Evgenia Medvedeva Cheer thread

Oh, I agree that the picture is cute.

But how does a cute picture translate into not being likely to perform the behaviours that are being discussed (not saying whether they are fact or fiction, and have no opinion on the matter really)?
 
Zazy said:
An underdog is going to get more support, and of course the whole 'traitor to Russia' thing (I know it's a minority but still) is going to lead to sympathy from North Americans.
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Not necessarily. Not garnering sympathy from me.
 
Tinami Amori said:
I was Med's biggest fan, wanted her to win over Zagitova. When Zagitova won, i was sad for Medvedeva..... Then a lot of ungracious things happened from Medvedeva's side. It was becoming more and more clear as the situation progressed, that she was/is a two-faced conniving manipulator, who did and said a lot of things for sake of publicity and popularity, while playing "perfect person/perfect athlete"... "Best 2nd daughter to Eteri", "Best Friend off the ice to Alina", "Best Russian and a Best Patriot in the whole Russia, even if 1/2 Armenian, she does not feel Armenian..", "The lover of K-Pop, which she quickly dropped after Korean Olys ended", and much much more..
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I don't think your post deserves much attention, especially not in a cheer thread, but seriously, who gives you the right to talk like this of people you haven't personally met? :wideeyes: I have said this before regarding your comments on Kostornaia who for some reason you've also decided to insult, but most of us skating fans (at least I'd like to think), are here for the skating, not for the gossip and stories we can put together based on media etc.

Back to cheering, please.
 
annie_mg said:
.... who gives you the right to talk like this of people you haven't personally met? :wideeyes:
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:rofl: if you try to send this question to every mass media sources' "editorial" and "opinion" segment editors, you'll be busy for the rest of your life.

kittyjake5 said:
Well who kicked your puppy today. This is a cheer thread
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Japanfan did not start any "anti-cheers", the person who started this "cheer thread" is the one who addressed "the negative issue"...

Japanfan said:
well that's a topic for PI.
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barbarafan thinks so too.... but it did not stop her to start the subject.. ;)

Zazy said:
An underdog is going to get more support, and of course the whole 'traitor to Russia' thing (I know it's a minority but still) is going to lead to sympathy from North Americans.
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:rofl: ... and that's unfortunate... given that America was built by strong, endurant, creative, multi-tasking and clever people. Do they teach the Fall of Rome history in high-school? have not been there lately, when i was, "ancient history" was an elective.... :D
https://www.history.com/.image/ar_1...4NjAyOTc3MjU3MTgz/hith-sacking_rome_455-2.jpg
 
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Spun Silver said:
But after the Olympics, her determination to continue, rework her technique, and make such a drastic and personally costly coaching change captures my imagination. I can't help rooting for her. A lot of Olympic silver medalists would just walk away, but Med is making major sacrifices to attain her perhaps impossible dream of an OGM.
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THIS :love:

Brian Orser was asked to describe his students with one word - and he described Evgenia with a word 'Fierce'.
I couldn't agree more, and that (her being fierce) probably made me a fan. I still can't say that she is the my favorite skater or the best skater in the world, but I am rooting for her to show her best in Saitama, to have two great skates there and, probably, get a medal. I very well remember her LP at the test skates this September - her first outing after coaching change AND a very serious injury, something we all had forgotten. That was probably the very first time I really enjoyed her skating, not just appreciated her efforts but truly enjoyed.

Also, I really like her personality (and have always liked, even when she was 15) - she is one of the most articulate and honest Russian skaters, always being polite but at the same time speaking her mind. I respect her tremendously for the way she handled a very difficult situation last spring - she has never said a bad word about her previous coaching team or her rivals.
 
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Vash01 said:
It is amazing that after she moved to Canada, many North Americans stopped hating her and some seem to have become her fans. Amazing what a change of country can do (sarcasm). When she was training in Russia, with a successful Russian coach and winning, they hated her like there was nothing good about her.
Losing competitions has earned her a lot of N. American fans.

Other than an improved double axel I don’t see any improvement in her. She has lost the consistency and her programs are not good. I am hoping that next year she will find good programs and find her consistency again. I am sure that those newly acquired fans will give all credit to Orser if she wins, but they never credited Eteri when Zhenya was so consistent and winning.
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Medvedeva became more "human" and relatable after Olympics. Her emotions (joy, pain, disappointment) were real and palpable. And she's been brave in the face of adversity. The easiest thing for Med would be to retire, make money hosting TV shows, and skate in exhibitions. Instead, she moved across the globe and started over. Med's courage gained her a lot of fans. Plus, people love a good come back story. It's not about Canada. It's about who Medvedeva is as a person.
 
