Sinitsina/Katsalapov future prospects

[chameleon]

Yeah, Ruslan has really impressed me with his versatility and and ability to adapt to many different styles. I think he's done a great job in every SD he's ever done.

I do think S/K may do better with the waltz from an artistic standpoint, but from what I recall the Ravensburger is much harder than the Paso, and they haven't managed to get more than a level 2 there, if I remember correctly.

I've seen some blame Victoria for their level problems, but she managed to get better levels with Ruslan, so theoretically she and Nikita should be doing better on the technical side than they are. I don't know what the problem is, they are competent skaters, and their coaching team has gotten better levels for their other teams, so something just isn't working here.

 

[gmyers]

Yeah, Ruslan has really impressed me with his versatility and and ability to adapt to many different styles. I think he's done a great job in every SD he's ever done.

I do think S/K may do better with the waltz from an artistic standpoint, but from what I recall the Ravensburger is much harder than the Paso, and they haven't managed to get more than a level 2 there, if I remember correctly.

I've seen some blame Victoria for their level problems, but she managed to get better levels with Ruslan, so theoretically she and Nikita should be doing better on the technical side than they are. I don't know what the problem is, they are competent skaters, and their coaching team has gotten better levels for their other teams, so something just isn't working here.

Not all partnerships work out. Not every team can click like I/z. If they aren't working looking for new partners may be best.

 

[moriel]

Also, "not their style" is an ok excuse for a not very inspired skate, but not an ok excuse for technical mistakes. There are different dances, right, but its all still pretty close, not like smeone suddenly asks them to do a quad throw.

 

[tulosai]

Not all partnerships work out. Not every team can click like I/z. If they aren't working looking for new partners may be best.

On the other hand though not every team has to click right away like I/Z... I am no S/K fan but (as many many people have said before) one season is not enough to accurately judge these things on the whole. If they continue to struggle this year to the same degree they did last year, at that point I think it would be fairer to go ahead and write them off. However, as many have also said before, I actually think the smartest thing they could do is seek a new coach and seek a new coach now. It is difficult to know how many of their problems might have been fixable if someone had actually had the intelligence to, well, HELP THEM FIX THEM instead of going on and on forever about blue blue eyes, the bluest eyes ever and with so much speed, unheard of speed, the fastest speed ever in figure skating.

 

[MK's Winter]

On the other hand though not every team has to click right away like I/Z... I am no S/K fan but (as many many people have said before) one season is not enough to accurately judge these things on the whole. If they continue to struggle this year to the same degree they did last year, at that point I think it would be fairer to go ahead and write them off. However, as many have also said before, I actually think the smartest thing they could do is seek a new coach and seek a new coach now. It is difficult to know how many of their problems might have been fixable if someone had actually had the intelligence to, well, HELP THEM FIX THEM instead of going on and on forever about blue blue eyes, the bluest eyes ever and with so much speed, unheard of speed, the fastest speed ever in figure skating.

ITA. The fact they didn't hit tech levels by Russian Nationals was a big concern for me. Marina had COR and NHK as baselines and a coach of her caliber should have had these issues corrected. I do think they need a new coach. Marina had issues getting levels for D/W and V/M the Olympic season although both teams had it cleaned up by Sochi.

 

[gmyers]

Also, "not their style" is an ok excuse for a not very inspired skate, but not an ok excuse for technical mistakes. There are different dances, right, but its all still pretty close, not like smeone suddenly asks them to do a quad throw.

You are right. I was thinking this. They are ice dancers who were world caliber. They should not be together a year and not have world sd tech minimum. They didn't switch to pairs and need throw triple or quad.

On the other hand though not every team has to click right away like I/Z... I am no S/K fan but (as many many people have said before) one season is not enough to accurately judge these things on the whole. If they continue to struggle this year to the same degree they did last year, at that point I think it would be fairer to go ahead and write them off. However, as many have also said before, I actually think the smartest thing they could do is seek a new coach and seek a new coach now. It is difficult to know how many of their problems might have been fixable if someone had actually had the intelligence to, well, HELP THEM FIX THEM instead of going on and on forever about blue blue eyes, the bluest eyes ever and with so much speed, unheard of speed, the fastest speed ever in figure skating.

