From Russia with Love [#30]: If There Are Test Skate Videos, It Must Be Fall 2018

[Ka3sha]

@Eislauffan 's interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva for RFSF
https://fsrussia.ru/intervyu/3968-elizaveta-tuktamysheva-eta-pobeda-byla-vazhnee-dlya-menya.html

Interview was translated by fs-gossips
https://fs-gossips.com/elizaveta-tuktamysheva-this-victory-was-more-important-for-me/

 

[Ka3sha]

Yevgenia Medvedeva on coaching change, moving past controversy and new outlook on figure skating

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Elena looks beautiful. Not heavy at all. She may be lacking in physical conditioning or stamina but she is definitely not overweight.

Thats what Im saying... Elena looks gorgggggg... it cant be her weight but her technique is getting worse..... I think her physique is quite nice for figure skating.

Osmond, Daleman, Nagasu and so many other skaters have awesome physiques and skate with good power and technique.

Tat is cray.

 

[quiqie]

Yevgenia Medvedeva on coaching change, moving past controversy and new outlook on figure skating

In other news: Hersh is such a <no longer young><a contemptible person>.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Interesting artistic video of Alina Zagitova's exhibition programme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=76&v=chNGeY-gLbo

 

[starrynight]

Yevgenia Medvedeva on coaching change, moving past controversy and new outlook on figure skating

One of the best English language figure skating articles I have read in a long long time.

Either figure articles are a few paragraphs long with one or two small quotes or they are just big fawning puff pieces (which is nice but often not that informative).

I like that article because it discusses a lot of things in depth that fans will want to know. It's also good to get a detailed look at Evgenia which is from a different perspective to the usual Russian one.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Elena looks beautiful. Not heavy at all. She may be lacking in physical conditioning or stamina but she is definitely not overweight.

Exactly. But you know how it goes with TAT and Co. - when something is wrong, blame it on the weight.

Thats what Im saying... Elena looks gorgggggg... it cant be her weight but her technique is getting worse..... I think her physique is quite nice for figure skating.

Osmond, Daleman, Nagasu and so many other skaters have awesome physiques and skate with good power and technique.

Tat is cray.

Agree, she looks like a princess I think if Elena can correct her technique and jump like a woman, not a 13-year-old, she will be fine. But she still has that baby Elena technique.

 

[TAHbKA]

One of the best English language figure skating articles I have read in a long long time.

Either figure articles are a few paragraphs long with one or two small quotes or they are just big fawning puff pieces (which is nice but often not that informative).

I like that article because it discusses a lot of things in depth that fans will want to know. It's also good to get a detailed look at Evgenia which is from a different perspective to the usual Russian one.

Seriously? We must have been reading different articles. I felt there was 0 new information and just a lot of speculations and personal points of view.

 

[starrynight]

Seriously? We must have been reading different articles. I felt there was 0 new information and just a lot of speculations and personal points of view.

I would say yes it's new information for an English language media article published on an actual news website. Almost everything informative and in-depth I've read about skaters is usually translated from the Russian media. Sure, I knew a lot of the information from reading translations here and on FS Gossips. But not much of it has been originally published in the English language from what I can recall.

English language articles on skating are usually no more than a handful of paragraphs and are usually just written about one or two USA or Canadian top skaters right before Worlds etc. And there's no opinions in them either because there's no room in the article and/or the publication doesn't care. I thought it was great getting such a detailed article on a Russian skater written in English.

 

[quiqie]

... because Medvedeva coming to Canada to train is getting the (ridiculous) press coverage of a ‘Soviet skater defecting to the West’? I wonder if Hersh would write in an article on PC that “there are no French people in Gadbois” and ask them to detail their feelings about how things worked in Zazoui’s group compared to how they do in Lauzon’s?

 

[Tinami Amori]

... because Medvedeva coming to Canada to train is getting the (ridiculous) press coverage of a ‘Soviet skater defecting to the West’? I wonder if Hersh would write in an article on PC that “there are no French people in Gadbois” and ask them to detail their feelings about how things worked in Zazoui’s group compared to how they do in Lauzon’s?

