From Russia with Love [#35]: Winter 2019

[Jeschke]

Qualifiers to Russian Nationals

Men (18)
Qualified due GP or JGPF (10; in alphabetic order)
Dmitri Aliev
Petr Gumennik
Makar Ignatov
Mikhail Kolyada*
Andrei Lazukin
Andrei Mozaelv
Alexander Samarin
Daniil Samsonov
Roman Savosin
Anton Shulepov
Sergei Voronov

Qualified due Russian Cup Series (8; in order of ranking)
Artur Danielian
Vladimir Samoilov
Leonid Sviridenko
Egor Murashov
Andrei Zuber
Alexander Petrov
Ilya Yablokov
Gleb Lutfullin
---
Vladislav Katichev
Andrey Rud
Daniil Murzin

*estimated 'bye' if healthy (someone will lose his spot then)

Ladies (18)
Qualified due GP or JGPF (10; in alphabetic order)
Stanislava Konstantinova
Alena Kostornaia
Evgenia Medvedeva
Serafima Sakhanovich
Sofia Samodurova
Anna Shcherbakova
Ksenia Sinitsyna
Maria Sotskova
Alexandra Trsuova
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
Viktoria Vasilieva
Alina Zagitova

Qualified due Russian Cup Series (6; in order of ranking)
Ksenia Tsibinova
Anastasia Tarankova
Elizaveta Nugumaniva
Anastasiia Gubanova
Anna Frolova
Valeria Schulskaya
---
Maria Talalaykina
Anastasiia Guliakova
Anna Sidorova

Pairs (12)
Qualified due GP or JGPF (12; in alphabetic order)
Kseniia Akhanteva / Valerii Kolesov*
Iuliia Artemeva / Mikhail Nazarychev*
Aleksandra Boikova / Dmitritt Kozlovskii
Alisa Efimova / Alexander Korovin
Anastasia Mishina / Aleksandr Galliamov
Diana Mukhametzianova / Ilya Mironov*
Apollinariia Panfilova /Dmitry Rylov*
Daria Pavliuchenko / Denis Khodykin
Alina Pepeleva / Roman Pleshkov*
Ksenia Stolbova / Andrei Novoselov
Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov
Natalia Zabiiako / Alexander Enbert**

Substitues (in order of Russian Cup qualification ranking)
Anastasia Balabanova / Alexei Sviatchenko
Taisia Sobinina / Nikita Volodin
Polina Kostiukovich / Dmitrii Ialin
Ekaterina Belova / Dimitry Chigirev
Lina Kudriavtsteva / Ilia Spiridonov
Karina Akapova / Maksim Shagalov

* qualified due JGPF; not sure all have senior free skates; A/N, P/P already have shown senior programs this season; A/K and P/R have skated senior nationals last season alredy
** estimated 'bye' if healthy

I pray to all skating gods, RUS fed increases the field to 16 pairs.

Ice Dance (15)
Qualified due GP (8; in alphabetic order)
Sofia Evdokimova / Egor Bazin
Anastasia Shpilevaya / Grigory Smirnov
Sofia Shevchenko / Igor Eremenko
Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov
Anastasia Skoptcova / Kirill Aleshin
Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin
Betina Popova / Sergey Mozgov
Tiffani Zagorski / Jonathan Guerreiro

Qualified due Russian Cup Series (7; in order of ranking)
Annabelle Morozov / Andrei Bagin
Olga Bibikhina / Daniil Zvorykin
Ksenia Konkina / Pavel Drozd
Julia Tultseva / Anatoly Belovodchenko
Ekaterina Mironova / Evegenii Ustenko
Elizaveta Pasechnik / Egor Kolosovski
Maria Ignatieva / Mikhail Bragin
---
Vlada Chashnikova / Zhakar Cherezov
Aliona Ponomaryona / Andrey Karelin
Elizaveta Kirillova / Mark Chegodaev

 

[love_skate2011]

so Samsonov is too young and are we sure Zabijako / Enbert are even appearing. ?
sad Kositukoich / Ialin didnt qualify to nationals, but I guess the rumors of breaking up were fake news.

 

[DobrinFan]

so Samsonov is too young and are we sure Zabijako / Enbert are even appearing. ?
sad Kositukoich / Ialin didnt qualify to nationals, but I guess the rumors of breaking up were fake news.

Samsonov is not too young. He has qualified. Not sure why he is not listed above.

