Mikhail Kolyada

[vorravorra]

He can't afford to get sick every time he needs to gain form (top form by itself weakens immunity as all the body's resources are channelled somewhere else). And there is also chronic rhinitis that he can't get rid of. Maybe he needs to look into that side of his health, not just his back.

 

[coldblueeyes]

He's ongoing something in his immunity this year, perhaps it's a result from his break and the last season, we all know psychological breakdowns can get out in another form. But he doesn't seem to see the future as too bleak, so let's see what happens. He's not out of the final in any way, but he needs to skate better at COR, espeically because it's in front of all the people from Russia.

 

[vorravorra]

He's ongoing something in his immunity this year, perhaps it's a result from his break and the last season, we all know psychological breakdowns can get out in another form. But he doesn't seem to see the future as too bleak, so let's see what happens. He's not out of the final in any way, but he needs to skate better at COR, espeically because it's in front of all the people from Russia.

Ye, he seemed more down after Finlandia Trophy oddly enough.

 

[vorravorra]

It's just that if he has to fight both psychological and physical issues it's that much harder.

 

[Danibellerika]

Despite the jump issues I still love his skating. Too bad it's a constant uphill battle for him.

 

[coldblueeyes]

It's just that if he has to fight both psychological and physical issues it's that much harder.

Exactly. I feel like we either focus on one or the other, but it's clear to see that he's dealing with both. He did seem more down at Finlandia Trophy, but also in Nepela he wasn't too sharp in the SP. Better skated than both times at Finlandia, though. Perhaps if he hadn't skated a bad SP he'd be better in the FS.

 

[vorravorra]

I wish people would stop talking like he can't skate better than this when he already did this very season. Or another favourite - he was consistent until he was put under pressure. It definitely was easier for him psychologically but he wasn't consistent even then which says something. It's just so complex with him and I don't believe there is an easy fix. He is both emotional himself and affected by the emotions of those around him, you can see how easily he picks up on them and tunes into other people's wavelength. He also tends to get stuck on his mistakes and needs to be dragged out of that thought cycle as he described in the interview about his time with Raf and how Chen can just turn the page and move on, while for Misha it's difficult. I think the one or I don't know how many psychologists he's had over the years help him with processing what has already happened and he does have enough positivity in his makeup to bounce back, but they don't fix the part where he does it to himself again (maybe if he could bring a psychologist to competitions...). I know more than anyone that therapy isn't a magic wand like some people seem to believe it is. He is self-aware but I also know that knowing your problems and fixing them are two very different things. I still shudder at that description of exactly how he felt after that team SP, he's got quite an imagination which is also not always helpful, because your mind can run wild and turn against you. I can't help thinking that if he was more psychologically or even mentally simple it would make things easier for him. It would definitely make it easier to find that one right button to push to fix him.

Sorry for rambling and slightly off-topic but I really appreciate that he has zero interest in projecting any sort of persona (unlike some people who won't be mentioned here) regardless of how what he says makes him look.

 

[vorravorra]

double post.

 

[coldblueeyes]

The thing is, Misha never promised titles or results, for us or himself. He's very aware that hitting 100% in competition is something hard for him to do, but he's working to get better, I'm sure. We can discuss the two quads of the FS, but he hit all the other jumps, though none of them looked easy and effortless like they are usually--as if something was amiss, off-kilter. Hopefully he can have a better showing in two weeks.

 

[malya]

His jumps and spins are top quality and I think the +5 GOE system really benefits him. Misha is a medal contender at every competition this season with ~3 quads.

I his FS! Shame about the stsq today

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Frankly, i lost my hope with Mika. He is a splendid skater but a poor competitor. It makes me sad to watch him over and over not showing his potential. :curse:

 

[hanyuufan5]

Psychological breakdowns? Blow to his confidence no matter what he says? People, he had a mediocre competition, not a screaming, crying, cameraman-punching fit. Give him some credit.

GO MISHA! Good job this time, better luck next time!

 

[vorravorra]

The thing is, Misha never promised titles or results, for us or himself. He's very aware that hitting 100% in competition is something hard for him to do, but he's working to get better, I'm sure. We can discuss the two quads of the FS, but he hit all the other jumps, though none of them looked easy and effortless like they are usually--as if something was amiss, off-kilter. Hopefully he can have a better showing in two weeks.

I don't believe Misha thinks in terms of "I never promised you guys any results". He doesn't have the egocentricity to just shrug it off. Even if he resents that the Fed interferes with his training for instance, he still feels responsible for producing results and not letting people down and representing his country and whatever else. He is just that way. And when he knows he can skate at least something like his SP clean it must be frustrating for him when he can't. I also don't believe it's just fine for him not to get into the final when he knows he could. He is not somehow devoid of ambition. It is like he managed to pull some confidence together by this season but it's paper-thin. And now people have already got out shovels to bury him and are looking for replacements. And not just random fans, Kogan had things to say. Imagine if another Russian gets into the final even if simply by better luck? Misha has bounced back before of course and he usually does well at Nationals, but it can't be easy or encouraging.

