- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Time to go to Zimmerman...which is what they should've done a year ago.
said Knierim. “It was insane how much work we were able to do with her (Savchenko)
Not a surprise. Why did they think going to someone who has almost zero experience as a coach and talks about still competing was a good idea? This had fiasco written all over itself. When you have a coach you need them to be with you all the time not off doing shows or whatever.
Not a surprise. Why did they think going to someone who has almost zero experience as a coach and talks about still competing was a good idea? This had fiasco written all over itself. When you have a coach you need them to be with you all the time not off doing shows or whatever.
From Süddeutsche Zeitung
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/eiskunstlauf-traineramt-beendet-1.4179849
Via google translate:
Aliona Savchenko did not travel to the West Coast. She herself decided to split up, she told SZ Sunday: "I've helped as much as possible, but it turns out that we have different opinions about working on the ice."
[...]
The potential of the US pair runners Aljona Savchenko has also stressed again on Sunday. The work, she says, was "not enough": "I know the way to the goal, I opened the door for them, but they have to go through it alone." Aljona Savchenko did not exclude that they will work together again in the future.
I'd love them to go to John Zimmerman because he'll allow them to be themselves, a married couple, who love each other and love skating. I didn't see any of that in this pair of programs. I think back to the 'heat' created by Barb Underhill and Paul Martini. They were married, not to each other, but their sensuality was enough to puddle the ice. Let's hope the right circumstances evolve for Alexa and Chris to find success.
This brings up two points. I was having dinner with a Russian skating coach recently and asked why our American skaters are lagging behind the world in difficulty. (Prescinding from our men, of course). He was very dismissive of the American work ethic. In essence, his opinion was that Americans aren't willing to work as hard as the Russians or the Japanese or the Koreans. I don't want to argue this point, but he made it, and he implied it wasn't his opinion alone. So the first point is the work ethic question. The second, and more pertinent in this case, is Aljona herself. I spoke to Eric Radford after the Olympics and I said that if he hadn't been standing next to Bruno when Aljona and Bruno realized they had won, he would have fallen on the floor since Bruno collapsed into Eric's arms. Can you imagine the pressure that boy was under skating with Aljona at that point? If he had made a mistake that cost her the gold, God alone knows what fury would have followed. Great skaters, have to be hardened like steel to achieve the Gold. Aljona is of that ilk. But, being a great skater, doesn't necessarily translate into being a good coach. People for whom something comes easily don't always know how to translate it for someone who finds it difficult. Someone who struggled with jumping could teach me how to jump with more facility than someone for whom jumping came second nature. Perhaps, Aljona didn't think Alexa and Chris worked as hard as she and Bruno had. I have no idea, but she's a tough task mistress that's for sure. Again, I hope Alexa and Chris find a coach to bring out their best, not one who superimposes anything on them.Ouch. Sounds like she told them it wasn't going to work because they're not working hard enough--hope that's not it, but it sounds like it. That's got to be a real morale crusher for them. I hope they can find another coach who they can work well with. I'm also not sure Aljona has done herself any favors. This might well make anyone else hoping to train with her in the future think twice...
This brings up two points. I was having dinner with a Russian skating coach recently and asked why our American skaters are lagging behind the world in difficulty. (Prescinding from our men, of course). He was very dismissive of the American work ethic. In essence, his opinion was that Americans aren't willing to work as hard as the Russians or the Japanese or the Koreans. I don't want to argue this point, but he made it, and he implied it wasn't his opinion alone. So the first point is the work ethic question. The second, and more pertinent in this case, is Aljona herself. I spoke to Eric Radford after the Olympics and I said that if he hadn't been standing next to Bruno when Aljona and Bruno realized they had won, he would have fallen on the floor since Bruno collapsed into Eric's arms. Can you imagine the pressure that boy was under skating with Aljona at that point? If he had made a mistake that cost her the gold, God alone knows what fury would have followed. Great skaters, have to be hardened like steel to achieve the Gold. Aljona is of that ilk. But, being a great skater, doesn't necessarily translate into being a good coach. People for whom something comes easily don't always know how to translate it for someone who finds it difficult. Someone who struggled with jumping could teach me how to jump with more facility than someone for whom jumping came second nature. Perhaps, Aljona didn't think Alexa and Chris worked as hard as she and Bruno had. I have no idea, but she's a tough task mistress that's for sure. Again, I hope Alexa and Chris find a coach to bring out their best, not one who superimposes anything on them.
This brings up two points. I was having dinner with a Russian skating coach recently and asked why our American skaters are lagging behind the world in difficulty. (Prescinding from our men, of course). He was very dismissive of the American work ethic. In essence, his opinion was that Americans aren't willing to work as hard as the Russians or the Japanese or the Koreans. I don't want to argue this point, but he made it, and he implied it wasn't his opinion alone. So the first point is the work ethic question. The second, and more pertinent in this case, is Aljona herself. I spoke to Eric Radford after the Olympics and I said that if he hadn't been standing next to Bruno when Aljona and Bruno realized they had won, he would have fallen on the floor since Bruno collapsed into Eric's arms. Can you imagine the pressure that boy was under skating with Aljona at that point? If he had made a mistake that cost her the gold, God alone knows what fury would have followed. Great skaters, have to be hardened like steel to achieve the Gold. Aljona is of that ilk. But, being a great skater, doesn't necessarily translate into being a good coach. People for whom something comes easily don't always know how to translate it for someone who finds it difficult. Someone who struggled with jumping could teach me how to jump with more facility than someone for whom jumping came second nature. Perhaps, Aljona didn't think Alexa and Chris worked as hard as she and Bruno had. I have no idea, but she's a tough task mistress that's for sure. Again, I hope Alexa and Chris find a coach to bring out their best, not one who superimposes anything on them.
Ouch. Sounds like she told them it wasn't going to work because they're not working hard enough--hope that's not it, but it sounds like it. That's got to be a real morale crusher for them. I hope they can find another coach who they can work well with. I'm also not sure Aljona has done herself any favors. This might well make anyone else hoping to train with her in the future think twice...