From Russia with Love [#35]: Winter 2019

[TAHbKA]

Vremia: no one knows the language - it's a ladino, but we know the lyrics - I leave in order to be happy. After you just said your words it looks as a cryptic message to your fans. Was the music choice effected by your thoughts to leave or it just happened?
Zagitova: it's a feeling I had at the beginning of the season. When I was offered that piece of music I agreed because I felt it and think I did a not bad job to perform it.
Vremia: will you come back
Zagitova: I never left. I am staying with my coaches and my fans and I will train, I will be in the same training fascility. Perhaps not as much as I used to, but I will attend the practices.
Vremia: what's next
Zagitova: am preparing to the Navka's `Sleeping beauty' show, so come and watch, I will be the sleeping beauty.
Vremia: and the school? You were supposed to graduate.
Zagitova: right, am preparing for them now.
Vremia: what subjects
Zagitova: Russian, Math and Biology
Vremia: and then?
Zagitova; and then the studies, probably the sports institute since my whole life is surrounded by the sports, so I will probably learn to become a coach.
Vremia: so perhaps we'll hear about a coach Zagitova
Zagitova: perhaps. Thanks to Sambo70 school that allows me to study and the teachers who are teaching me before my practices, who helped me so much after the Olympics - they were teaching me during the school breaks
Vremia: have you met your class mates
Zagitova: no. I study alone with the teachers.
Vremia: best of luck
Zagitova: thank you

 

[TAHbKA]

Damn, I should had made bets when I said she will not make it to the Nationals

Tutberidze: unfortunately it's not a sudden decision. For 1.5 years Alina was saying what is her decision, it's not sudden and the 1.5 years she kept competing and fighting were really hard. It was a quest - at the summer she asked for a break, I want a break and I want to want to compete. She is such a beautiful skater, so we and the federation were trying to convince her to stay. I think she'll come back, I think she will decide herself she wants to skate and compete. She is still skating and practicing and we will do our best to support her when she decide. We want her to miss it as much as possible

 

[Ka3sha]

What can I say, with time Eteri learnt how to play pr-games.

I feel both sad and happy for Alina. All the best to her! Hope she finds happiness and success in whatever she wants to do next.

 

[Gris]

Honestly this felt like an Adelina-esque retirement to me. I wish Alina all the best!

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Sigh... we all saw this coming. Tutberidze puppy mill keeps on going. Alina has not had an easy time since winning the Olympics. But she has her titles. I hope she's proud of herself and her amazing accomplishments. Zagitova is a beauty and a fighter. I wish her all the best.

 

[kittyjake5]

Thank you for the translations.

TBH when she spoke at the GPF Gala and explained that she would not be skating she looked so sad before she spoke I thought she was gong to make a retirement
announcement then.

Wishing Alina the best of luck and a bright future ahead for her.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

The only thing I want to add is that it makes me sad that Alina's career ended on such a down note. At least Evegenia & Liza are now skating for the "love of the game"... Yes, they try improve the technical content and want to win - but they seem at peace.

 

[PRlady]

It is kind, or wise, of her to speak so warmly of her coaches. The fact remains that Eteri can’t coach a champion past puberty, or help her evolve into a skater who can win with “lesser” jumps. I’m glad Alina got her medals and wish her well. I predict we will be hearing the same speech from Oly gold medalist Aliona, Anna, Sasha or Kamila in 2024.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Smart decision. Wow, first time a news of athlete's retirement (even if Oly. champ and it is FS) made the Channel #1 prime time news "Vremya"... FS the new "russian baseball".

FYI: Alina Zagitova earlier also had another show booked for 2020 (besides Navka's show) - "Art on Ice" in Switzerland, fr Feb 06-16, 2020.

Загитова выступит на шоу Art on Ice в Швейцарии

Российская фигуристка Алина Загитова примет участие в шоу Art on Ice, которое состоится с 6 по 16 февраля 2020 года в Швейцарии.

nevasport.ru

If anyone wants to see Alina live ("by tickets" and other participants are at the bottom of the page):
(she might have new exhibition number to perform).

