From Russia with Love [#35]: Winter 2019

[lily]

Alexei Mishin makes statement about Alina Zagitova to TASS. But he is an old guy, and what he wishes her is VERY sexist, and leaves some questions over all...

Мишин пожелал Загитовой достичь такого же успеха в будущем, как на ранних этапах карьеры

В пятницу 17-летняя фигуристка объявила, что приостанавливает участие в соревнованиях

tass.ru

"In wish her further success, similar to what she attained when she was younger. She became a young lady, and later she will become a wife and a grandmother. In all those aspects i want to wish her huge happiness".

I think he is telling her "to go have babies"......

With all these idiotic statements you can only say: poor Alina! .... Yeah, her nearest goal: to become a grandmother.
I believe Mishin is happy - one contestant less for Tukhtamysheva.

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Not sure whether it was here: Kolyada is out of nationals
He haven't skated since September, the doctors haven't yet ok-ed any physical activity. Chebotareva expects him to come to a practice after the new year's.

Yay, the long standing Russian tradition!
Skate offs for the world team!

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

3A will not retire so quickly. Even if one of them won the Olympics, there will be two of them left unhappy that they don’t have the gold, so they will stay.

Funny

As if of the geriatric age of 17-18 they even have a chance to make it to the Olympics
After all, as we have learned from the parallel thread, proper technique and being able to train a girl past puberty is unimportant and overrated.

 

[Bigbird]

Eteri's note:

Dear fans and supporters of figure skating. After reading, in a spare time, many of your interviews and comments, i decided to address you.

Please respect the decision of one of the greatest athletes and work of the whole coaching team, which led Alina Zagitova and other athletes to results which they will be proud of for the rest of their lives.

Dear Tamara Anatolievna Tarasov, in the three programmes skated by Alina Zagitova, she showed more results than some athletes in a 10 year span. It is regretful, that during Alina's highest accomplishments, you berated her so much. (sarcasm on)Maybe you did it out of great love for her. If that's the case, maybe we should wish some of your type of love and concern on other athletes (sarcasm off).

Evgeniy Plushenko, at present moment, no one can call you a COACH. You have not raised nor taught one single athlete anything. Your periodic attempts to purchase/buy, literally, yourself a ready-made athlete, simply only hinders the work of coaches. Your attempts to lure Alina into your club failed, not matter what you said to her, and how much you tried to belittle us as coaches behind our backs.

We wish you to raise at lease one of your own skaters. But that would require for you to come to training sessions. We wish you all the best and good health. TeamTuberidze.
-------

Right in the nether regions. Respect her for that. Calling out TAT for her nepotism and blind loyalty to SB and others at the expense of other more gifted athletes, this woman may be more balsy than Putin.

 

[TAHbKA]

Heh, the cat fight continues. Pluschenko in his instagram. Seriously, I couldn't come up with that even if I tried.


`So Eteri, don't poke the bear... Your pupil, an amazing skater and an athlete Alina Zagitova decided to stop competing. For a while or for good - we don't know yet. She is a grown up who made a grown up decision. For your, as you called it, `coaching team' it is, of course, a loss. I assume you are upset and it's understandable - as a person, as a professional and as a business woman. I realize Alina for you- as a sports manager (after all you don't insist all the professional coaches called you a coach, because it's Dudakov who does all the technical work) was a source of an income.
Me, not quite an outsider for the sports and especially figure skating (I sincerely hope you will not question this obvious fact) was asked by the journalists to comment this sensation. Of course I did. Knowing and following Alina for a long time I voiced some points, which came from my professional conclusions. As a person who is not much into an evil sarcasm or hurting people I think I was quite polite in my points of view, guesses and words. More than that, I don't tend to be rude to women. But I was more than shocked by your reaction, because it was nothing but rude.
It is unforgivable, even while understanding how upset you and your `team' are by losing not only talented, but very paying off project.
But since you opened the can of worms, here we go: I never tried to offer Alina switching schools to me, nor anyone else, especially not by `putting you down in her eyes'. I understand it's easy interpolating someone's deeds by thinking what would you do. But seriously, Eteri!... had I wanted to lure a skater to my team, believe me, my experience, authority and resources would be enough for a whole `Pluschenko team' with nice salaries, sponsors and contracts, but yet now the only team exists is `Tutberidze team'. You sure you haven't mixed things up?
I don't know what are the reasons (perhaps lack of attention, lack of empathy - the athletes are humans after all and sometimes need to be treated like such, not as a result -giving machines), but Alina several times asked for my advice during the shows in Japan. Being respectful to others' contracts I had no plans mending. It only depended on her. I gave her some professional advice when she thought she hit the dead end, including - learn the quads. It's weird the whole coaching team did not understand the trends of the sports.
That was all my mystical `luring'. As for the actual luring, indeed, a lot of kids are switching from your school to mine. By their free will. Why? You can't guess? May be because `I never raised a single skater' as you wrote? Thank you really for your advice `to come to the practices from time to time'. For you, as a manager who lives off their skaters it might be a painful thing, but let me assure you: I coach almost every day and if you would like to take a look - welcome. I wouldn't mind teaching you, sharing the experience...
And of course, dear Eteri, no level of frustration can excuse your obvious rudeness towards TAT, the genious and a great coach. All her decisions, points of view and even critique one should not only listen, but be grateful, because it's a critique of the smartest and the most knowledgeable professional which is always for the best. Of course, if you are capable of listening, and not just frown.
As for you, I wish you well and health. Sincerely, not being kicked to.
p.s. please remind me, who is the skater you raised from the scratch? Was it Trusova? Or Valieva, Kostornaya or Scherbakova? Perhaps the Olympic champions Lipnitskaya or Zagitova? We all know `team Tutberidze' only accepts the kids with the good tripple jumps to make their lives easier. No one compares to you in luring the skaters. It's a secret that everyone knows, talks about and is afraid to voice. I wanted to whisper that in your year, but you decided to go public
Always yours, Evgeni Pluschenko.

