From Russia with love [#29]: Spring 2018 and beyond

[Eislauffan]

Love Pogorilaya so glad she's continuing.Can someone refresh my memory please? When was her last competition?

I think it was Skate Canada where she had a disastrous free. Then she wd from Skate America and also from Russian Nationals to heal her injuries.

 

[Eislauffan]

There was a figure skating press conference at TASS news agency in Moscow today. Some reports have been published.

Eteri Tutberidze talked about Alina bombing at Worlds was mainly due to a lack of experience and not perfect physical shape: https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20180327/1134667037.html

Federation president Alexander Gorshkov said that the results of the skaters this season were good.
https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20180327/1134666645.html

There should be more coming up, as according to the announcement of the press conference also Alina, Tarasova/Morozov, Sasha Trusova were there and Mikhail Kolyada was taking part by video conference from St. Petersburg.

Another story (not from the presser apparently) is that Nina Mozer will take a break of about half a year and then decide if she will return to coaching full-time or only help as a consultant. But she pointed out that she will stay connected.
https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20180327/1134668375.html

 

[skatepixie]

Another story (not from the presser apparently) is that Nina Mozer will take a break of about half a year and then decide if she will return to coaching full-time or only help as a consultant. But she pointed out that she will stay connected.
https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20180327/1134668375.html

Will her assistants coach her students?

 

[TAHbKA]

Will her assistants coach her students?

As much sense as Mozer ever makes...(not much)

 

[reut]

Here is the video of the press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHrYHfzWgJc&feature=youtu.be

 

[TAHbKA]

Here is the video of the press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHrYHfzWgJc&feature=youtu.be

55 minutes I'll never get back. The first question is about Zagitova's dog name, because, obviosuly, nothing is more imoprtant, a moronic answers by Mozer that sum up to `ah, you must be kind, you must not ask hard questions, do not ask my athletes about the failures and we almost made it to the podium'. The `awwww' value of a 5y.o asking Trusova whether she is afraid to land the quads. Am not even going to go into WTF the said 5y.o is doing in the official press conference and who let her take the mic.

 

[barbarafan]

55 minutes I'll never get back. The first question is about Zagitova's dog name, because, obviosuly, nothing is more imoprtant, a moronic answers by Mozer that sum up to `ah, you must be kind, you must not ask hard questions, do not ask my athletes about the failures and we almost made it to the podium'. The `awwww' value of a 5y.o asking Trusova whether she is afraid to land the quads. Am not even going to go into WTF the said 5y.o is doing in the official press conference and who let her take the mic.

Sorry - thanks for taking the time.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Stolbova/Klimov are staying for a year and after that will decide if they are going to continue
http://www.sport-express.ru/figure-skating/news/sleduyuschiy-sezon-tochno-otkataemsya-stolbova-i-klimov-prodolzhat-kareru-1388163/

YESSSSSSSSSSS #StolbovaAndKlimovFor2022OlympicChamps

 

[Mad for Skating]

Well based on all the teams you mention getting to the top of the Russian ice dance field is not very impressive at all! I mean outlasting Monko/khalavian or yanakovskaya/mozgov so Its not like it’s grishuk/platov, usova/zhulin, krylova/osianakov, navka/kostomarov or lobacheva /averbukh, even khoklova/ novitski or domnina /Shabalin.

Great season for a Russian team? Russian team likely heading to be national champions? Russian champions being celebrated for beating Gilles Poirier once? That is just such a demonstration of having thrown away any expectation of greatness from a major Russian ice dance team.

Frankly, I think Stepanova and Bukin will take some time to really develop. They've been in the shadow of Bobrova/Soloviev for years, they're quite young, and Rome wasn't built in a day. Some couples are great from the start (like Virtue/Moir), but others (like Hubbell/Donohue) take time to reach the top. Could you imagine if people gave up on Hubbell/Donohue because they were always stuck as the no. 3 US ice dance team? And now they're National champs and World Silver medalists (and would've had Olympic bronze if Zach hadn't...you know the story)
Anyway, I have a lot of hope for S/B. Can you try to hang in there for a few seasons while they hone their skills? I could see them as 2022 Olympic medalists.

 

[Ka3sha]

Aleksandra Trusova, 4Lz
https://instagram.com/p/Bg1LHsAn6aU/

 

[Yehudi]

Frankly, I think Stepanova and Bukin will take some time to really develop. They've been in the shadow of Bobrova/Soloviev for years, they're quite young, and Rome wasn't built in a day. Some couples are great from the start (like Virtue/Moir), but others (like Hubbell/Donohue) take time to reach the top.

