Alena Kostornaia appreciation thread

[Sylvia]

Cute moment after the GPF gala:

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[AxelAnnie]

Cute moment after the GPF gala:

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She is just adorable!

 

[alexikeguchi]

I think this is the best, floatiest triple axel I have ever seen, by a male or female... Just breathtaking!

That program deserved every decimal of her nearly 90 point total.

 

[Vash01]

She just floats. Perfection.

 

[Sylvia]

I think this [video is blocked for me; link removed] is the best, floatiest triple axel I have ever seen, by a male or female... Just breathtaking!

That program deserved every decimal of her nearly 90 point total.

Here's her Russian broadcast video to enjoy:

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[rupertsurvive]

She is amazing since she has proven quality of elements and superior presentation can still overcome the quadsters. She is literally giving away a ton of points to both her main rivals who do a bunch of quads while she does none in the long program, but her huge short program leads and her GOE and PCS which are by far the highest in the world in the LP still pretty much secures her winning if everyone goes clean even with a 5 quad disadvantage. That is how amazing she is. And it is good to see a whole package still winning.

 

[alexikeguchi]

She is amazing since she has proven quality of elements and superior presentation can still overcome the quadsters. She is literally giving away a ton of points to both her main rivals who do a bunch of quads while she does none in the long program, but her huge short program leads and her GOE and PCS which are by far the highest in the world in the LP still pretty much secures her winning if everyone goes clean even with a 5 quad disadvantage. That is how amazing she is. And it is good to see a whole package still winning.

Alena was beautiful with about her best triple axels yet and once again could have won Russian Nationals with lesser content were it not for small mistakes on the easier elements. I hope she stays confident and slays at Europeans and Worlds!

 

[believed]

Congratulations to Alena!!! What beautiful triple axels!! Good luck for Euros and Worlds!!!

 

[rupertsurvive]

Alena was beautiful with about her best triple axels yet and once again could have won Russian Nationals with lesser content were it not for small mistakes on the easier elements. I hope she stays confident and slays at Europeans and Worlds!

Yeah I feel bad for her. It was so close! I hope she comes back strong. She can still be proud, she skated amazing and just narrowly lost to the quad lutz/quad flipping girl who skated the absolute best she could have probably.

 

[Polaris]

Kostornaia is a goddess. My god...her basic skating skills. Swoon. I could watch her just glide across the ice.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Awwww, she is such a stunner. I hope she is not too upset. Rooting for her to win the Worlds. Alena is a dream.

 

[Sylvia]

Olympic Channel's new interview with the 2020 European champion:

Alena Kostornaia exclusive: Beijing Olympic dreams, Tutberidze and more

Does Alena Kostornaia favour herself for gold at Beijing 2022? The Russian figure skating star opens up in an Olympic Channel exclusive.

www.olympicchannel.com

5-minute video: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/v...clusive-i-m-a-very-emotional-person-actually/

 

[Bellanca]

An aspiring neurosurgeon who also happens to be an incredibly gifted skater.So impressed with this young lady and her extraordinary ambitions. It is terrific that at her age, Kos is thinking about and preparing for life beyond skating. That is so important to do. I liked her comment of not being just 50 percent offended. Yeah, that would be a challenge! Alena seems to be cruising along just fine. Good to see her taking it all in stride.

Onward.

 

[Frau Muller]

I think that it’s time to resurrect this thread...it was buried ten pages down!

DAVAI, ALIONA! Good luck in the next stage of your competitive career, as your new coaching situation becomes clear.

 

[kittyjake5]

What????? Aliona is leaving Plushenko?

 

[Lemonade20]

Aliona had a bad year, definitely. I can't believe how quick certain posters are to trash talk her. She's still very young and I hope she will move on from this.

 

[mjb52]

I think people don't consider enough what had been happening in the world when she left Eteri. What happened in March to June was crazy. She was on a closed base in what was at the time a very intense and highly stressful situation. I don't think she handled her departure well at all, nor did anyone else involved, including Eteri and Daniil, but I make allowances for all of them because the level of psychological stress most people in the world were enduring at that time was incredibly high. Although perhaps there were some issues we don't know about preceding that, looking at it from the outside, the timing of her departure is the only thing I can know about as a fact, and for me, that it occurred at such a stressful and frightening time in the world is something that should be taken into consideration.

In general, I think people should be more understanding of breaks between skaters and coaches and between pairs and dance teams, because we really don't know what's going on in people's lives that motivates them, but this one stands out as happening under particularly unusual circumstances. At the same time, while I think fans/the Russian skating world in general should be understanding, I can see why what happened might mean the coaching team needs to think a little about whether or not they can all work together smoothly again. I just hope Aliona ends up in a situation that lets her thrive because she's such a beautiful skater.

