Veteran Voronov takes first Grand Prix gold | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Veteran Voronov takes first Grand Prix gold

Tolstoj

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
I would take any of them over Kovtun, whose programs and music choices are awful in my opinion, also he is too inconsistent.

I was absolutely spellbound by Sergei's LP and almost had tears in my eyes! Great for him!

What happened to him?

Apparently he was injured and he WD the test skates and the first event but already last year you could tell that Inna Goncharenko was much more interested on working with Voronov (probably because he has a better working ethic than Kovtun), so i'm not expecting much from Maxim this season.
 

moriel

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Congratulations Sergei, a little lucky that Hanyu WD but still he did his best and i like the programs this season.

Now will the Rusfed give him a spot at the Olympics if he qualifies for GPF?

Because yes he did great here but he has only two quads, and if i remember correctly this year at RN there will be a bonus for the guys who attempt multiple quads (or it was just at Russian Test Skates, or just a rumor, let me know)

Plus similar to Menshov, he was often overlooked in the past.

For me personally, i'll take Voronov anyday over Samarin and his terrible programs, or Aliev who isn't at his top shape and he doesn't have the stamina to skate a 3 quads FP.

Well, tbh, if he skates like this at nationals, he will be very much ahead of samarin even with bonuses hopefully.
Kovtun looks like he is out of the game maybe? Judges got a new russian darling to drown in PCs, not sure if they will support both Kolyada and Kovtun.
Samarin, well, if he and Sergei skate clean, Sergei should go.

Also, honestly, Samarin can totally do 2022.
 

silverfoxes

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Congratulations Sergei, a little lucky that Hanyu WD but still he did his best and i like the programs this season.

Now will the Rusfed give him a spot at the Olympics if he qualifies for GPF?

Because yes he did great here but he has only two quads, and if i remember correctly this year at RN there will be a bonus for the guys who attempt multiple quads (or it was just at Russian Test Skates, or just a rumor, let me know)

Plus similar to Menshov, he was often overlooked in the past.

For me personally, i'll take Voronov anyday over Samarin and his terrible programs, or Aliev who isn't at his top shape and he doesn't have the stamina to skate a 3 quads FP.

They won't decide the Olys spots based on GPF. There's still Russian Nats and Euros first...

Yes, if there is any justice in the world, he will get a spot. If he keeps proving himself like this I don't see how they can deny him.

Aliev still has time to get back in shape, but I am pretty resigned to the fact that he may have to wait 4 years & we'll have to see cringey Elvis instead. I definitely don't want Samarin to go - those hideous programs have no place at the Olympics. He is lacking almost everything in his skating besides the jumps.

Kovtun...is a mystery. I see him post clips of himself jumping once in awhile,but mostly it seems like he does a lot of hanging out. So is he actually training regularly? I don't want to see poor work ethic get rewarded and this has been a long pattern with him. OTOH he may also still be having issues which means he can't be in great form.
 

Sugarpova

#EmpressAirlines #SinKatsapologist
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
His win is inspirational. I'm so happy for him, and I'm hoping he can replicate his performance at his next GP and at the GPF as well!
the whole podium is inspirational!:bow:


go grandpas!

yep Im still celebrating! :dance3::laugh::p
 

Arriba627

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION 🔥
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 2, 2014
Country
United-States
I am pretty sure I already told this story, but I have to repeat it just because it makes me happy thinking about it...Sergei was at Skate America 2016. I was so excited to attend my first practice, even though I'd been to a lot of competitions already. Anyway, he was the only one who (after each competitor's skate in the practice) would clap for his fellow competitors. His whole demeanor was just a joy to see. He looked like he was so happy to be at the party! :dance3:

During his competition free skate, he was skating SO well that a bunch of us in the end section were really cheering and clapping for him. Since we were so close to the ice, he realized what we were doing. As he made his way around the rink and came to the area where we were sitting, during his skate he winked and blew us all a kiss! I'll never forget it. It was a really fun moment. We were having so much fun showing him our appreciation, and he was appreciating our appreciation.

Ok, now I promise I won't repeat that story again! :luv17: :palmf:
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
Sergei loves figure skating and that includes his competitors. BTW: His performance at SA 2016 was a highlight for me for the entire season!