There will never be another "Baryshnikov escaping the clutches of KGB" story, because .... the "other PR campaign" was too well thought out and well documented.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNDc-7Ycoxk

Thank you Putin and the Country, we earned our medals for Russia..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvD2FDCO8G0

 

[Tinami Amori]

If any Russian speakers are interested, there will be an online Q&A and Conference with Nina Mozer.
You can listen to it on this link, and post questions:
https://vk.com/wall-89756355_20329

On Friday Oct 12 @ 18:30 Local/Moscow time.
This link is blank but will be activated at that time:
https://vk.com/wall-89756355_20329?...57/d0934bd7d654975ced/pl_post_-89756355_20329

If you want to send her questions in advance, use this email: [email protected] <[email protected]>

 

[Mad for Skating]

If any Russian speakers are interested, there will be an online Q&A and Conference with Nina Mozer.
You can listen to it on this link, and post questions:
https://vk.com/wall-89756355_20329

On Friday Oct 12 @ 18:30 Local/Moscow time.
This link is blank but will be activated at that time:
https://vk.com/wall-89756355_20329?z=video-89756355_456239957/d0934bd7d654975ced/pl_post_-89756355_20329

If you want to send her questions in advance, use this email: [email protected] <[email protected]>

Thank you for this link! Is it possible that you could translate her answers when they come?

 

[starrynight]

... because Medvedeva coming to Canada to train is getting the (ridiculous) press coverage of a ‘Soviet skater defecting to the West’? I wonder if Hersh would write in an article on PC that “there are no French people in Gadbois” and ask them to detail their feelings about how things worked in Zazoui’s group compared to how they do in Lauzon’s?

It's not really the same thing because ice dancers training in North America is the norm. Everyone is at Gadbois. Also there are other French teams and wikipedia tells me that Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris (fun facts).

However, if P/C were to suddenly buck the trend and go skate in a Russian skating school for example, it would 100% warrant a big focus on why they moved to something so different and what it is like for them. Or for example if a USA or Canadian lady went to train at Sambo 70.

If what Medvedeva is doing wasn't a big deal, then the Russian press wouldn't have made such an enormous fuss. It's hardly like talk about Medvedeva's move to Toronto is just a drama of Phil Hersh's sole invention.

 

[barbarafan]

It's not really the same thing because ice dancers training in North America is the norm. Everyone is at Gadbois. Also there are other French teams and wikipedia tells me that Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris (fun facts).

However, if P/C were to suddenly buck the trend and go skate in a Russian skating school for example, it would 100% warrant a big focus on why they moved to something so different and what it is like for them. Or for example if a USA or Canadian lady went to train at Sambo 70.

If what Medvedeva is doing wasn't a big deal, then the Russian press wouldn't have made such an enormous fuss. It's hardly like talk about Medvedeva's move to Toronto is just a drama of Phil Hersh's sole invention.

The drama doubled because of Eteri's crazy media tantrum like an 4 yr old. It still would have been big news as it is very unusual but nothing like it was.

 

[TAHbKA]

However, if P/C were to suddenly buck the trend and go skate in a Russian skating school for example, it would 100% warrant a big focus on why they moved to something so different and what it is like for them.

Was there when Pechalat/Bourzat moved to Moscow to work with Zhulin? I don't really recall..

Or for example if a USA or Canadian lady went to train at Sambo 70.

Would an Italian lady do for an example? Was there when Kostner moved to Mishin?

If what Medvedeva is doing wasn't a big deal, then the Russian press wouldn't have made such an enormous fuss. It's hardly like talk about Medvedeva's move to Toronto is just a drama of Phil Hersh's sole invention.

Because Medvedeva's name sells. An article named `Medvedeva uses this or that shampoo' would get more audience then `Stepanova/Bukin won a competition'

 

[Dobre]

It's not really the same thing because ice dancers training in North America is the norm. Everyone is at Gadbois. Also there are other French teams and wikipedia tells me that Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris (fun facts).