 

[DELTA]

If it wasn't for pandemic, she'd be world's medalist. Now the window is closing.

 

[Lemonade20]

If it wasn't for *********, she'd be world's medalist. Now the window is closing.

Hard to say, it sounds like more than one factor came in play. This one was a huge one (getting sick, recovering). She's having a very tough year, but I think she will bounce back and return stronger. She has so much talent, and we shouldn't be judging her off-ice.

 

[DELTA]

Hard to say, it sounds like more than one factor came in play. This one was a huge one (getting sick, recovering). She's having a very tough year, but I think she will bounce back and return stronger. She has so much talent, and we shouldn't be judging her off-ice.

Yes, but others will get stronger too. This year was supposed to the year she learns quad.

 

[Lemonade20]

Yes, but others will get stronger too. This year was supposed to the year she learns quad.

That would be an amazing comeback

 

[exNyer]

The same thing that happened to Evgenia M. She will become too injured to be competitive. There is no reason to invest in her success. Eteri and her team of coaches/choreographer were very hostile to her. As predicted by many the plushenko move was a mistake from the start, but returning(unwelcomed) won’t benefit her skating career or her health

 

[Frau Muller]

Hard to say, it sounds like more than one factor came in play. This one was a huge one (getting sick, recovering). She's having a very tough year, but I think she will bounce back and return stronger. She has so much talent, and we shouldn't be judging her off-ice.

The main challenge now will be Mother Nature. She’s developing a normal body in her tiny frame. Maybe she’ll develop like Tuk...short but powerful!

 

[Frau Muller]

Kostornaia last Friday in the 2021 Champions on Ice / Team Tutberidze show, skating her 50 Shades program. Looking good!

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[hanca]

The main challenge now will be Mother Nature. She’s developing a normal body in her tiny frame. Maybe she’ll develop like Tuk...short but powerful!

Actually, when there is a fight between the Mother Nature and Tutberidze, I am betting on Tutberidze to come on top! Even if the poor skater was kept alive on diet powder drinks like Lipnitskaya for a year. Kostornaya had been looking quite out of shape and going through puberty while with Angels, but now she is back in Tutberidze’s group, her figure is back to her leaner competitive figure (Tutberidze’s approved size and shape). I think her problem won’t be mother nature and puberty (at least not while she is in Tutberidze’s group), her problem will be whether she is able to add some quads fast enough to keep herself competitive with the rest of her group. And I am not sure she can add at least one quad, because at the time Trusova and Scherbakova wee adding theirs, Kostornaya didn’t.

 

[DreamSkates]

I think this is the best, floatiest triple axel I have ever seen, by a male or female... Just breathtaking!

That program deserved every decimal of her nearly 90 point total.

Everything was lovely about that program. Her triple-triple was amazing. Out of the Russian ladies, I like her flow and expression the best. I do like the other top Russian ladies as well but for me, feel that Kostornaia has the most mature movements and lines.

 

[Frau Muller]

Everything was lovely about that program. Her triple-triple was amazing. Out of the Russian ladies, I like her flow and expression the best. I do like the other top Russian ladies as well but for me, feel that Kostornaia has the most mature movements and lines.

That was in 2019. The vid that I posted above is from three nights ago (50 Shades of Grey-April2021 edition)...a decent start to regaining her 2019 form.

 

[Vash01]

Kostornaia last Friday in the 2021 Champions on Ice / Team Tutberidze show, skating her 50 Shades program. Looking good!

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She looks bigger (and stronger) and seems to land the triples easily. She has a natural ability to skate and interpret music. It may come down to the 3A and quads next season. In this program I didn't care for the stick. It would have been better without the prop.

 

[annie_mg]

She looks taller and she's definitely gained muscle. Maybe she's still growing, but if she's already gone through her growth spurt, she might actually be lucky it happened this year and not next year. I'm sure Scherbakova will look different soon too and who knows what that will do to her jumps.

Among Eteri's students she's no1 in interpreting music and just looking graceful no matter what she's doing on the ice. That can't be taught. Scherbakova comes a distant second, but if you look at all her other students, they don't come anywhere near Kostornaia's natural talent (I'm not talking about her jumps, one could argue Trusova has better jumps because of her quads).

Yes I'm a fan

 

[Spun Silver]

Reviving this thread from 9 pages back: Alena was fantastic in the SP at IdF! She performed that skate like a million dollars. Great GOE all around - I could hardly believe my eyes but she's back in the mix, at least for today. Hoping she finds that 3A for the free skate.