Katarina Gerboldt & Alexander Enbert

[vmfan89]

For the past few months, I have been watching videos of these two and I absolutely love them! I know they still have quite a way to go on the technical and artistic levels, but I can't take my eyes off them when they skate. I was curious to know what others think of this team. What do you think of their potential? Could there be a spot for them on the world team (considering how crowded Russian pairs is going to be with all the talented teams) and what do you think we can expect from them in the future?

[museksk8r]

To sum it up in a nutshell, it's completely unfair that Russia is not allowed to enter 7 teams to the Worlds and the Olympics. Their Nationals is going to be SO MUCH !

[haribobo]

I don't think they have much of a shot at World team, but they shouldn't be too far off. Good on them for doing as well as they have so far. Kavaguti/Smirnov are clearly back in good form, and B/L and I/M are looking very good also. We'll see what happens with V/T and M/B...I think the jury's still out on them.

[Allen]

I'm not sure I see them on the world team this year, but I think they have a great future. I was really impressed, by her especially. She has a great look for pairs.

[julieann]

No way will they make the world team this year unless the rest of the top pairs don't compete.

I'm still not sold of these two. I realize she is new to pairs but she is not new to skating. She even had Mishin as a coach and she didn't get very far. No, I don't consider 3rd at Nationals and 6th at Europeans far. She wouldn't have even gone to Europeans that year if the silver and gold medalists weren't too young to compete.

Enbert isn't much better. They both need to have much better ‘single’ skating skills than they do. Without that, the pair won’t work. Maybe that will change with Moskvina but she has had just as many pairs fail (Obertas was my fav) than she has had successes.

She can’t get by on her looks alone (I think he is homely) unless she learns how to skate better. To me putting them together was a last ditch effort to keep them both in the sport. It may work....only time will tell.

[Autumn_girl]

I absolutely love Katarina and Alexander! They look so happy on ice, I can't take my eyes off them and smile all the time I watch them skate. And they are learning really fast, doing throw 3F and trying triple twist. This year they will not make the team, but I'm sure they have a great future! And I really like their programs and costumes

[Loves_Shizuka]

Gosh, I'm so out the loop; how did I not know she's switched to pairs?!

[Hedwig]

Russian Nationals in Pairs and Ladies will be soo exciting. I hope it will be broadcasted again like in the last few years.

And no, I don't think they will make the team but they have an outside shot.
But K/S, B/L, V/T and I/M have all better shots in my opinion. Especially now with Ilusheshina/Maisuradze being a bit more consistent. *knocks on wood*

[blue_idealist]

I actually like them better than B/L and I/M. More maturity and personality. They might make the world team if B/L or I/M mess up at Nats.

[Allen]

I really like them. She has this classic Russian pairs look, but I find them to be pretty interesting. If they do not make the Worlds team this year, I think definitely could next year since they've only been together a few months. I'm really glad to see her take on pairs since the ladies field in Russia is getting deeper and deeper.

[dinakt]

I see them blossoming not this year, but next, or maybe one after that, and aiming for 2018 Olympics. But I like them a lot, and I am so impressied with Katarina. She was an OK singles skater, but she radiates "IT" as a pairs' skater- so much joy, expression and willingness to communicate on ice . Between that joy and eagerness, and Moskvina's expertise, I have confidence they'll succeed ( knock on wood).

[Vash01]

They could develop in the future, but right now I don't see them as one of the top 3 or 4 Russian pairs. I think they have a long way to go.

[Vash01]

Slightly OT question:

Gerboldt and Enbert somehow don't sound like Russian last names to me. Do they have non-Russian ancestors that settled in Russia?

[Domshabfan]

Slightly OT question:

Gerboldt and Enbert somehow don't sound like Russian last names to me. Do they have non-Russian ancestors that settled in Russia?

i think they have German ancestry, this is Eislauffan's post from earlier this year

Katarina Gerboldt/Alexander Enbert looked much better than I expected! She has been learning fast. She has good positions in the lifts, she is landing triple throws. He is very tall, so her size (tall for a pair skater) is not a problem. With those names, they should be recruited for Germany! :-)

[Fashionista]

Slightly OT question:

Gerboldt and Enbert somehow don't sound like Russian last names to me. Do they have non-Russian ancestors that settled in Russia?

Their ancestors are probably one of numerous Russian Germans who lived in Russian Empire and then in USSR. Many Germans left since borders became open in the 1990s but still Germans is the 5th largest ethnic group in Russia. You can read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...e_Soviet_Union

Actually German last names are quite common in Russia. For example my boyfriend's name is Richter It's strange there're not so many "Germans" in Russian figure skating (besides G/E I can remember only Shefer).

[kylet3]

Their ancestors are probably one of numerous Russian Germans who lived in Russian Empire and then in USSR. Not so many Germans left after since borders became open in the 1990s but still Germans is the 5th largest ethnic group in Russia. You can read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...e_Soviet_Union

Actually German last names are quite common in Russia. For example my boyfriend's name is Richter It's strange there're not so many "Germans" in Russian figure skating (besides G/E I can remember only Shefer).

I can vouch for that, my very German family lived in Russia. My Oma came to Canada in 1925 (she was just a baby) after they had to flee the Bolshevik's... I probably still have German relatives in Russia somewhere but I'm not at all surprised to hear that.

[DivaOnIce]

I'm one of those Russian-Germans, too. My family moved to Russia during the times of Catherine the Great and back to Germany in 1992

It's strange there're not so many "Germans" in Russian figure skating (besides G/E I can remember only Shefer).

There are some skaters who were born in Russia with Germany ancestry and are today skating for Germany like Zoya Douchine. The wikipedia page of Nelli Zhiganshina even says that her mother is a Kazakhstan-German.

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

Actually German last names are quite common in Russia. For example my boyfriend's name is Richter It's strange there're not so many "Germans" in Russian figure skating (besides G/E I can remember only Shefer).

Abt has German ancestry as well, right?

[Vash01]

I am very surprised (but shouldn't have been) that there are many Russians with German ancestry & last names.

A related question: Is the reverse also true? Many Germans with Russian ancestry? I am wondering about Tanya Szwchenko (sp?) and Dirk Nowitski (NBA player from Germany who plays for Dallas).

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

Dirk Nowitski (NBA player from Germany who plays for Dallas).

Isn't Nowitski more Polish than Russian?