Show - Art on Ice

2017 Art on Ice will take place from 2 - 5 February in Zurich, on the 7th & 8th of February in Lausanne and on the 10th & 11th February in Davos.

www.artonice.com

 

[muffinplus]

It is kind, or wise, of her to speak so warmly of her coaches. The fact remains that Eteri can’t coach a champion past puberty, or help her evolve into a skater who can win with “lesser” jumps. I’m glad Alina got her medals and wish her well. I predict we will be hearing the same speech from Oly gold medalist Aliona, Anna, Sasha or Kamila in 2024.

Why is this used as 'proof' that Eteri can't coach past puberty when Alina is the one who wants to stop?

 

[LoopCombo]

It is kind, or wise, of her to speak so warmly of her coaches. The fact remains that Eteri can’t coach a champion past puberty, or help her evolve into a skater who can win with “lesser” jumps. I’m glad Alina got her medals and wish her well. I predict we will be hearing the same speech from Oly gold medalist Aliona, Anna, Sasha or Kamila in 2024.

Of course if any of Alyona, Anna, or Alexandra have a 5 year senior career that includes winning an Olympic gold 3 years in, that will be nothing to scoff at! Zagitova’s peak came her first senior season at age 15, which also included the Olympics. Given that the 3A are already 15 or older in Alyona’s case, I’d say that would be one hell of a career if any of them achieved the 2022 Olympic gold and then was competitive for a couple of years afterwards, to around 19 or 20 years of age. Not to take anything away from Zagitova’s accomplishments, but the trajectory of the 3A is logistically different. I would say especially Anna is probably peaking now. It would be remarkable if she were to become the 2022 Olympic champion. All three of them would have overcome puberty to get there, which again would be a huge accomplishment— Tuktik has done it, but never in timing with an Olympics. Medvedeva is trying to do it now. If any of the 3A wins the Olympics and then skates through two Grand Prix series wining medals (and a Worlds) at all but the final event, they would be the most dominant Ladies figure skater out of Russia so far, and with decent longevity. A dominant 5 year senior career in this new era of quads and triple axels in Ladies singles skating would be quite the accomplishment in any country, including USA, Canada, Russia, or Japan.

 

[TAHbKA]

And then Kostner will come back for one season, win a medal at the Europeans and remind us what figure skating is really about....

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Why is this used as 'proof' that Eteri can't coach past puberty when Alina is the one who wants to stop?

Alina is no longer competitive at 17 yo. Has technique was never built to last. If you look at predictions from 2 years ago, none of this is a surprise. I highly doubt Alina "wants to stop" - but I am sure the idea of being left off the Russian team is not too appealing.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Why is this used as 'proof' that Eteri can't coach past puberty when Alina is the one who wants to stop?

Because the poster who said it and few others have a "certain ideology", and when there is a persona like Eteri, with qualities/drive/nietzschean approach to business and sports, it is a "sharp bone in their throats"...

Eteri is set on success, she is not just teaching others, but willing to learn and to improve herself, willing to take advise from others, and to advance and take opportunities in every aspect of her life, personal and professional. She is set on excellence, it shows, but many think "it's too much goods in one person's hands" and Eteri at present is "not sharing the wealth", and some people don't like it...

"coaching through puberty" is such a wide-open issue right now.

• many female skaters experience ups and downs during puberty, and many change coaches at that time, or quit. We just did not "track" them before, and many we don't know about it because they never made it to the top level.
• the new era of "tech content" in ladies skating setting the new realities.
• at 18 years of age normal people go to college or seek profession and try to "discover themselves". It's good to win as much as possible in sports, by 18 and move on to your real future.
• more and more elite skaters, in USA for example, choosing education over sports, at the age of 18...

... besides, Eteri and Team made A LOT OF EFFORT to offer Alina to remain in skating (and she has not yet left), and it was Alina's decision to take time off from this season's competitions.

... and if someday a biography books is written about Tutberidze, with all facts and details of the last 10 years, many will realize how many "evil myths" about her were invented for the wrong reasons. But her results speak for itself with out it.

In Russia Tutberidze is now referred to more and more often as a symbol of a self-made Woman, who did it all herself, a cat-that-walked-alone, without men and lucrative marriages, without "connections", without forming "alliances up above", just from scratch and by hard word.

