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

[Tinami Amori]

New Year shows

Ilinykh/Soloviev - fotos - "Princess Frog"
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-160970610_456264220/wall-24972370_238171
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-160970610_456264229/wall-24972370_238169

Sotskova - fotos - "Princess Frog/Older Brother's wife"
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-160970610_456264241/wall-24972370_238166

Sotnikova - fotos - "Nutcracker" (2 different characters)
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-129916024_456252358/wall-24972370_238164
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-129916024_456252352/wall-24972370_238162
Video clips:
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=video-24972370_456242179/77351abac27ec7a8ec/pl_wall_-24972370
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=video-24972370_456242180/pl_wall_-24972370

Lipnitskaya - fotos - "Nutcracker"
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-24972370_456242672/wall-24972370_237987
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-24972370_456242668/wall-24972370_237978
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-24972370_456242666/wall-24972370_237978

Video clip: Sot/Lip/Plush
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=video-24972370_456242182/pl_wall_-24972370
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=video-31036833_456239319/707fcb9496afa25cb0/pl_wall_-24972370
(more videos on this link)

Sotnikova/Plush/baby-plush - fotos - "Swan Lake"
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-24972370_456242684/album-24972370_00/rev
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-24972370_456242678/wall-24972370_238038
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-24972370_456242676/wall-24972370_238030
https://vk.com/club24972370?z=photo-24972370_456242681/wall-24972370_238040

"Swan Lake" show on TV - 3+ hr special. first interviews with all top skaters, then @ 1 hr 20 min skating starts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pyzLh78Jn4

 

[Mad for Skating]

On topic - some nice pics of Fedor Klimov and Elena Berezhnaya in "The Nutcracker"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJDULJB4lR/

Cast

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJUechBsJt/

Some fancam video clips here (scroll to the right)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Br7urMyHcY9/

I miss Fedor

These are so beautiful I‘m almost crying! You have no idea how much I’ve missed seeing him on the ice. Thank you

I miss Elena (and Anton and Ksenia)

You’re not alone.

Berezhnaya looks fabulous. She's 41, folks. Fedor look better than I have ever seen him. I wonder if he'd have a different career with someone like Elena - soft, sweet and classical (in terms of their skating style). Ksenia is still the Queen of course, but this did make me wonder.

Okay, I don’t know if anyone remembers this, but when all those rumors about the Stolbova/Klimov split happened...I SUGGESTED HE SHOULD SKATE WITH ELENA BEREZHNAYA. She is beautiful, elegant, and incredibly soft on her skates. Berezhnaya/Klimov for OGM 2022!

Fantasies aside, even if he can’t actually compete with Berezhnaya, I think he would be amazing with someone like her. Natalia Zabiiako is graceful and talented, and I think Fedor could bring out a bit more sparkle in her, but she’s solidly paired up with Enbert and things are going swimmingly, so that’s probably not realistic.

I adored him with Ksenia and I don’t think anyone could create that same magic, but I just wonder if he could’ve had an equally beautiful, but different partnership with someone else. I guess we’ll never know. In the meantime, I will look at these photos again and smile.

 

[hanca]

Fantasies aside, even if he can’t actually compete with Berezhnaya, I think he would be amazing with someone like her. Natalia Zabiiako is graceful and talented, and I think Fedor could bring out a bit more sparkle in her, but she’s solidly paired up with Enbert and things are going swimmingly, so that’s probably not realistic.

I adored him with Ksenia and I don’t think anyone could create that same magic, but I just wonder if he could’ve had an equally beautiful, but different partnership with someone else. I guess we’ll never know. In the meantime, I will look at these photos again and smile.

Fedor has had a shoulder injury that affected quite a few elements. Twist, lifts, throws... While he may be healthy enough to skate at shows occasionally, I don’t think he is healthy enough to commit to competitive skating. At shows he can choose his elements, whereas when skating at competitions (or preparing for competitions), he has to do all the lifts, throws and twist and can’t just skip elements that feel uncomfortable. We may have to accept that him skating again at competitions is just a wish and not reality.

 

[Bigbird]

Fedor has had a shoulder injury that affected quite a few elements. Twist, lifts, throws... While he may be healthy enough to skate at shows occasionally, I don’t think he is healthy enough to commit to competitive skating. At shows he can choose his elements, whereas when skating at competitions (or preparing for competitions), he has to do all the lifts, throws and twist and can’t just skip elements that feel uncomfortable. We may have to accept that him skating again at competitions is just a wish and not reality.

Maybe best to just be glad we had him for the time we did, and Ksenia of course.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Fedor has had a shoulder injury that affected quite a few elements. Twist, lifts, throws... While he may be healthy enough to skate at shows occasionally, I don’t think he is healthy enough to commit to competitive skating. At shows he can choose his elements, whereas when skating at competitions (or preparing for competitions), he has to do all the lifts, throws and twist and can’t just skip elements that feel uncomfortable. We may have to accept that him skating again at competitions is just a wish and not reality.

