Evgenia Medvedeva | Page 1417 | Golden Skate

Evgenia Medvedeva

xibsuarz

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2015
That's so great that you got tickets!!! I can't wait for you to post everything from the gala. :)

I definitely will! :agree:
The company's IG page just posted a story saying the EX tickets are selling out and I'm so glad Zhenya will get a good reception over here :yes:
 

Fluture

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 26, 2018
I had no clue at all that Zhenya was coming to Mexico. So she's doing a 3 days seminar alongside an EX gala. I'm so glad this one materialized, that same company was supposed to bring Javier to give out seminars last year but the price was way too high and there was nothing for non-skaters who wanted to meet him. Thankfully they didn't make the same mistakes with Zhenya.
And in just 10 days! Thankfully the gala and the meet and greet are open to the public and I managed to get a ticket for those. I am so excited, out of all my favorite skaters, Zhenya and the Shibs are the only ones I haven't been able to see live so I'm kind of freaking out rn :yahoo:

That‘s awesome! Hope you‘ll have lots of fun! Tell us everything about it. :)

Jason says Zhenya is already preparing for the next season!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8yPX3oIB-v/?igshid=1l4wn5xx4atsw

I don’t know how I’ll make it through the next seven months ahh...just thinking about Zhenya’s amazing improvement this season already is making me giddy for the next one ☺️

Do I absolutely love Zhenya‘s and Jason‘s friendship? Yes. Am I missing Zhenya? Also yes. Am I still in awe of her already training again and not losing motivation? An even bigger YES.

Zhenya... just... :clap:
 

kahndradra

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Zhenya just posted an insta story in her MOAG costume and full makeup whaaaaaat

She loves teasing us too much but we love her anyway
 

Rexarcadia

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 20, 2017
Zhenya just posted an insta story in her MOAG costume and full makeup whaaaaaat

She loves teasing us too much but we love her anyway

ZHENYA what are you doing to us??

Lol no idea what it's for but I'm happy we get to see it again. She looks gorgeous!
 

Fluture

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 26, 2018
Zhenya just posted an insta story in her MOAG costume and full makeup whaaaaaat

She loves teasing us too much but we love her anyway

Zhenya!! :gaah:

She sure knows how to keep us wondering. Now, I‘m betting on a photoshoot of some kind. Just because I don‘t think there‘s any competitions near her we haven‘t heard of yet.
 

Fluture

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 26, 2018
https://www.instagram.com/p/B85t1fWoP5q/?igshid=y546obsbvzch

“Two years ago, from the very first seconds of this program, the world stood still.“

Anniversary. Two years. I think you might have guessed it since it‘s almost a tradition by now but it‘s time for a very sappy post. Here we go:

Let‘s go back to the Olympics. In a way it feels unbelievable that it‘s been two years. Has it really?

It is strange how so much time can pass and some things don‘t change. Don‘t get me wrong, a lot of things did change, in Zhenya‘s life, in mine. But time didn‘t change how I feel about the Olympics, at least not entirely.

Conflicted. On the 23rd of February, two years ago, I felt like I‘d personally been wronged. By fate, whatever, whoever. It didn‘t matter. How could the skater that had inspired me so much, that had skated her heart out, lost? It felt tragically unfair. Of course, I was still the kind of casual viewer who couldn‘t tell her salchow from her loop, who only saw if someone fell or didn‘t fall and judged by that - and by the emotion. Learning about the judging system, the complicated rules to this sport I‘d once scoffed at for being only about pretty girls in sparkly dresses, made me feel slightly less agitated. At least there was a “Okay, that‘s why“ now compared to the utter indignation, yes, anger, and sadness I’d felt before at what I perceived as a total unfairness. There was a certain logic to it, a reason. I could understand it. With the brain. With the heart? Never.

