2020 European Champion Alena Kostornaia switches to pair skating

[CrazyKittenLady]

Чемпионка Европы Алена Косторная перешла в парное катание

Чемпионка Европы 2020 года в женском одиночном катании Алена Косторная завершила работу с тренером Еленой Буяновой и перешла в парное катание.

www.sports.ru

The 2020 European champion in women's single skating Alena Kostornaia stopped working with coach Elena Buyanova and switched to pair skating.
This was reported by Buyanova herself.
Kostornaia transferred to Buyanova from Eteri Tutberidze in March 2022. In September, the figure skater underwent hip surgery, after which she tried herself in shows in pair skating in a partnership with Georgy Kunitsa.
The new pair will train under the guidance of Sergey Roslyakov.

 

[AlexBreeze]

Me reading recent Russian FS news:

Good luck to Alena. It was expected. Their pair elements look promising.

 

[Novalis]

So Kostornaia and Kunitsa

Is it then KoKu or Kosnitsa?

 

[yume]

So Kostornaia and Kunitsa

Is it then KoKu or Kosnitsa?

Kosnitsa sounds better.

Not surprised by the switch. The instathrows/instatwists that i saw were promising.

 

[AlexBreeze]

Oh, wait, another K/K in Russian pairs. It's going to be very confusing.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

As usual everyone in the Russian figure skating establishment is called and asked for their opinion. A more interesting/insightful one:

Choreographer Betina Popova confirmed the information that Alena Kostornaia switched to pair skating.
Kostornaia plans to perform in a partnership with Georgy Kunitsa. Popova is working with Sergey Roslyakov's group, where the new pair will train.

"Yes, they are in our group. Gosha skated with us. He and Alena decided to perform in ice shows. To prepare the pair elements, to not just go out in public, they came to us. They're very good at skating together.
We don't know yet how much we should talk about the future, because Alena is still recovering from an injury, an operation. But in the format of ice shows, they performed, managed to master a lot of pair elements: throw jumps, twists.
Alena learns quickly, because a talented person is talented in everything. So far, the guys are resting after their ice shows. Will they compete next season? If you really want, you can fly into space, but it's too early to talk about anything," Popova said.

Бетина Попова: «Косторная и Куница в нашей группе. Не знаем, насколько стоит говорить о будущем, потому что Алена все еще восстанавливается от травмы»

Хореограф Бетина Попова подтвердила информацию о том, что Алена Косторная перешла в парное катание.

www.sports.ru

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

The old coach (sport-express.ru):

Elena Buyanova was dissatisfied with the activities of Alena Kostornaia in partnership with Georgy Kunitsa and repeatedly talked with the figure skater, suspecting her imminent departure from her group.
However, the conversations had no effect and the parties stopped cooperating.

The new coach (TASS):

"We prepared the guys for the show, prepared paired elements with Alena and Gosha [Kunitsa]," Roslyakov said. - "We have not yet discussed further plans. They skated in a series of winter shows, and now they have gone on vacation. They'll come back and we'll talk."

The Fed (sports.ru):

"There is information about the transition of her (Kostornaia) to pairs, but there was no application from her to the federation," Kogan said.
"We wish Alena good luck in all her endeavors. The main thing is that she works and is healthy," TASS quoted Kogan as saying.

Ok, I'll stop now, I'm beginning to feel like the guys from TSL.

 

[Lurker11]

I think they'll skate in shows over the spring and summer, then Kostornaia will realise this requires total commitment, it will become all too hard, she'll make some excuse about an injury around July/August that will rule her out of the season.

As long as her skating partner knows what he's in for.

 

[Amei]

She's looked okay in the shows, but I have my doubts this really works out well, she comes off as impulsive and if I remember correctly Daniil mentioned about her being afraid of doing quad jumps in the past so it makes me wonder how this will survive once they start doing more difficult pairs elements

And Russian pairs isn't exactly an easy field either

 

[Amei]

Kostornaia's remarks...interesting

European champion 2020 Alena Kostornaya did not answer the question about the transition to pair skating, but confirmed that she had completed work with coach Elena Buyanova.

Kostornaya was transferred to Buyanova from Eteri Tutberidze in March 2022. In September, the figure skater underwent hip surgery, after which she tried herself in pair skating in a duet with Georgy Kunitsa in the show format.

Today there was information that Kostornaya switched to pairs and will train under the guidance of Sergei Roslyakov.

“The fact that I am not with Elena Germanovna (Buyanova) - yes, it is. I don’t comment on pairs, ”Kostornaya said.

 

[el henry]

I'm always glad to see a singles lady transfer to pairs if it helps extend their careers.