Trust me, I've been a fan since 2014, and I remember all about the shoulder injury. I guess I was feeling so happy to see him back that I didn't think of that, but you're right. Constant stress on a badly injured shoulder could cause permanent damage, so I would never wish him to come back if that meant risking his health. I've already accepted that he's retired - just seeing him in shows is a blessing, and I'll take what I can get.

Maybe best to just be glad we had him for the time we did, and Ksenia of course.

You're so right. They may not have all the titles, but IMO they were the best pair to come out of Russia in a long time. I guess nothing lasts forever, but it was amazing at the time. If he continues doing shows, we'll still see him from time to time, and if she can get Novoselov out of France, she can compete for a few more years. There'll never be another Stolbova/Klimov, but they're not gone forever.

In the meantime, become an Efimova/Korovin fan. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Mad for Skating]

By the way, does anyone have the time schedule for Euros? I need to know if I'm going to get any sleep.

 

[drfj]

By the way, does anyone have the time schedule for Euros? I need to know if I'm going to get any sleep.

https://www.isu.org/docman-document...european-championships-2019-announcement/file
page 9 is the time schedule

 

[hanca]

In the meantime, become an Efimova/Korovin fan. You won't be disappointed.

Efimova/Korovin have something that make me want to watch them. Nevertheless, I think they will be dropping down the Russian pair ranking and in a few years time probably won’t even get a GP event. It is sad, they had so many opportunities but unfortunately the pairs who are coming from juniors are stronger, more consistent, have the jumps... The sadest thing is that Efimova suddenly landed her jumps, sort of, but I think it will be too little too late.

 

[Mad for Skating]

https://www.isu.org/docman-document...european-championships-2019-announcement/file
page 9 is the time schedule

Thank you!

 

[Mad for Skating]

Efimova/Korovin have something that make me want to watch them. Nevertheless, I think they will be dropping down the Russian pair ranking and in a few years time probably won’t even get a GP event. It is sad, they had so many opportunities but unfortunately the pairs who are coming from juniors are stronger, more consistent, have the jumps... The sadest thing is that Efimova suddenly landed her jumps, sort of, but I think it will be too little too late.

It’s so frustrating! They have this extra something that catches my eye so quickly - especially the short program! Besides Boikova/Kozlovskii, I think they are the best of the new crop of Russian pairs. Pavliuchenko/Khodykin have the elements but the free program makes me wince. Mishina/Galliamov are good too but they still need to develop artistically for me, just my honest opinion. I think Efimova/Korovin are the most artistically talented of the young ones. I just pray that those solid jumps we saw at Nationals are an indication of what’s to come next season!

I do hope you’re wrong, but I can see what you’re thinking...I’m going to hold onto hope a little longer.

 

[hanca]

It’s so frustrating! They have this extra something that catches my eye so quickly - especially the short program! Besides Boikova/Kozlovskii, I think they are the best of the new crop of Russian pairs. Pavliuchenko/Khodykin have the elements but the free program makes me wince. Mishina/Galliamov are good too but they still need to develop artistically for me, just my honest opinion. I think Efimova/Korovin are the most artistically talented of the young ones. I just pray that those solid jumps we saw at Nationals are an indication of what’s to come next season!

I do hope you’re wrong, but I can see what you’re thinking...I’m going to hold onto hope a little longer.

I am not sure if one can call them a young pair. Sure, they are not ‘old’ but in comparison with the other young pairs who are just moving to seniors, Efimova/Korovin has been in seniors for four seasons! That’s why I think the federation will not look at them as a particularly promising pair. They have no bad results as such, but their results are not better than the results of the pairs who have just moved to seniors and those who are just moving next season, so it does indicate that Efimova/Korovin stagnated a bit. Or at least that they are developing only very, very slowly in comparison with the other younger pairs.

 

[Eislauffan]

Golden Skate article on Anna Shcherbakova: "The fact that we are girls doesn't change that we can jump":

 

[Finsta]

Love her. She adorable. Good future for her I hope

 

[starrynight]

Are there any updates on Tuktamysheva’s pneumonia recovery?

 

[Sylvia]

Are there any updates on Tuktamysheva’s pneumonia recovery?

She was well enough to post a New Year's greeting on her IG three days ago (ETA: looks like she currently is with Mishin's group in Tartu, Estonia for the Jan. 4-14 camp?): https://www.instagram.com/p/BsNkIP9nJdd/

 

[Ka3sha]

Recent interview with Aleksander Smirnov
https://sport.business-gazeta.ru/article/232491/

He opened his own private figure skating school in St Petersburg, and plans to open the second one soon. Yuko and he are skating together in shows and train three times a week. He calls Yuko a workaholic as she sometimes comes to the rink by herself just to train more. She is coaching at Moskvina’s school right now.

 

[Jeschke]

moved to OES

 

[Mad for Skating]

I am not sure if one can call them a young pair. Sure, they are not ‘old’ but in comparison with the other young pairs who are just moving to seniors, Efimova/Korovin has been in seniors for four seasons! That’s why I think the federation will not look at them as a particularly promising pair. They have no bad results as such, but their results are not better than the results of the pairs who have just moved to seniors and those who are just moving next season, so it does indicate that Efimova/Korovin stagnated a bit. Or at least that they are developing only very, very slowly in comparison with the other younger pairs.