 

[rachno2]

Frankly, i lost my hope with Mika. He is a splendid skater but a poor competitor. It makes me sad to watch him over and over not showing his potential. :curse:

I get that it’s frustrating, but remember that it’s even sadder for him than it is for us. Does that mean he should give up on himself? No. So I see no reason to give up on him, especially when I love watching him skate so much. Besides, this competition was not that bad. His SP was sublime except for those first jumping passes, and his scores reflected that. Regarding the free, the 4S was expected to be shaky, because it’s his first time using it in competition this season.

He’s an inconsistent competitor and that will probably never change, but he is still very much a top contender. He won both of his challenger events. He almost made the podium here with serious errors. It isn’t the end of the world.

Should Boyang fans be as worried as us? He too has clearly worked on his packaging and I’m sure he wanted to make the final as much as Misha. But he had a bad competition and his chances are even slimmer than Misha’s now. Granted, he is traditionally a late-season skater, but his last two international competitions have not been encouraging. And yet all I see is optimism and positivity.

 

[vorravorra]

Psychological breakdowns? Blow to his confidence no matter what he says? People, he had a mediocre competition, not a screaming, crying, cameraman-punching fit. Give him some credit.

GO MISHA! Good job this time, better luck next time!

He doesn't have screaming crying fits on camera thankfully and I don't think he'd have a psychological breakdown over a Grand Prix event, but missing the final can't not hurt. They put a lot of effort to get his programs and PCS to top level this season, he went for training camps with Stephane and Raf, they must have hoped for this to go somewhere. His PCS dropped to 84 for his FS, he got that in previous seasons without people gushing over his SS and other components. And a mediocre competition for Misha is 250+, not 238, that's dismal.

 

[vorravorra]

Frankly, i lost my hope with Mika. He is a splendid skater but a poor competitor. It makes me sad to watch him over and over not showing his potential. :curse:

Lol, how long have you been his fan if that's enough for you to give up on him? He has always been up and down, that's just how he rolls and he won't change enough to become "always up". There are skaters who I emotionally pulled away from at least partly because the rollercoaster with raised hopes crashing against -teenth places led to a burnout but Misha has never lowered his standard that far.

 

[vorravorra]

I get that it’s frustrating, but remember that it’s even sadder for him than it is for us. Does that mean he should give up on himself? No. So I see no reason to give up on him, especially when I love watching him skate so much. Besides, this competition was not that bad. His SP was sublime except for those first jumping passes, and his scores reflected that. Regarding the free, the 4S was expected to be shaky, because it’s his first time using it in competition this season.

He’s an inconsistent competitor and that will probably never change, but he is still very much a top contender. He won both of his challenger events. He almost medaled here with serious errors. It isn’t the end of the world.

Should Boyang fans be as worried as us? He too has clearly worked on his packaging and I’m sure he wanted to make the final as much as Misha. But he had a bad competition and his chances are even slimmer than Misha’s now. Granted, he is traditionally a late-season skater, but his last two international competitions have not been encouraging. And yet all I see is optimism and positivity.

With Boyang it's traditional for him to bounce back later in the season and win medals whether he misses the final or not. With Misha you can't be sure. He can do better in the second half of the season or he can do worse like last season, although he started last season quite a bit stronger than this one (if you consider GP and not Challengers). And we still can't be sure how much he is truly over the Olympic experience and how that might weigh him down so that's a worry.

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Lol, how long have you been his fan if that's enough for you to give up on him? He has always been up and down, that's just how he rolls and he won't change enough to become "always up". There are skaters who I emotionally pulled away from at least partly because the rollercoaster with raised hopes crashing against -teenth places led to a burnout but Misha has never lowered his standard that far.

For enough time to be tired of getting a heartbreak over and over :dev3:. I was hoping that he will learn to keep his nerves after three years in the senior arena and getting the bronze - some do, you know? I enjoy enormously to watch him skate, but the stress i get when he competes :eeking:... He is lucky (and his fans) that Russian men are not very stable, with a similar competition to the girls, he would get less and less chances for international competitions - you know how the federation thinks. I will enjoy as long as it lasts, but hopes he will realize his potential i have not anymore. I will be happy if it will come other way, but crashed hopes are a biter herb which i not enjoy .
And fourth place is enough to crash his chances to get to the GP final. He has the other GP also against Yuzuru and other strong skaters....

 

[coldblueeyes]

I feel like he just didn't have the time to compartmentalize what happened during the Olympics, or just didn't manage to do that yet. He doesn't' seem emotionally ready for a GP, but I'm open to the proven wrong in COR.

 

[vorravorra]

It took Brezina how long exactly to be reborn?

None of the current Russian men would go far if there was a bunch of upcoming Chens who were also consistent, that's kind of obvious. Few men anywhere in the world would have a chance. The fact is this isn't happening and won't happen in the near future. And Misha will never be as consistent as the Russian girls. And realising his potential would still likely mean losing to Yuzuru, Shoma and Chen if Chen doesn't decide to concentrate on his studies. And he hasn't given up his chance to lose to them yet :dev3: