Ilinykh/Zhiganshin: Ruslan's retirement

sarama · May 18, 2017

Since it looks official now, I thought Ruslan's retirement from competitive skating deserved its own thread.

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20170518/1120609673.html

I don't know Russian, but the article doesn't say much (according to google translate), just that he is retiring.
I'm so sorry for him and for Elena. Their partnership had some ups and downs, but still it had potential, especially considering they are both still young and incredibly talented skaters.
I have no idea what will happen to Elena, considering the Olympic season is here, her chances of finding a partner aren't that great. I hope she doesn't give up, though, it would be a gigantic loss for ice dance.

If anybody knows more, please share!

(I know this has been discussed in other threads as well, so if the mods find it unnecessary, just delete this, I won't feel outraged :biggrin:

)

gmyers · May 18, 2017

He had a lot to offer but was in a partnership that didn't serve him well.

Generally speaking when a ship is sinking people abandon ship.

Kitt · May 18, 2017

Done in by a bracelet deduction (and maybe Elena's laziness, according to gossip)!

Wish it weren't so, I really liked them! Best of luck especially to Ruslan.

WeakAnkles · May 19, 2017

Kitt said:
Done in by a bracelet deduction (and maybe Elena's laziness, according to gossip)!

Wish it weren't so, I really liked them! Best of luck especially to Ruslan.

Bracelet deduction? Huh? Can you explain please?

It was a mismatch to me from the start. Except for one or two performances of their PD SD, they never seemed to gel as a partnership. And their programs were just ill suited.

Mr Z has a male ingenue quality to him. He really should find himself a female ingenue and skate to something that would bring out those qualities, like, oh, Gershwin's Strike Up the Band. I have a feeling he'll still have a boyish quality at 60. He just strikes me as that type.

Well I hope all it works out for them all.

Alchamei · May 19, 2017

WeakAnkles said:
Bracelet deduction? Huh? Can you explain please?

It was a mismatch to me from the start. Except for one or two performances of their PD SD, they never seemed to gel as a partnership. And their programs were just ill suited.

Mr Z has a male ingenue quality to him. He really should find himself a female ingenue and skate to something that would bring out those qualities, like, oh, Gershwin's Strike Up the Band. I have a feeling he'll still have a boyish quality at 60. He just strikes me as that type.

Well I hope all it works out for them all.

They lost third place at Nats (and argubly at Euros) by costume deduction because Elena lost her bracelet. Who knows, maybe had they skated at Euros at least the story would have been different...

Anyway, if this is true, it's truly shocking and heartbreaking. Their Carmen SD in their first season together may be one of the most amazing dances of all time and we all thought karma would prove they deserve to be better. But right in the following season Vika and Nikita overcame them (with a lovely SD tbh) and everything started to fall apart. It proves how sport is not fair. We all wanted Elena and Ruslan to do better given their story, but one great dance is not enough and judges loved others more, maybe unfairly... But mainly, it's a devastating end for Elena. She is probably one of the best ice dancers of this generation but her story keeps her below the greats she could have reached...

Marta25 · May 19, 2017

According to the article that was posted in the IZ fan thread, Gorshkov wants to talk to them once the Kustarova group is back from their holidays. Who knows maybe the Fed can still find a solution for them. As much as people want to see Elena with someone else, her options right now are very limited.

And I agree, Carmen was one of the best Short Dances of all time. Even if it is all over now, I'm glad they had at least one masterpiece.

tulosai · May 19, 2017

Marta25 said:
According to the article that was posted in the IZ fan thread, Gorshkov wants to talk to them once the Kustarova group is back from their holidays. Who knows maybe the Fed can still find a solution for them. As much as people want to see Elena with someone else, her options right now are very limited.

And I agree, Carmen was one of the best Short Dances of all time. Even if it is all over now, I'm glad they had at least one masterpiece.

I don't particularly want to see Elena with someone else, I just don't want her to retire (though obviously if she wants to do so that's her full choice, but I'd truly hate to see a skater of her caliber forced into retirement at the age of 23 due to lack of suitable partner). I 100% admit and know she hasn't reached her potential, and I understand that some fans don't like her and understand why (though a lot of that is based on rumors that have never been substantiated), but she is just SO talented and charismatic. It's possible that even if she continues skating she won't ever reach that potential some of us were/are waiting on, but I think at her age it's still possible that she would and for that possibility to be snuffed out entirely would be sad. Additionally, at least to me, despite the issues she's had in her skating she remains one of the most passionate, engaging, and musical performers currently out there- definitely better than MOST of the current top dancers, and also better than any of the other Russian dancers, though of course that's not enough if she can't get the other issues under control.

WeakAnkles · May 19, 2017

tulosai said:
I don't particularly want to see Elena with someone else, I just don't want her to retire (though obviously if she wants to do so that's her full choice, but I'd truly hate to see a skater of her caliber forced into retirement at the age of 23 due to lack of suitable partner). I 100% admit and know she hasn't reached her potential, and I understand that some fans don't like her and understand why (though a lot of that is based on rumors that have never been substantiated), but she is just SO talented and charismatic. It's possible that even if she continues skating she won't ever reach that potential some of us were/are waiting on, but I think at her age it's still possible that she would and for that possibility to be snuffed out entirely would be sad. Additionally, at least to me, despite the issues she's had in her skating she remains one of the most passionate, engaging, and musical performers currently out there- definitely better than MOST of the current top dancers, and also better than any of the other Russian dancers, though of course that's not enough if she can't get the other issues under control.

This.

:agree:

Skater Boy · May 19, 2017

Well it is too late for this olympic cycle. I wish someone could tell me, well us, what really happened as to I and K breaking up?