Weaver & Poje off to train in Moscow over the last couple years with Morozov is similar, though of course they went to New Jersey also. I think it was a big suprise that Medvedeva left Eteri after such a stream of success in order to go to a non-Russian coach. But there's nothing surprising about it being Orser, considering that he coached a singles gold-medalist just last year. It's very unusual for the Russian skaters to leave Russia today, as their funding seems well provided for at home and not away. And the politics have shifted over the years with the Russian Fed. (After Pechalat & Bourzat having to leave Zhulin, one is always a bit wary of the long-term support for international athletes training in Russia and probably that carries over to some questioning about the reverse). But both Sinitsina & Katsalapov and Ilinykh & Zhiganshin trained in North America over the last quad (I&Z only part-time) and a number of other Russian skaters, like Kovtun and Polishchuk & Vakhnov have been to train over the summer or to get choreography with Marina & Igor over the last few years. (Kolyada was with someone this summer--Raf maybe?) Also a number of athletes that did compete for Russia but changed countries, like Tkachenko and Yanovskaya, have been through North American rinks. It seems like the Medvedeva scenario is probably attracting more attention because it is a rarer situation in Canada and because Medvedeva is such a high-profile athlete. Though the language issue is, for sure, a big hurdle that Med has been open to tackling. (Not any bigger a hurdle than the Chinese dancers going to Detroit, though, and now Montreal or than Boyang being expected to go to Toronto. Plus Tursynbaeva, who was raised in Russia).

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting @Ka3sha's helpful reply in the JGP Yerevan competition thread on the topic of Russian JGP ladies who are age-eligible for Senior Nationals vs. Senior international competitions:

For Nationals (skaters have to be 14 or older)
- Kostornaia (turned 15)
- Trusova (14)
- Tarakanova (14)
- Scherbakova (14)
- Tarusina (15)

Kanysheva is not eligible as it’s her first junior season and she will turn 14 only next June.
Ksenia Sinitsina (3rd at Lithuanian JGP) would have been eligible for Senior Nationals if she qualified to JGPF.

For International Senior events:
- Tarusina
- Gulyakova (16)
- Gubanova (15)
- Nugumanova (15)

 

[Tinami Amori]

The drama doubled because of Eteri's crazy media tantrum like an 4 yr old. It still would have been big news as it is very unusual but nothing like it was.

"Russian figure skating dramas and tantrums" are a weekly affair and no news.. Orser and his team of gossipers blowing this out of proportion, spreading rumors and excitement over getting "few crumbs from Russia" is what caused it. Poor Daleman, she is the one who needs the effort and attention from the "TCC super team", which is hard to provide when they are in Russia or in China making stride with foreigners....

 

[alexikeguchi]

I just want to say again how much I LOVE Trusova's SP. The choreography is such fun, and her delivery is awesome. Plus how cute is she? Slay, Sasha!

 

[barbarafan]

"Russian figure skating dramas and tantrums" are a weekly affair and no news.. Orser and his team of gossipers blowing this out of proportion, spreading rumors and excitement over getting "few crumbs from Russia" is what caused it. Poor Daleman, she is the one who needs the effort and attention from the "TCC super team", which is hard to provide when they are in Russia or in China making stride with foreigners....

Rest Assured Lee Barkell is there all the time and he no longer has pairs. Gabby was working on recovery and so had down time as well as vacation. We will see how she goes.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Every time Orser has taken on a new world class athlete, the press flocks to him.

Medvedeva is the first major Russian skater to move to a Western coach, not to move to a Russian coach whose rink is in the West. (And not to defect, to go farther back ) And most times, when a top skater switches coaches, especially from one top coach to another, there is a flurry of press.

And, yes, there was press interest from three sides when Kostner went to Mishin and P/B went to Zhulin.

 

[million$momma]

Rest Assured Lee Barkell is there all the time and he no longer has pairs. Gabby was working on recovery and so had down time as well as vacation. We will see how she goes.

Is Barkell not coaching Corsini & Daleman?

 

[barbarafan]

Is Barkell not coaching Corsini & Daleman?

He might not be.

They are skating at Oktoberfest this weekend but there is no live stream. If they skated at Minto I missed them.

 

[million$momma]

He might not be.

They are skating at Oktoberfest this weekend but there is no live stream. If they skated at Minto I missed them.

Barkell and Bryce Davison were at the boards with them in Paris.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Every time Orser has taken on a new world class athlete, the press flocks to him.

Yes, press flocks in such cases. Yet he added "salt" by many of his comments and backstage actions.