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Tinami Amori said:
T
But! "moving to Canada" was not what the majority of Medvedeva's ex-fans objected to. There were several other issues in Med's behavior and conduct they strongly disliked and felt she was manipulating their feelings all this time. Some did not like the manner in which she left her coach. Some did not like her position in public, to "place herself ahead of Zagitova and diminish Zagitova's win". Some did not like her rabid fans who were aggressive and pushy, to under mind Zagitova's win. Some did not like the barrage of negativity started against "various russian skaters, coaches, methods" which leaked as "rumors into the press" once Medvedeva came to Canada, western media gladly picking it up and... etc.
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Tinami, why do you frequent a thread for someone you clearly despise? Maybe you should stick to Alina and Eteri threads?

Now, lets look at your accusations of questionable behavior and conduct:

1. The way she left? She didn't bring Eteri flowers, we get it.

2. Position in public to place herself ahead of Zagitova? Diminish Zagitova's win? What would be humble enough for you? Going into hiding for a year? Becoming a nun? Walking six feet behind Zagitova? Not her fault she was on TV a lot.

3. Some didn't like her rabid fans. What does that have to do with Medvedeva's personal "behavior or conduct"?

4. The barrage of negativity which leaked as rumors to the press. Total and utter BS. The press drew its own conclusions about the reasons for her leaving. Don't put that on Medvedeva.
 
Just finished reading this thread and there are some comments that really surprise me. I have big respect towards all the athletes and I hate when people take different measures for different athletes. I have never read so many (if any) comments about huge sacrifices that for example Tursinbayeva made when moving to Canada. And what about Iliushechkina? Her departure to Canada was presented as an amazing opportunity for her to escape evil Russia. And what about skaters, who leave their families at the age of 10 or 12 to live alone in the capital? Doesn’t Alina live far from her family only with her grandma for a long time? And what about many other skaters who left abroad to get good coaching? Do we talk about poor little Marin Honda?
I become figure skating fan thanks to Anissina and Peizerat and I always respected Marina for what she has done in 1993, at the age of 18. Her story is what I would call a huge risk and personal sacrifices. She was probably the first skater who formed an international partnership. She was leaving basically with no money and no sponsors, no support of any big federation. She had only her junior title and a big dream. She had to change her nationality (and certainly heard many times she was traitor of her country). She had to start working with the coach who had very little respect in the world of ice dancing. She was facing language barrier at times when 1) it was not common to speak very good English in USSR and certainly not French 2) there was no internet, meaning no Google translate and this kind of helpful apps we use regularly now. And especially, she was completely separated from her friends and family. One to 2 quick and super expensive calls home per week is certainly not comparable with today's options to not only talk but also share your life and see all your bellowed ones anytime you wish, thanks to modern technologies.

Now compare that to Evgenia, who is risking absolutely nothing, except for losing some time and money on commercial projects, had she decided to quit (and I really appreciate and respect her for her choice to continue her career). When she made the choice to continue, she also knew she has to move abroad. How could she stay in Russia and go to any less successful coach? Because really, at this moment, there are no more successful Russian coaches than Eteri. She made the only logical and smart choice. She joined the school which is considered one of the best (if not the best) in the world. No downgrade there. Quite opposite…some people think the media attention is bad for her as there is a lot of negativity….well, I think with all young Russian superstar girls, she desperately needs all attention she can get to stay relevant and going to Canada is a fantastic topic for journalists….good or bad publicity, it is still publicity. She also joined the coaching team which has a lot of fans and support (from judges included) just based on the fact that Hanyu is training there. She went there with her name being established, with the support of her fed and sponsors. Unlike many skaters, who have to work daily in order to finance their practices, she is fine to simply concentrate on her training, instead of spending her energy on training children,… She moved with her mum. She knew many skaters there from competitions and shows before. She has no communication problem, she is not isolated. And btw, it is not as if she is enclosed in some brutal training camp in Afghanistan. How many young people apply every year to get working or study visas to enter Canada in hope to perfect their English, meet new people, learn about different culture…. Toronto is not such a horrible option and city to live in.

