From Russia with Love [#33]: Summer 2019

[Wyliefan]

If anything it's the opposite - the Russians really seemed to buy into the "presenting the lady" concept for a long time other than with Dimitriev didn't they (I do think this is changing with the younger generation of coaches and skaters)? I would love to know what in T/M's choreography conveys that it is all about Morozov omg.

The halfhearted arm fling didn't convince you?

 

[Frau Muller]

Morozov to Perm? As in...PERManently? As in...the Urals? OK, they have a very fine ballet troupe, ballet school and opera house. Figure skating center makes sense.

 

[aka_gerbil]

It feels like that T/M are a favorite team to pick on. If I remember correctly, when they first moved up to senior, they were initially touted as the hope for 2022. No one was expecting them to come on the way they did in the 16-17 season to be the top Russian contender going into Pyeongchang.

Skating careers don’t always have a straight trajectory. Rough seasons or spells sometimes follow success, but then success comes again. The road to the very top can also be long one. It took Aliona 5 Olympics to finally win. She didn’t win 2 of them she was an ogm contender for.

It’s way too early to write off T/M. T/M’s chief problems were packaging and being able to express themselves in competition (if you don’t think they can be expressive, watch the recent gala program that Lambiel did for them or their old “Ordinary People” program). I think Marina was the perfect choice to work on these things. She’s good at packaging and she’s good at getting teams to be expressive in a way natural to them. She also gave us Gordeeva and Grinkov. IMO, Florida is going to give T/M new life.

 

[irenemulindwairen]

It feels like that T/M are a favorite team to pick on. If I remember correctly, when they first moved up to senior, they were initially touted as the hope for 2022. No one was expecting them to come on the way they did in the 16-17 season to be the top Russian contender going into Pyeongchang.

Skating careers don’t always have a straight trajectory. Rough seasons or spells sometimes follow success, but then success comes again. The road to the very top can also be long one. It took Aliona 5 Olympics to finally win. She didn’t win 2 of them she was an ogm contender for.

It’s way too early to write off T/M. T/M’s chief problems were packaging and being able to express themselves in competition (if you don’t think they can be expressive, watch the recent gala program that Lambiel did for them or their old “Ordinary People” program). I think Marina was the perfect choice to work on these things. She’s good at packaging and she’s good at getting teams to be expressive in a way natural to them. She also gave us Gordeeva and Grinkov. IMO, Florida is going to give T/M new life.

And confidence too.

 

[caseyedwards]

It feels like that T/M are a favorite team to pick on. If I remember correctly, when they first moved up to senior, they were initially touted as the hope for 2022. No one was expecting them to come on the way they did in the 16-17 season to be the top Russian contender going into Pyeongchang.

Skating careers don’t always have a straight trajectory. Rough seasons or spells sometimes follow success, but then success comes again. The road to the very top can also be long one. It took Aliona 5 Olympics to finally win. She didn’t win 2 of them she was an ogm contender for.

It’s way too early to write off T/M. T/M’s chief problems were packaging and being able to express themselves in competition (if you don’t think they can be expressive, watch the recent gala program that Lambiel did for them or their old “Ordinary People” program). I think Marina was the perfect choice to work on these things. She’s good at packaging and she’s good at getting teams to be expressive in a way natural to them. She also gave us Gordeeva and Grinkov. IMO, Florida is going to give T/M new life.

I hope so!!!!!!!!! So right in so many ways! Everyone should know and REMEMBER that s/k were supposed to be the pyeongchang team!!! certainly never ever ever ever t/m so early

 

[Tinami Amori]

Ksenya Stolbova is "in the news", but not about skating. She is angry at the sports-journalist, Anatoly Samokhvalov from R-Sport, and posted the following comment to him:

https://sun9-26.userapi.com/c855132/v855132452/c17cc/wpNnv_Do0SE.jpg

"Yes, Anatoly.... your level (as a journalist) falls lower and lower".

Anatoly Samokhvalov (an associate of Elena Vaytsekhovskaya at R-sport, whose articles we often read here in translation) did an interview with the Russian Pairs Juniors - Kostukovich and Ialin. In that interview (as many have felt) he asked these rather young people very provocative questions, not just about their issues, but those that involved other skaters.

Samokhvalov posed a question to Kostukovich in a form of a "dig at Stolbova" which lead Kostukovich to answer it "as a dig at Stolbova".

Kostukovich was talking about her relationship with the partner, and said "sometimes i am exploding from emotions (she used a slang word for "enraged"/"swept by emotions") and i stop listening to him while thinking i am smarter than everyone".

Samokhvalov then asks her "Swept/enraged - just like Ksenya Stolbova?"

