Alena Kostornaia

[McBibus]

I'm salivating.
We too do tournedos à la Rossini (if you're Italian, thank you for the gift of Rossini by the way). But we skip the Périgueux sauce, it rather distracts than anything. So just a toast, a thick slice of beef fillet cut "à contresens", a good slice of foie gras (duck or goose, depending on inspiration) and a slice of (real) truffle. I'm sure Eteri would fight but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt a skater's figure.
And adding bottarga to spaghetti alle vongole, that looks divine. And skaters just have to adjust the amount of spaghetti to their precise needs (and the cooking because pasta al dente have a lower glycemic index than more cooked pasta, so the choice of the cooking depends on when the skater needs energy).
I wish you delicious meals and bon appétit!

Thanks.
You too have wonderful holidays as everybody writing here.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

ET about Aliona (in the long TV interview )
(source: https://www.instagram.com/manerlepskating/ - stories)

And some dialogues between ET and Aliona in the rink

I made my own translation of this interview. First hour of conversation:

https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...rview-on-russian-tv.90061/page-6#post-2872671

second hour of conversation:

https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...rview-on-russian-tv.90061/page-9#post-2874601

I also translated the conversations at the rink, but I did not marked Kostornaya (except for the episode when she tried to evade training in the free skating)

 

[McBibus]

That would not be on the TT girls diet. But it would be on my diet and it sounds great.

You might as well make some for aliona she's not gonna be skating for a while.

Don't remind me
Aliona is like a daughter to me so she will always have a seat at my table.
The amount of affection I have for the little devil is non sense when I think about it, but it's there.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

What's the reason of blocking the wrist to cure a broken finger?

I don't know, this is Eteri's version. However, one of my classmates had a broken finger, and he really walked in a cast about the same type as Alena's. But that was a very long time ago, since then the quality of medicine has improved. I think this is another manifestation of Tutberidze's very high demands.

 

[Scott512]

I have just watched the third part of Tutberidze's interview. This is actually not exactly the third part - rather, some kind of compilation from the first two parts with a few additions. So Eteri said that Kostornaya's injury is a crack in one of her fingers. According to Tutberidze, with such an injury it was quite possible to continue training and participate in competitions. As an example, she used Evgenia Medvedeva, who performed at the Russian championship with a plaster cast on her arm, and it was imperceptible.

Well then why isn't aleona skating if it's just a broken finger and others have skated with worse injuries on their hands? She could have actually finished in the top three at Nationals among seniors with Liza tanking her SP. Liza should have scored in the sixties not 70s. How the Mishin skaters are over scored is just unbelievable. Kolyada too.

The third spot will be the weak link for the Russian ladies at the Olympics. No guarantee of a sweep which is what I am looking for.

 

[Scott512]

We know the pressure is immense at Russian Nationals in general but especially for Liza and Sasha and I expect both to be mistake-prone and unimpressive today in the free skate. If that happens as I expect does that mean Aliona still has a chance to possibly go to Europeans?

There could even be an internal skate off somewhere in Moscow or st. Petersburg.

Of course this all takes into account that neither girl will skate well today but if one of them do then they get the stranglehold on the third spot.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

Well then why isn't aleona skating if it's just a broken finger and others have skated with worse injuries on their hands? She could have actually finished in the top three at Nationals among seniors with Liza tanking her SP. Liza should have scored in the sixties not 70s. How the Mishin skaters are over scored is just unbelievable. Kolyada too.

that's what Eteri said:

- Is it true that you forbade Kostornaya to talk about your injury?

- I do not know who forbade her to comment. It seems to me that, on the contrary, she could quite calmly tell that she fell, and she had a crack on the bone of a finger.

Here, in general, is a global history. You can relate to this in different ways - maybe some kind of cruelty or something else. But honestly, I believe that it was possible to try and skate with this injury. Because Evgenia Medvedeva skated with a plaster cast on her arm at the Russian Championship, and no one even knew about it. And she won that Russian championship perfectly.

Of course, there are some injuries incompatible with the continuation at the moment, it is necessary for everything to heal. And there are some injuries that athletes have been skating with for years. Moreover, here - the Russian Olympic championship, selection. It seems to me that she should have trained, she should have tried. But it's a bad thing. It seems to me that it was possible, maybe I'm wrong.

There is no formula for how to become a person. Maybe she, having missed all her opportunities in sports, will become super-famous and popular with someone out there. I do not know. For everyone, there are different concepts of what is good and what is bad. I am disappointed because I believe that this is a missed opportunity. I believe that with such an injury it was possible to skate

It seems that she resigned herself to the possible end of Kostornaya's career.

in the comments, many people assume that Alena is afraid to perform the triple axel, that she realized that she will lose in the Russian championship and decided to just relax - and so on. Others launched a massive verbal attack on Eteri. Everything as usual...

