Alena Kostornaia appreciation thread

[Sylvia]

I felt like starting a fan thread for my current fave young junior lady. She is the 2018 Junior Worlds and Junior Grand Prix Final (Dec. 2017) silver medalist.

She skated better/cleaner at the Junior Grand Prix Final even though her FS score was higher at Junior Worlds.

JGPF 1st place free skate (132.93): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QFV79090LI
JGPF short program (71.65): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMw4rLO7sD8

ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00102764.htm
Profile in Russian (Косторная Алёна Сергеевна): http://www.fskate.ru/skaters/3159.html

 

[Anyasnake]

Her skating is marvelous and very precious. The first time I saw her skate was at JGPF. I didn't even noticed her programs were backloaded because I got so caught up by her skating
But talking about backloading : when you have this kind of skating abilities it's not an issue at all. It's almost like watching Ice Dance. I sit back and appreciate.
In Daniil Instagram story she was doing 3F-3T-3Lo at the gala practice But also she's working on upping her tech. I hope she keeps her jumps, she is marvelous.

 

[rfisher]

She and Gubanova are my favorites of all the young Russian skaters. Such an innate talent.

 

[muffinplus]

Can't wait till she hits the seniors

 

[Vash01]

I love Kostornaia. At such a young age she is already a complete skater. Very beautiful skating.

 

[Meoima]

Her 3F3T3Lo https://twitter.com/Aviana_Ruby/status/972756891930636288?s=20

 

[oleada]

I absolutely love her. She makes the programs seem so short. She is so polished and musical. Her short program was my favorite program of all JW. She is truly special.

Her 3F3T3Lo https://twitter.com/Aviana_Ruby/status/972756891930636288?s=20

This gives me hope that she can upgrade her combo to a 3F3Lo in order to keep up with her training mates!

 

[Meoima]

This gives me hope that she can upgrade her combo to a 3F3Lo in order to keep up with her training mates!

Alena said she would do quad next season.

 

[oleada]

Alena said she would do quad next season.

Based on how big her 3T is, I’m guessing it will be a 4T.

 

[Meoima]

Based on how big her 3T is, I’m guessing it will be a 4T.

Her 3T is really huge, we shall see.

 

[Meoima]

Her ex at JWC, she did Carmen, her previous SP https://youtu.be/jnaLrdmNK7E

 

[kwanatic]

She and Gubanova are my favorites of all the young Russian skaters. Such an innate talent.

100% agreed. Both of them are just gorgeous to watch. I know Gubanova has been struggling lately (puberty) but she's still a dream to watch.

Aside from being absolutely gorgeous (she's such a pretty girl!), Alena is just lovely on the ice. ITA with @Anyasnake re: Alena's backloading...I barely notice it. For most backloaders it's painfully obvious that they are wasting time until the 2:00 minute mark so they can start jumping and that's what bugs me about it. For Alena, I'm so caught up in her presentation of her other elements that I don't even realize she's backloaded both of her programs.

I believe it was TSL who noted that Alena spent time under another coach before joining Eteri's group. If that is the case it definitely shows in her presentation. She's far more polished and controlled than Eteri's other girls. I'm crossing my fingers she'll be one of the few who make a successful jump to seniors in another year or two.

 

[Sylvia]

Link to @quiqie's translation (GSD thread) of an interview with Alena K. during the JGP Final this past December: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...rnaya-i-want-to-become-a-neurosurgeon.102579/
Excerpt from the beginning:

A: My mom brought me (to the ice rink) when I was 4. She said you have to try so that they will teach you to fall and you don't break anything. I started skating at «Umka» with coach Marina Cherkasova. She got me on skates, taught me a lot, I took my first steps on the ice with her. After 3-4 years, my mom asked if I wanted to continue skating. I said: of course. I already liked figure skating by then, even though at first I didn't want to go to the rink at all. My mom would push me on to the ice and close the door. I very much didn't want to go. But then I got into skating, I started liking it. We decided to move further and switched to another coach, Elena Zhgun at «Sambo-70». I skated with her for 5 years, and then after last season, in February, we decided to move to Eteri Tutberidze's group, because her girls show strong results. And I wanted to be on podium as well.

Q: So you switched, and?
A: I knew that Eteri Georgievna is very demanding. When I came for a tryout, I skated a bit, ice time was over, and I was told that I am kind of in. But I had to skate at one more competition for my old school, «Tchaikovskaya's skate», and after that it was done. I skated with Eteri Georgievna for a week, and then she said yes.
In the beginning, when I first started in the new group, for about three months I was just doing jumps. I liked it. Some things I didn't qiute understand back then. I saw the girls skating during practices, doing free program run-throughs, correcting mistakes, if Eteri Georgievna didn't like something, repeating it again. It seemed easy enough. Only in Novogorsk, when I had my programs choreographed, I realised how hard it was to skate it time after time.

