Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov Split

[sisinka]

who is hating ? I am pin pointing out what the Russian Federation sees from their point of view
as I see it, the Russian Fed sees what S/K will have as advantage over I/Z

* Will be coached by an influential Ice dance coach
* A very beautiful looking couple
* Will have more room for improvements for technique, what room can I/Z have being coached by Kustaova and co ? aka the Grim reaper of Ice Dance

Beauty and Aesthetics is part of Ice dance

Explain me than how did it happen that Russian Federatian supported Bestemianova, Usova, Grishuk and Khokhlova.

 

[MK's Winter]

who is hating ? I am pin pointing out what the Russian Federation sees from their point of view as I see it, the Russian Fed sees what S/K will have as advantage over I/Z * Will be coached by an influential Ice dance coach * A very beautiful looking couple * Will have more room for improvements for technique, what room can I/Z have being coached by Kustaova and co ? aka the Grim reaper of Ice Dance Beauty and Aesthetics is part of Ice dance

Beauty may play a part but technique speaks for itself and Vika is no where near Nikita's level. And why do you feel the need to say bad things about Ruslan. Nikita and Victoria were the wrong ones in this situation and you say bad things about Elena and Ruslan all of the time. You post nothing but superficial comments and you are really starting to piss me off.

 

[meteorlight8]

this thread has turned into vitriol hate for rabid fanatics who spew hate on a beautiful promising fresh young couple
on the notion that their previous partners were innocent victims and with the so called sympathy when we don't even know the 2 sides or even know why they broke up :disapp:

Eh ... but I just don't like blondes. Esp. blondes with blue eyes. #sorryNOTsorry. Maybe if they dyed their hair darker I'd find them less bland and vapid looking ...

Okay that was obviously just to troll skyfly, but I do still think from what we've seen S/K have a beautiful, soft yet bland/vapid look. I know it's new but their exhibition was a weird sort of paint by numbers of a V/M program, except they were just going through the motions. They both seemed pretty blank, and I get the impression they don't understand why they are making the expressions or the movements they're making. Just my 2 cents. I can't quite explain it but they remind me of the Mona Lisa without the mysterious smile.

 

[elif]

Shhh never take skyfly seriously. He/she will be first to leave Sinitsina/Katsalapov after fighting for bronze at russian nationals with Stepanova/Bukin. Remember ''headcase'' Sotnikova

 

[MK's Winter]

Shhh never take skyfly seriously. He/she will be first to leave Sinitsina/Katsalapov after fighting for bronze at russian nationals with Stepanova/Bukin. Remember ''headcase'' Sotnikova

I know. It's starting to get to me. I would yell at Sky Fly for the Adelina comments as well. I lost my cool but I always wonder if skaters are secret board lurkers. I wouldn't want them to read half the stuff on here.

 

[sisinka]

* Will have more room for improvements for technique, what room can I/Z have being coached by Kustaova and co ? aka the Grim reaper of Ice Dance

My dear, if you try to imagine the best technical couples on the world now looking at deep edges and knee work - it will be Virtue & Moir, Bobrova & Soloviev, Ilinykh, Zhiganshin, Katsalapov, and Sinitsina like the last one having less fluent knee action (in Vika's case I take into account her performances with Ruslan, not with Nikita where edges and knee were poor).
All the rest world have less deep edges, worse knee work.

If you realise that Virtue & Moir were Zueva's students - good for her, but if you realise that she also coaches Shibutani who are fighting with edges and knee's work with difficulty and she also coached Davis & White whose edges were not deep and knee's work was not great - than it is a question whether V&M's technique is the result of enormous talent or if it was the result of Zueva's work.

Who coached Bobrova & Soloviev since childhood? Kustarova. Who coached Sinitsina & Zhiganshin since childhood? Kustarova. She also have Yanovskaya & Mozgov, who have a reputation of very good technicians. While she coached Monko & Khaliavin - they were taken like great technicians in juniors.

