Mikhail Kolyada

[vorravorra]

I honestly don't understand, everyone and their dog are now talking about there being something seriously wrong with him physically, you have to be blind not to see that his stamina is nonexistent, why not clear the air and say something? It's not a secret that he was sick for a long time anyway, and he is not the first skater in the world to lose/fail to gain form due to injury or illness. How is it better to be accused of having no character/whatever instead?

 

[rachno2]

As for Sasha, I was still stanning Michelle but when MK's era was over, I was definitely rooting for Sasha--that was soooo stressful!

You're in good company here. This thread doubles as a Sasha Cohen fanfest
As young as he looks, Misha will be one of those old lions (by FS standards) before we know it. Hopefully he'll peak right around the time he turns 27

Golden Spin EX
Sorry for the alarmist tone of the previous post. The jumps just look very insecure, and I'm not used to seeing that from Misha. Obviously he falls and pops with some frequency, but the take-off, trajectory and landing just seem so.....off?

 

[vorravorra]

He's been off starting from Finlanda at least. When in the previous seasons did he come across as so clumsy on the ice? And you could see it in Galas too. Like he has to concentrate hard to simply keep his balance.

Edit: the balance issues have actually got better, which is encouraging in terms of health and sinusitis in particular. The stamina is still not there, unfortunately. It has been suggested that this season it may be too late to fix it even if he got healthy this minute.

 

[vorravorra]

I sincerely hope that Misha does not read his VK group any more. It's honestly darker than this thread at the moment, the admins have given up on trying to keep it positive. They seem to be feeling as down as anyone judging by their posts. Plus Misha might have communicated that he doesn't go there so have at it, and now it's just another discussion forum where people say their minds.

 

[rachno2]

Well, then, let’s spread some positivity and humor around here! Not that Misha can read this forum, obviously. But for our own sanity

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrLFgwDFDvq/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=etyi7fjamfm6
His photography is getting better This new, professional-looking/sounding IG is still weird to me, but I can’t blame him for putting distance between himself and his followers in these uncertain times.

https://mobile.twitter.com/sunlight_girl/status/1071688115297886209
I can’t believe Masha would post this and not give us any follow-up

https://mobile.twitter.com/chirauraura/status/1071507205487128576
3A duel with Sasha and Daniel Samohin

And of course he won the Challenger Series again. Does he get prize money for that?

 

[Tutto]

Well, then, let’s spread some positivity and humor around here! Not that Misha can read this forum, obviously. But for our own sanity

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrLFgwDFDvq/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=etyi7fjamfm6
His photography is getting better This new, professional-looking/sounding IG is still weird to me, but I can’t blame him for putting distance between himself and his followers in these uncertain times.

https://mobile.twitter.com/lynnneposts/status/1071687287472177152
I can’t believe Masha would post this and not give us any follow-up

https://mobile.twitter.com/chirauraura/status/1071507205487128576
3A duel with Sasha and Daniel Samohin

And of course he won the Challenger Series again. Does he get prize money for that?

I saw somewhere (can't remember where) the figure of 4000 Swiss franc - appr €3,500

 

[Tutto]

I honestly don't understand, everyone and their dog are now talking about there being something seriously wrong with him physically, you have to be blind not to see that his stamina is nonexistent, why not clear the air and say something? It's not a secret that he was sick for a long time anyway, and he is not the first skater in the world to lose/fail to gain form due to injury or illness. How is it better to be accused of having no character/whatever instead?