And that‘s what doesn‘t change. To this day, even through the logic, even through the brain that tells me: “you know why it happened, don‘t be stupid“ there remains a certain sting, a heart that tells me: “But this isn‘t right!“ Maybe this is the reason for a few things. I don‘t know, I suppose I never will. But I know that it‘s there, this feeling, and no matter how I try to stifle it, it stays. I kept telling myself “well, it happened for the better“ for two years. “Maybe it happened for the better. You‘ll see. Just wait.“

That‘s the thing, though. It didn‘t happen for the better. Her loss wasn‘t for the better. Losses are never for the better. Losses are just that. Losses. What’s good about losing? Nothing. Losing hurts. Like hell. It’s the aftermath that changes the perception. In Zhenya’s case: her determination. Her strength. Her bravery. What she made of it, of that loss, that unfairness of life’s way, that was. How she handled it, with grace and her head held high, that was what made it for the better. How she looked through the fog of injury and despair and found new possibilities on the horizon.

Let‘s go back to the interview she gave after her freeskate.

“My main goal was to leave the rink without regrets. I did it.“

“I didn‘t feel any pressure at all. I felt like a bird that spread its wings. I felt good.“

“There is no remorse now. I hate this feeling. Now it‘s gone.“

”I wanted to finish the Olympic Games without regrets. I will not look back, because nothing can be returned. There is still a huge sports life ahead, along which I am going to go for many, many years. I will do everything I can. Just like I did today. And I will leave my entire self on the ice.“

That‘s a surprising way for someone who just lost what they’d worked for all their life, to look at the situation.

Strength. And wisdom. She didn‘t turn her Olympic loss into something better. You can’t turn a loss into something better. But you can keep on living and making choices and if you do that long enough and with enough courage tucked in your belly, you might find something that’s better. Zhenya kept on walking and walking, steady and head held high - even when some tried to make her something she was not, when they turned away from her because she refused to be what they wanted her to - until she found that something. Something that was worth it. Her loss wasn‘t for the better and I don‘t have to feel like it. She would have done amazing things with an Olympic Gold too because she’s an amazing person. But because she is an amazing person she did amazing things with her silver and would have with any medal, or without. She didn’t change her entire life and move to Canada because she lost the Olympics. Maybe that was a part of it, a motivation, but it wasn’t the main reason. Others, I am sure, would have lost and wouldn’t have dared to do the same. They would have gone on, unhappy but unable to change anything. Zhenya changed he life and made that choice, first of all because she was brave enough to do it. Maybe that‘s why there‘s the saying that it‘s the losses that reveal us, not the victories. She would have deserved a victory but she got a loss instead. Life‘s not fair. But she handled the loss with dignity and refused to bow down to it. Instead she moved.

So, yes. I can remember the 23rd of February with a certain sort of melancholy and sadness while still being aware of the kind of things she did afterwards. While still being proud, while smiling and saying: “She didn‘t let unfairness stop her. Look at her now!“

Unfairness.I say it and I mean it. I do not mean unfairness in the typical way, in the “someone cheated“ way. No. I mean it in terms of luck. And luck is always unfair, isn’t it? That‘s life. Some win and some lose. Some have luck on their side, others don‘t. Does that mean we have to hate the lucky ones? No. Feeling wronged on behalf of the ones who lose isn’t a slight against those who win. And in this situation it‘s the same. It‘s not someone else winning that feels so tragically unfair. It‘s Zhenya losing. It sounds like the same but it isn‘t. Why should it be? This is all about Zhenya. And her situation WAS unfair. Is it not unfair to work all your life only to get injured in the most important season? Is it not unfair to amaze the world with consistency and determination for two years, only to lose the last tournament, the one you‘d been waiting for? Is it not unfair to drag your injured and starved body to the Olympics, to skate three clean programs under pressure and pain only to not be rewarded with a Gold? It is and honestly, no one can tell me otherwise. I have struggled with this the last two years. I felt like feeling anger at this unfairness was wrong and made me a bad person. I think I have understood now that it doesn‘t. It‘s okay to feel sadness and anger as long as we keep it in perspective and realise that it‘s only there for Zhenya, because of what happened to Zhenya. It doesn‘t have anything to do with anyone else. This is crucial.

