From Russia with Love [#35]: Winter 2019

[Perky Shae Lynn]

It was the right decision for her as a human being but I am sure her team had to talk her into it. That boot was done and the potential of career ending injury was so high she is worth much more than the one event. Yes it means her season is ended and I sure she is heartsore but she is not heartbroken because her heart and soul are so strong and she has been through much worse and survived. It is such sh**itty luck. I feel like crap and I am so sorry for her and her team.

I am sure she's extremely disappointed, but it would be insane to risk a career-ending injury.

 

[Mad for Skating]

A bit early for new programs/music news, but Evgenia has just announced that her next year's LP will be to Alegria from Cirque Du Soleil

Ah, a Peng/Jin tribute! I love it!

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Kozlovski reminds me of a golden retriever puppy. So excitable, lol.

 

[rfisher]

When are junior nationals? It will be another nail biter in men, ladies and pairs for the JW team.

 

[hanca]

When are junior nationals? It will be another nail biter in men, ladies and pairs for the JW team.

4th-8th February 2020

 

[Sylvia]

Anna Shcherbakova performs INSANE quad-jumping routine to win Russian figure skating championship (VIDEO)

First-year senior Anna Shcherbakova has successfully defended her title as Russian champion, demonstrating a jaw-dropping free routine which included three quadruple jumps.

www.rt.com

Embedded video of Anna Shcherbakova's FS (in the article) is "unavailable" - here's the Russian broadcast video with a very excited TAT :

Анна Щербакова защитила титул чемпионки России!

Анна Щербакова становится победительницей Чемпионата России по фигурному катанию 2020! Произвольную программу фигуристки судьи оценили на рекордные 181,94 ба...

www.youtube.com

 

[DimaToe]

Shcherbakova’s performance was one for the record books. Truly outstanding. I hope she can do that internationally either at Euros or worlds

 

[Dobre]

Ah, a Peng/Jin tribute! I love it!

I still associate Alegria with Lobacheva & Averbuch.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I still associate Alegria with Lobacheva & Averbuch.

They were a bit before my time, but I’ll check out their program!

 

[mjb52]

This reminds me, where is Lobacheva now? I wonder if it’s weird for her seeing Averbukh have such success.

 

[Deleted member 40371]

This reminds me, where is Lobacheva now? I wonder if it’s weird for her seeing Averbukh have such success.

Don't they have child together?, I am sure she is happy for the child's sake.

 

[TAHbKA]

This reminds me, where is Lobacheva now? I wonder if it’s weird for her seeing Averbukh have such success.

Coaches in Moscow, married a figure skater who is also a coach

Don't they have child together?, I am sure she is happy for the child's sake.

They do, he lives with Averbukh. Averbukh was asked about Lobacheva in one of the interviews and he thanked her for keeping things cordial for their son's sake.

 

[NAOTMAA]

https://fsrussia.ru/news/4844-sostav-sbornoj-komandy-rossii-na-chempionat-evropy-v-gratse.html

Not sure if its been posted but the teams for Euros have been announced. Not surprisingly they just went with the nationals results. I'm guessing the teams for worlds will be the same as well although I wouldn't be surprised if they use a wait and see approach for the third spot in pairs (P/K or M/G) and alternates for ladies if Evgenia is well enough

 

[Lanie]

Alegria is all my high school dance final performance, guys. THAT was peak Alegria. No one can match ME!

 

[missing]

Has anyone else commented on Anna Shcherbakova's resemblance to Kimmie Meissner? Perhaps that bodes a Hall of Fame career for Anna.

 

[Dobre]

They were a bit before my time, but I’ll check out their program!

