Thoughts on Evgenia Medvedeva's 2018-19 Season

[moriel]

"There are also people who do not care about her one way or the other" seems kind of self-evident, no? There are even people who have never heard of her still in Russia.

Oh, i meant mostly people who watch FS and do not care.
Your post was a bit black and white, either fans or haters.

 

[NymphyNymphy]

Hopefully Russian media do not harass Evgenia while training in Toronto.

 

[moriel]

Hopefully Russian media do not harass Evgenia while training in Toronto.

overall the media seems pretty friendly towards her.
Also, afaik, she has some contract with a specific channel (i recall she couldnt give an interview at some point as she had some sort of exclusivity deal). I suppose this may limit the media actions.

 

[DeeDee18]

overall the media seems pretty friendly towards her.
Also, afaik, she has some contract with a specific channel (i recall she couldnt give an interview at some point as she had some sort of exclusivity deal). I suppose this may limit the media actions.

“Pretty friendly”? All I see in Russian media are very twisted headlines and lots of comments bashing the skater . I hope you live in Russia or something so you can confirm that it’s not the case

 

[zenskate]

“Pretty friendly”? All I see in Russian media are very twisted headlines and lots of comments bashing the skater . I hope you live in Russia or something so you can confirm that it’s not the case

My two cents: I've seen articles about Evgenia that go both ways. Like vorravorra says, she has critics and she has fans.

I'm sure that Evgenia knows how to rise above the bashing. I went through some old GS threads and it seems that back in 2014, 2015, there was a lot of bashing directed towards her since she was new to the senior scene, and she made it through with (almost) all golds and 11 WRs. I daresay she even converted some of her haters into fans.

Going back to her skating, I'm wondering about her layback. Will she regain that this season?

 

[vorravorra]

My two cents: I've seen articles about Evgenia that go both ways. Like vorravorra says, she has critics and she has fans.

I'm sure that Evgenia knows how to rise above the bashing. I went through some old GS threads and it seems that back in 2014, 2015, there was a lot of bashing directed towards her since she was new to the senior scene, and she made it through with (almost) all golds and 11 WRs. I daresay she even converted some of her haters into fans.

Going back to her skating, I'm wondering about her layback. Will she regain that this season?

Depends on the state of her back, I would say.

 

[TGee]

Depends on the state of her back, I would say.

The question is, even if she can do it in training, why risk doing it often enough to be competition-ready this season?

Her team is playing the long game, and she needs a strong back for the higher BV jumps with good height and distance. Liza Tuktamysheva has talked about how full recovery from her own back injury was essential even to recover her 3Lz-3T.

There are other ways for Zhenya to get level 4 spins with good GOE. It doesn't sound as though she's had much time with TCC's spin guru Paige Aistrop as yet. I would put priority on improving her spin technique with spins that have less physical risk, then work on the layback for future seasons.

 

[vorravorra]

The question is, even if she can do it in training, why risk doing it often enough to be competition-ready this season?

Her team is playing the long game, and she needs a strong back for the higher BV jumps with good height and distance. Liza Tuktamysheva has talked about how full recovery from her own back injury was essential even to recover her 3Lz-3T.

There are other ways for Zhenya to get level 4 spins with good GOE. It doesn't sound as though she's had much time with TCC's spin guru Paige Aistrop as yet. I would put priority on improving her spin technique with spins that have less physical risk, then work on the layback for future seasons.

Yes, a back injury is nothing to joke about and Biellmanns are very hard on the back.

 

[NymphyNymphy]

Yes, a back injury is nothing to joke about and Biellmanns are very hard on the back.

I believe Yuna also had some serious back injury in 07 but bounced back and dominated the women's field. Maybe that influenced Evgenia's decision to go with Brian Orser.

 

[TGee]

I believe Yuna also had some serious back injury in 07 but bounced back and dominated the women's field. Maybe that influenced Evgenia's decision to go with Brian Orser.

Brian made some comments early on that they were in a similar situation as Yuna, and would follow a similar program for Zhenya with an initial focus on health.

Looking around her options in Russia, she wouldn't have seen someone she would see as a peer successfully recover from injury.

Lisa Tuktamysheva now appears to be achieving that, but Mishin's commitment to her is very special.

Without casting shade on Eteri, one can fairly say that she doesn't have Mishin-like dedication to her mature skaters. And I don't see other groups that have this expertise for women.

 

[NymphyNymphy]

Brian made some comments early on that they were in a similar situation as Yuna, and would follow a similar program for Zhenya with an initial focus on health.

Looking around her options in Russia, she wouldn't have seen someone she would see as a peer successfully recover from injury.

Lisa Tuktamysheva now appears to be achieving that, but Mishin's commitment to her is very special.

Without casting shade on Eteri, one can fairly say that she doesn't have Mishin-like dedication to her mature skaters. And I don't see other groups that have this expertise for women.

Mishin is certainely dedicated and probably one of the best technicians in the sport. If I was a Russian skater, my first pick would be Mishin. Lisa's jumps are breath-taking.

 

[vorravorra]

Mishin is certainely dedicated and probably one of the best technicians in the sport. If I was a Russian skater, my first pick would be Mishin. Lisa's jumps are breath-taking.

But things that are not jumps? Zhenya isn't and will never be a jump machine, she needs a different approach.

 

[hippomoomin]

I believe Evgenia's choice was somewhat related to Yuna, partly to escape from Russian media. But their situations are also quite different.
Technically Yuna was already very good before she went to Brian; She got Olympic silver (arguably gold) with her Korean coaches.

