Russian women news & updates, 2021-22 season

[love_skate2011]

I like Petrosian. She is my favorite of the current Russian juniors.

I liked her on the JGP and was quite thrilled to see her do so well at Nationals.

(I fully expect her to disappear in a year, but hey, I will enjoy her super fast spins now. Mom quite liked her too).

Those Quad Loops will quarantee Petrosyan a hip injury soon. Samodelkina and Muravieva might get to have a longer senior career
Zinina could become another Kromoykh, tall skater with inconsistent quads.

 

[Dobre]

What did your mom think of the. Sofias?

She thought there were a lot of Sofias.

She now wants to know which ones were the Sofias.

She does know who Samodurova is. We felt sad for her. We saw her live at Skate America in 2018.


*Mom also liked the program with the perky music and striped shirt/French costume.

 

[Wyliefan]

She thought there were a lot of Sofias.

She now wants to know which ones were the Sofias.

She does know who Samodurova is. We felt sad for her. We saw her live at Skate America in 2018.

And she (presumably) hasn't even seen Akateva yet!

 

[Frau Muller]

Or (non-Sofia) Zhilina who, like Akateva, was too young to compete at sr nationals. The outlook for Russian jr women is endless!

 

[Marco]

In my opinion the skate-off between Scherbakova and Tuktamysheva has already happened = at the Russian Nationals. That was the chance Tuktamysheva had, why should she be given any extra skate-offs, LOL? It seems to me she has self-destructed her chances at 3 Russian Nationals regarding the Olympics and Europeans before that.

A skate-off in front of an international panel would be ideal as the calling & judging at Nationals was quite controversial (for me). Another domestic skate-off isn't going to change anything.

 

[Scott512]

She thought there were a lot of Sofias.

She now wants to know which ones were the Sofias.

She does know who Samodurova is. We felt sad for her. We saw her live at Skate America in 2018.


*Mom also liked the program with the perky music and striped shirt/French costume.

I feel like your mother will be a quick learner.

Good point about Samodurova. It's been literally agonizing to watch her skate for a couple years because she's in such emotional distress. I feel the same way about stanislava. These two beautiful ladies always seemed to dread competing. I am overreacting no doubt but it hurts the heart when you see them coming off the ice in tears which has happened many times in recent years.

The stress on the skaters all of them is unbelievable especially in a pandemic I hope they have the support teams around then they need and I mean in every country.

 

[Tobbe]

A skate-off in front of an international panel would be ideal as the calling & judging at Nationals was quite controversial (for me). Another domestic skate-off isn't going to change anything.

That skate-off was already done at Worlds last year. The international judges clearly favoured Anna ahead of Liza in PCS, and even without the quad, Anna has a much higher BV than Liza with her two 3A's. That's because Anna has three 3+3's. Liza had no 3+3's at all at Nationals this year.

The big advantage of having the 3A in your arsenal is that you can do 8 triples in the free program instead of 7. You take out one double jump. But Liza still did 7 triples in the free so that advantage was thrown away.

 

[AxelAnnie]

That skate-off was already done at Worlds last year. The international judges clearly favoured Anna ahead of Liza in PCS, and even without the quad, Anna has a much higher BV than Liza with her two 3A's. That's because Anna has three 3+3's. Liza had no 3+3's at all at Nationals this year.

The big advantage of having the 3A in your arsenal is that you can do 8 triples in the free program instead of 7. You take out one double jump. But Liza still did 7 triples in the free so that advantage was thrown away.

I would rather watch Liza. She creates a mood and atmosphere on the ice. It drags the audience in. I enjoy watching that than watching skaters race around jumping, getting to ticking off moves from a checklist. Not my fave.

 

[million$momma]

I would rather watch Liza. She creates a mood and atmosphere on the ice. It drags the audience in. I enjoy watching that than watching skaters race around jumping, getting to ticking off moves from a checklist. Not my fave.

Liza does a good job at waving her arms, wiggling her hips, and giving face to the audience, but she has almost no transitions in or out of jumps and her combos are some of the easiest out there. Her programs are what I've come to expect in Russian exhibition galas.

 

[Marco]

That skate-off was already done at Worlds last year. The international judges clearly favoured Anna ahead of Liza in PCS, and even without the quad, Anna has a much higher BV than Liza with her two 3A's. That's because Anna has three 3+3's. Liza had no 3+3's at all at Nationals this year.

The big advantage of having the 3A in your arsenal is that you can do 8 triples in the free program instead of 7. You take out one double jump. But Liza still did 7 triples in the free so that advantage was thrown away.

A skate off is supposed to be a direct comparison between two skaters to determine their readiness and competitiveness at the latest possible date, not a year ago. Their conditioning and jump quality are quite visibly different this season.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Liza does a good job at waving her arms, wiggling her hips, and giving face to the audience, but she has almost no transitions in or out of jumps and her combos are some of the easiest out there. Her programs are what I've come to expect in Russian exhibition galas.

