Evgenia Medvedeva

Fluture said:

Both. You know, I am currently in the process of re-evaluating why I‘m watching figure skating. The sport I fell in love with is changing and I cannot say I like this change. I don‘t like the focus on athleticism over artistry, never have, never will. I don‘t like the judging and the fan wars and hate. Sometimes I don‘t even know why I‘m a fan anymore. Luckily there are skaters out there who remind me again. Obviously, Zhenya is the main one here. I‘m trying to come to peace with the fact that most of my favourites will probably not win a lot and that what I value in skating will lose more and more in importance. That‘s why I‘m trying to treasure the skaters and performances that bring me joy - no matter the scores they get and if they medal or not. I‘m scared of the GP season because Zhenya‘s got really tough assignments. But I‘m also looking forward to it because I‘ll get to see her skate again.

And this turned out to be a longer answer than I‘d intended. [emoji23]

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It's an exciting sport Fluture! It's getting more and more interesting for me every day! Perhaps watching some less famous skaters which are good preformers might help!

Also, let's not forget that to some measure Zhenya too benefited by increased PCS due to higher TES.

NoviceFan said:

I am excited because seeing Zhenya doing what she loves the most is a pleasure!

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Same! And Skate Canada is soon, @Novice.[emoji16]

I'm with everyone else on "both". After this weekend my annoyance over the fact that the Russian girls each got paired up with the same person for both GPs and that Zhenya got the nigh-unbeatable Sasha in the process really hit a high. Why couldn't you mix it up, Rusfed? But there's nothing to do about it... I'll just hope for silver/silver which is still a tall order with Rika in the mix. Bronze/silver and then hoping that she has a higher score than other such candidates for the GPF sounds more realistic.
On the other hand I'm still incredibly excited to see her skate. Especially the free, since it needed more polish after ACI. I'm loving her programs this year already, can't wait to see them with added sophistication!

Watch said:

I'm with everyone else on "both". After this weekend my annoyance over the fact that the Russian girls each got paired up with the same person for both GPs and that Zhenya got the nigh-unbeatable Sasha in the process really hit a high. Why couldn't you mix it up, Rusfed? But there's nothing to do about it... I'll just hope for silver/silver which is still a tall order with Rika in the mix. Bronze/silver and then hoping that she has a higher score than other such candidates for the GPF sounds more realistic.
On the other hand I'm still incredibly excited to see her skate. Especially the free, since it needed more polish after ACI. I'm loving her programs this year already, can't wait to see them with added sophistication!

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I think it was mixed like this on purpose. Is not only that Sasha will beat Zhenya, but also she make it with an huge difference. And we all know what comes after that. I can already imagine another escalation of hate and a lot of junk press articles and I don’t like it.

I believe there is no doubt about the lack of transparency in the conformation of GP assignments. Zhenya is the image of an unprotected athlete against the power of a coach and her arrangements with the federation.

Maia96 said:

I think it was mixed like this on purpose. Is not only that Sasha will beat Zhenya, but also she make it with an huge difference. And we all know what comes after that. I can already imagine another escalation of hate and a lot of junk press articles and I don’t like it.

I believe there is no doubt about the lack of transparency in the conformation of GP assignments. Zhenya is the image of an unprotected athlete against the power of a coach and her arrangements with the federation.

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I couldn't agree more and it makes me sad. And I'm so scared of the GP season.

The scoring was close at ACI and her PCs will hopefully rise. The goal is 2022 and honestly if the last couple of seasons has taught us anything it’s that you never know what to expect! Anything can happen. Her bronze was somewhat unexpected last year but it happened. The quadsters are doing something amazing but when I watch their programs alongside zhenyas you can’t deny the difference in maturity and flow. It’s a shame the gps aren’t more mixed between the Russian girls [emoji853] I always try to keep the faith that artistry will stand the test of time. Call me nostalgic [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji7]

Vandevska said:

It's an exciting sport Fluture! It's getting more and more interesting for me every day! Perhaps watching some less famous skaters which are good preformers might help!

Also, let's not forget that to some measure Zhenya too benefited by increased PCS due to higher TES.

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It definitely is a great sport, no doubt about that. And good for you that it gets more exciting for you everyday!!

