Maria Sotskova: 'I can't give up. This is what I love'

gsk8 · Jun 5, 2019

When Olympian Maria Sotskova hit a personal low at Russian Nationals last December, finishing 16th in a deep field of her compatriots, the skater naturally put her career in question. Now, however, the 19-year-old has quickly realized that she is not yet done with the sport and is preparing for the upcoming season with new coach Svetlana Sokolovskaia.

“After Russian Nationals, I returned home not knowing at all what to do in my life,” Sotskova recalled. “I took a rest. I recovered mentally, because it was hard (a difficult situation) and I started to train. I changed boots and skated in New Year ice shows, in Tchernyshev’s shows. I skated about two weeks in his shows and at this time I realized that I loved figure skating and I’m not ready just to skate in shows. I want to compete, I enjoy that. This is what I love and I’m not ready to retire now.”

More...

Here's hoping she has a more successful season this year! She will be skating to "To Build A Home" for the short, and music from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack for the FS.

What are your thoughts?

Autumn Leaves · Jun 5, 2019

Maria is lovely and I am glad she decided to continue skating, despite the difficulties last season and the upcoming fierce
competition. She sounds very mature and really interested in choreography and her studies as well. Hope she has a very successful season!

LiamForeman · Jun 5, 2019

Honestly, I thought she was going to be out of the mix this season. Is she guaranteed any GP's? That totally throws a wrench in the wheel wrt to Gubanova and Tarusina. Maybe one for each then? But good for her for doing what she wants to do.

skatenewbie · Jun 5, 2019

she almost retired when puberty hits her hard. i believe she can comeback again this time

LiamForeman said:
Honestly, I thought she was going to be out of the mix this season. Is she guaranteed any GP's? That totally throws a wrench in the wheel wrt to Gubanova and Tarusina. Maybe one for each then? But good for her for doing what she wants to do.

guaranteed 1 from WS if she get submitted by RusFed

Skater Boy · Jun 5, 2019

I wish her well. It's tough 19 years old is really old in Russia. She seems to be in that vulernable Russian spot third - Sofia, Anna Pogolorya, her.. I am glad she is ready to fight. But if Alina, Evgenia and Liza are looking second tier and they are followed by Sofia and that doesn't even touch the new Russian flavor of the season - the 3A's it won't be easy. No wonder we don't hear about Alena leonova.

skateluvr · Jun 5, 2019

Loved Maria. A tall girl! In singles! Some diversity. Anyway if IJS pushes beauty this girl would be Carolina after years of skating. She was number three and that was amazing that she was chosen for oly team. Love Maria still. Her gentle lyrical style belies a skater who can also put on a show.

Has leonova retired yet? She loves skating and I have grown to enjoy her maturity. Oh Russian ladies you are all amazingly having your time in history this last several years. I loved Paolini and sad she retired. Keep on Maria. You have fans everywhere! She loves to skate and I’m glad to hear she isn’t afraid of the little quad queens coming up.

Colonel Green · Jun 5, 2019

One cannot but respect a strong desire to continue if you love it. I just hope things start to look up, because it was hard to watch her in the KnC at 2019 Russian Nationals.

RemyRose · Jun 5, 2019

skateluvr said:
Has leonova retired yet?

No. She is preparing for this season.

starla16 · Jun 5, 2019

she passed her peak before 2018 Olympics, she should have step aside like Radionova, Pogorilaya so all the 3A get to secure two spots
hope the rus fed dont submit her name.

Scott512 · Jun 5, 2019

starla16 said:
she passed her peak before 2018 Olympics, she should have step aside like Radionova, Pogorilaya so all the 3A get to secure two spots
hope the rus fed dont submit her name.

Maria is such a lovely girl really she's a woman now. She's also very different than most of the wunderkins today in Russian ladies figure skating.

I think she's making continuing her career known so the Russian Federation takes her name into consideration for Grand Prix assignments. But coming off last years struggles the Federation may not give her a Grand Prix assignments. But the main thing is for Maria to enjoy her skating she's very different from all the five foot tall and under five foot tall figure skaters out there doing incredibly difficult jumps and moves. Maria is over 5 ft 8 in tall and has a certain elegance about her that is hard to find in ladies figure skating these days. It's good that she stated her desire to continue right after her good friend Polina retired at 17 years old. Let's be honest it's a mental and physical jungle among the the Russian ladies and girls.

Maria was in one Olympics and did okay finishing 8the and she's been in the world championship and did okay. The question now is will the Russian Federation give her a Grand Prix assignment or will they in Stead turn to Gubanova and or Tauresina thinking they're upside may be greater than the Reeves at this point. If the Federation thinks that Maria may not get a Grand Prix assignment. But she should continue to figure skate as long as she's enjoying it she'll be able to do shows for a long time as well. She should.