 

[rfisher]

Oh, Russian Nationals is going to be so much fun.

 

[PRlady]

I gotta hand it to the Russians, when they say they don’t do PC (or even “let’s not fight it out in public”) they mean it.

 

[rfisher]

I gotta hand it to the Russians, when they say they don’t do PC (or even “let’s not fight it out in public”) they mean it.

And if Ari does commentary, won't that be fun because he's right in the middle of the show wars.

 

[Bigbird]

Wow Plushenko gives as good as he gets nobody backs down. It's quite understandable why some run as far away from Russian figure skating as possible.

 

[Gris]

 

[Wyliefan]

 

[her grace]

I don't know what the future holds for 3A and it seems unlikely that all three will have a smooth path without injuries and or growth adjustments. That said, they do present a unique situation for Russia in that all three are amazing, all three have raised the technical bar, and there are three of them debuting in the same year, which could displace all of the current Russian senior stars for the world team. Russia doesn't usually have three worldbeater new skaters debuting on the GP in one season.

For example [skaters who medaled on GP in debut season bolded]
2013-2014
Radionova (5 GP seasons), Pogorilaya (5 GP seasons), and Gosviani (1 GP season) debut
2014-2015
Artemieva (2 GP seasons) & Stavitskaya (one and done GP appearance) debut
2015-2016
Medvedeva (5 GP seasons so far) makes her senior debut. Sakhanovich and Sotskova could have debuted this season as well, but Russia held them in juniors.
2016-2017
Sotskova (4 GP seasons) & Sakhanovich (3 1-event GP seasons so far) debut
2017-2018
Zagitova (3 GP seasons so far), Tsurskaya (2 GP seasons), and Mikhailova (one and done GP appearance) debut
2018-2019
Samodurova (2 GP seasons so far), Konstantinova (2 GP seasons so far) & Panenkova (1 GP season) debut
2019-2020
Shcherbakova (1 GP season so far), Trusova (1 GP season so far), Kostornaia (1 GP season so far) debut

 

[justAfsfan]

Eteri : dracarys

Russian figure skating is the best

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

I initially thought the Team Tutberidze instagram message was fake. It was too rude to be real. But Eteri's puppy mill of champions makes her invincible. I am glad Plushenko responded. His words are very biting towards Tutberidze the person. Having observed her interaction with the skaters on many occasions, I do not have one good word to say about her.

 

[Maofan7]

Heh, the cat fight continues. Pluschenko in his instagram. Seriously, I couldn't come up with that even if I tried.

Ouch!

Team Eteri has shown time and again that they can make skaters aged 15-17 world and Olympic champions. But they don’t seem to be able to sustain that success beyond that point - Lipnitskaya, Medvedeva, and now probably Zagitova. Until they find a way to address that issue, and to keep the success going beyond the growth spurts and body changes, I don’t think Team Eteri can be considered to be amongst the coaching greats just yet. Maybe they will find a way with the 3A’s - but at the moment the jury is out. That’s why it’s so disappointing with what has happened with Zagitova.

 

[thvu]

I’m loving this.

 

[rfisher]

Ouch!

Team Eteri has shown time and again that they can make skaters aged 15-17 world and Olympic champions. But they don’t seem to be able to sustain that success beyond that point - Lipnitskaya, Medvedeva, and now probably Zagitova. Until they find a way to address that issue, and to keep the success going beyond the growth spurts and body changes, I don’t think Team Eteri can be considered to be amongst the coaching greats just yet. Maybe they will find a way with the 3A’s - but at the moment the juries out. That’s why it’s so disappointing with what has happened with Zagitova.

But, if the team produces the Olympic/World champion each season/quad, why would they care who the skaters are? I'm pretty sure the Federation wouldn't care and certainly the younger skaters coming up don't. Younger skaters want the opportunity to win same as the older skaters. Why should they "sit on the bench" waiting their turn? This is the argument in the US for letting collage age players in football and basketball either go pro or be paid for endorsements. What if you sustain a career ending injury while you were "waiting for your turn" at the championship? There is $$$$ to be made for the top skaters in Russia and they all want part of that: skaters,parents, coaches, sponsors and the Federation. Will Russia run out of exceptional talent in ladies figure skating? Probably. Every great coach/team/country cycles. But, for now, there are a lot of 13-14 year olds looking 4 years ahead to an Olympic championship which could make their future very different and lucretative. It's been that way ever since Sotnikova won her first Russian championship at age 12.

