2020-21 Russian Ladies' Figure Skating

[Fluture]

Daria was the best artistically today, should have won PCS. Well done on her newfound consistency and confidence, she improved tons since test skates. It can‘t have been easy skating after Sasha and Kamila but she did it. I still heavily dislike her programs, though. She tries her best to interpret them but honestly, it‘s just obvious that she could do much more.

Kamila will come back. There‘s so much pressure on her and I fear it won‘t go away, so she‘ll have to learn to live with it. It‘s sad because she‘s still a child and works so hard everyday but that‘s the way it is... She had a rocky start last season, too but then won everything, so this says nothing. I feel sorry seeing her so sad but she’ll come back.

As for her skate... well, I hate her program with a passion but she still has all the qualities in her skating and spins. It‘s just that skating to Bolero does her no favours.

I‘m very happy for Sasha. I didn‘t think she could win but she did. What a fighter!! Her 4T was great! Sadly, her artistic improvements aren‘t apparent at all in the FS, she looks about the same as last year. Other than the step sequence, I guess, I felt she hit the musical accents a bit better there. But it‘s a step by step process. I hope one day she‘ll manage to land all her jumps but also perform for the audience.

 

[Vemvane]

That was an exciting and nail-biting final three! Poor Kamila did not have a great outing today, but I think she has settled better into the programme in the short space of time since test skates. I also quite like her outfit - it's very detailed on the back, and those green patches on her shoulder blades make me think of the eyes on peacock feathers. I will say that when I saw the video from practice I didn't know what to make of the costume, but seeing it in brighter colours on the 1tv broadcast makes a difference. But back to her skating, ouch, that first fall looked so hard, and it takes so much courage to go back for a second quad straight away. She was so downcast afterwards, and looked so, so sad watching the replays, I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her that mistakes happen, but that the way she kept on going and performed to the end matters more.

I'm so happy for Daria. Still my favourite junior, and what a lovely, musical skate from her. She is beautiful on the ice, and she skated clean at her first competition of the season! Way to go, after fighting to develop her consistency last season! Having her skate after Sasha was, I feel, unfortunate, as I couldn't stop laughing with each music cut, and, much as I love Daria, she doesn't yet have quite the same explosive, eye-catching power that Sasha does. So I feel that she was a little overshadowed, which is a pity, as she emotes very well to her music, and has a grace and lightness of style that I really appreciate.

As for Sasha, I am so, so glad to see her smiling and confident after her free once more. My fingers are crossed that this is the confidence boost she needed after her struggles last season, and that she will be able to produce a clean free programme in competition before long. The height on her jumps is remarkable - that 4T made me gasp in real time - and I'm just muttering about the fact that she landed a brilliant 3Lz-3Lo in practice and then fell in competition, because when she is on that combination, she is really on it. I did have a good giggle at the start of Montagues & Capulets, when she very obviously channelled Plushenko with the hip wiggle; I also do like the break between the two powerful pieces that open and close the programme, as the softer, more lyrical music gives her an opportunity to keep on working on a gentler style, to make her a more versatile, better-rounded skater.

 

[nussnacker]

Overally the component score wasn't as I would put it. E.g while I appreciate Stasya's improvement, her PCS was 68, just two points behind Daria with still not much comparable quality of their skate.

Poor Kamila is now doing an interview.

Agree. Stasya really didn’t have a good skate today.. 2 pops and so many underrotations. They really need to work on her stamina, she seemed exhausted after 2 jumping passes.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

I also kind of like Daria's costume? If it weren't green but blue or red I'd probably like it more.

 

[Gabby30]

What an event! Did I tell you that Sasha will smash it as long as she goes (semi)-clear with the ultra-c? Well deserved win! The 4T was huuuge I felt bad about Kamila, did she hurt her foot? I hope she is not injured... I did not like her costume that much, honestly. I think the one from Test skates would have been better - it was accenting on her hands and complex movements that they have implemented into the choreo.
Daria was also magnificent! She used to have troubles with consistency, but it seems she is on a good path now. Skating after Sasha's monstrous skate wasn't easy, but she did very well. I still feel like Daria should have been 2nd..but it was close.

Honorable mentions - Stanislava and Shlurskaya! Frolova was also soo good, I love her classical style.

I didn't saw anything "monstrous" about Trusovas skate. A lot of mistakes and she isn't even skating to the music

 

[Ophelia]

Bolero is the wrong vehicle for Valieva.

 

[yume]

So, i think it's clear that Fed still want to help Trusova. I don't know what happened yesterday (the fact that she got a normal score), but that was a fluke obviously. I hope her "fans" are relieved.
Now i guess that Shcherbakova's 164 doesn't seem that high.

 

[TripleAxelQueens3]

Oh my god this comment on twitter has me laughing so hard:
"I think DAria fell out of her spin cause her back hurts from carrying all of Eteri's immaturity and Daniil's repeated (literally exact same) choreo"
(Credit to @stylishskating on twitter)

 

[Tolstoj]

On reddit all the plushifans are celebrating the falls of Valieva and regretting that she did not fall more times to make Plushenko's victory over Eteri even more glorious ... Where are those who said the Federation hated Trusova, today she fell 2 times and He got more than 160 points, in an international tournament he does not grab or podium, falling twice in front of Korean and Japanese.

