Mikhail Kolyada

[rachno2]

I am so happy for Team Valentina.

Looks like the Misha/Stasya curse might be broken

 

[coldblueeyes]

I am so happy for Team Valentina.

Looks like the Misha/Stasya curse might be broken

Maybe the nay-sayers will relax a bit now. Go bother someone else. (this doesn't mean everything is perfect, but Valentina and her team need a break every now and then)

 

[rachno2]

Maybe the nay-sayers will relax a bit now. Go bother someone else. (this doesn't mean everything is perfect, but Valentina and her team need a break every now and then)

Unfortunately, they’re even louder now.

Whatever, I hope they all have restful holiday breaks and get ready for Euros!

 

[vorravorra]

Unfortunately, they’re even louder now.

Whatever, I hope they all have restful holiday breaks and get ready for Euros!

Well, you can see how under the circumstances consistent Samodurova may be a better bet for Worlds. Not really a fan of Sonya and it's easier to be consistent with tiny jumps (her and Tarusina) but when spots are on the line you need to think strategically. For #3 being reliable is more important than potentially scoring big.

 

[rachno2]

Well, you can see how under the circumstances consistent Samodurova may be a better bet for Worlds. Not really a fan of Sonya and it's easier to be consistent with tiny jumps (her and Tarusina) but when spots are on the line you need to think strategically. For #3 being reliable is more important than potentially scoring big.

No, I totally think Sonya should be sent to Worlds. Especially with poor Alina not at her best. I just wish people weren’t so ugly to Stasya.

By the way, Tarakanova had my favorite performance of the free

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

So, Mika decided the right thing and won't skate in the Gala. I hope he runs to the doctor and makes detailed analysis of his health situation before training again.

 

[vorravorra]

No, I totally think Sonya should be sent to Worlds. Especially with poor Alina not at her best. I just wish people weren’t so ugly to Stasya.

By the way, Tarakanova had my favorite performance of the free

I loved Zhenya too, she finally found the nerve and power that her LP needs. I would send both Stasya and Sonya to Euros, let Liza recuperate, and then decide on Worlds. But I am going to beat Stasya with a big stick if she doesn't skate at least as well as here and get a 200+ best. She, Liza and Alena L. are the only 18+ female Russian skaters who are not in the process or already have fallen apart, I want to continue seeing at least the first two at big competitions for as long as possible. And I have hopes for Zhenya, she is fighting instead of surveying the competition, deciding it's not worth it and proceeding to rest on her laurels.

Misha is soooo lucky the men's field in Russia (or anywhere, really) is nothing like this brutal.

 

[rachno2]

So, Mika decided the right thing and won't skate in the Gala. I hope he runs to the doctor and makes detailed analysis of his health situation before training again.

Already the first sign he has indeed learned from this experience dying of curiosity about his new exhibition though!

 

[vorravorra]

Already the first sign he has indeed learned from this experience dying of curiosity about his new exhibition though!

He learned from the experience or he is simply too sick and exhausted to skate.

 

[vorravorra]

The admins wrote in Misha's VK group that he feels reasonably OK but is going straight to the doctors in St. Petersburg for more rounds of tests.

 

[coldblueeyes]

It's clear that this really gave them a scare.

 

[vorravorra]

It's clear that this really gave them a scare.

High time. I think there is a tendency in the group to take back/foot/knee/etc. problems very seriously but think that a "runny nose", "sore throat" or "cough" is nothing much to worry about and will go away eventually. Despite the fact that those can be symptoms of serious conditions with consequences (like hospitalisation for both Misha and Stasya).

 

[vorravorra]

Who was the man in the K&C? Is it that off-ice coach Mikhail S you think?

Yes, it's Mikhail Semenenok.

 

[rachno2]

Victory Ceremony (Misha smelling the flowers was a cute moment. At first, I thought they played the SP music to avoid having two Carmens played one after the other but they did the same for the ladies)

We officially made it through Nationals Hope to hear health updates soon

 

[vorravorra]

Victory Ceremony (Misha smelling the flowers was a cute moment. At first, I thought they played the SP music to avoid having two Carmens played one after the other but they did the same for the ladies)

We officially made it through Nationals Hope to hear health updates soon

Yes, I hope they don't go back to radio silence again.

