Mikhail Kolyada

[rachno2]

Would it be that bad if Misha wasn’t #1? It’s not like RusFed is going to dump him if he doesn’t manage to defend his title, or if he does so with only one quad (and if they did, it would be extraordinarily stupid on their part). I know it’s probably a point of pride for him to be a 3-time national champion, but he really should aim for content that (a) doesn’t put as much strain on his health/stamina and (b) lands him on the podium. The other guys still have a ways to go before they build up the international reputation Misha has. Whoever does win will get a PCS boost no doubt, but I don’t think that necessarily means Misha’s scores will suffer. He’s a reigning world medalist, after all.

 

[cathlen]

Would it be that bad if Misha wasn’t #1? It’s not like RusFed is going to dump him if he doesn’t manage to defend his title, or if he does so with only one quad (and if they did, it would be extraordinarily stupid on their part). I know it’s probably a point of pride for him to be a 3-time national champion, but he really should aim for content that (a) doesn’t put as much strain on his health/stamina and (b) lands him on the podium. Why is not winning seen as such a catastrophic thing for his career? The other guys still have a ways to go before they build up the international reputation Misha has. Whoever does win will get a PCS boost no doubt, but I don’t think that necessarily means Misha’s scores will suffer. He’s a reigning world medalist, after all.

I think it's the fans more rather than Misha himself that want him to be National Champion. I think he would be happy if he skates clean, regardless if it'd give him first place or second or even third.

 

[rachno2]

I think it's the fans more rather than Misha himself that want him to be National Champion. I think he would be happy if he skates clean, regardless if it'd give him first place or second or even third.

Well, if he skates clean, he’ll be first anyway I think people underestimate how ambitious he is. He was so visibly angry with himself after Finlandia Trophy, and he won that competition. I don’t think the recent disappointments have hampered his expectations, either, otherwise he wouldn’t keep increasing the technical difficulty in his LP.

I’m expecting three attempted quads in the FS, including the salchow. It’s a good thing this is taking place over holiday vacations, because a lot of alcohol is going to get consumed.

 

[Metis]

Would it be that bad if Misha wasn’t #1? It’s not like RusFed is going to dump him if he doesn’t manage to defend his title, or if he does so with only one quad (and if they did, it would be extraordinarily stupid on their part). I know it’s probably a point of pride for him to be a 3-time national champion, but he really should aim for content that (a) doesn’t put as much strain on his health/stamina and (b) lands him on the podium. Why is not winning seen as such a catastrophic thing for his career? The other guys still have a ways to go before they build up the international reputation Misha has. Whoever does win will get a PCS boost no doubt, but I don’t think that necessarily means Misha’s scores will suffer. He’s a reigning world medalist, after all.

I think momentum is good for the (healthy) ego, but I’m not too fussed about where exactly he finishes so long as he’s happy with his performance. He’s still the anchor of the Russian men’s team, but that’s pressure too, unfortunately, as the more consistent Russian men don’t have a high enough scoring ceiling to be truly competitive and the one(s) with the ability to challenge for the podium at Euros or Worlds haven’t made a strong case for themselves this season. So, unfortunately, I think it would be a knife-fight/free Misha piñata party in the press if he doesn’t win Nationals and a “oh that was just the first half of the season” narrative can’t be set, as he’s really Russia’s only hope for maintaining spots.

Misha reminds me of a line from Daria — We tell you over and over again how wonderful you are and you. just. don’t. get. it. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU? He’s definitely the best man in Russia (and, in my opinion, one of the best in the world... we will always have WC18 short programme, just not on YouTube), but when Voronov is the one who makes the GPF... I can understand where the narrative comes from, even though I don’t like it. It’s also just the curse of having talent: watching Misha skate, it’s impossible not to see just how outstandingly gifted he is, and everyone just wants him to make good on all of that potential. Which... doesn’t help. But it’s why bronze medalists are thrilled and silver medalists distraught, in a way — when no one expects you to stand on top of the podium, you’re happy just to be on it, but when you’re expected to stand atop it and miss... much oy, such vey.

