Zhilina will at some point jump 5 quads with a triple axel.
The usual types seem to piling on over this Shcherbakova interview where she says she weighed 42kg and ate little for the Olympics. Yes, she went to extremes, but she is Olympic champion for life. It was worth the price. I think Shcherbakova will agree. No-one pushed her. Not Eteri, not her parents, she chose. The usual conspiracy is that Eteri wanted Kamila double gold medallist and was her favourite, so why would she push Shcherbakova to have an extreme diet. Shcherbakova probably could have fallen on both quads and won a medal.
It's not just a Russian skating thing, jockeys resort to extreme weight loss, in combat sport fighters go to extraordinary lengths to cut weight. The yoyo effect would be far more dangerous than anything Shcherbakova experienced.
Then you have contact sports where CTE is rife. American football has not been outlawed for children despite everyone being well aware of the damage being sustained to their brains.
Lastly, skaters trying to weigh as little as possible without affecting performance did not begin with Eteri, this has existed throughout the entirity of the sport and in every country.
It's not just a Russian skating thing, jockeys resort to extreme weight loss, in combat sport fighters go to extraordinary lengths to cut weight. The yoyo effect would be far more dangerous than anything Shcherbakova experienced.
Then you have contact sports where CTE is rife. American football has not been outlawed for children despite everyone being well aware of the damage being sustained to their brains.
Lastly, skaters trying to weigh as little as possible without affecting performance did not begin with Eteri, this has existed throughout the entirity of the sport and in every country.
- Joined
- May 28, 2023
I couldn't agree more.
Each discipline has an specific body type. I don't see basketball players bullied for being very tall since the sport requires a high stature and short people have no chance, for example. Sumo, the Japanese wrestling, also requires a certain body type and those unable to achieve it are out.
It's only certain disciplines and ballet that get harassed due to the body type required to succeed. It's part of the game. Those willing to fully commit to it suceed, those who don't and rather fight for a "inclusion for all" that won't happen instead of fully committing, won't.
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