LRK · Jun 5, 2019

starla16 said:
she passed her peak before 2018 Olympics, she should have step aside like Radionova, Pogorilaya so all the 3A get to secure two spots
hope the rus fed dont submit her name.

Maria doesn't owe it to anyone to "step aside". She has the right to continue as long as she has the ability & the desire. And the same for everyone else.

ladyjane · Jun 5, 2019

I'm so glad she is staying on. To be honest, I am not really a fan of little pre-puberty girls making big jumps setting the scene for future ladies figure skating at all, and Maria shows (like Leonova did before her) something different. Something more mature. I'd rather stick to juniors for watching the jumping beans (and then it's spectacular indeed). I hope she'll do better this season, but definitely that she continues to love what she does.

DenissVFan · Jun 5, 2019

LRK said:
Maria doesn't owe it to anyone to "step aside". She has the right to continue as long as she has the ability & the desire. And the same for everyone else.

Exactly. She's earned her WR points fair and square.

starla16 · Jun 5, 2019

LRK said:
Maria doesn't owe it to anyone to "step aside". She has the right to continue as long as she has the ability & the desire. And the same for everyone else.

She benefited from weak and unsecure no.3 russian roulettes spot in russia. It different this time and she doesn't do well in important competitions it was that last season was worst than usual for her. I have much more respect for Radionova, Pogorilaya they know their time has passed. Sotskova continuing robs the future ones securing 2 spots. She doesnt have anything to offer in the rankings, she underrotates nor will she be making the world team ever again.

hanyuufan5 · Jun 5, 2019

Good for her! :cheer:

Nobody should feel like they have to quit if they still enjoy skating.

VenusHalley · Jun 5, 2019

starla16 said:
she passed her peak before 2018 Olympics, she should have step aside like Radionova, Pogorilaya so all the 3A get to secure two spots
hope the rus fed dont submit her name.

I never cared for her skating, she just does not do it for me with her music choice and style of skating and has ugliest tano ever.... but she had some succcess in the past, she has her fans... and she seems like a lovely girl.

She does not need to step aside because there are new kids on the bloc (just like 3A will not have to dutifully skate into sunset two year from now, because people will shiften their extremely short attention span to another young starlet). From what I understand, she has the standing for one spot and if she wants to use it... so it be.

CanadianSkaterGuy · Jun 5, 2019

LRK said:
Maria doesn't owe it to anyone to "step aside". She has the right to continue as long as she has the ability & the desire. And the same for everyone else.

Agreed. Did people tell Tuktamysheva to step aside after she was struggling?! Well, yeah, some did -- and they were proven wrong time and time again.

Skaters should step aside on their OWN terms, not because they need to make room. In terms of "all the 3A get to secure spots", they can establish themselves and then earn the spots themselves.

Good luck to Maria!

zounger · Jun 5, 2019

At least I'm glad that Maria gets some love now since she is not much of a threat anymore. Because with the whole helicoptering accusation the seasons before I thought her last name was Sikorsky or better Kamov.

I hope she continues to skate for a long time and enjoys her studies, she's a great skater.

LenaRadiFan · Jun 5, 2019

starla16 said:
she passed her peak before 2018 Olympics, she should have step aside like Radionova, Pogorilaya so all the 3A get to secure two spots
hope the rus fed dont submit her name.

I would feel so offended as a skater that people would think that certain skaters need to "step aside" so I can get a secure spot. Like if I was a skater I would want that spot because I earned it, not because others are not competing to give me space....just a thought

starla16 · Jun 5, 2019

LenaRadiFan said:
I would feel so offended as a skater that people would think that certain skaters need to "step aside" so I can get a secure spot. Like if I was a skater I would want that spot because I earned it, not because others are not competing to give me space....just a thought

strategically it makes sense, if you have a competitive field like the russian ladies. To max the out those who are competitive then the skaters can be asked who are no longer competitive choose either to retire or their names should be crossed out of any gp list. Tuktamysheva, Zagitova, Medvedeva, Samodurova, Trusova, Kostornaia, Shcherbakova these are competitive skaters that can give results. It would be wise for the Fed to make sure these names get 2 gp spots.

Maria Sotskova: 'I can't give up. This is what I love'

gsk8

Autumn Leaves

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam

skatenewbie

Skater Boy

skateluvr

Colonel Green

RemyRose

YOLO

starla16

Scott512

LRK

ladyjane

DenissVFan

starla16

hanyuufan5

✨＊:。

VenusHalley

CanadianSkaterGuy

zounger

LenaRadiFan

starla16

Similar threads

Connect with us

Maria Sotskova: 'I can't give up. This is what I love'

William/Uilyam

YOLO

✨*＊:。*

Similar threads

✨＊:。