Anna Shcherbakova

[flanker]

Both last season and this season I've found that the lowest energy point of Anna's programs to be the 2nd half set of jumps. Even though she does 4 jumps in first half set of jumps, she has the quad(s) and she has better transitions for her axels. And in the 2nd half set she's doing just lutz and flips as the first jumps which are very similar to one other.

For her Olympic long program, they should really look into breaking section that apart with either the choreographic sequence or a spin.

I probably wouldn't change this before the Olympics, but afterwards they need to try putting the step sequence earlier in the program.

And I'd like her to revisit the music from her old tango program... even if just for an exhibition.

"Just Lutz and Flips"? What? Are you aware that those are the hardest jumps apart from 3A/quads? Not to mention she's doing two combos, 3Lz+3Lo, the hardest standard combo, and 3F+Eu+3S, which also can be hardly called "just a combo". In the first half, there is a quad, the 3F+3T is probably a placeholder for 4F+3T combo and one of the Axels is a placeholder for another quad, just like it was during the GP stages last season.

 

[NaVi]

"Just Lutz and Flips"? What? Are you aware that those are the hardest jumps apart from 3A/quads? Not to mention she's doing two combos, 3Lz+3Lo, the hardest standard combo, and 3F+Eu+3S, which also can be hardly called "just a combo". In the first half, theere is quad, the 3F+3T is robably a placeholder for 4F+3T combo and one of the Axels is a placeholder for another quad, just like it was during the GP stages last season.

I know all that and don't care. It's not a matter of difficulty, it's a matter of aesthetics. Skating back and forth in a complete straight line 3 times right in a row after plodding landings with little outward flow is not aesthetic. Her triples don't have much wow factor without transitions and the transitions she has setup for those later jump passes aren't that interesting.

There's a plodding roteness to that section of jumps both this and last year them that have nothing to do with difficulty.

 

[Edwin]

Nice and high quality interviews with Anna: https://tass.ru/interviews/9814135

and here (done side by side apparently): https://rsport.ria.ru/20201026/scherbakova-1581510863.html

Will interpret it later.



Vladislav Zhukov (TASS)

or



Anatoliy Samokhvalov (RIA)

Anna Shcherbakova: I can't imagine myself in ordinary life, I constantly need to be on the move

The stage of the Russian Figure Skating Cup in Sochi became the second start for the two-time National Champion Anna Shcherbakova in this difficult season. Two starts - two wins, but both times there were mistakes in the skates. This weekend Anna was dissatisfied with herself on both competition days, and after the short program it seemed that she could hardly hold back her tears.

However, it only seemed. An amazing quality of Shcherbakova - in addition to sophistication and some kind of innate grace - is the ability to keep her face, no matter what happens. And if after a short skater she chose to refrain from talking to the press for a while, then the very next day she told a TASS correspondent about the hard evening before the free program, about the "unnecessary thoughts" that interfered with skating, as well as her main dream for the current season.

- The stage in Sochi turned out to be ambiguous for you. On the one hand - the first place, on the other - imperfect skating runs. What are your feelings?
-- At this stage, I probably disliked it more than I liked it. I made a lot of mistakes ... It all started with the short program. I was very worried about the cascade - I was thinking probably the whole skating run only about it. And it didn't work out.

After that it was very difficult to tune in to the free program. The evening was just kind of endless for me. I was just beginning to forget about the competition, to switch over, when the thought came back to me that some kind of end of the world had happened, a tragedy, everything was over. (Laughs.) But then I tried not to think about it, to tune in more to the free program.

It seems to me that I managed to go out for my skating run without thinking about the short. Thinking about how to fix the situation. And that the struggle is still ahead, that I have not lost everything yet.

- We will talk about the cascade a little later. Here's what it seemed to me - like, the second start of the season, it should already be easier. But in Sochi, it seems, on the contrary, it became more difficult for you.
-- It is unpredictable. It isn't like, the more starts, the more confident you are. Perhaps it happens to me that here I go to tournaments with the same technical set as I had last time. And if in the previous one I skated well, then I a feel responsibility - now you are obliged to skate equally well.

