From Russia with Love [#31]: Winter to Spring 2019

I think they are anticipating Sofia will be the second highest Russian at Europeans. So then battle for the third spot would be between Liza and Konstantinova.

Will there be a test skate between Liza and whoever the third Russian lady is?
 
Yeah, it was her grandma, who must feel awful.
From experience, :D, our "Old World Parents" do not feel bad at all when they administer us "kids" their home-medicine and it back fires; they just say that "we" did not follow their instructions.
Will there be a test skate between Liza and whoever the third Russian lady is?

It's TAT's idea to have a 2nd Test Skate approx. 2-3 weeks before Worlds, it has not been practiced ever (or lately) before, and is her attempt to push through Med at any cost. There is no reaction from Fed. to her comments.
https://www.sovsport.ru/figure/arti...vedevoy.-tarasova-i-averbuh-podveli-itogi-chr

My understanding on this issue, is that Liza has a spot guaranteed on the world team IF healthy (and she may have to perform in front of Federation, in person or video). The official comment fr Fed. to Mishin was "now get Liza ready for worlds, with Japanese girls out there, Liza's 3A is a high caliber weapon".

If Zag does not implode at the Euros (or drowned in the bath tub by her grand mother) the Fed's aim for World Team is to have Zag, Tuk and 3rd girl (Sam, Konst, Med), with Sam or Konst in the front row, depending how they skate at Euros. From the various conversations i read about this year's Federations goal "placements" vs. "scores" vs. "quotas", the opinions are towards "quotas" for next season, given the 3 Jr. girls will be entering senior ranks.
 
She is most accident prone skater. Trips on chord and gets injury at GPF. Gets burned before RN. What injury will she have next! Put her in bubble.
 
My thoughts on the Euros spots:

Zagitova isn’t having her best season, but she’s still the best they’ve got. She’s GPF silver medalist and she can rake in the international PCS. Even if she falls, she still gets about the same scores as Samodurova and Konstantinova get when clean.

Samodurova is the most consistent. She can’t score as high as the others but she’s reliable and will keep 3 spots. I see this as a Sofia vs Stanislava fight for the worlds spot, unless Alina bombs Euros and finishes behind them both.

I think it’d be crazy not to send Tuktamysheva to Worlds. She’s skated like a champ all season!

Konstantinova is the big risk for me because she’s less consistent. However, she is the top Senior lady at nationals and she’s put her work in. I don’t want her to miss the team, but I would be hesitant to send her. Hopefully she has strong performances at Euros and proves me wrong.
 
You seem some kind of Zag hater? :)

No. I just be silly with that but some fans, maybe you?, think every post a negative anf have to try fighting. People move past the dumb fan fights. The girls are friends. If can’t be silly then maybe issue is yours.
 
End of the year, russian skaters' updates and fun trivia.

All Russian National vote for Best Athlete of the Year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjEhgtKDGaU
1 – Alina Zagitova
2 – Evgeniya Medvedeva
3/4 – some hockey players :p

Alina Zagitova is vote “Best Athlete of the Year” according to RT
https://russian.rt.com/sport/article/588560-zagitova-sportsmenka-goda

Tarasova sent a birthday greeting to Chaikovskaya:lol:
https://pp.userapi.com/c845221/v845221933/15bb13/QkjmJhfMDME.jpg

Eteri, Diana, Daniil and a friend in Dubai on vacation
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br-0AUiH3nR/

Tuktamysheva is out of the hospital, resuming training (slowly, off ice at present).
New Year wishes from her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CebZ-92wgks

Medvedeva is still in Moscow, skating at a park rink with her “special friend” Kostov (singer/musician in her exhibition number).
https://img.muz1.tv/img/2018-12-24/fmt_89_24_1546011788_foto-1.jpg
https://img.gazeta.ru/files3/945/12112945/Snimok_ekrana_2018-12-29_v_10.16-pic905-895x505-40223.png

Together they appeared on a radio show (transcript is available if anyone wants it, in Russian, google translate) http://www.loveradio.ru/new/106117.htm
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQyzZIISMeI

