UPDATED/CONFIRMED: Evgenia Medvedeva leaving Tutberidze for Orser

[Rock2]

Kostners PCS are legit? Really? She's one of the most held up skaters ever.

I happen to agree that she's overscored but I thought she'd be a safe choice since she's universally loved. I do think her components are better than Medvedeva though and the point remains that you want to build components that hold up if you don't have the strongest TES in the field.

As for scoring overall there really aren't many 9s (avg of 5 components) out there in the ladies field, truthfully. I can think of maybe two you could argue for but I don't want to distract the conversation by naming them. The scoring of components overall is a massive issue in the sport and one that I don't see being addressed any time before I part ways with this earth. Separate topic.

 

[Bellanca]

I’m waiting for the headline: Olympic Champion, Zagitova to train with Rafael Arutyunyan in California, switch countries to represent the U.S.A., … UPDATE: No, wait a minute, this just in, Zagitova moving to Italy to train with mentor Carolina Kostner and legendary coach Alexei Mishin.

Oh, the off-season…

A coaching change for Med, not really a big deal, IMHO.

However, using

the “switching countries” threat to negotiate with the FFKR.

... that's just business savvy... I think Med should retire and take that shrewdness out into society, cash in and then sit back and have a .

 

[Vash01]

I’m waiting for the headline: Olympic Champion, Zagitova to train with Rafael Arutyunyan in California, switch countries to represent the U.S.A., … UPDATE: No, wait a minute, this just in, Zagitova moving to Italy to train with mentor Carolina Kostner and legendary coach Alexei Mishin.

Oh, the off-season…

A coaching change for Med, not really a big deal, IMHO.

However, using... that's just business savvy... I think Med should retire and take that shrewdness out into society, cash in and then sit back and have a .

Med loves to skate. No way she is going to settle for sitting around counting her money.

 

[IloveFS]

The same way Luba Ilyushechkina skated for Canada. It's not likely, but it's obviously possible.

I think that this is different. A team has to represent one country or the other. I'm not sure a singles skater could represent a country of his or her choosing without significant ties (i.e. a parent who is a citizen of a particular nation).

 

[Bellanca]

More Orser / Medvedeva stuff... This article will need Google translate or an equivalent in order for some of you to read it. Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, already.

Евгения Медведева Diagonal Medvedeva. Vaitsekhovskaya about the separation of Medvedev and Tutberidze

 

[Sylvia]

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, already.

No apologies necessary... @iris81 posted the link earlier & this one sentence summary:

https://rsport.ria.ru/blog_rian/20180506/1136475036.html
New article by Vaitsekhovskaya. She says tomorrow RusFed will announce about Evgenia's new coach - Brian Orser.

Google translation of the first paragraph (rest is her editorial):

On Monday, May 7, the Russian Federation of figure skating (FFKKR) should officially announce that two-time world champion and vice-champion of the Games in Pyeongchang Evgenia Medvedev has parted with his former mentor Eteri Tutberidze and will continue working with the famous Canadian specialist Brian Orser. The special correspondent of RIA Novosti Elena Vaitsekhovskaya argues in the editorial blog about why this transition was inevitable, and why none of the interested parties won it.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Med loves to skate.

Agreed. The rumour that she is thinking of skating for Armenia, reminds me of how the gymnast, Oksana Chusovitina, is still competing at 42. She represented the old Soviet Union, Germany, and now, Uzbekistan.

Switching countries would make that mission easily possible.

 

[Ka3sha]

Channel One (main Russian tv channel) showed an interview with Eteri Tutberidze in the evening news.

Eteri sent them a screenshot, which showed all the messages she sent to Evgenia from the middle of April and said that Evgenia didn’t respond to her...
She also said that after Olympics Evgenia asked their coaching team: “Why couldn’t you keep Alina in juniors for one more year”
and Eteri answered her that “they couldn’t do that, everyone deserves equal opportunities”.

From that interview it also looks like Evgenia is indeed moving to Orser.
Averbukh and TAT were also asked to comment this situation and both said that Evgenia is a very strong young lady, and that she had her own motives to leave Eteri

 

[Tinami Amori]

I am still waiting for a Miracle to happen, and for some one with authority to advise Evgeniya to enroll into a good University in any country, save her money and travel and learn. She already has ALL medals, and an injury which puts a question mark on the possibility of her top-level comeback towards the next Olympics.