I confess I fail to understand anything anymore - who is making these disastrous decisions - is it Mika being stubborn or Valentina pushing him (latter I find hard to believe) but it looks like any common sense gone out of the window at Team Mika this season...
The way things going he might never regain his stamina at last season's level, sorry for bringing Sasha Cohen again but it only took her to skate with flu/ high fever at 2 competitions in a row (against TAT's advice but remarkably on her mother's insistence!) to suffer for the rest of her career. She was alright of course but was always catching viruses, flu, colds etc and even had a walking pneumonia. She was always tired, had just enough energy for a SP but by LP felt completely drained and nobody could explain why. So seeing someone doing 3 minor totally unnecessary comps being so sick is just beyond my comprehension.
But if to discard the motion that everyone, Valentina, Olga, that other coach Semenenko (?) and Mika himself all simultaneously lost their minds, one has to suspect that there is method in that madness, so I'll try to find some explanation:
1) re his health - at this point it actually can be tricky he is not well but he is not acutely sick to be on a sick leave (that is if it is really only chronic sinusitis that bothers him, that might be something else) so he actually has to go on training having no energy/stamina to do so
2) the most obvious solution to seek help from the RusFed might not be an option, we don't know what's happening there behind the scenes. CSKA might be only be too happy to have an excuse to replace Mika on the team
3) they might have a plan to get through RusNats at any cost and then maybe simplify the layout or even skip Euros and get back into shape by Worlds
4) I could see that competing at Nationals with only one type of quad might be risky

But I can't help feeling that him taking the rest of the season off as a result of a disaster at Nats might be the best long term outcome.

The only thing which keep my spirits up is that judging by the various videos from Gala Mika seems to be cheerful enough.

 

[vorravorra]

I don't think you need to prove you are really ill to withdraw from a Challenger event. But I guess whatever he has that has been draining his energy isn't going away by Nationals so they may have decided to see what he can manage in this state. Which makes me think it's probably not something like his back that can be easily aggravated, sinusitis in a chronic background form seems more likely.

 

[rachno2]

Well, if we must see him at Nationals, then I suppose I’ll be hoping for a similar performance to the one at Golden Spin. As everybody already mentioned, a non-disaster SP is the key. It looks like this is the best FS he can physically manage right now, and it is in all likelihood enough for the podium. I don’t think the Fed has a nefarious plan to keep him off the team; I think they want him on the team at all costs. This season, for all its downsides, has shown that he still brings in the points and can place well internationally with less-than-stellar skates.

At the same time, I doubt the Fed would let him skip Euros. I would love for him to have 2+ months of rest/training before Worlds, but I don’t see it happening.

 

[Tutto]

I say it is a tough situation but it still can be managed - why not to simplify the layout with one 4T and let the Fed have a fit, in the end what they can really do. Skated decently it will still be enough for the place on the podium. If anything other Russian guys seem to perform even worse when Mika leaves the door open for them... and even in the unlikely event that someone of remaining 4 candidates has a skate of their life let him take a title - it might ease the pressure for Mika. To believe that all four will step up and push Mika off the podium is such a fantastic scenario (it is Russian guys we are talking about) that I won't even consider it.

 

[Tutto]

Just a thought, he makes a 'new' mistake every competition this season - e.g we never seen a 1lz from him, this time it was a fall on Ur 3lo - I can't remember him ever doing that- doubling yes
What is next I wonder

 

[coldblueeyes]

I'd say he does not need more than ONE quad in the SP to win RN if he skates a quadless FS clean, but clean programs are like diamonds for Misha, so he might as well pack as much content as he can. They've changed things around in the FS, but other than Nepela, he didn't reach 80 in TES for four competitions now, so is it worth it to compete three quads and fall on simple jumps or try the simpler layout and still score about the same? He's going to be less strained with a simpler layout, but it seems like they're throwing caution to the wind, for reasons unknown to me.

Also, scrap that quad sal, because it's just not happening now. Go with a quad toe, two 3As and 3z, then add the loop, the salchow and fill in the gaps with combos. He did that in Nepela and his score is still holding up pretty well, I don't know why they're scrambling around for the harder stuff now.

 

[rachno2]

Looks like we’ll see a new exhibition at Nationals (hopefully something lighthearted and camp! I miss that side of him)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrLF_30Hdt4/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=nqm7rwuedye4

Seeing him look that tall made me do a double take

topic: I’m so intrigued by this sudden professionalization of his Instagram. It has a verification badge now, which I wouldn’t normally ascribe any significance to, but with the updated generic profile / cooperation email / assisted English translations, it’s as if he’s trying to brand himself. But why? :think:

 

[Imov]

I will still be optimistic for him.
He has my faith that Nationals will just be fine.
Misha will rise to the occasion.