For me it doesn‘t, though and hasn‘t for a while. I‘m not going to pretend it’s solely because of the judging. I mean, let‘s be honest, judging in figure skating has always been kind of... off. It is in the end, a mixture of my personal preferences and the judging system too. I have never especially liked quads, not in the men‘s field and not in the ladies either. Call me crazy but in my eyes they kind of ruin the balance this sport had between art and athleticism. There are very few Yuzuru Hanyu‘s out there who manage to make quads look like part of the performance instead of just very impressive stunts performed to gain points. Really, in the end every element in figure skating is designed to gain points, I‘m aware of that. But for me, there‘s a difference. In my opinion every technical element should only be included in the program if you can make it look like part of the performance, seamlessly included in the program, with flow and transitions (and by transitions I mean... well, again, watch Hanyu or Jason Brown then you‘ll understand what I mean by that) and speed. It‘s never going to happen but it‘s what I would hope for in this sport. Sadly, the direction has gone the opposite way. Now it‘s become normal that everyone and their grandma are desperately training quads and 3As, hoping to somehow catch up. Honestly, I‘m really having my fingers crossed for Zhenya to get that quad because I know she herself wants it. And because I know that she will need it if she wants to have any chance at being sent to big competitions. But I personally could do very much without one. Her skating feels so alive because she lives it with every part of her soul and heart. I fear that quad would just take away from it. It‘s progress, though and it‘s normal, I know that. Still doesn‘t mean I personally have to like it.

And the more quads become every day business, the more I turn away from the sport. I haven‘t seriously watched the men‘s disciple in ages and I fear that with things progressing as they are, soon the same will happen to me for the ladies as well. That‘s why I‘m currently trying to focus on different things. Like watching the earlier warm-up groups at JGPs and discovering skaters from countries without any skating resources and not a lot of technical ability either but who hold the passion of this sport that I originally fell in love with. I also have my favorites that I love dearly for the emotions they bring to me. Zhenya definitely being the most important here. So, I‘m just trying to enjoy her skating and that of the others without focusing on PCS and judging and the medals they‘re not likely to win.

As for Zhenya and the consistency PCS bonus. Sure. She benefited from it as well in the beginning. Not gonna deny that. I always thought her victories were fair but I didn‘t think she should have broken the records as quickly as she did. But just to point something out. At her very first competition, she got PCS of 58 for her FS. And I dare say that while missing the maturity and greater emotional capacity she has now, she was still a great performer, musical with intricate choreography and attention to detail. So, things aren‘t as black and white as they seem and I do think that while Zhenya herself has benefited a lot from the sometimes sketchy judging, in the last few years it‘s been blown further out of proportion to reach standards that I personally can only shake my head at. But no one has to agree with me here. In the end it‘s just my opinion and my rambling about things I cannot change anyway.

bubblecherry said:

Are you guys excited about the GP season or dreading it?

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I am not looking forward to it as much as I usually would because jumping quads and overall athleticism rules figure skating. This means is Sasha and Rika hit their tough moves they cannot be beaten by today's scoring standards. There is a lot to look forward to but the international skating union knows darn well if the elite jumpers and quad Queens hit their programs they win even if they don't skate with as much emotion artistry or musicality as some other skaters.

Zhenya has a lot to strive for this year and the expectations are really high compared to last yearx form. I think podiums are doable for her in the Grand Prix season but she didn't exactly get the easiest competitions. She has been to the mountaintop of her sport let's see if she can get back there and if not it doesn't detract from anything.

Fluture said:

Both. You know, I am currently in the process of re-evaluating why I‘m watching figure skating. The sport I fell in love with is changing and I cannot say I like this change. I don‘t like the focus on athleticism over artistry, never have, never will. I don‘t like the judging and the fan wars and hate. Sometimes I don‘t even know why I‘m a fan anymore. Luckily there are skaters out there who remind me again. Obviously, Zhenya is the main one here. I‘m trying to come to peace with the fact that most of my favourites will probably not win a lot and that what I value in skating will lose more and more in importance. That‘s why I‘m trying to treasure the skaters and performances that bring me joy - no matter the scores they get and if they medal or not. I‘m scared of the GP season because Zhenya‘s got really tough assignments. But I‘m also looking forward to it because I‘ll get to see her skate again.

And this turned out to be a longer answer than I‘d intended.

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A long answer but I agree wholeheartedly. I haven't been posting much at all in recent weeks because of my frustrations which are also your frustrations and many other people's frustrations. it doesn't mean the quad Queens aren't great or the triple axel girls aren't sensational they are. It's just not where I want to see the sport heading as a longtime fan of ladies figure skating. I don't care for men's figure skating as much and part of it is the crazy athleticism and jumping which often creates falling like the Olympic men's competition in Sochi in 2014 which was a flop fest. That is of little interest to me and I don't want to see that happen in the ladies game. But we are heading there and there's no way to stop it.

bubblecherry said:

Are you guys excited about the GP season or dreading it?

