From Russia With Love - 2012 Off Season

[3T3T]

I am disappointed to see that Petaikina and Kudruikov have split up I really like them as a couple. I thought they were going to medal at this years juniors world after a good short they had a disappointing free. I thought they had potential. Hope it works out with Bezmaternykh, he has had a lot of partners, he is overdue some success.

Intereting to see that Lybov is now skating in France there must have been problems with the coach/partner, I thought she had planned on retiring. Will the Russians release her though?

Any word on what K/S are planning? Their clar de lune has to be one of my favourite paris programmes ever.

[Ziggy]

That looks as if the problem was not that she wouldn't want to skate any more. The problem may have been either the coach or the partner...

The problem was her not really landing any of her jumps.

[hanca]

The problem was her not really landing any of her jumps.

Sure, she did have trouble with her jumps. But that was not the reason that ended their partnership! It was not Nodari who ended it. It was Ljubov. If Nodari's camp claims that she gave up because she doesn't want to skate any more, and then she appears skating with someone else, one would wonder why was she in such a rush to finish the partnership with Nodari and move somewhere else. According to their coach, without even bothering to tell him...

[Eislauffan]

I am disappointed to see that Petaikina and Kudruikov have split up I really like them as a couple. I thought they were going to medal at this years juniors world after a good short they had a disappointing free.

Ekaterina Petaikina had grown too tall for Maxim Kudriukov. He is rather short. Today I visited the rink where he is skating. He has a new partner, Kristina Astakhova. She skated pairs before with Nikita Bochkov. I talked to coach Sergei Dobroskokov and Vasilisa Davankova/Andrei Deputat. They are focusing on juniors internationally but they might do some senior B events and certainly senior Nationals. They want to do the JGP events in Lake Placid and in Zagreb.

As for Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze, I think she must have been unhappy. I would not just blame her partner or her coach for that, I think that is too easy.

[analia]

Who's the Asian girl in the foreground?

That's Maisy Ma, single skater from Hong Kong I believe.

[feraina]

That's Maisy Ma, single skater from Hong Kong I believe.

Ahh, you're right. 马晓晴 in Chinese. 12-years-old. Born in HK to parents who now live and work in Beijing (for the past ten years). She's been training at a private ice rink in Beijing, and gets only 90 minutes a day on ice. Says her idol is Yuna Kim, and hopes to represent Hong Kong in the Olympics. She placed 7th in this year's National Championship:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/6123111.htm?fromTaglist

[Sylvia]

Ahh, you're right. 马晓晴 in Chinese. 12-years-old. Born in HK to parents who now live and work in Beijing (for the past ten years). She's been training at a private ice rink in Beijing, and gets only 90 minutes a day on ice. Says her idol is Yuna Kim, and hopes to represent Hong Kong in the Olympics. She placed 7th in this year's National Championship:
http://baike.baidu.com/view/6123111.htm?fromTaglist

Maisy Ma was 7th at the 2012 Chinese National Winter Games and recently won the Hong Kong Junior Ladies national title -- link to the 2012 Hong Kong Nationals thread where I've re-posted feraina's info and a video link for Ma: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...16#post3571316

Summarizing the recent Russian pairs splits and formation of new teams so far...

Split pairs:
Lubov Iliushechkina & Nodari Maisuradze - 6th at 2011-12 Russian Sr Nationals
Ekaterina Petaikina & Maxim Kurdyukov - 7th in Sr; 2nd in Jr; 6th at 2012 Jr Worlds
Oksana Nagalatiy & Konstantin Bezmaternikh - 11th in Sr
Alexandra Vasilieva & Yuri Shevchuk - 7th in Jr; 11th at 2011 Jr Worlds
Kristina Astakhova & Nikita Bochkov - 7th at 2011 Jr Worlds

New pairs (confirmed):
Kristina Astakhova (15) & Maxim Kurdyukov (21) - coached by Sergei Dobroskokov
Julia Antipova (15) & Nodari Maisuradze (24) - coached by Natalia Pavlova & Artur Dmitriev
Ekaterina Petaikina (17) & Konstantin Bezmaternikh (24) - coached by Natalia Pavlova & Artur DmitrievNatalia Mytina (18) & Yuri Shevchuk (21) - coached by Natalia Pavlova & Artur Dmitriev

[oleada]

Thanks for the information, Eislauffan. I wish the best of luck to all the new pairs!