It’s not about the medals. It‘s funny isn‘t it, what a simple moment can change. When I turned on the TV and decided to watch figure skating, it was Zhenya‘s program I saw. Sometimes I asked myself why I had to turn on the TV and fall in love with that athlete, that skater, only then to watch her lose. Couldn’t I have turned it on later, fallen in love with the eventual winner? It took a while to realise that when I fell in love with Zhenya‘s skating I didn‘t do it because she was a favorite to win a medal. I didn‘t even know about her, for all it‘s worth she could have been just another skater, there could have been three other skaters who jumped quads and would beat her. I fell in love with her because she radiated emotions, depth and a love for skating that made me fall in love with the sport in turn. It wasn‘t the prospect of a Gold, it was just her.

I remember that I asked my mom once, jokingly, over the kitchen table.

“Why did I have to fall in love with the one who lost?“

She looked at me and laughed. (Her answer was more serious than I expected) “Because we don‘t fall in love with medals, we fall in love with people. I don‘t know if there is a reason she lost. But I know there is a reason she was the last to skate that day. I don’t understand the scoring. Scoring is about technicality, rules. Falling in love with a performance is about art, about emotion and sincerity. Whose performance will I remember most vividly? And given the reactions on social media you told me of, many people think the same. Try to look past the colour of the medal and the broken foot. She still made those Olympics hers, she made people remember her. What kind of character does that take? That’s why you fell in love with her. Don‘t worry. She‘ll be fine.”

I think that‘s important. She is being remembered. I think Tarasova was right when she described her during the commentary of Zhenya’s Olympic program:

“A human who, for two years, keeps the whole world in suspense.“

Remembered. It’s been two years and she’s still doing it. When she posts later than promised, the whole Russian sports twitter freaks out, waiting for her. Even those who so desperately try to claim she’s yesterday’s news react to each and every thing she does. And it‘s, in part, because of the medals she‘s won but mostly because of the things she does and the kind of person she is.

That‘s why, despite the occasional sadness I feel today, I also feel pride. Knowing that Zhenya Medvedeva will be fine as she‘s been fine before. And she’s fine now. She‘s a fighter, that one.


(Sooo that’s the longest post I probably have written on this entire forum. Don‘t blame me for the pseudo philosophical rambling, I spent an hour on the train and forgot my book in the suitcase. If anyone really read that.. well, you have patience. :laugh: )
 

Jeanie19

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 20, 2017
Country
United-States
Fluture! Great post. :thank:

And for me it's never been about the medals. I've watched figure skating for 25 years and I never really had a favorite, a favorite performance, but that's really all. I only watched what was on network t.v.
Then 2015 Skate America, and I saw Evgenia. I told my husband, "I've just watched the greatest figure skater in my life." I tried to Google her, but I couldn't remember how to spell her name. The next day for the long program, I had a pad and pen ready to write down her name. That evening I told my husband, "Evgenia is the best skater ever."
I looked her up on Google and began watching her junior programs. I never watched the juniors before.
I went to Worlds in Boston to see her live.

Now because of Evgenia, I'm on Golden Skate, I watch juniors and seniors, Challengers and Senior B's. I've taken my nieces to ice shows and competitions.
Evgenia changed my life. It's about the emotions that her skating brings that makes me feel she is so special.
 

Edwin

СделаноВХрустальном!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Has Yevgeniya herself made any postings on this occasion?
 

vixen0089

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 17, 2019
https://www.instagram.com/p/B85t1fWoP5q/?igshid=y546obsbvzch

“Two years ago, from the very first seconds of this program, the world stood still.“

Anniversary. Two years. I think you might have guessed it since it‘s almost a tradition by now but it‘s time for a very sappy post. Here we go:

Let‘s go back to the Olympics. In a way it feels unbelievable that it‘s been two years. Has it really?

It is strange how so much time can pass and some things don‘t change. Don‘t get me wrong, a lot of things did change, in Zhenya‘s life, in mine. But time didn‘t change how I feel about the Olympics, at least not entirely.