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I am mostly excited for this season. I think that Zhenya has two very good programs. I actually like her free program better than her short program. Zhenya is a fighter and I know that she is going to fight to be in the final and to grab that third world team spot. Even if she doesn't get on the world team this season, her goal is to get back to the olympics and to get that gold medal to complete her collection of medals. Not being on the world team would only fuel her inner fire and give her more time to stabilize her quad salchow ��

Scott512 said:

I am not looking forward to it as much as I usually would because jumping quads and overall athleticism rules figure skating. This means is Sasha and Rika hit their tough moves they cannot be beaten by today's scoring standards. There is a lot to look forward to but the international skating union knows darn well if the elite jumpers and quad Queens hit their programs they win even if they don't skate with as much emotion artistry or musicality as some other skaters.

Zhenya has a lot to strive for this year and the expectations are really high compared to last yearx form. I think podiums are doable for her in the Grand Prix season but she didn't exactly get the easiest competitions. She has been to the mountaintop of her sport let's see if she can get back there and if not it doesn't detract from anything.



A long answer but I agree wholeheartedly. I haven't been posting much at all in recent weeks because of my frustrations which are also your frustrations and many other people's frustrations. it doesn't mean the quad Queens aren't great or the triple axel girls aren't sensational they are. It's just not where I want to see the sport heading as a longtime fan of ladies figure skating. I don't care for men's figure skating as much and part of it is the crazy athleticism and jumping which often creates falling like the Olympic men's competition in Sochi in 2014 which was a flop fest. That is of little interest to me and I don't want to see that happen in the ladies game. But we are heading there and there's no way to stop it.

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We share a lot of feelings. I struggle with this, actually. I don't blame any of these girls for advancing technically, and I think what they're doing is incredible, I don't want to take anything away from them. At the same time, I am not a fan of the Men's discipline for a reason. Seeing the Ladies go in the same direction as men makes me upset because I think a lot of what I love is being lost. I don't really know what the solution here is. I will still enjoy my Zhenya and my other faves as well, but it all just feels a little dark and gloomy when the results feel inevitable.

It was clear from the beginning that I would not be easy or almost impossible against prepubescent girls from Eteri. Sure Zhenya can not beat Trusova if she lands all her quads but she can try to skate squeaky clean. If clean, she can beat both Kihira and Trusova when the quads are not landed. It might be unlikely to happen (that they fall) but I think a third place with a high score would be also positive. IMO the main reason for the coaching change was not this year grand prinx final, it was the wish for a continuation of her figure skating career and not to be a short term project in the Sambo70 school (some call it factory like yagudin in an interview yesterday) like it was in the past.

I think it was mixed like this on purpose. Is not only that Sasha will beat Zhenya, but also she make it with an huge difference. And we all know what comes after that. I can already imagine another escalation of hate and a lot of junk press articles and I don’t like it.

I believe there is no doubt about the lack of transparency in the conformation of GP assignments. Zhenya is the image of an unprotected athlete against the power of a coach and her arrangements with the federation.

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Yes, she is up 2times against Trusova but would it make a huge difference if she would be up against Anna S. or Alena K.?

I'm excited for this season for Zhenya. I love both her programs. They are exactly what I wanted for her. Her short by Auerbukh, showcases her strengths and her bodysuit is amazing. Her free program, stretches her artistically and shows off her skating skills.
I'm taking it one competition at a time. The fact that she skated so beautifully at ACI, jetlagged and nervous after test skates, is absolutely awesome. Onto Shanghai Trophy, she has never skated in China, and I'm sure her Chinese fans are thrilled. Onto the Denis Ten memorial, there is not much information about this yet.
Skate Canada is a bloodbath, it's unfair to all the skaters that got assigned there. Evgenia needs to skate clean, and the rest is up to the judges. Rostelcomm , she gets to go to Moscow, see her grandmother, her dog,and her friends. Ilia will probably be there to give last minute guidance on her short program, And she has a great shot at Silver...Gold. Team Moonbear will be there to cheer her on. This competition is close to her birthday, and she'll be able to celebrate her 20th birthday with friends and family.

Hopefully, she makes GPF, but if she doesn't , I hope she goes to Golden Spin of Zagreb. Keep up those world ranking points.

Russian Nationals will be the most intense competition of the year. Hopefully, she makes top 3, but no lower than 5th.

She is Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz ice show, she'll be fabulous.

If she is not assigned to Europeans, She should go to Mentor Torun Cup in Poland. It would be a good competition for her training mates, Ekaterina and Lillian.

She should do Russian Cup Final, a podium there would be helpful for future assignments.

Hopefully Worlds!!! It's in Canada, no jetlag. If no worlds, she should go to the Egna Spring Trophy.

It's a journey and she has reputation and world ranking on her side. She knows what she is up against and she is fighting for her place. We, as fans, need to keep up the fight. One battle does not lose the war.

skatingfan200 said:

Yes, she is up 2times against Trusova but would it make a huge difference if she would be up against Anna S. or Alena K.?

