2019-20 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[eterislouisvuitton]

I think terrible is a exaggerating it a bit, she's coming back from an injury that caused her to withdraw from 2 extremely important competitions - she had a fall on the first jump in her combination which meant she was forced to change her last jump to a combination which was a Loop, it would have been better had she changed the Loop to a flip and done the combination but muscle memory played a key probably but she fought to do a double toe afterwards. I can't remember any instances where I've seen a loop jump be the first jump in a combination if it wasn't a loop-loop combination. She showed some fight here, hopefully the FS goes better for her but I can't help but feel that even a lights out skate that her fate is pretty much sealed to struggle to ever get onto the GP series and with the talent level in Russia not competing on the GP might harm her ability to podium at Nationals without help from the top skaters having a lot of mistakes.

We know money is an issue with her, she's almost 16, she's not shown any reliable ultra-difficult element (triple axel/quad), she's a bit of coach hopper and I believe she's already 'flirted' with quitting the sport - I think it's been said that when she left Eteri, she was leaving the sport but then decided to come back. Given those factors would the Fed even put her on either the Senior or Junior National team when they can put money towards the skaters showing the ultra-difficult jumps and that are a bit more reliable than Tarakanova? I hate to be doom and gloom about her because I love to watch her skate

I like Nastya too, she reminds me of Elena Radionova and Maya Khromykh reminds me of her a bit too. Unfortunately, I feel that this is the sad truth. The depth in Russia is insane! Had Baranova not taken two nasty spills, all 18 juniors/novices would've made the minimum for SENIOR worlds. None of them were older than 15. Nastya showed a triple axel that was close, and a quad in a harness some time ago but I guess growth and financial struggles not allowing her to pay for additional training courses have held her back, sad becuase she had a lot of potential. She has this unrefined look to her skating, but there are still moments of brilliance. That exit out of the 2A is smooth, and she was able to put out the best fight she could after that injury and opening fall.

I also find it unlikely that they continue to send her to JGP, and unlikely for her to get GP events because of the insane depth in Russia but maybe if she can somehow get a challenger, she could make a statement. But after leaving Eteri she has not been favored with politics, and the fact that there are dozens of little girls coming up every year doesn't help either. She was once one of them. Hoping she can find passion and success in skating :sad4:hwell:

 

[Scott512]

Tarakanova had a terrible skate. It was not good at all. I honestly think it would have been better for her to not compete here (like Vasilieva). Next season is at stake, and you don't want to go out with a catastrophy performance.

LOL! Yes it's 4 am here. What can I say - I'm flexible with time.

Good heavens you're like a cat in the night. Never running out of energy.

I just hope whoever wins tomorrow deserves to win.

 

[halulupu]

Tarakanovas future looks indeed grim. This might be her last chance to show her qualities. If she bombs RusFed funding for next year is very uncertain. She is a jumper but has no ultra c. She cannot expect much loyalty from her coaches. Poor girl, so much pressure

 

[LiamForeman]

Let's just see how her free skate goes. But you're right, it looks bad for her. Her skating has noticeably declined, and she never was much of an artist. This might be the last we see of her.

 

[hippomoomin]

After watching her sp I think she still has the it factor. It looks she survived puberty and her artistry keeps improving. Her edge is also very good.

For the Russia Cup Final tomorrow I really hope that Gubanova wins. This girl needs a break. I don't think it will happen though. Guliakova most probably got this.

 

[LiamForeman]

I'll be rooting for Gubanova. She has a natural elegance. I just wish her air position in her jumps was more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. She really muscles her jumps.

I'm trying to get behind Guliakova, but, Mishin... Has she been practicing her 3axel anymore?

It's so frustrating being a fan of Nugumanova (sp?), because she is so good, but always URs. Nothing seems to change with that, year after year.

I hope Tarakanova redeems herself, but it doesn't look good for her.

 

[Happy Skates]

I'll be rooting for Gubanova. She has a natural elegance. I just wish her air position in her jumps was more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. She really muscles her jumps.

I'm trying to get behind Guliakova, but, Mishin... Has she been practicing her 3axel anymore?

It's so frustrating being a fan of Nugumanova (sp?), because she is so good, but always URs. Nothing seems to change with that, year after year.

I hope Tarakanova redeems herself, but it doesn't look good for her.

