Alina Zagitova | Page 539 | Golden Skate

Alina Zagitova

I don‘t think Alina is struggling at all! Her jumps in the practice videos I saw all looked wonderful, high and effortless. Eteri knows what she‘s doing so if the 3Lz-3Lo is in the first half, it‘s probably to get this jump “over and done with“ so that she can focus more on the choreography and interpretation afterwards, knowing that the most difficult combo is already completed. Alina can do both 3Lz-3Lo and 3Lz-3T in her sleep, it doesn‘t matter which one is first. I don‘t exactly know the reasons for switching the layout but I strongly believe Alina is fine and will rock SP today!! Of course I’m worrying a bit like I always do but she’s Phantom Zagitova after all! :rock:

(And Carmengitova tomorrow!)
 
Caught up on all the videos and pictures from the practice - Alina looks good! and confident! I guess setting up WRs left right and center that early in the season helps confidence ;)
 
Alina has seen Witts Carmen too but would never say what you did. ;)

Being in her place I would not say that too, that is a part of professional respect. But I'm just independent fan who is not organized anywhere*, so I can speak freely about what I see. It is not a crime to say, that e. g. ice hockey today is very different from how it looked 30 years ago. In that case it is sad for me, I preferred tactics and intelligent combinations before speed and "physical playing on the body" (I don't know how they call this style in english, this is literal translation of how we call it) adopted from canadian style. But it is reality that sport is evolving, you can't let it stagnate.

-

*Allusion on one czech commedy, where main character, young doctor, meets father of a girl he has crush on, and watches that he is painting a castle (he is castle manager). Although it is autumn, he is painting it with snow corering the roofs and all. He asks him why is he painting the snow and the old man replies "look, young man, I'm not organized anywhere, so I can paint what I want and the way I want." Of course this was made during communist era, so this was a joke about how official politically approved art worked. As I've said before, creators of commedies put many such allusions into their work during communist era, and people were used to read between the lines. Humour also developed since those time, in this case not evolved but devolved into cheap vulgar forms of primitive entertainment. And again, it is not crime to say that times they are a-changin'. Well, that could be a name for a classical folk song, don't you think? :scratch2::biggrin:
 
First that lovely Shiseido video, Alina is so poised and confident, hard to believe she is just 16 years old. Shiseido you've got a fan in me.

Second, all the great practice videos. Thank you EdRoz and all others that shared videos and reports. Alina is looking great, strong, focused and relaxed (that picture where she is half turned back and smiling at Kaori is so cool). I want her to be calm and have a great skate. Her layout looks to be about the same it was at Nebelhorn and Japan Open with 3Lz+3T before 3Lz+3Lo, I think it makes sense, it's better for her to arrive at the 3Lo combo with a bunch of winning jumps already under her belt as a confidence booster. In the SP they don't have the luxury of time to space it out like that (it would have to be either first or last, so first it is).

Third, you might be lucky you don't live in NYC, my meeting mates yesterday included (but were not limited to): guy dressed like a zombie nun, Freddie Mercury, a giant bunny, Daredevil, and Wolverine. And I had to fend off questions like "why aren't you dressed for Halloween?" to which I gave my favorite quote from The Addams Family movies "This is my costume. I'm a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else". Between that and getting my kids settled in their own costumes, with fights and whining, it was a full day.

Saved the best for last, small video of Alina running off the ice in Helsinki, game on girl, game on.

https://twitter.com/arichieti/status/1057949418605940736
 
Alina Zagitova 20181101 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Helsinki 2018
Practice Day and Free Skating program Carmen skate
1080p 50fps FULL Version Own FanCam
https://youtu.be/7KsT8saVaMY

Wow! Thanks a lot! Alina looks ON FIRE! The height and distance on that 3Lz-3Lo is even better than last season. The flexibility! I love Biellmann spins if they‘re well executed so I‘m beyond happy Alina is improving on it all the time. :luv17: I can‘t say what to say other than: WOW. If I have to say something that isn’t solely positive so that it doesn‘t look like I‘ve lost my mind (I have and it‘s your fault, Alina! :p ) it would be that she can work on her posture during crossovers. It‘s a bit bent forward. But other than that? There‘s nothing between her and the gold. I wonder what the medals look like in this new GP...
 
By the way, I've just seen Katarina Witt's Carmen from 1988 (last time I've seen it some time ago when I wasn't fan of figure skating yet). This is not against Katarina when I say that now I can see how much figure skating has developed in just 30 years. Her program could be gala program at best today, it would be weak even for junior GP, not to mention Alina's Carmen. The difficulty, the elements (esp. combos) in today's skating, the choreography, it's such a huge and overwhelming difference.

Of course figure skating has developed but.... Katarina is still better Carmen, sorry... nothing against Alina, of course... ;)
In fact, I just saw a perfect wallpaper: https://pp.userapi.com/c849028/v849028820/a6cef/wAlM_41WaW4.jpg
 
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