Maiia:
https://twitter.com/goldenskate/status/1236349562081738753?s=20
""The season wasn't easy, many health issues. But I'm here and this means I managed all that.""
Do we know what her health issues were? I remember hearing rumors of a possible back injury over the summer - is this what she’s alluding to?
Do we know what her health issues were? I remember hearing rumors of a possible back injury over the summer - is this what she’s alluding to?
I was looking through her instagram and she was celebrating her father's contribution to winning something at the 2017 Universiade: https://www.instagram.com/p/BQQU-s0At4y/
Plushenko seems to be obsessed with poaching ready-made talent from Eteri
Targeting students stuck in the shadow of higher flying team mates (Sakhanovich, Tarakanova and now Trusova) OR targeting them in vulnerable stages (like Zagitova, when she announced time off)
Of Eteri's stellar triad of juniors--Valieva, Usacheva, and Khromykh--Plushenko would probably consider Maia the weakest link to target, no?
Plushenko seems to be obsessed with poaching ready-made talent from Eteri
Targeting students stuck in the shadow of higher flying team mates (Sakhanovich, Tarakanova and now Trusova) OR targeting them in vulnerable stages (like Zagitova, when she announced time off)
Of Eteri's stellar triad of juniors--Valieva, Usacheva, and Khromykh--Plushenko would probably consider Maia the weakest link to target, no?
I think that as long as there is no internal conflict between Maiia and the rest of the team she won't consider leaving. And I don't think that anyone should consider her the weakest link as artistically I think she is level above the other two.
Also I want to remind that Eteri is also poaching talents including Maiia... Sasha was already training quads when she joined her group, solid basics of Aliona and jump technique are from her previous coach, Tarakanova's spins and lutz also aren't Eteri's product. Sure she helps them with consistency but technique wise the students who are truly "hers" are Medvedeva and Shcherbakova.
I don't know Eteri would approach skaters, the skaters rather approach Eteri
I don't know about a single case when Eteri would "poach" a world senior/junior champion or otherwise succesful skater. Most skaters come to Eteri as relatively unknown and leave her for other coaches as champions/medalists. Yes, Alina came to her as 13 y. old, but Alina before coming to Eteri and after one year at the start of her junior season is a big difference.
Champions? No. But skaters with solid basis and technique who have great potential but lack consistency? Yes. And Eteri isn't the only one who does it because every top coach has students who came from other schools and nowadays it's hard to find junior skaters who has been in the same group for 3 years or longer. Also I'd really hardly call it poaching xD Especially when some coaches are looking actively for skaters especially when they have pair/ice dance skater without a partner
And it's the end of the off topic