Russian Ice Dance champion Zhiganshin retires

[blue_idealist]

I'm sad about this, but I heard whisperings of it earlier, so I'm not that shocked. I've had time to get used to the news. I wonder if Elena can find another partner. Would they try to pair her with Guerreiro and break up Z/G? I hope not.

 

[Coquelicot14]

I'm sad about this, but I heard whisperings of it earlier, so I'm not that shocked. I've had time to get used to the news. I wonder if Elena can find another partner. Would they try to pair her with Guerreiro and break up Z/G? I hope not.

Nah, Guerreiro is a perfect match with Tiffany.

Besides, Elena needs a guy that's a bit more her build. Khaliavin might work, or Mozgov.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

I'm sad. I liked Ruslan: no nonsense attitude, calm, straight, good vibes, and being Nellis brother.

I feel exactly the same way.

 

[Coco]

Elena has gold and bronze Olympic medals. My guess is she will move on to shows.

 

[Areski]

Sigh.

There really are no words.

At this point, I fail to see what good blame will do anyone at all. Nikita has been injured, coachless, accused of mistreating his partner, & fizzling twizzles this season. What on earth about this scenario implies that the Russian Federation, Elena, or Russian ice dance would currently be better off if I&K had been forced to stay together?

I share your view.

 

[Wyliefan]

Oh @Jeschke , you've never met a hopeless cause you didn't love.

Our own personal St. Jude!

 

[Katarzyna]

This is very sad news, in particular for Elena. Russian Ice Dance is pretty frustrating.

 

[Coco]

In a way, I blame WADA's mishandling of the meldonium ban. Didn't that cost Russia a 3ed spot for dance? Once you lose it, it's hard to get back.

 

[Coquelicot14]

It absolutely did. I honestly think something should have been done to cover the damages of their incompetence as far as B&S are concerned.

 

[Jammers]

In a way, I blame WADA's mishandling of the meldonium ban. Didn't that cost Russia a 3ed spot for dance? Once you lose it, it's hard to get back.

Not sure why people think Russia was going to get their 3rd spot back last year at Worlds if B/S had competed they would have had to been in the top 4 and while doable there was also a good chance they would have finished as low as 6th.

 

[Dobre]

Not sure why people think Russia was going to get their 3rd spot back last year at Worlds if B/S had competed they would have had to been in the top 4 and while doable there was also a good chance they would have finished as low as 6th.

7th. Hubbell & Donohue were sixth, skating at home, and had split placements with Bobrova & Soloviev twice during the season. There was a very good chance B&S would have finished 7th. Sixth was the most likely. B&S could have been higher (C&L and W&P did open some doors), but it would have meant passing teams that defeated B&S twice each last season. 6th or 7th were the most likely outcomes.

When all is said and done, though, we should have had the chance to see Bobrova & Soloviev compete at Worlds, and we didn't get it. We were robbed of seeing Anna Karenina, and that stinks.

But we were not robbed of seeing Bobrova & Soloviev ever compete again. Which seemed very plausible at the time, and would have been much, much worse.

 

[VGThuy]

Russia lost that third spot at 2015 Worlds. Maybe with B/S's help they and S/K could have gained it back with a 3rd place placement from B/S (remember with B/S there and assumingly placing higher than S/K, then S/K's ninth place finish would become a tenth place finish). However, many teams performed extremely well at those Worlds and the caller was a bit more lenient which meant many teams were getting all level 4 calls.

 

[Areski]

In a way, I blame WADA's mishandling of the meldonium ban. Didn't that cost Russia a 3ed spot for dance? Once you lose it, it's hard to get back.

I doubt that Russia would get 3 spots last year even with Bobrova / Solovyev. Sinitsina / Katsalapov were 9th, it equal with B/S Bronze medal being necessary for 3 spots as with S/K being pushed to 10th place.

 

[hanca]

I doubt that Russia would get 3 spots last year even with Bobrova / Solovyev. Sinitsina / Katsalapov were 9th, it equal with B/S Bronze medal being necessary for 3 spots as with S/K being pushed to 10th place.

It is a bit hard to say what would happen if... no one exp cyed this worlds to have two canadian ladies on the podium... Bobrova/Soloview had a pretty decent season and the medals were free for grabs. it could have been anybody's, based on the skating on the night. It wasn't like some years, when the medals are nearly taken before the competition starts.

 

[kwanfan1818]

2015 was the Worlds B/S missed because of his injury. In 2015, the medalists were P/C, C/B, and W/P, then C/L less than two points behind, and then the Shibs.

In 2016, when B/S were out for the (stupid) ban, P/C, and C/B weren't about to concede, the Shibs had a breakout FS that gained momentum, and in a comeback year, B/S were 3rd at Euros (to P/C and C/L) and 5th at GPF (also behind C/B and the Shibs). I think the field was pretty stacked against a bronze for B/S in NA. 5th place W/P scored just over 182 in Boston, and that was even after V/M announced their comeback, relegating W/P to Canada #2, without Canada #1 even having to be there.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I am not sorry that I/Z split. I did not see much hope for this team to medal. Now, if Elena pulls of magic and finds a new partner and rises to the top, that would be SOMETHING.. she'll be a new Wonder Woman....