 

[Tinami Amori]

While we're at it: There are rumors in Russian media that Plushenko has a mistress https://ria.ru/20191116/1561018584.html

There are very odd attacks happening on their family lately. Of course Plushenko and Rudkovskaya said the rumors are not true and most likely, they are right. There is not even a slight history or any indication of Evgeniy being a skirt-chaser or involved in even innocent flirts. Plus, the couple is practically always together at all events, and activities. Very recently Pluschenko said they are planning on (want to have) another baby, because they want a girl.

Recently (early November) their little 6 year old boy Sasha received a very real death threat (not a "wish" but a "threat") and police is investigating. The family received such threats before, but the last one was most realistic and vile. (so far police found that the person is "female". nothing further yet.)

It was real enough to be covered by Eurosport and RIA news.

Шестилетнему сыну Евгения Плющенко Гном Гномычу угрожают в соцсетях

Жена фигуриста Яна Рудковская пообещала полтора миллиона рублей за помощь следствию.

www.eurosport.ru

Плющенко и Рудковская обратились в полицию из-за угроз сыну

Шестилетнему сыну олимпийского чемпиона по фигурному катанию Евгения Плющенко и продюсера Яны Рудковской угрожают, сообщает "360" со ссылкой на спортсмена. РИА Новости, 03.03.2020

ria.ru

They also received not only death threats but "harm and kidnapping threats with money extortion attempts".

Полиция начала проверку по факту угроз сыну Плющенко и Рудковской

Сотрудники правоохранительных органов проводят проверку по факту угроз сыну фигуриста Евгения Плющенко.

riafan.ru

 

[Tinami Amori]

“People throw rocks at things that shine.” - Taylor Swift

What a great saying! Certainly applies to the attitude towards Tutberidze and her skaters...

Jocelyn Wildenstein.

Oh, so you are Jocelyn Wildenstein... I was wondering what all the vile and neurosis does to one's face, and here is my answer..

 

[Tinami Amori]

What's Yagudin's problem with Jason Brown?

вайт лигат, #сидимдома🥟 on Twitter

“So I think everyone who doesn't speak russian need to know something new about Olympic Champion Alexei Yagudin”

twitter.com

If this is true, yikes.

It's not good when one posts "translation of a translation of a summary from words of a reader who heard the real comments, more than one comment, and over a period of time"..

I personally believe that commentators must be objective and neutral, just report and inform. It's harder to do when "professional issues" like skating techniques are involved and former skaters comment. But there still should be a filter of neutrality, when one comments on a major media source, in an official capacity.

But the Yagudin's comments is not a "one tweet".. so here is the whole story.

Yagudin said this, which many may not agree with... and not is not about just the last tweet during NHK.
- In October during Skate America, in a role of a commentator, he said this:

First translation in english, then russian original.
"To say that Jason Brown's skating is about nothing is not correct and not fair. You can't say that. He has excellent skating skills, the glide, the forms/lines, high class spins, interesting poses he takes, which shows how flexible he is and how well he is coordinated.

All this (qualities/abilities) allow him (J.B.) to fill his programmes with (many) interesting elements. Yet today's expectations/levels in Men Singles, in the modern world, is to see quads, many quads. And these are the elements he practically has not mastered (not able to do).

His PCS scores are high level. Excuse me for bringing up 1996, but even back then, while in Juniors, Pluschenko and i had the exact technical content. Please note it was 1996! And yet Brown was born in 1994! And i am sure now he'll still get a very high PCS score!".

russian: «Сказать, что Джейсон Браун – это вообще ничто, неправильно и несправедливо. Так нельзя говорить. Он очень хорошо скользит, у него очень хорошие линии, у него классные вращения – интересные позы он в них принимает, он растянут, хорошо владеет телом. Все это позволяет ему насыщать программы интересными фишечками. Но все-таки мужское одиночное катание в современном мире – это четверные прыжки, много четверных прыжков. Это то, чем он практически не владеет.
Компоненты у него на уровне. Простите, я не хочу вспоминать далекий 1996-й, когда на юниорском чемпионате мира мы выступали с Женей Плющенко. Но тогда мы выступали с таким же набором. Это 1996-й год! А Браун 1994-го года рождения. Я уверен, что ему накидают вторую оценку».

The above is an opinion of a former skater. I am ok with him saying this if he was asked, by a commentator. I am not sure i am ok him saying this "in a role of a commentator". Commentators should be neutral.

Yagudin's commentary got some Russian fans upset, and they started a petition (which initially was signed by +/- 200 people, and few hundred since then).

