State of Russian Ladies in skating: 2014-15 Season

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The most logical to me is to send Pogo, Tuk, and Radionova to Europe while Lip, Sot, and Radionova to the Worlds. I think it will be the wisest thing to do provided Adelina recovers, Julia gets well in her boots and does not bomb in Paris, and Pogo wins in Moscow. Another factor is that Pogo and Tuk do not bomb at the nationals. Then with the risk of injuries it will be dumb to demotivate Anna and LIZA to whom European podium is still a big deal and who will be in their prime condition then, I hope. Radionova in such a case can win 2 titles.

 

[Miss Ice]

The most logical to me is to send Pogo, Tuk, and Radionova to Europe while Lip, Sot, and Radionova to the Worlds. I think it will be the wisest thing to do provided Adelina recovers, Julia gets well in her boots and does not bomb in Paris, and Pogo wins in Moscow. Another factor is that Pogo and Tuk do not bomb at the nationals. Then with the risk of injuries it will be dumb to demotivate Anna and LIZA to whom European podium is still a big deal and who will be in their prime condition then, I hope. Radionova in such a case can win 2 titles.

I am placing my bet right now that Adelina will not go to Worlds. Radionova, Liza, and Anna or Yulia (depending on who does better in GPF - if Yulia makes GPF) most likely will go to Worlds, they are too good and have actually won gold medals in events besides those held in their home country.

 

[Totentanz]

Half of success in figure skating comes by working hard, and the other half is about controlling your nerves during competition. I think Russian ladies have advantage over the others in this area. Because their hardest competition is Nationals (not Euros or Worlds as many others), they deal with controlling the nerves younger than the others do.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I am placing my bet right now that Adelina will not go to Worlds. Radionova, Liza, and Anna or Yulia (depending on who does better in GPF - if Yulia makes GPF) most likely will go to Worlds, they are too good and have actually won gold medals in events besides those held in their home country.

Fairly certain Julia will make the GPF. If she can win silver with that awful an LP, then a marginally better LP should earn her another silver and clinch her GPF spot.

I think a lot of people had pegged Lip to be the surefire winner at Worlds next year with no competition (and I'll admit that I would have pegged her the favourite, albeit not a sure bet)... ice is slippery....

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Half of success in figure skating comes by working hard, and the other half is about controlling your nerves during competition. I think Russian ladies have advantage over the others in this area. Because their hardest competition is Nationals (not Euros or Worlds as many others), they deal with controlling the nerves younger than the others do.

They're essentially Japanese nationals the past few seasons, but on crack. Like it's astounding how many of the top 10 can easily do 3-3 combos (and usually 3F-3T and 3Z-3T, at that) in Russia. Nationals isn't always the most indicative though... like, Adelina has won 4 Nationals, but never medalled at Worlds or won Euros or even a GP, so the winner of Russian nationals isn't necessarily the most successful Russian that season. It's astounding every time I look at her wiki page and there are no golds and suddenly Sochi is her first international win (Zagreb excluded).

 

[Miss Ice]

Fairly certain Julia will make the GPF. If she can win silver with that awful an LP, then a marginally better LP should earn her another silver and clinch her GPF spot.

I think a lot of people had pegged Lip to be the surefire winner at Worlds next year with no competition (and I'll admit that I would have pegged her the favourite, albeit not a sure bet)... ice is slippery....

Well, Radionova, Liza, and Anna all have gold medals in GP this season, whereas Yulia's is still up in the air since she is going against Radionova at TEB. You are right though, she will probably make GPF with two silvers.