 

[Seerek]

Max Ambesi is a huge supporter, to the point where he posted (translated) "Seriously, tell me which short program in the Olympics was actually better than Alena's?" and "Alena has nothing to be envious of the current senior ladies". That's rather strong language, but I think you get his point.

 

[Sylvia]

New interview (headline translates to "I love jumping, I like the feeling of flying"): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...w-with-aliona-kostornaia.103614/#post-5326987

@Ka3sha has translated in this GSD thread (many thanks!): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/tatjana-flade-interview-with-aliona-kostornaia.103614/

 

[IceAlisa]

I didn't even noticed her programs were backloaded because I got so caught up by her skating

Same here! I was so drawn in that I didn't even notice and I complain to no end about Zagitova how I watch the clock until she starts jumping. Incredible maturity and gravitas from a 14 year old.

And yes, those of you who predicted she'd go for 4T were right. She confirmed in the interview above that it's her most comfortable jump.

 

[Edgecase]

She’s my favorite Russian lady, junior or senior. As much as we talk about the huge technical/jumping content that the Russian ladies have, another aspect of their skating that separates them from the rest is edge quality, and Alena is a prime example of this. She has beautiful edges and hence the great carriage and flow.

 

[Jebrista]

On Daniil Gleikhengauz just posted a video on his Instagram story of Alena landing 3A!!!! Huge and difficult entrance!

 

[Meoima]

On Daniil Gleikhengauz just posted a video on his Instagram story of Alena landing 3A!!!! Huge and difficult entrance!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgoU6t6nBcm/

 

[Amantide]

She and Gubanova are my favorites of all the young Russian skaters. Such an innate talent.

I agree. But I love Polina T too.

 

[oleada]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgoU6t6nBcm/

Holy crap, that’s a crazy good 3A.

 

[IceAlisa]

 

[rosewood]

 

[casken]

That was so clean and controlled it looked like the CGI triple axel from "I'Tonya."

 

[IceAlisa]

So what do people think of Alena’s programs? I feel like she’s such a rare talent and could make anything look beautiful but don’t think the R&J salad is worthy of her.

She is still my favorite lady among both seniors and juniors

 

[muffinplus]

I am still in denial that she doesn't get much higher PCS than Trusova

 

[IceAlisa]

I am still in denial that she doesn't get much higher PCS than Trusova

I know. Her skating has no weaknesses. Unless you consider the lack of quad a weakness in a 14 year old. Is she 15 yet? Her 3A is brilliant

 

[Sylvia]

Alena turns 15 later this month (her 2018-19 music is listed in her bio now): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00102764.htm

Re-posting from the From Russia with Love thread:

I found a fan cam of Alena Kostornaia's test skate (starts with "Kissing You" instrumental piece from the 1996 Romeo & Juliet film / music from the 2013 R&J film / Nino Rota's famous R&J love theme): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GgNVmZDAE0

SP fan cam of test skate to music by Max Richter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpqTBkqkIE

 

[Tinami Amori]

Alena is one of my favorite skaters, when on the ice. When off the ice, she seems to be putting "too much of herself outside of herself", as if she constantly wants attention and approval, not in a healthy way. Other girls seem a lot more "centered internally" when off the ice. Alena seems eager and restless somehow.. with a "do you see me? can you give me some of your energy?" crazy look in her eyes. If i am right, then it would be hard for her to handle pressure/media/all the hoopla when in the senior ranks. I hope Eteri's team teach her to "pull back in" and close off the outside world on regular basis. She is gorgeous and talented without "people approving her".

https://vk.com/alenakostornaya?z=photo-154578307_456241414/album-154578307_00/rev
https://vk.com/alenakostornaya?z=photo-154578307_456241407/album-154578307_00/rev
https://vk.com/alenakostornaya?z=photo-97272391_456262473/wall-154578307_912

 

[muffinplus]

Alena is one of my favorite skaters, when on the ice. When off the ice, she seems to be putting "too much of herself outside of herself", as if she constantly wants attention and approval, not in a healthy way. Other girls seem a lot more "centered internally" when off the ice. Alena seems eager and restless somehow.. with a "do you see me? can you give me some of your energy?" crazy look in her eyes. If i am right, then it would be hard for her to handle pressure/media/all the hoopla when in the senior ranks. I hope Eteri's team teach her to "pull back in" and close off the outside world on regular basis. She is gorgeous and talented without "people approving her".

https://vk.com/alenakostornaya?z=photo-154578307_456241414/album-154578307_00/rev
https://vk.com/alenakostornaya?z=photo-154578307_456241407/album-154578307_00/rev
https://vk.com/alenakostornaya?z=photo-97272391_456262473/wall-154578307_912

Wow, all that psychoanalysis based on 3 pictures? LOL