Can we appreciate Zhenya’s determination and hard work? Definitely. And I do. But I would really like her fans to stop presenting it like she made some brutal life-changing choice. She made a very smart choice and she is very lucky to be able to train with a great coaching team in a great environment.
 
sykr said:
But I would really like her fans to stop presenting it like she made some brutal life-changing choice.
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Sure, in comparison to the examples you listed, it isn’t *so* bad, but moving to a completely different country with a language barrier (that does exist, as she is still learning English) and different cultural contexts than what she’s used to (presumably, though, I wouldn’t know this for sure) while having to adjust to a different training style IS life changing AND difficult.
 
annie_mg said:
I don't think your post deserves much attention, especially not in a cheer thread, but seriously, who gives you the right to talk like this of people you haven't personally met? :wideeyes: I have said this before regarding your comments on Kostornaia who for some reason you've also decided to insult, but most of us skating fans (at least I'd like to think), are here for the skating, not for the gossip and stories we can put together based on media etc.

Back to cheering, please.
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Totally agree. This is a Med cheer thread and Tinami's gossip trawling and representing as fact I find really in poor taste - borderline slanderous to be honest.
 
Hi! I am new here and just wanted to post that I appreciate and enjoy that here in FS Universe fans actually discuss interesting and contentious issues regarding skaters they like, even in a cheer thread! You appear free to analyze skaters’ performances according to your personal preferences, and you don’t always agree with each other. I find this really refreshing after the ‘fan fests’ on Golden Skate, which I have known about for longer, where cheer threads are full of gushing about how such and such skater is the prettiest ever and the best ever and deserves to win Worlds and here is a link to their recent cute instagram photos, and don’t anybody mention any areas where their skating lacks because this is a fan fest, etc.

I am genuinely interested in what other fans think (negative and positive), especially about skaters I really like, like Evgenia Medvedeva. She is a skater who I think has been a 'gateway drug' to skating fandom for a lot of people. She's charismatic and emotive, she has beautiful costumes, and she hardly ever fell. People watched her or some fluff pieces on her and became fans, and I think she has been wonderful for drawing new fans into the sport and enticing lapsed fans like me back into it. Just last season she seemed practically unbeatable. Even my family members who don't know or care much about skating all cheered for her at the Olympics. My family couldn't understand why Zagitova beat her under the former rules, apart from my husband who had preferred Zagitova since the 2018 Europeans. I personally like Zagitova and Medvedeva a great deal, but have also struggled to understand why their PCS or GOE was so high compared to other top skaters (especially this season, but also last season compared to skaters with clearly higher jumps like Osmund, Tyktamysheva, and Kostner), or why they were beating other excellent skaters by such large margins rather than just edging them out. I do understand that Eteri is a genius when it comes to getting the most out of the scoring system and that her programs tend to be difficult, and I respect that. I also agree with Alexi Mishin that it is also difficult to do a textbook perfect, beautifully high and powerful jump.

I don't understand why Medvedeva continued to score comparatively high at clean skates this season (at Russian Nationals this year in the free, or at Russian Cup Final in the short) despite having less complicated programs under Orser and despite still being in the process of improving her jumps. I do think her glide across the ice has improved with Orser. I have cheered for Medvedeva all year and was shocked at both the decline in her performance (falls, underwhelming spins and footwork) and also at the decline in her scores. But given the transition she's made as well as managing her injuries, it does make sense, and it was just the reality of a rebuilding year. I respect her for wanting to keep improving her craft, and I was worried when she seemed to totally lose her confidence. I was fairly shocked, however, that Medvedeva was chosen this year over Tuktamysheva, a skater I also like, to go to Worlds. Tuktamysheva was having her second major comeback season and had a ton of momentum, even despite the pneumonia.

The choice seemed so blatantly unfair after the seasons both skaters had that it is hard for me to get into the spirit of cheering for Medvedeva at worlds, not because I don't like her but because I don't see how she deserves to be there. I also don't feel like any of this is Medvedeva's fault. If you're given a ticket to Worlds by the coaching council, you go -- I understand that. Maybe Medvedeva will peak at Worlds and win a medal. But I also don't think her technical content is competitive with Kihira, Zagitova (when Zagitova skates clean, naturally), or Sakamoto, even with Mai Mihara who won't be at worlds. Even Tursynbaeva has a possible quad and some wonderful spins and step sequences. Samodurova has been more consistent and her performance scores are steadily going up. To me, this year Medvedeva is more on par with the performances of Bradie Tennell and Mariah Bell (great skaters, but that same lack of luck at crucial moments) and the rest is just hype. Do I want Medvedeva to succeed in her longterm plan with Brian Orser? Absolutely. Do I understand why Russia failed to give a spot at Worlds to the Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, Tuktamysheva? Only from a ratings or marketing perspective. I hope Medvedeva doesn't fall at Worlds, because I think it will negatively effect her career trajectory if she does. I wish this season for Medvedeva could have ended on the high note of realizing how many fans in Russia still loved her, regaining her confidence, and skating well at Universiade while Liza and her triple axels went to Worlds. I don't know what to make of this year's Russian Worlds team selection, but hope that Medvedeva is able to achieve her goal of becoming an even better skater in the future. The rivalry between the Russian ladies is amazing, but at least for me, my fan loyalty feels complex. What I like most in figure skating is to see worthy performances being rewarded fairly, not seeing skaters I love propped up on reputation or for other reasons.
 