Conflicted. On the 23rd of February, two years ago, I felt like I‘d personally been wronged. By fate, whatever, whoever. It didn‘t matter. How could the skater that had inspired me so much, that had skated her heart out, lost? It felt tragically unfair. Of course, I was still the kind of casual viewer who couldn‘t tell her salchow from her loop, who only saw if someone fell or didn‘t fall and judged by that - and by the emotion. Learning about the judging system, the complicated rules to this sport I‘d once scoffed at for being only about pretty girls in sparkly dresses, made me feel slightly less agitated. At least there was a “Okay, that‘s why“ now compared to the utter indignation, yes, anger, and sadness I’d felt before at what I perceived as a total unfairness. There was a certain logic to it, a reason. I could understand it. With the brain. With the heart? Never.

And that‘s what doesn‘t change. To this day, even through the logic, even through the brain that tells me: “you know why it happened, don‘t be stupid“ there remains a certain sting, a heart that tells me: “But this isn‘t right!“ Maybe this is the reason for a few things. I don‘t know, I suppose I never will. But I know that it‘s there, this feeling, and no matter how I try to stifle it, it stays. I kept telling myself “well, it happened for the better“ for two years. “Maybe it happened for the better. You‘ll see. Just wait.“

That‘s the thing, though. It didn‘t happen for the better. Her loss wasn‘t for the better. Losses are never for the better. Losses are just that. Losses. What’s good about losing? Nothing. Losing hurts. Like hell. It’s the aftermath that changes the perception. In Zhenya’s case: her determination. Her strength. Her bravery. What she made of it, of that loss, that unfairness of life’s way, that was. How she handled it, with grace and her head held high, that was what made it for the better. How she looked through the fog of injury and despair and found new possibilities on the horizon.

Let‘s go back to the interview she gave after her freeskate.

“My main goal was to leave the rink without regrets. I did it.“

“I didn‘t feel any pressure at all. I felt like a bird that spread its wings. I felt good.“

“There is no remorse now. I hate this feeling. Now it‘s gone.“

”I wanted to finish the Olympic Games without regrets. I will not look back, because nothing can be returned. There is still a huge sports life ahead, along which I am going to go for many, many years. I will do everything I can. Just like I did today. And I will leave my entire self on the ice.“

That‘s a surprising way for someone who just lost what they’d worked for all their life, to look at the situation.

Strength. And wisdom. She didn‘t turn her Olympic loss into something better. You can’t turn a loss into something better. But you can keep on living and making choices and if you do that long enough and with enough courage tucked in your belly, you might find something that’s better. Zhenya kept on walking and walking, steady and head held high - even when some tried to make her something she was not, when they turned away from her because she refused to be what they wanted her to - until she found that something. Something that was worth it. Her loss wasn‘t for the better and I don‘t have to feel like it. She would have done amazing things with an Olympic Gold too because she’s an amazing person. But because she is an amazing person she did amazing things with her silver and would have with any medal, or without. She didn’t change her entire life and move to Canada because she lost the Olympics. Maybe that was a part of it, a motivation, but it wasn’t the main reason. Others, I am sure, would have lost and wouldn’t have dared to do the same. They would have gone on, unhappy but unable to change anything. Zhenya changed he life and made that choice, first of all because she was brave enough to do it. Maybe that‘s why there‘s the saying that it‘s the losses that reveal us, not the victories. She would have deserved a victory but she got a loss instead. Life‘s not fair. But she handled the loss with dignity and refused to bow down to it. Instead she moved.

So, yes. I can remember the 23rd of February with a certain sort of melancholy and sadness while still being aware of the kind of things she did afterwards. While still being proud, while smiling and saying: “She didn‘t let unfairness stop her. Look at her now!“

Unfairness.I say it and I mean it. I do not mean unfairness in the typical way, in the “someone cheated“ way. No. I mean it in terms of luck. And luck is always unfair, isn’t it? That‘s life. Some win and some lose. Some have luck on their side, others don‘t. Does that mean we have to hate the lucky ones? No. Feeling wronged on behalf of the ones who lose isn’t a slight against those who win. And in this situation it‘s the same. It‘s not someone else winning that feels so tragically unfair. It‘s Zhenya losing. It sounds like the same but it isn‘t. Why should it be? This is all about Zhenya. And her situation WAS unfair. Is it not unfair to work all your life only to get injured in the most important season? Is it not unfair to amaze the world with consistency and determination for two years, only to lose the last tournament, the one you‘d been waiting for? Is it not unfair to drag your injured and starved body to the Olympics, to skate three clean programs under pressure and pain only to not be rewarded with a Gold? It is and honestly, no one can tell me otherwise. I have struggled with this the last two years. I felt like feeling anger at this unfairness was wrong and made me a bad person. I think I have understood now that it doesn‘t. It‘s okay to feel sadness and anger as long as we keep it in perspective and realise that it‘s only there for Zhenya, because of what happened to Zhenya. It doesn‘t have anything to do with anyone else. This is crucial.

