Medvedeva leaving Eteri

[theharleyquinn]

This is an old wives tale.

It's true for the right skaters.

 

[Scout]

She will be gaining A LOT of quality, though.

Yes, but her GOE and PCS are already sky high, at the maximum, so gaining quality won't translate to a higher score. Maybe it will make a difference with the changes in new scoring system.

 

[Mawwerg]

Alina is still young. Evgenia has built a cache with the federation over several years of dominating the ladies' field. This is an exception, not a rule, to the trend with Russian ladies. We haven't seen Alina try new programs since her rise and she still has growing to do. The Russian Fed will support Alina of course, but Alina certainly hasn't replaced her, especially if the Federation is letting her go abroad in the first place. The judges have shown that while they are inflating Alina's PCS, they aren't willing to give her the edge over Zhenya and I assume that will continue to be true. Once your PCS gets up there, it tends to stay up there.

The federation needs their leading skater for different activities like media, sponsors, fans, kids and overall for promoting figure skating in Russia. Being abroad it will be hard for Zhenya to take part in such things and the federation will be forced to substitute her.

 

[liv]

She had to try something... she has much to lose by staying and much to lose by going... but she had to try something or eventually get run over by the young ones following her since so many of them have followed her (or Eteri's) model for success, and then improved upon it. She has a year before any of them can turn senior and if she can show growth in presentation and style and quality and distance herself from the tell tale Eteri style of program, then all the better. It will be an interesting experiment for sure.

 

[chopinskate]

Yes, but her GOE and PCS are already sky high, at the maximum, so gaining quality won't translate to a higher score. Maybe it will make a difference with the changes in new scoring system.

Yes, that is the issue, what the new system will do. My wager is Med partly wants to go to Orser knowing what the new system wants to stand for.

The issue still remains -- how much work can Orser do for her? Can her tech every be truly fixed? If the system doesn't help, what will she add to her tech? Can she?

Her consistency might have taken a hit anyway, given how much more she was muscling her jumps. But she was also injured, so who knows how much she'd been able to train.

 

[sweetice]

Maybe not this year, but next year... Just saying.

We can't forget how Eteri is training the junior girls that the next year go senior.

Nobody is saying that this is the easier choice for her, its not. She's 18 years old, is loved more than the olympic champion, she can just do a single season and then retire, but is clearly not what she want.

I dunno, maybe i'm also say that because i'm italian and Kostner, after what happen to her, have come back and fight with a bigger smile than always have show for still do what she love, and be loved and supported for that, even don't caring too much about the results, but i think that, if Evgenia want to fight, she need to. Even changing country, if anything goes wrong.

I don't think actually money is a problem, for Evgenia, and its not only loved on Russia.

 

[skylark]

There are pages and pages here devoted to technique.

But I have a different view. I think Evgenia wants to become a more complete skater. She's said time and again that she wants to develop the emotional side of her skating. When asked to name a skater she admired, she named Ashley Wagner ... and this was AFTER Zhenya had overcome Ashley by many points, to be World Champion. She said she admired Ashley's abilities to express any kind of music and portray it well.

If Evgenia stayed with Eteri, she'd always be looking over her shoulder, knowing the little, younger jumpers were threatening. So not just Eteri's focus, but Evgenia's own focus would be always at least partially addressing that threat, wouldn't it? She isn't super-human.

I can hardly wait to see the choreography that Shae-Lynne, Jeff, David, Lori (or ?) will come up with, and how she'll work with it. I think this year, Evgenia made some significant artistic progress. And after the Olympics, with tears, she said she's staying in the sport, and that she wants to fully express the emotions in her programs.

I'm thrilled for her. Brian is a great coach partly because he works well with each individual skater's personality and desires, and partly because he trusts Tracy Wilson and other team members to make their contribution. It'll be interesting to see if he intends to break down any of her technique (Rafael-style) to build it up again, or if some other vision will be revealed. It seems to be true that she won't have the time that Yuzuru had to build back up from the basic skating skills. And she's very competitive, but she also is continuing for sheer love of skating.

Evgenia has so much going for her. I think she's going to keep her magnificent strengths. Kudos to her for recognizing that at 18, she's already out of Eteri's wheel house. I hope her mother (or more likely grandmother) will be able to come with her and provide emotional support, as they have. But if not, hey, there's always Skype.

