Maria Sotskova announces retirement from competitive skating | Golden Skate

Maria Sotskova announces retirement from competitive skating

gsk8

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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
Through her instagram account, Sotskova has announced her retirement. A google translation is provided. Russian linguists feel free to jump in to make any corrections. Here is wishing the Russian skater a healthy and successful future in whatever she decides to persue.

Когда ты впервые почувствовал вкус победы, тебе кажется, что это никогда не закончится. К сожалению, это - не так, и все когда-то заканчивается!

Мой путь был тернист, но очень интересен и красочен. У меня были лучшие наставники, каждый по-своему уникален и любим. Мне посчастливилось работать с большой и дружной командой. Я благодарна Богу за моих родителей, которые дали мне такую жизнь, поддерживали каждый мой шаг, переживали каждое мое падение и радовались каждой победе.
Пришло время рассказать вам о моих чувствах, переживаниях, которые я держала в себе очень долго.

После олимпиады последовал неудачный для меня сезон, но я знала, что это временные трудности, которые я смогу преодолеть. Понимая, что еще не раскрыла весь свой потенциал я боролась. Я всегда с искренней любовью относилась ко всему, что делала. Но есть обстоятельства, которые медленно разрушали мою веру, ставили настолько непроходимые препятствия, и пришло осознание, что это конец. Конец моей спортивной карьеры. Появились факторы, которые ни в коем случае не пошатнули мою силу, но и не позволили бороться, не смотря на желание. Даже длительная и сложная работа с психологами не смогла помочь в должной мере. После тяжелых переживаний, у меня начались проблемы со здоровьем, которые окончательно привели к такому трудному для меня решению.

Невозможно повернуть время вспять. В одном послании не уместить всего того, что мне важно сказать. Моя душа разрывается. Со слезами на глазах я вспоминаю и всю жизнь буду вспоминать людей, которые вложили в меня свои силы, веру, время и любовь.

Никаких слов не хватит чтобы выразить, того, что у меня на душе.

When you first felt the taste of victory, it seems to you that this will never end. Unfortunately, this is not so, and it all ends sometime!

My path was thorny, but very interesting and colorful. I had the best mentors, each in its own way unique and loved. I was lucky to work with a large and friendly team. I am grateful to God for my parents who gave me such a life, supported my every move, experienced my every fall and rejoiced in every victory. The time has come to tell you about my feelings, experiences that I kept for a very long time.

An unsuccessful season followed after the Olympics, but I knew that these were temporary difficulties that I could overcome. Realizing that I had not yet revealed my full potential, I fought. I always had sincere love for everything I did. But there are circumstances that slowly destroyed my faith, put so impassable obstacles, and the realization came that this is the end. The end of my sports career. Factors appeared that in no way shook my strength, but did not allow me to fight, despite my desire. Even the long and difficult work with psychologists was not able to help properly. After hard experiences, I began to have health problems that finally led to such a difficult decision for me.

Unable to turn back the clock. One message does not fit all that is important for me to say. My soul is torn. With tears in my eyes, I remember and all my life I will remember people who put their strength, faith, time and love into me.

No words are enough to express what is in my soul.
 
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DSQ

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Joined
Apr 14, 2018
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United-Kingdom
No! I was really hoping for a come back ;-;
 

RemyRose

YOLO
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Dec 28, 2005
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United-States
She's turning the page, and now we wait for the wedding! Congrats to her and her fiance! Many happy years ahead!!!
 

icybear

Medalist
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
She's marrying already? At 20 years old. Its just so weird seeing these "kids" already marrying before "old" skaters like Yuna, Mao and Carolina. Haha. Anyway good luck to her future career.
 

nussnacker

one and only
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Joined
Mar 16, 2019
Sad to see Maria go, but happy she’s in a happy relationship, congrats on her engagement (marriage)!
Maria attends a prestigious university in Russia, I’m sure her future is very bright.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
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Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
She's marrying already? At 20 years old. Its just so weird seeing these "kids" already marrying before "old" skaters like Yuna, Mao and Carolina. Haha. Anyway good luck to her future career.

