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

[Yehudi]

Test skates being streamed here.

https://instagram.com/russian_team_fs?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=2xymbwth66gs

Of the dancers, liked shpilevaya and Smirnov the best.

 

[shine]

I unfortunately see nothing so special in Medvedeva's skating or program. Yes, program is different - not usual Tutberidze team style but usual Wilson style. And Medvedeva performs it like she always does: jumps and moves what are intended. She doesn't just feel it.

At least there’s no more gaping mouth and for the first time the music seems to be in some relation to her movement. I hated how most Tutberidze programs have this non-stop constant moving about kind of quality.

 

[barbarafan]

Test skates being streamed here.

https://instagram.com/russian_team_fs?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=2xymbwth66gs

Of the dancers, liked shpilevaya and Smirnov the best.

I went there but could not see how to get the stream. I am not very media literate and I am using a computer not a mobile.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Fedor Klimov made an official announcement to end is competitive career. He sees his future in Figure Skating and will try to coach: https://fsrussia.ru/news/3859-fedor-klimov-ob-yavil-o-zavershenii-sportivnoj-karery.html

Excuse me while I go cry...

I am curious about Stolbova's new partner. I had never heard his name. Who did he skate with earlier? Is he a good skater? I am glad that Ksenia found a new partner quickly. Hopefully they will be successful. I am not thinking of world championship. This is too early.

Here is some info on him https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Novoselov

He has very consistent jumps and good basic skating skills. His twist catch is still sloppy so he will have to tidy that up. Here is a video of him with his other partner:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CaWnQz46PFY

 

[Tesla]

I liked T/M's SP music but I thought the choreography was blah until the end. Most of it didn't fit the music. It is so generic. I think it could be a great program with choreography that fits and them selling it like crazy. They seem a bit on the reserved side so a short program is the perfect size to work on letting go.

 

[Ka3sha]

Minute of silence in Denis’ honour

 

[DobrinFan]

Free Dance
Shpilevaya/Smirnov https://youtu.be/wJK7C8Rg-PA
Stepanova/Bukin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7BD3PESDg8

 

[lala]

I liked Sotskova's SP the best of all. I feel the explosion of her feelings. It's unlike re her in the past. Nice to see her skating what she wants to skate! I think I'll be in love with Tsurskaya's SP too when she skates it to its full potential. The changes of the tones and tempos caught me.

And I love tall girls doing dynamic skating. #teamtallgirl

 

[lala]

At least there’s no more gaping mouth and for the first time the music seems to be in some relation to her movement. I hated how most Tutberidze programs have this non-stop constant moving about kind of quality.

I agree and disagree with you. I didn't like most of Tutberidze programs but I don't like the "American styled" programs, too than the Wilson's programs used to be... I liked Sotskova's program the most.

 

[SmallFairy]

Free Dance
Shpilevaya/Smirnov https://youtu.be/wJK7C8Rg-PA
Stepanova/Bukin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7BD3PESDg8

Thank you, my hero! S/S very cool, totally different from their lyrical FD last year. Host spot now!!!

 

[zebraswan]

Sergei will include the 4loop in his programs this season

http://flutz.ru/sergej-voronov-prinyal-reshenie-chto-my-risknyom/

edit: he hints at some other grand plans here:

https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20180909/1141553015.html

He's going for broke! Hopefully only in the figurative sense...

 

[DobrinFan]

Kolyada's FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2czg37e1oQM

If I find better vids, I will replace these.

 

[Kateri]

I'm not wild about it, but I think they have the potential to sell this. Maybe they can watch Radionova for some style tips. Needs more time, but with the right costumes, I'd be ok with this as a short program. Hoping the long is classical though!

[re: T/M's SP] Yeah, from some of the other comments, I was expecting far worse, but I think it could work. Sure, it doesn't play to their strengths, but they can sell it fine (they only gotta be fast/dynamic, not sexy/perky), and the music itself is good, IMO. Choreo could be better in places, but not embarrasingly bad or anything.

EDIT: ok, I was watching the video when the camera was behind them. If this is an indicator of how they are gonna sell it, I may have to take it all back! (Also, when I said choreo could be better in places? This ending pose is a place.)

 

[barbarafan]

Free Dance
Shpilevaya/Smirnov https://youtu.be/wJK7C8Rg-PA
Stepanova/Bukin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7BD3PESDg8

Thank-you..does anyone have a clip or vid of Morozov/Bagin?

 

[DobrinFan]

Well I think Tarasova/Morozov just skated their best FS they've ever had. I really like the program, but I kinda like their SP so

 

[DobrinFan]

Popova/Mozgov FD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2px8WT-U4I

 

[Jeschke]

Kudos to S/S and P/M so far for coming up with new innovative lifts and spin positions

 

[DobrinFan]

Sinitsina/Katsalapov FD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKm2YyvOzvk
Aliev FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soFseL5eezc

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Vaitsekhovskaya’s interview with Elena Buyanova, translated by FS-gossips
https://fs-gossips.com/elena-buyanova-coaches-always-understand-perfectly-why-skaters-leave-us/

Original article: https://rsport.ria.ru/interview/20180906/1141275907.html

Buyanova refers to the criteria for winning ladies skating - youth, freshness and capacity to take on massive amounts of work. Thus says to me that she doesn't have enthusiasm for skaters once the blush is off the bloom or they show repeating physical problems. I find her attitude revolting. ISU should change rules to discourage use and discard practices.

