Russian world champion team

[Tinymavy15]

it's funny how we went form russia really sweeping the podium at the olympics and othe competion beforehand, to having no major contentors to send to worlds this year. The only russians who really have a shot are the ice dancers, but with the tragic death of her father, i can't expect her to be in top form.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

The writing was on the wall but no one did anything about it.

To do that again in the future, and I emphasize future, they have to get the Government sponsored Soviet system back again now.

Joe

 

[iloveaxel]

The writing was on the wall but no one did anything about it.

To do that again in the future, and I emphasize future, they have to get the Government sponsored Soviet system back again now.

Joe

Plusenk(my spelling sucks, sorry) has officially declared to come back next season.

 

[alyona]

Do you know how K&S did at this competition? More details will be welcome. I sort of like this

pair.

I do not have my notes on Kawaguchi & Smirnov's SP because I tried to get a video but then deleted it accidentally But it was very strong, almost flawless and impressive. With triples.
33,36 + 26,4 = 59,76

Efaeva & Menshikov SP
3s sbs I had an impression that she doubled
2tw split out of dance lift
3Sth turn out
DS change of hand from difficult entry
SpSt excellent fit to music
I'm not good in lifts recognizing, but it was 3 rotations on one hand with difficult exit
sbs FCSp cof slightly out of sync in one position but corrected soon
pair Sp

Very good overall impression, very inspired, nice choreo with interesting details.

28,36 + 23,48 = 51,84


Efaeva & Menshikov LP
3s nice
2tw split out of dance lift
3Rth fine
2a+2a+seq
Li 4 rotations on one hand, very impressive exit on one hand, good footwork, flow and position

pair spin with change of direction
SpSt good flow, with nice accents
3Sth nice
DS BO change of hand
Li
sbs spin cof - very close to each other, slightly out of sync in one position
Li on a hip, very spectacular. Twist exit. Nice footwork.

Excellent matured and refined presentation
Interesting choreography (though not so difficult as of Kawaguchi's)

LP: 100,17
total: 152,01


Kawaguchi & Smirnov's LP
3t+2t+seq (a friend of mine noted it down as 3-3 though, but I tend to consider it as 3-2) severe hand down on first jump by her
3tw split
2a out of spread eagle, she turned out
Li I failed to write down details, but it was very impressive, with fine footwork by him
Li with change of position and difficult entry but not so wide and neat in position as the first one
3Sth fall
DS FI with change of hand and difficult entry; nearly lying on the ice
LI, he is very strong
3Rth maybe slightly hand down but not for sure, I had bad angle on it

sbs FCSp semibielmann (less then 2 rot required) - cof - a lot of positions
SpSt not so impressive as Efaeva's
pair Sp, slightly travelling

It was ok presentation wise but audience was overwhelmed by Efaeva-Menshikov's performance.

LP: 111,44
total: 171,2


There was no protocols available, but Efaeva won 0,5 points in TES and lost 12 points in PCS which was totally a joke.

 

[iloveaxel]

I do not have my notes on Kawaguchi & Smirnov's SP because I tried to get a video but then deleted it accidentally But it was very strong, almost flawless and impressive. With triples.
33,36 + 26,4 = 59,76

Efaeva & Menshikov SP
3s sbs I had an impression that she doubled
2tw split out of dance lift
3Sth turn out
DS change of hand from difficult entry
SpSt excellent fit to music
I'm not good in lifts recognizing, but it was 3 rotations on one hand with difficult exit
sbs FCSp cof slightly out of sync in one position but corrected soon
pair Sp

Very good overall impression, very inspired, nice choreo with interesting details.

28,36 + 23,48 = 51,84


Efaeva & Menshikov LP
3s nice
2tw split out of dance lift
3Rth fine
2a+2a+seq
Li 4 rotations on one hand, very impressive exit on one hand, good footwork, flow and position

pair spin with change of direction
SpSt good flow, with nice accents
3Sth nice
DS BO change of hand
Li
sbs spin cof - very close to each other, slightly out of sync in one position
Li on a hip, very spectacular. Twist exit. Nice footwork.

Excellent matured and refined presentation
Interesting choreography (though not so difficult as of Kawaguchi's)

LP: 100,17
total: 152,01


Kawaguchi & Smirnov's LP
3t+2t+seq (a friend of mine noted it down as 3-3 though, but I tend to consider it as 3-2) severe hand down on first jump by her
3tw split
2a out of spread eagle, she turned out
Li I failed to write down details, but it was very impressive, with fine footwork by him
Li with change of position and difficult entry but not so wide and neat in position as the first one
3Sth fall
DS FI with change of hand and difficult entry; nearly lying on the ice
LI, he is very strong
3Rth maybe slightly hand down but not for sure, I had bad angle on it

sbs FCSp semibielmann (less then 2 rot required) - cof - a lot of positions
SpSt not so impressive as Efaeva's
pair Sp, slightly travelling

It was ok presentation wise but audience was overwhelmed by Efaeva-Menshikov's performance.

LP: 111,44
total: 171,2


There was no protocols available, but Efaeva won 0,5 points in TES and lost 12 points in PCS which was totally a joke.

Thank you so much!! Please post more on this board, it will always be appreciated. I saw a clip of Efaeva / Menshikov before and was quite impressed with them. Here's my question, why won't they go to the Jr. worlds? I suppose they are still very very young.

BTW, I think i saw their LP at winter games, it was very well done. They seem to have a lot of trouble with SP, which is sort of suprising.

Based on your notes, E&S should have beaten K&S in LP. They made so many mistakes, a fall on throw, an insecure landing on another throw, touch down and turnout on sbs jumps, that's not going to score them 110 points at international competitons.

E&S' scores were pretty low based on their technical content. This should be considered first-rate technical content, and if they really skated clean, they should have scored at least 105 points.

Were K&S still using the LP at CoR? That's a bad program.

 

[alyona]

iloveaxel, thanks for your appreciation, I was glad to give the details to such a wonderful board.

As I know they were not considered to the Jr Worlds regardless of their age (I can't remember age restrictions to the Jr competitions but suspect that they are out - Elena is only 17 but Alexey turns 23 in two weeks). Anyway Russia has Krasilnikova & Bezmaternykh there in Obersdorf who are considered as main contenders for gold.

btw Efaeva & Menshikov were ecxellent in SP at the Nationals.

As for Kawaguchi's LP: they changed music (now it is Brazilian Bachiana #5) but changes in choreo are just minor. I do not like Moskvina's pairs' choreography in general so I cannot be fair enough estimating it. But it definately was strong, difficult and with tons of transitions.

 

[chuckm]

Efaieva/Menshikov aged out of Jr. Worlds after last season. That's why they skated in the GP this season, not the JGP.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think E&M were the team I liked at Skate America. Lots of potential and one thing stood out. He is not towering over her as so many Russian male partners do in Pairs. Maybe that's why I liked them.