Who are your favorite Russian skaters?

[surimi]

My current favorites are Ilinykh/Zhiganshin, Kavaguti/Smirnov, Liza Tuktamysheva, and Evgenia Medvedeva. I was rooting for Menshov too, but he's retired now.

 

[plushyfan]

In chronological order soviet/russian skaters

Kovalyov - yes! I was very young, but I remember. I'm sure he was a philanderer, as Morozov today

Moiseeva/Minenkov

Fadeev ( I remember his white pants!)

Bestsemionova/Bukin!!!!

Gordeeva/Grinkov!!!!

Dmitriev/ Mishkutonok

Klimova/ Ponomarenko

Usova/ Zhulin

Krylova/Ovsyannikov!!!!

Grischuk/Platov!!!!

Alexei Urmanov

Ilia Kulik!!!!

Alexei Yagudin I rooted for him to 1998 ECH. But I saw the 15 y. o. ZHENYA PLUSHENKO!!!!!! there.

Maria Butyrskaya!!!!

Irina Slutskaya

Bereznaya/Sikhaluridze!!!!

Navka/ Kostomarov
.
.
.
.
Ilinkh/Katsalapov , Liza Tuk, Elena Radio, Yulia Lip, Anna Pogo, Evgenia Med, Pitkeev, Kolyada, Liza Nugu, Gubanova, Fedichkina, Aliev, Gumennik..

It seems I loved the soviet/russian skaters in my whole life!!

 

[Skater Boy]

You would know immediately that is was an imposter if you saw any name other than Maria's under my name.

Thanks for that MRRICE lol. But seriously I love that Maria is a fighter, she was the unwanted child so to speak, the skater people gave up on, she did not skate like a girl but a woman, she had her flaws - nerves which affected her with stiffness and awkwardness some times but she had a certain elegance. I now realize I just love Russian skaters lol I saw and loved on youtube a skater named Igor Bobrin and his horizontal axel and his unique choreography and style, Every time someone mentions a skater or team I look them up. I also forgot Kavaguti and Smirnov, KLIMKOV, Voronov, Sokolova, Vororzeva, I felt sympathy and hoped for a miracle with KIRA ivanova and loved the grace on youtube of Anna Kondrosheva, and there is something i like about k and s, v and t, i kind of felt sorry for petrova and tikinov as they like k and s was the team people jsut sort of dumped all the time, i liked navka and kostmorov, and lovacheva and alberbuch, there was a fierceness and such drama with Bestmianova and Bukin, and though i didn't like pasha gritschuk as a person i did like many of her skates with platov, there was something original and likeable about Olga Markova, i loved how T and M fought back after her horrible fall, I loved how Kasakova??? just stepped in with Artur to win gold in 1998, so much to like

 

[plushyfan]

Thanks for that MRRICE lol. But seriously I love that Maria is a fighter, she was the unwanted child so to speak, the skater people gave up on, she did not skate like a girl but a woman, she had her flaws - nerves which affected her with stiffness and awkwardness some times but she had a certain elegance. I now realize I just love Russian skaters lol I saw and loved on youtube a skater named Igor Bobrin and his horizontal axel and his unique choreography and style, Every time someone mentions a skater or team I look them up. I also forgot Kavaguti and Smirnov, KLIMKOV, Voronov, Sokolova, Vororzeva, I felt sympathy and hoped for a miracle with KIRA ivanova and loved the grace on youtube of Anna Kondrosheva, and there is something i like about k and s, v and t, i kind of felt sorry for petrova and tikinov as they like k and s was the team people jsut sort of dumped all the time, i liked navka and kostmorov, and lovacheva and alberbuch, there was a fierceness and such drama with Bestmianova and Bukin, and though i didn't like pasha gritschuk as a person i did like many of her skates with platov, there was something original and likeable about Olga Markova, i loved how T and M fought back after her horrible fall, I loved how Kasakova??? just stepped in with Artur to win gold in 1998, so much to like

Yes! Bobrin!!!!! I forgot him, but I loved him so much! And he is a good choregrapher!

 

[Ester]

Pairs: Volosozhar/ Trankov, Gordeeva/ Grinkov, Bereznaya/Sikhaluridze, Kawaguti/Smirnov, Stolbova/ Klimov, Kazakova/ Dmitriev, Mishkutenok/ Dmitriev.

 

[skateluvr]

Sorry Mr rice but Maria may be lovely but her skating lacked flow. I think she willed herself to stay in a long time and Russia never excelled in ladies until recently. I do agree she did very well in 1999 but she was no athlete like Irina was nor could she ever compete with our top ladies.

Now Russia can brag endlessly about the teens coming up. I can't think of any year but 99 I would watch Maria. She got lucky.

 

[Skater Boy]

Well the subject is your favourit Russian sakter so I think mrrice is safe. Besides at least she was capable of putting two relatively clean performances together. So many other well liked skaters though granted not Russian couldn't do that - Sasha Cohen comes to mind as does Jill Trenary, Pogo. And skatluvr she may have been luck but if she is lucky and remember she won the freeskate over Kwan then what about the real lucky ones like Evan at the 2010 olympics that was beyond luck and fluke combined, as was Kimmie Meissner s 2006 win, Lepisto bronze all lucky or flukes and at least Maria had won a few world medals and Euro titles.

 

[mrrice]

Sorry Mr rice but Maria may be lovely but her skating lacked flow. I think she willed herself to stay in a long time and Russia never excelled in ladies until recently. I do agree she did very well in 1999 but she was no athlete like Irina was nor could she ever compete with our top ladies.