She fell once actually. Her score is comparable to what she got internationally last season, with more quads last season yes but also with more mistakes often.

3 quads are 3 quads, you can make up points however you like, but the bv on her programs is way way higher the rest.

 

[nussnacker]

I also kind of like Daria's costume? If it weren't green but blue or red I'd probably like it more.

Daria has really nice dresses this season, indeed!
Overall, I think the placing is fair. Glad Sasha had such a comeback with 2 quads. Her 4Ts are so big!

 

[kolyadafan2002]

If you open Daria's protocol it's actually just...wrong. I'm not even saying this as a "She wuz robbed!", it's literally...factually wrong. The order of her elements listed isn't correct.

Does that happen? I've never seen that before. I guess it changes nothing in the grand scheme of things, it's just strange.

Stephane lambiel had his 3A in 2006 world's called a 2A in the FP and it's not been corrected to this day.

 

[moonkat]

So, i think it's clear that Fed still want to help Trusova. I don't know what happened yesterday (the fact that she got a normal score), but that was a fluke obviously. I hope her "fans" are relieved.
Now i guess that Shcherbakova's 164 doesn't seem that high.

They would rather skater like Shcherbakova & Valieva win, but Valieva's performance was clearly not something they could give 1st place. Trusova quads help her get on the podium in international competion.

 

[Elana]

Protocols: https://fsrussia.ru/results/2021/2etap/eMC__Scores.pdf

(Oh Dasha, if you hadn't gotten out of the FCSp early you might've beaten Kami)

My thoughts exactly! Wish she was second

 

[Flying Feijoa]

much as I love Daria, she doesn't yet have quite the same explosive, eye-catching power that Sasha does.

That's the reason why I felt the relative PCS was justified. O Verona and Dance of the Knights are aggressive pieces of music, Come Gentle Night is a soft and romantic interlude. Usacheva is soft and delicate, Trusova is powerful so on average I think their interpretation was on par. I feel Trusova is also the faster of the two but Usacheva has more transitions.
Disclaimer: Since I usually prefer men and pairs, my opinion of artistry differs from those who prefer ladies.

 

[flanker]

So, the next stages:
3rd: Anna and Liza, maybe Maiia, Anna should have straight way to victory.
4th: We will see Sasha against Aliona there, that will be much more interesting. As we haven't seen much from Aliona yet, I can't guess on her chances. That will be thrilling.
5th: This will be really the crowded one. Aliona, Kamila, I guess Daria again, and Liza. Also this is promising some interesting competition.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

That's the reason why I felt the relative PCS was justified. O Verona and Dance of the Knights are aggressive pieces of music, Come Gentle Night is a soft and romantic interlude. Usacheva is soft and delicate, Trusova is powerful so on average I think their interpretation was on par. I feel Trusova is also the faster of the two but Usacheva has more transitions.
Disclaimer: Since I usually prefer men and pairs, my opinion of artistry differs from those who prefer ladies.

Daria has better natural skating but the choreography wasn't good. That's my take from her skate. Trusova has less natural PCS but her choreography was better (not fantastic but better)

 

[karina17]

Stephane lambiel had his 3A in 2006 world's called a 2A in the FP and it's not been corrected to this day.

I can imagine that happening with jumps being called as doubles, since all that would happen is that the tech controller didn't see it right, but I can't imagine a scenario in which the tech controller hallucinates an entire choreo sequence at the end of the program after her final spin

It changes nothing, I just wondered. It was probably just a glitch then?

 

[kolyadafan2002]

I can imagine that happening with jumps being called as doubles, since all that would happen is that the tech controller didn't see it right, but I can't imagine a scenario in which the tech controller hallucinates an entire choreo sequence at the end of the program after her final spin

It changes nothing, I just wondered. It was probably just a glitch then?

Glitch, fat fingered the buttons, or smoking whatever Tarasova was smoking.

 

[Skatesocs]

Stephane lambiel had his 3A in 2006 world's called a 2A in the FP and it's not been corrected to this day.

In 2006 you didn't get the UR sign, a jump the TP called UR was automatically downgraded and written up as the lower level version. Could easily be that Lambiel was called UR on that 3A and it was written up as a 2A.

 

[Dogo]

In my humble opinion, Daria should have been 2nd overall. I think RusFed won't put her above Kamila and it's a shame. Kamila was great to see but the snake costume is so bizarre. A snake in bolero? She's a talented girl but I don't know what else can she do with that repetitive music and program that is built up so slow compared to the others, plus her strength is obviously in lyrical programs. So her program packaging looks a bit disconnected from her best qualities.

I adore Sasha's smile. She is learning to control her pre-competition nerves a bit more (probably her biggest weakness) and I think she will keep making amazing progress with jumps, components and musicality!! You can tell she's at ease with her coach and that makes me happy