 

[Scott512]

that's what Eteri said:


It seems that she resigned herself to the possible end of Kostornaya's career.

in the comments, many people assume that Alena is afraid to perform the triple axel, that she realized that she will lose in the Russian championship and decided to just relax - and so on. Others launched a massive verbal attack on Eteri. Everything as usual...

Now that you mention it those are interesting comments from the coach. That is her way of saying aliona could have competed at Nationals. Maybe the pressure is too much I don't know I just hope this girl is enjoying her time off letting her finger or hand heal properly and then comes back strong whenever. But it is possible that AK is just so mentally beaten down after the last two seasons being injured and having coronavirus and now a broken finger or hand it's too much. She is only human after all.

Figure skating is one of the most beautiful sports for this also one of the most brutal Sports in so many ways.

 

[Lzbee]

Well then why isn't aleona skating if it's just a broken finger and others have skated with worse injuries on their hands? She could have actually finished in the top three at Nationals among seniors with Liza tanking her SP. Liza should have scored in the sixties not 70s. How the Mishin skaters are over scored is just unbelievable. Kolyada too.

The third spot will be the weak link for the Russian ladies at the Olympics. No guarantee of a sweep which is what I am looking for.

Aliona is in a cast. Normally, you would break a fall to protect your head or face by using your arms. She can't do that if it's happening on the side with her arm in a cast. Also, the weight distribution will be completely off as she can't pull in using both arms. It's incredibly dangerous especially if you're attempting jumps like 3A.

Also, I'd rather that Aliona listened to her actual doctor's advice rather than a coach with no medical training.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

I don't know, this is Eteri's version. However, one of my classmates had a broken finger, and he really walked in a cast about the same type as Alena's. But that was a very long time ago, since then the quality of medicine has improved. I think this is another manifestation of Tutberidze's very high demands.

The finger bones (phalanges then metacarpals) go all the way to the wrist. That's maybe what she means by finger injury. By the way it seems to me that it would be more likely to be better than a carpals injury. I was surprised that Alyona was prescribed not to set a foot on ice during 20 days, I hoped she would be able to do skating skills exercises without jumps or spins, but when Eteri is suggesting she could have competed at Nationals with a cast it's utter nonsense. She's prone to that way of venting off vexation and maybe we shouldn't take it too literally.

 

[Remilia]

Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD. Aliona was told by her actual doctor no ice for 20 days, and she is smartly listening to them. Eteri is not a doctor and has no medical training, she has no idea what she's talking about. Imagine if Aliona had skated, fallen, and ended up with an even worse injury? Frankly, I wish the Russian fed and everyone over at sambo would just shut up about Aliona. They never have anything positive to say and are just ruining her reputation.

 

[Fluture]

Skating against doctors' orders is a sensationally stupid idea and for a coach to publicly endorse it, let alone criticize a skater for listening to the advice of PROFESSIONALS is so dangerous I have no words for it.

Sorry if this sounds harsh but good on Aliona for making a decision for her future and health. It only takes one bad fall on an arm in a cast and she might injure herself permanently. And then she can kiss not only her entire career but also many post-competition aspirations goodbye.

 

[Scott512]

Aliona is in a cast. Normally, you would break a fall to protect your head or face by using your arms. She can't do that if it's happening on the side with her arm in a cast. Also, the weight distribution will be completely off as she can't pull in using both arms. It's incredibly dangerous especially if you're attempting jumps like 3A.

Also, I'd rather that Aliona listened to her actual doctor's advice rather than a coach with no medical training.

Well said. Let's hope she listens to her doctors.

EG is notoriously hard on her students and especially the boys she thinks they're soft. Damn.

 

[McBibus]

show up in cast at nationals to do what exactly?!
One thing would have been to be in '19 form with a superstable 3A and great reputation, train light and show up at nationals skating 90% to keep your place and reinforce your reputation.
If the risk of furter injury is minor she could risk a 3A layout (nobody woul blame her if missed) or stay secure with a 2A layout and everybody will consider that 3A would be back for international competitions.

Another thing is going there weaponless (no 3A) and handicapped to give 120% and skate under par anyway.
It would just be trowing Aliona to the wolves to be mauled by a pack of savage 14 y/o and discredited even more by the judges.
Come on guys! The junior pack devoured Liza and an under par Anya was barely saved by her reputation.

Going there would have been childishsly stubborn.
I would have understood an "I had to try anyway" but it would have been delusional and end up in tears.
I whish and want better for Aliona

 

[sclloyd]

Honestly Eteri can go to H*LL, her politicking can go to h*ll. I saw this interview by chance on another site and came here for a final f figure skating politics before deleting my account and the number of people STILL justifying Eteri’s comments is disgusting.