Kostukovich replies "No, not as bad. There are always conflicts and disagreements during training process. Dima and I can spend maybe 2 sessions pissed off at each other, but then we make up and admit our mistakes".

Stolbova is not happy to be dragged into this discussion in such light..

 

[CaliSteve]

Ksenya Stolbova is "in the news", but not about skating. She is angry at the sports-journalist, Anatoly Samokhvalov from R-Sport, and posted the following comment to him:

https://sun9-26.userapi.com/c855132/v855132452/c17cc/wpNnv_Do0SE.jpg

"Yes, Anatoly.... your level (as a journalist) falls lower and lower".

Anatoly Samokhvalov (an associate of Elena Vaytsekhovskaya at R-sport, whose articles we often read here in translation) did an interview with the Russian Pairs Juniors - Kostukovich and Ialin. In that interview (as many have felt) he asked these rather young people very provocative questions, not just about their issues, but those that involved other skaters.

Samokhvalov posed a question to Kostukovich in a form of a "dig at Stolbova" which lead Kostukovich to answer it "as a dig at Stolbova".

Kostukovich was talking about her relationship with the partner, and said "sometimes i am exploding from emotions (she used a slang word for "enraged"/"swept by emotions") and i stop listening to him while thinking i am smarter than everyone".

Samokhvalov then asks her "Swept/enraged - just like Ksenya Stolbova?"

Kostukovich replies "No, not as bad. There are always conflicts and disagreements during training process. Dima and I can spend maybe 2 sessions pissed off at each other, but then we make up and admit our mistakes".

Stolbova is not happy to be dragged into this discussion in such light..

The shade is real.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Guess it answers the question where he is coaching, does not answer the question how Stolbova agreed to move from St. Petersburg and Moscow to Perm

I don’t think she has much left in Moscow. Klimov is out of the picture now, Mozer made it clear she was on Klimov’s side of the equation, and Ksenia wasn’t really friends with any of the other Mozer team members. I believe her mom lives in St. Petersburg, but other than that, I think she’s probably just going to start fresh in Perm.

I know it’s a long shot, but I kind of wish Stolbova/Novoselov could go to the Velikovs. Ludmila seems to adore her and I think they’re competent coaches.

Very intriguing interview from Velikov’s group.

Family Affair: The Velikov Pairs School – International Figure Skating

Family Affair: Ludmila Velikova and Nikolai Velikov coached World and Olympic medalists in the past and are now guiding a number of top junior teams.

www.ifsmagazine.com

Interesting bit - they split up their group of 8 pairs to two training groups according to those who can skate with Galliamov and those who can’t. ‘Galliamov is a very difficult boy. He is very emotional and doesn’t like to be disturbed.’ Wow, that’s a bit honest!

I really like their coaching style; they seem to understand each individual athlete and care about their success.

as per the Russian experts the girls are expendable, everything is about the boy

Ah, I see. Savchenko/Massot was all about Bruno, Volosozhar was merely a wallflower, and who even notices little Wenjing Sui next to Cong Han?
I’m kidding.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Ksenya Stolbova is "in the news", but not about skating. She is angry at the sports-journalist, Anatoly Samokhvalov from R-Sport, and posted the following comment to him:

https://sun9-26.userapi.com/c855132/v855132452/c17cc/wpNnv_Do0SE.jpg

"Yes, Anatoly.... your level (as a journalist) falls lower and lower".

Anatoly Samokhvalov (an associate of Elena Vaytsekhovskaya at R-sport, whose articles we often read here in translation) did an interview with the Russian Pairs Juniors - Kostukovich and Ialin. In that interview (as many have felt) he asked these rather young people very provocative questions, not just about their issues, but those that involved other skaters.

Samokhvalov posed a question to Kostukovich in a form of a "dig at Stolbova" which lead Kostukovich to answer it "as a dig at Stolbova".

Kostukovich was talking about her relationship with the partner, and said "sometimes i am exploding from emotions (she used a slang word for "enraged"/"swept by emotions") and i stop listening to him while thinking i am smarter than everyone".

Samokhvalov then asks her "Swept/enraged - just like Ksenya Stolbova?"

Kostukovich replies "No, not as bad. There are always conflicts and disagreements during training process. Dima and I can spend maybe 2 sessions pissed off at each other, but then we make up and admit our mistakes".

Stolbova is not happy to be dragged into this discussion in such light..

I find it funny how male athletes with stubborn/difficult personalities, like Trankov for example, are rarely criticized for their personalities, but when a female athlete has any sort of temper, she is instantly depicted as an “angry, unpleasant woman”.

Polina is very young and the question probably caught her off guard, so I say the blame should be on the interviewer, not her.