Hubbell and Donahue have been together only since 2011 and had major injury issues along the way. Stepanova and Bukin have been together since 2006. SB have had plenty of time to develop and gel.

 

[Dobre]

(and would've had Olympic bronze if Zach hadn't...you know the story)

Facts not in evidence, but nice try. There is plenty of evidence that they were competitive for bronze.

There is also plenty of evidence that dance teams take their own journey to the top and that, in dance, it more often takes longer for top junior athletes to reach the highest level of their competitive results.

Stepanova and Bukin have been together since 2006. SB have had plenty of time to develop and gel.

Plenty of time to gel, but S&B are relatively young among the current top ten. They are still developing. P&C are the same generation, but Papadakis & Cizeron are the exception with regard to results that makes the rule. It is plenty common for dancers to require more than a quadrennium after juniors to develop the maturity, style, and competitive skills to reach their highest competitive level. Also plenty of evidence that it helps to win a national title first.

S&B have plenty of work to do. Don't get me wrong. They need to push for those level 4 footwork sequences and greatly improve the proximity of their tango relative to last season. But they have a lot going for them. Complexity, intricacy, energy. Their strengths can really stand out amidst the field.

 

[caseyedwards]

Frankly, I think Stepanova and Bukin will take some time to really develop. They've been in the shadow of Bobrova/Soloviev for years, they're quite young, and Rome wasn't built in a day. Some couples are great from the start (like Virtue/Moir), but others (like Hubbell/Donohue) take time to reach the top. Could you imagine if people gave up on Hubbell/Donohue because they were always stuck as the no. 3 US ice dance team? And now they're National champs and World Silver medalists (and would've had Olympic bronze if Zach hadn't...you know the story)
Anyway, I have a lot of hope for S/B. Can you try to hang in there for a few seasons while they hone their skills? I could see them as 2022 Olympic medalists.

S/b are young people but they are older than Papadakis and Cizeron. Their youth is no excuse for her totally bad skating skills. Since they have been partners for a decade and seniors for a almost an entire quad there’s no reason for their total lack of improvement and horrible results.

 

[Eislauffan]

Aleksandra Trusova, 4Lz
https://instagram.com/p/Bg1LHsAn6aU/

UR but still wow. Not worse than what some of the men are doing. ;-) (Actually even better as she did not fall and makes it look easy)

 

[Eislauffan]

55 minutes I'll never get back. The first question is about Zagitova's dog name, because, obviosuly, nothing is more imoprtant, a moronic answers by Mozer that sum up to `ah, you must be kind, you must not ask hard questions, do not ask my athletes about the failures and we almost made it to the podium'. The `awwww' value of a 5y.o asking Trusova whether she is afraid to land the quads. Am not even going to go into WTF the said 5y.o is doing in the official press conference and who let her take the mic.

:-D True, there was nothing new or particularily interesting in that presser. Still enjoyed seeing Alina and Misha. ;-)

 

[Tinami Amori]

Here is the video of the press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHrYHfzWgJc&feature=youtu.be

Thank you for posting it. I very much enjoyed this interview, especially since couple of questions from the press where “provocative” and Eteri’s and Mozer’s “strategic” answers were fun to hear.

- Eteri said few interesting things: Alina started to grow (3 cm) before the Olympics (not during or before Worlds) and it was not a factor in Alina’s meltdown; Alina’s peak was going down after the Olys. Alina had a flu the first week after Korea and was not skating. She was not able to gather her strength for the Worlds. And “the team” will take all those dynamics (of Alina’s functions) into consideration for the future.

- Eteri is not excluding working with any choreographers (from her team or outside) in the upcoming season, as long as they bring in interesting work/concept. She already has plans for her top ladies’ programmes; she usually conceives programmes in her head way in advance and then finds the right skater to perform them.
She also said that quads and difficult jumps is not a “Russian girls invention”, other countries’ female athletes are trying quads and 3A for sometime. Her girls are also practicing quads and 3A and will perform them if health allows.

- I am glad reporters asked Alina about her dog and her make up, to make her feel at ease and to relax her with some fun subjects (vs. the questions that made her nervous).

- Zagitova said that she was very sad the morning after FS, but Eteri and the team took her for a walk/tour of Milan just to sight-see, and made it fun for her so that her mood improves, and it did.

- Mozer snapped back at the reporter who posed a very blunt question to T/M “why can’t you win Gold”. Mozer replied pretty much that “negativity is not helpful, how about a more positive tone which would be more helpful”.