Lobacheva & Averbuch did not use Alegria the whole season. They scrapped it, I forget at what point in the season, but L&A were upset by Fusar-Poli & Margaglio at Skate America and ultimately went back to an old program. I always thought they should have kept Alegria. By the end of the season, I think it was fairly clear that F-P&M were just on the rise and that Alegria was not to blame. But Peng & Jin are the first top athletes I can think of selecting the music since Lobacheva & Averbuch dropped their program. Probably it was used by others in the meantime. Skating coverage is so much more extensive than it was back in that era that I would never have known if various athletes were using it. But it was a piece that I guessed had been relegated to the shelf as it was associated with a loss and a "failed" program. If Peng & Jin and now the Olympic silver medalist are selecting the music, I guess one could say its reputation has been redeemed.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Lobacheva & Averbuch did not use Alegria the whole season. They scrapped it, I forget at what point in the season, but L&A were upset by Fusar-Poli & Margaglio at Skate America and ultimately went back to an old program. I always thought they should have kept Alegria. By the end of the season, I think it was fairly clear that F-P&M were just on the rise and that Alegria was not to blame. But Peng & Jin are the first top athletes I can think of selecting the music since Lobacheva & Averbuch dropped their program. Probably it was used by others in the meantime. Skating coverage is so much more extensive than it was back in that era that I would never have known if various athletes were using it. But it was a piece that I guessed had been relegated to the shelf as it was associated with a loss and a "failed" program. If Peng & Jin and now the Olympic silver medalist are selecting the music, I guess one could say its reputation has been redeemed.

Wow, thanks for the backstory! That’s very interesting, I’m going to check the program out now!

 

[mjb52]

Has anyone else commented on Anna Shcherbakova's resemblance to Kimmie Meissner? Perhaps that bodes a Hall of Fame career for Anna.

I think she looks a lot like Shevchenko from some angles.

 

[Deleted member 13560]

^I don’t know, I think she looks like a young Natalie Portman

 

[Edgecase]

Has anyone else commented on Anna Shcherbakova's resemblance to Kimmie Meissner? Perhaps that bodes a Hall of Fame career for Anna.

Yes, and Trusova IMO looks a little like Katy Taylor who had a friendly rivalry with Kimmie as the two were climbing up the ranks.

 

[TAHbKA]

According to both Kostornaya and Gleikhengauz she started working on a 4sal, but she hasn't yet rotated fully/landed it. It's their plan however. When asked why a 4Sal Kostornaya answered `why not a Sal? it's the first tripple I landed'.
Trusova is learning a 4loop, will work on it more when the season is over.

 

[skatingguy]

https://fsrussia.ru/news/4844-sostav-sbornoj-komandy-rossii-na-chempionat-evropy-v-gratse.html

Not sure if its been posted but the teams for Euros have been announced. Not surprisingly they just went with the nationals results. I'm guessing the teams for worlds will be the same as well although I wouldn't be surprised if they use a wait and see approach for the third spot in pairs (P/K or M/G) and alternates for ladies if Evgenia is well enough

I think the only real question for the Russian worlds team is the men. Samarin & Aliev seemed like locks but given Samarin's skate at Nationals there could be some questions if Europeans goes in a similar way.

 

[Vash01]

^I don’t know, I think she looks like a young Natalie Portman

And young Natalie Portman looked like young Gordeeva.

 

[Jeschke]

I think the only real question for the Russian worlds team is the men. Samarin & Aliev seemed like locks but given Samarin's skate at Nationals there could be some questions if Europeans goes in a similar way.

Based on world ranking, Samarin would be the most clever choice.
Later groups = PCS advantage over Ignatov/Danielian for example.
He is no total and mostly sums up enough points.

It's important to keep 2 spots (which is no total given), so Samarin seems the only logic choice for me here.

 

[Vash01]

Based on world ranking, Samarin would be the most clever choice.
Later groups = PCS advantage over Ignatov/Danielian for example.
He is no total and mostly sums up enough points.

It's important to keep 2 spots (which is no total given), so Samarin seems the only logic choice for me here.

Sad that Russia is so weak in the mens discipline. All others are strong.

Is Kolyada injured/sick/retired? He was not that strong either in terms of winning medals.

 

[Jeschke]

Sad that Russia is so weak in the mens discipline.

