Alysa Liu Switches to Colorado Coaching Team

DreamSkates

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,364
I take it you've never seen Dance Moms...

And even if the whole Larry Nassar situation never happened, the Karolyis weren't exactly warm and fuzzy. There are plenty of coaches in the US like them, in gymnastics, skating, and a lot of other sports. And plenty of parents who turn a blind eye.
Parents project their desires for winning and having a winning child. I've seen youtube videos of parents acting badly at kid's softball games. And there is no gold medal or money exchanged for a win.
 

DreamSkates

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,364
That’s so true, same with myself and our daughter the positives definitely outweighed the negatives, which for me was a knee replacement quite young and for her weekly Physio. Even my brother who was a competitive soccer player and had multiple surgeries for teenage injuries put his own kids into the sport. Was it in the best interest of the child? Maybe not at times but upon reflection I think many would agree that the bigger picture was worth it.
A friend's nephew played high school football and suffered multiple concussions. His result was a damaged brain. Likely a lifetime outcome.
 

Scott512

Well-Known Member
Messages
855
Yes. The selection criteria this year is such that her Lombardia score puts her in Group 2 and no one else has even come close to that. As long as she is top 5 at Nats, she is on the team.

The US has an outside chance at team gold. There are a lot of variables but, if everything went right for the US they could snatch gold from Russia, though silver is probably more likely.
I can't wait to see Alysa in the Olympics. I hope the coaching move pays off. That's what the team event Russia is very strong in pairs pretty strong in dance superstrong in ladies and adequate in mens. Some people say Kolyada cost Russia the team gold 4 years ago. His nerves got to him and I wonder if that will happen again.

There are bizarre stories on the Russian sites about how Diana and Gleb are going to be on the Olympic team event in dance. They were a good junior team and seem to be making some progress but I can't see them being in the top 2 Russian dance teams by say Europeans.
 

Coco

Rotating while Russian!
Messages
18,538
Pogorilaya had horrible back problems after her career.

Eteri's rise coincides with a time in the sport with a massive emphasis on flexibility and 3-3 combinations.

I always felt that super flexible skaters had a harder time standing up jumps, but maybe it is unrelated.

Anyway, it is hard to know if the injuries are related to the IJS or to a specific coach.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
Messages
58,289
I always felt that super flexible skaters had a harder time standing up jumps, but maybe it is unrelated.
Super flexible people often have issues with their joints and can be prone to injuries if they do physical things that are high-impact. So jumping, running, stuff like that.

Or so I was told by a coach.
 

canbelto

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,532
Super flexible people often have issues with their joints and can be prone to injuries if they do physical things that are high-impact. So jumping, running, stuff like that.

Or so I was told by a coach.

I know that in ballet super-flexible dancers have often said it makes them more injury prone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rob

Willin

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,598
The back injuries I focus on because they're related to jump technique and not typical skating injuries. I have injuries related to flexibility and they're all in typical places skaters have injuries (hips, knee, ankles, foot). But the back injuries they're getting is from using their backs to jump and are somewhat rare in skaters - rare enough that I've never known a coach to have multiple skaters with that sort of back problem.
 

Willin

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,598
Lots of skaters have back problems. :confused:
Longer term and as adults, maybe. But teenagers? I didn't know a single teen skater elite or otherwise with back problems. Even internationally, the only skater that comes to mind as having back problems as a teen was Caroline Zhang - and given her pearl spin that's not entirely unexpected (though was that as a teen or around age 20?)
 

Primorskaya

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,989
Super flexible people often have issues with their joints and can be prone to injuries if they do physical things that are high-impact. So jumping, running, stuff like that.

Or so I was told by a coach.
I can attest to that. I was born with very flexible joints, did ballet since the age of 5, a fair bit of skiing, and then figure skating: my knees and hips started playing up from a young age. And that's at nowhere near professional level!
 
Last edited:

barbarafan

Well-Known Member
Messages
5,303
Super flexible people often have issues with their joints and can be prone to injuries if they do physical things that are high-impact. So jumping, running, stuff like that.

Or so I was told by a coach.
yes...have to agree...coming from a family where the mom has the specific gene for it. She was an absolute contorionist and could tie herself in knots.....same genes you can get horribly crippling rheumatoid arthritis and quite a few other ugly diseases we are still finding out about. So I am a carrier....I was the ballet nut go figure. Anything I did was from hard work whereas my little sister who was more of a team sport nut but did figureskate popped out of the womb doing splits.....as was my daughter. My sister thank god is healthy but her daughter has problems...Bearing in mind the brain is a muscle.so she has problems there....The lungs are muscles....many of the ppl years ago in iron lungs had another disease.
 

Primorskaya

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,989
I can't wait to see Alysa in the Olympics. I hope the coaching move pays off. That's what the team event Russia is very strong in pairs pretty strong in dance superstrong in ladies and adequate in mens. Some people say Kolyada cost Russia the team gold 4 years ago. His nerves got to him and I wonder if that will happen again.

There are bizarre stories on the Russian sites about how Diana and Gleb are going to be on the Olympic team event in dance. They were a good junior team and seem to be making some progress but I can't see them being in the top 2 Russian dance teams by say Europeans.
The scores they received at Warsaw Cup raised eyebrows and questions. They are being very firmly pushed to the front, and this doesn't happen by chance.
 

Scott512

Well-Known Member
Messages
855
The scores they received at Warsaw Cup raised eyebrows and questions. They are being very firmly pushed to the front, and this doesn't happen by chance.
By who rusfed? It's the Olympics you can't put weaker competitors on the national team in front of stronger competitors who give you a better chance to win a team gold medal or a dance medal. I can't see D and G being in the top 3 Russian dance teams this season let alone the top 2 and skating in the Olympic team event.
 

kwanfan1818

RIP D-10
Messages
37,647
I can’t remember names but there have been plenty of skaters with stress fractures in their backs.
Jeff Buttle was one. I didn't think he'd be who to come back from it, but he won Worlds in 2008.

It's the Olympics you can't put weaker competitors on the national team in front of stronger competitors who give you a better chance to win ateam gold medal or a dance medal.
Which #3 has skated the Team Event? Not all #2's are given a chance, let alone #3's.

Do you think Russia has a chance to sweep the Dance podium in the individual event?
 

canbelto

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,532
Longer term and as adults, maybe. But teenagers? I didn't know a single teen skater elite or otherwise with back problems. Even internationally, the only skater that comes to mind as having back problems as a teen was Caroline Zhang - and given her pearl spin that's not entirely unexpected (though was that as a teen or around age 20?)

Angelika Krylova had a career ending back injury. And she wasn't jumping or anything.
 

Scott512

Well-Known Member
Messages
855
Jeff Buttle was one. I didn't think he'd be who to come back from it, but he won Worlds in 2008.


Which #3 has skated the Team Event? Not all #2's are given a chance, let alone #3's.

Do you think Russia has a chance to sweep the Dance podium in the individual event?
No dance sweep. Maybe only one team on the podium from Russia as dance is not off to a good start this season. I can't see D & G getting into the top two Russian dance teams unless there are injuries and illness galore. I like them but dance is different than ladies and young teams do not dominate the sport.

I hope Diana and gleb continue to improve but they need to earn their way onto an Olympic team spot. most of us think of being a gold medalist as the crowning achievement of the Olympics just making a national Olympic team is the accomplishment of a life time for many athletes.

But let's see what happens. the Russian fed is going to Russian fed. ;) That said I am more concerned with Sasha making the Olympic team then Diana and Gleb.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information