I would not give them any more than their third gp or first gp of next season to get world sd tech minimum. If they do not get it new coach IMMEDIATELY! No second chance. If they do not qualify for worlds at next gp its an extreme emergency. New coach mandatory.

 

[Celine]

Nice picture of the 2 of them flying on their way back to the US to resume training

http://tinyurl.com/k6ez72b

 

[chameleon]

http://prosport-online.ru/article-3765-nikita-kacalapov

New interview with Nikita. The fact that they think they were being punished for the split does not instill me with confidence for their TES next season.

 

[bramweld]

http://prosport-online.ru/article-3765-nikita-kacalapov

New interview with Nikita. The fact that they think they were being punished for the split does not instill me with confidence for their TES next season.

Just two comments:

1. IMHO, he doesn't come across as a very smart cookie. The time for tact was 12 months ago. Trying to subtly retell things now doesn't do them any favours.

2. Do they really think their low TES in both SD and FD for two beautiful programs was based on ill-will? He is absolutely clueless. He's handsome, but not very insightful. Hopefully I've interpreted this all wrong.

 

[gmyers]

Nice picture of the 2 of them flying on their way back to the US to resume training

http://tinyurl.com/k6ez72b

They better not be flying toward inability to get world sd tech minimum again! It's just a minimum!

http://prosport-online.ru/article-3765-nikita-kacalapov

New interview with Nikita. The fact that they think they were being punished for the split does not instill me with confidence for their TES next season.

If they believe any of this they need to GO! They can't possibly believe any of this and everything is about getting competent tech specialists to help them get sd minimum.

 

[uhh]

He is so so full of crap. That article is just lies from start to finish, about when he joined up with her, (it was planned since 2013) when they got funding, (in June, just like everyone else) poor little Nikita had to sacrifice his Olympic car and pay for everything for so long... and he's still talking down to Victoria, the girl who needs to catch up with him, the great saviour of Russian ice dance, (I love the "standard this year was very low" comment... yeah and you still didn't make the team, so what does that say about you?) & only mentioning everything that she needs to improve and never addressing his own weaknesses that let them down this year. All he needs is the book of Buddhism from Marina! It doesn't make you think at all that he's gained any understanding of what they have to do to be a team.

Everything that comes out of his mouth makes it so easy to dislike him, and this is coming from someone who adored his skating from when I first saw videos nearly 7 years ago & was trying to go into the new partnerships with an open mind to both of them. He's just clueless.

 

[evangeline]

http://prosport-online.ru/article-3765-nikita-kacalapov

New interview with Nikita. The fact that they think they were being punished for the split does not instill me with confidence for their TES next season.

Maybe I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt here, but I don't think Nikita is THAT delusional. Hopefully it's just Marina Zoueva doing some major PR through Nikita . . .

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I'm pretty sure it's PR up the nines. Nothing new. I don't see the comment about the standard being low, but that's pretty rich considering he and Vika didn't even make it beyond Nationals.

 

[bramweld]

Let's hope Evangeline is right and this isn't what he really thinks. Really it would be better if he/they were quiet about everything and just did the talking on the ice. At least Vika had the good sense to simply say in the beginning that the pairing was due to personal reasons and leave it at that. But what really makes him look silly is his arrogance. I now think there is some merit to Stavinky's comments about him earlier in the season: pretty smug boy.

 

[bramweld]

He is so so full of crap. That article is just lies from start to finish, about when he joined up with her, (it was planned since 2013) when they got funding, (in June, just like everyone else) poor little Nikita had to sacrifice his Olympic car and pay for everything for so long... and he's still talking down to Victoria, the girl who needs to catch up with him, the great saviour of Russian ice dance, (I love the "standard this year was very low" comment... yeah and you still didn't make the team, so what does that say about you?) & only mentioning everything that she needs to improve and never addressing his own weaknesses that let them down this year. All he needs is the book of Buddhism from Marina! It doesn't make you think at all that he's gained any understanding of what they have to do to be a team.

