Figure Skating careers can be short lived. Alina come across as being very intelligent, and she is also very pretty. She is wise to go for other opportunities that come along. There is always someone kocking at the the door to detrone her from the top in Figure Skating. Many are her own Cournty's Skaters.
Alina Zagitova
- Thread starter The Finn
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2005
I don't know what her ultimate goals are.
But I think it is a little cynical to think she is only competing to keep up her name recognition.
She didn't need to compete this year to get invited to shows.
I'm sure Navka didn't select Alina because she saw her at GP France and/or NHK Trophy.
Here's my thoughts on her competitive skating plans....
1) I think she's in it for the long haul.
2) I think she wants to compete and WIN the OGM again in 2022.
3) I think she has the talent, desire, and work ethic to accomplish that goal.
I could be wrong about #1 and #2.
I know I am 100% correct about #3.
Dave Lease thinks that Alina's is prepping for the way out and I think that's completely wrong.
Skating in the Grand Prix gives her a continuous amount of "relevance" so long as she doesn't completely bomb(and even then it might not hurt much). There are major outlets in Russia(and Japan) that actually write about figure skating in a somewhat prominent fashion. That low-level buzz opens up opportunities and without it you're less "important".
It's kind of weird to put it in this manor, but she probably makes quite a bit of her income now from Instagram marketing and doing the Grand Prix gives her relevant, non-filler "content" to put on her Instagram. She's also gained about 30k Instagram followers since the beginning of the season which makes her Instagram more valuable. If she didn't do the Grand Prix she would probably be treading or slowly shedding Instagram followers. Tessa Virtue has practically the exact same number of instagram followers as a year ago while Alina Zagitova has 200K more than November of last year. I personally think the Canadians who retired after 2018 may have been better off doing both a tour and doing a truncated season either with the Grand Prix events or with Nationals and Worlds.
One of the most prominent channels in Russia has the rights to figure skating and they surely want her to skate(and would not be surprised if she is betting paid to).
She's needed to be a backup in case one of the 3A get's injured... though Tukt is starting to look like an acceptable alternative for this now, Eteri would probably want her own skater in that position.
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2019
Exactly! Agree. Let the girl earn some money, Alina is doing all of that not because she’s the only one “taking time off”, but because all else are not being made the offers Alina’s been given.
Like, do people think any of the girls are there turning down sponsorships and ads left and right to focus on their skating? Surprise, they’re not, they’re just not given any.
It’s also this way, because figure skating is booming in Russia, Alina is unbelievably popular in both Russia and Japan, so she’s getting all of these opportunities that previous generations of skaters did not quite have.
And 1-2 days off training is nothing, (it’s not even disrupting any training), considering Alina is not focusing on adding new content this year, but on polishing what she has now. She could’ve kept her level of performance doing even less training, and she’s not, she actually keeps on improving in all areas of her skating.
I think her focus this year is take it easy with the tes, sort of have a more restful season, while still remaining in the game, and in the meantime make some dough.
P.s. that Dave Lease guy has been trying to retire Alina since last year, she’s been called “done” so many times, I don’t even know why people take them seriously.
And IF Alina was to retire, they’d scream “Oh see, we told ya Eteri can’t train a senior lady”, considering they’ve been saying “well she should leave now” themselves, even though Alina’s been delivering great performances.
Oh i also think that się wants to go 2022 OGM
Alina is the Olympic champion, who was able to win Words the next season. That's something unusual in women cathegory. It's huge accoplisment. She is also one of the very few skaters all cathegories combined who wom all major competitions in both junior and senior level. The main market for figure skating shows (also arguably the best payed one) is in Asia and North America. Japan is totally crazy about her. She can retire now and skate in shows as long as she wants.
Also go and read her articles. She is speaking about how this season is about growing as a skater, not technician. She wanna come to level of Carolina Kostner. She is speaking about moving people by her skating. But she is also well awared of possibly (highly) neccesity of quad and she is not saying no, more, she is openly saying she is prepared to go for it, just not now and she will speak about it once she jump it, not in advance. Everyone know she must be able to jump one. Her body and strenght is good enough. It "just" depend on her brain now. Whatever she will decide to do, is fine.