The petition is not about "Yags comments about Jason Brown". Listeners and fans object in general to Yagudin's trend to "get personal and express negativity towards certain skaters he disapproves of" while he is in an official capacity as a commentator on Channel #1. Those who wrote the petition are for neutrality in commentary. facts vs. opinions with personal prejudice.

The Russian fans who started this petition, are pretty much the same people who were objecting to Tarasova's "very bias and prejudice comments" when she was commenting events, for example openly showing her preference for Medvedeva over Zagitova, showing disappointment when she won Gold in the Olympics, and later telling Zagitova's father on Tv "sorry daddy, we just love Evgeniya more, we know her longer". As well, Tarasova calling several lady skaters "fat and in need to lose weight" on National TV did not go well either.

Tarasova and Yagudin are seen as "one camp", which is true, historically and now business-wise because of shows and various events they do together and need to support each other's position for strategic reasons. TAT's and Yag's comments are very much noted and followed (which is a good thing, imo, because there is a difference between expressing very personally laced opinion in an official role, and as a private person).

The last NHK event comment by Yagudin, was done on his personal IG account, in a capacity of a "private person". He posted "Congratulations to all winners/medalist", listed them by names, and then said this:

"Big thank you to Sergey Voronov for his placement (in SP) which precluded my "favorite" Jason Brown from making the GPF, and avoiding embarrassment (diverting shame; or, it would be a shame)".
«Спасибо огромнейшее Сергею Воронову за то, что мой «любимый» Джейсон Браун не попал в финал, иначе, это был бы позор».

The first time he was a commentator, this time it was his private comment.
So there we have it.... Just an FYI..

As to posters' comments that "Yag is vile and nasty" and "negative etc..". Well, i pointed that out back in the 2002-2003, when he made nasty remarks about the pairs' scandal, and put on Canadian jacked during the Olympics.. just to be provocative. But "north Americans" liked that, did not think it was "nasty", supported "Yaguding who trained in USA and flirted with all Western" over "the Russian bears, Plush and Mishin - the symbols of dark mysterious Russia".

And now Yagudin turned on "North America's favorite Western skater"... Be careful people.. those who "openly flirt with you for popularity" at the expense of their "origin", will one day return to their origin, and you will NOT like what they will say someday.... , and see you as "useful idiots".....

"consistency in one's stand and behaior" is important. If one beats his wife, the mistress is a fool to think that she is so great that he won't beat her ..

 

[Ananas Astra]

Yagudin is a public person, his instagram is also open to the public and not private. As a public person you should know better and behave accordingly.

Especially Yagudin should've learned a thing or two by now since he often said stupid things in the past which led to several skaters to break off any ties they had with him. It was not that long ago that he came to some talkshow which dealt with Peter Tchernyshev's wife and Yagudin was the only figure skater to accept the invitation and he said stupid things there, fueled rumors etc. which led Maxim Trankov to ending their friendship.
Source: https://ria.ru/20190920/1558944269.html

 

[anonymoose_au]

...

OK...but what's the deal with the " " around favourite? Does that mean something different in Russian? Because here you do that when you're been sarcastic or saying something is fake ie. "Yeah, Trump is a "genius"." Or quoting something.

Also he can't really play the in private card, he put it on Insta for everyone to see! It'd be one thing if he said it in conversation and then someone reported it 3rd hand.

But I have to ask...when Yuzu does his Origin does Yags mention Plushy or is it just like "Nice music, have I heard it somewhere else?"

And on topic, happy to see Nastya T made Senior Nats, congratulations to her!

 

[soogar]

As to posters' comments that "Yag is vile and nasty" and "negative etc..". Well, i pointed that out back in the 2002-2003, when he made nasty remarks about the pairs' scandal, and put on Canadian jacked during the Olympics.. just to be provocative. But "north Americans" liked that, did not think it was "nasty", supported "Yaguding who trained in USA and flirted with all Western" over "the Russian bears, Plush and Mishin - the symbols of dark mysterious Russia".

And now Yagudin turned on "North America's favorite Western skater"... Be careful people.. those who "openly flirt with you for popularity" at the expense of their "origin", will one day return to their origin, and you will NOT like what they will say someday.... , and see you as "useful idiots".....

"consistency in one's stand and behaior" is important. If one beats his wife, the mistress is a fool to think that she is so great that he won't beat her ..

