Alina Zagitova announces break from figure skating competition | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Alina Zagitova announces break from figure skating competition

theharleyquinn

Medalist
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
I'm not so sure about that. Rika had an injury that prevented her from doing lutz so far this year. And she got a quad sal out there in competition. I'm very impressed with that. We may see a stronger Rika in 2nd half of season.

We'll have to see, but Rika doesn't seem to be taking a rest this season to heal her ankle, and a part of how she injured her ankle seems to be the intensive summer training. The lack of lutz across two programs really hurts her even with a potential landed quad.
 

DizzyFrenchie

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
It seems I am the only one relieved here.
I was worrying about Nationals since I knew of her knee?
She had already announced rather clearly that this season would be "off" for her, rather as a spare in case any of the 3A would be injured, the program being introducing some Ultra-C jumps next season, and having them perfect for the olympic season, yet she was suppose to continue competing, which is both physically a strain and now rather useless.
I do not think her program for next season to be changed in any way. Not only in her wishes, but also in Tutberidze Team's. Not only out of affection : she is a wonderful performer with wonderful skating skills, still the best of "4 A" — though I expect Alena Kostornaia to reach it for, or before Olympic season, and a great athlete. The only difference is, from now she will have "relative rest" during some weeks or months, as doctors may have prescribed, instead of exhausting (all the more for not winning) competition, before starting to learn the ultra-C jumps she knows she needs to get an olympic medal in 2022.
As to shows, I am sorry, I am not very convinced by the choreographies she got. They don't do justice to her extraordinary talent, as her present competitive choreographies do (Me Voy, Cleopatra and exhibition).
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Hey, I liked her well enough.

But she's had two-and-a-half good years at or near the top of the sport. That's the lifespan now for ladies. It's the natural order.

I've already written this on another thread, but it needs repeating. If you're a fan of the young wonder-kids, enjoy them while you can. There's a crop of 13 year olds just waiting for this batch to develop womanly figures.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
How many major competitions did she won after the Olympics? I think it was only one 😂 Someone who won "everything" only one time is a typical one hit wonder. The only thing "special" about her was that she did all jumps in the second half of the program when she was 15. That's all. Relevant? No. Memorable? Not at all. Her time is over

Well you are entitled to your opinion - I hate to think what you would say about Sarah Hughes. Or Tara Lipiniski.I wish Alina well. Many of us are assuming, concluding, deducing she is taking the leave (and probably won't return) because ofthe technical growth or expectations of quads. Similar to Kaetlyn Osmond who stepped away for a break and never returned - and I guess we can say that about Sotnikova and Kwan. I wish her great success in her next phase and for the future whatever and wherever. She deservesit. Making the GPF by the way is quite an accomplishment.
 

katymay

Medalist
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Alina at her best is probably the best conditioned athlete I've ever seen in figure skating. Her stamina is astounding, and her Olympic program is one of the all time best things I've ever seen on ice. I never get tired of watching it. I wonder if anyone realizes how difficult it is to put all of your jumps at the end of a program? For me she is one of the greatest of all time.
 

Seruleane

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Alina at her best is probably the best conditioned athlete I've ever seen in figure skating. Her stamina is astounding, and her Olympic program is one of the all time best things I've ever seen on ice. I never get tired of watching it. I wonder if anyone realizes how difficult it is to put all of your jumps at the end of a program? For me she is one of the greatest of all time.

:thumbsup: I'm sure many will disagree with you, but I think her Don Quixote FS is one of my favorite Olympic ladies programs of all time. I think the only one I've watched more is Oksana Baiul's Black Swan SP. Hopefully, history will agree with us.
 

Ophelia

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 6, 2013
This just goes on to show how little stock people should put into Japan open and test skates when making predictions.
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
Well, I'm not going into the debates and discussions about all this. I just wish Alina well. I enjoyed her performances, especially after the Olympics (when I didn't, but that's just me) and specifically at Worlds last year. Whatever the financial rewards and everything, I think Alina herself was most happy with being presented with Masuru. I hope she and her dog will have some great times together.
 

lesnar001

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
This just goes on to show how little stock people should put into Japan open and test skates when making predictions.

