From Russia with love [#29]: Spring 2018 and beyond

[jiejie]

Other musings based on the athletes' list:
--No Kovtun or Petrov on Men's team nor Reserve. Did either/both retire? Always happy to see Voronov still hanging in there. What happened to promising junior Skirda? Savosin should have aged out of juniors by now.
--Tuk is still on the Women's team. Glad to see Tsurskaya there, too. No Leonova anymore, feels like end of an era. Junior list is interesting--what happened to Tarakanova and who is Vasilyeva?
--Sinitsina/Katsalapov on the Reserve Team--well that's a downer for them, when the likes of Evdokimova/Bazin have been promoted above them. Ouch. Shpilevaya/Smirnov on the Junior dance list--I thought they had aged out?

 

[Dobre]

Shpilevaya/Smirnov on the Junior dance list--I thought they had aged out?

??? I really think he has. April 1997. That's only a year younger than Quinn Carpenter. I'm really bad with dates, but Eremenko barely makes the cut & he was born in August 1997.

 

[kwanfan1818]

His ISU bio says he was born April 1, 1997, so he turned 21 a couple of months ago. He's aged out of Juniors internationally. She turns 19 on June 26, so she does, too.

 

[DobrinFan]

Other musings based on the athletes' list:
--No Kovtun or Petrov on Men's team nor Reserve. Did either/both retire?

No. Kovtun is at camp in Italy. Petrov is training as well.

What happened to promising junior Skirda?

Grew. About the same height as Savosin. Trains under Volchkova. They're in Sochi for camp.

Savosin should have aged out of juniors by now.

He has not. He's only 18. The only ones who have aged out are Efimchuk and Samoilov. Every one else who competed last year can still stay junior.

No Leonova anymore, feels like end of an era.

Yeah, she's still around, just no funding. Plans to compete next season but has no guaranteed grand prix event.

Junior list is interesting--what happened to Tarakanova and who is Vasilyeva?

Tarakanova is on the junior girls team.

--Sinitsina/Katsalapov on the Reserve Team--well that's a downer for them, when the likes of Evdokimova/Bazin have been promoted above them. Ouch.

Kinda what happens when you withdraw from nationals. See Kovtun/Petrov. At least S/K got funding.

Shpilevaya/Smirnov on the Junior dance list--I thought they had aged out?

They have but this is for funding. Junior funding is better than no funding.

 

[Ka3sha]

GoldenSkate article/ interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
https://goldenskate.com/amp/2018/06/tuktamysheva-bringing-back-triple-axel-and-more-artistry/

Mikhail Kolyada was named as one of the “TOP-50” people in Saint-Petersburg.
Interview about Olympics and his season in general and an unusual photo shoot
http://m.sobaka.ru/city/sport/74454

 

[Bellanca]

GoldenSkate article/ interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
https://goldenskate.com/amp/2018/06/tuktamysheva-bringing-back-triple-axel-and-more-artistry/

That's our girl! Go Tuk!

 

[Mad for Skating]

GoldenSkate article/ interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
https://goldenskate.com/amp/2018/06/tuktamysheva-bringing-back-triple-axel-and-more-artistry/

Mikhail Kolyada was named as one of the “TOP-50” people in Saint-Petersburg.
An interview about Olympics and his season in general and an unusual photo shoot
http://m.sobaka.ru/city/sport/74454

Mikhail jumping on the furniture gives me life

 

[Sylvia]

Medvedeva has arrived in Toronto: https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGrrpuhzAX/?taken-by=jasonbskates

 

[Vash01]

Medvedeva has arrived in Toronto: https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGrrpuhzAX/?taken-by=jasonbskates

Zhenya looks happy and pretty. I hope this move works out for her.

 

[Fairuza]

Zhenya’s new interview with Vaitsekhovskaya.
https://rsport.ria.ru/figure_skating/20180618/1138167724.html

 

[Wyliefan]

Adorable pic of Janny and Lubov! https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLQW28D0rk/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1adkas5n0dv63

 

[rfisher]

Adorable pic of Janny and Lubov! https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLQW28D0rk/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1adkas5n0dv63

I'm sure having someone to speak Russian with will be a big help. It's a strain to speak a different language all the time. She'll improve her English, but sometimes her brain needs a rest.

 

[Enchanted]

I'm sure having someone to speak Russian with will be a big help. It's a strain to speak a different language all the time. She'll improve her English, but sometimes her brain needs a rest.

I believe she moved to Toronto with her mother. So, there shouldn’t be a problem to find someone with whom she can talk in Russian.

 

[Fairuza]

And there you have Zhenya doing some basic stroking on her first day at TCC
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLcO2YjihS/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=h71hjpwopchc

 

[barbarafan]

I believe she moved to Toronto with her mother. So, there shouldn’t be a problem to find someone with whom she can talk in Russian.

There are other people at Cricket whose background is Russia. Stephen moved here as a young child.

