- Joined
- Nov 22, 2015
yes, I feel the same.
2018-19 Russian Ladies' figure skating
- Thread starter Spirals for Miles
- Start date
yes, I feel the same.
If Rika can do a program like she did at Japan nationals, with two 3a, (one in combo)she will win. Alina, I think needs to make adjustments. She still has some wonderful, powerful jumps, but the day when she can pop a 3L3L at the end of her program, I think those days are over. I never thought I would say this, but I think Tennel might end up being top three. I think this will not be a great year for Russian seniors. Next year of course, will be a different story.
As far as Evgenia, for years she would win by what-20, 40 points? She was unbeatable. She had a long tenure at the top. She is a lovely girl, charming, and a wonderful ambassador for Russian figure skating. With the technical demands of figure skating today, it is nearly impossible to have longevity. I think the move was a good one, because she deserves to expand her horizons. Change is good. She is famous enough that she will always have opportunities, and I hope she takes advantage of all of them. But, I don't think she can compete at the same level she once did. When she was younger, her jumps were easy and effortless, that is no longer the case. She has a HUGE fan base, which ought to translate into commercial success in the future, I guess we will wait and see. No one should ever blame her for wanting to make a change.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2018
Do not say that too quickly. People have been saying the same about Yuzuru Hanyu when he changed to TCC and started to struggle and lost to the other Japanese males, but after he got used to the new coaching methods he came back stronger than ever.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2018
yeah, don't write anyone off just yet... coming back from olympic season is basically dealing with HELLA nerves cause expectations, plus new coach, only started training in june, etc etc. she still needs to grow into the programs to the point that it becomes automatic and she doesn't have to think about each movement 
It's good that she can get her nerves out now before the grand prix and has time to make adjustments before the next competition
It's good that she can get her nerves out now before the grand prix and has time to make adjustments before the next competition
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2005
I wouldn't count Alina or Evgenia out yet.
Even if more ladies start doing triple axels or quads, the success rate of these jump is much lower due to their extreme difficulty.
Look at what has happened to the men - quad overload.
IMO,
Alina's success will depend on her jump consistency, which hopefully will continue to improve during the season.
I thought that Evgenia's move was with the goal of extending her skating longevity, not as a springboard for commercial opportunities.
Also - don't forget that Liza T has a triple axel also.
I do think that Worlds will be a lot more wide open as to who can win,
but I think it will go to whoever skates the cleanest and can best take advantage of the higher GOE's
Bradie - it could be interseting. If she can be as consistent as last year (with the exception of Olympics) then I think she is medal contender.
I remember when Hanyu announced his move to Orser, and people on this forum were bemoaning the move and saying he made a bad choice, and saying Orser would ruin him, blah blah blah. You can look up the exact thread.
Look at him now.
I'll give Med 1.5 seasons to settle in.
its a whole different situation.
Hanyu can do a massive TES, much ahead of most of the field.
The only thing that set Zhenya apart from everybody else in ladies is backloading (which is not a thing due to new rules) and her incredible consistency. She cannot up her TES much above the rest of the field, if anything the new generation that is turning senior is ahead of her in TES. Realistically, she is not getting a quad. Will judges keep giving her PCs much ahead of everybody else if she loses her consistency?
Not really. He definitely had issues when he went to Orser, such as stamina. I saw, in-person, him melt down in his FS of Skate America 2012(he got like 148 something, which was really low for him) and he struggled off and on that season and he was off the podium at Worlds 2013 after winning bronze he year before.
Heck he even still had issues popping jumps during the first part of the Olympic season. It wasn't until GPF that he passed Patrick and ended up winning Gold at Olympic/Worlds that year.
Zhenya's coming off some major injuries and she's not in peak form right now and it showed in an early competition.
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I have to say, I feel like all this drama about Zhenya and Eteri's split up and Olympic medals and so on is actually causing Zhenya *and* Alina to literally skate worse. Both of them have clearly been very nervous on their public outings this season, and as much as they say it isn't affecting them it absolutely looks like it does. So if people care about the state of senior Russian ladies skating, the best thing to do is to stop being dramatic.
Anyway, Zhenya's jumps have been looking good in practice (though she is still flutzing pretty hard), so I think what's happening is that the jump re-tool is working but she hasn't practiced enough for it to settle in her muscle memory, leading to mistakes when nervous.
Anyway, Zhenya's jumps have been looking good in practice (though she is still flutzing pretty hard), so I think what's happening is that the jump re-tool is working but she hasn't practiced enough for it to settle in her muscle memory, leading to mistakes when nervous.
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2014
But its not the coach who wins a medal but only you. Its totally wrong to praise coaches/federations/countries for the medals individuals won. Its not Eteri, or Orser, or Russia, or Canadas medal. To say that its just not fair to the individuals who are actually fighting for it!
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
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I worked for the US federal government for my entire career.