She did well in high-school, learned English, learning Japanese, reading interesting books, etc... this is a perfect stage in life to gain more knowledge and Education. She is star in Sports, accomplished, and now it's time to do something bigger and better, find a profession to last a life time.

 

[bardtoob]

When she makes multiple mistakes her execution and performance quality goes down.

Yes, but that is how the judges use the scoring system wrong in general. The judges tend to give similar scores across all categories per skater per program rather than having each PCS be independent.

 

[Sylvia]

The rumour that she is the thinking of some in the media are spreading re. her skating for Armenia

Corrected that for you.

 

[bardtoob]

I am still waiting for a Miracle to happen, and for some one with authority to advise Evgeniya to enroll into a good University in any country, save her money and travel and learn. She already has ALL medals, and an injury which puts the possibility of her top-level comeback to the next Olympics a question mark.

She did well in high-school, learned English, learning Japanese, reading interesting books, etc... this is a perfect stage in life to gain more knowledge and Education.

This would be acceptable to me. She is young enough to learn to win in other arenas.

 

[Wyliefan]

Isn't her injury healed, or nearly healed, now? If it is, there's no reason in the world why she shouldn't go on skating, just as Kaetlyn did after hers healed.

 

[Ka3sha]

An excerpt from the evening news with Eteri’s comments
https://www.1tv.ru/news/2018-05-06/...t_uhod_evgenii_medvedevoy_ot_eteri_tutberidze

 

[Tinami Amori]

This would be acceptable to me. She is young enough to learn to win in other arenas.

She is on a roll... ANY University would gladly accept her. In earlier interviews (2015/2016) she said she is very interested in astronomy, and explained why, and listed books she is reading about space travel/science fiction. She can become an astronaut, go into space... she has the physique, health and will power.

 

[Polaris]

An except from the evening news with Eteri’s comments
https://www.1tv.ru/news/2018-05-06/...t_uhod_evgenii_medvedevoy_ot_eteri_tutberidze

Now it has gotten really, really ugly.

 

[Fairuza]

Eteri is her old classic self - blaming anyone apart from herself. Bravo!

 

[Tinami Amori]

Now it has gotten really, really ugly.

There is nothing ugly in that interview.
Eteri said she's been messaging to Evgeniya last few weeks and have not heard a reply. Then she said (as explanation i suppose) that she and Med had a conversation, where Med asked her to "keep Zagitova in Juniors" and Eteri said "I have to be fair to all". Then it shows Med recently giving an interview about "staying in skating (with Eteri)" and that she (Med) wants to go for maximum difficulty and! (sounded like "recently") have been trying to do quads on her own, WITHOUT a harness, and sort of landing them.
Then there is a mention that "Orser said that Eteri's girls with quads may not last", and Eteri said "It would be better if he just said congratulations", now it sounds like a challenge.

And the caster ended the segment with "we will hear the announcement on monday".

Actually the conversations about "Zag staying in Juiors" started in November 2017, and it was a subject of discussion since.

 

[Polaris]

^I think it's pretty ugly and petty for Eteri to be spilling text messages to the media and trying to conduct a "she said this!" to paint herself as a victim.

She also went after Orser because he didn't say anything congratulatory about Trusova's quads.

 

[Fairuza]

I guess there’s no point in trying to prove to some trolls over here there’s a kind of heart-to-heart revelations between people - between coaches and their charges, for instance - you can’t really fall lower than making those words public. Even if Zhenya did say those words, an adult should never ever repeat these words to any journalist.

 

[rfisher]

This article is more than two years old (published in February 2016), so it has nothing to do with the current situation.

I don't think Evgenia wants and will change countries. The Armenia option is something she could keep in mind in case she is not able to make the Russian team anymore. But there are a lot of downsides to it and she will know that. And if she doesn't make the Russian team anymore her chances of winning something even competing for another country are slim. And if she competes, she wants to be competitive and not just have a nice trip to Europeans, Worlds and the Olympic Games.

