Elena Ilinykh & Ruslan Zhiganshin | Page 477 | Golden Skate

Elena Ilinykh & Ruslan Zhiganshin

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
I can't imagine that the Fed will ever let Elena go. They may not have been fans of her skating with Ruslan, but I doubt that they are so blind to not see how exceptional she is. Even if the Fed would release her, it wouldn't really improve her current situation. Right now, there are no partners left who are close to her level.

Exactly, they have nothing to offer her while another federation could give her the opportunity to complete her career with dignity. It would be hateful for them to hold on to her purely for political reasons. I hope they do give her her freedom if she desires it. She's only 23. Let's just say I'm waiting to hear her plans and I hope she has a future.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
2015 Russian nationals showed that Russian fed wants Elena to be the champion so bad and desperately. The team just hit a wall! Very bad wall and they actually felt dropping was only option. She's potentially too dangerous to let go! Though they might if enough have some kind of
Problem With her!
 
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tulosai

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
I can't imagine that the Fed will ever let Elena go. They may not have been fans of her skating with Ruslan, but I doubt that they are so blind to not see how exceptional she is. Even if the Fed would release her, it wouldn't really improve her current situation. Right now, there are no partners left who are close to her level.

I do think as I've said that they'd probably ultimately release her if she genuinely tries to but cannot find a Russian partner at her level, but I see it taking 2 seasons minimum, which at her age is no joke. However, in a sense you can't blame them- over the years they have invested a lot of money and time into her, and probably she is still their most 'talented' female dancer, though that talent/potential hasn't really been showing up much in competitions for the past few years. However, Russia tends to be one of the more reasonable federations in releasing skaters- I can list on just a few fingers those who seem to have has real issues and all of them were ultimately released anyway.

There is of course always a possibility that someone from another nation might get released to skate for Russia too... not all other federations are France :p
 

SnowWhite

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 30, 2016
Country
Canada
if i may speak freely, i suspect that russian ice dance is a very closed community with strict rules regarding who can and cannot represent russia. There is an aesthetic and style that is almost considered mandatory before support is issued. Katsalapov and zhiganshin have hinted at this a few times in interviews. It also appears that they significantly cut their funding this year. The strain of it must be quite an emotional one considering how challenging ice dance actually is. I say all this to say two things if i were in their shoes i may have given up eons ago. Further, since the federation has already anointed the future of russian ice dance to belong to s/b and s/c, given lena's international fan base and age it might be in their best interests to let her go as a gesture of goodwill; this could be an angle her management team could pursue. It would be considered cruel by many to have her talent just wasted by not being able to continue, either in russia or a country of her choosing.

s/c ??
 

Turbo-Mom

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Interesting possibility (Elena & Daniel), especially since both have extensive backgrounds in ballet but I doubt Daniel (Eaton) would ever consider giving up his United States, or Canadian citizenships. I know Daniel has been on Team USA for many years and very pleased with how USFSA, USOC, and the USFS Memorial Fund have assisted him during his competitive career going all the way back to when he first started skating in Florida in 1995 (Daniel’s Dad worked with Canadarm on Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center).

I am also pretty sure Elena also has commitments to the Russian Federation for the help that her family has received over her career. She is a fantastic dancer and personality but I doubt she would seriously consider skating for another Federation. Besides the Federation and release issues, I know that Daniel's ancestors were among the original founding families of Port-Royal (Acadia).

The possibility of this partnership is intriguing and may be a very positive image for skating as “East” and “West” join arms. I know that Daniel is white water rafting in Colorado next week and that he skates in Canton.
https://youtu.be/fKvL9zUrxpU
https://youtu.be/fKvL9zUrxpU
 

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Interesting possibility (Elena & Daniel), especially since both have extensive backgrounds in ballet but I doubt Daniel (Eaton) would ever consider giving up his United States, or Canadian citizenships. I know Daniel has been on Team USA for many years and very pleased with how USFSA, USOC, and the USFS Memorial Fund have assisted him during his competitive career going all the way back to when he first started skating in Florida in 1995 (Daniel’s Dad worked with Canadarm on Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center).

I am also pretty sure Elena also has commitments to the Russian Federation for the help that her family has received over her career. She is a fantastic dancer and personality but I doubt she would seriously consider skating for another Federation. Besides the Federation and release issues, I know that Daniel's ancestors were among the original founding families of Port-Royal (Acadia).

The possibility of this partnership is intriguing and may be a very positive image for skating as “East” and “West” join arms. I know that Daniel is white water rafting in Colorado next week and that he skates in Canton.
https://youtu.be/fKvL9zUrxpU
https://youtu.be/fKvL9zUrxpU

They should try out, if they're both interested, and probably train with either Zueva or Marie France. As for whom they would skate for Canada, may be the best bet, considering that Tessa and Scott would be retiring after Korea. US and Russia, seem pretty stacked. Lubov is doing pretty well there, they should give it a shot, if they want to.
 

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
I think we should wait a bit to see all the details , but I wish Lena finds a suitable partner, this season, next season, there is time anyway to start over she's only 23.And I think that it will be good to check every option carefully and not just jump into a partnership just because someone is available. I would personally like to see someone totally different than her two partners, bigger or maybe just different.It would be really refreshing to create something totally new, stylewise too

As far as I've heard his problems are not skating related, if we're not talking about fanfiction and forum madness, but actual facts.Anyway best luck to all with whatever they decide

Hey Alithia, your inbox is full :(
 

olayolay

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
Interesting possibility (Elena & Daniel), especially since both have extensive backgrounds in ballet but I doubt Daniel (Eaton) would ever consider giving up his United States, or Canadian citizenships. I know Daniel has been on Team USA for many years and very pleased with how USFSA, USOC, and the USFS Memorial Fund have assisted him during his competitive career going all the way back to when he first started skating in Florida in 1995 (Daniel’s Dad worked with Canadarm on Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center).

I am also pretty sure Elena also has commitments to the Russian Federation for the help that her family has received over her career. She is a fantastic dancer and personality but I doubt she would seriously consider skating for another Federation. Besides the Federation and release issues, I know that Daniel's ancestors were among the original founding families of Port-Royal (Acadia).

The possibility of this partnership is intriguing and may be a very positive image for skating as “East” and “West” join arms. I know that Daniel is white water rafting in Colorado next week and that he skates in Canton.
https://youtu.be/fKvL9zUrxpU
https://youtu.be/fKvL9zUrxpU

Oh God, Elena Ilinykh with Daniel Eaton? Hasn't she suffered enough? He is a complete vacuum of personality and she would curb-stomp him to the ice. He was outskated by a 16 year old the entire time he was partnered with Danielle Thomas.
 

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Oh God, Elena Ilinykh with Daniel Eaton? Hasn't she suffered enough? He is a complete vacuum of personality and she would curb-stomp him to the ice. He was outskated by a 16 year old the entire time he was partnered with Danielle Thomas.

I've been reviewing the best of Lena's work for many years now, and there are very, very few that could possibly match her. She is a true delight.
 

tvuckic16

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Huh, didn't realize Lena was possibly looking for a new partner. I am not surprised really.

From the selfish standpoint of ice-dancing, I still think IK break up was a stupidity and IZ and SK just never got things off the ground really.

IZ had a very promising first season but after that, everything I always thought would be missing in the IZ partnership came to be and then compounded with his injuries... well, it is what it is...

I hope Lena finds someone suitable...
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Everyone must see I/K clearly! Their tech score at 2013 worlds was a total disgrace. 16th in FD. They didn't have a gold future and gold was the only reason for their team.
 

tvuckic16

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Everyone must see I/K clearly! Their tech score at 2013 worlds was a total disgrace. 16th in FD. They didn't have a gold future and gold was the only reason for their team.

I think they had momentum after the Olympics. You cannot underestimate the importance of positive momentum in any sport, ice-dance included.

They were well positioned to capitalize on their Olympic medal and I think they would have. They were right there with DW and VM, who were retiring, IK were well positioned to be among the top 2 or 3 teams in the World.

Had IK not been in the middle of ridiculous break up drama, they would have won Worlds that year. Look how much momentum CL had as a result and though I like their performance style a lot, they are really not en par in technical quality to some other teams.

So... yes, I think for Russian ice dance, IK break up was of the utmost stupidity and Katsalapov is of course a total idiot.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
I think they had momentum after the Olympics. You cannot underestimate the importance of positive momentum in any sport, ice-dance included.

They were well positioned to capitalize on their Olympic medal and I think they would have. They were right there with DW and VM, who were retiring, IK were well positioned to be among the top 2 or 3 teams in the World.

Had IK not been in the middle of ridiculous break up drama, they would have won Worlds that year. Look how much momentum CL had as a result and though I like their performance style a lot, they are really not en par in technical quality to some other teams.

So... yes, I think for Russian ice dance, IK break up was of the utmost stupidity and Katsalapov is of course a total idiot.

You blame the short dance twizzle error on the breakup drama but there was always drama and almost always were twizzle errors. I don't have any belief that they would have won worlds or even if they did just huge doubt over medaling at their 2014 gp events.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
*dusts thread*
The emergence of Ilinykh/Shibnev must surely mean I/Z are no more, so I just came here to say bye to this nice couple. Good luck to Ruslan in his new life, and if the rumors about his injury leading to the split are true, good health to him too. *toasts*
 

Mohacz

Medalist
Joined
Jan 24, 2006
Country
Poland
I was always curious about Elena and Ruslan's split/retirement. Ruslan seemed injured and then they simply stopped skating together. Some weeks ago he gave an interview that was partially translated on FSU:

https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ve-33-summer-2019.105726/page-17#post-5615535

He now dedicates to coaching and works with Anjelika Krylova. His thoughts about his and Elena's stay with Igor are also quite surprising and revealing.
 
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