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

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"Polina Shelepen Visits “Khrustalny Rink” after 6 years of absence."
https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1062578628.html
(wow! polina came to apologize to Eteri... :eek: ;))

A former Russian figure skater, and now a coach, Polina Shelepen, visited Sambo-70/Khrustalny Rink (Crystal rink), where she trained with Eteri Tutberidze, and left the team in 2012.

Shelepen: “Well, plenty of people know of my visit to Sambo-70 rink. I was absent for 6 years. It was not easy for me, the hardest part was to admit my past mistakes and to apologize. I think many people can guess what it is about. But, oh heck, it feels great to return to the old rink, where my skating journey began, and to see my old photograph on the wall.

We all make mistakes, we’re human. But one must learn to admit them, and in my case it is best to do it soon. I love you all, see you soon”, said Shelepen on her Instragram page.
 
Today Alina Zagitova met Japanese TV at the Russian Olympic Committee to reveal which dog she has chosen. It was really funny. Four camera teams interviewed Alina, she showed them a photo of her dog (really cute!) and talked about how she chose the dog together with the president of the Akita-Inu society. She confirmed again the name of the dog ("Masaru"), that she chose a female dog etc etc. She got already a dog collar ("red - the colour of victory"). Nothing really new. The dog will come to Moscow end of May and I'm sure the arrival of the dog will be another big event for the Japanese media.
I thought it was strange that nobody asked Alina about her new SP "Phantom of the Opera". I did, of course, later. ;-)
 
Eislauffan said:
Today Alina Zagitova met Japanese TV at the Russian Olympic Committee to reveal which dog she has chosen. It was really funny. Four camera teams interviewed Alina, she showed them a photo of her dog (really cute!) and talked about how she chose the dog together with the president of the Akita-Inu society. She confirmed again the name of the dog ("Masaru"), that she chose a female dog etc etc. She got already a dog collar ("red - the colour of victory"). Nothing really new. The dog will come to Moscow end of May and I'm sure the arrival of the dog will be another big event for the Japanese media.
I thought it was strange that nobody asked Alina about her new SP "Phantom of the Opera". I did, of course, later. ;-)
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Thanks for the update.... I'm more interested in her new programs than in the dog...
 
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Mad for Skating said:
Ok even if she's not using drugs to stop their puberty, you can't deny that these girls are on stricter diets than the skaters from other countries, and the mentality is different. You don't hear Kaetlyn Osmond talking about "weight, weight, and weight".

Here's Evgenia's athlete profile: 162 cm, 46kg. That means 5'3 3/4" and 101 pounds.

https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/jp/...hlete-profile-n3036249-evgeniia-medvedeva.htm

Alina's profile: 5'1" and 94 pounds https://www.nbcolympics.com/athlete...colympics.com/athletes/alina-zagitova/1527536

I understand that athletes in general are thin and light, but they just seem a wee bit too skinny and I think Tutberidze's way of referring to weight doesn't help. You know, the whole "shut your mouth and don't eat" stuff.



What's this supposed to mean?
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It means you're unbelievably articulate and mature for your age. :)
 
alchemy void said:
I understand that, but why do we have to be consistent with gymnastics? Completely different sports.
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When you are increasing or decreasing the age you need to justify the reason behind the move, ISU have in the past have got into trouble with the European court of Justice for limiting eligibility. When you make a move as in now, the girls have the opportunity to argue that their opportunity for livelihood and future income is being reduced by this move. Furthermore, the decision is based not on any scientific basis. The move along with gymnastics was because of scientific reason, injury etc, ISU has not demonstrated any reasoning for this move.
 
Domshabfan said:
The move along with gymnastics was because of scientific reason, injury etc, ISU has not demonstrated any reasoning for this move.
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You mean like a multi-year track record of younger athletes winning and then finding themselves to lack competitiveness after puberty? Or a long history of eating disorders within the sport?