 

[skatenewbie]

Are there any other examples of skaters successfully fixing their lutz edge during their career? Wonder if we can get some statistics on how long it generally takes for a skater to fix the edge. I guess this also depends on how lenient the tech panel is too!

Courtnye hicks did it, she even posted about it on her insta. Also Miki ando anyone?

 

[LucyH]

I'm very happy that she chooses to improve herself instead of stagnating with Eteri. It would be great if Orser can help her. Wish her good luck.

I think with this move she is trying to set herself up for the future. Sure it's a risk - but no risk no reward and she wasn't going to gain anything by staying where she was. If the risk pays off then she wins, if it doesn't she's gained a year of life experience living abroad expanding her horizons. She always struck me as a very worldly girl and it will open up opportunities for her outside skating as well... Good for her! I for one am cheering for her and wishing the best

 

[sweetice]

If i were Yuzuru i would pay for her training with Orser ( and then marry her... but that is another story )

 

[TallyT]

Humble newbie here, but I can't help thinking... both she and Yuzuru had serious injuries last season, and it appears to me that the way his was handled and he was protected by TCC and Orser would be hard to beat and the results spoke for themselves...

Might have played a partial factor in her decision on where to go?

 

[Dragonheart97]

Humble newbie here, but I can't help thinking... both she and Yuzuru had serious injuries last season, and it appears to me that the way his was handled and he was protected by TCC and Orser would be hard to beat and the results spoke for themselves...

Might have played a partial factor in her decision on where to go?

She's also been friends with Yuzu for quite a while. It's very possible she talked with him when considering options as well.

 

[Seren]

Wow- I was not expecting this.

But I am impressed with Evgenia. It sounds like she is taking control of her career. I am excited to see where this partnership goes.

 

[Ice Dance]

It's true for the right skaters.

If PCS can drop for Mao Asada, it can drop for anyone.

 

[withwings]

Wow- I was not expecting this.

But I am impressed with Evgenia. It sounds like she is taking control of her career. I am excited to see where this partnership goes.

Yes, indeed. It is commendable.

On the other note, I do feel sad for this gifted girl Alaine Chartrand. All what she needed is to take control of her career, but it seems to me, instead, she wants everybody else to make happy. Learn from Evgenia, Alaine!

 

[cheerio2]

Towards the end of her career, Mao finally managed to fix her flutz. And we are all so happy for her. It really took her a long time. So im not sure what will happen to Zhenya and Orser.

Yeah, it did take her a long time. But glad that all of Mao's years of blood, sweat, and tears made you, watching TV from the comfort of your couch, happy for one moment. That really makes it all worthwhile. It did not make me happy to see Mao do a lutz, knowing all the years of struggle and hardship she had to go through for that. Proper technique is important, but very few skaters do all 5 types of triples perfectly, and even Yuna didn't do a loop. All skaters make judgments about what areas they want to improve and what they want to accept.

 

[noidont]

Whoever the new coach is, she's more likely to follow the Sotnikova/Lipnitskaya trajectory. Take a season off. Come back for the season after. Place 8th or whereabouts at Nationals. Then half retire.
Zagitova I think have three more seasons in her. Will win next year's Worlds, but not the year after. A la Tuk/Sot if they are one. Won't make it to the next OG.
Eteri shouldn't really be blamed for vicious internal competition. She simply sees it as is. You win something at 16, may suffer later, but at least you won something and will always be remembered for that. The other and only option is not trying to win at all.
If I were Evgenia I would save myself some trouble and just have fun.

 

[CellarDweller]

Wow. I didn't expect to see this when I signed onto the forum today.

I wish her much luck, and a successful next season.

 

[Itzme]

I am skeptical about her moving to train abroad, let alone with a non-Russian coach. If she were to leave Russia, I’d think that Rafael would be her choice.

 

[narcissa]

Whoever the new coach is, she's more likely to follow the Sotnikova/Lipnitskaya trajectory. Take a season off. Come back for the season after. Place 8th or whereabouts at Nationals. Then half retire.

Evgenia doesn't strike me as similar to Sotnikova or Lipnitskaya, personality-wise at all.