Soccer player becomes figure skater aka Bestandigova news. (Threads Merged)

[Asli]

Interesting... Stronger left knee bend than the right...

I thought his career-ending injury was to the left knee.

Thıs is too much information about football for me, but you just can't escape it!

[jjane45]

They are on the ice when we train. They are looking good. His basic skating skills are amazing. You would never know that he didn't grow up skating. He's very strong and off ice they can do many of the pair lifts. On ice the lifts are coming and his feet on the turns are impressive, not scary. Oli is a very good partner for him. She's a strong pair girl.

Thanks icetiff!

Does anyone know how his solo jumps progressed? Excerpts from October 2011 Absolute Skating interview:

Which elements can you already do flawlessy?

Olga: Some of the elements, the spirals and the pairs spin are on the highest level, if we execute them as we can. The hardest are obviously the solo jumps. There are days when he fully rotates a double salchow or a double toeloop and lands it on two feet, but there are days when he simply can’t get into the technique and then he can’t do it at all.

Updates are greatly appreciated. Mind boggling progress indeed, how much can an adult skater achieve with athletic talent + limitless resources + strong dedication in 4 years?

[Sylvia]

New article in The Guardian: Ilhan Mansiz: from World Cup hero to Olympic pairs figure skater?

"We are not expecting to get a medal but to be a part of the Olympics will mean much more than winning. It is also about encouraging people that no matter what, at any age, you can reach your dreams by believing and working hard."

What makes this surprising tale even more unlikely is that Mansiz's left knee was torn to shreds by the crash six years ago. Sustaining medial ligament damage and with cartilage seemingly beyond repair, the fact that he and Bestandigova are now practising death star spirals, flying camels and double jumps on a rink in Arizona as they bid to qualify for Sochi next year is some turnaround.

"I would be the first athlete to compete in the World Cup and the Winter Olympics," says Mansiz, who is in the midst of a gruelling regime that involves six sessions of yoga, ballet and gym work every week, with plenty of time on the ice. "I had never even watched skating before I stepped on the ice for the first time when I was 32.

"There are two ways to qualify for Sochi. First is in March during the world championships, which we are not taking part in. Sixteen couples can qualify there and four more spots will be won in September at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf. We are planning to compete there to be one of the four best non-qualified pairs."

("Death star spirals" )

[Ziggy]

Thanks for the update, Sylvia.

It will be quite heartbreaking to watch them finish dead last at Nebelhorn Trophy. :/

[jjane45]

Any training reports from Arizona? ;D

[barbk]

I'm adopting "death star spirals" -- what a great concept.

[Eislauffan]

Thanks for the update, Sylvia.

It will be quite heartbreaking to watch them finish dead last at Nebelhorn Trophy. :/

They might finish last but by participating they get their chance to qualify maybe as substitutes eventually. Not all countries qualified might use their spots (as we know from the past) and not so many countries have pairs anyway.

For the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, there was even one spot in Ice Dance left vacant as not everybody qualified wanted or could use their spot. The Greek-Canadian dance team had citizenship issues I think and the Swiss couple (or their Federation) were stupid enough not to go to Oberstdorf and try to qualify.

[Zemgirl]

Performing death star spirals needs to be a new rep level.

I saw that he's up to training double jumps, which, considering the depth of the pairs field, means that they might not finish last in NT. I wish them well, either way. It's pretty cool for a footballer to try to do this, and at such a late age.

[Kelvster]

wish them all the very best!!

it would be soooooooo cool to see them in Sochi ....

[Asli]

Ilhan Mansiz:
"It is also about encouraging people that no matter what, at any age, you can reach your dreams by believing and working hard."

That is true, if you are already a world-class athlete with phenomenal physical strength and stamina, have more money than you can spend in a lifetime, you are a national hero and heart-throb with sponsors forming a queue and therefore take no risk by spending some of your best years having fun in the rink with your girlfriend.

In such a case, you can dream along at any age, no matter what.

[Ziggy]

Who is coaching them?

Given how no teknik Bestandigova used to be, it wouldn't be surprising if he landed his jumps but she didn't.

[Asli]

They might finish last but by participating they get their chance to qualify maybe as substitutes eventually. Not all countries qualified might use their spots (as we know from the past) and not so many countries have pairs anyway.

Won't there be a minimum score for the Olympics then, Eislauffan?

[Jeschke]

Who is coaching them?

Given how no teknik Bestandigova used to be, it wouldn't be surprising if he landed his jumps but she didn't.

haha

[Jeschke]

Who is coaching them?

German Alexander Koenig used to coach them in Oberstdorf, don't know if he is still the man behind them

[ioana]

Isn't Doug Ladret the main pairs coach in Arizona? I would think they're working with him if they're still there.

[joeperryfan]

A little video posted by Mansiz today. Practice video

[Ziggy]

A little video posted by Mansiz today. Practice video

That is a very decent, clean double twist with good height.

[Skittl1321]

Performing death star spirals needs to be a new rep level.

Once the element is homologated


I hadn't seen this thread before. It is very interesting to read their process.