It’s not about the medals. It‘s funny isn‘t it, what a simple moment can change. When I turned on the TV and decided to watch figure skating, it was Zhenya‘s program I saw. Sometimes I asked myself why I had to turn on the TV and fall in love with that athlete, that skater, only then to watch her lose. Couldn’t I have turned it on later, fallen in love with the eventual winner? It took a while to realise that when I fell in love with Zhenya‘s skating I didn‘t do it because she was a favorite to win a medal. I didn‘t even know about her, for all it‘s worth she could have been just another skater, there could have been three other skaters who jumped quads and would beat her. I fell in love with her because she radiated emotions, depth and a love for skating that made me fall in love with the sport in turn. It wasn‘t the prospect of a Gold, it was just her.

I remember that I asked my mom once, jokingly, over the kitchen table.

“Why did I have to fall in love with the one who lost?“

She looked at me and laughed. (Her answer was more serious than I expected) “Because we don‘t fall in love with medals, we fall in love with people. I don‘t know if there is a reason she lost. But I know there is a reason she was the last to skate that day. I don’t understand the scoring. Scoring is about technicality, rules. Falling in love with a performance is about art, about emotion and sincerity. Whose performance will I remember most vividly? And given the reactions on social media you told me of, many people think the same. Try to look past the colour of the medal and the broken foot. She still made those Olympics hers, she made people remember her. What kind of character does that take? That’s why you fell in love with her. Don‘t worry. She‘ll be fine.”

I think that‘s important. She is being remembered. I think Tarasova was right when she described her during the commentary of Zhenya’s Olympic program:

“A human who, for two years, keeps the whole world in suspense.“

Remembered. It’s been two years and she’s still doing it. When she posts later than promised, the whole Russian sports twitter freaks out, waiting for her. Even those who so desperately try to claim she’s yesterday’s news react to each and every thing she does. And it‘s, in part, because of the medals she‘s won but mostly because of the things she does and the kind of person she is.

That‘s why, despite the occasional sadness I feel today, I also feel pride. Knowing that Zhenya Medvedeva will be fine as she‘s been fine before. And she’s fine now. She‘s a fighter, that one.


(Sooo that’s the longest post I probably have written on this entire forum. Don‘t blame me for the pseudo philosophical rambling, I spent an hour on the train and forgot my book in the suitcase. If anyone really read that.. well, you have patience. :laugh: )

Beaufiful post! To be honest, I had tears in my eyes while reading it [emoji85] the words that your mom told you - very, very true words, she’s a wise person.

I discovered Evgenia after the Olympic Games and to some point I’m glad it happened that “late”, since watching videos of her performance on that day, knowing the story behind it, makes me super emotional and it brings tears to my eyes. She lost, yes, or in different words - she didn’t take gold, but to me, she’s a winner of all times. She won our hearts, our admiration, our support. And she keeps doing that, no matter what. Quoting some commentator - she’s here to stay. And I wish her with all my heart many, many more years to come ❤️
 

Coryocris

Praise our Little Bear
On the Ice
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
Country
Germany
I remember that I asked my mom once, jokingly, over the kitchen table.

“Why did I have to fall in love with the one who lost?“

She looked at me and laughed. (Her answer was more serious than I expected) “Because we don‘t fall in love with medals, we fall in love with people.