 

[Ananas Astra]

I'd pay good money to see Stolbova and Kostiukovich fight each other.

 

[hanca]

I'd pay good money to see Stolbova and Kostiukovich fight each other.

Next year Kostiukovich will have to move to seniors because Ialin is ageing out of juniors after this season, so soon you will have a chance to see it.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I find it funny how male athletes with stubborn/difficult personalities, like Trankov for example, are rarely criticized for their personalities, but when a female athlete has any sort of temper, she is instantly depicted as an “angry, unpleasant woman”.

well.... I guess it helps the "image" when Stolbova pulls a "Fusar-Poli" on Fedor after bad skates and gives an interview "We are so different, no relationship outside the rink, he is calm and i am emotional"; and Khdaiberdieva tells "my partner is a gentleman, i am the rude one"; and Kostukovich says "he is older, wiser and tries to help me, it is i who gets overtaken by emotions". Plus i don't recall anyone critiquing the women. They themselves give such descriptions sometimes, or act it out in public, and people remember it.. What i recall is that several female skaters proudly laugh and say "I am the bad guy"..

 

[rfisher]

I'd pay good money to see Stolbova and Kostiukovich fight each other.

Susie would wipe the ice with #NotPolina. She's fiesty, but she's just a kid.

 

[dinakt]

I find it funny how male athletes with stubborn/difficult personalities, like Trankov for example, are rarely criticized for their personalities, but when a female athlete has any sort of temper, she is instantly depicted as an “angry, unpleasant woman”.

Polina is very young and the question probably caught her off guard, so I say the blame should be on the interviewer, not her.

If my memory serves, Trankov was criticized for his personality/temper all the time before he teamed up with Volosozhar. Then two things happened- they started winning and he got calmer (at least in public).

 

[Tinami Amori]

If my memory serves, Trankov was criticized for his personality/temper all the time before he teamed up with Volosozhar. Then two things happened- they started winning and he got calmer (at least in public).

"before he teamed up with Volosozhar" he skated with a partner who lived and slept with their coach, and the later two made all the decisions without consulting him, ignored his requests and lied to him on several occasions about issues which affected his life and skating.. all those things, that don't exactly contribute to "good temper"..

 

[dinakt]

"before he teamed up with Volosozhar" he skated with a partner who lived and slept with their coach, and the later two made all the decisions without consulting him, ignored his requests and lied to him on several occasions about issues which affected his life and skating.. all those things, that don't exactly contribute to "good temper"..

Yup. My only point was that thinking that fans criticize Stolbova but took it easy on Trankov is not quite correct.

 

[Wyliefan]

I find it funny how male athletes with stubborn/difficult personalities, like Trankov for example, are rarely criticized for their personalities, but when a female athlete has any sort of temper, she is instantly depicted as an “angry, unpleasant woman”.

Except at FSU, where she's worshiped as a goddess.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I'd pay good money to see Stolbova and Kostiukovich fight each other.

Lol, but I think her anger was directed at the interviewer, not little Kostiukovich.
I love both Stolbova and Kostiukovich, so I’d love an epic rivalry in the future.

well.... I guess it helps the "image" when Stolbova pulls a "Fusar-Poli" on Fedor after bad skates and gives an interview "We are so different, no relationship outside the rink, he is calm and i am emotional"; and Khdaiberdieva tells "my partner is a gentleman, i am the rude one"; and Kostukovich says "he is older, wiser and tries to help me, it is i who gets overtaken by emotions". Plus i don't recall anyone critiquing the women. They themselves give such descriptions sometimes, or act it out in public, and people remember it.. What i recall is that several female skaters proudly laugh and say "I am the bad guy"..

I don’t have a problem with the women personally admitting that they are feisty. I think most successful female athletes must have some grit to make it in the sport. But I do have a problem when men characterize strong women as “b*tchy” just because they have strong opinions.

Also, one harsh look in a partnership of nine years does not seem to say “she is always angry”.

If my memory serves, Trankov was criticized for his personality/temper all the time before he teamed up with Volosozhar. Then two things happened- they started winning and he got calmer (at least in public).

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen people criticize Trankov. I just find it’s interesting how, in general, men with hot tempers are usually criticized less than women with hot tempers.

Except at FSU, where she's worshiped as a goddess.

As she should be! Where is her holy day on the calendar?

 

[Jeschke]

Radionova will coach at Amodio‘s summer camp

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[Perky Shae Lynn]

If my memory serves, Trankov was criticized for his personality/temper all the time before he teamed up with Volosozhar. Then two things happened- they started winning and he got calmer (at least in public).

From my personal observations of V&T: she may be tiny and soft spoken, but she wears the pants in this relationship. Max treats her like a goddess. However, he is definitely a guy who holds nothing back. He loves to argue and gets passionate about his point of view. He's always been criticized for that.