Very unfortunate, but pretty accurate. I’m not giving up on them yet though!

I do wonder if Alisa could get further with a different partner. There’s nothing wrong with Alexander but he seems a tiny bit bland tbh. Just a suggestion.

 

[Vash01]

Very unfortunate, but pretty accurate. I’m not giving up on them yet though!

I do wonder if Alisa could get further with a different partner. There’s nothing wrong with Alexander but he seems a tiny bit bland tbh. Just a suggestion.

Actually I see her as the weaker partner. Her jumps look odd and I dont think they are very consistent jumpers. I liked them at SA in Everett, where they won the silver, but I see the younger pairs as having greater potential ( so we agree there).

 

[Mad for Skating]

Actually I see her as the weaker partner. Her jumps look odd and I dont think they are very consistent jumpers. I liked them at SA in Everett, where they won the silver, but I see the younger pairs as having greater potential ( so we agree there).

Alisa has trouble with jumps but I think she has the personality of the team. They remind me of Stolbova/Klimov that way - she is the spitfire but has inconsistent jumps, while he is steady but looks more reserved on the ice. We’ll see where this team goes from here.

 

[hanca]

Very unfortunate, but pretty accurate. I’m not giving up on them yet though!

I do wonder if Alisa could get further with a different partner. There’s nothing wrong with Alexander but he seems a tiny bit bland tbh. Just a suggestion.

But she is the one who is usually not landing jumps. Not sure if having personality will get her the technical marks.

 

[Ka3sha]

News from Mishin's camp in Tartu, Estonia:
3Lz-3Lo from Samodurova; 3A from Gulyakova
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsU_4WyhsnA/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1hjtfyxacgfkw

According to Mishin, Liza is recovering, started doing "difficult" jumps again, but he refused to talk about her triple axel for now, asked to call him in few days. He also mentioned that Russian Fed had assured him that at least one girl from Euros team will be replaced after Euros.
Mishin is celebrating 50 years of his coaching career and there will be a big show in St Petersburg on March, 10

 

[Deleted member 40371]

3 axel was definitely a <, but I am excited to see her try the jump.

 

[rfisher]

News from Mishin's camp in Tartu, Estonia:
3Lz-3Lo from Samodurova; 3A from Gulyakova

According to Mishin, Liza is recovering, started doing "difficult" jumps again, but he refused to talk about her triple axel for now, asked to call him in few days. He also mentioned that Russian Fed had assured him that at least one girl from Euros team will be replaced after Euros.
Mishin is celebrating 50 years of his coaching career and there will be a big show in St Petersburg on March, 10

Given the state of the rest of the European ladies, if they don't all medal, they might all be replaced. I would do that if I were in charge of the RusFed.

 

[lala]

News from Mishin's camp in Tartu, Estonia:
3Lz-3Lo from Samodurova; 3A from Gulyakova
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsU_4WyhsnA/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1hjtfyxacgfkw

According to Mishin, Liza is recovering, started doing "difficult" jumps again, but he refused to talk about her triple axel for now, asked to call him in few days. He also mentioned that Russian Fed had assured him that at least one girl from Euros team will be replaced after Euros.
Mishin is celebrating 50 years of his coaching career and there will be a big show in St Petersburg on March, 10

March 8 is his birthday. There was show on that day almost every year. Probably it will be a great remarkeable show.

 

[Vash01]

News from Mishin's camp in Tartu, Estonia:
3Lz-3Lo from Samodurova; 3A from Gulyakova
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsU_4WyhsnA/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1hjtfyxacgfkw

According to Mishin, Liza is recovering, started doing "difficult" jumps again, but he refused to talk about her triple axel for now, asked to call him in few days. He also mentioned that Russian Fed had assured him that at least one girl from Euros team will be replaced after Euros.
Mishin is celebrating 50 years of his coaching career and there will be a big show in St Petersburg on March, 10

Wow! Fifty years of coaching, and he still seems to enjoy it. More years to him.

Will they replace Alina if she has a meltdown at the Euros and the other two girls skate clean (and medal)? Just a hypothetical question.

 

[mjb52]

I love Mishin but I wish he had kept that bit about the Euros team to himself. It seems a little unfair to the girls who will be competing there imo.

 

[rfisher]

I love Mishin but I wish he had kept that bit about the Euros team to himself. It seems a little unfair to the girls who will be competing there imo.

Either that or they'll fight for gold and silver. Sometimes, you need a little incentive.

 

[Vash01]

I love Mishin but I wish he had kept that bit about the Euros team to himself. It seems a little unfair to the girls who will be competing there imo.

I think they will all skate like ‘Do or Die’. I am sure they knew from the beginning that one of them could be replaced by Liza if she is healthy.

 

[Dobre]

It seems fairer to me that athletes know prior to an event what they are striving for, rather than hoping and then having hopes dashed.