Everything that comes out of his mouth makes it so easy to dislike him, and this is coming from someone who adored his skating from when I first saw videos nearly 7 years ago & was trying to go into the new partnerships with an open mind to both of them. He's just clueless.

TBH, he may have got funding but it would have been less than what he/Vika were accustomed to because they weren't on the team. But they knew this going in. Why is this a subject for discussion? It's tasteless. Is any other team Russian or otherwise discussing these matters in public? I will always admire him as an athlete but I really hope he begins to mature, soon.

 

[Barb]

He is so so full of crap. That article is just lies from start to finish, about when he joined up with her, (it was planned since 2013) when they got funding, (in June, just like everyone else) poor little Nikita had to sacrifice his Olympic car and pay for everything for so long... and he's still talking down to Victoria, the girl who needs to catch up with him, the great saviour of Russian ice dance, (I love the "standard this year was very low" comment... yeah and you still didn't make the team, so what does that say about you?) & only mentioning everything that she needs to improve and never addressing his own weaknesses that let them down this year. All he needs is the book of Buddhism from Marina! It doesn't make you think at all that he's gained any understanding of what they have to do to be a team.

Everything that comes out of his mouth makes it so easy to dislike him, and this is coming from someone who adored his skating from when I first saw videos nearly 7 years ago & was trying to go into the new partnerships with an open mind to both of them. He's just clueless.

wow, he said that???, incredible :shocked:

 

[moriel]

If thats PR, not very best PR.
Also, all the comments of how Marina is great are kinda worrying =S

 

[Tex]

There are so many egocentric little gems in this article that it made me laugh in disbelief. Granted I read the google translated version, but still he needs a big dose of humility which I guess he didn't read in the Zen Buddhism book Marina gave him. Bless his heart. Seriously, (maybe I didn't read it right), but he seemed to complain about having to get up early in the morning to train, he had to learn to cook which he says he will stop once they make lots of money, and that he wasn't given an apartment after the Olympics because the Russian Federation (or whoever was giving out apartments to the Olympic Medallist) was picky about who got one. I wish both of them the best and hope both their skating and attitudes (more so his) improve. I do appreciate that he said he admires American athletes attitude and work ethic like those skaters who have jobs on top of skating.

 

[bramweld]

If thats PR, not very best PR.
Also, all the comments of how Marina is great are kinda worrying =S

They do make a striking couple and I'm sure they've improved, but hopefully everyone else in Russia will do the same. So I imagine sooner rather than later Russia will get their 3 places back. But why speak so smugly about your own team-mates when you did not make the team? Maybe he's a likeable enough guy, but in the majority of cases what comes out of his mouth is condescending, ugly or inappropriate, unless he likes you in which case he only speaks in glowing terms. He reminds me of Trankov.

My only real concern is that B/S may not come back, they pushed too hard too soon. His injuries were no laughing matter and he really needed rest. Not everybody has the pain threshold of a Plushenko.

 

[bramweld]

There are so many egocentric little gems in this article that it made me laugh in disbelief. Granted I read the google translated version, but still he needs a big dose of humility which I guess he didn't read in the Zen Buddhism book Marina gave him. Bless his heart. Seriously, (maybe I didn't read it right), but he seemed to complain about having to get up early in the morning to train, he had to learn to cook which he says he will stop once they make lots of money, and that he wasn't given an apartment after the Olympics because the Russian Federation (or whoever was giving out apartments to the Olympic Medallist) was picky about who got one. I wish both of them the best and hope both their skating and attitudes (more so his) improve. I do appreciate that he said he admires American athletes attitude and work ethic like those skaters who have jobs on top of skating.

This one was precious. Victoria is the smarter of the two, talk less and simply work. He doesn't seem to be learning anything from her. Oh snap, workflow goes from K to S, not the other way around.