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

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Tinami Amori said:
I agree with you.

To those who read the translation, it is pretty good, but some of the details are subject to interpretation. For example what is translated as "real woman skating" in Russian means more like "real feminine skating". The term "feminine" is not a qualification/criteria in any sports, even artistic ones, like gymnastics or artistic swimming. Leonova then says "15 year olds can not portray Love since they don't have experience in real life"... Well, "portraying love" is also not an athletic criteria, nor the subject of "love/romance" are only programmes choices for a young female skater.

Also, Leonova was never known to be a "balletic" or "feminine" or "romantic" type of skater herself.. :D, and after praising all the "romantic/balletic/feminine qualities", she states her favorite skater is Miki Ando, and her favorite character she skated to was a MAN "Charlie Chaplin".. :lol:.

She is bitter, and trying to dig into current top girls. It is too obvious to even point out..
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Femininity means different things to different people. It’s a topic I’ve struggled with for the past few years, because it’s so broad and subjective.

Is “feminine” defined by a certain picture? Off the top of my head, I think of Alina Zagitova in her pretty tutus. Now let’s also think of someone like Vanessa James - she wears black jumpsuits instead of dresses, her hair is cut very short, and she has thighs that could kill you. But looking at this picture, I definitely see a very beautiful, feminine woman. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn_Ru2BASeR/?hl=en

Other examples of women who are ultra-feminine but don’t conform to the ballerina image:

Meagan Duhamel: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnobL4kBb_H/

Ksenia Stolbova - I remember this look startled the skating community quite a bit back then https://www.instagram.com/p/BgPUgOQgjxs/?hl=en

Ashley Wagner https://mobile.twitter.com/ashwagbot/status/1052756840994492416

I feel the most feminine when I feel strong, confident, and beautiful. Some days that means I’m wearing a pretty velvet dress, and some days that means I’m wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Long story short, I believe “feminine” is all about just feeling good about yourself.

Jeschke said:
Nothing wrong with that! :mitchell:
Perkova 4-ever!:encore:
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I really can’t stand all the Miki Ando hate. Was she the kind of skater who could bring an audience to tears? Not really. Was she a talented skater who deserved her medals? HECK YEAH! She was a technician and it worked for her. Maybe she wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I respect her as both an athlete and a woman.

Tinami Amori said:
Kovtun and Goubanova are out of Alpen Cup in November.
http://www.isuresults.com/events/fsevent03111625.htm

Earlier last week Kovtun also withdrew from current Russian Cup III..
No info given yet what are the reasons. 3 days ago Kovtun was practicing his "Carmen" in his costume..
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo856o7nIE_/?hl=en&taken-by=maksim_pavlovich
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I approve of this costume! Finally a real suit of lights!
 
rfisher said:
He us my personal #ttw . I have such a soft spot for him and he has so many issues. And, sigh. I love Gubanova, but I fear.......
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Poor Kovtun. He reminds me in some ways of US Junior ladies who were talented but overhyped and expected to fill a "star void" for their nation. That's a lot of stress to put young skaters under. Then add disappointments and injuries.... :(
 
As far as I remember, Kovtun planed to compete in Kazan (Russian Cup event #4). And RusCup#4 is scheduled for the same weekend as Austrian Challenger.
 
Tinami Amori said:
Just an FYI: perhaps it is the kind of injury which stands in the way of difficult jumps, but overall Elena is fine and not in pain.

She is attending various social events, and was just at "The magic fashion show by Alena Akhmadullina"
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo_GOxzl9xw/?hl=en&taken-by=lenok_radionova
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Another victim of "a world of fun" I guess.

And...why not? She is a young and beautiful woman. Let her have fun. She is not likely to make the team ever again, so just leave the girl alone.
 
Moka-Ananas said:
Another victim of "a world of fun" I guess.

And...why not? She is a young and beautiful woman. Let her have fun. She is not likely to make the team ever again, so just leave the girl alone.
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Given her current condition, technical arsenal and age, if she works hard, she can make the world team, at least she can try harder. She says she wants to.

There are plenty of skaters who went through serious set backs, disappointments, health issues and age, and yet returned and even earned medals. The list of such skaters is well known..
 
Moka-Ananas said:
Another victim of "a world of fun" I guess.

And...why not? She is a young and beautiful woman. Let her have fun. She is not likely to make the team ever again, so just leave the girl alone.
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Why couldn’t she? Tuktamysheva also has good season only once every four years. Radionova can come back very strong too, if it is what she wants.
 
Tarasova has outdone herself with this latest interview.

https://fs-gossips.com/tatiana-tara...psychological-problems-and-i-understand-them/

I don't see what the point is of Tarasova crowing that the 14 year old Russian juniors are thinner and lighter than grown adult skaters. Like of course? That's what puberty inevitably does to girls. But everyone has to grow up eventually. One thing I would like is for people to remember that juniors and seniors are two different divisions.

I also think it is immensely ego-centric of her to assume that the personal difficulties of some Northern American skaters are due to Trusova being thinner than them....
 
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hanca said:
Why couldn’t she? Tuktamysheva also has good season only once every four years. Radionova can come back very strong too, if it is what she wants.
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Don’t think the comparison is relevant. Tuktamysheva has almost perfect jump technique. All her jumps stayed with her after puberty and she can easily get +3/+4 on most of them.
And while I really appreciate Elena’s grit and personality, her jumps have been questionable since 2015/16 season.
 
Everyone keep repeating that Tuktamysheva has almost perfect jump technique. Does she really, though? If she had, she wouldn’t struggle with jumps three out of every four years. If someone had almost perfect technique, the jumps would be happening always. Hers are not.
 
hanca said:
Everyone keep repeating that Tuktamysheva has almost perfect jump technique. Does she really, though? If she had, she wouldn’t struggle with jumps three out of every four years. If someone had almost perfect technique, the jumps would be happening always. Hers are not.
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She does.
Perfect jumps technique means that skater has no wrong edges, no prerotations or underrotations, great body position, height and etc, IMO.
But, unfortunately, great technique doesn’t always come together with nerves of steel :gallopin1
 
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Ka3sha said:
She does.
Perfect jumps technique means that skater has no wrong edges, no prerotations or underrotations, great body position, height and etc, IMO.
But, unfortunately, great technique doesn’t always come together with nerves of steel :gallopin1
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Well, so she does everything perfectly and the outcome is not successful. Perhaps it may be worth it to have less perfection and more successful landings? Pointwise, they don’t care how perfect the jump was in theory if the skater keeps popping it or falling.
 
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