Hope this is not too off-topic, but is it common in Russia for people in their late teens/early twenties to marry and have children? I heard about Betina Popova and Denis Khodykin's engagement recently and was quite surprised as he's just turned 21 (she is 23). Anna Pogorilaya also got married at 20. Julia Lipnitskaya is expecting a child at 22. It makes Kolyada's marriage (at 25) seem quite late in contrast.

In Western Europe and Asia the opposite is true, people tend to marry later (or not at all), making some governments very nervous about future population growth rates. That might explain Yuna, Mao and Carolina.

Back on topic, good luck to Masha in her new life and career! Hope to see her choreography work someday :)
 

Scott512

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
What a nice goodbye to competitive skating post from Maria. She really has depth to her. Good luck in retirement.

On a side note will we ever see anyone Maria's height 5 ft 8 in tall become an elite ladies figure skater again? Lol ima was that tall or taller and she retired yhung too. Being super tall in ladies figure skating is a disadvantage to say the least.
 

Osmond4gold

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
I always appreciated her competitive spirit and when on, she had beautiful moments of grace.

My best wishes to Maria always, as well as a lifetime filled with joy.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I am kind of sad. Like another one bites the dust. One by one these Russian ladies seem to come and go. I feel like they deserve a longer shelf life. It seems so long ago there were skaters like Sotnikova, Lipnskaya, Radinova, Pogoloraya, et even lesser names. I wish her well. Yay for Evgenia to try to fight it out despite her "old" age.
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
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Oct 25, 2012
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Northern-Ireland
For the first 15 years or so after I started watching figure skating, I would only watch the Seniors. I had a reluctance to watch the Juniors, because I didn't really want to watch kids acting all grown up when they weren't. But, when it got the stage when we were getting skaters coming up from Juniors as soon as they were eligible for Seniors, and immediately dominating the competitions, I decided that I needed to see what was going on.

In that first season of watching Juniors (2015-16), I took a real liking to one skater in particular. She just impressed me so much. Her skating was so beautiful. And I became a fan of her straight away.

What was the name of this heavenly skater?

Maria Sotskova

Here are the first two programmes I saw from Maria, which immediately drew me in:

2015 Riga Cup SP
2015 Riga Cup FS

(I have used the archived livestreams because the individual videos back then cut out Ted's analysis and the skater receiving their scores).

I have to say, Maria's FS dress from that season is one of my favourite figure skating dresses of all time. :love: And although I don't like the SP dress, the fact that she is skating to Santana more than makes up for it! :rock:

As a fan, the news that Maria is retiring at such a young age has left me very sad. However, it has not surprised me. These past couple of years have been tough for her, both on the ice and off it. So, I do feel that it will be good for her to not have all the pressures that come with being a Russian Ladies skater.

A thing that did surprise me, though, is that she is engaged! I hope Maria and her boyfriend are very happy together. She deserves to be! :agree: :biggrin:

Thank you for all the joy you have brought us over the years, Maria. We will treasure the happy memories.

I wish you all the best for the future.

CaroLiza_fan
 

flanker

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2018
Country
Czech-Republic
Hope this is not too off-topic, but is it common in Russia for people in their late teens/early twenties to marry and have children? I heard about Betina Popova and Denis Khodykin's engagement recently and was quite surprised as he's just turned 21 (she is 23). Anna Pogorilaya also got married at 20. Julia Lipnitskaya is expecting a child at 22. It makes Kolyada's marriage (at 25) seem quite late in contrast.

In Western Europe and Asia the opposite is true, people tend to marry later (or not at all), making some governments very nervous about future population growth rates. That might explain Yuna, Mao and Carolina.