 

[Skater Boy]

NOne of the Russian ladies have taken control. Either they are lacking technically ie triple lutz triple toe or the program and artistry is not up to top notch That being said Polina Edmunds hardly looked like a complete package despite a few of her fans and Ashley and Gracie are hardly complete packages right now the other RUssians have issues - , Liza still has issues with her programs and getting some of the bigger combos and elements, Julia has problems all over from the program to the lutz, Adelina is injured and does not lok as srong or consistent as last year, Elena is too juniorish with small jumps, Anna is not refined enough, Leonova is still missing the big tricks but then again the Japanese ladies don't look quite ready to take over the world and outsiders like Mirai have not shown the brilliance once thought they were capable of

 

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Some news,

Leonova is preparing for NHK. She does not want to give up especially because it started so nicely this year when she won an SP over Liza who is now the power one cannot dismiss. Apparently, the back injury at SA was not serious. As a part of the preparation she came to challenger series competiton in Austria where her luggage was lost. I do not know if she found it but the latest news said she was very nervous. No luck for Alena this season although I like both her programs. http://itar-tass.com/sport/1572957

Sotnikova had a visit to a doctor who specifically came from Germany. After the examination she said the injury was not that bad and there are good chances that she will be at the nationals. Haters will surely build ony any further development.

Maria Stavitskaya who participates in CoR scored 54 and said she was pleased. She was one of the promising youngsters a couple of years ago. In 2011-12 she made once a JGP podium, won twice junior Cup of Nice. But then was injured and was left out of the big picture. This year she has not shown good results yet. In September she had 131, in October in Sochi 144. Hope, tomorrow she scores closer to 100 to get a spot on the radar screen again. She needs it - she is "already" 17. Not only is she cute - I think she has good style with her dresses. http://www.visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/index/id/1009488/context/{"feature":"95973"}/

 

[Amei]

Sotnikova had a visit to a doctor who specifically came from Germany. After the examination she said the injury was not that bad and there are good chances that she will be at the nationals. Haters will surely build ony any further development.

Hopefully her team is very cautious with her - ankle injuries have a tendency to linger, it's not an Olympic season, no need to rush back and risk further injury.

 

[Sandpiper]

Thank you for the news, Samkrut. Best wishes to Alena and Adelina.

I really liked Maria Stavitskaya in CoR. Looking forward to her free tomorrow.

 

[aromaticchicken]

I am kind of surprised where we are in the season in terms of the Russians since no one person has emerged as strong as we expected. Adelina's out for now, Yulia really needs to deliver at her second GP, Anna is bland as usual... meanwhile Liza appears to be the most steady and reliable so far. Even Radionova's Lutzes seem to be a little funky lately, while Yulia's technique seems to be catching up with her. It's going to be really interesting seeing what happens.....

 

[BounceAround]

Some news,
...
Leonova is preparing for NHK...Apparently, the back injury at SA was not serious.
...
Sotnikova had a visit to a doctor who specifically came from Germany. After the examination she said the injury was not that bad and there are good chances that she will be at the nationals.
...

Thanks for sharing the good news with us !

 

[NaVi]

Team Russia needs to work on making sure their girls come with healthy mindsets... Lipnitskaia last week and Pogorilaya this week seem to be mentally off. I think Lipnitskaia's issues may have transferred a bit Pogorilaya after Pogorilaya was asked a lot about home pressure and a few times specifically on Lipnitskaia( and Sotnikova). Sotnikova's absence paid a part in having her do all those interviews and having the focus be all on her.

 

[adelia]

And so, 4 GPs into the season and Liza is still ranked first, with only Radionova having any chance of pushing her down to second.

Also, yay for Maria Stavitskaya, I hope she will get GP assignments next season.

 

[Ophelia]

I am kind of surprised where we are in the season in terms of the Russians since no one person has emerged as strong as we expected. Adelina's out for now, Yulia really needs to deliver at her second GP, Anna is bland as usual... meanwhile Liza appears to be the most steady and reliable so far. Even Radionova's Lutzes seem to be a little funky lately, while Yulia's technique seems to be catching up with her. It's going to be really interesting seeing what happens.....

I called it. Despite the depth of Russia's field, I had a feeling there would be implosions here and there on ice so that no one or two skaters would emerge dominant. When something looks too assured, the ice usually turns high expectations upside down.

 

[amc987]

I kind of get the sense that Russian Nationals won't be as telling some people think. If Sotnikova comes back and skates semi-decently, and Lipnitskaya skates semi-decently, I think the federation will give them the benefit of the doubt for Euros. Each would have to be pretty bad not to get spots- when was the last time the reigning Olympic champion, and the reigning European champion/ World silver medalist didn't get to skate at Euros? Never. I get the sense that Tuktamysheva, Radionova, Pogorilaya, and to a lesser extent, Leonova, are all competing for the same spot (or 2 spots if Sotnikova isn't healthy enough to skate).