Yeah I remember what he did during SLC. He was so eager to get that US tour Stars on Ice contract. Now he's back in Russia. I'm surprised that people still like him there.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Yeah I remember what he did during SLC. He was so eager to get that US tour Stars on Ice contract. Now he's back in Russia. I'm surprised that people still like him there.

when Yagudin returned to Russia, he said plenty then too....

 

[anonymoose_au]

Oh yes, and he bought a cow. https://news.ru/show-business/figurist-plyushenko-kupil-korovu/

Plushy buys a cow and it makes the news? That's kind of hilarious... The only other time I've seen an athlete's cow acquisition appear in the news was when Roger Federer was given one for winning Wimbledon!

News is so weird.

 

[TAHbKA]

No Leonova at the nationals

 

[Polaris]

Jocelyn Wildenstein.

Omg. The fact that you put her pic next to Eteri's...

 

[zebraswan]

As to posters' comments that "Yag is vile and nasty" and "negative etc..". Well, i pointed that out back in the 2002-2003, when he made nasty remarks about the pairs' scandal, and put on Canadian jacked during the Olympics.. just to be provocative. But "north Americans" liked that, did not think it was "nasty", supported "Yaguding who trained in USA and flirted with all Western" over "the Russian bears, Plush and Mishin - the symbols of dark mysterious Russia".

And now Yagudin turned on "North America's favorite Western skater"... Be careful people.. those who "openly flirt with you for popularity" at the expense of their "origin", will one day return to their origin, and you will NOT like what they will say someday.... , and see you as "useful idiots".....

What in the world does that mean? Don't you live in California? Are you promising to leave?

Do you understand that not all "North Americans" think the same way about everything, or like the same things? That's not remotely the case. I wonder if you ever even go outside.

As for Sasha Plushenko getting a death threat...it's horrible, but it just underscores how incredibly irresponsible his parents are for exploiting him the way they do. Doubt they will change anything though.

 

[Ananas Astra]

As for Sasha Plushenko getting a death threat...it's horrible, but it just underscores how incredibly irresponsible his parents are for exploiting him the way they do. Doubt they will change anything though.

This!

 

[Vash01]

What in the world does that mean? Don't you live in California? Are you promising to leave?

Do you understand that not all "North Americans" think the same way about everything, or like the same things? That's not remotely the case. I wonder if you ever even go outside.

As for Sasha Plushenko getting a death threat...it's horrible, but it just underscores how incredibly irresponsible his parents are for exploiting him the way they do. Doubt they will change anything though.

If there is a death threat to a child, the blame should go to those who make the threats, not to the parents.

 

[Polaris]

^blame can also be placed on parents for putting a child in a position to be receiving death threats.

 

[Daena]

Sasha Plushenko's death threat was clearly coming from someone clinically mentally ill.
It was some gibberish rant about how god will punish some football players, TV-personality and Rudkovskaya for their "ungodly ways" by taking their children etc.

 

[Ananas Astra]

Sasha Plushenko's death threat was clearly coming from someone clinically mentally ill.
It was some gibberish rant about how god will punish some football players, TV-personality and Rudkovskaya for their "ungodly ways" by taking their children etc.

Not to be on this mental person's bandwagon, buuuuut...Plush and wife have been exploiting their kid ever since. His "own" instagram account is scary.

Don't get me wrong, Sasha Plushenko is a cute kid and I wish him all the best, but his parents are really the reason why he is being attacked. I really hope that this kid will either 1) become an Olympic Champion (just so his parents **** off finally) or 2) focus on school whatsoever.

 

[Ka3sha]

3 yo Sasha Pluschenko skating with his father to Sex Bomb in exact replica of his father’s costume was the most inappropriate thing I have seen in skating recently

 

[Jeschke]

Samsonov is not too young. He has qualified. Not sure why he is not listed above.

He is not?
He is born after July 1st, so I thought he is too young?
(Same as Usacheva/Valieva); but I have no clue about age rules, so if he is not, sorry Gleb, you are out.

 

[anonymoose_au]

As for Sasha Plushenko getting a death threat...it's horrible, but it just underscores how incredibly irresponsible his parents are for exploiting him the way they do. Doubt they will change anything though.

I was going to let this go, but I just can't...looks like Yagudin isn't the only jerkass here.

Seriously, did you actually read what you wrote?

Nothing justifies death threats against a child nothing and to use it as a reason to make a snide comment about Plushenko. How disgusting.

Wow, just wow. I certainly hope not all Americans think like you because if so...God damn.

