Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov - ret. after 2016/17 | Page 27 | Golden Skate

Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov - ret. after 2016/17

Arriba627

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Awwww. I get a pain in my heart when I think of them retiring. I remember at Skate Canada last year wondering if it would be the last time I would see them. I have always enjoyed their skating so much! :( I thought she seemed particularly frail, and I would hate to see them experience another injury.
 

LRK

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Nov 13, 2012
Awwww. I get a pain in my heart when I think of them retiring. I remember at Skate Canada last year wondering if it would be the last time I would see them. I have always enjoyed their skating so much! :( I thought she seemed particularly frail, and I would hate to see them experience another injury.

Yeah, I don't want to think of them retiring either - but as he says in the interview, is all that effort worth it for tenth place? I completely respect any decision they make. Of course, I also heard that they'd tried two quad salchow throws at some event - not competition, I don't know what it was exactly? Yuko landed one of them, and fell on the other apparently. But that does mean that when he says they are "training" he isn't kidding either. So, I suppose we will see?
 

Arriba627

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^^^Yes, that quote about the 10th place makes sense. It's always hard to let go of favorites, but I agree with you. And only they know what's best for themselves. I was just enthralled by them when they took the gold at Skate America in 2014. They were so awesome. But they need to be realistic, especially after that tough injury she had to deal with.
 

Arriba627

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Darn - I just feel like they are done. It makes me sad to think that I may never see them compete again. :sad4: Don't want to be pessimistic but need to be realistic too.
 

LRK

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Nov 13, 2012
Well, me, I practically live in the land of De Nile - so I'm happy so long as I can pretend there is no such thing as the "r-word"... ;)
 

LRK

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Indeed. I wonder what their plans are - will they be doing shows? Working with Tamara Moskvina? I suppose we will find out, but wishing them the best.
 

anyanka

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Jul 8, 2011
I was thinking of Yuko & Sasha today when the IOC made its decision to ban Russia. Even if K/S continued into this season, they would have run into another roadblock on the way to the Olympic podium. It was the knee that blew out during the Sochi year, and in a very weird way I'm a bit relieved this pair didn't have to sit through the heartbreak of not getting into another Olympic team. Yuko & Sasha don't need more frustration in their competitive career.

Does anyone know what they're up to now? Is Sasha coaching with Moskvina? Yuko is famously private, what's she doing these days? Are they in shows? I can see her as a great future coach for the Japanese teams, if they'll hire her, and maybe she can help build their national pairs team that way.
 

LRK

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Nov 13, 2012
Ooh, thank you! :clap: Great to see them regardless. I'm so happy Sasha got a haircut, my goodness he's still sexy as [unprintable]. :giggle:

He's got a far better haircut now than when he was competing - and he's got quite the beard there as well.:)
 

anyanka

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Jul 8, 2011
Announced today that K/S will be in the next run of Kings On Ice in Russia!! They've been announced as part of the cast. Someone please take videos and pics!
 

yude

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Feb 28, 2012
Hello, new interview of Yuko was in Fukui newspaper today and I thought the fans here might want to read :)

http://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/articles/-/325146

Yuko says she doesn't understand what happened in their retirement, in last September, the federation suddenly asked them to sign on the paper to agree to retire. Yuko wanted to continue competing, but Sasha had already started to coach the students and also had to work hard to support his family. She couldn't make up her mind easily but Moskvina also gave her advise to retire, so she decided to retire. Now she has started her career as a pro-skater and been teaching young skaters at Moskvina's club and also Japanese skaters living in Saint Petersburg. She considered of being a coach in Japan but there is no environment for that since there are not many pair skaters in Japan, so she gave up. She is also willing to give some help when Tokyo Olympics is held in 2020. (only my rough summary, not literal translation.)

Yuko and Sasha were invited to "Continues with wings" (Yuzuru Hanyu's show) last month, they performed two programs along with the opening number and finale. They were fantastic and the audience was excited, and Yuzuru was also thankful for them (Mr. Tsuzuki, a former coach of Yuko was also a coach of Yuzuru when he was a little kid.)

I wish them good luck on their future :hap10:
 
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