Evgenia Medvedeva | Page 816 | Golden Skate

Evgenia Medvedeva

Fluture said:
I honestly wonder why we never heard about if before she moved to Orser... not trying to imply something here (but still implyig anyway) but an injury like this can‘t have formed only after the Olympics. It must have been present there, too. All we ever got to hear was the foot injury, though and even that only when it was so bad she had to face the possibility of her missing the Olympics. Makes me wonder how badly injured she really was/is. Not making any accusations just plainly saying that to my eye, this is simply strange. I hope she is fully healed at this point but this frankly leaves me quite worried. Back injuries are dangerous for figure skaters and hers doesn‘t seem to be an easy one. I’m hoping so much for her to be healthy, especially after everything she went through this season and the season past. Please be well, Zhenya!! :pray:
Click to expand...

hmm... In my opinion, the 4 months of no skating after olympics was probably to heal the compression fracture then because they eventually heal with rest. Also interestingly, people at risk for compression fractures are those with low body weight and those with osteoporosis. However, osteoporosis is not something a young woman usually gets because estrogen is protective against osteoporosis (until menopause), so I'm guessing there were some hormonal issues? Of course there is no evidence that she had osteoporosis but definitely low body weight for sure (she was SUPER skinny leading up to and at olympics)
 
Tavi... said:
Not sure if they’ll go this route, but Maria Callas was pretty iconic as Tosca:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HLaw51jGsAk/maxresdefault.jpg

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE1NTEzNTAwOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwOTAzMzI2._V1_.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes! When I heard Tosca I thought of a gorgeous red dress for Zhenya since its tradition, but I'm lookimg forward to seeing the gold :) hoping they include a little of "Vissi d'arte".

I do remember hearing about the back issues here and there but they definitely tried to downplay it until after the Olympics. My guess is the Russian federation was already worried about her foot and she didnt want to completely lose their support.
 
DeeDee18 said:
hmm... In my opinion, the 4 months of no skating after olympics was probably to heal the compression fracture then because they eventually heal with rest. Also interestingly, people at risk for compression fractures are those with low body weight and those with osteoporosis. However, osteoporosis is not something a young woman usually gets because estrogen is protective against osteoporosis (until menopause), so I'm guessing there were some hormonal issues? Of course there is no evidence that she had osteoporosis but definitely low body weight for sure (she was SUPER skinny leading up to and at olympics)
Click to expand...

Could the osteoporosis stem from a lack of calcium in her diet?

Also, Zhenya’s hormones may have been out of whack due to her low body weight. A woman needs to have a certain amount of body fat to have her period. During the Olympics, I doubt Zhenya had enough body fat to have a regular period.
 
It's not the body weight itself but the diet that reduces the weight. An insufficient nutrition or even malnutrition inhibits the production of sex hormones, which for young females means low levels of estrogen and no menstruation. The low levels of estrogen does induce osteoporosis. Furthermore, the insufficient nutrition could lead to a lack of calcium or/and lack of vitamin D, which is crucial for the bones density and could also end into developing osteoporosis or osteomalacia (I have read somewhere that Satoko struggles with the later).

Another main cause for a compression fracture of the spine is definitely the stress in form of constant jumping and training - the whole physical impact on the back is enormous, especially in combination with an impaired mineralisation of the bones. This said, we could only speculate what the real reason for the back problem is.

My suspicion is that she found out about the back problem when she was in Germany for a treatment after the Olympics. It also makes sense because I always thought that as a member of the National team she should have had an access to some great orthopaedic doctors in Moscow who could treat her foot injury. A spinal injury of this kind is a lot more serious and I can imagine that they needed better specialists.

Another thing - a compression fracture develops over time and mostly doesn't show any signs, at least not at the beginning. That's why I would be cautious and wouldn't dare to blame her old coaching team. It's possible that they weren't aware of it.