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It actually really would. Aliona is absolutely not unbeatable for Zhenya, they're pretty evenly matched in technical content. And Anna with one quad that she hasn't landed that consistently in the past isn't as much of a powerhouse as Sasha with her three and counting. All three of the girls are formidable opponents, but Sasha is clearly on another level and naturally the one the fed would be banking on this season, unless something goes very wrong.

Watch said:

It actually really would. Aliona is absolutely not unbeatable for Zhenya, they're pretty evenly matched in technical content. And Anna with one quad that she hasn't landed that consistently in the past isn't as much of a powerhouse as Sasha with her three and counting. All three of the girls are formidable opponents, but Sasha is clearly on another level and naturally the one the fed would be banking on this season, unless something goes very wrong.

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My thoughts were that on all three cases, she needs to show her best regardless who is her opponent.

skatingfan200 said:

My thoughts were that on all three cases, she needs to show her best regarless who is her opponent.

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That's of course a given and I'm sure she will do just that.

On a positive note, I'm catching up on this week's oh-so-many competitions and midway through started to miss Zhenya's skating, so I went and rewatched both her programs from ACI. And now that my emotions from the competition have really died down, I can really say how much I adore them. I know it's subjective, but for me very few skaters can bring forth the same emotions as she does and I think her programs this season are on the way to become my favourites of her career. So you know what? Put me back on the "hyped for GP" list because I can't wait to see her grow and, however she places, I hope each time she'll perform with confidence and leave the ice happy with herself.

skatingfan200 said:

Yes, she is up 2times against Trusova but would it make a huge difference if she would be up against Anna S. or Alena K.?

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I believe that a clean Zhenya and improving the mistakes she had in ACI, even without quads, is almost at the same level as Alena and Anna. I don't think Alena and Anna can beat Zhenya with a big difference.

NoviceFan said:

I absolutely love you name! Welcome to Zhenya’s fan fest.

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Thanks!!

Maia96 said:

I believe that a clean Zhenya and improving the mistakes she had in ACI, even without quads, is almost at the same level as Alena and Anna. I don't think Alena and Anna can beat Zhenya with a big difference.

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I can understand your issue with junk-articles and h**ers, by Zhenya it is really etreme but I do not see that it will escalte if a big difference in the score happens.

It will be funny and escalatory when Zhenya beats her...

bubblecherry said:

We share a lot of feelings. I struggle with this, actually. I don't blame any of these girls for advancing technically, and I think what they're doing is incredible, I don't want to take anything away from them. At the same time, I am not a fan of the Men's discipline for a reason. Seeing the Ladies go in the same direction as men makes me upset because I think a lot of what I love is being lost. I don't really know what the solution here is. I will still enjoy my Zhenya and my other faves as well, but it all just feels a little dark and gloomy when the results feel inevitable.

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Yep.

Jeanie19 said:

I'm excited for this season for Zhenya. I love both her programs. They are exactly what I wanted for her. Her short by Auerbukh, showcases her strengths and her bodysuit is amazing. Her free program, stretches her artistically and shows off her skating skills.
I'm taking it one competition at a time. The fact that she skated so beautifully at ACI, jetlagged and nervous after test skates, is absolutely awesome. Onto Shanghai Trophy, she has never skated in China, and I'm sure her Chinese fans are thrilled. Onto the Denis Ten memorial, there is not much information about this yet.
Skate Canada is a bloodbath, it's unfair to all the skaters that got assigned there. Evgenia needs to skate clean, and the rest is up to the judges. Rostelcomm , she gets to go to Moscow, see her grandmother, her dog,and her friends. Ilia will probably be there to give last minute guidance on her short program, And she has a great shot at Silver...Gold. Team Moonbear will be there to cheer her on. This competition is close to her birthday, and she'll be able to celebrate her 20th birthday with friends and family.

Hopefully, she makes GPF, but if she doesn't , I hope she goes to Golden Spin of Zagreb. Keep up those world ranking points.

Russian Nationals will be the most intense competition of the year. Hopefully, she makes top 3, but no lower than 5th.

She is Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz ice show, she'll be fabulous.

If she is not assigned to Europeans, She should go to Mentor Torun Cup in Poland. It would be a good competition for her training mates, Ekaterina and Lillian.

She should do Russian Cup Final, a podium there would be helpful for future assignments.

Hopefully Worlds!!! It's in Canada, no jetlag. If no worlds, she should go to the Egna Spring Trophy.

It's a journey and she has reputation and world ranking on her side. She knows what she is up against and she is fighting for her place. We, as fans, need to keep up the fight. One battle does not lose the war.

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She is on quite the journey and bsides so many wins that includes moving to Canada and being sent to the summer games for Russia next summer.

skatingfan200 said:

My thoughts were that on all three cases, she needs to show her best regardless who is her opponent.

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