Exactly. If she doesn't win in Russia, she won't win for any other country since she'd still be competing against the Russians. Med pushed Lip and Rad out just like Zagitiva pushed her out and another skater will push her out. It's just what it is in Russian ladies

 

[Polaris]

I guess there’s no point in trying to prove to some trolls over here there’s a kind of heart-to-heart revelations between people - between coaches and their charges, for instance - you can’t really fall lower than making those words public. Even if Zhenya did say those words, an adult should never ever repeat these words to any journalist.

I guess those same people would be okay with their exes posting all their conversations on social media.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I guess there’s no point in trying to prove to some trolls over here there’s a kind of heart-to-heart revelations between people - you can’t really fall lower than making those words public!

You are not capable of proving that sky is blue to a child, given your fishmarket style of conversing...

The issue of keeping Zagitova in Juniors one more year, and since it is not possible, then increasing Med's programme content/difficulty, was a subject of open discussion by many at the rink and in the skating circles.

 

[barbarafan]

^I think it's pretty ugly and petty for Eteri to be spilling text messages to the media and trying to conduct a "she said this!" to paint herself as a victim.

She also went after Orser because he didn't say anything congratulatory about Trusova's quads.

Seriously??? Maybe he can't say it in Russian. Was he at the competition where she landed them? Maybe he does not think it is a big feat before puberty. And yes Eteri should not have repeated communications with a student verbal or text messages and she also should be protecting their health. Maybe Med should have stayed off the ice for a long period after the injury and only come back in time for Olympics. Or maybe she should not have skated at Olympics. Eteri forced Aidain Pitkeev to compete when he felt he was too injured to skate and he has never recovered. She has bashed everyone who left her.

 

[barbarafan]

She is on a roll... ANY University would gladly accept her. In earlier interviews (2015/2016) she said she is very interested in astronomy, and explained why, and listed books she is reading about space travel/science fiction. She can become an astronaut, go into space... she has the physique, health and will power.

Maybe she can study abroad and come back and enter politics and oust the Russian spy Putin from his post and replace him.

 

[quiqie]

There is nothing ugly in that interview.
Eteri said she's been messaging to Evgeniya last few weeks and have not heard a reply. Then she said (as explanation i suppose) that she and Med had a conversation, where Med asked her to "keep Zagitova in Juniors" and Eteri said "I have to be fair to all". Then it shows Med recently giving an interview about "staying in skating (with Eteri)" and that she (Med) wants to go for maximum difficulty and! (sounded like "recently") have been trying to do quads on her own, WITHOUT a harness, and sort of landing them.
Then there is a mention that "Orser said that Eteri's girls with quads may not last", and Eteri said "It would be better if he just said congratulations", now it sounds like a challenge.

And the caster ended the segment with "we will hear the announcement on monday".

Actually the conversations about "Zag staying in Juiors" started in November 2017, and it was a subject of discussion since.

Except Tutberidze says that Medvedeva said those words about leaving Zagitova in Juniors right after exiting the ice after the free program at the Olympics. Needeless to say that their interactions after the free skate were dissected, analyzed, lip-read in minute details, and at no point could she have said that.

 

[Willin]

I am still waiting for a Miracle to happen, and for some one with authority to advise Evgeniya to enroll into a good University in any country, save her money and travel and learn. She already has ALL medals, and an injury which puts a question mark on the possibility of her top-level comeback towards the next Olympics.

She did well in high-school, learned English, learning Japanese, reading interesting books, etc... this is a perfect stage in life to gain more knowledge and Education. She is star in Sports, accomplished, and now it's time to do something bigger and better, find a profession to last a life time.

Why not both?
Plenty of skaters both skate and study, and certainly if she's motivated in both I'm sure she could succeed. If she does move to Orser, there's several good schools in Toronto that would be happy to have her.

There is nothing ugly in that interview.
Eteri said she's been messaging to Evgeniya last few weeks and have not heard a reply. Then she said (as explanation i suppose) that she and Med had a conversation, where Med asked her to "keep Zagitova in Juniors" and Eteri said "I have to be fair to all". Then it shows Med recently giving an interview about "staying in skating (with Eteri)" and that she (Med) wants to go for maximum difficulty and! (sounded like "recently") have been trying to do quads on her own, WITHOUT a harness, and sort of landing them.
Then there is a mention that "Orser said that Eteri's girls with quads may not last", and Eteri said "It would be better if he just said congratulations", now it sounds like a challenge.