She is not the only skater in the world who is doing sponzorships while competing, it's just not so usual to have those opportunities in figure skating, and it's not so common in Russia in general (if you are not Maria Sharapova). It's mostly about figure skating brands, Voss is sponsoring half of the Canada and United States, and some skaters have special other deals. Opportunities as Alina probably had only Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. They were doing tons of stuffs and appearance on many events television include over the season. Especially during their comeback and they were still able to win the Olympics. Tessa is now continuing in it after their retirement. It's possible to have both. In different sports, it's totally common. Figure skating is just not that huge opportunity to have it and even succes is not enough. She is succesful, beautiful, charming and interesting while so kind and modest at the same time.
Also she loves show skating, she find it fun. There is not many opportunities to do so in Russia, in home. This is an option for her. I believe that Evgenia is supposed to be/or is, in any kind of Opera on the ice as well.
Dave Lease is a guy who has his favorites and is praysing them to the moon and back no matter how quality their program is or what they do. And then he has other group of skaters he doesn't like as much, some of them are very succesful, and is draging them more than possible. I'd say it's all just about attractivity of his profile. Controversy is gaining interest and dragging a few succesful skaters is a way to get it ... I personaly don't like him in general, but each his own.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2005
I thought Dave Lease stopped the "retirement" talk after Alina won Worlds.
Well I guess now that the 3A and Rika are beating her - time to retire again.
Of course, THAT would then pertain to everybody except the 3A and Rika.
Some day he will be correct and Aliina WILL retire.
I just hope that day is sometime after the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2014
I think Alina is taking advantage of the opportunities that are coming her way. "Make hay while the sun shines." Competitive skating can't last forever for anyone and when she is done she will need something else that she enjoys doing. Hopefully involving (but not limited too) lots of skating shows for the sake of her fans. She is smart to build on her popularity now and lay the groundwork for her future. As a fan I'm very excited for her and what her future might hold.
Dave Lease annoys me to no end sometimes. The only way Alina doesn't finish out the season is if she isn't named to the Euro & World team. I know that is a real possibility, but anything can happen and I don't see her giving up on herself and her chances. She can fight for that 3rd spot!
If Alina isn't named to the Euro & World teams then she can focus her energy on the shows she is doing and training and whatever else comes along.
This is 100% nothing more than my opinion: I think this season was/is a 'stay relevant' season for Alina. Stay close to the top, stay competitive, stay healthy and uninjured. Maintain and improve the technical skills that she has and grow as much as possible artistically and emotionally. Let's see how far she can get this season with that strategy.
Next season, everything can change. We all know that. My personal belief is that will have to increase her technical difficulty to be competitive for a spot on the Olympic team. Ultimately that will be her decision. She will be 18, an adult. I could understand completely if she decided she wanted to focus her energy elsewhere and explore all the new possibilities that are available to her.
Especially given the likelihood that Russia will not be allowed to compete under it's own flag. (I don't want to open a debate about that in this thread. Or give my opinion. It is what it is.) The chance to compete as a Russian Athlete at the Olympics and see her flag raised and sing her anthem would have been a HUGE motivation to get to Beijing. (Russia/OAR has a fairly good chance at the team Gold Medal, imo.) I guess we will know more after the final decision on December 9th?
If I was betting money I'd bet on Alina fighting until the end to make her second Olympic team. She has nothing to lose and everything to gain. She will only be 19 years old! I just can't see her not going for it with everything she has.
Dave Lease annoys me to no end sometimes. The only way Alina doesn't finish out the season is if she isn't named to the Euro & World team. I know that is a real possibility, but anything can happen and I don't see her giving up on herself and her chances. She can fight for that 3rd spot!
If Alina isn't named to the Euro & World teams then she can focus her energy on the shows she is doing and training and whatever else comes along.
This is 100% nothing more than my opinion: I think this season was/is a 'stay relevant' season for Alina. Stay close to the top, stay competitive, stay healthy and uninjured. Maintain and improve the technical skills that she has and grow as much as possible artistically and emotionally. Let's see how far she can get this season with that strategy.
Next season, everything can change. We all know that. My personal belief is that will have to increase her technical difficulty to be competitive for a spot on the Olympic team. Ultimately that will be her decision. She will be 18, an adult. I could understand completely if she decided she wanted to focus her energy elsewhere and explore all the new possibilities that are available to her.
Especially given the likelihood that Russia will not be allowed to compete under it's own flag. (I don't want to open a debate about that in this thread. Or give my opinion. It is what it is.) The chance to compete as a Russian Athlete at the Olympics and see her flag raised and sing her anthem would have been a HUGE motivation to get to Beijing. (Russia/OAR has a fairly good chance at the team Gold Medal, imo.) I guess we will know more after the final decision on December 9th?