 

[rachno2]

Misha reminds me of a line from Daria — We tell you over and over again how wonderful you are and you. just. don’t. get. it. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?.

I’m pretty sure Misha does know how wonderful he is, though. That’s why he gets so upset when he misses an element or has a lackluster competition like Finlandia. Somebody asked him in an interview if he was proud of his world bronze medal, and he said he wasn’t sure, because he could have done better (the silver was right there, after all). Even when he qualified to GPF last season, he said it was a surprise, but that he always kind of knew the day would come.

Nobody recognizes his potential more than he does. But you don’t just wake up one day, decide you’re going to realize that potential, and win a bunch of medals, especially when you’re somebody who doesn’t thrive off of pressure the way Hanyu does or Yagudin did. Misha is simply wired differently, and it’s useless to expect he’ll become that kind of fierce competitor overnight. In fact, he will probably never be that way.

 

[vorravorra]

Well, if he skates clean, he’ll be first anyway I think people underestimate how ambitious he is. He was so visibly angry with himself after Finlandia Trophy, and he won that competition. I don’t think the recent disappointments have hampered his expectations, either, otherwise he wouldn’t keep increasing the technical difficulty in his program content.

I’m expecting three attempted quads, including the salchow. It’s a good thing this is taking place over holiday vacations, because a lot of alcohol is going to get consumed.

Yes. Misha has said a few times he likes being the National Champion. He never implied that the pressure is too much and could someone else please do it. As for Nationals, more quads even not well-executed seem to be the strategy that is preferred by the Fed and that is how Misha won the previous two Nationals. He has already landed the 4S even in this state. But the issue is you need to still be able to skate the rest of the program. Which is why I think two quads are enough at this point.

I think momentum is good for the (healthy) ego, but I’m not too fussed about where exactly he finishes so long as he’s happy with his performance. He’s still the anchor of the Russian men’s team, but that’s pressure too, unfortunately, as the more consistent Russian men don’t have a high enough scoring ceiling to be truly competitive and the one(s) with the ability to challenge for the podium at Euros or Worlds haven’t made a strong case for themselves this season. So, unfortunately, I think it would be a knife-fight/free Misha piñata party in the press if he doesn’t win Nationals and a “oh that was just the first half of the season” narrative can’t be set, as he’s really Russia’s only hope for maintaining spots.

Misha reminds me of a line from Daria — We tell you over and over again how wonderful you are and you. just. don’t. get. it. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU? He’s definitely the best man in Russia (and, in my opinion, one of the best in the world... we will always have WC18 short programme, just not on YouTube), but when Voronov is the one who makes the GPF... I can understand where the narrative comes from, even though I don’t like it. It’s also just the curse of having talent: watching Misha skate, it’s impossible not to see just how outstandingly gifted he is, and everyone just wants him to make good on all of that potential. Which... doesn’t help. But it’s why bronze medalists are thrilled and silver medalists distraught, in a way — when no one expects you to stand on top of the podium, you’re happy just to be on it, but when you’re expected to stand atop it and miss... much oy, such vey.

Yes, "how dare you not to realise your potential, what's wrong with you???" has been a leitmotif of a lot of fans (though thankfully not here) which I think is horrendously entitled... Guys, he does not owe you anything, OK? Disappointed, go be a fan of someone else.

Happy with his performance and not finishing at the top are unlikely to be compatible at Nationals unless Misha's expectations have dropped drastically.

 

[Metis]

I’m pretty sure Misha does know how wonderful he is, though. That’s why he gets so upset when he misses an element or has a lackluster competition like Finlandia.