I'm wondering what the path is now for Tarakanova. What are her goals, and how does she realistically achieve them? At this point, there's nothing much she can do in terms of changing her senior GP prospects for next year. Its looking very unlikely so far, and her fate depends on the fates of Alina, Vasilieva, Samodurova, Konstantinova, and those at JWC and WC who have the potential to beat her SB. There are a lot of things that have to go right for her to even get one spot (I'm still salty she didn't get a challenger opportunity). If she doesn't end up getting a spot, then the question becomes whether she gets JGP spots (and whether she gets a challenger spot in addition to or instead of those). She'll be 16, so not ridiculously old to be on the JGP, but still significantly older than some of her teammates will be. And considering she had her major success on the JGP at age 13, it might be weird for her. Plus, with Valieva, Kromykh, Samodelkina, Usacheva, Alysa Liu, and more on the JGP, the competition is only getting harder, and major medals and even JGPF berths will be hard to come across. The only way a fourth season on the JGP will benefit her is if she can up her SB, although that proved hard to do even this year with clean performances at her second JGP . Anyways, her luck this year has been incredibly bad, from losing to Vasilieva with clean performances and thus losing a JGPF spot, to missing out on a possible YOG spot and two major nationals because of an injury. I hope her luck (and program choices) improve next year, but as time goes by it will get harder and harder to get that senior GP debut.

 

[Orlov]

Well now I agree with Elucidus - judging of FCR is a joke. Gubanova has UR on the 3T in 2A+3T - they do not even put on review. She has close to UR on the second 2A - they don't even put it on review either. At least put it on review! It's so close to UR that I had to review it several times to figure it out.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Congratulations to the RCF medalists, Guliakova, Gubanova, and Talalaykina! So good to see clean skates from all three!

 

[Edwin]

Tarakanova withdrawn due to injury, recurring ankle, or just for protection, or as an excuse for her bad performance? So confusing ....

But probably even more so for Anastasiya herself, what will become of her?

 

[Orlov]

Congratulations to the RCF medalists, Guliakova, Gubanova, and Talalaykina! So good to see clean skates from all three!

Hell with FCR This is indeed a strange event held in order to give a small piece of sugar to first-line outsiders at the expense of other second-line outsiders

 

[Edwin]

Hell with FCR This is indeed a strange event held in order to give a small piece of sugar to first-line outsiders (at the expense of other second-line outsiders)

You mean Sankt Peterburg? At the expense of the Moscow skaters this competition?

Depends on what money really depends on FCR results, the whole competition was sort of lacklustre compared to both Senior and Junior nationals.

 

[Orlov]

You mean Sankt Peterburg? At the expense of the Moscow skaters this competition?

No, I think it was an accident that the girls from St. Petersburg won. More precisely, this is due to the fact that the first and second echelon is occupied mainly by girls from Moscow, which pushed the St. Petersburg girls into the third echelon (the first line of outsiders)

 

[flanker]

Tarakanova withdrawn due to injury, recurring ankle, or just for protection, or as an excuse for her bad performance? So confusing ....

But probably even more so for Anastasiya herself, what will become of her?

Let's wish Nastya health and getting a chance next season.

 

[LenaRadiFan]

Hmmm funny how suddenly this season people have issues with russian national judging at these kind of events [emoji23][emoji23]

Happy for the medalists though,,,I really rooted for Guliakova now next I'm crossing fingers she's gonna get the host spot at rostelecom next season at least

 

[Orlov]

Hmmm funny how suddenly this season people have issues with russian national judging at these kind of events [emoji23][emoji23]

last season was not better

 

[flanker]

Hmmm funny how suddenly this season people have issues with russian national judging at these kind of events [emoji23][emoji23]

Happy for the medalists though,,,I really rooted for Guliakova now next I'm crossing fingers she's gonna get the host spot at rostelecom next season at least

It's not "suddenly this season", RCF 2019 was maybe the most discussed russian event as for the judging

 

[flanker]

Sofia's and Adeliya's interview after RCF. Cuteness :luv17:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJm-B1XefxM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2T5-C-Iny8

 

[lpt]

Sofia's and Adeliya's interview after RCF. Cuteness :luv17:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJm-B1XefxM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2T5-C-Iny8

You'd better use the original source - Olga Yermolina's channel.

Samodelkina https://youtu.be/SbP6poShO8o
Akatyeva https://youtu.be/fAIqjUQkpWU
Petrosian https://youtu.be/ikOx7r3DBtg

Channel you use takes and re-uploads only Tutberidze skaters videos.

 

[Edwin]

Ambitious Samodelkina. Tutberidze's wards have a serious rival within the country

The winner of the Russian Cup finals in girls' competitions was 13-year-old Sof'ya Samodelkina from CSKA, who bested Eteri Tutberidze's ward Sof'ya Akat'yeva.