Not sure if it was posted in this thread or not but Yulia and Adian revealed during their broadcast that they became nostalgic when he skated the FS. Apparently when they trained with him he would always turn on this music and practice his jumps and transitions to it. They said it gives him strength :)
 

lyverbird1

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Delighted for him. He may not be my favourite guy but he always comes across as a very nice fellow.
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
In the article, Sergei is quoted as saying:

"Russians don’t take pride in how we win, what matters is that we won." https://goldenskate.com/2017/11/2017-nhk-trophy-men/

Would anyone like to elaborate on that statement?

I really love the following:

"In Russian complex, a veteran is usually someone who is well-respected. In my career, this is a moment where I am flourishing. I believe that loving the sport is the secret. ”https://goldenskate.com/2017/11/2017-nhk-trophy-men/

As others have noted, Sergei is so likeable, generous to fans and competitors alike. It comes across. I couldn't help thinking about an interview of his former coach where she said some uncomplimentary things about Sergei. It's great to see that Sergei's love of the sport and his belief that he would have his moment are now rising above.
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
I am pretty sure I already told this story, but I have to repeat it just because it makes me happy thinking about it...Sergei was at Skate America 2016. I was so excited to attend my first practice, even though I'd been to a lot of competitions already. Anyway, he was the only one who (after each competitor's skate in the practice) would clap for his fellow competitors. His whole demeanor was just a joy to see. He looked like he was so happy to be at the party! :dance3:

During his competition free skate, he was skating SO well that a bunch of us in the end section were really cheering and clapping for him. Since we were so close to the ice, he realized what we were doing. As he made his way around the rink and came to the area where we were sitting, during his skate he winked and blew us all a kiss! I'll never forget it. It was a really fun moment. We were having so much fun showing him our appreciation, and he was appreciating our appreciation.

Ok, now I promise I won't repeat that story again! :luv17: :palmf:

I enjoyed the entire post - except your promise not to repeat the story again. It's a feel-good story - and we can do with hearing feel-good stories again.:)
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
I can't. :confused: I can only understand this in the sense of a Russian meme: "While Americans say 'do or die', we Russians say 'die but do', because death is not a valid excuse for us."

Hm. I will need to mull this over a bit. :thank: for your answer!

In the meantime, I'd like to hear everyone else's thoughts as well, about what Sergei meant by that.
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Hm. I will need to mull this over a bit. :thank: for your answer!

In the meantime, I'd like to hear everyone else's thoughts as well, about what Sergei meant by that.

I think it’s relatively simple:

In the US we say, it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Sergei appears to be saying that in Russia, it’s the complete opposite. So whether your win is ugly or pretty, in a tough or depleted field, or by a small or a large margin isn’t as important as whether you come out on top. The corollary would be that taking silver in any field - even a tough one - doesn’t mean as much as winning.
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
I think it’s relatively simple:

In the US we say, it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Sergei appears to be saying that in Russia, it’s the complete opposite. So whether your win is ugly or pretty, in a tough or depleted field, or by a small or a large margin isn’t as important as whether you come out on top. The corollary would be that taking silver in any field - even a tough one - doesn’t mean as much as winning.

That's kind of what I was afraid of, that he meant that it's only or ever about winning. Of course, he wasn't necessarily speaking as an individual, and even if that's what he meant, it would not change the fact that there are probably many people who don't think that way.
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
Really? I think it’s a cool phrase and took it more to mean the work you put in may kill you but you shouldn’t be afraid of that. The last thing I would ever expect from Sergei is it’s only about winning. That just seems so uncharacteristic and doesn’t describe the guy at all. I really think the phrase doesn’t translate well into English as already mentioned. It’s not uncommon.
 

dante

a dark lord
Final Flight
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Country
Russia
I think it’s relatively simple:

In the US we say, it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Sergei appears to be saying that in Russia, it’s the complete opposite. So whether your win is ugly or pretty, in a tough or depleted field, or by a small or a large margin isn’t as important as whether you come out on top. The corollary would be that taking silver in any field - even a tough one - doesn’t mean as much as winning.

Yes, this understanding is obvious, but as a Russian I assert that it has nothing to do with Russians' pride which was mentioned.