That is the most truthful thing anyone has ever said :luv17:
 

Maia96

On the Ice
Joined
May 18, 2019
https://www.instagram.com/p/B85t1fWoP5q/?igshid=y546obsbvzch

“Two years ago, from the very first seconds of this program, the world stood still.“

Anniversary. Two years. I think you might have guessed it since it‘s almost a tradition by now but it‘s time for a very sappy post. Here we go:

Let‘s go back to the Olympics. In a way it feels unbelievable that it‘s been two years. Has it really?

It is strange how so much time can pass and some things don‘t change. Don‘t get me wrong, a lot of things did change, in Zhenya‘s life, in mine. But time didn‘t change how I feel about the Olympics, at least not entirely.

Conflicted. On the 23rd of February, two years ago, I felt like I‘d personally been wronged. By fate, whatever, whoever. It didn‘t matter. How could the skater that had inspired me so much, that had skated her heart out, lost? It felt tragically unfair. Of course, I was still the kind of casual viewer who couldn‘t tell her salchow from her loop, who only saw if someone fell or didn‘t fall and judged by that - and by the emotion. Learning about the judging system, the complicated rules to this sport I‘d once scoffed at for being only about pretty girls in sparkly dresses, made me feel slightly less agitated. At least there was a “Okay, that‘s why“ now compared to the utter indignation, yes, anger, and sadness I’d felt before at what I perceived as a total unfairness. There was a certain logic to it, a reason. I could understand it. With the brain. With the heart? Never.

And that‘s what doesn‘t change. To this day, even through the logic, even through the brain that tells me: “you know why it happened, don‘t be stupid“ there remains a certain sting, a heart that tells me: “But this isn‘t right!“ Maybe this is the reason for a few things. I don‘t know, I suppose I never will. But I know that it‘s there, this feeling, and no matter how I try to stifle it, it stays. I kept telling myself “well, it happened for the better“ for two years. “Maybe it happened for the better. You‘ll see. Just wait.“

That‘s the thing, though. It didn‘t happen for the better. Her loss wasn‘t for the better. Losses are never for the better. Losses are just that. Losses. What’s good about losing? Nothing. Losing hurts. Like hell. It’s the aftermath that changes the perception. In Zhenya’s case: her determination. Her strength. Her bravery. What she made of it, of that loss, that unfairness of life’s way, that was. How she handled it, with grace and her head held high, that was what made it for the better. How she looked through the fog of injury and despair and found new possibilities on the horizon.

Let‘s go back to the interview she gave after her freeskate.

“My main goal was to leave the rink without regrets. I did it.“

“I didn‘t feel any pressure at all. I felt like a bird that spread its wings. I felt good.“

“There is no remorse now. I hate this feeling. Now it‘s gone.“

”I wanted to finish the Olympic Games without regrets. I will not look back, because nothing can be returned. There is still a huge sports life ahead, along which I am going to go for many, many years. I will do everything I can. Just like I did today. And I will leave my entire self on the ice.“

That‘s a surprising way for someone who just lost what they’d worked for all their life, to look at the situation.

Strength. And wisdom. She didn‘t turn her Olympic loss into something better. You can’t turn a loss into something better. But you can keep on living and making choices and if you do that long enough and with enough courage tucked in your belly, you might find something that’s better. Zhenya kept on walking and walking, steady and head held high - even when some tried to make her something she was not, when they turned away from her because she refused to be what they wanted her to - until she found that something. Something that was worth it. Her loss wasn‘t for the better and I don‘t have to feel like it. She would have done amazing things with an Olympic Gold too because she’s an amazing person. But because she is an amazing person she did amazing things with her silver and would have with any medal, or without. She didn’t change her entire life and move to Canada because she lost the Olympics. Maybe that was a part of it, a motivation, but it wasn’t the main reason. Others, I am sure, would have lost and wouldn’t have dared to do the same. They would have gone on, unhappy but unable to change anything. Zhenya changed he life and made that choice, first of all because she was brave enough to do it. Maybe that‘s why there‘s the saying that it‘s the losses that reveal us, not the victories. She would have deserved a victory but she got a loss instead. Life‘s not fair. But she handled the loss with dignity and refused to bow down to it. Instead she moved.