While in Moscow, Medvedeva is practicing at the CSKA rink with Buianova’s group.
https://i.servimg.com/u/f32/19/07/00/52/15460812.jpg
https://i.servimg.com/u/f42/19/80/27/99/15460010.jpg
https://i.servimg.com/u/f32/19/07/00/52/15460810.jpg

Trusova with friends at a city park rink
https://pp.userapi.com/c850228/v850228822/a2d11/762OaiAglPE.jpg
… and doing this https://vk.com/video-97272391_456241681

Danil Samsonov practicing quads in combo
https://vk.com/videos-97272391?z=video-97272391_456241677/pl_-97272391_-2
https://vk.com/videos-97272391?z=video-97272391_456241683/pl_-97272391_-2

Sofia Akatieva 3lo3lz https://vk.com/videos-97272391?z=video-97272391_456241678/pl_-97272391_-2

Shcherbakova at home with her cat
https://pp.userapi.com/c846120/v846120445/162ce4/t-wk1cnZaKM.jpg

Lipnitskaya in an ice show
https://pp.userapi.com/c850132/v850132283/a7c0d/HRGBqPqcwdc.jpg
... arrived to Pekin China http://sh.uploads.ru/v24Sh.jpg

Tsurskaya at a Swan Lake ice show
https://pp.userapi.com/c852232/v852232560/7c1a2/cVNfpQLCVxg.jpg

Sotnikova in Swan Lake (black swan)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvBTAsAUwAATr0t.jpg
http://sd.uploads.ru/t/GFIvc.jpg
http://s5.uploads.ru/t/3GjMV.jpg

Elena Ilinykh, Tatiana Navka and others in “Scarlet Flower” Ice Show
https://pp.userapi.com/c845420/v845420401/168003/Q9po0c7Q6Dg.jpg
https://pp.userapi.com/c845420/v845420401/168039/wuwydocfu7U.jpg
https://worldpodium.ru/sites/default/files/dsc_2806_0.jpg

(scroll below, lots of nice fotos)
http://musecube.org/photo-all/photo...ec-sporta-megasport-25-12-2018-fotoreportazh/
 
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Busy time of year. Ilinykh and others are also doing Swan Lake as well as the Frog Princess. Is the latter based on the movie by Disney some years ago or is it a completely different plot?
 
Busy time of year. Ilinykh and others are also doing Swan Lake as well as the Frog Princess. Is the latter based on the movie by Disney some years ago or is it a completely different plot?
The one they are doing on ice is the Russian Folk Tale "Царевна Лягушка" or the alternate name "Васелиса Прекрасная" (Vaselisa the Beautiful). A nobleman has 3 sons, 2 older ones are smart and strong, and the younger one is "Ivan the Fool". They all marry on the same day, the 2 older ones get respectable accomplished brides, and the only one Ivan the Fool can find to marry is a frog-princess. But she is actually a princess, bewitched and turned into a frog by her evil Sorcerer Father. Some riddles must be solved, some challenges accomplished in order for her to turn back into a woman.
The original soviet anime, 1954 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhvycdfXpXY
Anime in English with music:
part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY6sI3muOjc
part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIcYfoaKkWA
part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5HcMnto5tk

The Disney one, "Princess and Frog" is a derivative (with great plot changes) of an old European Tale, best known for Brs. Grimm version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU_n8A2hU44
 
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End of the year, russian skaters' updates and fun trivia.

All Russian National vote for Best Athlete of the Year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjEhgtKDGaU
1 – Alina Zagitova
2 – Evgeniya Medvedeva
3/4 – some hockey players :p

Alina Zagitova is vote “Best Athlete of the Year” according to RT
https://russian.rt.com/sport/article/588560-zagitova-sportsmenka-goda

Tarasova sent a birthday greeting to Chaikovskaya:lol:
https://pp.userapi.com/c845221/v845221933/15bb13/QkjmJhfMDME.jpg

Eteri, Diana, Daniil and a friend in Dubai of vacation
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br-0AUiH3nR/

Tuktamysheva is out of the hospital, resuming training (slowly, off ice at present).
New Year wishes from her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CebZ-92wgks