 

[Ka3sha]

Stanislava Konstantinova working on 3lz-3lo combo
https://instagram.com/p/BkRkJ3LFLHH/

 

[TAHbKA]

Stanislava Konstantinova working on 3lz-3lo combo
https://instagram.com/p/BkRkJ3LFLHH/

I think it's from March 2017

 

[Ka3sha]

Test skates will be held on September, 8-9 at Megasport arena in Moscow

 

[clairecloutier]

New article on Kostiukovich/Ialin by @Eislauffan: https://goldenskate.com/2018/06/progress-is-top-priority-for-russias-kostiukovich-and-ialin/

 

[Bigbird]

Drozd and Loboda are apparently no longer a team. He is currently trying to skate with Maria (wobbly) Staviskaya. I am not sure what her future plans are.

Cannot make this stuff up. I tell you. No comment.

 

[love_skate2011]

Drozd and Loboda are apparently no longer a team. He is currently trying to skate with Maria (wobbly) Staviskaya. I am not sure what her future plans are.

Cannot make this stuff up. I tell you. No comment.

He is trying out with the wrong girl !!!
Elena Ilinykh pls come back...

 

[oleada]

New article on Kostiukovich/Ialin by @Eislauffan: https://goldenskate.com/2018/06/progress-is-top-priority-for-russias-kostiukovich-and-ialin/

Thanks! I really like this team and they have a ton of potential. Their goals are realistic and I hope they can make the JGPF and senior nationals!

 

[Bigbird]

He is trying out with the wrong girl !!!
Elena Ilinykh pls come back...

Nope, she's moved on, she has lost her ice dancing shape and I don't know if Drozd and his team are interested in waiting on her to regain the form she had at test skates last summer. I had hoped that this would be a good direction, but too late. Looks like she's committed to coaching. She really looked really nice with Anton Shibnev, IMHO, but hey it wasn't to be.

 

[Ka3sha]

Rogonov on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/p/Bkaqf_ADpvW/

Kristina decided to retire, he is eager to continue..
He thanks her for everything they achieved together and understands her decision.

 

[Ananas Astra]

Rogonov on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/p/Bkaqf_ADpvW/

Kristina decided to retire, he is eager to continue..
He thanks her for everything they achieved together and understands her decision.

Bring back DivaVera for hottie Rogonov!

 

[whiteskates]

Sorry to hear about Astakhova/Roganov. I hope he can find a new partner. He is a joy to watch. Good artistry.

 

[3T3T]

I’m really disappointed to see that Kristina has decided to retire. I really enjoyed them as a couple, they were that bit different to everyone else. I think they had the potential for a European medal in future years, maybe not at the world level. Still a career where she has represented her country at European, World & Olympic level is without doubt something to be proud off. I wish her the best of luck in her retirement.

I wonder who he will skate with now? He is 30, so I guess he has one more Olympic cycle in him. I wonder would Martiusheva make a comeback, I certainly wouldn’t object. I can see him being paired with some young singles lady, who can’t break through in the Russian field, possibly with a big age gap.

On a separate note, Drozd dumping Loboda for Maria S is beyond ridiculous. Why do Russian junior ice dancers get lost in the Senior ranks?

 

[Dobre]

I am hoping the Loboda & Drozd split turns out to be one of those inaccurate Russian forum rumors.

Why do Russian junior ice dancers get lost in the Senior ranks?

Because too many of them repartner after they have one or two challenging years of transitioning up from juniors. I actually always used to think of this as more of a U.S. or North American issue. Then it felt like it was a flat-out international issue. But recently, I feel like maybe there is a distinct issue for the top young Russian teams. (The Canadian juniors have almost all split, but none of those teams were nearly as competitive as the Russian ones that have dissolved this season). I can't help but think that the pattern of split Junior World medal quality dance teams may be a holdover from the Soviet era when there were so many top athletes from the Soviet Union that coaches could mix & max champion quality athletes with other champion quality athletes. That's not the scenario now, and it's not working.

To whom it may concern, please stop it.

 

[Eislauffan]

Russian skaters have started to post the tragic story of one fellow skater, Ivan Samodelkin (22), on Instagram. Samodelkin, who just got married recently, was severely injured in an accident and lost his right leg. Apparently he has been performing in shows after retiring from competitive skating. The skaters are raising funds now to support Ivan and to help him to get an artificial limb that will allow him to return on to the ice (that kind of prothesis apparently costs 32,000 USD).
Here is one of the postings in Russian and English, by pair skater Dmitri Ialin:
https://www.instagram.com/dimqa_yalin/
And Mikhail Kolyada (in Russian, but several photos): https://www.instagram.com/mikhail_kolyada/

 

[SamuraiK]

Nope, she's moved on, she has lost her ice dancing shape and I don't know if Drozd and his team are interested in waiting on her to regain the form she had at test skates last summer. I had hoped that this would be a good direction, but too late. Looks like she's committed to coaching. She really looked really nice with Anton Shibnev, IMHO, but hey it wasn't to be.

I agree Ilinykh has moved on but still i think it will take less time to wait for her to regain form than wait for Stavitskaya to reach any decent competitive level.