To be clear, the Daria quote is a mother to her teenage daughter after said daughter has been diagnosed with low self-esteem, so it was definitely meant as a tongue in cheek remark. Misha is... like every other serious athlete: you can win all you want, but until you’re satisfied you’ve won that battle with yourself (“Yes, I did everything I could possibly do to the best of my abilities”), only misery awaits. It’s part of why I find his expression after performances he’s not pleased with so devastating, because there’s nothing anyone can say or do to alleviate that feeing of having failed yourself, but I still just want to give him a hug and older sister him to death.

Yes. Misha has said a few times he likes being the National Champion. He never implied that the pressure is too much and could someone else please do it.

I can’t see anyone beating him at Nationals regardless, and Misha is, at least to me, the best Russian man since Yagudin. He deserves to have his name remembered a la Plushenko and Yagudin, frankly.

As for Nationals, more quads even not well-executed seem to be the strategy that is preferred by the Fed and that is how Misha won the previous two Nationals. He has already landed the 4S even in this state. But the issue is you need to still be able to skate the rest of the program. Which is why I think two quads are enough at this point.

Two quads is reasonable to me. Misha is a skater who deserves all the GOE most of the time — I am always struck by the size of his jumps, as they’re just... stunning. We’ll see what happens. I just hope he’s happy with what he does on the ice (okay, I know that’s asking for a lot), or at the very least that he has two solid skates he can feel okay about afterward.

Yes, "how dare you not to realise your potential, what's wrong with you???" has been a leitmotif of a lot of fans (though thankfully not here) which I think is horrendously entitled... Guys, he does not owe you anything, OK? Disappointed, go be a fan of someone else.

It’s an irritating complaint, but Misha has so much talent that even those who don’t know much about figure skating can immediately notice — I think people are just hoping that he’s able to skate lights out, because he’s not a skater you find yourself saying, “Oh, the jumps are good, but he doesn’t really perform, does he?” It’s rare to even see skaters as complete as Misha. Taking the most charitable view, I tend to assume those comments are mostly frustration because people really do want him to do well, and we all know he’s capable of amazing skates. On the other hand... yeah, it’s a refrain that I’m sick of hearing.

I just want Misha to be happy and healthy. And I hope he knows he has fans who support him no matter what. The Russian skating press is quite dramatic, and there’s so much pressure on him.

 

[vorravorra]

I can’t see anyone beating him at Nationals regardless, and Misha is, at least to me, the best Russian man since Yagudin. He deserves to have his name remembered a la Plushenko and Yagudin, frankly.

Two quads is reasonable to me. Misha is a skater who deserves all the GOE most of the time — I am always struck by the size of his jumps, as they’re just... stunning. We’ll see what happens. I just hope he’s happy with what he does on the ice (okay, I know that’s asking for a lot), or at the very least that he has two solid skates he can feel okay about afterward.

Whoever has more quads can suddenly acquire GOE and PCS at Nationals. Last season they really wanted to give it to Samarin. The problem is when other guys get the chance to beat Misha they immediately proceed to squander it.

 

[rachno2]

He deserves to have his name remembered a la Plushenko and Yagudin, frankly.

They will never, ever see him that way unless he wins a world title, and even then I doubt he would be anywhere near as beloved as those guys (especially after the Oly team event). I fear he will always be deemed a person "without character"

I just realized that if he did win worlds in 2019 (unlikely with the way this season has gone, and I do like the idea of Hanyu winning in his home country skating to a program called "Origin"), Misha would be the first Russian man to do so in 15 years. What a pretty headline that would make.

But he doesn’t need to ever win worlds to be a beautiful, complete skater in his fans’ eyes :agree:

 

[vorravorra]

Also, what is with the accusation that Misha and his team were too lazy or incompetent to work on his form during the summer? You can fault them for a lot of things but not that. Has everyone forgotten last season? Misha's stamina was precisely what allowed him to stay on top. If his form is bad there is a reason.