- Mozer is taking 6 months off, but she will actively participate in a role of a “consultant”, she is not disappearing, just not going to “live at the ice rink” for a short period of time.

- Kolyada had to answer the same questions, why he did not go for 2nd quad in SP, and he said “clean SP was the goal”; he is happy he has the bronze, but knows he needs to do better and plans to.

Good press conference over all. Eteri is gorgeous, clever and knows how to set grounds with people, and how to "deliver". Love her!

 

[Vash01]

Aleksandra Trusova, 4Lz
https://instagram.com/p/Bg1LHsAn6aU/

This is insane!- in a good way. She should compete in the mens division. Of course that won't happen. I hope puberty will be kind to her.

 

[Cherub721]

The journalist asking about the dog had an accent, so I assumed he was from Japan (the dog is from Japan) and he was asking because it was of interest to his audience.

Trusova is poised and really adorable at the same time.

 

[alchemy void]

S/b are young people but they are older than Papadakis and Cizeron. Their youth is no excuse for her totally bad skating skills. Since they have been partners for a decade and seniors for a almost an entire quad there’s no reason for their total lack of improvement and horrible results.

Like I predicted last month, CHAIKOVSKAYA is going to save Russian ice dance by bringing Krylova to Russia!

I do agree with you 7th was a poor result for S/B at Worlds. On the other hand, Z/G's 8th place phenomenal, I'd like to see them as Russian no 1 next season.

 

[Eislauffan]

A complete transcript of the press conference has been published on the website of the Russian figure skating federation (in Russian):
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/367...-budem-delat-vyvody-budem-rabotat-dalshe.html
There are also some photos (not great ones, though).

And yes, it was a Japanese journalist who asked the question about the dog. It's a big story in Japan that Alina is getting a typical Japanese dog, it seems almost political like a sign of Russian-Japanese friendship.

 

[binbinwinwin]

Gubanova to Buianova confirmed
https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1061699263.html

 

[DobrinFan]

Gubanova to Buianova confirmed
https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1061699263.html

Yay Someone else from CSKA to cheer for!

 

[Tinami Amori]

Yay Someone else from CSKA to cheer for!

Fortunately the sports club in figure skating is in the name only..... I'll cheer for her (although originally i am "Spartak" and "CSKA" was our competition.... ... let's face it CSKA hockey guys were the biggest bullies starting in Juniors...)

 

[Cherub721]

A complete transcript of the press conference has been published on the website of the Russian figure skating federation (in Russian):
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/367...-budem-delat-vyvody-budem-rabotat-dalshe.html
There are also some photos (not great ones, though).

Thanks! I'm learning Russian and it was very useful to listen and follow along with the text. Can someone explain the use of these words, please:

Очень жаль, что на чемпионате мира нам с Алиной чуть-чуть не хватило опыта. Смазанный финал сезона получился.
It is unfortunate that the world Cup we with Alina a little bit is not enough experience. Oiled season finale happened.

===
Это разные спортсменки. Абсолютно разные спортсменки. У Юли был какой-то момент усталости и насыщения.
These are different athletes. Completely different athletes. She had some moment of fatigue and saturation.

===

А мы лопатили, лопатили, лопатили, шли к Олимпийским играм.
And we were shoveling, shoveling, shoveling, going to the Olympic games.

===
Последний стартовый номер, который «замучил» нас в этом году. Я уже не обращала внимания, когда ребята «жеребились», так как они хорошо катали короткую, то, соответственно, были последними или предпоследними, но как обычно выбирали последний номер.
At the Olympics, we had psychological problems. The last starting number that tortured us this year. I wasn't paying attention when the guys "have a foal", as they are well rolled short, respectively, were last or next to last, but as usual chose the last number.

Does had a foal = they bombed?

 

[Tinami Amori]

Thanks! I'm learning Russian and it was very useful to listen and follow along with the text. Can someone explain the use of these words, please:

You had to ask tricky ones... .

1) Очень жаль, что на чемпионате мира нам с Алиной чуть-чуть не хватило опыта. Смазанный (smudged) финал сезона получился.
It is unfortunate that the world Cup we with Alina a little bit is not enough experience. Oiled (smudged) season finale happened.

Смазанный has several meanings: Greased (car engine with oil), Buttered (bread with butter), Smudged (face cream on the face, or any soft substance against a surface). The reason you got "Oiled" is because it is ok not to say "butter" or "oil" for example, in a sentences like this:
- full sentence: "Bread is smudged with Butter" - short: Bread is buttered.
- full sentence: "Gears are smudged with Oil" - short: "Gears are oiled.
So instead of "smudged" the translator assumed you're looking for "result" of smudging and gave you "Oiled".