 

[PRlady]

Why is this used as 'proof' that Eteri can't coach past puberty when Alina is the one who wants to stop?

She lost to Kosternaia three times in a row. Her PCS is coming down. She may still be growing. I don’t fault her for the decision, but I also think there was no road to continued success for her with Eteri. It may be that no coach could have arrested the trend, or that another could have helped her evolve into a more pleasing skater.

But again, Eteri’s track record with skaters past puberty is what it is.

 

[muffinplus]

Alina is no longer competitive at 17 yo. Has technique was never built to last. If you look at predictions from 2 years ago, none of this is a surprise. I highly doubt Alina "wants to stop". She loves skating. But I am sure the idea of being left off the Russian team is not too appealing.

Tell us who is competitive with the current top 3 of GPF in Russia ... is their technique also not meant to last?
Gubanova can't even get an international competition

And Alina hasn't really wanted to skate since the Olympics IIRC

 

[muffinplus]

She lost to Kosternaia three times in a row. Her PCS is coming down. She may still be growing. I don’t fault her for the decision, but I also think there was no road to continued success for her with Eteri. It may be that no coach could have arrested the trend, or that another could have helped her evolve into a more pleasing skater.

But again, Eteri’s track record with skaters past puberty is what it is.

You need quads or triple axels to be competitive with the top 3 this season. Whether she stayed with Eteri or not it matters not since these are not elements that Zagitova has at the moment but I don't see what Eteri's coaching or technique have to do with it

 

[Tinami Amori]

But again, Eteri’s track record with skaters past puberty is what it is.

• "puberty" is a new invented fake-criteria for success in sports, created recently to find "something wrong" with Eteri.
• "puberty" has never been an evaluating factor before. There are official age segments: 13-18 Juniors, 15+ Seniors.
• the purpose in competitive sport is to win.
• puberty starts and ends at different ages in different girls. Konstantinova (19) said she is still going though puberty. It is a physical factor, not an "athletic criteria".
• if "winning" today takes place between 13 and 18, then that's how it is.
• Eteri's skaters WIN. in Juniors and in Seniors. that is all that matters.
• wanting to see skaters' having long careers and keep on skating is fans' selfishness.
• skaters may want to first of all win, and don't care if the wins are before or after puberty.
• those who want to "skate for the love of skating" can stay on and skate.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

You need quads or triple axels to be competitive with the top 3 this season. Whether she stayed with Eteri or not it matters not since these are not elements that Zagitova has at the moment but I don't see what Eteri's coaching or technique have to do with it

Yet Tuktamysheva is 22 and was able to learn a quad. And a lot of posters here believed she could. Because she has a coach who is more interested in developing sustainable jumping technique and building a long term career.

 

[muffinplus]

Yet Tuktamysheva is 22 and was able to learn a quad. And a lot of posters here believed she could. Because she has a coach who is more interested in developing sustainable jumping technique and building a long term career.

And she still hasn't made the team in a few years so what's your point?

And other than jumps Mishin hasn't developed Tuktamysheva's skating in any other way..I.e. her spins and the rest of her skating. Mishin isn't a very good example of a coach who has helped develop a skater

 

[Tinami Amori]

Yet Tuktamysheva is 22 and was able to learn a quad. And a lot of posters here believed she could. Because she has a coach who is more interested in developing sustainable jumping technique and building a long term career.

No..... because she started trying/practicing quads and 3A at 11.. (said in her own interviews, links been posted before).

Tuktamysheva deserves praise for regaining 3A and re-learning quads, but at the same time Mishin did not put enough emphasis on other elements (spins, SS, etc.). You gain some, you lose some.