Athletes like Julia, Gracie, & Anna. There's plenty of "statistical" evidence to make the argument in any sport where younger athletes show a clear physical advantage over older athletes. The political firestorm that pushed the age limit in gymnastics got what they wanted & the same people could get it in skating.

I'm not supporting a new age limit. I'm playing devil's advocate.

I didn't support the age limit in gymnastics. I think people are absolutely correct that the push behind the age limit comes from watching young athletes win. Though I think the anti-Russian politics argument is incorrect. Few athletes in the sport have received as much negativity as I recall toward Tara during the Tara & Michelle wars. And the gymnastics argument was leveled against every single coach from every gymnastics powerhouse. It's an international form of angst.

As long as there are older athletes like Carolina, Kaetlyn, & Ashley winning medals, then I think there is a pretty solid argument against a required age limit. But if that track record disappears. If you wind up with no one older than 16 winning your GPs, GPFs, Euros, 4CCs, and Worlds . . . then you are where gymnastics was in '92. And while I didn't support the age limit at all in '92, I don't knock it now. Gymnasts stay in far longer, and the athletic & physical development of the sport has grown by leaps & bounds. (You could argue the top athletes make more money because these athletes stay at the top longer). I hate the new scoring system that has devalued perfection/execution/artistry in gymnastics. But I don't hate the result of the age limit.

OTOH, where does it stop? Why _____ age instead of _____ age? I think there has to be a solid argument behind determining that number if you bump the age limit up.
 
Dobre said:
You mean like a multi-year track record of younger athletes winning and then finding themselves to lack competitiveness after puberty? Or a long history of eating disorders within the sport?

Athletes like Julia, Gracie, & Anna. There's plenty of "statistical" evidence to make the argument in any sport where younger athletes show a clear physical advantage over older athletes. The political firestorm that pushed the age limit in gymnastics got what they wanted & the same people could get it in skating.

I'm not supporting a new age limit. I'm playing devil's advocate.

I didn't support the age limit in gymnastics. I think people are absolutely correct that the push behind the age limit comes from watching young athletes win. Though I think the anti-Russian politics argument is incorrect. Few athletes in the sport have received as much negativity as I recall toward Tara during the Tara & Michelle wars. And the gymnastics argument was leveled against every single coach from every gymnastics powerhouse. It's an international form of angst.

As long as there are older athletes like Carolina, Kaetlyn, & Ashley winning medals, then I think there is a pretty solid argument against a required age limit. But if that track record disappears. If you wind up with no one older than 16 winning your GPs, GPFs, Euros, 4CCs, and Worlds . . . then you are where gymnastics was in '92. And while I didn't support the age limit at all in '92, I don't knock it now. Gymnasts stay in far longer, and the athletic & physical development of the sport has grown by leaps & bounds. (You could argue the top athletes make more money because these athletes stay at the top longer). I hate the new scoring system that has devalued perfection/execution/artistry in gymnastics. But I don't hate the result of the age limit.

OTOH, where does it stop? Why _____ age instead of _____ age? I think there has to be a solid argument behind determining that number if you bump the age limit up.
Click to expand...

There’s scientific data on the average age of puberty and physical growth - plus medical data in overuse injuries for teenagers. A committee of specialists could get together and say the age is 15 or 16 or 17 based on the data, not who is winning at a particular time. If the case is made that we don’t want pre-pubescent girls skating senior, and the average age for puberty is X, making X the age limit is s respectable policy.

I’m curious about what someone like Mirai, who won Nats as a teeny girl and fought her way back as an adult, thinks of this. Would she support an age limit that would have prevented her winning Nats at 14? What does Tara, an OGM whose career was cut short by overuse injury, think? What do Julia and Elena think? These perspectives would be valuable.
 