How true!

Last season she did so poorly in the LP at the Test Skates.
And she ended up as World Champion.
 

lizardlass

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 26, 2018
I'm glad to hear that she's taking a break. She is overdue for one. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't return to competitive skating, and I wouldn't be surprised if she did. I think she'll make the best decision for herself, and that's the most important thing.
 

SnowWhite

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 30, 2016
Country
Canada
It was relevant and memorable to me. She's the only one who did it, probably the only one who could do it without it being too much of a risk.

And that's the only thing special about her to YOU, not to many others. I could write out everything that's special about her to me, but this isn't her fanfest, so I'll spare everyone the monologue.

Unsurprisingly given my username, Yuzuru Hanyu is my favorite skater. Between 2014 and 2018, commentators gushed time and time again how most Olympic gold medalists retire that season, yet Yuzu kept going and wanted a second. After Pyeongchang, they started gushing how he's still competing after two OGMs, and still is upgrading his content in hopes of making more history with the 4A and who knows what else, plus beating Nathan Chen, etc.

They're not just mentioning how he keeps going because they like him, they're saying it because it's noteworthy. And it's noteworthy because few do it. Alina's another one of the few.

Her time will be over when she decides its over.

That's not actually true. In 2017-18 Alena Kostornaya had a fully backloaded FS, as did Daria Panenkova. Trusova had everything except her 4S backloaded. Shcherbakova also did a fully backloaded FS in domestic comps. They changed the rules after that, so they didn't do it as seniors, but clearly the were capable.

Which is not to take anything away from Alina. She's accomplished amazing things.
 

SkatingFan9

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 13, 2019
Alina would have to change her technique drastically to do quads/3a. No way can she get the height for more than 3 rotations if she has to bend over, nearly horizontal to the ice, when preparing to jump.

Write her off and doubt her at your own peril. ;)
 

Amei

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
It was relevant and memorable to me. She's the only one who did it, probably the only one who could do it without it being too much of a risk.

Of the senior ladies - I agree with you because she was training for the complete backloaded program, however both Kostornaia and Shcherbakova were doing the same exact thing on the junior level.


Frankly I think the 'backloaded' everything worked against her this season in contributing to the talk that she wasn't fully invested into competitive skating because she went from backloading everything to backloading nothing, the only reason she backloaded 3-3 combinations in competition this season was when she messed up the first attempt at the combination at the beginning of the program.
 

Scott512

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
I want Alina to relax and get healthier rest that left knee and then come back next fall only if she really wants to do a couple Challengers a couple Grand Prix events and enjoy it more. I hope she remember she still skating at a very high level.
 

sailormoon

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 9, 2016
Country
Japan
Alina denied the media reports that she is retiring from figure skating in her Instagram post. Even though it is not translated into English, she wrote in Russian that she has no intention of putting her career on hold or retiring, but she will not participate in the Russian, European and world championships. This means that she only skips the three competitions mentioned above and she will be back for the next season as usual. RT also reported that she has every intention of returning to competition on the ice.

https://www.rt.com/sport/475947-zagitova-vows-she-will-return-career-break/

После эфира на Первом канале мне приходит много вопросов о том, «что означает мое интервью», и «почему я завершила карьеру». Я очень волновалась, но все же четко донесла свои мысли, которые впоследствии были по-разному интерпретированы другими СМИ: «Я приостанавливаю свое участие в соревнованиях. Я никуда не ухожу, но я не участвую в чемпионате России и без отбора не претендую ни на чемпионат Европы, ни на Чемпионат мира, потому что я всегда отбираюсь по спортивному принципу». Для меня фигурное катание –это моя жизнь, и большой спорт –то, ради чего я работала и продолжаю работать каждый день начиная с 4 лет. Все мои достижения, включая Олимпийское золото��и золото ЧМ��, не случайны, мы с моими тренерами проделали огромную работу, за что я им буду благодарна всю свою жизнь, и я не планирую останавливаться и тем более «уходить». Ни о каком «уходе» или «завершении» я даже не думаю. Как спортсмен, добившийся всех возможных первых мест, я хочу быть на высшем пьедестале, а для этого мне надо тренироваться еще больше и еще сильнее. Я по-прежнему в сборной России и по-прежнему могу выступать за свою страну на международных соревнованиях. Я продолжаю свой «фигурный» путь с поддержкой моих тренеров.

