Mikhail Kolyada

[vorravorra]

Tat says one thing about the skaters she doesn't coach and do something else with those she coaches. Aliev is doing this season till now also only 4T.
Something what Mika doesn't have is politicking power. Valentina is not recognized too much, is too far from Moscow and has no power with the federation. He got to be no 1 because he was so good and none of he federation favs was near to him.

But those PCS of 88 shows how much support Kovtun has, if Mika doesn't bring the TES as Nats he won't be able to surpass Kovtun just based on PCS. This worries me as someone between Mika-Aliev-Voronov will be let down. The federation loves Samarin too much, he has to bomb big time to don't get in the team. I wonder if Kovtun will really do an international competition to get a real comparation between men.

TAT doesn't have any control over Aliev's jump content, only programs. Misha needs to bring the TES, isn't it obvious that he won't be able to make up like a 20 point tech difference in PCS even if he gets 9s as he usually does at Nationals? They are not going to give everyone else 7s. Misha never won Nationals on PCS after bombing the tech and I doubt he is expecting to start now.

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

If TAT has no power on Aliev jumps why do you believe she would have over Mika's if she would work with him in a similar position?

Edit to add: it is clear that Mika won't get 20 points advantage in PCS, but he also has not three quads in his FS even should he be clean (and i don't see him having the stamina for it). His advantage over someone like Kovtun or Samarin is in reality in PCS. If they got the PCS inflated, then his (and Aliev) advantage is diminished.

 

[rachno2]

Those references at the beginning of Raf's interview to the Fed's hands being tied in sending skaters to foreign coaches. Who is he implying the Fed would like to send abroad but is stopped by someone's patriotism (not, say, a lack of money)? Zhenya was definitely not their idea. Two dance couples went before her, also on their initiative not the Fed's. Although you could argue that going to Russian coaches who simply work abroad doesn't count, so Zhenya is the only one who truly broke the mold. But why should Raf be concerned then, he is also a Russian coach working abroad and should pass the patriotism test?

Maybe the Fed is willing to send Misha, but Misha doesn’t want to go? Could be a Boyang Jin situation, although there is a world of difference between the coaching opportunities in China and those in Russia. I read an article yesterday that went through all the coaching options for Misha, including sending him abroad. Their conclusion was that he should go to Mozer of all people.

I do agree that moving abroad mid-season would be too much, and I haven’t given up on Valentina. Let’s see what the rest of the season holds.

 

[vorravorra]

If TAT has no power on Aliev jumps why do you believe she would have over Mika's if she would work with him in a similar position?

In a similar position is advising on programs? She won't but Misha doesn't need her advice on programs, especially considering Dima's programs this season.

 

[vorravorra]

Maybe the Fed is willing to send Misha, but Misha doesn’t want to go? Could be a Boyang Jin situation, although there is a world of difference between the coaching opportunities in China and those in Russia. I read an article yesterday that went through all the coaching options for Misha, including sending him abroad. Their conclusion was that he should go to Mozer of all people.

Raf said in another interview it's a question of finances in Misha's case. If the Fed was prepared to find him the money, that wouldn't have come up. They at the very least would be prepared to pay for more frequent consultations and even that is a problem according to Raf.

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Maybe the Fed is willing to send Misha, but Misha doesn’t want to go? Could be a Boyang Jin situation, although there is a world of difference between the coaching opportunities in China and those in Russia. I read an article yesterday that went through all the coaching options for Misha, including sending him abroad. Their conclusion was that he should go to Mozer of all people.

I do agree that moving abroad mid-season would be too much, and I haven’t given up on Valentina. Let’s see what the rest of the season holds.

MOZER???

 

[vorravorra]

I don't know where this idea comes from that the Fed would like to sink Misha at Nationals at the first opportunity. He always got the highest PCS there. He can only sink himself. It's up to him to get his nerves and his health in order. At the moment maybe his biggest problem is that he knows he doesn't have the stamina to come back in the FS after a bad SP like he did before, which puts more pressure on him to produce a good SP, plus the idea that the SP is now easier and he has no excuse not to skate it properly, and I think all of this added stress may lead to him bombing the SP. Maybe if he is more confident in his free skates he will actually start skating better short programs.

 

[rachno2]

MOZER???

I KNOW.

All I know is I will never watch Misha skate a short program live again. Three traumatic experiences were enough.
(Watch me go back on my word in a month)

 

[vorravorra]

I KNOW.

All I know is I will never watch Misha skate a short program live again. Three traumatic experiences were enough.
(Watch me go back on my word in a month)

Yes, and I was actually there in the rink! I did not watch his FS live, just missed the men entirely the next day. Maybe I won't go to competitions with Misha in it any more, it's just too hard.

 

[coldblueeyes]

The key for Misha to get on the podium is to skate a good SP - it would have put him on the podium in his two GPs and it's probably what he needs to get on the podium at Nats. He's now scored three times along the same lines in the FS, and it's not a terrible score, in Russia it will be much higher anyway, so he has to get around to skating a decent SP. It's still a long way to go until RN, and it's not like we can do much from here, so hopefully he can pull himself together.