I know only the bare minimum about Alena K., but I do know I wouldn't trust Daniil G. if he told me the sun rose in the East. From the few interviews I have read with him, always someone else's fault, never his or a coach's

Best of luck to her if that is what she wants to do.

 

[Dreamer57]

Good luck to her! If it turns out to be true, same coach as P/K sounds pretty good. As long she is happy I am happy to see her stay in figure skating. Hope they have a great holiday

I think they'll skate in shows over the spring and summer, then Kostornaia will realise this requires total commitment, it will become all too hard, she'll make some excuse about an injury around July/August that will rule her out of the season.

As long as her skating partner knows what he's in for.

I wouldn't call injury an excuse... it's a very valid reason to not compete/train.
And Kunitsa is not exactly busy at the moment, I don't recall him having a pairs partner before.

Oh, wait, another K/K in Russian pairs. It's going to be very confusing.

I'm going to think of them as KostoPair! in my head.

 

[alexocfp]

Most important thing is that she is healthy. Sucks to have to lose someone to injury.

Maybe she finally found her calling and this is what she was meant to be doing all along.

And her succeeding in this may open the floodgates to other single skaters prolonging their careers once their single careers are over. Not a bad thing actually.

Part of me wanted to ask how many coaches is that now that she left under not the best of terms but let’s just focus on the positives. Haha

 

[liv]

I'm here for it. If this is actually something she wants to stick with, well, you go girl.

 

[yesterday]

So Kostornaia and Kunitsa

Is it then KoKu or Kosnitsa?

KostoKuni?

 

[Lurker11]

She's gone to Cuba for a vacation in the middle of the season and has another splint on her wrist. To go to Cuba right now while trying to get your career back on track shows where her level of committment is which is almost non-existant.

Yet another wrist injury presumably from a fall shows she is simply too frail and injury prone to skate competitively. In any sport you need incredible durability she doesn't have it unfortunately.

A lot of people probably owe Eteri an apology for all kind of slurs directed her way blaming Eteri for Kostornaia's original injury attempting a triple axel. Unfortunately Kostornaia does not have strong bones.

 

[4everchan]

I don't think we need to find them a pairs nickname...Looks like they will do shows together and that's great.

And regarding saying her bones are too fragile: Unless she has had a bone density test done that shows that... it's pretty easy to break a bone with a bad fall... I have broken 3 (just one on the ice... HA ! ) in recent years. So bad luck can happen.
And finally, what season? She is not interrupting her season by going on vacation right now... It was just the Orthodox Xmas recently... She is not competing this year, she can manage her own time.

Regarding the pairing, never heard of him so I have no mental image of their look on the ice but if they really indeed do more than ice shows and start competing, I will watch with curious interest for sure. The same way I have been enjoying watching other single skaters switched to pairs before.

 

[alexocfp]

She's gone to Cuba for a vacation in the middle of the season and has another splint on her wrist. To go to Cuba right now while trying to get your career back on track shows where her level of committment is which is almost non-existant.

Yet another wrist injury presumably from a fall shows she is simply too frail and injury prone to skate competitively. In any sport you need incredible durability she doesn't have it unfortunately.

A lot of people probably owe Eteri an apology for all kind of slurs directed her way blaming Eteri for Kostornaia's original injury attempting a triple axel. Unfortunately Kostornaia does not have strong bones.

Well, guess my post about her being healthy is already outdated.
Sucks that she can’t stay healthy. Hopefully it’s not too serious.

If I had one wish in this sport, it would be for all the girls to never get injured. It sucks being deprived of skaters due to injury.

Don‘t think Eteri cares about apologies. She is one strong woman who has heard it all.

 

[icewhite]

She's gone to Cuba for a vacation in the middle of the season and has another splint on her wrist. To go to Cuba right now while trying to get your career back on track shows where her level of committment is which is almost non-existant.

Yet another wrist injury presumably from a fall shows she is simply too frail and injury prone to skate competitively. In any sport you need incredible durability she doesn't have it unfortunately.

A lot of people probably owe Eteri an apology for all kind of slurs directed her way blaming Eteri for Kostornaia's original injury attempting a triple axel. Unfortunately Kostornaia does not have strong bones.

Or maybe one could think about why a girl has fragile bones and come to the conclusion that it's often the result of malnutrition for which a teenager's coach bears some responsibility.

I guess I should not start discussions with Eteri-fans, but really, accusing young women of lacking commitment and dismissing them for "not having it" just because you are a fan of success and success only. It's always the same story.

 

[macy]

can't say i'm mad about this at all. i think this could be very successful for her, given the many talents and qualities she had in a singles skater. excited to see how this works out and wishing them the best.