This is day of bif words from tough guys, really...
http://www.rsport.ru/figure_skating/20140425/743733264.html
25th of April...Maxim Trankov says that Russian Federation can’t keep sportsmen together if they don’t want. That if a people don’t want to, they will never work together. There are important a close human relationships. He says that Viki became a tall beauty and Ruslan stayed small. While in a couple of Lena & Nikita – they achieved some goal and Nikita wanted a new chapter in his life. Trankov also mentions that he was also criticised in press a lot (after his split with Mukhortova), that a few people believed in him and Tanya, but as a result – they have what they have (he probably talks about all those Gold medals). He wishes a success to all. He thinks that both couples will have a bright future.
Heights difference is sometimes interesting…I was looking for heights difference between partners:
Lena – 164 cm, Ruslan - 179 cm, = 15 cm
Victoria – 168 cm, Ruslan – 179 cm, = 11 cm
Lena – 164 cm, Nikita – 180 cm, = 16 cm
Victoria – 168 cm, Nikita – 180 cm, = 12 cm
Virtue – 165 cm, Moir – 180 cm, = 15 cm
Davis – 160 cm, White – 175 cm, = 15 cm
Aldridge – 164 cm, Eaton – 178 cm, = 14 cm
Stepanova – 168 cm, Bukin – 182 cm, = 14 cm
Lobacheva – 165 cm, Averbuk – 177 cm, = 12 cm
Krylova – 171 cm, Ovsiannikov – 183 cm, = 12 cm
Navka – 170 cm, Agosto – 182 cm, = 12 cm
Hawayek – 160 cm, Baker – 170 cm, = 10 cm
Domnina – 173 cm, Shabalin – 183 cm, = 10 cm
Annisina – 163 cm, Peizerat – 173 cm, = 10 cm
Denkova – 165 cm, Staviski – 173 cm, = 8 cm
Monko – 170 cm, Khaliavin – 177 cm, = 7 cm
Sky_fly20 and some others like to point to a fact that a couple doesn’t look well having small heights difference – how funny that top couples of past years had rather smaller heights difference, some of the most elegant couples like Annisina & Peizerat and Domnina & Shabalin only 10 cm. Or Lobacheva & Averbukh and Krylova & Ovsiannikov 12 cm. Another argument is that a couple with small heights difference will be in trouble to make great and demanding lifts. So, come and watch some couples with more heights difference.
Bigger heights difference:
Riazanova – 166 cm, Tkachenko – 182 cm, = 16 cm
Zhiganshina – 165, Gazsi – 182 – cm, = 17 cm
Bobrova – 166 cm, Soloviev – 183 cm, = 17 cm
Pushkash – 170 cm, Guerreiro – 187 cm, = 17 cm
Pechalat – 163 cm, Bourzat – 180 cm, = 17 cm
Chock – 157 cm, Bates – 187 cm, = 20 cm
Maia Shibutani – 160 cm, Alex Shibutani – 180 cm, = 20 cm
Weaver – 168 cm, Poje – 191 cm, 23 cm
Coomes – 152 cm, Buckland – 182 cm, = 30 cm
Nobody will doubt that Coomes and Chock have great lifts, Shibutani and Pechalat are also very good in lifts. Weaver and Bobrova are more average in lifts part, Bobrova‘s lifts looks to be executed heavily sometimes. But Riazanova lifts are less than average, there is no beauty or easiness in their lifts, Pushkash is very poor in lifts and Zhiganshina is…simply not good. And Lena & Nikita lifts even with 16 cm of heights difference means an average executed lifts with poor balancing and heavily look. So, yes more centimetres between partners may help in lifts but it is not the only thing. Denkova, Davis, Virtue were the top couples in lifts – difficult and demanding lifts – and their heights difference is not enormous.
I think that Maxim Trankov has an opinions from his pair cathegory where lifts are more demanding plus throw and twist jumps…but dance cathegory is a little bit different. And a part where he points that Vika grew to be tall beauty and Ruslan stayed small…
this is funny if you realise that from 11 cm heights difference with Ruslan Viki jumped into ice relationship with Nikita where is 12 cm heights difference– this is really not big improvement.
Small note from me – Trankov is Nikita’s close friend, he always supported him (he was one of those people who agreed that even with two big mistakes in Russian National‘s SD this season – I&K should be leaders after it), so I suppose that Trankov was discussing with Nikita the situation. If Trankov persists that Russian Federation shouldn’t persuade them to stay together if they don‘t want and he is protecting Nikita in some way…so there is a big chance that Nikita’s opinion is exactly like that.
And another small note…when Nikita wants be quiet and ask media for better attitude and not writing everything they will find on net…why is his close friend open to media? Then it looks like that Nikita doesn’t like a criticism but he doesn’t mind a positive feedback and support…but this is not description of situation from all sides from media then.