Tinami Amori said:
:D and if she is not on a diet, then you'll find some "other problem", after all "nothing right can be about Russian girls"..:lol:

Oh, Med is on a diet..... sushi diet (at 30 USD a meal) .. :D
@ 2:27 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzGhduVL9IQ
@ 0:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3kH7TbKykk

And Zag, is just starving on ice-cream dish lunches, and meat dishes grand-ma makes her.. (english subs, keep watching past 2:00 mark.. :D)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99-41iFypPk
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Well, I'm glad to see they eat sometimes. When they start saying "shut your mouth and don't eat", I start to worry about them. Is that a crime?
Also, I love the Russian girls. They're very pleasing to watch and they all have great technical strength. Pogorilaya, Sakhanovich, and Radionova are my favorites, and I also liked Medvedeva's free skate this year. (Not to mention, I fall on my knees at the thrones of Stolbova/Klimov, so you cannot say I hate Russians).
 
Dobre said:
As long as there are older athletes like Carolina, Kaetlyn, & Ashley winning medals, then I think there is a pretty solid argument against a required age limit. But if that track record disappears. If you wind up with no one older than 16 winning your GPs, GPFs, Euros, 4CCs, and Worlds . . . then you are where gymnastics was in '92. And while I didn't support the age limit at all in '92, I don't knock it now. Gymnasts stay in far longer, and the athletic & physical development of the sport has grown by leaps & bounds. (You could argue the top athletes make more money because these athletes stay at the top longer). I hate the new scoring system that has devalued perfection/execution/artistry in gymnastics. But I don't hate the result of the age limit.
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I think you nailed it. The problem with ladies is that there is a fairly consistent pattern of a young skater arriving on the scene shortly before the Olympics, winning the Olympic gold, and then by choice or because of injuries (overtraining?), disappearing. Not good for the athlete, not good for the sport (the artistic aspect can't keep pace with the athletic side). Also not good for fan interest. Compare the ladies discipline to men, pairs and dance, where careers tend to extend over two or more Olympic cycles. IMO an athlete with longevity is one I as a fan can get invested in. If you want to follow a lady, particularly a Russian lady, for 6-8 years, you had better start when they are 8-12 years of age (and there are fans that do).
 
Ka3sha said:
According to Match TV source of information, Medvedeva has left Tutberidze’s group
(Just speculations yet)
https://news.sportbox.ru/Vidy_sport...va_prekrashhajet_sotrudnichestvo_s_Tutberidze
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I saw this also, and will treat this news, at present, with a grain of salt... Big Grain.. :D
- such rumors were passed out before and Med denied it.
- no other publication has posted it. few "big journalists", when asked in their blogs, did not confirm/responded on the issue.
- Medvedeva as of now does not know if she can skate competitively until a set of medical exams are done on her leg, which are said to take place after May 5th (and next few days there are holidays in Russia, so no news until after the 10th, unless she is going out of the country to do the tests).

"Someone" already tried to spread rumors about "Med left Tutberidze, like Lipnitskaya", last time it was attempted on April 09, 2018. And Med and Eteri denied it. Further more, Med was rather harsh in her comments to the reporters saying "keep out of my life and quit spreading false rumors".
http://www.1rre.ru/83613-medvedeva-poshla-po-puti-lipnickoj-i-brosila-tutberidze.html

... and there was another attempt prior to April in March 2018... and Med denied it..
https://7days.ru/news/medvedeva-vpala-v-stupor-izza-novosti-ob-ukhode-ot-tutberidze.htm
 
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nimi said:
Can anybody who's familiar with how the Russian sports media works etc. give a guesstimate: what are the odds that this is not just idle speculation and vague rumors?
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Match TV is the main (and pretty much the only one) sports channel in Russia right now.
But in terms of the quality of information and content they lose a lot to media like R-sport or TASS
 
Ka3sha said:
Match TV is the main (and pretty much the only one) sports channel in Russia right now.
But in terms of the quality of information and content they lose a lot to media like R-sport or TASS
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Thanks. So it's really just basically "let's wait and see".
 