 

[Tutto]

RusNats schedule is up:

https://fsrussia.ru/files/docs/competitons/1819/rus_nat_1819_competition_schedule.pdf

Men's SP Thursday, the 20th Dec 2pm - 4.30pm
Men's LP Friday, the 21st Dec 4.50pm - 7.50pm (local time which is apparently same as Moscow time)

God save us, it is so soon! ... crawling under the rock ....

 

[Tutto]

Looks like we’ll see a new exhibition at Nationals (hopefully something lighthearted and camp! I miss that side of him)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrLF_30Hdt4/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=nqm7rwuedye4

Seeing him look that tall made me do a double take

topic: I’m so intrigued by this sudden professionalization of his Instagram. It has a verification badge now, which I wouldn’t normally ascribe any significance to, but with the updated generic profile / cooperation email / assisted English translations, it’s as if he’s trying to brand himself. But why? :think:

Maybe he's just had more spare time recently than normally - we don't know really how the training's been going lately, maybe he was forced to stay at home some days feeling unwell?

 

[Tutto]

I'd say he does not need more than ONE quad in the SP to win RN if he skates a quadless FS clean, but clean programs are like diamonds for Misha, so he might as well pack as much content as he can. They've changed things around in the FS, but other than Nepela, he didn't reach 80 in TES for four competitions now, so is it worth it to compete three quads and fall on simple jumps or try the simpler layout and still score about the same? He's going to be less strained with a simpler layout, but it seems like they're throwing caution to the wind, for reasons unknown to me.

Also, scrap that quad sal, because it's just not happening now. Go with a quad toe, two 3As and 3z, then add the loop, the salchow and fill in the gaps with combos. He did that in Nepela and his score is still holding up pretty well, I don't know why they're scrambling around for the harder stuff now.

It would be a sensible thing to do but that is not a theme of the season at Team Mika alas
I too hope that we will see Nepela's layout at RN but suspect it will be CoR's one just because RusFed would not be happy with a one quad Russian Champ
BUT if it is Golden Spin's layout I will resign myself from this thread (for a while at least because that will be beyond mad)

 

[coldblueeyes]

It would be a sensible thing to do but that is not a theme of the season at Team Mika alas
I too hope that we will see Nepela's layout at RN but suspect it will be CoR's one just because RusFed would not be happy with a one quad Russian Champ
BUT if it is Golden Spin's layout I will resign myself from this thread (for a while at least because that will be beyond mad)

I'd be prepared for the worst, haha. I don't know if they will change, or how Misha is going to skate. It's a complete mystery.

 

[vorravorra]

Maybe he's just had more spare time recently than normally - we don't know really how the training's been going lately, maybe he was forced to stay at home some days feeling unwell?

I suspect he finally got an agent.

 

[vorravorra]

I'd say he does not need more than ONE quad in the SP to win RN if he skates a quadless FS clean, but clean programs are like diamonds for Misha, so he might as well pack as much content as he can. They've changed things around in the FS, but other than Nepela, he didn't reach 80 in TES for four competitions now, so is it worth it to compete three quads and fall on simple jumps or try the simpler layout and still score about the same? He's going to be less strained with a simpler layout, but it seems like they're throwing caution to the wind, for reasons unknown to me.

Also, scrap that quad sal, because it's just not happening now. Go with a quad toe, two 3As and 3z, then add the loop, the salchow and fill in the gaps with combos. He did that in Nepela and his score is still holding up pretty well, I don't know why they're scrambling around for the harder stuff now.

He had two quads and one 3A at Nepela. He needs something resembling harder stuff for Nationals I suspect, as Tutto has said, they already have expressed their unhappiness with both Misha and Aliev. But I hope there is a compromise.