[Eislauffan]

I checked now on the Russian database at fskate.ru and found Natalia Mitina's birthday: August 8, 1993. So she is indeed 18 years old and will turn 19 this summer.

[Macassar88]

https://twitter.com/#!/Trankov_jr/st...68337838006272

First day was very productive... Find some new cool lifts. We work with acrobats, they are amazing!!! Happy!!!

From Trankov's Twitter

Can't wait to see them! I'm really excited.

[quiqie]

http://fs66.ru/news/2012-05-17/chemp...zhdanstvo.html

Lubov Iliushechkina wants to skate for France

President of Russian figure skating federation Alexander Gorshkov told at the executive committee meeting that on April 6th he received a letter from Iliushechkina, written in English, in which she asked to let her skate for France with a partner whom she found via Internet. His first reaction was negative: "We invested so much creative effort and finances in her that it would be unthinkable to just "present" her to France, especially two years before the Olympics".

Iliushechkina's father came to Alexander Gorshkov and Valentin Piseev and brought with him her diaries that shocked even Piseev, who has seen a lot in his lifetime. As Piseev told at the meeting, the diaries provided the evidence that the situation in Natalia Pavlova's group was completely abnormal and Iliushechkina was even close to suicide attempt at some point.

It made Gorshkov change his personal attitude to the situation. RFSF is ready to offer Iliushechkina another partner (whose name is not known yet), and the famous coach Tamara Moskvina is willing to work with her. But Iliushechkina refuses all the offers and continues to train with the partner she found on the Internet. If she continues to decline all the offers from RFSF, Gorshkov is inclined to make her sit out two years and release her only after the Olympics.

"We don't want another Anissina", - explains the president of RFSF.

[Moka-Ananas]

http://fs66.ru/news/2012-05-17/chemp...zhdanstvo.html

Lubov Iliushechkina wants to skate for France

President of Russian figure skating federation Alexander Gorshkov told at the executive committee meeting that on April 6th he received a letter from Iliushechkina, written in English, in which she asked to let her skate for France with a partner whom she found via Internet. His first reaction was negative: "We invested so much creative effort and finances in her that it would be unthinkable to just "present" her to France, especially two years before the Olympics".

Iliushechkina's father came to Alexander Gorshkov and Valentin Piseev and brought with him her diaries that shocked even Piseev, who has seen a lot in his lifetime. As Piseev told at the meeting, the diaries provided the evidence that the situation in Natalia Pavlova's group was completely abnormal and Iliushechkina was even close to suicide attempt at some point.

It made Gorshkov change his personal attitude to the situation. RFSF is ready to offer Iliushechkina another partner (whose name is not known yet), and the famous coach Tamara Moskvina is willing to work with her. But Iliushechkina refuses all the offers and continues to train with the partner she found on the Internet. If she continues to decline all the offers from RFSF, Gorshkov is inclined to make her sit out two years and release her only after the Olympics.

"We don't want another Anissina", - explains the president of RFSF.

What the hell is going on there?!

[Yukari Lepisto]

http://fs66.ru/news/2012-05-17/chemp...zhdanstvo.html

Lubov Iliushechkina wants to skate for France

President of Russian figure skating federation Alexander Gorshkov told at the executive committee meeting that on April 6th he received a letter from Iliushechkina, written in English, in which she asked to let her skate for France with a partner whom she found via Internet. His first reaction was negative: "We invested so much creative effort and finances in her that it would be unthinkable to just "present" her to France, especially two years before the Olympics".

Iliushechkina's father came to Alexander Gorshkov and Valentin Piseev and brought with him her diaries that shocked even Piseev, who has seen a lot in his lifetime. As Piseev told at the meeting, the diaries provided the evidence that the situation in Natalia Pavlova's group was completely abnormal and Iliushechkina was even close to suicide attempt at some point.

