From Russia with love [#23]: Spring/Summer 2016

[Sylvia]

Looks like her and Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya competing with Harley Dahlstrom at Hollins Trophy next week.

So a new Senior pair team for Australia! There's also an Anastasia Kuznetsova and Nick McCreary entered in Junior Dance (ETA: there was a "Anastasia Kuznetsova" who skated singles in New Zealand?).

 

[sammyf]

So a new Senior pair team for Australia! There's also an Anastasia Kuznetsova and Nick McCreary entered in Junior Dance.

Ekaterina and Harley are age eligible for the JGP so hopefully we will see them there.

Anastasia and Nick are skating for New Zealand see http://www.nswisa.com/results/2016/trophy/CAT065RS.HTM she is the current Novice New Zealand ladies champ. They just train in NSW so have that club affiliation. Her mom is a coach for New Zealand and she grew up there so would not need a release.

 

[casken]

Unless I'm missing something I don't see how either team could compete in the Olympics since both teams have a non-Spanish partner and neither team will be training/living in Spain. I doubt the Spanish figure skating Fed is so powerful that they can push through citizenship exceptions.

I actually didn't even think of that. I'm so used to 90's style quickie marriages for citizenship that I always assume these things will be "taken care" of.

So I guess that just means that he's basically guaranteed to be at worlds for the next few years. (I can't see Smart/Diaz being better, I just can't. Maybe I'm wrong.)

So basically this mean he, and she, have given up on the Olympics as a goal? Unless they plan to stick around until 2022 and he gets citizenship?

pah

Monko hot like this, with a new modern free dance approach, lots of drama, they could have made it together
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGEmNywlzn4/?taken-by=kseniamonko

She's always so much more stylish off ice than she was on. They really should have packaged themselves like the way they dress off ice for their routines.

#OhWell.

 

[hanca]

I think it wasn't Olympics that were on Khaliavin's mind. At least he will be able to get to Europeans and worlds, whereas in Russia it was becoming a bit difficult and uncertain. So even if he can't go to Olympics, he still gained.

 

[sweetsparky]

The process of getting Spanish nationality could be very fast through the "carta de naturaleza" procedure, that is not subjected to time of residence but is a graciously Spanish Government decision related to special circumstances, like, precisely, being an elite sportsman.

But cause Spain and neither Russia nor United Kingdom haven't signed double nationality treaties, to get the Spanish nationality they should renounce to their birth nationality which I don't think it has been commented any of them have considered and since they wouldn't have guaranteed (that was the sense of my previous post) an Oly spot I guess that it wouldn't be a quick decision, especially just starting their partnerships, so I would say that right now the 2018 Olys is not probably these new teams more relevant goal.

 

[hanca]

But cause Spain and neither Russia nor United Kingdom haven't signed double nationality treaties, to get the Spanish nationality they should renounce to their birth nationality which I don't think it has been commented any of them have considered and since they wouldn't have guaranteed (that was the sense of my previous post) an Oly spot I guess that it wouldn't be a quick decision, especially just starting their partnerships, so I would say that right now the 2018 Olys is not probably these new teams more relevant goal.

Are you sure about that? I Know a Russian woman with several citizenships and a few British people with dual citizenships, so it must be possible to have dual citizenship for British and Russian citizens.

 

[sweetsparky]

But one of them is Spanish?

Spain has a lot of double nationality treaties but with Russia I am sure is not the case, cause it can be checked in the official pages of Spanish Ministery of Justice. Of course there is the double nationality "de facto", for example the children of a Spaniard has Spanish nationality even if also has a second nationality cause other reasons (other nationality of one of the parents or place of birth) so even if there is not treaty could have two passports.

I don´t doubt Russia or Great Britain allow double nationality as Spain does with a lot of countries that are historically and culturally related and maybe they even allow their nationals to keep their nationality even if they get the Spanish one but that would be a question related to their own national law, that I admit I don´t know, not international law, cause I am sure Russia/Spain right now don´t have such a treaty.

 

[Darkverse]

Russia doesn't care if you acquire another citizenship of whatever country. The only problem could be on the Spanish side.

 

[sweetsparky]

I see. Certainly, under some conditions, using the nationality that had to be renounced can be a reason to be deprived of the acquired Spanish nationality, under Spanish law.

 

[Dobre]

Hurtado & Khaliavin are the stronger halves of their previous teams. And both teams were a LOT stronger than the Brits and Robledo/Fenero were/are. It may take some time and we'll have to see how smooth the federation transfer goes, but H&K should have the goods to be more competitive. You never know how new partnerships will mesh, but H&K are a good bet ability-wise. If I was Spain, I would bet on them.

 

[kwanfan1818]

They also may be Robledo/Fenero's ticket to the Olympics, since it doesn't matter who earns a spot.

 

[legjumper]

Hurtado & Khaliavin are the stronger halves of their previous teams. And both teams were a LOT stronger than the Brits and Robledo/Fenero were/are. It may take some time and we'll have to see how smooth the federation transfer goes, but H&K should have the goods to be more competitive. You never know how new partnerships will mesh, but H&K are a good bet ability-wise. If I was Spain, I would bet on them.