 

[LoopCombo]

I think we ought to do Alina the honor of believing her when she very candidly says that, with everything she has already accomplished in her career, it is very difficult for her to find the motivation to push herself to such an extreme level as would be required to compete with the quad and triple axel ladies right now. That sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Maybe she’s not a masochist. If I had accomplished my goals, had other opportunities, and was happy in my life, I don’t know that I would feel like pushing myself to my physical extreme just to keep winning. It’s not like she has to stop skating. A lot of skaters become more refined and develop insanely beautiful skating skills and performance through show skating. Alina is already lovely, and her skating — which some people complain is average — may continue to improve in shows, and just delight her fans. I don’t understand the narrative that Alina is being forced out and that Eteri has simply become a PR genius ‘this time around.’ I don’t see why Eteri wouldn’t have meant what she said: that Alina is a beautiful skater, that they will miss her and hope she finds the motivation to return. I actually don’t think Eteri has the kind of contempt for her students where she lies about thinking they have value, just for the sake of PR. I do think she has a realistic understanding of the physical demands of the sport and is direct about athletes having to give it 110% if they want any success. Alina has already done that, and I have no idea why Eteri wouldn’t respect her for what she has already given.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

And she still hasn't made the team in a few years so what's your point?

And other than jumps Mishin hasn't developed Tuktamysheva's skating in any other way..I.e. her spins and the rest of her skating. Mishin isn't a very good example of a coach who has helped develop a skater

Any coach who aims to sustain a skater's career is a good example. I don't have a horse in this race, and have no desire to argue. But posters point out Eteri's inability to coach a skater past puberty because that's her track record. Numbers don't lie.

 

[muffinplus]

Any coach who aims to sustain a skater's career is a good example. I don't have a horse in this race, and have no desire to argue. But posters point out Eteri's inability to coach a skater past puberty because that's her track record. Numbers don't lie.

Except skater choosing not continue her career when she has no motivation having achieved everything has nothing do with Eteri's ability or inability to coach anyone past puberty...

 

[LoopCombo]

Alina is no longer competitive at 17 yo. Has technique was never built to last.

It’s true that she is less competitive in Russia since the advent of the 3A, but she is easily in the top 10 in the world, she just skates for a country that has 6 of the top 10 skaters in the world. Also, her jumps have looked strong this year despite how much she’s grown. Her performances have been beautiful when she’s been on. I remember an interview with Brian Orser where he said that after puberty, consistency in jumps becomes more of a problem. So is this actually because Zagitova’s technique hasn’t been built to last, or because she can’t add more difficulty without pushing herself in a way she simply doesn’t want to right now? Kaori doesn’t have quads, Mariah Bell doesn’t have quads. Do they have poor technique, or are they just going to have to work like hell if they want to compete with the top Russian ladies? Luckily for them, they can likely still make their countries’ international teams because there are not already 4 ladies with quads and/or triple axels in their countries.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Except skater choosing not continue her career when she has no motivation having achieved everything has nothing do with Eteri's ability or inability to coach anyone past puberty...

Name one female singles skater Eteri successfully coached past puberty.

 

[muffinplus]

Name one female singles skater Eteri successfully coached past puberty.

How many skaters have stayed with Eteri past 17 ./ not continued past 17 doesn't have anything to do with her being able to successfully coach skaters past 17. If you don't see the difference, I can't help you.

 

[Bigbird]

Name one female singles skater Eteri successfully coached past puberty.

Loook this has nothing to do with Eteri, there are just certain standards that Russia supports and those it doesn't. Female athletes are little more than pieces of meat if you cannot take the aggravation you do yourself a solid like Lipnitskaya and just tell them where to get off and move on with your life. Look at their singles, pairs and dancers. Look at Sinitsina in 2014 and look at her now. Look at Stepanova in 2017/8 and look at her now. Look at how a number of their singles girls are persecuted for loking like real women. I am so happy for Kostornaia, but what's gonna happen if she doesn't survive puberty? Russian women, though beautiful are not all waifs. Let them all enjoy it while it lasts. There just needs to be a more humane and classy way to make your exit from the sport.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

How many skaters have stayed with Eteri past 17 ./ not continued past 17 doesn't have anything to do with her being able to successfully coach skaters past 17. If you don't see the difference, I can't help you.

People tend to get impatient and condescending when they don't have answers. You don't need to help me . In any case, all the best to Alina. I will miss her beautiful face.

 

[muffinplus]

People tend to get impatient and condescending when they don't have answers. You don't need to help me . In any case, all the best to Alina. I will miss her beautiful face.

If you don't understand that skaters not lasting past 17 in Russia is not an Eteri thing, that's not my problem