2023-24 Russian Challenge | Page 14 | Golden Skate

2023-24 Russian Challenge

Skating91

Medalist
Joined
Sep 16, 2023
What I just checked the replays and I'm gobsmacked. Yagudin throwing his arms around like that won?? Tuktyk gets 10 points for a Chopin program... I guess it was fine but that gap is massive. Sinitsyna of course gets her peanut points for "profound theme" and M/G got full ignored beyond any comprehension.

Mura gets tied with Medvedeva? One lays her heart on the ice, and the other just skates around aimlessly.

Eteri real mastermind, save your skaters from this embarrassment. I wouldnt want Petrosian to come drop a Von Gogh tier masteriece and lose to Yagudin either 💀💀

I enjoyed it, but the judging was a joke like last year. Probably why Eteri didn't bother.

I knew it was rigged, but I thought they would just give enough so Yagudin would get 3rd or just miss out on the points. Not give him maximum points for something worse than last year.
 

Mathematician

Pilgrim on a long journey
Medalist
Joined
Aug 8, 2023
I enjoyed it, but the judging was a joke like last year. Probably why Eteri didn't bother.

I knew it was rigged, but I thought they would just give enough so Yagudin would get 3rd or just miss out on the points. Not give him maximum points for something worse than last year.
The corruption utterly ruins it. Beyond rigged. I would rather have seen Muravieva do her exhibition at a Plushenko show or something - so as to avoid the pain in seeing artists who actually want to give something to our hearts get spit on and disrespected, and so shamelessly. Its Indignant. Just disastrous truly.

And people accuse me of Rus-Nationalism on this forum yet here is why I wouldnt ever live in Russia - they are so blatant with this kind of stuff. At least where I live now they actually TRY to make things seem legitimate; at least they PRETEND like they dont think we're idiots. Give me a break...
 

AlexBreeze

Record Breaker
Joined
May 27, 2021
Country
Russia
Happy Dario and Liza

photo_2024-03-09_21-32-34.jpg
 

thatdarncat

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2022
Country
United-Kingdom
I was surprised Yagudin won, thought he would be third. The program was good but not sure it was the best, but then I am not Russian and don't know the concept of any of the programs so I can't really judge. I thought the competition was a bit more serious and sombre this year, last year was more open and fun.

I know a lot of people thought the result was rigged last year for Alexei's birthday, but I don't know why it would be rigged in his favour, I always saw him as a bit of an outsider, I know when he was competing the federation weren't behind him :unsure:
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
I'm watching bits and pieces. So far I really liked Gumennik's take on Malevich and Savosin's Dog's Heart. I thought given the current state of the world, Sinitsina's choice was a huge faux pas :shrug:
 

Cherub721

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 8, 2004
I thought the first half was slow, but it really picked up at the end with the more seasoned skaters... gorgeous performances from Frolova, Stepanova/Bukin, Tarasova/Morozov, Kolyada, Domnina/Shabalin, Kondratriuk, Yagudin. I appreciated the theme, it pushed them to be more artistic, it's a shame Sin/Kats for example just did a regular ballad program they could do in any show (IMO). Semenenko really stepped it up, he slowed down and held his movements and it was really good. They are all so talented.

My Russian just isn't good enough to be able to understand poetry on the fly (If we had a list beforehand, I would have studied! ;)) and a lot of the fast dialogue from movies. The movie ones remind me too much of Ice Age, which I love and watch every week, but it gets to be a bit much... it felt like Petrova/Tikhonov were standing around for 10 minutes before they started skating.

Yagudin is the man IMO. Last year he was the clear winner, this year he was really great, but I just didn't understand it... and this show wasn't made for me but for the Russian audience and I'm just grateful they let us watch it in the US at all, neither the ISU nor other countries allow that. I liked the idea of him narrating his own journey, he skated great... I don't mind him winning, figured it would take a lot to dethrone him.

My podium
1. Domnina/Shabalin (it's not because of empathy for her, I just thought it was really outstanding and moving... they both are deep and soulful)
2. Kolyada (I've never seen him so expressive and he was already one of the most artistic men.... and he seems so in love with his wife, and her skating was great!)
3. Tarasova/Morozov (#1 without the fall... they were just glowing... absolutely melted into the music, brilliant, totally worth the honor of paying tribute to the Proptopovs)
Honorable: Frolova, Kondratiuk (btw, not to be political but did anyone else notice the color choice for the painting, I was a bit taken aback... maybe coincidence).
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
And, Semenenko also goes into the basket of insensitive Molchalins with Sinitsina.
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
Wow, Mozalev doing Yesenin. Heh, I thought it was funny the guy was commenting said Mozalev is too young for it, except Mozalev had been skating middle-age crisis since he was 16. Actually, I agree with the rest of this comment and wouldn't mind Mozalev working this program in that key, wearing white/showing struggle. I can feel he wants to reach for more, and that was actually the kind of observation that pushes the level up. Fingers crossed it helps Mozalev, and I respect the guy in the jury.
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
Nothing particularly groundbreaking from Frolova, but I liked use of Vrubel's painting
 

icewhite

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 7, 2022
I just couldn't watch this anymore after Semenenko's program. I would love to see Kolyada with his wife, so I was really tempted to at least watch that and Yagudin, whom I've watched since I was a kid and who was great last year, but for me this was the final no, I'm out. It's very sad. All the best to Misha and his beloved Daria, though.
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
I really liked Tuktamysheva's take on Tsvetaeva. I didn’t expect ot from her. Well done!
 

Jeanie19

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 20, 2017
Country
United-States
I just couldn't watch this anymore after Semenenko's program. I would love to see Kolyada with his wife, so I was really tempted to at least watch that and Yagudin, whom I've watched since I was a kid and who was great last year, but for me this was the final no, I'm out. It's very sad. All the best to Misha and his beloved Daria, though.
Here it is
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
Okay, my picks are:

1. Savosin. Perfect casting and perfect translation of Bulgakov's biting, bitter satire
2. Murav'eva and Gumennik. Emotional, inspired and intelligent
3. Mishina/Galiamov. Love of the 12 Chairs material and zero pretentious BS.

I really hope Mozalev appreciates the take away, and digs into it for next year's programs.

Giving Yagudin 1st place was laughable
 

Skatelife

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 2, 2019
I always have loved Yagudin, he wasn't the best but don't really mind who is the winner, at the end almost everybody got a price 😜, my favorites were Tarasova/Morozov, and Andrey M
 

Amei

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
I enjoyed it, but the judging was a joke like last year. Probably why Eteri didn't bother.

I knew it was rigged, but I thought they would just give enough so Yagudin would get 3rd or just miss out on the points. Not give him maximum points for something worse than last year.

You say that like her ladies skaters don't get some very generous scoring domestically.
 

Mathematician

Pilgrim on a long journey
Medalist
Joined
Aug 8, 2023
I really liked Tuktamysheva's take on Tsvetaeva. I didn’t expect ot from her. Well done!
Her program was good in and of itself but in hindsight why did she skate to Chopin under the expectation of Russian culture? Its just nonsensical, not well thought out at all. Gives the impression that they werent even trying and of all Chopin's music her choosing the most ubiquitous prelude furthers that feeling; its just careless, unpolished planning.

Why not, say, Rachmaninoff? Tchaikovsky? She could try to be unique and skate with some Medtner even? Isnt Russia the home of romantic classical pianistry? A small thing of such ease and simplicity leaves so many questions.
 
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