Medvedeva's boot problem at Nationals

[Ic3Rabbit]

I agree with poster that quality issues are in every product. It is a greedy world and even skate boot companies cut pennies and dollars to increase profit. There is a new thread about past people with skate boot issues. It seems hugely common.

I like her and her skating skills have gotten better. I’m not blind but I think we should give her benefit of the doubt. She isn’t pulling excuses all the time. I think she must be crushed. She is gutsy to go on training and hoping. God bless her!

It's not "Hugely common" that would be an exaggeration. Defects happen in stock and customs but it's not super common.

 

[pandatours]

This whole thread has been a ride and had every sort of drama you could imagine, I loved it.

Apparently Med switched to new skates after Rostelcom- Edeas are sold on the fact that they break in easily. She basically would be able to soft break them in within a couple of days.

She said in practice she fell in a way that somehow broke her boot. To what degree, it’s uncertain, we just know from pictures that it was in the middle. She said her and Brian went to the skate shop in Krasnoyarsk and they didn’t have her style boots. They tried mounting her blade onto a beginner boot, but that didn’t work. She then decides to skate her SP with the broken boot.

She also recently posted pics of herself in Risport boots, which she would not be able to jump in right away. It is uncertain whether she will continue to train in Edea or get a pair before her Wizard of Oz shows so she will be able to jump.

Anyway that is more or less the story in case anyone is actually wondering

 

[Tavi...]

I love Medvedeva but I’m not buying what she’s selling this time. Boot problems are generally an excuse...if she didn’t have good strong boots in order for the biggest comp of the year then that’s on her...which is terribly sad because I love her programs.

So you “love” Medvedeva but are willfully ignoring the facts in favor of your own unsupported theory that she’s just making excuses? Maybe you can share some factual evidence that “oot problems are generally an excuse”?

 

[Coryocris]

I love Medvedeva but I’m not buying what she’s selling this time. Boot problems are generally an excuse...if she didn’t have good strong boots in order for the biggest comp of the year then that’s on her...which is terribly sad because I love her programs.

She didn't retire last year after that disastrous SP, what makes you think that she retired this year because of the SP placement when it was a 5th place that could be easily been a 4th?

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Why in the heck was she breaking in new boots less than a month before her biggest event.

We can't generally predict - or choose - when we will have to break in new boots. And it's never a nice experience. Obtaining a suitable replacement of a stock boot can take some time and customs take even longer, even if you are a champion.

 

[Roo87]

For state funded sports(ie taxpayers money), the Fed or government paid all that money to develop the athlete and another country snatches them ready made? There'll be public outcry.

In the example I gave,Tony Gunawan was already in his 30s when he switched to USA. He won Olympic Gold for Indonesia, World Championship, etc, etc. Did his duty for his birth country, so to speak.

This is happening in Canada too. Bobsleigh Canada denied Kaillie Humphries the chance to compete in the USA trials (she's married to in American). Kaillie is a 3 time Olympic medalist, they don't want her to win medals for the USA.

 

[Jeanie19]

I love Medvedeva but I’m not buying what she’s selling this time. Boot problems are generally an excuse...if she didn’t have good strong boots in order for the biggest comp of the year then that’s on her...which is terribly sad because I love her programs.

She is in her fifth senior year and 2 junior years and she has never withdrew because of her skates. So she's not selling anything. She lost a lot because her boot broke.

 

[Ares]

if you think they skating boot drama was big wait until Zhenya switches from Russia to Canada. Lol. That would make her leaving eteri for orser look like Child's Play. Lol. That would never happen. If it turns out like this and ifZhenya has to live life as a two-time world champion. and Olympic silver medalist one of the greatest ever in Russia and world that's one hell of a resume baby.



It would be absolutely insane off the charts bonkers. But it won't happenn. But I am surprised we don't see more of the Russian girls leaving for other countries girls who are all in like the Russian B team or C team who have no chance in the future. I don't know why more federation's are picking those girls off.