Someone ought to tell him to put his ego aside because Canadian Daleman neeeeeeds help... lots of help.

Medvedeva is the first major Russian skater to move to a Western coach, not to move to a Russian coach whose rink is in the West. (And not to defect, to go farther back ) And most times, when a top skater switches coaches, especially from one top coach to another, there is a flurry of press.

Spielband, Zueva, Aratynian, etc.. have been "western coaches" for decades now and there is no hype when Russian skaters study with them.

And, yes, there was press interest from three sides when Kostner went to Mishin and P/B went to Zhulin.

Yes, very positive "matter of fact" coverage, with out "confrontational elements" and involvement of Italian coaches. In case of Orser, western press turned it into "Baryshnikov's escape".. and that is farthest from reality (if people knew the finer details).

 

[kwanfan1818]

Yes, press flocks in such cases. Yet he added "salt" by many of his comments and backstage actions.

Because when Russian coaches do the same in Russian interviews, that's keeping it real, but when Orser does it, that's stirring shit.

Someone ought to tell him to put his ego aside because Canadian Daleman neeeeeeds help... lots of help.

He's not her main coach. And it seems from what's leaked that what she needs is off-ice help, and giving an interview would hardly interfere with that.

Spielband, Zueva, Aratynian, etc.. have been "western coaches" for decades now and there is no hype when Russian skaters study with them.

That was my point. If a Russian skater or team goes to a Russian coach whose rink in the NA, temporary and permanently, it's not considered press-worthy for long, if at all: it's like Veronika Part being coached at ABT by Irina Kolpakova. It's a rarity and press-worthy when a Russian skater who continues to skate for Russia trains under a Western/Western-trained coach. I can't think of another besides Medvedeva, at least a podium-level skater, not even in the decade after the break-up of the Soviet Union, when rinks were neglected.

Yes, very positive "matter of fact" coverage, with out "confrontational elements" and involvement of Italian coaches. In case of Orser, western press turned it into "Baryshnikov's escape".. and that is farthest from reality (if people knew the finer details).

Just about every Russian coach, including Tutberidze, and every Russian-trained skater who moves to train in the US, like Ten, has spoken about the difference between a NA approach to coaching and choosing choreography and music and the Russian approach. Medvedeva *did* choose Orser to get a different experience than what she had in Russia under Tutberidze, but she's been very clear in saying that Russia is her home, regardless of any feelings about Canada, just like David Hallberg and Jacopo Tissi went to the Bolshoi and the Mackay brothers went to the Bolshoi school, but still consider themselves Americans. (The older Mackay, Julian, dances with the Mikhailovsky. I'm not sure Nicholas has graduated yet.) There was no "escape" about it, unlike the way one could read Ilyushechkina's or Krasnozhan's experiences. And that doesn't even include the Russian skaters in Pairs and Dance who may have originally left to skate for another country for practical purposes, and then stayed in their adopted country.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I can’t believe had the chance to ask Nina Mozer a question and I chickened out. I just couldn’t think of anything good to say.

 

[hanca]

I can’t believe had the chance to ask Nina Mozer a question and I chickened out. I just couldn’t think of anything good to say.

In the past I wasted several opportunities to ask Tutberidze a question. We shared with her the lift several times during Europeans or worlds a few years back. I also chickened out. (To be fair, a friend bet me that I won’t ask her about Lipnitskaya and Voronov - why Lipnitskaya left her and why Voronov either wasn’t chosen to compete or skated badly there or something like that. Not as a serious question but more like a provocation. My friend told me that Tutberidze scares her, I told her that she doesn’t scare me. So my friend tried to make a bet with an impossible task. I thought the task was not that impossible...until I was in the situation). While I was just about to ask, I think Tutberidze felt what I was intending and gave me ‘the look’. I have to admit, I completely froze and lost the bet. ‘The look’ is really deadly.

 

[zebraswan]

I can’t believe had the chance to ask Nina Mozer a question and I chickened out. I just couldn’t think of anything good to say.

She sat in my section at a competition a couple years ago and I asked her if she thought Fedorova/Miroshkin were going to come back (it was before they officially split, obviously). She said "maybe..." Yeah...