Sit out one entire season
and possibly be left out of "invitations" to the 2022 Olympics.
OTOH, this could be a good way of expanding the Pairs roster at #TTW.
To this day, the word "invitations" still gives me nasty flashbacks...I propose we call this journey the "Rise of Maleficent". I never knew the Olympics was a soirée reserved only for the elite socialites who are in the IOC's good graces. *sarcasm*
Susie is the perfect candidate for TTW if you ask me. Who else can manage to win a silver medal at the Olympics out of nowhere, then get injured every two weeks only to get uninvited from the Olympics without an explanation. Gotta love that girl. And we have plenty of room on the TTW pairs list - having only one pair on the team is just wrong. Not to mention, she has the "rock and splat" factor in spades, she frequently breaks my heart every time she winds up for a salchow, she is Russian, and she has plenty of sexy costumes to keep y'all interested. If she doesn't deserve to be on TTW, no one does.
He didn't get french citizhenship on time for Pyeonghchang. That's why FRA released its 2nd spot. Even still since he competed at worlds they would have to miss a whole season for him to compete again for Russia, unless Stolbova is the one switching countries (don't do it Susie!! )which would be more fuel to the suspicions she did have something fishy going on in Sochi.
Thanks for the info. I have a hard time believing Russia would let go of Ksenia that easily (although they've got Queen Bumblebee so they might think they're covered). I think most people know that the doping accusations were very random and without any proof to back them up, so I wouldn't be so concerned about her reputation, but otoh it would be much easier for them to qualify to the Olympics and Worlds if they skated for France (no pesky bumblebees or boring Mozer no. 3 to beat!). Also Didier has a way of making the scores go way up for the French skaters, so it might not be all that bad. And I remember years ago, Ksenia said that her favorite countries are France and Spain, so she might not mind being a French girl
That's assuming DG releases him

Even thought he has Russian citizenship, to represent Russia again, he would still need a release from the last Fed he competed for Internationally.
He might strike lucky though, there might be a Russian skater needing release to France, so they could be swapped.
(he should be very familiar with such swaps
a revolving door comes to mind
)
There was rumor that Drozd was gonna drop Stavitskaya and try out with Angelique Abachkina (she's French) so that swap isn't out of the question. But if I was Didier, I wouldn't allow another Bruno Massot 2.0 if my life depended on it.
I know, that's why her switching kinda makes more sense IMO even if its way more crazy. They could compete at Worlds this season and she would avoid the pseudo ban if no longer attached to RUS fed. I don't want her within DG'claws though.
She's between a rock and a hard place: stick with a Russian fed that's got a bad reputation, or go to corrupt Didier. And she's not guaranteed that EITHER fed will sign the release forms. I feel like this needs to become a Broadway show - too much juicy drama.
I'm pretty sure the hair has a mind and a will of its own.
Lena deserves a Pantene ad, like Medvedeva.
Ok, Susie being released to skate for France would just be the icing of the cake of this off season that's consisting of so many wtf's we couldn't have foreseen it if we tried
I wouldn't be totally opposed to this, but Russia's fed would have to be a bunch of morons to let her go. Realistically she and Novoselov have a much better chance at meddling at the Olympics than this Abachkina and Drozd. IMO that's not an equal exchange.
Are Stepanova and the Gauz dating? If so, they’re cute together.
I've seen some really cute pics of Stepanova/Bukin together so I low key suspect there's something up...they're really cute.
By the way, has anyone seen that picture of Mr. Manbun with the Croatian pair skater Lana Petranovic? She posted a pic on her insta story that was a little...suspicious
https://mobile.twitter.com/stanbova/status/1025633981222596608
I don't think it's a new partnership, but I'm curious if they might be...dating? She is 18 though and he is almost 28 which is kinda weird although it is legal. He never struck me as that kind of guy who would go for younger gals...but who knows, maybe he is just being his usual nice friendly self.