Following my latest TV appearance I am getting a lot of questions. For me Figure Skating is all about what I always worked for and continue working for since I was 4 years old. Forever I will be very grateful to my coaches for the tremendous job we have done and I am not planning either to stop or retire. I am still part of team Russia and still I can take part in international competitions for team Russia. I am continuing my figureskating way with the great support from my coaches ❤//

先日のテレビ出演後、「一体どういうことか」「なぜ引退したのか」という多くの質問を頂いています。 テレビ出演の際、私は不安で、自分の考えをはっきりと伝えることができませんでした。 私にとって、フィギュアスケートは私の人生そのものであり、プロフェッショナルなスポーツ選手になるために、4歳から常に努力を続けてきました。オリンピックの金メダルを含む、私のすべてのタイトルは偶然ではありません。コーチ陣に対し、私たちが一緒に成し遂げたことへ、一生感謝し続けたいと思っています。そして、私は活動休止も「引退」するつもりもありません。休止すること、引退することは、一切考えていません。フィギュアスケートにおいて、可能な限りすべてのタイトルを獲得したアスリートとして、私は常に表彰台の一番上に立ちたいですし、そのために、さらにハードなトレーニングをする必要があります。私は、今もなお、ロシア代表の一員であり、ロシア代表として国際大会に出場できます。引き続き、コーチの皆様、パートナーの皆様、ファンの皆様❤からの素晴らしいサポートとともに、私のフィギュアスケート人生を続けていきます。
10h
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6GK1qXpEED/


Where did Alina say she was only skipping 3 competitions and would be back in the fall as usual?

You can read the relevant part of her post below, in which she states that she is not going anywhere. I guess she decided to cancel her participation in the Russian nationals mainly due to an injury to the hip joint that she sustained when she fell during the free program last week. Without participating in the Russian nationals, she won't be selected for the two upcoming international competitions as a rule and she won't be competing internationally for the rest of the season.

Я никуда не ухожу, но я не участвую в чемпионате России и без отбора не претендую ни на чемпионат Европы, ни на Чемпионат мира, потому что я всегда отбираюсь по спортивному принципу.

I’m not going anywhere, but I’m not participating in the Russian Championship and I’m not applying for either the European Championship or the World Championship without selection, because I am always selected according to the sporting principle.
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Alina denied the media reports that she is retiring from figure skating in her Instagram post. Even though it is not translated into English, she wrote in Russian that she has no intention of putting her career on hold or retiring, but she will not participate in the Russian, European and world championships. This means that she only skips the three competitions above and she will be back for the next season as usual.

Where did Alina say she was only skipping 3 competitions and would be back in the fall as usual?

I’m asking because according to the machine translation provided by Instagram, in the post you link to she says only that she is still on the Russian national team and that she can still compete for her country in international competition. To me that means the door is open if she wants to return to competition, not that she has concrete plans to return this fall.
 

Lechat

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 26, 2018
Country
France
I don’t understand why people are making a fuss about Alina taking a break. She’s not the only skater who did it. In her curent state, she’s mentally and physically exhausted. She couldn’t cope with Eteri’s regime anymore and needs a break. Making shows is a means for her to keep her body in shape, earning her own money without giving 30% each time to her coaches and to enjoy without struggling with competition.

Once she wants to compete again, she will do the necessary to do her best.
 
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