 

[Maofan7]

But, if the team produces the Olympic/World champion each season/quad, why would they care who the skaters are? I'm pretty sure the Federation wouldn't care and certainly the younger skaters coming up don't. Younger skaters want the opportunity to win same as the older skaters. Why should they "sit on the bench" waiting their turn? This is the argument in the US for letting collage age players in football and basketball either go pro or be paid for endorsements. What if you sustain a career ending injury while you were "waiting for your turn" at the championship? There is $$$$ to be made for the top skaters in Russia and they all want part of that: skaters,parents, coaches, sponsors and the Federation. Will Russia run out of exceptional talent in ladies figure skating? Probably. Every great coach/team/country cycles. But, for now, there are a lot of 13-14 year olds looking 4 years ahead to an Olympic championship which could make their future very different and lucretative. It's been that way ever since Sotnikova won her first Russian championship at age 12.

That is not the point I was making. A good coach is able to bring a skater through the growth spurts and body changes. Team Eteri has yet to show that they can do that

Maybe they don’t care and are content to just let the older skaters fall by the wayside so long as there are replacements coming through the pipeline. But I prefer to think that it is an issue they are working upon.

 

[kittyjake5]

Oh my, the drama continues. The Bear did not honey coat his words to Eteri.

Thanks for the translation.

 

[zebraswan]

Ouch!

Team Eteri has shown time and again that they can make skaters aged 15-17 world and Olympic champions. But they don’t seem to be able to sustain that success beyond that point - Lipnitskaya, Medvedeva, and now probably Zagitova. Until they find a way to address that issue, and to keep the success going beyond the growth spurts and body changes, I don’t think Team Eteri can be considered to be amongst the coaching greats just yet. Maybe they will find a way with the 3A’s - but at the moment the jury is out. That’s why it’s so disappointing with what has happened with Zagitova.

Oh, please...she is already considered one of the coaching greats. How many other coaches have produced multiple World and Olympic champions? Any coach would kill to have had her success. As for Plushenko, he has shown absolutely nothing so far to give him any room to talk as a coach. Did Sima and Nastya even stay in his team for an entire season?

 

[rfisher]

That is not the point I was making

Was your point not that Team Eteri was producing young champions and not older ones? If they are producing the champion each season, what difference does the age of the champion make? I get that fans may grumble, but I doubt the Federation is complaining nor are the parents of the skaters sent to her school. Plushenko is right that they only take certain skaters, but they have more than enough who audition that they can be selective. Many coaches would like to be in that situation. Arutyunyan has made that statement multiple times that he'd prefer to not take the lower level skaters, but he does to support his business.

I'm a big fan of Zagitova, but I fully expected this to happen this season when the 3As became senior. I don't expect Medvedeva to make the Euro/World team and Tuk is a wait and see (you never know how she's going to be scored). Samodurova is out for sure and Konstantinova is regressing badly.

 

[taz'smum]

Let's look at the other side of the coin, at least this way, more girls get to have their 5 mins of fame and also there is less damage to their bodies than if they have a longer career.
.

 

[zebraswan]

Wow! Ted Barton is going to commentate Russian Nats for 1TV Is he going to teach them all how to be kind to each other?

@TedBarton7

I am honored to be able to announce that I will be covering the Russian National Championships in Krasnoyarsk starting December 26th. I will be commentating for Russian TV 1 on a world wide stream (except Japan). I will post the stream link once it is set up.

 

[taz'smum]

Wow! Ted Barton is going to commentate Russian Nats for 1TV Is he going to teach them all how to be kind to each other?

@TedBarton7

I am honored to be able to announce that I will be covering the Russian National Championships in Krasnoyarsk starting December 26th. I will be commentating for Russian TV 1 on a world wide stream (except Japan). I will post the stream link once it is set up.

Yayy!!

 

[Ka3sha]

Now I envy you. In Russia we will have to listen to TAT, Yagudin and Avebukh talking mostly about themselves (especially Yags) while you get to listen to Ted

 

[ChelleC]

There's absolutely nothing like the drama that Russian figure skating can produce, and I think that's why we all love it.

 

[hanca]

Now I envy you. In Russia we will have to listen to TAT, Yagudin and Avebukh talking mostly about themselves (especially Yags) while you get to listen to Ted

I love listening to TAT while she comments on skating. When it is her favourite skater, the noises she is making are comparable to the noises from some sex saloon.

 

[Maofan7]

Yayy!!

Ted is the best commentator around at the moment, and looking forward to his commentary at Russian Nationals

 

[rfisher]

the best part of that is the world wide stream. Best Christmas present!

 

[TAHbKA]

Yay, now am even more pleased not going to Krasnoyarsk