From Russia With Love - Winter 2012/13

[caseyedwards]

Yes, her score is too low and I think it unlikely that she would be able to break into the top 10 at Worlds. The sensible choice is to send Leonova and maximise the chances of obtaining the 3 spots for the home Olympics.

Hope Alena used her break period well and comes back to the Russian cup final well.

[love_skate2011]

so Kovtun is both going to Junior Worlds and Worlds ?
isn't that a bit too much ?

If they want they can send him to Worlds, not sure if he can merit a Top 10
but juniors I think they can earn 3 spots anyways with Samarin and Petrov

[caseyedwards]

The Russian fed had Leonova do euros jr worlds and sr worlds and they got all that they wanted from that situation and they could try that with kovtun.

[misskarne]

So are the RFSF going to still have the skateoff between Gachinski and Menshov (with Kovtun's Euros result considered) to decide who gets the Worlds spot? Fifth is good but I was a little surprised at Kovtun's PCS. He did beat Voronov which was well done.

I still think Menshov earned the spot.

[kwanfan1818]

Yes, her score is too low and I think it unlikely that she would be able to break into the top 10 at Worlds. The sensible choice is to send Leonova and maximise the chances of obtaining the 3 spots for the home Olympics.

So far this season:
Skate America Senior Ladies 7 Alena LEONOVA RUS 153.49
Rostelecom Cup Senior Ladies 6 Alena LEONOVA RUS 157.27
European Championships Senior Ladies 6 Nikol GOSVIANI RUS 154.41
Russian Nationals Senior Ladies 6 Nikol Gosviani
Russian Nationals Senior Ladies 7 Alena Leonova - 169.64

Leonova came is as the reigning World Silver medalist, and I don't see a lot of difference in international scores between hers and Gosviani, who went into Euros as a Russia #3 unknown. I think it's pretty remarkable that in a rushed Junior international she made the TES SP minimum and barely missed it at Euros, and when the heat was on, she made the FS minimum, with a couple of points to spare. She shook out some nerves and went out and competed like she wanted it. I'm not sure the same can be said for Leonova, who's been struggling so far this season.

[Loves_Shizuka]

Gosviani really impressed me - I wonder what kind of shape Leonova is in?

[caseyedwards]

The scores for leonova vs gosviani represent gosviani a her best and leonova at her worst. Now no one knows if she's still at her worst but her at her worst is basically equal to gosviani at her best. So who is chosen? The person at their best probably. If the are equal at the skateoff like they were basically a Russian nationals then it's all gosviani for worlds probably.

[Vagabond]

Just what happened to the Russian program that there are no good 21-25 year old skaters who are decent?

The economic collapse in Russia in the 1990's kept children from taking up the sport -- fewer rinks, fewer coaches, few or no subsidies, little disposable income, etc.

Remember, the men in the 21-25-year-old age group were born at the same time as women like Ksenia Doronina and Nina Petushkova, who were quickly surpassed on the domestic level by the much younger rivals like Adelina Sotnikova and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Since female singles skaters tend to reach their peak at a younger age than their male counterparts, we saw the long-term consequences of the economic collapse most markedly in the Ladies' division earlier than we did in the Men's.

[caseyedwards]

So true if a great young talent was born in 1990 they would have had to go through major economic and social changes for like 10 years. People were leaving until 1999 in big numbers. I was going through novice and jr ice dance in us nationals and I saw a Russian team and then read about them and the parents left in 1998. Then you have the Majorovs and rogozines of other countries. Also the dance team I'm talking about does not involve the Ponimarenko son!

[Katarzyna]

The scores for leonova vs gosviani represent gosviani a her best and leonova at her worst. Now no one knows if she's still at her worst but her at her worst is basically equal to gosviani at her best.

It’s pretty harsh to argue Gosviani at her best is equal to Leonova at her worst. Looking at scores this is also due to the reason that Gosviani had zero reputation when going into Euros being her first major senior assignment and skating well there while Leonova when skating at her worst was big time held up in PCS by Russian Fed at Nationals. – I don’t think judges at an international event will be as generous to Leonova at Worlds, even if she is the reigning Vice World Champion. On the other hand international judges now took notice of Gosviani, so she might get even better scores at Worlds in certain areas when skating equally well.

But I can see how Russian Fed is in big dilemma now! They probably even hoped that Govsiani would not reach TES for Worlds!

[bek]

It’s pretty harsh to argue Gosviani at her best is equal to Leonova at her worst. Looking at scores this is also due to the reason that Gosviani had zero reputation when going into Euros being her first major senior assignment and skating well there while Leonova when skating at her worst was big time held up in PCS by Russian Fed at Nationals. – I don’t think judges at an international event will be as generous to Leonova at Worlds, even if she is the reigning Vice World Champion. On the other hand international judges now took notice of Gosviani, so she might get even better scores at Worlds in certain areas when skating equally well.

But I can see how Russian Fed is in big dilemma now! They probably even hoped that Govsiani would not reach TES for Worlds!

I agree.. However, I don't think the likelhood of Leonova getting much higher PCS should be discounted. This being said Alena is also going to be Russia's no 3, and so her PCS will have less pushing... Personally I think they need to do a test skate, and if both skated equally well I really would go with Leonova for her experience. But I think if Leonova is still not going well they need to go with Gosviani.

[Vash01]

Any idea when Russia will announce its world 2013 team?

[caseyedwards]

It’s pretty harsh to argue Gosviani at her best is equal to Leonova at her worst. Looking at scores this is also due to the reason that Gosviani had zero reputation when going into Euros being her first major senior assignment and skating well there while Leonova when skating at her worst was big time held up in PCS by Russian Fed at Nationals. – I don’t think judges at an international event will be as generous to Leonova at Worlds, even if she is the reigning Vice World Champion. On the other hand international judges now took notice of Gosviani, so she might get even better scores at Worlds in certain areas when skating equally well.

But I can see how Russian Fed is in big dilemma now! They probably even hoped that Govsiani would not reach TES for Worlds!

I don't think they were hoping gosviani would not get he world minimum. They did a lot to get her to euros. Unless they were just hoping to leonova a forced rest period as that would help with all her problems this season.

That's what the scores posted inidcated-that leonova and gosviani were equal given gosviani is a no name basically - maybe her scores would go up if she did go to worlds and did well.

[DELTA]

Any idea when Russia will announce its world 2013 team?

http://www.sports.ru/others/figure-s...146370913.html

According to Govshkov, they will announce it after Cup of Russia which will take place this January. Also, Plushenko will possibly be competing at Worlds.

[lala]

Plushenko is going to treat his back and start training on March 1st.

[DELTA]

Plushenko is going to treat his back and start training on March 1st.

He needs rest and recovery. I hope Kovtun goes instead.

[caseyedwards]

Looks like the Russian up final is feb 16-19th?

[Hanna]

INSTANT fan of Gosviani. I'm a sucker for sophisticated, balletic, elegant skaters.

[misskarne]

Plushenko is going to treat his back and start training on March 1st.

Yana, please tie him down.

[Macassar88]

Ugh... I hate Gosviani's jump technique
Good for her that she's proving herself. She went in as an alternate to Russian nats IIRC