And the caster ended the segment with "we will hear the announcement on monday".

Actually the conversations about "Zag staying in Juiors" started in November 2017, and it was a subject of discussion since.

Channel One (main Russian tv channel) showed an interview with Eteri Tutberidze in the evening news.

Eteri sent them a screenshot, which showed all the messages she sent to Evgenia from the middle of April and said that Evgenia didn’t respond to her...

She also said that after Olympics Evgenia asked their coaching team: “Why couldn’t you keep Alina in juniors for one more year” and Eteri answered her that “they couldn’t do that, everyone deserves equal opportunities”.

From that interview it also looks like Evgenia is indeed moving to Orser.

Averbukh and TAT were also asked to comment this situation and both said that Evgenia is a very strong young lady, and that she had her own motives to leave Eteri

Man Eteri sounds salty. So, so salty about this.

Did she have no idea that when she's constantly dumping skaters for her newer prospects older skaters might want to leave her? I'm baffled by her thought process there.
While she's correct that everyone deserves an opportunity, it sounds like there might have been something else going on behind the scenes that made Evgenia mad - not just Zagitova coming up. Maybe it is the choreography/backloading, maybe Zagitova became Eteri's #1 after Evgenia's injury, leading her not to have the attention she needed leading up to the Olympics, maybe Zagitova's been Eteri's favorite from the start of the season, who knows...

 

[Tinami Amori]

Maybe Med should have stayed off the ice for a long period after the injury and only come back in time for Olympics. Or maybe she should not have skated at Olympics. Eteri forced Aidain Pitkeev to compete when he felt he was too injured to skate and he has never recovered. She has bashed everyone who left her.

From what is "out there", the time line goes like this:
- (from Med's mother's interview) Med's leg start to hurt late summer'17. The team considered taking time off to heal it and skip the GPs. Med wanted to skate believing that before the Olys she needs to participate in competitions to keep current. She also decided to change FS programme, and wanted more difficulty.
- In Nov 2017 she could not skate in GPF, and Nationals. She continued to discuss "increase of difficulty in the programme", and it seems like Eteri cautioned her against it. The issue of increased difficulty came up again after Med came 2nd at Europeans, and again Eteri probably talked her out of it.
- in early March (5-6) there were news that Med is leaving Eteri, which both denied with vigor. Yet people at the rink and "around the rink" (in chats, blogs, etc.) started discussing "Med is not happy, feels held back".

Eteri, Med, Zag, had a very difficult season, with Med's injury and additional OAR/Wada/IOC issues and uncertainties. They all did a great job holding it all together, and Med/Zag behaved exemplary, and Eteri managed to give both her best to take 2 spots on the podium.

Med spent 11 years with Eteri, and on working towards Gold at the Olympics. She came .10+ points short. She is upset, she has been very strong, but her nerves are not steel. Neither are Eteri's. Eteri can't reach Med since middle of April, she is frustrated, and now the leaking of info. Med is skating shows after shows, flying back and force to Moscow for other commercial obligations. They both need a break!

Russian yellow press, and all the speculations are not helping, by stirring up the situation.. .neither do the people who are helping to stir up the conflict.

 

[muffinplus]

This is getting juicy....and Eteri is showing her true colors... Petty and underhanded comments

 

[Erin]

Agreed. The rumour that she is thinking of skating for Armenia, reminds me of how the gymnast, Oksana Chusovitina, is still competing at 42. She represented the old Soviet Union, Germany, and now, Uzbekistan.

Switching countries would make that mission easily possible.

Chusovitina also represented Uzbekistan before she represented Germany. This list makes her look like a country hopper but when the Soviet Union was dissolved, she represented her home nation of Uzbekistan. When her son was extremely ill and needed life-saving treatment, he got it in Germany and she wanted to repay the country for it by competing for them. Eventually she decided she wanted to compete for her home country again.