 

[Ka3sha]

LaTuk

 

[alij]

LaTuk

Looking forward to seeing that not on fancam, looks fantastic!

 

[Ka3sha]

Looking forward to seeing that not on fancam, looks fantastic!

She did two triple axels, one at the warm-up (hand), second in the program (bad landing) ,but both looked rotated

 

[oleada]

I’m amazed at how big the crowd is for the test skates

 

[ZilphaK]

Sotskova. LOVE IT. I always liked her Black Magic Woman SP, and I knew she had it in her to be bold again. Also, I love the tall-girl skaters. It's a whole different "look" on the ice when it comes to movement, extension, just taking up space on the rink.

Tsurskaya. LOVE IT. Ditto tall-girl thing, of course. That axel is gorgeous. Million bucks. Would like to see a bit more "oomph" to the presentation, but she'll get there. I never want anyone to try to convince her to do a princess program. I hope her costumes this season look dangerous.

Radionova. You had me at Amy Winehouse. Can she go train with Raf? I just see her as Ashley 2.0 with so much potential to be the most entertaining skater on ice with solid chops to back it up. He jumps just look so...iffy...that needs to be fixed. No one should put Baby in a corner.

Medvedeva. I'm on board. I like Wilson programs, I like this program. I like the bangs. I feel so much better about her axel.
I love that she nailed the program with her ex-coach at the boards. I think her skating looks looser in a good way, there's breathing room in the program and I think by end of season, she's going to have so much fun with those spaces.

Tuktamysheva. I'll always like her. This program either needs lots more work or a complete rework. Too much going through the motions look to it. It can't be easy being the old lady on the ice at 21. But when her jumps are on, she's one of the best...I love powerhouse jumpers, and she's one of my faves.

 

[oleada]

Both Sotskova and Tsurskaya started out so well in the LP but kind of unraveled. I like the start of Sot’s program a lot. Medvedeva fell on a 3Lz (I think) and turned out of a 2A. Huge ovation. the program gave me Yuna vibes at times.

 

[Vash01]

Still, if he is involved he needs to guide them better. It's not a fluke at this point. After what happened with Candyman they should have been super careful with their music choice and they are repeating their mistakes. When Candyman was announced everyone knew it will be terrible even before seeing it and during the entire season commentators couldn't stop commenting as gently as they could about what a terrible program it is. Their SP to Rachmaninoff on the other hand got rave reviews because it was really T/M at their best.
I mean sure if they'll execute this SP cleanly at their full ability they'll get good marks, but they'll never be taken seriously or have people truly rooting for them if they'll keep having this kind of programs. In PyeongChang when they skated last and were so close to the gold all people did was basically tell the universe to "please don't let candyman get the gold" because it would have been embarrassing to the sport if that happened.
And for the record I truly think the next quad can be T/M vs. S/H - they are truly good when they have the right programs and packaging, but it's hard to root for them when they keep doing such glaring mistakes with their material.

I did not like Candyman as a music choice for them but I never told the universe to not let it win the OGM. I was rooting for them to skate great and win. Had they skated great, the judges would have given them high marks, as they had during the season. I doubt that it would have been enough to beat S&M though, from the way they skated.

I think they did not get the message about Candyman not being a good choice for them because whenever they skated well, the judges gave them the high marks they deserved. They clearly enjoyed skating to that music and it is important for skaters to at least like the music they skate to. They have to listen to it everyday in practice. The lone exception may be B&S who often skated to music they disliked, but it was chosen by their coach.

For T&M though it is necessary to get inputs from sone real experts on what really showcases their strengths. It seems their current team cannot figure it out. Why dont they hire a consultant like, e.g. Moskvina?

 

[DobrinFan]

Tarasova/Morozov FP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7OQcghlrbg

 

[ZilphaK]

I was going to add this as an ETA, but I'll put it here:

Zagitova. Jumps are amazing. It's not my thing, otherwise. It's nice to have a POTO as a SP so you don't have to listen to a full 4 minutes of the music.

ETA: I really want to like her. I think Eteri gets skaters to a point, but maybe they should move on in some way, not necessarily by leaving her. Especially as OGM, I think this program looks like "working too hard to prove something." She doesn't have to prove anything...take on a warhorse program sort of double-down on the programs from last year. She doesn't have to do Amy Winehouse or give up the tutu, but with an OGM, there is room to take chances, change things up. On the other hand...she's still so young, so I get it. Kudos for continuing to compete. By 18 or 19, if she sticks around, I think things will get interesting in a very cool way.

 

[Ka3sha]

I’m amazed at how big the crowd is for the test skates

Megasport was almost full

Zagitova. Jumps are amazing.

They weren’t in the LP
The program overwise was pretty good, but empty

 

[Bigbird]

What did Zhulin do to S/K? Wasn't last years FD much more memorable? Whatevs....whatevs.