 

[starrynight]

As someone who lives in Oceania I really wish that figure skating boards wouldn’t get stuck in these nationalistic loops. It’s so boring and pointless for anyone who isn’t Russian or American.

 

[DobrinFan]

He is not?
He is born after July 1st, so I thought he is too young?
(Same as Usacheva/Valieva); but I have no clue about age rules, so if he is not, sorry Gleb, you are out.

No, you have to be 14 before nationals, not before July 1. Usacheva/Valieva will still be 13. And no, Gleb has qualified, Kolyada no. You need to add Samsonov and remove Kolyada. If Kolyada competes, if, then they will decide who to kick out.

 

[Jeschke]

then they will decide who to kick out.

Who is they? Coach council?
And damn, right when I thought m b-tier favs (Murashov, Yablokov, Sviridenko) are safe

 

[DobrinFan]

Who is they? Coach council?
And damn, right when I thought m b-tier favs (Murashov, Yablokov, Sviridenko) are safe

They're fine. I don't think Kolyada will be there so no one to kick off.

 

[lala]

I was going to let this go, but I just can't...looks like Yagudin isn't the only jerkass here.

Seriously, did you actually read what you wrote?

Nothing justifies death threats against a child nothing and to use it as a reason to make a snide comment about Plushenko. How disgusting.

Wow, just wow. I certainly hope not all Americans think like you because if so...God damn.

THis!!!! This is the reason why I don't read the Fs forums anymore..In the past I read every day but I'm bored...You can find so many hateful and malicious persons here and they think they have right to judge anyone so hardly. NO. You know how much Plush loves his boys, his pupils, the children in general. And because he doesn't want to rise a spoiled boy ( he has chance) in the Russian upper class he became a bad father. Plush said the most important thing is Sasha to be a good person. He is $ millionair celebrity, Sasha easily could be a star children without any little task. Many Americans think if the children don't watch the TV all day that is very outrageous! Sasha Plushenko has a wonderful, fantastic life. There are/were/will be stars , who performs with their children, probably if Plush would be a singer they sing together. What is the problem with it? And the Sex Bomb program together? I have seen it live. Don't be prudish, please! That was cute, not tasteless, otherwise probably he didn't know what is the sex bomb. His innocence wasn't riuned. The whole arena adore it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyZ8K2OTt0o We were cca 8000 people. ( Don't say he uses his son to earn money..He earned cca $ 25-26 millions or more since 2006 without Sasha because of his popularity and talent. I believe he is just proud of him)

Yes, maybe that can be disputed why Sasha has own IG account. https://www.instagram.com/gnomgnomych/ That is another story, that is Yana's job. She adores the spotlight, the brands, the agent work...
And back to the theme their marriage is in trouble...Maybe. They are very different people, and as I see Plush like the simply life with animals, nature when he doesn't work when he gets older. So, who knows? I really don't understand why Yana run to the media to disput their conflict?

 

[Sylvia]

Hope Mishina/Galliamov's luggage turns up soon so they can start training for the Final:

Российские фигуристы, вернувшись из Токио, остались без багажа

Багаж российских фигуристов, возвращавшихся с этапа Гран-при в Японии, не прибыл в Москву, сообщила РИА Новости Людмила Великова, тренер спортивной пары... РИА Новости Спорт, 25.11.2019

rsport.ria.ru

 

[thvu]

I was going to let this go, but I just can't...looks like Yagudin isn't the only jerkass here.

Seriously, did you actually read what you wrote?

Nothing justifies death threats against a child nothing and to use it as a reason to make a snide comment about Plushenko. How disgusting.

No one is justifying death threats against a child.

There‘s a difference between saying ”a threat is justified” and saying “being thrust into public life exposes one to greater risks and dangers.” What you’re doing is seeing the latter, choosing to interpret it as the former, and then further choosing to feel a false sense of righteous indignation.

 

[anonymoose_au]

No one is justifying death threats against a child.

There‘s a difference between saying ”a threat is justified” and saying “being thrust into public life exposes one to greater risks and dangers.” What you’re doing is seeing the latter, choosing to interpret it as the former, and then further choosing to feel a false sense of righteous indignation.

No, this is victim blaming. This is like telling a rape victim "That's what you were wearing? What did you expect?"

It also shows a breathtaking lack of empathy and common decency. Can you even imagine what getting a death threats against your child would be like? I don't even have children and all I can feel is horrified.

You may not like Plushenko, but that doesn't justify being a complete asshole whenever his name is brought up.