True That! But at least skates to the music, and emotes to the audience,

 

[Tobbe]

A skate off is supposed to be a direct comparison between two skaters to determine their readiness and competitiveness at the latest possible date, not a year ago. Their conditioning and jump quality are quite visibly different this season.

Fair enough. But I find it hard to understand that some people really think that Liza would be a better choice internationally than Anna.

 

[Marco]

Fair enough. But I find it hard to understand that some people really think that Liza would be a better choice internationally than Anna.

The better choice should be determined by who is more competitive, not who is the better skater / package. The big skate off is on consistency. If Anna is consistent (lands quad and clean 3/3s) then Liza doesn't stand a chance. If she isn't, then a clean Liza has / should have a shot.

 

[Dobre]

I feel like your mother will be a quick learner.

My mother has been a skating fan longer than me. She just doesn't follow the juniors much, except for the junior dancers.

 

[Marco]

Plushenko's take on Anna vs Liza: https://fs-gossips.com/evgeni-plush...where-such-points-for-shcherbakova-come-from/

 

[On My Own]

I agree Shcherbakova was worse than the three juniors being mentioned. I don't think she should have lost to Tuktamysheva overall, who did have her own mistakes, and showed worse overall skating and programs.

 

[Arch-]

Liza does a good job at waving her arms, wiggling her hips, and giving face to the audience, but she has almost no transitions in or out of jumps and her combos are some of the easiest out there. Her programs are what I've come to expect in Russian exhibition galas.

Totally, in the women's program Triple Axel double toe is SUPER easy. So is a (true) triple lz triple toe, triple flip eu Triple Saw in the 2nd half...beginners stuff!

And I'm personally insulted that every expert in the world over the past 250 years have praised the deep rich fruitful history of the Saint Petersburg (Russia not Flordia) style of art and choreography. It's totally just flailing arms, hair whips, and silly female hip wiggles. Swan Lake is really just a ballet about a jealous obsessed slutty goose with bad feet and questionable morals.

 

[Scott512]

My mother has been a skating fan longer than me. She just doesn't follow the juniors much, except for the junior dancers.

I would like for your mother to become a judge for the ISU or Russian figure skating Federation.

Is she up for it?

 

[Natanielle825]

Saint Petersburg (Russia not Flordida)

I have lived in Florida for 25 years and never knew there was a St Petersburg until today

 

[pointbleu]

I have lived in Florida for 25 years and never knew there was a St Petersburg until today

Are you serious? I don’t live in the USA and I know the city (and pretty much everybody around me lol)

 

[Vash01]

I have lived in Florida for 25 years and never knew there was a St Petersburg until today

I don't live in Florida - visited Miami once- but I have known for years that there is a Saint Petersburg in Florida.

Dont feel too bad though. I had a friend in her sixties. She was born in Arizona, schooled there and worked there her whole life, but she had never been to the Grand Canyon (I changed that for her).

Oops! I am OT.

 

[Tobbe]

I don't live in Florida - visited Miami once- but I have known for years that there is a Saint Petersburg in Florida.

Dont feel too bad though. I had a friend in her sixties. She was born in Arizona, schooled there and worked there her whole life, but she had never been to the Grand Canyon (I changed that for her).

Oops! I am OT.

Americans and geopgraphy - they don't match.

 

[Karen-W]

Americans and geopgraphy - they don't match.

Not true. There are plenty of geography nerds who are American. I'm one of them.

 

[Vash01]

Not true. There are plenty of geography nerds who are American. I'm one of them.

Me too.

 

[Natanielle825]

In my defense I live on the opposite side of the state

 

[Arch-]

Looks like one of the Sofia's gave an interesting interview. I feel like some of what Samodelkina said might have been translated wrong. Especially about the JGPF. Any of our Russian speaking friends assist us? Thanks

Sofia Samodelkina: “Every night I’m praying that the Olympics are postponed to 2023. I think this will be my only chance.”

Big and very open interview with 14 years old skater Sofia Samodelkina coached by Sergei Davydov. About quads, injuries, dreams of the Olympic to be postponed because it may be her only choice to get there, age minimum and longevity in women's single skating.

fs-gossips.com

 

[Scott512]

Looks like one of the Sofia's gave an interesting interview. I feel like some of what Samodelkina said might have been translated wrong. Especially about the JGPF. Any of our Russian speaking friends assist us? Thanks

Sofia Samodelkina: “Every night I’m praying that the Olympics are postponed to 2023. I think this will be my only chance.”

