So, in this thread one can predict the Russian teams for those championships if one wants but I thought it could be fun to see who are the skaters people most want to see at major championships. So, this is not so much about predicting things but who would you like to see at these championships.
So, these are the skaters I would like to see at these championships. If the skaters or teams are marked like this then the skaters or the teams are more important than the others.
Junior Worlds
Men: Aliev, Petrov, Gumennik. Someone suggested in other thread that Russia should send Pitkeev to Junior Worlds this season but I don't agree. However, I could see him as the 1st substitute if Aliev or Petrov wouldn't be available.
Ladies: Fedichkina, Tsurskaya, Sotskova. I most definitely want to see Alisa at Junior Worlds and I don't care who she has to push out to make it happen. I just hope Russia doesn't see Medvedeva as a real option. Although, I could see her as a 2nd substitute after Sima.
Pairs: Atakhanova/Spiridonov, Borisova/Sopot, Gubanova/Sintsov.
Ice dance: Loboda/Drozd, Popova/Vlasenko, Shevchenko/Eremenko.
Youth Olympics
Men: Aliev
Ladies: Tsurskaya, Sotskova
Pairs: Borisova/Sopot, Ustimkina/Volodin.
Ice dance: Shpilevaya/Smirnov, Konkina/Reviya. A lot of excellent choices here: Shevchenko/Eremenko, Skoptsova/Aleshin, Polishchuk/Vakhnov. Konkina/Reviya probably doesn't make it to the Youth Olympics team but I wish they would.
Europeans
In some other sports Russia sees the Europeans more as a 2nd class championships therefor they usually do not send their best team at the Europeans. That is not the case in figure skating but the way I see it is that because Russia has such an amazingly deep field of World top skaters they should try not to send the same trio for both the Europeans and the Worlds. Obviously the best three will go to the Worlds, so, Russia should send to the Europeans atleast one skater or one team per event who was not at the Top three at nationals. In ladies and in pairs it wouldn't really matter who Russia would send to the Europeans because who ever were 4th and 5th or even 6th at nationals would still easily secure that Russia would get all the medals at those events.
Men: Voronov, Kovtun, Pitkeev.
Ladies: Sotnikova, Lipnitskaya, Medvedeva.
Pairs: Zabijako/Enbert, Astakhova/Rogonov, Stolbova/Klimov. I really hope Zabijako/Enbert would make it to the Europeans.
Ice dance: Ilinykh/Zhiganshin, Monko/Khaliavin, Stepanova/Bukin.
Worlds
Men: Voronov, Kovtun.
Ladies: Sotnikova, Tuktamysheva, Lipnitskaya, Radionova. I really want a rule change here, Russia needs 4 spots ASAP.
Pairs: Tarasova/Morozov, Volosozhar/Trankov, Kavaguti/Smirnov.
Ice Dance: Ilinykh/Zhiganshin, Bobrova/Soloviev.
So, these are the skaters I would like to see at these championships. If the skaters or teams are marked like this then the skaters or the teams are more important than the others.
Junior Worlds
Men: Aliev, Petrov, Gumennik. Someone suggested in other thread that Russia should send Pitkeev to Junior Worlds this season but I don't agree. However, I could see him as the 1st substitute if Aliev or Petrov wouldn't be available.
Ladies: Fedichkina, Tsurskaya, Sotskova. I most definitely want to see Alisa at Junior Worlds and I don't care who she has to push out to make it happen. I just hope Russia doesn't see Medvedeva as a real option. Although, I could see her as a 2nd substitute after Sima.
Pairs: Atakhanova/Spiridonov, Borisova/Sopot, Gubanova/Sintsov.
Ice dance: Loboda/Drozd, Popova/Vlasenko, Shevchenko/Eremenko.
Youth Olympics
Men: Aliev
Ladies: Tsurskaya, Sotskova
Pairs: Borisova/Sopot, Ustimkina/Volodin.
Ice dance: Shpilevaya/Smirnov, Konkina/Reviya. A lot of excellent choices here: Shevchenko/Eremenko, Skoptsova/Aleshin, Polishchuk/Vakhnov. Konkina/Reviya probably doesn't make it to the Youth Olympics team but I wish they would.
Europeans
In some other sports Russia sees the Europeans more as a 2nd class championships therefor they usually do not send their best team at the Europeans. That is not the case in figure skating but the way I see it is that because Russia has such an amazingly deep field of World top skaters they should try not to send the same trio for both the Europeans and the Worlds. Obviously the best three will go to the Worlds, so, Russia should send to the Europeans atleast one skater or one team per event who was not at the Top three at nationals. In ladies and in pairs it wouldn't really matter who Russia would send to the Europeans because who ever were 4th and 5th or even 6th at nationals would still easily secure that Russia would get all the medals at those events.
Men: Voronov, Kovtun, Pitkeev.
Ladies: Sotnikova, Lipnitskaya, Medvedeva.
Pairs: Zabijako/Enbert, Astakhova/Rogonov, Stolbova/Klimov. I really hope Zabijako/Enbert would make it to the Europeans.
Ice dance: Ilinykh/Zhiganshin, Monko/Khaliavin, Stepanova/Bukin.
Worlds
Men: Voronov, Kovtun.
Ladies: Sotnikova, Tuktamysheva, Lipnitskaya, Radionova. I really want a rule change here, Russia needs 4 spots ASAP.
Pairs: Tarasova/Morozov, Volosozhar/Trankov, Kavaguti/Smirnov.
Ice Dance: Ilinykh/Zhiganshin, Bobrova/Soloviev.