 

[Tutto]

...OMG I said the same thing!! And I still can't watch her Torino free. So I definitely know the feeling. It happened again for me as well (though with Hanyu in 2013, so it did take a while for me too). Therefore, I've concluded that you don't choose the uber life, the uber life chooses you . The heart wants what it wants, man!

I have a good feeling about Misha though. Yeah he's 23, but I think of skaters like Javi who hit their stride later in their career. His technique is too pure and skills too great for it to never come together.

I was a Sasha Cohen uber as a kid �� and I hadn’t gotten so emotionally attached to anybody like that again until Misha came along. I hope we haven’t cursed him! (They both are Oly silver and World bronze medalists after all).

Where are all of you. Well I guess I see you around elsewhere.

OMG could it be just a coincidence or Sasha and Mika have more in common than meets the eye?
One day in the off-season perhaps, we should derail this thread and talk about Sasha (I miss her so much!), and find out how come we all attracted to so seemingly different skaters

 

[Tutto]

I really hope they've got the hang of what needs to be done for Nats. I'm actually more worried about the SP for now because his FS scores are okay-ish for RN levels, but he needs that high 90s score to be in contention.

I get a feeling that they might water down a choreo in LP a bit for Nats, that how I read his remark that he knows now what needs to be done?

 

[Tutto]

Maybe the Fed is willing to send Misha, but Misha doesn’t want to go? Could be a Boyang Jin situation, although there is a world of difference between the coaching opportunities in China and those in Russia. I read an article yesterday that went through all the coaching options for Misha, including sending him abroad. Their conclusion was that he should go to Mozer of all people.

I do agree that moving abroad mid-season would be too much, and I haven’t given up on Valentina. Let’s see what the rest of the season holds.

That's what I think too. I was totally on the 'move to Raf train' but after reading Raf's last interview not so sure anymore. It could be a little too late for Mika, he would need to change so much I am not sure he is willing to but Raf's method seems to be built on the strict discipline and total trust that he knows best. Mika has been coached by the same coach all his life, lately I believe it has been more of a partnership of equals rather than a student/coach situation. It would be very difficult for him to follow instructions without questioning/analysing them. I could see analogy with that if you ever ran your own business it can be extremely difficult to adjust then to working for someone else.
And I wish Raf havent said that 'swiss clock' thing, first like the others I can't understand what he actually meant, secondly it will be sure interpreted in the worst possible way - that Mika doesn't work hard enough etc
I even wonder if Raf actually meant that Mika's jump technique is so precise everything has to be correct for jumps to work , but that the journalists twisted all that as usual?

All in all, most of his issues are in his head and as we know coaching changes not always solve that. If they could add another coach to the team, someone who can go with him to competitions and give him the psychological support he needs not after he failed but all the time, it might be more beneficial without stress of changing coaches, countries and so on.
I don't know if that was posted before but Stanislava gave an interview after Helsinki and she talked quite a bit about Mika:
https://fsrussia.ru/intervyu/4089-s...-dovolstvovatsya-tem-chto-ty-uzhe-sdelal.html

She mentions the psychologist she works with : Gennady Gorbunov, I wonder if he is working with Mika too.

 

[Tutto]

That surprised me too. Is he looking to cooperate as a coach/instructor, doing campaigns/model/selling stuff, or perhaps shows? Maybe he wants to cash in some money--get your theories out! Maybe he'd like to be able to fund some of his trainings outside of Russia, too.

Maybe it is just a poor choice of word and simply meant 'contact'
But wow we have a direct line to Mika now! I nearly wrote that he should do a nasal rinse with salty water twice a day to get rid of that sinusitis but restrained myself

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

I wonder right now if Mika shouldn't ditch the quads in the short and try to do the elements at his best. See Jason's points.

 

[Tutto]

I wonder right now if Mika shouldn't ditch the quads in the short and try to do the elements at his best. See Jason's points.

Definitely not at RusNats - the Fed would have a fit

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Definitely not at RusNats - the Fed would have a fit

LOL. And TAT too

 

[rachno2]

Misha just needs to do enough to get on the podium, ie not bomb the short. I think they will send him to Euros with a weak bronze no matter who takes silver/gold. But I thought he would podium no problem at both of his GPs, so who knows.

I hope he is drilling that 4T-3T like crazy so it becomes clockwork to him, because right now Sergei and Samarin are the most worthy of being on the team. Sad to think Misha and Dima earned back those three spots and it’s looking like there is no room for both of them, and possibly either of them It’s 100% fair, but still sad.

As a side note, this competition and the artistry vs quads debate just reminds me of how special Misha is. He really is The One, if he could just pull it together! :dev2:

 

[rachno2]

Maybe it is just a poor choice of word and simply meant 'contact'
But wow we have a direct line to Mika now! I nearly wrote that he should do a nasal rinse with salty water twice a day to get rid of that sinusitis but restrained myself

Please do it!

 

[SnowWhite]

Maybe it is just a poor choice of word and simply meant 'contact'
But wow we have a direct line to Mika now! I nearly wrote that he should do a nasal rinse with salty water twice a day to get rid of that sinusitis but restrained myself

Evgenia uses "cooperation" in her bio. Other skaters just have their agent or whatever's email. Other people write contact, but I don't find using cooperation to be weird. Igor Eremenko uses cooperation too.