 

[vorravorra]

They will never, ever see him that way unless he wins a world title, and even then he will not be anywhere near as beloved as those guys (especially after the Oly team event). He will always be deemed a person "without character"

I just realized that if he did win worlds in 2019 (99% unlikely with the way this season has gone, and I like the idea of Hanyu winning in his home country skating to a program called "Origin"), Misha would be the first Russian man to do so in 15 years. What a pretty headline that would make.

But he doesn’t need to win worlds to be the most beautiful, complete skater in his fans’ eyes :agree:

When is someone else going to be without character for a change? Right now if another Russian guy does badly it's 100500 other reasons but with Misha it's lack of character. Which is why I think they are doing themselves no favours concealing health problems. That Zhurankov's revelation last season was too little too late, and that's a trend with them. They have done stupid stuff like that with Stasya too.

That team is just bad at handling PR. They don't have enough experience and their natural tendencies run contrary to what works. Maybe they'll learn one day.

 

[coldblueeyes]

At this point coming forward with an injury or something similar won't really be a good move, though. I'm pretty sure they might accuse him of only using it to divert attention from his "bad results", and I'm sure Misha more than anyone else does not want that.

On another note, his layout at Nepela is the one I'd like him to skate, too. But I'm sure he's going to do the one from COR or Golden Spin--my bet is the hardest one.

 

[Silver Blade]

I'm going to Nationals and honestly I'm scared as hell.
Nothing can be predicted and this scares more and more.

 

[vorravorra]

At this point coming forward with an injury or something similar won't really be a good move, though. I'm pretty sure they might accuse him of only using it to divert attention from his "bad results", and I'm sure Misha more than anyone else does not want that.

On another note, his layout at Nepela is the one I'd like him to skate, too. But I'm sure he's going to do the one from COR or Golden Spin--my bet is the hardest one.

Yes, because you need to do this in time. Saying "I am perfectly fine" and later admitting to an unhealed injury didn't even work for Medvedeva PR-wise. Ideally a health problem should be known beforehand, then good results make you a hero battling against impossible odds and bad results are to be expected and earn words of support. Imagine what Misha training the quad lutz despite it killing his back could be spun into in the right hands! Remember TAT and Samarin last season. Misha's team managed to gain the least benefit possible from it. Instead of a hero narrative we have a narrative of someone who has had it far too easy compared to skaters who have struggled with real problems, which were real because they actually said they existed, in words. People are not going to read between the lines and fill in the blanks and wait 6 months for explanations unless they are fans and fans are not the ones you need to preach to.

 

[vorravorra]

I'm going to Nationals and honestly I'm scared as hell.
Nothing can be predicted and this scares more and more.

I feel for you. CoR was enough for me and it didn't even have Zhenya in it. My belief in consistency is so shaken that I keep expecting Mishina/Galliamov to finally bomb something too.

 

[rachno2]

We’re stressed out and panicking, Mish, but thanks for asking
(good luck spotting him in that picture)

 

[Metis]

We’re stressed out and panicking, Mish, but thanks for asking
(good luck spotting him in that picture)

too much adorable, misha plz

 

[vorravorra]

People are alredy seeing this post as proof Misha is not serious about Nationals. Apparently panicked or depressed pre-competition posts would be proof Misha is in the appropriate psychological state.

 

[Metis]

People are alredy seeing this post as proof Misha is not serious about Nationals. Apparently panicked or depressed pre-competition posts would be proof Misha is in the appropriate psychological state.

:giveup:

Okay, Misha. Tell me who you need me to beat up. *dusts off ersatz Krav Maga skills*

 

[vorravorra]

I don't know what people want sometimes. Misha will never play a Byronic hero and unload his problems on anyone who would listen. For how many years did people believe he was a sunny laid-back guy with strong nerves who bounced right back after failures? And I don't mean just viewers. If all you had was info from people like Stasya he would still be seen that way. That's how much he sees the need to keep his negativity in check and raise others' spirits, even his teammates don't get to see the other side of him.