Skyr...I thought that Tursynbaeva was forced to leave Russia as all Russian coaches in Russia could only train Russian athletes prior to Sochi....now when that dicta has lapsed she was free to return to Eteri.
 
@sykr, this is a cheer thread for Evgenia, not a thread about the comparative challenges and hardships faced by different skaters in their lives. It’s a fact that Evgenia didn’t move to Canada as a refugee, but if you think her move wasn’t challenging just because she’s not financially destitute or because her mother moved with her, it suggests a lack of imagination on your part.

@Ruby999, welcome to FSU - I’m also on GS, and I know what you mean about the tone of some of the threads, which sometimes seem overly focused on pretty dresses and sweet personalities - it does get a bit annoying at times. That said, I’m a little non plussed that you’d come into a fan thread to say that you think Evgenia’s selection for Worlds was blatantly unfair and that she doesn’t deserve to be there. While the selection committee didn’t disclose its reasoning, it’s a big leap from not knowing or being disappointed for another skater to concluding there was no good reason for her selection or that it resulted from politics or hype. Evgenia had a huge disappointment at the Olympics and after upending her life and moving to Canada has worked really hard to recover from injuries and learn new technique. Those things, to me, are reason enough to support her.
 
@Tavi, Evgenia is my favorite figure skater. I posted in the fan thread because I am a fan. I love the way Evgenia emotes, I love her grace and grit, and I think she has a great personality. I liked her programs when she was with Eteri, and I am excited about her continuing career with Brian Orser. I want her to succeed, I want her to have a comeback and the long career she aspires to because I think she is a rare gem of figure skating and just all around great. I'm excited for her to improve even more -- she was already so talented. I just also didn't really feel like she was coming back so strongly as the current narrative implies, so strongly for her performances this season to be overlooked -- especially not from a technical standpoint. I felt like she got her mojo back after she skated badly in the short program at Russian nationals and saw how the fans were still loving her. But I just honestly don't feel like getting her confidence back is the same thing as being ready for Worlds or having had a great season. And I don't think she out-skated Tuktamysheva at the Russian Cup final -- it felt a lot more like a draw, and given their respective seasons, yes I thought the decision was unfair, and absolutely we can disagree. I really like Medvedeva, but even as her fan I felt conflicted at being excited that she made the Worlds team. I wonder if she will skate like she has all season and fall in at least one program, and not have that many difficult transitions, and not be quite technically on par with the top 5 or so ladies. I would understand and still cheer for her -- I'm surprised she's been as good as she has given all the changes and injuries -- but I wonder if it might make other skating fans dislike her. She's had so much hate this year already, and it seemed to really shake her confidence. I don't like to see favoritism in figure skating, and that is how her selection to the Worlds team strikes me. It doesn't mean that's what it actually was, and no doubt the Russian coaching council has more knowledge of who will do well and what is considered fair than I do. I hope Evgenia has a great competition at Worlds, but I also don't understand the need to rush her comeback. I thought her current trajectory looked more realistically like making the Worlds team next season. I personally don't like it when skaters are given preference due to reputation and past performances rather than how they are currently skating. It can make it harder for skaters who are currently skating well to get the opportunities and recognition they deserve. Let me put it this way, if Evgenia had had the season Tuktamysheva had and Tuktamysheva had had the season Evgenia just had, and Evgenia had gotten pneumonia, missed Nationals (where Tuktamysheva came in 4th of the seniors and 7th overall) and then the federation had chosen Tuktamysheva over Evgenia for Worlds based on a close result at the Russian Cup Final, I would not have understood that decision either. That may make me a bad Medvedeva fan, but I am a skating fan too, and I don't get much pleasure out of seeing even my favorites get team spots or scores that it doesn't feel like they earned.

P.S. I never would have posted this on Golden Skate because they are very clear that fan fest posts cannot veer from 100% positive. I was following Medvedeva's cheer thread on FS Universe and thought it looked more like a discussion of Medvedeva's performances this season. Maybe I jumped the gun. I don't want to barge in here and ruin the mood. She's a lovely skater, and in general I don't enjoy critiques that are dismissive or unkind to these wonderful, hard-working skaters. I do enjoy nuanced appraisals of how skaters are skating, though. Can someone recommend a better thread?
 
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