 

[hanca]

I am not sorry that I/Z split. I did not see much hope for this team to medal. Now, if Elena pulls of magic and finds a new partner and rises to the top, that would be SOMETHING.. she'll be a new Wonder Woman....

But it is not as if there were that many of male partners of her level unattached waiting for her to contact them.

 

[Spun Silver]

But it is not as if there were that many of male partners of her level unattached waiting for her to contact them.

And out of the pool of unattached male partners of her level, how many would have the courage to take her on? She doesn't sound exactly easy to work with.

 

[legjumper]

Not sure why people think Russia was going to get their 3rd spot back last year at Worlds if B/S had competed they would have had to been in the top 4 and while doable there was also a good chance they would have finished as low as 6th.

I remember thinking around the time of Euros that it was possible for Russia to get three spots back with, say, Sinitsina/Katsalapov and Bobrova/Soloviev finishing 6th and 7th. At the time, S/K were getting a very large political push from the Russian Fed, and B/S had arguably their best set of programs ever. Unfortunately, B/S got slapped with the meldonium ban, and S/K didn't score nearly as well at Worlds as I thought they might, given the trend in their scoring over the rest of the season.

As for Ilinykh, if she does indeed want to continue competing, I hope she will be able to find a partner, although I agree that her best chance for a qualified partner is to wait for the usual post-Olympic splits and hope for the best.

As for Zhiganshin, I am sorry that his career must now be added to the "what might have been" list. Still, he is a national champion, a former Junior World champion, and an Olympian - a very accomplished career, even if cut short.

 

[hanca]

And out of the pool of unattached male partners of her level, how many would have the courage to take her on? She doesn't sound exactly easy to work with.

What pool of unattached male partners do you have in mind? I can't come up with even one candidate. Maybe Mozgov, if he wants to upgrade, otherwise I can't come with anyone else. (And I am not even sure if Mozgov is physically compatible. Is he tall enough?)

 

[taz'smum]

Maybe Mozgov, if he wants to upgrade, otherwise I can't come with anyone else. (And I am not even sure if Mozgov is physically compatible. Is he tall enough?)

Ruslan is 177cm and Mozgov is 188cm, I think he might just be tall enough

 

[Messalina]

UGH. Ugh ugh ugh. I don't know what else to say. I was the last great I/K holdout uber. ... And then I finally resigned myself to it and pinned my hopes on Ruslena. And now ...

I hope Ruslan goes on to a healthy, happy, rewarding post-competition life. Goes without saying. He seems like a really nice guy, and as pointed out above, he snagged the top of the podium at nationals and junior worlds and will always be an Olympian, all of which is impressive. But I am completely heartbroken about Elena. Who would have thought 3 1/2 years ago, right after that Olympic bronze, that this is where Elena and Nikita would be? What a mess.

I hope Elena can salvage a career out of this. And I can't say that in a 100% disinterested manner--e.g. even if it means she goes on to a career in shows--because I selfishly want her to stay eligible. I hate shows! I want to see more fiery competitive Elena!

ETA: OK, I don't "hate" shows and I dearly dearly wish we had Japan-style and Lambiel-style shows here in the U.S. But live competition is what really floats my boat!

 

[supergirl573]

I thought Mozgov was partnered with Betina?

 

[hanca]

I thought Mozgov was partnered with Betina?

He is, but considering that he is junior world medallist, I don't think his paring can be considered very succesful. After all, they were having very comparable results with Davankova/Shibnev, and it was Davankova's first season in ice dance. That shows how much Mozgov's skating went downhill.

 

[Eislauffan]

Today the coach of Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Zhiganshin wrote to me that "Elena and Ruslan are sitting out the Grand Prix because of Ruslan having health issues" and "there is no question about ending the career".
I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

 

[Marta24]

Today the coach of Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Zhiganshin wrote to me that "Elena and Ruslan are sitting out the Grand Prix because of Ruslan having health issues" and "there is no question about ending the career".
I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

Thank you for the info. So, there seems to still be hope that I`m gonna see my favorite ice dance team back on ice.

 

[Eislauffan]

Thank you for the info. So, there seems to still be hope that I`m gonna see my favorite ice dance team back on ice.

Hope always dies last. ;-)

 

[clairecloutier]

Today the coach of Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Zhiganshin wrote to me that "Elena and Ruslan are sitting out the Grand Prix because of Ruslan having health issues" and "there is no question about ending the career".
I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

 

[becca]

Agreed, they should have. Say what you would about Piseev, but that's probably exactly what he would have done. Sometimes althletes are playing on emotions and don't posess higher level thinking.
Now Nikita doesn't posess an Olympic podium chance either.

Nikita has already made the Olympic podium-twice..

You cannot force people who don't want to work together to work together. And Elena/Nikita were always on and of themselves as a couple. They never made the improvements they needed to make.

I felt when it cames to the new partner she made the wrong choice.

 

[blue_idealist]

Nikita has already made the Olympic podium-twice..

You cannot force people who don't want to work together to work together. And Elena/Nikita were always on and of themselves as a couple. They never made the improvements they needed to make.

I felt when it cames to the new partner she made the wrong choice.

Ruslan was probably the best she could get at the time (I like him, but yeah, maybe they aren't 100% well-suited). Khaliavin only became available after she and Ruslan had already paired up, and I can't think of anyone else. IIRC, Guerreiro was already skating with Zahorski.