Who coached Ilinykh & Katsalapov? Zhulin gave them great basics and Morozov gave them a lot of ice, so their technique improved also (but I think that less than if they stayed with Zhulin). Also Zhulin coaches B&S for last two years - they still have deep edges and good knee's work.

If you would be looking for a coach with students having the best technique - it would work for Kustarova, not Zueva.

 

[bsfan]

First of all, I hope I&Z get the same financial support as S&K just to be fair.

But I'm curious what their fed thinks about them. As fans we maybe biased. Didn't an officer visit I&Z training a few weeks ago? What was their REAL thought? What are the thoughts from other experts, such as Tarasova? Why I&Z went on vacation if funding was not solved? Are they working hard to prove themselves? Did their fed see something and decide to promote SK and leave IZ alone?

I also speculate that K may have some strong backing or a strong PR team. That they can get away with this kind of split and not have to bear any consequence. They dumped I, Z (most unfairly treated), and Morozov, Z's coaches. When I/K dumped Zhulin, they had big backing too.

 

[sky_fly20]

Kustarova is a junior skaters coach, her students have a hard time transitioning into seniors
doesn't mean great juniors you'll be great technicians in seniors

 

[elif]

This is chance for Kustarova and Zoueva to prove themselves. Zoueva had to prove she can create good team without Igor. Kustarova had to prove she can be also good presentation coach.

 

[bramweld]

Kustarova is a junior skaters coach, her students have a hard time transitioning into seniors
doesn't mean great juniors you'll be great technicians in seniors

Ruslan is blonde so you should at least be able to look at HIM favourably This myth of yours doesn't hold true for him. He has been dragging Victoria along for these last two seasons as her body has filled out. Did you notice how slowly Nikita had to go to ensure that her weaknesses were not visible. Victoria will be just fine though when she gets through this awkward period.

Do you realize how disappointing, especially technically the Shibs have been doing since 1) Igor left and 2) Maia filled out? It seems to me that Marina primarily has one good idea for every team she trains. Then she just hits the repeat button every year, this is why V/M were so bland at the OG. If I had been S/K I would have been more adventurous with my coaching choice. Marina can be good but she can be utterly safe and unimaginative at times. But no worries they are blond right?

 

[snowflakebeautiful]

All beauty notices are sometimes funny because...

Thank you, yes!!! My point exactly! Like they're all attractive. I'm tired of hearing it as a reason as to how they're somehow better than someone else.

 

[bwayrose7]

Ditto. And, from a purely human perspective (as opposed to a more technical one), I think many people will be pulling for I/Z simply because they were the "wronged" ones and people will want to see them do well. From a PR standpoint, there's more ground to make up with S/K for that very reason, so I understand why there's so much more publicity thrown behind S/K: they have to make up for the nasty publicity resulting from the split, whereas people are likely to already be supportive of their former partners.

 

[shine]

I know. It's starting to get to me. I would yell at Sky Fly for the Adelina comments as well. I lost my cool but I always wonder if skaters are secret board lurkers. I wouldn't want them to read half the stuff on here.

Wow, just now?

Guys, I have this poster blocked for good reasons, and if you would all just stop quoting and replying to all his/her/its crazy none sense about being blonde and young and beautiful and hence fed funding, then my blocking would actually mean something

 

[bramweld]

Wow, just now?

Guys, I have this poster blocked for good reasons, and if you would all just stop quoting and replying to all his/her/its crazy none sense about being blonde and young and beautiful and hence fed funding, then my blocking would actually mean something

This. I see it only when you guys respond. Please don't feed the troll. Why can't sky_fly just post in the S/K fan fest? Why can't she/he/it be happy there?

 

[MK's Winter]

This. I see it only when you guys respond. Please don't feed the troll. Why can't sky_fly just post in the S/K fan fest? Why can't she/he/it be happy there?

I know. I always have this dream that Sky fly will engage in useful conversation like the rest of us.

 

[Alba]

If I was on the panel, I too will not give them any funding just looking at the pair alone, they are a mismatch couple in both look and technique !

