Russia Ladies Euros Poll

[victoriaheidi]

Who I want: Leonova, Biryukova and Korobeynikova.

Who I think will be on the team: Leonova, Makarova and Shelepen.

I agree, but I'm sad because I love Biryukova and Korobeynikova.

IMO, it'd be really nice to take a leaf out of the old time books and send 2 different (or even slightly different) teams to Worlds and Euros.

Also, maybe I'm the only one who thought this way, but isn't Shelepen more likely to be competing against Sotnikova/Tuktamysheva/Lipnitskaya for the 3rd Jr. Worlds spot than she is to be competing for a Euros spot? She could actually medal this year.

[haribobo]

Shelepen has already been to 2 Jr. Worlds, she might be tired of it by now. Sot, Tuk, and Lip can't go to seniors, so they have to go to Jr. Worlds if they want the WR points. I think since Shelepen is age-eligible and good enough, she will probably be named to the Euros team if she finishes high enough.

[caseyedwards]

I still think Makarova will pull it together for Russian nationals so I voted for her instead of Koro or Biryikova

[pinky166]

Also, maybe I'm the only one who thought this way, but isn't Shelepen more likely to be competing against Sotnikova/Tuktamysheva/Lipnitskaya for the 3rd Jr. Worlds spot than she is to be competing for a Euros spot? She could actually medal this year.

My guess is that if she doesn't make the Euro or World teams then yes, she will try to make the Jr. World team, but I doubt that JW is her top priority as she is age eligible for senior championships and the competition for making the senior team will likely be easier. I think she would have opted to do the senior GP this season were it not for the spots being reduced, her not having great results last season, and both Alena and Ksenia having quite good results last season, making it tougher for her to be sure of getting 2 assignments, so she opted for JGP knowing she would get 2 assignments, good ranking points, and likely a ticket to the final (which is how it worked out) and then can still be in contention for the Euro and Worlds teams by competing as a senior at nationals. Also keep in mind, in Russia JW spots are determined my placement at Junior Nationals, it's a different competition from senior nationals and many skaters participate in both. I assume Polina will do that this season unless of course she is named to the Euro and World teams after senior nationals in December.

[Jemestone]

Also, maybe I'm the only one who thought this way, but isn't Shelepen more likely to be competing against Sotnikova/Tuktamysheva/Lipnitskaya for the 3rd Jr. Worlds spot than she is to be competing for a Euros spot? She could actually medal this year.

She'll be a fool if she tries to go against them for a Jr. World's spot, no way in hell she gets one.

Senior Worlds and Euros is her best bet.

[victoriaheidi]

But really, what are the odds of 3 girls going to Euros and either 1, 2 or 3 of those girls not going to Worlds? Like, if Biryukova and Korobeynikova get Euros along with, say, Leonova and Leonova, Makarova and Shelepen go to Worlds (or however it pans out)?

It just sucks that, when you look at the number of opportunities Shelepen and Agafonova (among others) have gotten and the number Biryukova has gotten, Sofia definitely got the short end of the stick for seemingly no good reason (bad timing?).

[Jeschke]

I want the ones you want.

I think that Leonova, Korobeynikova (did a mistake voting) and Shelepen will make the team.

i want these three, too. but i fear, that biryukova will not be able to make the team, or the russian fed don´t want her to make the team.

i really like her skating, but with so few international appearances, it´s hard to show, what she got, unless she is able to step on the podium at her grand prix :/

[Eris]

but i fear, that biryukova will not be able to make the team, or the russian fed don´t want her to make the team.

It's she who gave it away several times in a row, not the federation. I really like Sofia but she is extremely inconsistent in her free skates.

[victoriaheidi]

It's she who gave it away several times in a row, not the federation. I really like Sofia but she is extremely inconsistent in her free skates.

I know this wasn't in response to me, but it's a mix of Russia and Sofia. Why did she only get one JGP and only one year on the JGP, especially considering how old she was when she started there (and the fact that she medaled)? To me, that's a major ball the federation dropped.

[Fashionista]

I know this wasn't in response to me, but it's a mix of Russia and Sofia. Why did she only get one JGP and only one year on the JGP, especially considering how old she was when she started there (and the fact that she medaled)? To me, that's a major ball the federation dropped.

She medaled on the last JGP that year (as far as I remember in Turkey) so she couldn't get the second assigment even theoretically. And she got that only JGP spot immediately after she won (or medaled, I don't remember) at Moscow Cup a couple of weeks prior. And that was her first major success on a national level, before that she hadn't shown anything special to give JGP spot for. She spent the only year on a junior curcuit because next year Federation wanted her to debut in senior competitions (there was no one to fill in the third spot at Cup of Russia). So, no, Sofia should blame herself only.