Back on topic, good luck to Masha in her new life and career! Hope to see her choreography work someday :)

I've already replied similar question in RLT. According to wiki the average age for women at their first marriage in Russia is 24.9. Also 27.4 for men, so Misha Kolyada is still below average in his 25 :)

Although common habit in developed countries today is having marriage and kids late in the 30s (because "career" is so important, right), having kids early has many advantages, above all you are just fit for them :)
 

Sabrina

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Maria was one of my favourite skaters. I am sad she has retired, but she is young and has all her life ahead. Good luck Maria in everything you do!
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
I've already replied similar question in RLT. According to wiki the average age for women at their first marriage in Russia is 24.9. Also 27.4 for men, so Misha Kolyada is still below average in his 25 :)

Although common habit in developed countries today is having marriage and kids late in the 30s (because "career" is so important, right), having kids early has many advantages, above all you are just fit for them :)

Thanks! Sorry, I probably should have posted my question in a separate thread (maybe in Le Cafe...) RLT is like its own sub-forum - lots of conversations going on at once so I've been avoiding it :hopelessness: I'll follow up on the topic over there...
 

Jontor

Medalist
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Country
Sweden
Being a Russian Ladies skater is hard. And looking back on Maria's career it seems there was always one or two "better" Russian Ladies. She was somewhat the 3rd Russian no one really talked about. She got silver at 2018 GPF but it was overshadowed by Zagitova and Medvedeva had to withdraw. That season everyone was only talking about Zagitova and Medvedeva.

And she never did get any senior championship medals. Twice 4th at Europeans, twice 8th at Worlds, and also 8th at the Olympics.

But she did save Russia twice at Worlds so that they could keep their 3 spots. In 2017 when Pogorilaya bombed, and escpecially in 2018 when both Zagitova and Konstantinova bombed!
If it wasn't for Maria in 2018 we probably wouldn't have seen bronze medalist Medvedeva at Worlds 2019. Did Maria ever get any recognition for that? I don't think she did.

She also saved the day at 2016 Junior Worlds, where she got silver while both Fedichkina and Tsurskaya withdrew.

It is safe to say that Maria Sotskova was a very important skater from Russia. We will miss her.
 

flanker

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2018
Country
Czech-Republic
Being a Russian Ladies skater is hard. And looking back on Maria's career it seems there was always one or two "better" Russian Ladies. She was somewhat the 3rd Russian no one really talked about. She got silver at 2018 GPF but it was overshadowed by Zagitova and Medvedeva had to withdraw. That season everyone was only talking about Zagitova and Medvedeva.

And she never did get any senior championship medals. Twice 4th at Europeans, twice 8th at Worlds, and also 8th at the Olympics.

But she did save Russia twice at Worlds so that they could keep their 3 spots. In 2017 when Pogorilaya bombed, and escpecially in 2018 when both Zagitova and Konstantinova bombed!
If it wasn't for Maria in 2018 we probably wouldn't have seen bronze medalist Medvedeva at Worlds 2019. Did Maria ever get any recognition for that? I don't think she did.

She also saved the day at 2016 Junior Worlds, where she got silver while both Fedichkina and Tsurskaya withdrew.

It is safe to say that Maria Sotskova was a very important skater from Russia. We will miss her.

I dare to make a little correction, because this sounds as if Masha has finished far above Alina. But Alina finished 5th and Masha 8th, so it would be better to say that they both saved 3 spots.

Otherwise I agree that Masha was the "forgotten one" sometimes. And IMO she should have been bronze at 2018 Europeans.
 

Alex D

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2013
Sad to see her "go", she was one of a few skaters I could really get behind of. I hope she will find a wonderful second life now, just like Yulia.

OT: It is not uncommon in East european countries to marry early, I have a few friends who are athletes in either Russia or the Ukraine who either had a child already or are married in the early 20s. In my country Germany, the average age is 33,7 compared to Russias 25,7.
 

Shayuki

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Solid career overall, but indeed she unfortunately fell victim to there just always being someone better than her in Russia. Still managed to do well for herself, though.
 
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