Ryabova represents Azerbaijan and Kurakova Poland, but there are not many of them indeed.

 

[Ares]

We can't generally predict - or choose - when we will have to break in new boots. And it's never a nice experience. Obtaining a suitable replacement of a stock boot can take some time and customs take even longer, even if you are a champion.

So was she regularly using only one pair of skates?

 

[Mishaminion]

I love Medvedeva but I’m not buying what she’s selling this time. Boot problems are generally an excuse...if she didn’t have good strong boots in order for the biggest comp of the year then that’s on her...which is terribly sad because I love her programs.

What a horrible thing to suggest about a skater you say you "love"
Boot issues have destroyed careers before...it is a serious thing.
Why would you even think it was a lie?

 

[labgoat]

hammering a heal and a boot that disintegrates is quite different. Not that what happened to Michelle was her fault or not bad but the defenct or problem Evgenia had with her boot/skate is far more serious and harder to repair as we can see. Trying to rely on her bootstaying together and giving her support would be horrible.

This was a general response to an earlier post referencing other skaters with equipment problems. I just happened to have a link to Michelle's experience. It is very sad when you have something to add to an ongoing discussion and can't even respond without upsetting someone.

 

[Edwin]

Those light weight boots are probably some kind of plastic/carbon shell instead of sturdy shoe leather.

Leather can be sown and patched by a qualified cobbler as an emergency repair, no ordinary glue can hold together those plastics, esp. not in the most strained area right in front of the ankle/heel joint, where leather boots usually develop creases.

Were Yevgeniya in ice dance, she could have borrowed somebody else's boots. But even if somebody lent her his/her boots (size?) the blade geometry would have probably made her skating much more inaccurate to the point of dangerous.

 

[tafattsbarn]

This recently came out about Yuzuru's (in my opinon maybe overkill) way of managing his boots: https://twitter.com/tsubakindy/status/1211678837211353088. As far as we know he still sends his boots to Japan for blade sharpening, so i would assume that's also part of the reason he has so many (to make sure he still has several working pairs in case something happens and the boots get stuck in transit or something).

As far as i know he has never in his career complained about any kind of boot problem and if you look at his boots they're barely scratched up at all no matter how deep into training he is (i would assume because of his excellent technique as well as the fact that he rotates many pairs) so maybe she should hop on the trend and manage several pairs in rotation. There is no need to go to the lengths of Yuzu (or Nathan, didn't he say he had 6 pairs of boots that he rotates?), but having one or two extra pairs should not be a problem for someone like Evgenia, right?

At the very least i think this is a lesson learned for her.

 

[eaglehelang]

This recently came out about Yuzuru's (in my opinon maybe overkill) way of managing his boots: https://twitter.com/tsubakindy/status/1211678837211353088.

As far as i know he has never in his career complained about any kind of boot problem and if you look at his boots they're barely scratched up at all no matter how deep into training he is (i would assume because of his excellent technique as well as the fact that he rotates many pairs) so maybe she should hop on the trend and manage several pairs in rotation. There is no need to go to the lengths of Yuzu (or Nathan, didn't he say he had 6 pairs of boots that he rotates?), but having one or two extra pairs should not be a problem for someone like Evgenia, right?

At the very least i think this is a lesson learned for her.

Yuzuru was asked before how long his boots last him. He said a couple of years. Which surprised the reporter & me when I read it.
Now I know why, lol. Yuzuru switches his boots around.
For the men, it's not surprising they have many pairs in this quad era.
With the ladies moving into quads, they'll need to have spares too.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Those light weight boots are probably some kind of plastic/carbon shell instead of sturdy shoe leather.

Leather can be sown and patched by a qualified cobbler as an emergency repair, no ordinary glue can hold together those plastics, esp. not in the most strained area right in front of the ankle/heel joint, where leather boots usually develop creases.

Were Yevgeniya in ice dance, she could have borrowed somebody else's boots. But even if somebody lent her his/her boots (size?) the blade geometry would have probably made her skating much more inaccurate to the point of dangerous.