For example, last time I had a quad Flip I was very glad that I did it. Now I felt some kind of obligation, that is, I must do it in order to be no worse. That I must move on. Therefore, sometimes it is even harder to perform a second time.

- About the Flip. As far as I understand, you planned to do two quads in Sochi already?
-- This option was practiced in training. Let's just say in different forms. But literally at the last moment we decided that it would be more reliable to skate with one now. Well, for me it was very important this time to feel the difference from the previous stage. That this is not one successful quadruple attempt at the start, but that I approach it correctly on a six-minute warm-up and just as confidently do it at my skating run.

- Now let's deal with the cascade.
-- Eh, yes. (Laughs.)

- At both stages of the Russian Cup, you gorgeously went into a quadruple flip. And both times - errors on the Rittberger in a cascade from a Lutz. What's wrong with it?
-- In the short program, I've had this before ... It's still the most important element in the program, so you always worry about it more. So there were sometimes problems before that - if not at the start, then at training. With it come more nerves, there are mistakes.

In the short one, of course, it was very offensive. Because of this, probably, an error occurred in the free program. Usually in the free program I concentrate on quads. I tried to remember - never, in principle, I had gross mistakes on triples. Neither last nor the year before last. If quads didn't work, then triples I always did.

This time, probably, after an unsuccessful cascade in the short, I was again driven, so after the quadruple I did not let go of the situation, and closer to the second half I started thinking about the Lutz-Rittberger again, so God forbid it didn’t happen like in the short one. Probably, this prevented me from doing it on the first Lutz. On the second one I also felt uncertainty and somehow instantly - I didn't even have time to think - I decided to attach a triple Toeloop so that there was at least something. (Laughs.)

- But you probably understood that there will be a repetition of jumps and it will not be counted?
-- As soon as I left the cascade, I realised that this Toeloop will not be counted anywhere. Of course, I didn't think like: "Well, maybe at least this Toeloop will be counted." I was just an instantaneous decision - since it's not a Rittberger, then I'll attach a Toeloop. But I do not regret that it turned out that way, because in training, the cascade, as it were, it did. Of course, it should be with a Rittberger, I understand, but it happened.

- Tell us a little about the preparation for the tournament. We talked with Daniil Markovich, and he said that there were certain difficulties.
-- There were difficulties, one cannot go without them. I returned from Syzran, at first there was some kind of burst of energy, I was already trying to skate out my program with two quads.

Then there were minor problems ... I got sick, then went back, recovered. This is not serious, but it still slightly confused my preparation. I devoted more time to quadruple jumps during this time, restored them. In principle, there is progress, and I think it is clear that this time I jumped the Flip more confidently. My Lutz was already recovered in training, there were good attempts.

I think we will slowly recover. Hopefully nothing will interrupt the preparation anymore. Although now, upon arrival, I will need break in new skates.

- New skates again? After Graz, there were new ones.
-- Graz? ... When was Graz? What was that again? (Laughs.) Europeans, right?

- As if it was in a past life.
-- Oh, yes (laughs) Well, then they were new skates. Before this season there were still others. And now again.

- New skates every few months?
-- It turns out like this: I came to Novogorsk, broke in a new pair, which I skate in up till now. They barely survived this time, with scotch tape. Now it is still normal, but then theey definitely need to be changed. I already had a ready-made pair for this case. The scheme has been worked out - last year some skates also did not survive the whole season.

- Will you have time to break them in before the Grand Prix stage in Moscow?
-- I have no options, I have to. (Laughs.)

- By the way, what do you expect from this tournament? Formally - your first international competition of the season, but in fact - the next national competition.
-- I think it will not feel much different from the Open Test Skates. The site is the same, as far as I understand. I will tune in the same way - it depends on my programs, what difficulty they will have is not yet known, in training it always changes.