Evgenia got a couple of months training restrictions after the Olys which totally suits the healing plan for her spine. What is causing her trouble right now, are most probably some rest symptoms like compression of the spinal cord or the nerves coming out of it. This is very painful and also leads to loss of sensation. I hope her condition is not that serious though. :sad21:
 
You know it's really exciting seeing these athletes pushing and pushing and being crazy on the ice, and it was really great seeing Evgenia win everything, but then you see the problems showing up, and for me for example, it's mind-blowing and jaw-dropping. Hoping that everything can go back to some level of normal that's possible after such injuries :pray::pray::pray:
 
Wheelz said:
Could the osteoporosis stem from a lack of calcium in her diet?

Also, Zhenya’s hormones may have been out of whack due to her low body weight. A woman needs to have a certain amount of body fat to have her period. During the Olympics, I doubt Zhenya had enough body fat to have a regular period.
Click to expand...

Hi, recovered anoretic who was diagnosed with osteopenia, so a brief explainer on how the testing works and some hormone knowledge.

I don’t think we can even reasonably speculate as to whether or not Medvedeva has bone density issues. It’s more likely her back issues are the result of intense training and the physical demands of the sport, especially given how much she relied on the backspin position to finish her rotations, the -3T-3T-3T-3T combos she used to practise, etc. As for her weight and its effect on menstruation: there’s no way to know by looking. Trust me. I never cleared that diagnostic criterion for anorexia nervosa under the old DSM-IV despite working out more hours per day than plenty of athletes, eating 0-2000 calories per week, and having insufficient body fat to the point I was experiencing noticeable cognitive difficulties (and grew used to taking the stairs on all fours rather than upright). Some people — I fall into this group — are exceptionally “hormone resistant,” which explains why I still had one day of spotting per month and have never had issues with losing my cycle due to stress, changes in activity, etc. Based on behaviour, I should have been a case study in “female athlete triad,” but I never fully lost my cycle.

... and that didn’t protect me on the bone density front. Amenorrhea is not the be-all and end-all of warning signs, nor is it always a leading indicator. In my case, I had an elevated blood calcium level early in my eating disorder when I was a teenager (which indicates bone trouble — the calcium elevation is the result of the bones opening up to supply calcium missing in the diet) and then was diagnosed with osteopenia later on, during my last cycle with anorexia proper. For a DEXA scan (bone scan), bone mineral density (BMD) is measured and two scores are given: a Z-score (BMD in absolute terms) and a T-score (BMD in comparative terms, or how your results fare against a control group of healthy individuals in the same age group). My Z-score was actually pretty okay, but I flunked the T-score, which led to an osteopenia diagnosis. (And again: never lost my period.)

I didn’t have any actual bone injuries, so I can’t offer any anecdata on that front, but as far as osteopenia itself is concerned... first, we have no idea if Medvedeva has any underlying issues. Again, lots of strain on the back and lots of injuries there in skating. As for bone density problems: they are manageable and even reversible. Current calcium intake isn’t everything — part of why I was able to easily rebound was due to a calcium-rich diet as a child and early adolescent, not my calcium intake recovering from anorexia. Strength training is helpful. Medication may or may not be used. In my case, I was able to reverse the damage by recovering from anorexia once and for all.

I agree that Medvedeva had very little body fat during the Olympics. Speculation as to whether or not she was able to maintain her cycle is reckless, however. I had an eating disorder for a decade and change and I’ve met more people who don’t check the bullet points of what’s expected to happen during starvation and at a low body weight than I have textbook cases. (Inability to clear the amenorrhea criterion is why most anoretics I knew were technically diagnosed ED-NOS (subthreshold anorexia), self included.) All I’m trying to say is... yes, these are real risks and concerns, but speculating on actual bone density issues is a long walk. Eating disorders and disordered eating are a well-known concern in figure skating, but Medvedeva’s health is her business. She could be in the same “hormone-resistant” class that I am or she could not. But you wouldn’t be able to tell looking at either of us.