It made Gorshkov change his personal attitude to the situation. RFSF is ready to offer Iliushechkina another partner (whose name is not known yet), and the famous coach Tamara Moskvina is willing to work with her. But Iliushechkina refuses all the offers and continues to train with the partner she found on the Internet. If she continues to decline all the offers from RFSF, Gorshkov is inclined to make her sit out two years and release her only after the Olympics.

"We don't want another Anissina", - explains the president of RFSF.

Poor girl is all i have to say. and everyone can tell that the coach and the partner just totally blame her for everything.

Narumi couldn't land jumps majority of the time, not less than Lubov, but you never get that weird vibe from Mervin or their coaches, they always seem very supportive of her and they just keep working hard together, and they are world medalists now.

[julieann]

What the hell is going on there?!

Poor girl

[Jeschke]

Poor girl

i´m sorry for lubov, too.

but let´s be honest.
she got so much support from the russian fed, it´s absolutly clear, that the russian fed doesn´t want to release her. youn can´t blame on them for 'maybe faults' of her former coach and partner.

the proposal with moskvina and a different partner (okay, we don´t know who it should be) sounds not that worse with kavaguti/smirnov vanishing at the latest 2014 and moskvina no promising pair on the line (sorry, for the gerboldt/enbert fans).

i can understand lubov for totally letting that part behind her, but then, if she really wants to, she has to wait those years, like others before.

but the russian fed should maybe sent a sign in 'taking more control' over some coaches ... don´t know.

[hanca]

http://fs66.ru/news/2012-05-17/chemp...zhdanstvo.html


It made Gorshkov change his personal attitude to the situation. RFSF is ready to offer Iliushechkina another partner (whose name is not known yet), and the famous coach Tamara Moskvina is willing to work with her. But Iliushechkina refuses all the offers and continues to train with the partner she found on the Internet. If she continues to decline all the offers from RFSF, Gorshkov is inclined to make her sit out two years and release her only after the Olympics.

"We don't want another Anissina", - explains the president of RFSF.

I thought they can't make her sit out two years. They can do only a year because only one of the partner's is changing the country (her new partner is French and they want to skate for France). Or am I mistaken?

[Zemgirl]

I thought they can't make her sit out two years. They can do only a year because only one of the partner's is changing the country (her new partner is French and they want to skate for France). Or am I mistaken?

I believe that applies only if the federation is willing to release the skater (e.g. Tatiana Volosazhar's country switch). Actually, is there any way for a skater to change countries if the original federation makes it difficult? If not, I'd love for someone to take the matter up with CAS and see what they have to say about it.

France could certainly use a decent pair in Sochi, if only for the team event...

[rfisher]

I believe that applies only if the federation is willing to release the skater (e.g. Tatiana Volosazhar's country switch). Actually, is there any way for a skater to change countries if the original federation makes it difficult? If not, I'd love for someone to take the matter up with CAS and see what they have to say about it.

France could certainly use a decent pair in Sochi, if only for the team event...

I don't want to sound unsympathetic to her, but since she has virtually no chance of making the Sochi team for Russia, regardless of who she skates with, and an excellent chance if she skates for France, I'm a little suspicious of these diaries being presented now rather than her Dad trying to intervene a couple of years ago. I hope she can be released and skate for France as I love her and would like to see her skate in Sochi. I doubt that's going to happen.

[Eislauffan]

In any case it will be difficult for Lubov to skate for France in Sotchi. Even if the Russian Fed should go ahead an release her, she still would need to get French citizenship. I doubt that it can be processed so fast (she is not coming from an EU country).
I understand that the Russian Fed is not releasing her just like this (actually Skate Canada and US Figureskating are doing the same) after all that was put into her career. I completely understand Lubov, too, as the depth in Russian pairs makes it difficult to get through. For sure she was unhappy the last year and to me she looked anorexic. I talked to Natalia Pavlova about that last fall and she was very concerned as well.

[FarFarAway]

What the hell is going on there?!

The fight for the Olympic Team, I presume. Anyway, I still feel very strong that in this exact conflict all the parties involved are guilty. I neither approve or disapprove of anyone.