As far as the inflammatory Stolbova question - that was disgusting. Some Russian "journalists" need to get a life.

 

[Eislauffan]

The St. Petersburg Figure Skating Federation will held their local test skates for senior and junior skaters August 19 to 22. The single skaters are performing on Monday and Tuesday, pairs and dancers on Wednesday and Thursday. Unfortunately, these test skates are closed to the public and media, so there probably won't be photos and videos unless the participants put someting online.

 

[Jeschke]

Oh the suspense with the new (and old) Rukavicin girls

So how are the odds Fedichkina is skating there? Any news on her from mishin?

Will there be some decisions made based on that? (assignments, etc,...)

 

[Tinami Amori]

So how are the odds Fedichkina is skating there? Any news on her from mishin?

Alisa Fedichkina has not posted one foto related to skating since March of this year. Her VK account is full of beach, vacation, entertainment events, and fashion snap-shots. There was once a photo where she was seen at the rink warming up, but not on ice. Maybe she is skating "seriously" but not posting fotos, given she was at one of the Mishin's training camps recently.

VK.com | VK

vk.com

 

[Tinami Amori]

But I do have a problem when men characterize strong women as “b*tchy” just because they have strong opinions.

I never read any "men on FSU" characterizing strong women as "bitchy" over strong opinions.
And yet, there are people, men and women, who do earn a reputation of "bitchy" because they are "bitchy"... People have eyes and ears and can tell "bitchy" when they see or hear it..

 

[Rina RUS]

People have eyes and ears and can tell "bitchy" when they see or hear it..

Now it reminds an old joke:
"I don't say, that the plaintiff is a jerkoff, but look with your own eyes and you'll see he is a jerkoff."

 

[Eislauffan]

Oh the suspense with the new (and old) Rukavicin girls

So how are the odds Fedichkina is skating there? Any news on her from mishin?

Will there be some decisions made based on that? (assignments, etc,...)

Alisa Fedichkina was not taking part. Stanislava Konstantinova was not there either as she goes to that Aurora Festival this week (leaving Thursday). I feel she could have skated the short, but okay.
Lisa Tuktamysheva looked good, going for two 3A in the long program! Sofia Samodurova, Alena Leonova, Serafima Sakhanovich, Lisa Nugumanova were there, too. The St. Petersburg Federation may decide about assignments for Challenger and International B events, but I am not sure. I have to ask.

As for the men, Mikhail Kolyada (only SP), Dmitri Aliev, Andrei Lazukin, Alexander Petrov, Makar Ignatov were there among others in seniors.

There will be an open practice session of Mishin's group (a kind of Media Day) on Friday. So expect some interviews, photos, videos coming up.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I never read any "men on FSU" characterizing strong women as "bitchy" over strong opinions.
And yet, there are people, men and women, who do earn a reputation of "bitchy" because they are "bitchy"... People have eyes and ears and can tell "bitchy" when they see or hear it..

I wasn’t referring to men on FSU, I was talking about the male interviewers who often think it’s funny to characterize strong women that way.
And yes, I agree there are some times that calling someone “bitchy” is warranted, but I just think it’s overused in this situation.
In the words of Madonna: “I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”

 

[Jeschke]

Just saw Biryukova is coaching now:

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Does she have an own group? Is she with Volchkova?

 

[Tinami Amori]

In the words of Madonna: “I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”

I used to quote Madonna a lot in the old days "Men will come and men will go, that's alright with me. "Experience" has made me rich and now they are after me"....

However! if you agree with “I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay".... then be prepared: you may have to deal with someone who has the very same attitude and yet completely opposite to you on social or political or skating issues..

In regards to Stolbova and few others. There is a difference between protecting your interests and being direct about it, and getting over-emotional, offensive, provocative, and "other socially not accepted displays".

"Fusar-Poli look", for example, which female skaters sometimes give their male partners, get noted and often critiqued by all genders, and rightfully so...

 

[Tinami Amori]

Kamila Valieva is subject of an "art-video" on Russia Channel #1.

Камила Валиева - Девочка на шаре, любимая программа Этери Тутберидзе

Камила Валиева и ее короткая программа на сезон-2019/20 – это образ девочки из выдающейся картины Пабло Пикассо. Этери Тутберидзе назвала программу своей люб...

www.youtube.com

In the video she talks about her "Girl on a Blue Ball" programme: girl on the painting comes alive, steps off the canvas, enjoys new reality, but feels she must go back into her world.

Kamila also mentions that she has received a personal invitation from the grand-daughter of Picasso, and hopes to be able to visit her in Spain at the end of the season.