About the similar news in March 2018, Medvedeva said "this is either a provocation, or someone's stupidity".
https://www.sport-express.ru/figure...e-eto-provokaciya-ili-prosto-glupost-1380427/

I can see a situation where Med just learned or is suspecting that she can not skate competitively due to injury, so she is staying at the rink, practicing show numbers, but will not be training for this season's competitions... (so technically "not with Tutberidze"). But "Orser" and "staying at Sambo" in Moscow does not ring for me.
 
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Meoima said:
There is no other coach inside Samo 70 that can coach her at this level. I think she will leave Sambo for sure.
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I thought from the start that she will not return to competition after Olys, given her injury (and was hoping she attends MGU/University).

But if she is planning to skate in shows, she will need some work on her programmes, and Dudakov and Daniil are good enough to help her with such.
 
nimi said:
So it's really just basically "let's wait and see".
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Ka3sha said:
TASS confirmed
http://tass.ru/sport/5178007

Medvedeva has left Tutberidze’s group, but plans to continue working in Sambo-70 - according to the Renat Liashev, the head of Sambo-70
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Well, didn't have to wait for that long...
Here's to hoping that change is good and it'll all work out for her! :40beers:
(And that there will be no more Averbukh choreo)
 
Dobre said:
You mean like a multi-year track record of younger athletes winning and then finding themselves to lack competitiveness after puberty? Or a long history of eating disorders within the sport?

Athletes like Julia, Gracie, & Anna. There's plenty of "statistical" evidence to make the argument in any sport where younger athletes show a clear physical advantage over older athletes. The political firestorm that pushed the age limit in gymnastics got what they wanted & the same people could get it in skating.

I'm not supporting a new age limit. I'm playing devil's advocate.

I didn't support the age limit in gymnastics. I think people are absolutely correct that the push behind the age limit comes from watching young athletes win. Though I think the anti-Russian politics argument is incorrect. Few athletes in the sport have received as much negativity as I recall toward Tara during the Tara & Michelle wars. And the gymnastics argument was leveled against every single coach from every gymnastics powerhouse. It's an international form of angst.

As long as there are older athletes like Carolina, Kaetlyn, & Ashley winning medals, then I think there is a pretty solid argument against a required age limit. But if that track record disappears. If you wind up with no one older than 16 winning your GPs, GPFs, Euros, 4CCs, and Worlds . . . then you are where gymnastics was in '92. And while I didn't support the age limit at all in '92, I don't knock it now. Gymnasts stay in far longer, and the athletic & physical development of the sport has grown by leaps & bounds. (You could argue the top athletes make more money because these athletes stay at the top longer). I hate the new scoring system that has devalued perfection/execution/artistry in gymnastics. But I don't hate the result of the age limit.

OTOH, where does it stop? Why _____ age instead of _____ age? I think there has to be a solid argument behind determining that number if you bump the age limit up.
Click to expand...

Osmond was 21 till January and we put her in the « old department » with Kostner? When 21-22 yo is considered old in your sport, you know there is a problem there...
 
Digging through bits and pieces of "Med is going to Orser" rumors, seems like it could be this:
- Hanuy (who trains with Orser) recently asked if Med will do a joint show programme with him.
- Med replied "she would like to, but does not think it is geographically possible, given the training and show locations".

... so the rumors maybe about Med/Nanuy doing a joint show programme, and Orser is involved.

I do not believe for a second (and have not believed since Nov 2017) that Med will continue to skate competitively. Her leg will heal, but she is smart enough not to risk again.
 
Tinami Amori said:
Digging through bits and pieces of "Med is going to Orser" rumors, seems like it could be this:
- Hanuy (who trains with Orser) recently asked if Med will do a joint show programme with him.
- Med replied "she would like to, but does not think it is geographically possible, given the training and show locations".

... so the rumors maybe about Med/Nanuy doing a joint show programme, and Orser is involved.

I do not believe for a second (and have not believed since Nov 2017) that Med will continue to skate competitively. Her leg will heal, but she is smart enough not to risk again.
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Hanyu NEVER asked Med to do joint show program with him. Oh dear please stop spreading gossips.
It was a question from Russian reporters and Med brushed them off.
 
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