 

[vorravorra]

It's impossible to make a bet on what they're going to do, but at least for Euros I get the feeling they will try to think of something somewhat watered down for him--and take that with a grain of salt. I could see the FS being with a layout like the one he did this time, but with two quads and the 3l back. However, realistically the salchow will come back, because he won't be doing a solo 3s and a 2s on the combo, even though I'd rather he went back to his a 3lz-2t-2l.

But I don't think they're going to go with just one quad anyway, too many points on the table.

I guess it depends on their goals. It's probably not to do kind of OK and last out the season without major failures, but actually try for something. Otherwise there wouldn't have been a point in Nationals. People admire him for avoiding pops but the FS layout was tailor-made to avoid pops. Both 3As at the beginning, only one quad and also at the beginning, no 3Lo. A planned BV of 66 is what you go for to avoid a catastrophe rather than to win, and he in fact lost to two skaters in tech in the free skate by a large margin which had never been the case before. Under the circumstances it was understandable but unless he wants to keep doing it they will need to think of something that will net him a higher tech score. But it will all depend on his health and stamina.

 

[rachno2]

I guess it depends on their goals. It's probably not to do kind of OK and last out the season without major failures, but actually try for something. Otherwise there wouldn't have been a point in Nationals. People admire him for avoiding pops but the FS layout was tailor-made to avoid pops. Both 3As at the beginning, only one quad and also at the beginning, no 3Lo. A planned BV of 66 is what you go for to avoid a catastrophe rather than to win, and he in fact lost to two skaters in tech in the free skate by a large margin which had never been the case before. Under the circumstances it was understandable but unless he wants to keep doing it they will need to think of something that will net him a higher tech score. But it will all depend on his health and stamina.

Yes, as aesthetically pleasing as the layout was, there is no way a healthy Misha will keep it imo. If he recovers, I suspect he wants to try for the European title (or at least the podium; it’s so soon after this health scare, after all) and another World medal. Both are pretty much impossible with this layout.

I would really love it if he kept the opening 3A-2T, though, then followed it up with the 4S, providing it is stable in practices. I know opening with a quad helps with stamina, but it has the potential to set a bad tone at the beginning and takes so much energy out of him.

Did I misread this Maxim interview, or did Misha really not realize that the music he was skating to was from Carmen?

https://m.sovsport.ru/amp/878156

 

[vorravorra]

Yes, as aesthetically pleasing as the layout was, there is no way a healthy Misha will keep it imo. If he recovers, I suspect he wants to try for the European title (or at least the podium; it’s so soon after this health scare, after all) and another World medal. Both are pretty much impossible with this layout.

I would really love it if he kept the opening 3A-2T, though, then followed it up with the 4S, providing it is stable in practices. I know opening with a quad helps with stamina, but it has the potential to set a bad tone at the beginning and takes so much energy out of him.

Did I misread this Maxim interview, or did Misha really not realize that the music he was skating to was from Carmen?

https://m.sovsport.ru/amp/878156

Yes, that sounds strange, didn't Misha say he wanted to skate to Carmen since he was a child? You'd expect him to know what the music is called. And nobody told him what the music is called in the time the program was choreographed, he skated to it over the summer, including work with Lambiel, they all referred to it by a codename? Maybe some sort of a misunderstanding.

 

[vorravorra]

What I found interesting is that Maxim says classical ballet at the barre is once a week and as far as he knows it's normal. Chebotareva's group has it three times a week. All you need to know about Misha overtaking Kovtun and Samarin on "raw talent".

 

[coldblueeyes]

On the discussion of his layouts, I could think of a good one with just one quad: 3A-2T/4T/3A/3L/3Z-Eu-3S*/2A-3T*/3Z*. This would give him almost 75 in BV. And if he wanted to exchange the 3L for the 4S, then it almost reaches 80, which I think would be more than okay for him to fight with the top guys. We haven't seen Hanyu/Shoma/Nathan skating clean in the same competition, and with the easier layout, Misha could have better chances at skating cleaner than usual--I mean, at RN his layout was a bit watered down from this and he almost cleaned it. I don't see why he couldn't skate it better in a healthy state.

At the moment, though, I find the quad sal too disruptive, especially with the possibility of being a bust and pushing him to commit other mistakes--is it a coincidence that he skated his best skates without a quad sal this season?