If I was betting money I'd bet on Alina fighting until the end to make her second Olympic team. She has nothing to lose and everything to gain. She will only be 19 years old! I just can't see her not going for it with everything she has.
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2018
I remember an old interview, where she said the attention, the photo shoots, the interviews, was too much for her. And then she thought “when I am old lady, no one will want a photo shoot, a speech or an interview. So this is the moment to be out there and create all these memories.” What a wise girl Alina is!
Exactly! She won everything and beyond, but go for second Olympic as a reigning Olympic Champion is different. It's unusual. Recently, it's just Yuna. It might be another goal to accomplish. It's also a very rare goal she ever said out loud which is not "skating clean and deliver the best, make people happy". A lot can change in following years, but IF she will step into next season (which I honestly expect), then I bet she is going all the way. Which mean, she will fight for her difficulty. But we will see that.
To to be even physically able to do so, she need a bit relax. You can see that in every cathegory. Skaters have lighter season to be able to jump into Olympic drill once again. In Alina's case, it looks different, because in that time, girls with higher difficulty come. But it's fine, it's not possible to do two Olympic cycles otherwise. It doesn't matter that much if she will not make a team, that can happen only in Russia, everywhere else she will have her spot secure. If she will not make it, she has more time to learn new things. And learn it safely and properly. As much as I wish she will make it, if she will not, it's not a disaster, it can be for good.
Also personaly, I'm not completelly sure if we can speak about lighter season, because the only thing which is lighter for her is, that she is not jumping Lz-Lo combo in bonus part.
I find it quite dramatic. She is only not hurriing with quads. Her jumps are getting better, entries crazier and her artistry and the way she moves on the ice got into totally different level. Everyone see that. She was always very good, but she become mesmerising. It's not rare that after competition this season, people who were not there as her fanclub was stunned by her performance and ended in goosebombs. This way can only help her. If she is able to jump quad, she is able to learn it now or in next off season. A few months completelly doesn't matter, but the way she improved in every other aspect, that will not dissapear, that will make her program with potencial quad even better. Skater must move, and she is moving forward, just she picked different way than post people want to. She first wanna be better skater, secondly she will try become quad jumper. Which I find very mature.Btw. I personaly kinda believe that Eteri would like to prove she can work with "older" (maybe better to say "once accomplished") skaters too.
She seems to really like Alina even personally, if Alina will be in, they will do everything possible to make it real.
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
Red Alina Alert :luv17:
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2018
I almost never wear lipstick, especially bright red, but I want to buy this one!
Alina is the first celebrity who can actually sell anything to me. I spent some time searching for the dog mattress as well 
:
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2014
I almost never wear lipstick, especially bright red, but I want to buy this one!
You can wake up on your AirWeave mattress, hydrate with Aqua Minerale Active, get dressed in your Puma Sportwear and put on your Shiseido make-up on the way to Sperbank to make a withdrawal to pay for your ticket on Aeroflot to see Alina perform in Turin!
Disclaimer - I stole 90% of this from someone on the internet much more clever than me!
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2014
More of the beautiful young lady in red -
https://twitter.com/teamzagitova/status/1202179534990315520
https://twitter.com/teamzagitova/status/1202179534990315520
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2014
Nice to see this -
https://twitter.com/FlugelYuzu/status/1202140677280325632
Black swan forever!
Photos with fans from yesterday (or the day before) -
https://twitter.com/teamzagitova/status/1202116793751494657
https://twitter.com/FlugelYuzu/status/1202140677280325632
Black swan forever!
Photos with fans from yesterday (or the day before) -
https://twitter.com/teamzagitova/status/1202116793751494657
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
Alina "Sufi Whirling Dervish" Zagitova here to calm you down (in case you need it before the GPF)
I thought Dave Lease stopped the "retirement" talk after Alina won Worlds.
Well I guess now that the 3A and Rika are beating her - time to retire again.
Of course, THAT would then pertain to everybody except the 3A and Rika.
Some day he will be correct and Aliina WILL retire.
I just hope that day is sometime after the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Why retirement ? Being at the GPF means you are a top skater among the six stronger or best.
Alina still has a chance to medal and everything can happen.
Her goal is to skate clean her both programs not to compete to win the gold.
She knows she needs to increase the difficulties if she wants to compete with the 3A but I think she will take it easy this year after a stressful saison.
Maybe she will try a quad later but she needs to prepare her body and be ready mentally.