Big and very open interview with 14 years old skater Sofia Samodelkina coached by Sergei Davydov. About quads, injuries, dreams of the Olympic to be postponed because it may be her only choice to get there, age minimum and longevity in women's single skating.

fs-gossips.com

Sofia is amazing and the fact that she can do quads and triple axles at 14 being more mature physically than the other 14 year old Russian girls makes her ultra jumps even more remarkable. I wonder if she can keep all these amazing ultra jumps if she grows another three or four inches and adds 20 + lb in the next couple years. She is not done growing by any means. That's one of the tough aspects of all these young figure skaters there's no defense against growth. Look at what happened to TTs Samsonov. A major growth spurt has changed his career. I worry about little Zhilina and what a major growth spurt would do to her skating.

Sofia loves to talk and while I enjoy that and I enjoyed this interview what she said recently about praying for the Olympics to get postponed was a little perplexing because if the Olympics are postponed that means big problems with this worldwide bug that seems like it's never going to leave us completely. She should be praying for world peace she should be praying for this world wide bug do disappear for good. But we cut her slack because she's a kid and she's thinking of herself and possibly making the Olympic team next year if the games are postponed. She's also for the increase in age limit but not until the Olympics are postponed until 2023 when Sofia can qualify for them. and she's thinking this because she has all these ultra jumps she can be one of the three for the Olympic team if it was postponed the year and she may be right. But it's not a good look to make that public.

I think you can make the case that SS deserved the podium at senior Russian Nationals and maybe even second place.

I've never come across one of these young Russian phenoms wanting the age limit increased until Samodelkina. SS and all the Russian figure skaters especially the really young ones like her need some kind of public relations or media guidance. Their coaches and choreographers too.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Liza does a good job at waving her arms, wiggling her hips, and giving face to the audience, but she has almost no transitions in or out of jumps and her combos are some of the easiest out there. Her programs are what I've come to expect in Russian exhibition galas.

I like a comeback story as much as anyone. And, I was cheering for Tuk to make the Olys. But I realized that her GP performances were a little misleading. She skated against 1 heavy-hitter in each competition. Since she was consistent she got medals out of it. Seeing her at nationals I realized the reality. She did have a consistent 3A, but only one 3-3 which could go missing. And all the other things people are saying - hoochy-coochy instead of real artistry, 2 foot skating about waiting for the jumps, etc. Glad she got one the podium last worlds.

 

[soogar]

I like a comeback story as much as anyone. And, I was cheering for Tuk to make the Olys. But I realized that her GP performances were a little misleading. She skated against 1 heavy-hitter in each competition. Since she was consistent she got medals out of it. Seeing her at nationals I realized the reality. She did have a consistent 3A, but only one 3-3 which could go missing. And all the other things people are saying - hoochy-coochy instead of real artistry, 2 foot skating about waiting for the jumps, etc. Glad she got one the podium last worlds.

Other than her compatriots, who competing actually has the skills Tukt had shown on a regular basis on the Grand Prix? The Japanese ladies are very prone to nerves. They aren't exactly hitting triple axels for multiple seasons like Tukt was. She also shown consistent 3-3s as well, but her nerves got the best of her at Nationals. The Japanese ladies couldn't even make the top 3 at worlds last year. They are excellent skaters but none of them actually has 3 seasons worth of good performances like Tukt has. Tuk competed in a stacked competition at worlds and still wound up with a 2nd place.

 

[bladesofgorey]

Looks like one of the Sofia's gave an interesting interview. I feel like some of what Samodelkina said might have been translated wrong. Especially about the JGPF. Any of our Russian speaking friends assist us? Thanks

Sofia Samodelkina: “Every night I’m praying that the Olympics are postponed to 2023. I think this will be my only chance.”

Big and very open interview with 14 years old skater Sofia Samodelkina coached by Sergei Davydov. About quads, injuries, dreams of the Olympic to be postponed because it may be her only choice to get there, age minimum and longevity in women's single skating.

fs-gossips.com

14 year olds in general can be a little self absorbed or self-focussed so not the best of quotes but she's a kid. But a 14 year old saying this after an injury that caused her whole leg to swell up:

"I did MRI and was told that something like a stone had formed in the ankle. And this is either a shadow from the bone, or a piece of it, and this would already be considered a fracture. The doctors said to come for a second examination in a week, and if they find this piece again, they will put a plaster cast.

Of course we were terrified. On the other hand, I could walk. There was no wild pain so that I could not step on my foot. For three days I sat at home, did not go on the ice, because it was unreal. I ran on a treadmill to maintain my respiratory system and physical shape, because otherwise you can gain weight. In the sneakers it were more or less ok."

Someone tell me again how I'm making up how widespread and encouraged eating disorders are in figure skating and how blasé everyone, especially the Russian coaches, are about it. But yeah these kids are all just naturally built this way.