As I explained in the RusNats thread when the injury was first announced it was obvious she had a finger injury. I’ve known people with the exact same type of injury who were disallowed from training at full level because fingers that are casted should not have high pulses — it can damage the nerves. I’ve had actual sports physicians state that finger injuries are just as serious for high level athletes because blood flows heavily through this area and when casted there is not enough space for the pulse. She’s talking about permanently disabling Aliona for the sake of a medal that she already bought for Kamila.

And that’s assuming she could somehow miraculously avoid falling or losing her center of balance with the weight of the cast. The average cast weighs 1-1.5 kg depending on material. That was enough weight that Zhenya was injured on it and it was irresponsible for her to not keep that 1kg off, but not irresponsible to skate with an injury that will permanently impact your basic motor skills in your dominant hand that could very well lead to other injuries!!!

I’ve been pretty neutral on Eteri but this interview gets worse and worse, and honestly, I’m over it. Good luck to whoever won the FS at the Olympics, maybe instead of standing and applauding after the skate the judges will actually sit down and score the way they’re supposed to.

What a joke.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

show up in cast at nationals to do what exactly?!
One thing would have been to be in '19 form with a superstable 3A and great reputation, train light and show up at nationals skating 90% to keep your place and reinforce your reputation.
If the risk of furter injury is minor she could risk a 3A layout (nobody woul blame her if missed) or stay secure with a 2A layout and everybody will consider that 3A would be back for international competitions.

Another thing is going there weaponless (no 3A) and handicapped to give 120% and skate under par anyway.
It would just be trowing Aliona to the wolves to be mauled by a pack of savage 14 y/o and discredited even more by the judges.
Come on guys! The junior pack devoured Liza and an under par Anya was barely saved by her reputation.

Going there would have been childishsly stubborn.
I would have understood an "I had to try anyway" but it would have been delusional and end up in tears.
I whish and want better for Aliona

But she couldn't have jumped at all with her cast! They're lighter than they used to be but the balance isn't the same and anyway the rotations could be detrimental to healing! That's why I call the idea utter nonsense and I believe Eteri Tutberidze didn't really mean it, she was just vexed and told something not reflecting her real thoughts.

 

[McBibus]

But she couldn't have jumped at all with her cast! They're lighter than they used to be but the balance isn't the same and anyway the rotations could be detrimental to healing! That's why I call the idea utter nonsense and I believe Eteri Tutberidze didn't really mean it, she was just vexed and told something not reflecting her real thoughts.

I do agree with you, but even if it could be possible to somewhat complete a program it would have been of no benefit to Aliona.
Especially after GP final cancellation Aliona needed a vintage performance to really enter in the team selection race.
When you evaluate a dangerous move risk vs reward should be taken into consideration.
I can't see any possible reward unless someone convince me that she could founf her 3A and skate her seasonal best with a cast and non ideal training approaching the event

 

[Vemvane]

I broke a finger a couple of years back, and found that dismounting from my horse sent a jar through my body into the finger that hurt. I couldn't begin to imagine performing figure skating jumps, with multiple rotations, and landing on one leg, on a blade, on a hard, slippery surface, with my broken finger, if hopping off my teeny tiny horse made my finger noticeably sore. In fact, I stopped riding for about a month, because my body was too tight with anxiety while my finger was damaged; so to me, it's entirely possible that Aliona's body has decided that skating is not happening while she has this particular injury. And when the body says a hard no to something, it's very hard for the mind to overcome that. It's not like pushing through pain or fatigue, which isn't fun, but is do-able; it's like your body just locks up and you cannot make your limbs do what you want them to do. Very weird experience. Not saying that is what Aliona is going through, though, just speculating based on my personal experience with a broken finger.

 

[McBibus]

I think Eteri got Aliona perfectly: I found it to be a very fitting descripition.
That description of a teenager goes under "amazing" in my dictionaty an not "difficult", but I can undestand Eteri imagining it means "difficult to manage" because she will come un with a surprise any single day.
In the end I think Eteri is well aware that Aliona drives her crazy, but she can't avoid to like her.

 

[Scott512]

I think Eteri got Aliona perfectly: I found it to be a very fitting descripition.
That description of a teenager goes under "amazing" in my dictionaty an not "difficult", but I can undestand Eteri imagining it means "difficult to manage" because she will come un with a surprise any single day.
In the end I think Eteri is well aware that Aliona drives her crazy, but she can't avoid to like her.

Agreed.

And if any of the Olympic team give up their spot for worlds I want EG to fight for Aliona to get to worlds since she got screwed by coronavirus 2 years ago.

We don't need to see Liza at worlds again she's had so many chances the last decade including 3 shots at the Olympics.

I think Anna might give up her world spot but only to aliona. Then again she will be defending her world championships who knows.

I expect AK to be skating again sometime mid to late January and that would give her plenty of time to prepare for worlds in case someone pulls out.

No real figure skating for AK as long as she still has that cast on. She's a woman now and she has to make her own decisions about things.