- Joined
- Sep 10, 2012
Just to be 100% fair, at Worlds the mistake was partially Elena's fault: (at 6:02 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12GCikrSOE) after the first set of twizzles, her free skate touched his leg, making him lose his balance and not being able to perform the second set. It can be discussed if this was also because Nikita got too close to Elena, obviously. But, after all, it doesn't make all that difference, it was just to be preciseZhulin said years ago when he trained them that the problem with Lena was that you had to be strict with her to make her work, her attention would wander or she wouldn't want to practice certain things, but in a way that was easier to deal with if you have a coach that can instill discipline. The issue with Nikita is that you have to coddle him a bit more, he always has to feel he's the strongest partner & is leading the team, and he can be very critical, both of himself & of everyone around him. And I guess when he's the one making the big mistakes, as he has been this season - botching the twizzles at NHK & the key points they didn't get there or at Nationals were on the man's steps, catching Elena's skate causing the fall at Russian nationals, twizzles at Worlds, (and even Euros, yes Elena fell but he was all over the place on the first two sets & he said later that had probably unsettled her) - if he still has that kind of attitude of needing to feel he's the best, it could make things very difficult in their partnership.