So, yes. I can remember the 23rd of February with a certain sort of melancholy and sadness while still being aware of the kind of things she did afterwards. While still being proud, while smiling and saying: “She didn‘t let unfairness stop her. Look at her now!“

Unfairness.I say it and I mean it. I do not mean unfairness in the typical way, in the “someone cheated“ way. No. I mean it in terms of luck. And luck is always unfair, isn’t it? That‘s life. Some win and some lose. Some have luck on their side, others don‘t. Does that mean we have to hate the lucky ones? No. Feeling wronged on behalf of the ones who lose isn’t a slight against those who win. And in this situation it‘s the same. It‘s not someone else winning that feels so tragically unfair. It‘s Zhenya losing. It sounds like the same but it isn‘t. Why should it be? This is all about Zhenya. And her situation WAS unfair. Is it not unfair to work all your life only to get injured in the most important season? Is it not unfair to amaze the world with consistency and determination for two years, only to lose the last tournament, the one you‘d been waiting for? Is it not unfair to drag your injured and starved body to the Olympics, to skate three clean programs under pressure and pain only to not be rewarded with a Gold? It is and honestly, no one can tell me otherwise. I have struggled with this the last two years. I felt like feeling anger at this unfairness was wrong and made me a bad person. I think I have understood now that it doesn‘t. It‘s okay to feel sadness and anger as long as we keep it in perspective and realise that it‘s only there for Zhenya, because of what happened to Zhenya. It doesn‘t have anything to do with anyone else. This is crucial.

It’s not about the medals. It‘s funny isn‘t it, what a simple moment can change. When I turned on the TV and decided to watch figure skating, it was Zhenya‘s program I saw. Sometimes I asked myself why I had to turn on the TV and fall in love with that athlete, that skater, only then to watch her lose. Couldn’t I have turned it on later, fallen in love with the eventual winner? It took a while to realise that when I fell in love with Zhenya‘s skating I didn‘t do it because she was a favorite to win a medal. I didn‘t even know about her, for all it‘s worth she could have been just another skater, there could have been three other skaters who jumped quads and would beat her. I fell in love with her because she radiated emotions, depth and a love for skating that made me fall in love with the sport in turn. It wasn‘t the prospect of a Gold, it was just her.

I remember that I asked my mom once, jokingly, over the kitchen table.

“Why did I have to fall in love with the one who lost?“

She looked at me and laughed. (Her answer was more serious than I expected) “Because we don‘t fall in love with medals, we fall in love with people. I don‘t know if there is a reason she lost. But I know there is a reason she was the last to skate that day. I don’t understand the scoring. Scoring is about technicality, rules. Falling in love with a performance is about art, about emotion and sincerity. Whose performance will I remember most vividly? And given the reactions on social media you told me of, many people think the same. Try to look past the colour of the medal and the broken foot. She still made those Olympics hers, she made people remember her. What kind of character does that take? That’s why you fell in love with her. Don‘t worry. She‘ll be fine.”

I think that‘s important. She is being remembered. I think Tarasova was right when she described her during the commentary of Zhenya’s Olympic program:

“A human who, for two years, keeps the whole world in suspense.“

Remembered. It’s been two years and she’s still doing it. When she posts later than promised, the whole Russian sports twitter freaks out, waiting for her. Even those who so desperately try to claim she’s yesterday’s news react to each and every thing she does. And it‘s, in part, because of the medals she‘s won but mostly because of the things she does and the kind of person she is.

That‘s why, despite the occasional sadness I feel today, I also feel pride. Knowing that Zhenya Medvedeva will be fine as she‘s been fine before. And she’s fine now. She‘s a fighter, that one.


(Sooo that’s the longest post I probably have written on this entire forum. Don‘t blame me for the pseudo philosophical rambling, I spent an hour on the train and forgot my book in the suitcase. If anyone really read that.. well, you have patience. :laugh: )

Thanks for sharing those feelings here Fluture! ❤
 

Rexarcadia

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 20, 2017
Such beautiful words, thank you Fluture. So much has changed in the last few years, but my admiration for Zhenya is stronger than ever. She is an extraordinarily strong, courageous, and inspiring young woman with big dreams and an even bigger heart. She's one of the best things to ever happen to my life. She's a miracle.
 
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