I couldn't find this interview in Russian, so I think it was an interview in an imperfect English that was 'fixed' by the editor.
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
Really? I think it’s a cool phrase and took it more to mean the work you put in may kill you but you shouldn’t be afraid of that. The last thing I would ever expect from Sergei is it’s only about winning. That just seems so uncharacteristic and doesn’t describe the guy at all. I really think the phrase doesn’t translate well into English as already mentioned. It’s not uncommon.

I completely agree. I read it more as a collective phrase or idiom. Because it seemed at first thought interestingly tangential, I wanted to hear what people said who knew Russian.
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
Yes, this understanding is obvious, but as a Russian I assert that it has nothing to do with Russians' pride which was mentioned.

I couldn't find this interview in Russian, so I think it was an interview in an imperfect English that was 'fixed' by the editor.

I've studied languages, and this is one of the reasons I was curious about the sentence. My son and I like to watch movies together, and we have fun occasionally by watching and listening in Spanish (in which he's fluent), having the subtitles on in French (I have a little reading ability still) ... and then pausing the movie to compare how the same bit of dialogue was expressed in English. One of our favorite things about studying languages is to notice and appreciate how differently things are expressed in each language, and how an expression or idiom may or may not reflect back to the culture, habits of thought, imagery or humor, etc.

I appreciate your willingness to "play" this game with me. My apologies, if I gave any negative impression. Mutual respect is what I seek, and that's how I felt you answered my original inquiry. And thank you for trying to find the interview in Russian, that would have been cool if you as a Russian could shed a different light on the phrases he used.
 

Tutto

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
^ I can't find exact same interview either but in this one by Tatyana Flade is on Rus Fed's website:
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/335...sti-kogo-to-lomayut-a-kogo-to-zakalyayut.html

Q: Some skaters had to withdraw for various reasons from this event. How do you assess/value your victory in that regard?
A: As the saying goes, the winners are not judged [direct translation, the meaning as I understand it, is that if you won in the end it doesn't matter under which circumstances you won e.g in a depleted field]. The first place, it is not doubted. I've beaten some strong skaters who are in the top ten in the world, and generally there are no weak competitors in the GP.

I think that there could have been some slight annoyance on Sergei's part at that 'attempt' to undermine his win (understandably perhaps) and maybe it would have been better just to say that he was happy to be able to skate two back to back clean programs, but I think it was okay
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
^ I can't find exact same interview either but in this one by Tatyana Flade is on Rus Fed's website:
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/335...sti-kogo-to-lomayut-a-kogo-to-zakalyayut.html

Q: Some skaters had to withdraw for various reasons from this event. How do you assess/value your victory in that regard?
A:As the saying goes, the winners are not judged [direct translation, the meaning as I understand it, is that if you won in the end it doesn't matter under which circumstances you won e.g in a depleted field]. The first place, it is not doubted. I've beaten some strong skaters who are in the top ten in the world, and generally there are no weak competitors in the GP.

I think that there could have been some slight annoyance on Sergei's part at that 'attempt' to undermine his win (understandably perhaps) and maybe it would have been better just to say that he was happy to be able to skate two back to back clean programs, but I think it was okay

Thank you so much for searching and finding this. Reading the question and Sergei's answer puts it all in quite a different light. Of course, that can happen even without the difficulties of translation ... often a skater's words are quoted, and then a completely different meaning is cast onto the quote by the journalist's headline or the words they put around the quote.

But this sounds much more likely, to me, to be the meaning of Sergei's words. And also it gives the context: the interviewer's question. I don't blame him if he was a bit annoyed; I would have been, too. I join you in thinking it was okay. In fact, completely justified.
 

dante

a dark lord
Final Flight
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Country
Russia
A: As the saying goes, the winners are not judged [direct translation, the meaning as I understand it, is that if you won in the end it doesn't matter under which circumstances you won e.g in a depleted field].

In 1733, during a Russo-Turkish war Alexander Suvorov used an opportunity to make a risky but successful attempt to assault Tutrakan castle, against the orders he had. He was a genius and never lost a single battle in his whole life, but at that time he was a subordinate of an envious general who didn't like him and who prosecuted him for violation of an order. When the verdict was presented to Catherine the Great, she wrote on it: "Winners are not judged." These words became winged.

Sergey doesn't look annoyed in this interview, he just stated that this competition is as important for him as any other Grand Prix event.
 
Top