For me, of course, the short program will be very important. It will be necessary to somehow be able to tune in to this cascade, to work it out. But not so that there will be any obsession because of it, because at these competitions I was only thinking how to make this Lutz-Rittberger better. And in the end there were so many mistakes on it. It is necessary to bring this into an automatism so that there are no unnecessary thoughts.

- Just do not engage in excessive self-criticism, please.
-- Yes, after the short one I realised this. I'll just forget, calm down, and again these thoughts come back to me: "It's all, it's over, nothing happened!" As a result, I decided for myself that no matter what happens, I will just go out, try to do my best and in no case will I be upset. Of course, there was some kind of fatigue, at first, maybe I thought I had done something wrong in the second half of the program, but overall there is no frustration. I'm happy with the Flip and I know what to work on next.

- From where does the two-time Champion of Russia come to such self-criticism?
-- This is probably an internal feature, and plus we work so much, the expectations from us are appropriate. You try not to pay attention to what is happening around you, and to skate the same way as you have always done. But, of course, some superfluous thoughts appear, pressure ... But you also need to be able to cope with this. And I think on the second day I changed my approach to my skating run. I will try, despite my mistakes, to always evaluate performances with a cool head.

- What is this season for you? Strange, incomplete, incomprehensible.
-- I don’t know what to expect from it. I really hope that there will be major starts, especially the World Championship. This is probably the main dream for this season - to make it happen. For my part, I will simply do my best to perform well at the Russian Championships, improve myself and always be satisfied after my skating runs. (Laughs) Otherwise, I really did not like this feeling when after my short program, in an interview I had to tell something after a bad performance. It's much nicer after the good ones.

- Previously, you were a cheerful trinity, plus Alina Zagitova and Yevgenyia Medvedeva were at their peak. Now each of them is going through their own difficult period of life. And now you are definitely at the forefront. Are you ready for the fact that all the attention and hopes are only on you?
-- Probably, it is these thoughts that interfere with skating. So I try to deal with it, skate the same way as I did before. But, to be honest, at competitions ... I crossed paths with all the girls at the Open Test Skates, and our purely human relations remained the same. It was very pleasant to recollect these, let's say, old feelings in the locker room.

We chatted calmly, and maybe this was not even enough. Last year we went to all the competitions together, and some kind of atmosphere developed. And it became even calmer, probably. In Syzran I competed alone - somehow I lost the habit of it. I was tense, all by myself. You must somehow be able to divide. Separately - friendly relations, separately - competitions, where everyone is for herself.

- I have long wanted to ask this question. As a rule, successful athletes are most often people with very strong motivational factors, and mainly financial ones, in order to improve their lives, help their parents. You are a unique case, because there can be no such motivator for you, you have a wonderful family, wonderful mom and dad. But at the same time you are fighting. What drives you?
-- Indeed, no one ever forced me. My parents always had: "If you don't like it, we'll finish, let's go study or something else." This, of course, was when I was younger - now they naturally understand that this is very important for me. And there is no talk where it goes like - let's finish.

I love doing this. Of course, it’s hard in training. You aren't always high. I have to work, but I love performing so much, feeling these sensations, conveying images - let's say, the theatrical component of figure skating. Somehow everything is put together.

I can't imagine myself in ordinary life. Every day's routine going to school, coming back, doing homework - and all over again. I don't see myself in this, I always need movement. We go to competitions and this is a great pleasure for me. This is probably the main motivator.

(c) Владислав Жуков
----
Anna appeared very relaxed and in full attention and talking mode.

 

[flanker]

I know all that and don't care. It's not a matter of difficulty, it's a matter of aesthetics. Skating back and forth in a complete straight line 3 times right in a row after plodding landings with little outward flow is not aesthetic. Her triples don't have much wow factor without transitions and the transitions she has setup for those later jump passes aren't that interesting.