I think Med looks much healthier this season — much more radiant — and I don’t know what her back injuries constitute, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re more of a constant factour than a one-off injury. And I don’t think we’ll ever know the cause. That being said, Med herself has said she’s working with TCC staff on adding muscle, so she’s almost certainly doing everything she can to deal with something like osteopenia, if that’s even an issue.

(If she had osteoporosis, I can’t imagine Orser would coach her due to the risks involved, and osteoporosis is ... extremely unlikely. It’s not impossible, but even osteopenia isn’t exceptionally common among those with long-term eating disorders. The only people I know who’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis due to malnutrition and low body weight are those who have spent a significant length of time at body weights so low as to be lethal.)
 
 
Fluture said:
Well, but as amazing as Yuna was, she competed in a different era. There it was allowed to do 3 2A and scrap a triple without much consequence. Can you imagine that now, with tons of skaters performing programs with seven clean triples and some even 8 triples? I can’t. That‘s why I hope Zhenya is healthy because otherwise, competing with the youngsters will be close to impossible and her goal is - after all - Beijing 2022. There is only so much you can do with injuries like that. While I do know and am assured of that she‘s being taken care of by specialists who know what they‘re doing, I‘m still worried.

But let‘s not focus on negative things and maybe talk about something a bit more exciting. Like a new SP dress for example. Gold! Sounds really interesting to me.
Click to expand...

That was not my point. I just wanted to give an example that the people at TCC know how to treat back injuries and have experience with that . Obviously Evgenia won't have to give up her Loop nor has pain issues with it seeing from her jumping it all the time.
 
grey19 said:
https://izvmor.ru/novosti/sport/orser-prisoedinilsya-k-medvedevoj-v-saranske
picture of Evgenia with Brian Orser in Saransk.
Click to expand...

To give you a short translation:

"Orser joins Medvedeva in Saransk

Another group of RusNats participants arrived today in Saransk with the afternoon flight. The athletes and their coaches will be staying at the Mercure Hotel. Alina Zagitova is arriving tomorrow, while her main competitor for the gold medal Evgenia Medvedeva has already spent a whole day in Saransk.

We were able to meet Medvedeva in the hotel lobby, but she refused to talk to journalists. After an apology, she left with her coach Brian Orser in an unknown direction. Possibly to visit scenic sights of Saransk in the evening."


The journalist sounds kind of salty Zhenya refused to give an interview xD But good for her. She's had enough of journalists at this point, I'd imagine. And one would assume that Zhenya and Brian went to get some food and not sight seeing in the dark... but that's just me.

Anyway, looks like Zhenya arrived before Brian, probably to have more time to adjust to the time zone.
 
Watch said:
To give you a short translation:

"Orser joins Medvedeva in Saransk

Another group of RusNats participants arrived today in Saransk with the afternoon flight. The athletes and their coaches will be staying at the Mercure Hotel. Alina Zagitova is arriving tomorrow, while her main competitor for the gold medal Evgenia Medvedeva has already spent a whole day in Saransk.

We were able to meet Medvedeva in the hotel lobby, but she refused to talk to journalists. After an apology, she left with her coach Brian Orser in an unknown direction. Possibly to visit scenic sights of Saransk in the evening."


The journalist sounds kind of salty Zhenya refused to give an interview xD But good for her. She's had enough of journalists at this point, I'd imagine. And one would assume that Zhenya and Brian went to get some food and not sight seeing in the dark... but that's just me.

Anyway, looks like Zhenya arrived before Brian, probably to have more time to adjust to the time zone.
Click to expand...

this literally sounds like some paparazzi tabloid article:laugh::palmf:
 
DeeDee18 said:
this literally sounds like some paparazzi tabloid article:laugh::palmf:
Click to expand...

It's a local newspaper, and I didn't get any tablod vibes from it, but maybe it's just me, and I agree, good for her for not speaking to journalists. And she looks cute, plus her instastory was great, she clearly is glad to be home.
 