Last 3 seasons:

2018:
GP medals: Kolyada 1st, 3rd, Voronov 1st, 3rd, Samarin 3rd
GPF: Kolyada 3rd, Vornov 4th
Euros: Aliev 2nd, Kolyada 3rd, Samarin 6th
Olympics: Aliev 7th, Kolyada 8th
Worlds: Kolyada 3rd, Aliev 7th

2019:
GP medals: Vornov 2nd, 3rd, Samarin 3rd
GPF: Voronov 6th
Euros: Samarin 2nd, Kolyada 5th, Kovtun 14th
Worlds: Kolyada 6th, Lazukin 10th, Samarin 12th

2020:
GP medals: Samarin 1st, 2nd, Aliev 2nd, 3rd, Ignatov 3rd
GPF: Samarin 4th, Aliev 6th
Euros: tbd
Worlds: tbd

I don't know what your standards are. To me, weak looks different

 

[Vash01]

Last 3 seasons:

2018:
GP medals: Kolyada 1st, 3rd, Voronov 1st, 3rd, Samarin 3rd
GPF: Kolyada 3rd, Vornov 4th
Euros: Aliev 2nd, Kolyada 3rd, Samarin 6th
Olympics: Aliev 7th, Kolyada 8th
Worlds: Kolyada 3rd, Aliev 7th

2019:
GP medals: Vornov 2nd, 3rd, Samarin 3rd
GPF: Voronov 6th
Euros: Samarin 2nd, Kolyada 5th, Kovtun 14th
Worlds: Kolyada 6th, Lazukin 10th, Samarin 12th

2020:
GP medals: Samarin 1st, 2nd, Aliev 2nd, 3rd, Ignatov 3rd
GPF: Samarin 4th, Aliev 6th
Euros: tbd
Worlds: tbd

I don't know what your standards are. To me, weak looks different

Nice research.

It seems they do well in the GP but not in GPF or worlds, where the competition is tougher.

 

[hanca]

Sad that Russia is so weak in the mens discipline. All others are strong.

Is Kolyada injured/sick/retired? He was not that strong either in terms of winning medals.

Russia has been quite unlucky with their men. There is always one that really stands out in juniors, and then somehow doesn’t survive the transition to seniors.

Pitkeev -silver at junior worlds 2014. Moved to seniors, got injured, retired.

Petrov - looked promising in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Bronze medal at JGPF 2015. After moving to seniors started struggling, not sure where he has been this and last season.

Aliev got silver at junior worlds 2017. He has now done three senior seasons but didn’t particularly stand out. He is a bit inconsistent.

Samarin got bronze medal at junior worlds 2017 and silver at JGPF 2017. He has been in seniors for three seasons, he can do very well, or he can as easily do very badly. He is a bit inconsistent. I guess that makes it more exciting!

Erokhov won junior worlds in 2018, but also have been struggling with injuries and in the past two seasons competed very little.

Danielian - silver at junior worlds at 2018 and fourth at 2019. He is still quite young (16), so he has been competing at junior level this season, although he got now silver at senior nationals and that’s why we will see him at the Europeans (and possibly at worlds).

Russia seem to have some young ones coming, for example, there have been three who got into JGPF (Mozalev, Samsonov, Gumenik). I am most curious about Samsonov, because he has been with Tutberidze for three or four years. Will she manage to get at least one men transition from junior to seniors? (Pitkeev and Erokhov did not work out, maybe Tutberidze found another strategy how to manage transition to seniors with boys?)

Kolyada has been off this season because of his sinusitis surgery.

 

[hanca]

I don't know what your standards are. To me, weak looks different

I guess Vash01 is comparing it with ladies. To be fair, looking at Russian junior men’s results, it is quite disappointing that so many of them struggle transitioning to seniors. But it seems to me that the standards in junior men are also increasing, so hopefully that will make it easier to transition.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Its far far worse in ice dance. They come close to dominating the majority of podiums in every event as juniors only to become total non-factors as seniors. At least a number of the men who do great as juniors can contend as seniors. They only don't cause constantly shoot themselves in the foot. In ice dance they're DOA