There's a plodding roteness to that section of jumps both this and last year them that have nothing to do with difficulty.

As for aestetics, there is hardly any skater that would give more satisfaction than Anna, both in first and second half, precisely thanks to transitions, arm moves or facial expression. Though I don't want to spoil a discussion in the FF with this type of conversation.

 

[Edwin]

Anna has an Army (of Skaters) fans: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGy_kpLJ1Ur/

 

[Novalis]

Nice interview with Anna: https://tass.ru/interviews/9814135

Will interpret it later.



Vladislav Zhukov (TASS)

or



Anatoliy Samokhvalov (RIA)

Anna appeared very relaxed and in full attention and talking mode.

Anechka speaks Russian quite fast, but also very clearly. This is why I like her interviews. I understand a lot and also learn much more, because it's easy to tell where one word ends and another begins. Learning new words and how to use the ones I, sort of, "half knew".

p.s. And she has a really nice voice

(p.p.s. And she's really nice to look at )

 

[Edwin]

Anna made the Girl of the Day: https://www.sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/beauty/2847468.html

 

[Vemvane]

Anna's free program from today:

Thanks for sharing the video!

Not one of Anna's best skates today either, but her quad flip is really impressive. I thought she might be off her music as well, uncharacteristically, and then realised that the video and the audio on the stream were out of synch, as the sound of her landing her jumps came maybe half a second after she had landed - just a long enough delay to be noticeable. However, she did what she needed to, and is now qualified for the Cup final. May whatever was niggling at her this weekend be long gone by then, so that she can come off the ice happy with her performance.

 

[patee]

Nice and high quality interviews with Anna: https://tass.ru/interviews/9814135

and here (done side by side apparently): https://rsport.ria.ru/20201026/scherbakova-1581510863.html

Will interpret it later.



Vladislav Zhukov (TASS)

or



Anatoliy Samokhvalov (RIA)

Anna appeared very relaxed and in full attention and talking mode.

I'm always impressed by her intelligence and delicate beauty. I wish I understood Russian more apart from a few words. It's so pleasing to listen to her (and watch her of course!) even without knowing what she's actually speaking about. Oh, and congrats on her victory! Well done Anna!

 

[Scott512]

Congratulations to beautiful Anna on her second CoR victory!

That QFlip is turning into a monster. The ones in warm up were also great.

I know she's disappointed with herself, but that's because she has high expectations of herself and I believe in her ability to improve even further from this!

You can't skate the complex type of free skate Anna has perfectly. The more difficult free skate you do with the tougher jumps the more mistakes will happen. It's the same dilemma Sasha faces. Aliona does not do quads that's why she was cleaner in most competitions last year then Anna or Sasha. Sure Alena only does the best triple axel in the world or did last season. But Anna is doing multiple quads and that's tougher.

She looked unhappy after winning gold yesterday. But that's the choice Anna has taken raising the bar so high with her free skate. I think considering the pandemic and not being able to train properly in the off-season Anna is off to a fantastic start this season.

 

[Edwin]

Sochi Sunset

 

[flanker]

Princess at the coast of the sea.

 

[JazzUp]

Congratulations to Anna Shcherbakova on being awarded the sports title "International Master of Sports of Russia"

 

[Yasmina1996]

It's dificult seson not only for Anna. I am so happy for her. Despite of some mistakes she looks strong.

 

[flanker]

Animation of the Dreamcatcher:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGb1L0Apxwx/

 

[Giltedge]

Animation of the Dreamcatcher:

Gorgeous memories of my favourite programme of Anna's.

Although we are spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting a favourite among Anna's many competition programmes.

 

[JazzUp]

 

[flanker]

Anna met by her fans at the airport arrival:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0e-IWl2cY/

 

[flanker]

Difference between the final pose in the free program at 1st and 3rd stage:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHCzp3FpZin/

 

[Giltedge]

Sisterly love and pride

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHDy5WfpPwD/