Without the pressure on the juniors like in Krasnoyarsk

After the 2019 Russian Championship, there was a lot of talk about Alyona Kostornaya, Anna Shcherbakova and Aleksandra Trusova, who occupied the entire podium of the women's competitions, who didn't let anybody come close in the championships. Like, they were not selected for the senior national team , but only made Alina Zagitova and Yevgeniya Medvyedeva nervous again, which is why the skaters ended the tournament unsuccessfully. At the 2020 Championship, the juniors who could not challenge the serious rivals were not allowed. The winner of the Junior Grand Prix final of 2019/20, 13-year-old Kamila Valiyeva could not start in Krasnoyarsk because of her young age, like her rink mates Dar'ya Usachyova and Maya Khromykh. And Kseniya Sinitsyna who got to the tournament with the most original programs noted by experts, after 14th place in the short program, immediately became a non-dangerous rival for the senior skaters.

Young pursuers

However, already at the Junior National Championship in Saransk, everything returned back to normal - the skaters who were selected for the junior World Championships were imposed by a serious struggle by those who by age can only compete domestically. These were 12-year-old pupil of Eteri Tutberidze Sof'ya Akat'yeva and 13-year-old skater of CSKA Sof'ya Samodelkina. Akat'yeva became second, ahead of two participants of the World Junior Championship Usachyova and Khromykh, and Samodelkina became fourth, ahead of the same Khromykh by 3.1 points.

Microduel at a new level

This season, the confrontation between these two skaters in general has become an ornament of the most hyped domestic competitions. The girls are always close and exchange victories in tournaments, while competing at the highest level. During the season, Samodelkina began to jump a triple Axel in both programs, and Akat'yeva began to master not only this jump, but also two quadruple Toeloops in her free program.
The triple Axel generally becomes a singular leap for singles of any age. It allows senior skaters to get a head start in the short program, since it is allowed there, unlike quadruple jumps. At the junior level, for the performance of the short program, girls have to resort to a loophole in the rules - to do it in a cascade with a triple Toeloop, since solo performance is prohibited. This technique was prepared for Alisa Liu's international junior debut, while Sof'ya began to resort to it in Russia as well. “ If allowed, why not? Will we continue to perform with this cascade or will it be profitable to skate with something simpler - we will see, but we must try, ” one of her coaches Sergey Davydov told about Samodelkina's super cascade.

Rewarding Cascade

However, at the National Junior Championship, a miracle cascade could not really help the CSKA skater - the advantage in points gained by jumping it in the short program, Samodelkina lost at the levels of steps and spins. But he played a big role in Velikiy Novgorod, providing Samodelkina with a comfortable advantage after her short program. Plus, it made it possible to bring the tournament to victory with only one triple Axel in her free program. Akat'yeva has so far abstained from this jump, in principle, focusing on the quadruple Toeloop, which in the Russian Cup Final refused to submit to her twice - from one of the attempts, Sof'ya fell.

Ambitious dreams and bad luck

“ I would like to compete abroad and represent the country at international starts ”, Samodelkina admitted after her victory. And the skater will have such an opportunity from the season 2020/21, however, for this she needs to go a difficult way - to put on vivid programs, perhaps to master the quad Lutz that she wants so much. But the most important thing is to do without injuries and come up in combat readiness for Junior Test Skates in September this year. It is noteworthy that Akat'yeva will not receive such an opportunity - she will turn 13 years old only on July 7, which means that she will have to compete for another year only at domestic competitions.

But the right to sparkle at the international junior level will appear for another pupil of Tutberidze - Adeliya Petrosyan, who became third in Velikiy Novgorod and the sixth in the Junior National Championship country without "ultra-si". While the girl attracts a certain resemblance to Medvyedeva and has bright skating, it is obvious that she will have to complicate herself.

Summing up, it becomes obvious that the pupils of Tutberidze have a strong rival within the country, whose coaches' advance along the same path - through super-jumps and a meticulous attention to the rules. And taking into account Yelizaveta Berestovskaya, who also owns a quadruple Toeloop, an entire coaching group has formed, which also successfully works with very young athletes.

“ So far, you need to have time to win everything before the age of 16. If the age limit changes, then everyone will build the work in a different way ”, said Davydov in an interview with SE. And now, within the framework of this truth, others besides Tutberidze are trying to work.

(c) Екатерина Беспалова
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From: https://www.sport-express.ru/figure...nachinayut-prygat-chetvernye-pryzhki-1645089/