The interesting scenario would be, IMO, if Lipnitskaya and Sotnikova skate at Nationals and are mediocre and Tuktamysheva, Radionova, and Pogorilaya outskate them; then, Lipnitskaya and Sotnikova get to go to Euros and place on the podium. Who would get to go to Worlds?

 

[NAOTMAA]

People are exaggerating the deficiencies of the Russian ladies and stating their opinions as facts. Yulia started her season late, her LP is unfinished, has boot issues and was completely unprepared for Cup of China so using that competition as a barometer makes no sense. Anna's "blandness" is an opinion not fact and despite this the judges do like her. Elena's jumps are weren't the cleanest at Skate America but she's hardly on the verge of collapsing. Apparently its okay if other ladies from other countries are iffy because its early in the season or the first competitions but the Russian girls apparently have to be perfect right out of the gate. A lot of the discussion seems to be more hope that their vulnerable then actual fact.

It might end up being Adelina doesn't skate nationals either but goes to Euros to maker her claim and if she does decently there she kicks out whoever finishes 3rd at nationals and goes to Worlds. If we take Adelina completely out of the equation then I personally think the World team will be Yulia, Liza and Elena with Anna as alternate.

 

[Barb]

People are exaggerating the deficiencies of the Russian ladies and stating their opinions as facts. Yulia started her season late, her LP is unfinished, has boot issues and was completely unprepared for Cup of China so using that competition as a barometer makes no sense. Anna's "blandness" is an opinion not fact and despite this the judges do like her. Elena's jumps are weren't the cleanest at Skate America but she's hardly on the verge of collapsing. Apparently its okay if other ladies from other countries are iffy because its early in the season or the first competitions but the Russian girls apparently have to be perfect right out of the gate. A lot of the discussion seems to be more hope that their vulnerable then actual fact.

It might end up being Adelina doesn't skate nationals either but goes to Euros to maker her claim and if she does decently there she kicks out whoever finishes 3rd at nationals and goes to Worlds. If we take Adelina completely out of the equation then I personally think the World team will be Yulia, Liza and Elena with Anna as alternate.

Yes, is understandable, they are starting the new season, boots, etc. But I think people simply are realizing they are not the perfect, undefeatable and next big thing that we all were thinking.

 

[Amei]

People are exaggerating the deficiencies of the Russian ladies and stating their opinions as facts. Yulia started her season late, her LP is unfinished, has boot issues and was completely unprepared for Cup of China so using that competition as a barometer makes no sense. Anna's "blandness" is an opinion not fact and despite this the judges do like her. Elena's jumps are weren't the cleanest at Skate America but she's hardly on the verge of collapsing. Apparently its okay if other ladies from other countries are iffy because its early in the season or the first competitions but the Russian girls apparently have to be perfect right out of the gate. A lot of the discussion seems to be more hope that their vulnerable then actual fact.

I think a lot of it comes from expectations that there are so many incredibly good skaters that they would come out of the gate firing because of how competitive it is in the country. Take Gracie Gold and Yulia; if Gracie is shaky the whole GP - nobody doubts that she will be on the Worlds team, if Yulia is shaky the whole GP - there will be a hesitation to say that she will be on the Worlds team. Am I wrong?

It might end up being Adelina doesn't skate nationals either but goes to Euros to maker her claim and if she does decently there she kicks out whoever finishes 3rd at nationals and goes to Worlds. If we take Adelina completely out of the equation then I personally think the World team will be Yulia, Liza and Elena with Anna as alternate.

Personally I would hate to see, especially in a competitive discipline like ladies singles is for Russia, them send a skater who didn't compete all season (including Nationals) to Euros/Worlds vs. a skater that has skated all season and has had decent results.

 

[AsadaFanBoy]

How can Anna skate so nicely at one competition and then be completely off at Rostelecom? I'm very surprised. I love her jumping. Usually.

I love her program when she skates it well. When she skates it poorly...all I can think of is Miki Ando did such a great Firebird.