We're all very fortunate (skaters and fans) that you have decided not to be a judge, otherwise this sport would really be in serious trouble.
Hearing Cinquanta and hearing you...well, you make him look a genius.
By the way, stick with the look thing. Technique is really not your forte.

Why worry so? Maybe Lena and Ruslan don't need that sort of investment now. You do realize that I/Z represent probably the more more dynamic and technically sound partners? Let it be....this is a marathon not a sprint.

I agree.

Why I agree with other posts by you above, I don't agree with this one.
Financial support is very important. Today's top figure skating sport especially in Ice Dance Cathegory means that you need a big group around yourself, and every single person you must paid for his/her time.
First some skating accessories:_
- skates - about three pair of skates
- costumes, at least two costumes, but almost all dancers have more costumes for whole season (Lena had eight costumes for competitions plus gala costumes last season)

- then training camps

And people around you:
- coach, assistent of coach
- choreographer (two competive programs, plus gala program)
- athletic coach
- masseur
- ballet coach
- dance coach
- lift's coach
- sometimes you need a doctor too
If you want to have the best specialists in every discipline, those people are expensive.

And don't forget about competitions - money for travelling there (you have to pay your coaches travelling as well), money for being able to compete at certain competition.

Maybe I forgot something...but this is all very very expensive.

Elena, Ruslan and their coaches knows how all this works and the costs. So, if they've decided to stay an compete I think they know how and where to find the money. I'll not worry about that.

 

[Alba]

This. I see it only when you guys respond. Please don't feed the troll. Why can't sky_fly just post in the S/K fan fest? Why can't she/he/it be happy there?

Because she feels lonely there. I'm not surprised since all she can say is pretty, hollywood, beautiful, thin, fat.

 

[kauh888]

This is chance for Kustarova and Zoueva to prove themselves. Zoueva had to prove she can create good team without Igor. Kustarova had to prove she can be also good presentation coach.

Agreed. V/M and D/W were good, but they were coached for a long time by BOTH Igor and Marina before the split. Igor was the technique taskmaster in that coaching pair, and Marina was more of the presentation side. It is difficult to get presentation right when technique is not there yet. It will be interesting to see how S/K do because this is Marina's turn to technically train the skaters from the basics and pull together a good artistic image by herself (with supporting coaches).

 

[sisinka]

Kustarova is a junior skaters coach, her students have a hard time transitioning into seniors
doesn't mean great juniors you'll be great technicians in seniors

Wrong. If you are great in juniors, overall great, it doesn't mean that you will be great in seniors, because having low expression and dance abilities can't be excused in seniors, while in juniors it is still like - he/she will learn it, look at Bukin, for example.

But having great technique only = deep edges and good knee's work - this is the same for both juniors and seniors. The elements in Ice Dance are almost equal in junior and seniors, in past years there was just one lift more and 30 seconds longer ffor senior free program....so your notice is wrong.

Bobrova & Soloviev left juniors in 2006/07 season, and Sinitsina & Zhiganshin in 2011/12 season. If you are ready to start a discussion that B&S are still juniors for last 7 years...I don't know if somebody will every take you seriously in any way.

Kustarova students have a hard time in technique in seniors? How did you explore this? B&S winning two silver medals at European Champs and wining senior Grand Prix under Kustarova are "having hard times"? Yes, they had trouble with packaging and costumes and make-up and they were not always clean, but this is all something else then technique.
Sinitsina & Zhiganshin 4th place at European Champs and 7th place at World Champs is "having hard times"?
I would kindly announce you that whole career of very talented I&K, the couple who Russian Federation took like the Gods on the ice - have silver medals only also, no Gold medal at European Champs, no Grand Prix win, no World Champs medal. And by the way I&K results at their first senior year was exactly the same like Sinitsina & Zhiganshin's results this year (taking Nationals, European and World Champs). So what are you talking about???

 

[Alba]

sisinka: I admire your perseverance on the education of skyfly.

I belive it was Julie Andrews who said "Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th."
You are at your 99 times attempt, maybe at your 100 times you'll get there, hopefully. :sarcasm: