10-year-old Stephen Gogolev lands 4S

[silverfoxes]

Yeah, I just would hate it if his skating career was over before it even began, because of the stress on the body. He seems like an incredible talent & I want him to be around for a long time. But I trust Orser & Co. to watch him carefully.

 

[karne]

Quad Salchow at 10?

There's a broken body.

 

[solani]

I don't ignore injuries nor do I think they are something to take lightly but I'm used to seeing my favorite snowboarders come back from injuries like THIS :

http://youtu.be/Gr9nf-H9vhY

Bonus points for the use of Nina Simone

Aah, but Gigi wasn't injured, or was he? I thought I heard that he dug himself out after that. Powder.

Steven is amazing! I think it's not a problem for his body if he doesn't do the jump too often.

 

[kresslia]

*** how is this kid real

 

[FSGMT]

The fact that Brian is his coach is the only thing that really makes things a bit less worrying... Anyway, incredible job!!

 

[mnm464]

It's so great, his jump, but I worry about what his body can take in the next 10 years. quads are harsh

 

[karne]

To put another perspective on it, Plushenko hit 3A at 11, and 4T at 13.

That's older than this kid - and Plushy, of course, is broken into smithereens at this point, held together by his willpower. The injury risk this kid now faces is huge and the prospect of him wrecking his joints is very real.

 

[sunnystars]

You know, I wanna say that he'll do fine because he's in the hands of the great TCC but I really can't fathom that reasoning

I actually feel confused as to why they allowed him to do it. Of course, Stephen may have really wanted to try it and whatnot but I kinda expected a bit more from TCC to tell/guide him to try it when he's older.

 

[plushyfan]

 

[cruzceleste]

I understand people's concerns, but I'm sure under Brian's tutelage, he won't push himself too crazy. It's incredible the technical ability he has. He must be the youngest ever to land a quad (let alone a 4S) -- or at least the youngest as documented by a video. He is very Nam-like... I'm so curious as to what he'll do next, and how he'll develop artistically. It's crazy that he could be not just the first Canadian Junior champion to land a quad, but maybe even Novice champion! I thought Chan's/Nam's records would stand for a while but watch out.

Too bad he's too young for 2018 though, but as a 17 year old in 2022, at this rate, he's got a bright future.

Does Brian train all the skaters in TCC?

 

[daphenaxa]

Does Brian train all the skaters in TCC?

no he doesn't. But on the facebook post it was written "congratulations to Stephen and coach Brian" so I think Orser trains him.

 

[Rissa]

no he doesn't. But on the facebook post it was written "congratulations to Stephen and coach Brian" so I think Orser trains him.

I remmeber that Brian Orser mentioned Stephen in one of his interviews, like "we have that amazingly talented kid, he comes from Russia but he's got Canadian passport so he's ours, sorry Russia, we're not giving him back" lol. I got an impression that Brian does train him, although perhaps not exclusively.

I'm finding all that handwringing about Stephen's future injuries a bit premature. Yes, there is the precendence of Plushenko but hopefully coaches have learned from Plushenko's predicaments and will schedule the training accordingly. From snippets of interviews Orser at al are not the types to push and rather proceed with caution, but if they've got a raw talent, the talent shouldn't be neglected but watched over. 10 years old is awfully young and it will be at least 5 years before Stephen will be able to join the adult circut, and a lot can happen in 5 years. He might grow up and lose some of his abilities but if carefully monitored and developed, he might also become a 15 year old to enter the adult circut with a stable quad, which can only be an advantage.

I don't think this would fly well: "Oh you're an amazingly talented jumper, Stephen, and you can do all the triples and that's great, and you're learning really fast but you will stop at triples and just practice your expression and skating skills for the next five or six years because we'd better wait until you grow up do move any further."

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

I don't like it. His muscle development is not advanced enough yet imo and could risk injury. To me it's like making a novice dancer in ballet go on pointe too soon. :disapp:

 

[UnsaneLily87]

I remmeber that Brian Orser mentioned Stephen in one of his interviews, like "we have that amazingly talented kid, he comes from Russia but he's got Canadian passport so he's ours, sorry Russia, we're not giving him back" lol. I got an impression that Brian does train him, although perhaps not exclusively.

I'm finding all that handwringing about Stephen's future injuries a bit premature. Yes, there is the precendence of Plushenko but hopefully coaches have learned from Plushenko's predicaments and will schedule the training accordingly. From snippets of interviews Orser at al are not the types to push and rather proceed with caution, but if they've got a raw talent, the talent shouldn't be neglected but watched over. 10 years old is awfully young and it will be at least 5 years before Stephen will be able to join the adult circut, and a lot can happen in 5 years. He might grow up and lose some of his abilities but if carefully monitored and developed, he might also become a 15 year old to enter the adult circut with a stable quad, which can only be an advantage.

I don't think this would fly well: "Oh you're an amazingly talented jumper, Stephen, and you can do all the triples and that's great, and you're learning really fast but you will stop at triples and just practice your expression and skating skills for the next five or six years because we'd better wait until you grow up do move any further."

I don't know...I think they should be doing that! That's how well-rounded skaters are built. Focus on SS and spins, etc.

 

[adelia]

I remmeber that Brian Orser mentioned Stephen in one of his interviews, like "we have that amazingly talented kid, he comes from Russia but he's got Canadian passport so he's ours, sorry Russia, we're not giving him back" lol. I got an impression that Brian does train him, although perhaps not exclusively.

I'm finding all that handwringing about Stephen's future injuries a bit premature. Yes, there is the precendence of Plushenko but hopefully coaches have learned from Plushenko's predicaments and will schedule the training accordingly. From snippets of interviews Orser at al are not the types to push and rather proceed with caution, but if they've got a raw talent, the talent shouldn't be neglected but watched over. 10 years old is awfully young and it will be at least 5 years before Stephen will be able to join the adult circut, and a lot can happen in 5 years. He might grow up and lose some of his abilities but if carefully monitored and developed, he might also become a 15 year old to enter the adult circut with a stable quad, which can only be an advantage.

I don't think this would fly well: "Oh you're an amazingly talented jumper, Stephen, and you can do all the triples and that's great, and you're learning really fast but you will stop at triples and just practice your expression and skating skills for the next five or six years because we'd better wait until you grow up do move any further."

Liza stopped training 3As for a couple years because she was undergoing puberty and Mishin didn't want her to further injure herself.

 

[Rissa]

I don't know...I think they should be doing that! That's how well-rounded skaters are built. Focus on SS and spins, etc.

For 5 years? Or more? Sure well-rounded skaters focus on SS and spins but they also, usually, progress with jumps. In people who aim to achieve, there's an innate drive to progress and there's a limit, I think, to how long a skater would be willing to have his progress on hold. And I definitely don't think Stephen's SS etc are going to be neglected in TCC. Orser got Hanyu with jumps and made him focus on SS. I'm suspecting he'll be doing similar with Stephen. They're doing quite a good job of shaping well-rounded skaters there, look at Elizabet Turzynbaeva.

What I'm trying to say, that just leaving that quad untouched for years seems like a waste. The kid has got it, and IMO the team should be carefully doing their best for him to keep it. And that includes limiting practicing quads, like Orser does with Hanyu's 4R, so that the kid's physical shape wouldn't detriorate. Limiting, however, not just stopping it.

 

[silverfoxes]

Yes, I'm sure TCC is very cautious, but I would also be concerned that other young skaters might feel pressure to train quads earlier and earlier if others are doing it. And I'm not sure every coach out there is equally careful. Kids that young cannot possibly understand the longterm effects of what they're doing, so it's up to the adults in their lives to look out for them. I don't think the added wear and tear on a body that young is worth it, personally. If he would be a few years older and made that choice for himself, then it would be different.

 

[centerpt1]

The growth plates in a young boy don't become mature until age 14-17. He risks life long problems if he has a severe injury to these. I have lost all respect for Orser. He's on track to be the new Tom Z.

 

[Jaana]

I think that quad was just a try-out for the kid and definetely not something he will train daily.

It is amazing that he already has all the triple jumps, WOW....

 

[gravy]

Yuzuru Hanyu has shown up to the last 3 World championships under Orser while injured and was also allowed to compete with a concussion at CoC. Says a lot about Orser.

Javier Fernandez has escaped serious injury because of his tendency to not overtrain, which is something Orser should be enforcing on all his skaters. But if they get him results, why not? It's their body, not his.

His statement after CoC made it seem his skaters are the ones in charge and not him.