Sorry but as a former elite ice dancer and singles skater, I'm going to tell you that even if she was a dancer there was no fitting in someone elses skates.

Your skate boot no matter what discipline is made to fit each person for their own particular foot. It's not like switching out a pair of sneakers.

Example: My dance boots were made to fit my wide toebox, narrow heel and high arches. If the other dancer needed fully narrow boots with a low arch then there's no way they are putting their foot in my boot and making it work. Your boot as you wear in it starts to mold even more to your foot.

The fitting of skating boots is not as simple as everyone who has never skated before thinks it is.

There was nothing that was going to solve Medvedeva's issue but another pair of boots that fit her particular foot and were worn in enough that it was safe to compete in.

I'm also here to say: Skating boots are not comfortable.

And I'm not going to even get into the differences in blades other than saying: Medvedeva wears a Gold Seal Revolution blade and if she put on a boot with a Pattern 99 blade like myself or someone like Rika Hongo wears, she would have to really adjust, and even more so if it was an MK Phantom like Patrick Chan wears because it's a different Rocker size: MK 7ft to 8ft in the JWilson blades. Then you have crosscut or straight cut picks, aggressive bottom pick to not so aggressive. And the blade might not be her size or be mounted to her liking.

Dance are shorter blades and less pick.

It's not simple.

 

[bigsisjiejie]

Let's see: Risport, Jackson, Riedell, Harlick, Graf and the list goes on...

I meant which currently-elite competitive skaters are using leather, not which companies. I know the companies. I have SP Teri leathers myself (vintage Super Teri Deluxe, but still good).

I do agree with the sentiment that trying to wear someone else's boots on an emergency basis, to skate a competitive program is just :shocked: The only successful example I can think of is several years ago, when Rudi Sweigers leant Mark Ladwig his boot, when Mark's boot broke part-way into his pairs program. He had to take whichever blade was already attached to Rudi's boot...maybe it was same as what he normally used, but still....

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I meant which currently-elite competitive skaters are using leather, not which companies. I know the companies. I have SP Teri leathers myself (vintage Super Teri Deluxe, but still good).

I do agree with the sentiment that trying to wear someone else's boots on an emergency basis, to skate a competitive program is just :eeking: The only successful example I can think of is several years ago, when Rudi Sweigers leant Mark Ladwig his boot, when Mark's boot broke part-way into his pairs program.

If they aren't wearing an Edea or a Risport Royal exclusive or RF1 Exclusive, it's more than likely leather.

 

[skateluvr]

It's not "Hugely common" that would be an exaggeration. Defects happen in stock and customs but it's not super common.

Rabbit you are a former Elite skater? Can you tell us what era you skated in? Or do you prefer anonymity here. It seems like boot problems in general have plagued many skaters. Boot issues of all kinds. Perhaps not specifically defects that cause the kind of failure that happened to Evgenia. Would that be correct or still an exaggeration as you put it?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Rabbit you are a former Elite skater? Can you tell us what era you skated in? Or do you prefer anonymity here. It seems like boot problems in general have plagued many skaters. Boot issues of all kinds. Perhaps not specifically defects that cause the kind of failure that happened to Evgenia. Would that be correct or still an exaggeration as you put it?

Yes I am, pro now. Recent past and anonymity please.

All kinds of boot failures happen and yes ones that happened to Medvedeva.


You can never predict 100% what could go wrong with your boots all the time or if they are going to be perfect.

It happens.

 

[Skater Boy]

This was a general response to an earlier post referencing other skaters with equipment problems. I just happened to have a link to Michelle's experience. It is very sad when you have something to add to an ongoing discussion and can't even respond without upsetting someone.

i don't understand. this comment. If I understand it about upsetting somoene well with GS to be honest with our strong opinions and misinterpretations our own translations/interpretations we are bound to upset someone. The point is I don't think there was any conspiracy or attempt by Evgenia to purposely pull out.