In the text "smudged" is used as "symbolic negative". A perfect fresh oil painting, and someone smudges the paints...

Depending on the context, Смазанный can also mean: smeared, unevenly spread, wishy-washy, skewed, off balance, off centre, not exact, blurry, unclear, vague.

2) Это разные спортсменки. Абсолютно разные спортсменки. У Юли был какой-то момент усталости и насыщения.
These are different athletes. Completely different athletes. She had some moment of fatigue and saturation.

Насыщение - Saturation (in science, substance absorbed to full capacity, maxed out, filled up/to the top).
Насыщение - Saturation (emotional/human feelings: overwhelmed, fulfilled, emotions beyond capacity, lack of enthusiasm).
Насыщение - No longer hungry, stuffed, satiated, full, repleted.
Saturation can be "a positive" or "a negative".

3) А мы лопатили, лопатили, лопатили, шли к Олимпийским играм.
And we were shoveling, shoveling, shoveling, going to the Olympic games.

She is using slang. Лопата из Shovel. It is often associates with hard repetitious work. To shovel, shovel, shovel means "worked our butts off"... Worked and worked and worked.
I guess in English it would be: We kept on digging, digging, digging (and reached the end goal).

4) Последний стартовый номер, который «замучил» нас в этом году. Я уже не обращала внимания, когда ребята «жеребились», так как они хорошо катали короткую, то, соответственно, были последними или предпоследними, но как обычно выбирали последний номер.

At the Olympics, we had psychological problems. The last starting number that tortured us this year. I wasn't paying attention when the guys "have a foal" , as they are well rolled short, respectively, were last or next to last, but as usual chose the last number.

The original word of «жеребились» (actually it is not correct, will explain later) is "жеребьевка" (slangy) or "жребий" means: Toss-up, Straw-drawing, Random Draw, Randomness of Life's Fortune, Luck, Draw of a number (starting number for skating). But the word for "draw" (with out the randomness aspect) is different in Russian. So if one uses "жеребьевка" it can ONLY be related to "Random Draw" for placement, or something.

The reason google gave you "foal" for «жеребились» because "жеребенок" in Russian is "a foal" and in veterinary/farm language "о-жеребиться" means to give birth to one.

The text has a mistake. The word should be «жребились» (from "жребий") and not «жеребились» (from "жеребенок")

***

 

[Cherub721]

Thanks Tinami, that was a really great and clear explanation.

 

[TAHbKA]

Some fluff with nice photos about Medvedeva the interesting part: she is attempted quad jumps but never landed them

 

[Mad for Skating]

S/b are young people but they are older than Papadakis and Cizeron. Their youth is no excuse for her totally bad skating skills. Since they have been partners for a decade and seniors for a almost an entire quad there’s no reason for their total lack of improvement and horrible results.

Papadakis and Cizeron are not your typical ice dance couple; they basically won Worlds right out of juniors (I think it was only their second senior year).
Maybe Stepanova/Bukin are just not cut out to be Papadakis/Cizeron and that's a fact you'll have to accept. The same way some people have to accept that Bradie Tennell is not going to be Alina Zagitova.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Ah, Alexandra Trusova here to rescue Russian men's skating!

On a serious note: as cool as it is that she's landing quads, I'm more worried for her than anything. She's very young and either her body will give out too early, or puberty will throw off her technique. I don't feel very comfortable with this and I hope they exercise caution...but it's Eteri we're dealing with, so never mind that...

 

[Mad for Skating]

Facts not in evidence, but nice try. There is plenty of evidence that they were competitive for bronze.

There is also plenty of evidence that dance teams take their own journey to the top and that, in dance, it more often takes longer for top junior athletes to reach the highest level of their competitive results.



Plenty of time to gel, but S&B are relatively young among the current top ten. They are still developing. P&C are the same generation, but Papadakis & Cizeron are the exception with regard to results that makes the rule. It is plenty common for dancers to require more than a quadrennium after juniors to develop the maturity, style, and competitive skills to reach their highest competitive level. Also plenty of evidence that it helps to win a national title first.

S&B have plenty of work to do. Don't get me wrong. They need to push for those level 4 footwork sequences and greatly improve the proximity of their tango relative to last season. But they have a lot going for them. Complexity, intricacy, energy. Their strengths can really stand out amidst the field.

Agree! The talent is there, they just need to clean it up a bit. I really loved their short dance this year - who thinks to use Sia for a Latin pattern dance? I'm in love!