I dealt with the public and once in a while someone would say, "I pay your salary!" It was not a compliment
When I believed they were simply trying to bully me and deter me from my job, I replied, "I will gladly refund you the percentage of my salary that you personally pay. Give me your address". No one ever did. 
Zhenya worked for those medals and Zhenya won them. All of which were won by a Russian athlete. Zhenya hopes to continue to win medals. All of which will be won by a Russian athlete. Why *shouldn't* the Russian fed contribute?:scratch3:
I dealt with the public and once in a while someone would say, "I pay your salary!" It was not a compliment
When I believed they were simply trying to bully me and deter me from my job, I replied, "I will gladly refund you the percentage of my salary that you personally pay. Give me your address". No one ever did. Zhenya worked for those medals and Zhenya won them. All of which were won by a Russian athlete. Zhenya hopes to continue to win medals. All of which will be won by a Russian athlete. Why *shouldn't* the Russian fed contribute?:scratch3:
- Joined
- May 11, 2018
I 100% agree. The constant accusations and hated keeps coming and these poor girls are caught in the middle of it! Just let them skate! I’m so tired of all of it. The media is not making it any better, neither are the people on this forum or on social media. Alina had difficulties in the beginning of the season last year, I’m sure she’ll adjust. And Medvedeva will take a while because her situation is so new, but she will also adjust. Done. No one is making it any easier on their situations however by slinging dirt around.
Medvedeva herself in a interview begged the media to be more careful with their word choices and denied that Eteri ever told her to go have babies after the Olympics. It’s so sad that she has to discuss that because people won’t drop the topic.
In my opinion, Eteri and Orser as well as TSL and whoever else is discussing this stuff needs to stop. Keep each other’s names out of their mouth. Neither side is making anything better especially when there’s two young girls in vunrable situations involved.
Sorry for my rant, I love Zhenya and Alinka both and wish them the best season possible.
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2013
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- Joined
- Sep 20, 2018
I love that you‘re always in here trying to distract people with funny posts when drama occurs. I wish I could do that, too. Or at least not answer at all.... but it‘s too tempting, I can‘t control myself!
Alena, Sasha, Anna, where are you when we need you?
Serious now, I hope Alena manages to land her 3A eventually but the lack of info or that she‘s not even jumping it in training (like Anna did in Bratislava with 4Lz for example) makes me a bit sceptical. Has she talked about it or that she wants to add it in JGPF?
I've literally just made a new account so still can't post links but Alena has said a couple of times now that she may or may not add the 3A at the JGPF but it still isn't very consistent which goes against her main goal of the season which is to continue to develop her reputation as a highly consistent skater. Which I think is smart because if Anna falls she probably won't need the 3A to beat her but if she lands her quad the 3A won't help her very much any way. No real point in risking her reputation for it at the moment.
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2014
I don't think the worst offenders in the drama department actually do care about Russian ladies in general. They just want to see their favorites on top and the skaters they dislike to fail, and to keep stirring the pot with their dumb conspiracy theories and negativity.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2018
See I don't really think so. I think people are reading way to much into a lot of things when really both are just in there own personal adjustment periods at the moment.
Alina has always skated poorly straight out the gate. I think a lot of people forget because she had it for so long and made it look so great by the end but Don Quixote was a right mess of a program for the better half of her first season with it and she utterly looked terrified doing it. It did not start out as an Olympic winning program at all. Mentally she seems to take a lot to get to that stage with her programs where she is comfortable and confident and able to preform to the high standard she is capable of doing. And because she has had Don Quixote for a couple of seasons it will probably be even harder for her to mentally adjust to that change this season because it is hard and very disheartening and frustrating to be up the top of your game one season and then the next having to start again with a new program and face the same difficulties you faced last time yet again. Which I think is the real reason she was crying at test skates, not because there were too many Zhenya banners.
As for Zhenya, I don't think anybody should minimize the changes in her life and the affect they have on her skating. She skated with Eeri since she was a baby, that was the only skating life she has ever known and all of a sudden she's got a new coach, new choreography, she's got a new practice routine, off-ice routine, different critiques, different diet. It's a whole new world and, like Alena's mentality, physically that will take some adjustment but she will adjust and improve as the season progresses.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
That's certainly one theory.
Another could be the pressure of their Olympic medals.
It's also very, very early in the season.
Med is adjusting to a new coach, and training methods.
Zag is still a teenager who might still be experiencing growth spurts. She might even face a loss of motivation at a later stage this season due to already winning the OGM.
A lot of this speculation is annoying and even disgusting, but your theory is far too simplistic. They are elite-level athletes anyway. Maybe they know about what's happening (and I know Med recently spoke about it), but mental strength is a part of literally every sport. I doubt they wouldn't have the psyche to simply roll their eyes and move on.
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2018
still no one has beaten Eteri's juniors SP scores... Alina will be first to do that!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2016
It was a tough day but Sasha still holds her SP record.
Forgive me, but who is Sasha?
I know that Sasha is a Russian nickname for Alexandra, but which Alexandra do u mean?