Now Russia can brag endlessly about the teens coming up. I can't think of any year but 99 I would watch Maria. She got lucky.

.................Good Lord. It's 1995 all over again. Maria lacked a lot of things. Including (At times)support from her own Country. I fell in love with Maria because she was a fighter. I have seen her fall very hard and get up and brush it off. I've seen her have great performances and still lose to Irina and Michelle but, she never quit until she was satisfied with her career. She is still the oldest Ladies World Champion in history and for that alone, She has my undying respect.

 

[karne]

It's all right, mrrice. The subject is YOUR favourite Russian skater, after all, and we know how much you love Maria.

the other poster has, of course, entirely missed the point of the thread.

 

[4everchan]

^^ mrrice, no need to defend your affection for Maria B....
1)you were asked who your favourite is... all answers are supposed to be good answers in that case right ?
2)maria b is a world champion... and that is a fact... many people mentioned skaters who never even came close to that...


my main issue with Maria B (and some others) is that they skated to Otonal...a piece of music I just cannot stand hahahaha besides that, I am with you here, I think Maria B's perseverance, will and guts are commendable and thus is a true role model for any athlete who is a bit of a late bloomer.

- - - Updated - - -

the other poster opened the thread...

It's all right, mrrice. The subject is YOUR favourite Russian skater, after all, and we know how much you love Maria.

the other poster has, of course, entirely missed the point of the thread.

 

[karne]

the other poster opened the thread...

Then it is impressive that they managed to miss the point of their own thread!

 

[cathlen]

Plushy, Plushy and once again Plushy. Probably wouldn't become a fan of Figure Skating if not for him. Other favourites: Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov, Julia Lipnitskaya, Anna Pogorilaya, Elena Ilinykh (I like Ruslan of course, but SHE is my favourite), Mikhail Kolyada

 

[LadyB]

I am grateful to mother Russia for so many skaters.

Brilliant idea for a thread. Thank you! It's almost too difficult to choose.

Past:
Protopopovs
Rodnina/Zaitsev
Pakhomova/Gorshkov
Vladimir Kovalev
Sergei Volkov
Viktor Petrenko (1988 until 1990, when he started for Soviet Union)
Alexei Yagudin

Present:
Stolbova/Klimov
Sinitsina/Katsalapov
Bobrova/Soloviev
All the girls in present Nats Team, but especially Medvedeva and Radionova

Maybe not first and foremost for their performances (although they had very fine moments), but for their characters and entertainment value: I love, love, love Sergei Voronov and Max Kovtun.
Keeping my hopes up for Mikhail Kolyada, Adian Pitkeev, Dima Aliev and Tarasova/Morozov.

 

[Tutto]

Yes! Bobrin!!!!! I forgot him, but I loved him so much! And he is a good choregrapher!

I liked him too. But Yuri Ovchinnikov was my idol, his jumps were huge and he was an artist on ice

 

[plushyfan]

I liked him too. But Yuri Ovchinnikov was my idol, his jumps were huge and he was an artist on ice

Yes! :thumbsup: I also liked him, but I was a kid when he skated thus I forgot to mention him!! And unfortunately he has very few videos on YT, only exhibition programs. I looked for his videos not once... hmmmmm.... he had huge jumps especially his single Axel..if I right remember.. He was an artist, Bobrin was more funny.

 

[Tutto]

Yes! :thumbsup: I also liked him, but I was a kid when he skated thus I forgot to mention him!! And unfortunately he has very few videos on YT, only exhibition programs. I looked for his videos not once... hmmmmm.... he had huge jumps especially his single Axel..if I right remember.. He was an artist, Bobrin was more funny.

His jumps had such a delay it like he was soaring up there. Kolyada's jumps are similar in that.
I would give my right arm for the video of one of his competitive programs, Bach's especially but alas there are none.:sad21:He was 1st after the sp at Worlds 1975 and got some 6.0 for artistic mark from the judges if IRC
Here is a blog about Yuri with some rare photos including with Bobrin you may like:
http://www.sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/lamarin777/789255.html

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Just gonna include past and current:

MEN:
Yagudin
Klimkin
Kulik
Not a huge fan of the current guys, but I appreciate Kovtun's difficulty and Kolyada's lovely jumping technique

LADIES:
Slutskaya
Lipnitskaia
Radionova
Butyrskaya

PAIRS:
Volo/Trankov
Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze
Kazakova/Dimitriev

DANCE:
Stepanova/Bukin
Bobrova/Soloviev
Krylova/Ovsiannikov

 

[daphenaxa]

Favourites:
BEREZHNAYA/ SIKHARULIDZE
PLUSHY
Slutskaya
Mishkutenok/Dmitriev
Volosozhar/Trankov
Elena Ilinykh

Right now I actually either quite like or really like all the top Russian ladies. The only one I struggle a bit to like is Evgenia. I like Kolyada too as well as Stolbova/Klimov. In fact I usually like most of the Russians in all 4 disciplines, men being the weakest right now.

 

[Big Deal]

Alexei Yagudin.
Full stop.
The single use girls for one or two seasons are just a sad story for them.
Pogorilaya seems to be a real thing. I seriously think that she could win the Worldchamp. this year, but still nothing compare to the great ones.

 

[Arriba627]

Berezhnaya / Sikharulidze, Rodnina / Zaitsev, Gordeeva / Grinkov. Russian pairs were (and are) so amazing...Also really enjoyed Kolyada at Worlds.