Alena Leonova | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Alena Leonova

anyanka

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
She looks good, but what would it take for her to get out of even Russian nationals? Guys, I've always liked her but with Zhenya, Lena and Anna this year on the world team, Liza a former world champ just a year ago, plus Yulia and Adel gunning for return, Alenka may not finish higher than 5th-7th for 2018. What does she need to do to not just fade away, but to perhaps make one more Olympics? Would she have to leave Russia? Add a quad? Change coaches? Thoughts?
 

The Finn

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
What does she need to do to not just fade away, but to perhaps make one more Olympics? Would she have to leave Russia?

I don't see how she could make it to the Olympics representing Russia. Last year she was 9th at the Russian championships and I don't think she will be much higher this year. She might even end up lower depending on how many junior girls will skate at the senior championships this year.
 

Imagine

Medalist
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
What would it take? Perhaps a mass breakout of some sort of pathogenic illness that only affects girls in Russia ages 15-20...?

Joking aside though, I think she needs to bring a more mature sensibility to her skating...less clowning around. I know that's kind of at odds with her bubbly personality, but in a field of cutesey teenagers, she will just look silly if she stays with the current approach. What I mean is, for her age, she should strive to emote more like Kim Yuna and less like Elena Radionova. That's just an opinion though. Technically, I think she needs to aim for consistency most of all, since she probably won't be adding any new tricks to her arsenal at this point. But hey, I'd love for her to prove me wrong. Comebacks are the best.
 

silverfoxes

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Sorry, I would absolutely hate to see Alena trying to emote like Kim Yuna (who never emoted much at all that I could see, especially after Vancouver). This is her personality and I think it would be terrible if she tried to be something she is not, and to lose one of the very few "show women" in skating. Alena and Javier are the same age and nobody is telling him to change his style because he looks silly. Kurt Browning is still "clowning around" (not competitively, but still) at age 50. That's just who he is and Alena also needs to be herself.
 

anyanka

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
What would it take? Perhaps a mass breakout of some sort of pathogenic illness that only affects girls in Russia ages 15-20...?

Joking aside though, I think she needs to bring a more mature sensibility to her skating...less clowning around. I know that's kind of at odds with her bubbly personality, but in a field of cutesey teenagers, she will just look silly if she stays with the current approach. What I mean is, for her age, she should strive to emote more like Kim Yuna and less like Elena Radionova. That's just an opinion though. Technically, I think she needs to aim for consistency most of all, since she probably won't be adding any new tricks to her arsenal at this point. But hey, I'd love for her to prove me wrong. Comebacks are the best.

Maybe not emoting like Yuna (and I second silverfoxes opinion that Yuna didn't do much emoting after she won OGM, and I say that as a big Yuna fan), but perhaps she can stick to the dark and dramatic material that fit a mature performer. I've always enjoyed her programs from 2010-12 and thought they suited her well. Dark and menacing seem to be her forte. It would certainly be more convincing coming from her than from a 15 year old who doesn't have the performance skills delivering the same material.
 

sneakers

Match Penalty
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
I'm obsessed.

As long as Alena continues skating for Russia, I don't see her making it back to Worlds anytime soon; the fact that she hasn't switched countries makes me think she's in it for the love of the game, and I respect that. I'm sure this will be a polarizing effort, but I dig it.

who knows, she might soon skate for Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan or some other stan countries... :dev2:
 

tulosai

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
I've seen "It's Oh So Quiet" done as an EX but not as a competitive program. I think Bjork and Alena make a good pair!

Ziegler and Kiefer from Austria actually used it last year. I really liked it but I may have been in the minority :shrug:
 

EdgeCall

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 31, 2012
I have come to say that Daddy can be awfully proud of his lil' monster. 191.39 at Golden Spin 2016, that's some seriously good score for a lady who keeps being written off for years to no effect. You just go and get into the Club 200, Alena Leonova, figure skating queen that no one wants to know about. :biggrin: :bow:
 

apgold

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Country
United-States
Finally got around to watching Alena's FS from GS. I think that's the first clean FS she's had in a really long time. Good for her after her disaster at TDF, she has to be feeling better about her skating after getting on the podium with Carolina and Liza.

Hoping she's in a top 10 finish at Russian Nationals and keeps going until she's ready to retire.
 
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