I agree. I could see Hurtado/Khaliavin initially being competitive with newer teams like Muramoto/Reed and Tobias/Tkachenko.

 

[casken]

Countries have bent rules for athletes from other countries willing to represent them at the Olympics before, haven't they?

We did that for Belbin, I think? Which gave is this smilie?

 

[VGThuy]

It wasn't so much bending the rules as simply creating a new rule/exception to the current rule. According to Tanith, a lot of people, who like her applied for citizenship under old rules before the rules changed to make it faster, were stuck in immigration limbo benefited from the change of law, though I personally haven't fact-checked that statement. At the time, I didn't think many people would be able to take advantage of that measure since it benefited people of "extraordinary ability" and the meaning of extraordinary means the pool would be pretty small.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The smilie is named for David Mitchell's mother, who wrote to her congressman to try to block the legislation that enabled Belbin and Maxim Zavozin to be eligible for the 2006 Olympics.

 

[Jammers]

Countries have bent rules for athletes from other countries willing to represent them at the Olympics before, haven't they?

We did that for Belbin, I think? Which gave is this smilie?

It wasn't like Tanith was some johnny come lately foreign skater who had only been living and competing for the US for a couple years and got a special pass to compete at the 2006 Olympics. She had been living in the US since 1998 and with the ridiculous amount of time it takes to become a citizen she was going to miss yet another Olympics just like in 2002. With all that she and Ben had accomplished she deserved to be moved up and get her citizenship.

 

[levineismine]

I don't know whether the translation to this interview with Astakhova/Rogonov was already published
http://fs-gossips.com/astakhova-rogonov-we-know-about-our-disadvantages/

They talk about the past season, their new SP, and plans for the FS.

They also just published the official trailer for their 'Onegin SP', it's really cool and it's a great idea that more skaters should embrace!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIWijodniV4&feature=youtu.be

 

[Enchanted]

They also just published the official trailer for their 'Onegin SP', it's really cool and it's a great idea that more skaters should embrace!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIWijodniV4&feature=youtu.be

That's cool!

It would be great to see other skaters doing something similar although Astakhova/Rogonov really set the bar high. Though, the trailer also increases the expectations for their SP.

 

[levineismine]

I think it also helps for the viewers who are not familiar with the story to at least get an idea, or to make them want to check the full story out

 

[zebraswan]

That's cool!

It would be great to see other skaters doing something similar although Astakhova/Rogonov really set the bar high. Though, the trailer also increases the expectations for their SP.

Alexei has been making videos with Nodari & together with Alexei Motorin's Independent Skaters for a few years, so this seems like a natural thing for them to do. Ever since I first saw his videos & his performances on that Lithuanian tv show ("Sokiai ant Ledo" - like Russia's "Ice Age"), I have thought he should be a professional actor. The camera loves him.

And yes...I have very high hopes for the SP. They haven't disappointed me yet, so I am optimistic.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I had a hard time at first keeping a straight face watching Rogonov skate after they made that parody of the cooking show guys.

 

[Wyliefan]

Cool trailer, but my main takeaway is disappointment that they're using the movie soundtrack and not the opera music.

 

[Xela M]

To mix T&M's elements with A&R's packaging and charisma and you have the OGM

 

[Lis]

Thank you so much for both link to video and translation of interview. I cant wait to see this in ice and how very smarr to make a video of the sp story. Very creative and that is their signum. Their chorographer is a genius.

 

[@nonim]

Cool trailer, but my main takeaway is disappointment that they're using the movie soundtrack and not the opera music.

As far as I know they use music from russian rock-opera "Onegin", not opera's theme.

 

[caseyedwards]

Nice trailer. Surprising no one had that idea before!

 

[Karpenko]

It's really cool, I almost thought it was from an actual movie at first! I love the creativity and overall look, it's very well-done and professional IMO. It's a genius way to build excitement/anticipation for a program debut.

The ShibSibs could(should) probably do one also... Like all of the time and every season please.

 

[papa_pl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX5csq4_D1o

I got really confused by this interview with TAT. The host is basically picturing her as a victim of state wrongdoing, disrespectful treatment from sporting authorities, she asks her several times: "do you regret you came back to Russia?", "why did you come back?", etc..
I've always thought fs people (feds, athletes, coaches, media, fans) have been referring to and treating Tarasova with the highest reverence and respect. I mean, it's enough to watch how Moscow girls were stopping by to greet her when drawing starting number at Nats.
She's main figure skating commentator on national TV, she's national team consultant and coach, she is a judge in that national kids contest, now she's training men's national champion, the journalists are interviewing her all the time and so on...
What am I missing?

 

[winterchik]

In a way she a victim of State Wrong doing !

 

[Darkverse]

It's TVRain, an opposition channel. They like to picture everyone as a victim of state wrongdoing. Basically, it's internal Russian politics which has little to do with Tarasova.