And Yuna's media problem was too much pressure on her that she could not lose, different from Evgenia's media problem.
What I am worrying about is Evgenia does not have the same amount of resources in Canada as in Russian, such as doctors, dance training, costumes, or two programs ready for her to switch, change choreography in the middle of season... Even if they remain the same, the language barrier will make everything less efficient.

 

[vorravorra]

I believe Evgenia's choice was somewhat related to Yuna, partly to escape from Russian media. But their situations are also quite different.
Technically Yuna was already very good before she went to Brian; She got Olympic silver (arguably gold) with her Korean coaches.

And Yuna's media problem was too much pressure on her that she could not lose, different from Evgenia's media problem.
What I am worrying about is Evgenia does not have the same amount of resources in Canada as in Russian, such as doctors, dance training, costumes, or two programs ready for her to switch, change choreography in the middle of season... Even if they remain the same, the language barrier will make everything less efficient.

I don't think she ever changed two programs during a season? And it wasn't that Karenina was sitting there as a backup all ready for her to switch, that was an emergency measure to produce a program out of an EX in two weeks. I hope that does not have to happen ever again as it could have contributed to her injury. And doesn't TCC have some sort of dance training available?

 

[Marin]

I feel like that LP is not going to do good job for her. I know she wanted to challenge herself trying different styles but taking two new genres at the same time is very difficult. The lP is not building in addition it is quite empty compared to her old LPs and the music does not hook you at all. for 4 minutes it is monotonous whereas her main rival chose ultimate warhorse but it is drama, it is building it not new style for her, and will work for her well . I think they should have taken something more intense and dramatic and it would have been perfect in combo with Northern American type playful sp she's got.

 

[vorravorra]

I feel like that LP is not going to do good job for her. I know she wanted to challenge herself trying different styles but taking two new genres at the same time is very difficult. The lP is not building in addition it is quite empty compared to her old LPs and the music does not hook you at all. for 4 minutes it is monotonous whereas her main rival chose ultimate warhorse but it is drama, it is building it not new style for her, and will work for her well . I think they should have taken something more intense and dramatic and it would have been perfect in combo with Northern American type playful sp she's got.

I think the emptiness may be temporary, they can add transitions when she is up to skating them physically, she needs to get in shape. But it's such a hard music to interpret. I wish they would have chosen something simpler for such a difficult season too.

 

[Yoa]

What I am worrying about is Evgenia does not have the same amount of resources in Canada as in Russian, such as doctors, dance training, costumes, or two programs ready for her to switch, change choreography in the middle of season... Even if they remain the same, the language barrier will make everything less efficient.

TCC has dance classes available. There's even a competitive dance program. They also have other off-ice training options like pilates, fitness, yoga. Skaters can also use pool if they want to (water-fitness, sports injury rehabilitation). There's a training complex: 1, 2, 3. TCC also has health services: physiotherapy, nutrition counceling etc. After Yuzuru injured himself last season, he got rehabilitation and full injury treatment offer from one of the best rehabilitation centers in Tokyo. But he decided to get treatment and rehabilitation in Toronto before and after Olympics. And Evgenia can still use the same costume designer if she wants to. David Wilson is available at TCC almost all the time (that's why they decided to go with him) so he can quickly make changes in choreogragraphy. And there are many international skaters in TCC so I am sure that coaches know how to deal with language barrier

 

[NymphyNymphy]

TCC has dance classes available. There's even a competitive dance program. They also have other off-ice training options like pilates, fitness, yoga. Skaters can also use pool if they want to (water-fitness, sports injury rehabilitation). There's a training complex: 1, 2, 3. TCC also has health services: physiotherapy, nutrition counceling etc. After Yuzuru injured himself last season, he got rehabilitation and full injury treatment offer from one of the best rehabilitation centers in Tokyo. But he decided to get treatment and rehabilitation in Toronto before and after Olympics. And Evgenia can still use the same costume designer if she wants to. David Wilson is available at TCC almost all the time (that's why they decided to go with him) so he can quickly make changes in choreogragraphy. And there are many international skaters in TCC so I am sure that coaches know how to deal with language barrier

I want to live in TCC. Are people allowed to bring sleeping bags and camp outside the practice rink windows?

 

[Zora]

I feel like that LP is not going to do good job for her. I know she wanted to challenge herself trying different styles but taking two new genres at the same time is very difficult. The lP is not building in addition it is quite empty compared to her old LPs and the music does not hook you at all. for 4 minutes it is monotonous whereas her main rival chose ultimate warhorse but it is drama, it is building it not new style for her, and will work for her well . I think they should have taken something more intense and dramatic and it would have been perfect in combo with Northern American type playful sp she's got.

I can't imagine anyone skating to this music and creating an exciting program, not even someone like Daisuke Takahashi. If the music doesn't draw you in, how is the program supposed to do. Last season Evgenia was already at a slight disadvantage, because Alina's program built and built to an exciting finish whereas Anna Karenina ended rather dramatic. And this season, the difference is even bigger.

 

[moriel]

The question is, even if she can do it in training, why risk doing it often enough to be competition-ready this season?

Her team is playing the long game, and she needs a strong back for the higher BV jumps with good height and distance. Liza Tuktamysheva has talked about how full recovery from her own back injury was essential even to recover her 3Lz-3T.

There are other ways for Zhenya to get level 4 spins with good GOE. It doesn't sound as though she's had much time with TCC's spin guru Paige Aistrop as yet. I would put priority on improving her spin technique with spins that have less physical risk, then work on the layback for future seasons.

Because russian team.
She will not get any support from fed to sit out the whole season, because they have other skaters, and then they have a few new top seniors next season.

But she totally could not do early CSs, imho, and maybe even skipping GP without losing the fed's support.