Will Lipnitskaya pull off a comeback?

[Layback11]

Last season was not kind to Yulia Lipnitskaya, that's for sure: many people anticipated a triumphant follow-up to her breakout season last year, and add that pressure to a growth spurt and you have a recipe for disaster. While she usually skated clean short programs, her free skates proved her undoing at almost every competition. This culminated in a shocking 9th at her own nationals, with which she missed the Euros and Worlds. Now that she appears to have finished growing, many fans are wondering if she's going to come back in top form. What do you think? Will she crumble under the pressure of the media and her subpar season last year or come back the way she was at the Olympics?

Feel free to chime in, but please keep your opinions polite. Even if you think she has a negative outlook, please say so nicely!

 

[shiroKJ]

To answer the question, yes. It won't be right away, but she'll get it together as the season progresses.

She'll do it with flare and a killer Lutz

 

[AprilS]

I hope so! I mean, she had fixed her lutz last time we saw her (though she started liping instead). Maybe she'll come back and have both a perfect lutz and flip

 

[Amei]

I think its hard/unjust to write a skater off after 1 bad season, especially when it was a perfect storm of events that happened. Some of the practice videos that have surfaced look really promising, she sounds (based on translations) much more focused/determined now than she did last year. She's a tough young lady, and she has the benefit of her spins that set her apart from her Russian teammates, I think she will comeback.

 

[UnsaneLily87]

I don't think so, to be honest. Nothing at all against her, but the competition within Russia is so intense. I really enjoyed her skating but she'd have to be foot perfect to make an impression and re-earn the trust of the Russian skating federation.

 

[dress]

She can have a successful comeback if are jumps are better ( bigger, better edges)

 

[Krunchii]

Well she handled very fierce competition before Sochi and pulled it off, it's just that it was unfortunate that she was unprepared the next season, all her programs seem to be ready and she's fixed her 3Lz (no idea about the 3F yet). I think she can make a respectable comeback but it depends on how the other girls do, if everyone is perfect I don't know how they will be scored (other than Liza being #1 of course) and how the Euros and Worlds teams will be decided. If Yulia comes in 4th and they decide not to put her on those teams it doesn't mean that she didn't do well but for some it might be a disappointment

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I don't think so, to be honest. Nothing at all against her, but the competition within Russia is so intense. I really enjoyed her skating but she'd have to be foot perfect to make an impression and re-earn the trust of the Russian skating federation.

I have to agree. Her technique has to change so drastically that I don't think she will ever again be consistent enough. I hope I'm wrong because her spins are so entertaining to watch that I would like to see her continue competing and innovating.

 

[karne]

The major difference between Tuktamysheva and Lipnitskaya is that Liza's jumps were big, beautiful, perfect, proper-edged, no question on rotation BEFORE she grew and developed.

Unless something drastic has changed recently I don't think Yulia is done with the development side of things yet, and her jumps met none of the above observations even before she grew.

 

[Watermelondrea]

No. Evgenia, Elena, liza and sima all have that hunger and desire. Julia may have that too, but it can't be as strong as everyone else's because they haven't been to the olys yet. Just saying...

 

[mrrice]

To answer the question, yes. It won't be right away, but she'll get it together as the season progresses.

She'll do it with flare and a killer Lutz

Of course she will. Good grief, it's not like she's 50. I hope she takes some inspiration from my skating wife, Maria Butyrskaya who was written off by everyone under the sun.

 

[Hanmgse]

I think she will, but I don't know if it will be enough against Liza, Elena, Mao.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

No. Evgenia, Elena, liza and sima all have that hunger and desire. Julia may have that too, but it can't be as strong as everyone else's because they haven't been to the olys yet. Just saying...

It's not a question about hunger. She is obviously a very hard worker. The question is whether her technique allows her to rotate jumps with a post-puberty body. She didn't really have a problem with < before, but she rotated all the way until her toe pick hit the ice, whereas some bigger jumpers open up while in the air. With a body that doesn't rotate as fast she has to make big changes.

 

[mrrice]

It's not a question about hunger. She is obviously a very hard worker. The question is whether her technique allows her to rotate jumps with a post-puberty body. She didn't really have a problem with < before, but she rotated all the way until her toe pick hit the ice, whereas some bigger jumpers open up while in the air. With a body that doesn't rotate as fast she has to make big changes.

This may not be the best example but, is she having the same problems that held Caroline Zhang back for a number of years. Which were not just puberty but some bad technical habits as well. If so, I hope she stays around until she figures things out and has at least one more season that she's proud of. Win or lose, I still have hope.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

The major difference between Tuktamysheva and Lipnitskaya is that Liza's jumps were big, beautiful, perfect, proper-edged, no question on rotation BEFORE she grew and developed.

Unless something drastic has changed recently I don't think Yulia is done with the development side of things yet, and her jumps met none of the above observations even before she grew.

Well...... if you say so then it must be true. :think:

I don't know how she'll do TBH but I know there are a lot of people pulling for her. A lot depends on how others skate too of course and if current skaters can maintain their form or if up and comers can ascend to new levels. These things are far from definitive. I do think she has the potential to meet and surpass her Sochi season form. That will be enough for a faithful fan like myself.

 

[solani]

I believe that she can do it. And, apart from her Axel (which might be good for the 3T combo ...), I wouldn't consider her jumps to be small. I don't know why so many people think that her jumps are not big enough. It would be great if she could fix the Lz/Flip edge permanently, but I don't think that this is absolutely necessary to be competitive.

 

[FSGMT]

Well...... if you say so then it must be true. :think:

I don't know how she'll do TBH but I know there are a lot of people pulling for her. A lot depends on how others skate too of course and if current skaters can maintain their form or if up and comers can ascend to new levels. These things are far from definitive. I do think she has the potential to meet and surpass her Sochi season form. That will be enough for a faithful fan like myself.

Well, karne does have a point for sure: Yulia has never had good technique in jumps, that's for sure, and bad technique doesn't help when you're growing. Her strength, however, has been mental toughness, and I'm confident that if she can regain her confidence she will be a serious contender again

 

[Barb]

Now she has the advantage that all the expectatives are above Liza and Elena. I think Sochi and last year was too much pressure for her.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

If anyone missed it then here are the links to her reworked Lutz and new spin position:

Lutz: (no loop entrance, clear outside edge, fully rotated, beautiful jump )
https://vt.tumblr.com/tumblr_nmo0oi6aC41tuatvv_480.mp4


Spin:
https://instagram.com/p/1NJY7CkLfj/?taken-by=sunnylipnitskaya

Obviously this isn't in competition but she said she was going to work in her edges. She has now shown us she has and is capable of a clean lutz.

 

[Sweet Dream]

Compared to her strong teammates, Julia stands a better chance of coming back with a bang. Much will depend on her jump consistancy and crucial mindset under competitive high pressure. Since she is a much better skater than many of her teammates, I wish to see her successful return in the new season.