Ares · May 19, 2017

How official is that? Either way I am sorry for Ruslan & for Elena.

There were gossips regarding Zhiganshin recently though.

btw.

Only 8 posts in this thread so far?!

gmyers · May 19, 2017

Skater Boy said:
Well it is too late for this olympic cycle. I wish someone could tell me, well us, what really happened as to I and K breaking up?

Irreconcilable differences! Without unconfirmed gossip that's it!

Ares said:
How official is that? Either way I am sorry for Ruslan & for Elena.

There were gossips regarding Zhiganshin recently though.

btw.

Only 8 posts in this thread so far?!

Most are in I/z fan thread. But also not to insult Zhiganshin but ilinykh may continue

andromache · May 19, 2017

Never really got on the I/Z bandwagon and was always surprised by their large, passionate fan base. Poor Elena. Then again, she just hasn't seemed that motivated to me.

tars · May 19, 2017

andromache said:
Never really got on the I/Z bandwagon and was always surprised by their large, passionate fan base.

It may be surprising, if you look at it from figure skating standpoint. Thing is, most of I/Z pair fan base is based on internalized feminine solidarity with rejected woman rather than skating. That's where diss towards S/K comes from as well.

andromache · May 19, 2017

tars said:
It may be surprising, if you look at it from figure skating standpoint. Thing is, most of I/Z pair fan base is based on internalized feminine solidarity with rejected woman rather than skating. That's where diss towards S/K comes from as well.

Dish the details? I never really followed it - how do we know Nikita was the bad guy?

(I love drama and totally should've actually paid attention when they split - but I was just getting back into the skating fandom during/after the Olympics, and followed ice dance the least at that time).

tars · May 19, 2017

andromache said:
Dish the details? I never really followed it - how do we know Nikita was the bad guy?

How wouldn't he be? Wonderful prince pushes poor princess away for some slim blonde, crushing the perfect narrative and powerful internal fantasy - his reasons and intentions are irrelevant. He cut off the dope - he's cheating bastard.

Mattieu · May 19, 2017

andromache said:
Dish the details? I never really followed it - how do we know Nikita was the bad guy?

.

Because he hit the crap out of Victoria and the police were called and he was kicked out of Zouevas rink, that was why he was the bad guy!

nocturnalis · May 19, 2017

Mattieu said:
Because he hit the crap out of Victoria and the police were called and he was kicked out of Zouevas rink, that was why he was the bad guy!

That happened last season (and Nikita deserves all the ire and dislike in the world). The other stuff was before that.

gravy · May 19, 2017

andromache said:
Dish the details? I never really followed it - how do we know Nikita was the bad guy?

(I love drama and totally should've actually paid attention when they split - but I was just getting back into the skating fandom during/after the Olympics, and followed ice dance the least at that time).

From what I remember, all parties were sort of at fault really. Elena began dating their coach, Nikolai Morozov, which I guess bothered Nikita and eventually they broke up (most likely on bad terms). Afterward, Morozov was actually the one who encouraged Nikita to have a tryout with Sinitsina behind Elena's back before 2014 Worlds. He was actually supposed to coach Nikita and Victoria but they probably had a fall out soon afterward because by the summer they had already moved on from him.

Elena got a lot of sympathy from people because she went to Worlds 2014 already having been dumped without knowing it. And of course she kills it there and it's actually Nikita who throws away that world title. People, feel free to correct me since this was more than 3 years ago.

I remember being super, super excited about them doing so well at Rostelecom 2014 in the face of Nikita & Victoria. Unfortunately, all their programs aside from that short dance were not too interesting and my fandom has really become non-existent. Such a shame because she's such a great ice dancer and personality.

gmyers · May 19, 2017

gravy said:
From what I remember, all parties were sort of at fault really. Elena began dating their coach, Nikolai Morozov, which I guess bothered Nikita and eventually they broke up (most likely on bad terms). Afterward, Morozov was actually the one who encouraged Nikita to have a tryout with Sinitsina behind Elena's back before 2014 Worlds. He was actually supposed to coach Nikita and Victoria but they probably had a fall out soon afterward because by the summer they had already moved on from him.

Elena got a lot of sympathy from people because she went to Worlds 2014 already having been dumped without knowing it. And of course she kills it there and it's actually Nikita who throws away that world title. People, feel free to correct me since this was more than 3 years ago.

I remember being super, super excited about them doing so well at Rostelecom 2014 in the face of Nikita & Victoria. Unfortunately, all their programs aside from that short dance were not too interesting and my fandom has really become non-existent. Such a shame because she's such a great ice dancer and personality.

Ilinykh broke up with Katsalapov to date Morosov. Then they only trained together a short time every week which also contributes to their awful performances. It's just like trankov and mukhortova and vasiliev without trankov and mukhortova dating. katsalapiv can't twizzle anyway so that's big reason why his partnership with Sinitsina has failed and is a disaster. Of course then he beats Sinitsina because he doesn't train because All his problems are his partners fault.

Skater Boy · May 19, 2017

tars said:
How wouldn't he be? Wonderful prince pushes poor princess away for some slim blonde, crushing the perfect narrative and powerful internal fantasy - his reasons and intentions are irrelevant. He cut off the dope - he's cheating bastard.

Huh? Are you saying he chose a guy over Elena? I am confused - is this a joke???

Ilinykh/Zhiganshin: Ruslan's retirement

sarama

gmyers

Kitt

WeakAnkles

Alchamei

Marta25

tulosai

WeakAnkles

Skater Boy

Ares

gmyers

andromache

tars

andromache

tars

Mattieu

nocturnalis

gravy

¿No ven quién soy yo?

gmyers

Skater Boy

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