Medvedeva is still in Moscow, skating at a park rink with her “special friend” Kostov (singer/musician in her exhibition number).
https://img.muz1.tv/img/2018-12-24/fmt_89_24_1546011788_foto-1.jpg
https://img.gazeta.ru/files3/945/12112945/Snimok_ekrana_2018-12-29_v_10.16-pic905-895x505-40223.png

Together they appeared at a radio show (transcript is available if anyone wants it, in Russian, google translate) http://www.loveradio.ru/new/106117.htm
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQyzZIISMeI

While in Moscow, Medvedeva is practicing at the CSKA rink with Buianova’s group.
https://i.servimg.com/u/f32/19/07/00/52/15460812.jpg
https://i.servimg.com/u/f42/19/80/27/99/15460010.jpg
https://i.servimg.com/u/f32/19/07/00/52/15460810.jpg

Trusova with friends at a city park rink
https://pp.userapi.com/c850228/v850228822/a2d11/762OaiAglPE.jpg
… and doing this https://vk.com/video-97272391_456241681

Danil Samsonov practicing quads in combo
https://vk.com/videos-97272391?z=video-97272391_456241677/pl_-97272391_-2
https://vk.com/videos-97272391?z=video-97272391_456241683/pl_-97272391_-2

Sofia Akatieva 3lo3lz https://vk.com/videos-97272391?z=video-97272391_456241678/pl_-97272391_-2

Shcherbakova at home with her cat
https://pp.userapi.com/c846120/v846120445/162ce4/t-wk1cnZaKM.jpg

Lipnitskaya in an ice show
https://pp.userapi.com/c850132/v850132283/a7c0d/HRGBqPqcwdc.jpg
... arrived to Pekin China http://sh.uploads.ru/v24Sh.jpg

Tsurskaya at a Swan Lake ice show
https://pp.userapi.com/c852232/v852232560/7c1a2/cVNfpQLCVxg.jpg

Sotnikova in Swan Lake (black swan)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvBTAsAUwAATr0t.jpg
http://sd.uploads.ru/t/GFIvc.jpg
http://s5.uploads.ru/t/3GjMV.jpg

Elena Ilinykh, Tatiana Navka and others in “Scarlet Flower” Ice Show
https://pp.userapi.com/c845420/v845420401/168003/Q9po0c7Q6Dg.jpg
https://pp.userapi.com/c845420/v845420401/168039/wuwydocfu7U.jpg
https://worldpodium.ru/sites/default/files/dsc_2806_0.jpg

(scroll below, lots of nice fotos)
http://musecube.org/photo-all/photo...ec-sporta-megasport-25-12-2018-fotoreportazh/


You know all good juicy gossip. Is Medvedeva dating this man? Cute. And congratulations Alina om the vote. Tukt will recover.
 
You know all good juicy gossip. Is Medvedeva dating this man? Cute. And congratulations Alina om the vote. Tukt will recover.
Two girls, my contracted office assistants, are die-hard skating fans, when they are not doing projects, they have my blessing to search for any skating info they want, on a condition they give it to me. So the "info is in plenty"... :D

"Med dating Kostov" specs started long time ago (about a year?), and there were fotos of them together. But the two of them did not confirm, so it was only a "rumor".
http://mc.bk55.ru/fileadmin/mcinform/mc_info_18025_orig_1531480615.jpg

Few IG posts from Med during last few months indicated they are keeping contact. He wrote a new song, and dedicated it to her, and she "liked" it on IG. Then Med skated to another one of his songs as her exhibition number, and her outfit is "night gown with a man's shirt" and that created another "piece of conversation".. https://www.eg.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/med-pre025800.jpg

In the radio interview, last week, Med and Kostov were asked if they are a couple, Med "played with words" and indicated "maybe, but she is not telling". Kostov, when asked "have you tried to court/pursue her?" said "why would you assume that i would not". That's all.... :p
 
Just adding that the Disney film is very loosely based on the book, The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker (published in 2002). Which is in turn very loosely based on the Grimm fairy tale, The Frog Prince. About the only element of the book that I recall being the same as the film is that both the guy and the girl turn into frogs.
 