Metis said:
Hi, recovered anoretic who was diagnosed with osteopenia, so a brief explainer on how the testing works and some hormone knowledge.

I don’t think we can even reasonably speculate as to whether or not Medvedeva has bone density issues. It’s more likely her back issues are the result of intense training and the physical demands of the sport, especially given how much she relied on the backspin position to finish her rotations, the -3T-3T-3T-3T combos she used to practise, etc. As for her weight and its effect on menstruation: there’s no way to know by looking. Trust me. I never cleared that diagnostic criterion for anorexia nervosa under the old DSM-IV despite working out more hours per day than plenty of athletes, eating 0-2000 calories per week, and having insufficient body fat to the point I was experiencing noticeable cognitive difficulties (and grew used to taking the stairs on all fours rather than upright). Some people — I fall into this group — are exceptionally “hormone resistant,” which explains why I still had one day of spotting per month and have never had issues with losing my cycle due to stress, changes in activity, etc. Based on behaviour, I should have been a case study in “female athlete triad,” but I never fully lost my cycle.

... and that didn’t protect me on the bone density front. Amenorrhea is not the be-all and end-all of warning signs, nor is it always a leading indicator. In my case, I had an elevated blood calcium level early in my eating disorder when I was a teenager (which indicates bone trouble — the calcium elevation is the result of the bones opening up to supply calcium missing in the diet) and then was diagnosed with osteopenia later on, during my last cycle with anorexia proper. For a DEXA scan (bone scan), bone mineral density (BMD) is measured and two scores are given: a Z-score (BMD in absolute terms) and a T-score (BMD in comparative terms, or how your results fare against a control group of healthy individuals in the same age group). My Z-score was actually pretty okay, but I flunked the T-score, which led to an osteopenia diagnosis. (And again: never lost my period.)

I didn’t have any actual bone injuries, so I can’t offer any anecdata on that front, but as far as osteopenia itself is concerned... first, we have no idea if Medvedeva has any underlying issues. Again, lots of strain on the back and lots of injuries there in skating. As for bone density problems: they are manageable and even reversible. Current calcium intake isn’t everything — part of why I was able to easily rebound was due to a calcium-rich diet as a child and early adolescent, not my calcium intake recovering from anorexia. Strength training is helpful. Medication may or may not be used. In my case, I was able to reverse the damage by recovering from anorexia once and for all.

I agree that Medvedeva had very little body fat during the Olympics. Speculation as to whether or not she was able to maintain her cycle is reckless, however. I had an eating disorder for a decade and change and I’ve met more people who don’t check the bullet points of what’s expected to happen during starvation and at a low body weight than I have textbook cases. (Inability to clear the amenorrhea criterion is why most anoretics I knew were technically diagnosed ED-NOS (subthreshold anorexia), self included.) All I’m trying to say is... yes, these are real risks and concerns, but speculating on actual bone density issues is a long walk. Eating disorders and disordered eating are a well-known concern in figure skating, but Medvedeva’s health is her business. She could be in the same “hormone-resistant” class that I am or she could not. But you wouldn’t be able to tell looking at either of us.

I think Med looks much healthier this season — much more radiant — and I don’t know what her back injuries constitute, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re more of a constant factour than a one-off injury. And I don’t think we’ll ever know the cause. That being said, Med herself has said she’s working with TCC staff on adding muscle, so she’s almost certainly doing everything she can to deal with something like osteopenia, if that’s even an issue.

(If she had osteoporosis, I can’t imagine Orser would coach her due to the risks involved, and osteoporosis is ... extremely unlikely. It’s not impossible, but even osteopenia isn’t exceptionally common among those with long-term eating disorders. The only people I know who’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis due to malnutrition and low body weight are those who have spent a significant length of time at body weights so low as to be lethal.)
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and your story with us.
 
The Russian to English translations I get on my Instagram feed are making me tear up.

Orser joined the bear in Saransk...managed to meet the bear in the lobby of the hotel.

The blade of the horse is transparent.
 
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