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Two girls, my contracted office assistants, are die-hard skating fans, when they are not doing projects, they have my blessing to search for any skating info they want, on a condition they give it to me. So the "info is in plenty"... :D

"Med dating Kostov" specs started long time ago (about a year?), and there were fotos of them together. But the two of them did not confirm, so it was only a "rumor".
http://mc.bk55.ru/fileadmin/mcinform/mc_info_18025_orig_1531480615.jpg

Few IG posts from Med during last few months indicated they are keeping contact. He wrote a new song, and dedicated it to her, and she "liked" it on IG. Then Med skated to another one of his songs as her exhibition number, and her outfit is "night gown with a man's shirt" and that created another "piece of conversation".. https://www.eg.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/med-pre025800.jpg

In the radio interview, last week, Med and Kostov were asked if they are a couple, Med "played with words" and indicated "maybe, but she is not telling". Kostov, when asked "have you tried to court/pursue her?" said "why would you assume that i would not". That's all.... :p

This adorable. I still see these girls as babies. Hard to imagine them all growing up.
 
Even if she falls, she still gets about the same scores as Samodurova and Konstantinova get when clean

Zagitova is not looking as consistent technically as she did last season. Unfortunately, Zagitova is having problems due to a growth spurt combined with poor technique which is partly the reason for some of her injuries. Plus her pumping cross-overs (ignored by the judges) are ugly and very glaring. The judges have been essentially rewarding Zag for being the reigning ladies Olympic champion. The judges do not seem to like admitting their premature gift-giving mistakes. I never liked Zag's overdone packaging last season which camouflaged her weaknesses. The best to be said is Zag is talented athletically, and a very hard worker. What Eteri's successful skaters have in common are fast rotations and fierce determination. Add in being Russian and they get tremendous bonus points from judges.

In Zag's senior debut season, the point-giving, especially on PCS was way overdone. The same for Medvedeva for two dominating seasons. Albeit Med has some intense passion that I hope can truly grow under Orser & Co into great artistic expression, combined with the necessary proper technique for a more extended career. The jury is still out on where the careers of Zag/Med are heading. Perhaps they both will be able to overcome and persevere. I do hope (particularly in Zag's case this season) that the persevering won't be so much about receiving undue gifts of validation from the judges.


ETA: Russian Nationals is held so close to GPF and the end of the GP season, it's no wonder a number of Russian skaters have to withdraw due to injury and/or illness.
 
OMG, I’m also in the Emirates! I wonder if they’ll be practicing at Dubai Mall?
:lol: there is no one there to "practice".. Eteri, Daniil are not competing, and Diana is not with her partner.

Here is an official "Happy New Year" from TeamTutberidze
https://vk.com/eteritutberidze?z=photo-97272391_456273771/album-97272391_00/rev

===

Ksenya Stolbova sighting: https://vk.com/id1017934?z=photo1017934_456239113/album1017934_00/rev
"I don't regret losing old pages on social media, dump the past, it's a new start".
===

Old Russian New Year Anime with figure skating.
"Let's go ice skating" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=telMpuUkQYU
"Just you wait, Rabbit!" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzj_Gb0pRRE
 
That’s not rabbit, it’s hare.

Rabbit is кролик
Hare is заяц
This Russian anime is a direct take off on the concept of Bugs Bunny in dynamics of Road Runner (it's a confirmed fact, as well as refs of many russian anime characters to WarBro, HanBar and Disney cartoons)
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...5lHN-gdJAzMXtAoqtTJWkCNYlMsgPOZP5ufdz2nHgqKfT

Bugs Bunny is referred to as "rabbit".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugs_Bunny
"Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray and white rabbit who is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality."

The Russian rabbit, is "american Bugs Bunny/Road Runner" running away from "bad wolf". Just like "Bugs" it is a "rabbit".
https://static.farahexperiences.com...ter/carousal/cartoon-junction/bugs-bunny.ashx
http://i.stena.ee/17/2017-12-23_104337.jpg
http://i.absurdopedia.net/thumb/1/1d/Римейк_Ну,_погоди!.jpg/250px-Римейк_Ну,_погоди!.jpg
 

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