From Russia With Love [#38]: Fall/Winter 2020

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Aerobicidal said:
Your sexism and cis-normativity really date you--and I'm thinking that date is right around 2000, when Willy Billy Elliot was released.
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Cis-normativity? Sexism? Not seeing the point of your post. I thought they BOTH looked ridiculous with their OTT faces. Is that being sexist or cis-normative? I think you are very much totally wrong, sadly for you. Glad you also love Billy Elliot, my favorite movie, hope you enjoyed it. Or is liking Billy Elliot cis-normative and sexist, just trying to keep up with you?

What exactly is cis-normative and why would I be accused of that? I have drag friends, trans friends, and in-between friends. I'm not exactly someone who could fit in at a Texas White Sup festival. So I'm not understanding your (what I am perceiving as an) attack. I'm not cis-normative whatever that means, wear pants, wear a skirt, wear makeup, who cares. I had a goth phase when I died my blond hair black and wore lots of mascara and eye shadow. But I'm soooooo 'cis-normative' to you because I couldn't stand fakey fake televangelist plastered smiles? Let's discuss.
 
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mjb52 said:
it's not like anyone here is the arbiter of what other people find appealing.
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This is my title,dear.

ErikWilliam said:
They both looked like bimbos, in my opinion. And I call a spade a spade. And a bimbo a bimbo (or himbo). Sorrs!
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I believe I haven't used the term "himbo" since 1994,in the heat of a rather besotted quarrel with Mr. Bottems.

-BB
 
Evgenia not appearing at Russian Nationals was expected in my opinion. She looked fragile at Russian Test skates and has not skated well in almost two years. Her time at the top is gone. I hope she realizes that and comes to term that she has had a very successful amateur career. She has much to be proud of.

I can't imagine that someone with her intensity and competitiveness would accept placing 8th or less in a competition.
 
topaz said:
Evgenia not appearing at Russian Nationals was expected in my opinion. She looked fragile at Russian Test skates and has not skated well in almost two years. Her time at the top is gone. I hope she realizes that and comes to term that she has had a very successful amateur career. She has much to be proud of.

I can't imagine that someone with her intensity and competitiveness would accept placing 8th or less in a competition.
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Being at Tutberidze’s group is probably not helping the situation, because there she is bound to get the message that her time is up. But how many times did we say that about Tuktamysheva and she always bounces back... The only difference (in my view very important one) is that Tuktamysheva has a coach who really believes in her and has only a handful of skaters, but he cares for each of them individually. Tutberidze has a whole pool of sharks and therefore it doesn’t really matter who comes on top, as long as it is from her school. In such environment if a skater is not in their full strength, it must be a pretty uncomfortable to be attending their training. And especially when the punishment can be being sent to train with the younger group...
 
Brenda_Bottems said:
I believe I haven't used the term "himbo" since 1994,in the heat of a rather besotted quarrel with Mr. Bottems.

-BB
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My apologies Brenda! How can I make it up to you and your Mr. Bottems? But 1994? Himbo? Makes me think of Lucky Vanous! Yummy! But wasn't THAT an extremely SEXIST commercial where women were fawning all over some dumb dude? He was treated so sexistly like he was just some beefcake who maybe couldn't spell his middle name... but no, it's still sexist. It's so confusing how to be morally and socially correct these days. Please help, Mrs. Bottems.

www.youtube.com

Lucky Vanous Diet Coke

The 1994 Diet Coke starring Lucky Vanous. Check out what he is doing now at myspace.com/luckyvanous
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
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topaz said:
Evgenia not appearing at Russian Nationals was expected in my opinion. She looked fragile at Russian Test skates and has not skated well in almost two years.
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I wouldn't go that far. She's been on a lot of podiums in the last two years. She may not be winning everything anymore, but with the depth in Russia, you can be near the top and still not be winning everything. I think we just might be looking at a somewhat different picture if injury and illness hadn't derailed her.
 
If I were Evgenia, I'd get healthy. (Train in a healthy fashion considering everything her body has just been through). Move back to Canada in the summer when hopefully the opportunity arises. And give it a serious shot under Brian. It's only one season. She obviously still loves to skate. What is one more year after all of this?

I'm not saying that Brian or Canada is some miracle cure or better than a Russian coach. I never believed that to be the case. It just seems like the most stable scenario she has had this quadrennium and, therefore, likely to be the most stable scenario for her at this point.

Regardless, I hope she finds some stability--whether that is in Canada or Russia--for this year. (And I think it is ridiculous to look at test skates and try to assess where she is after a year that has been basically a wash, with a move, 2 coaches, an injury, and an illness that required hospitalization). I'd rather see her recharge and take a real crack at next season. As many athletes--Tuk, Kolyada, Higuchi, Nagasu, etc.-- have demonstrated, you can have a crummy season and come back firing.
 
tony said:
Less sometimes is more, and I don't think Daniil has fully realized that yet.
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I feel like if he hasn't realized that yet, he never will? His choreography is trending worse, not better.

And a standard disclaimer: any criticism of Tutberidze/Danny G school isn't rooted in nationalism or jealousy of Russia's success, lest I be accused of being anti-Russian again. Hell, I enjoyed Lipnitskaya (although admittedly her skating hasn't aged well at all) and liked Medvedeva up until the Olympics season.

I don't care what country the skater represents, however I do care if the skater has passable basics, actually skates to the music and not against it. Throw in a little performance quality and I'm good.

Unfortunately, I find the Tutberidze method of program construction to be more unwatchable with each passing season and their athlete development troubling at best.
 
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Also I know that I'm probably like 12 years behind the times on this, but on a recent internet deep dive, I found out that Galit Chait actually had to sue Nikolai Morozov/Ice House to let one of her teams have access to the centre. It seems like Morozov just decided he didn't like an ice dance team any more and barred them.

Chait et al v. Ice House LLC et al: Exhibit A

Chait et al v. Ice House LLC et al: Exhibit A
www.docketbird.com

Talk about coaching drama. Although, I saw Chait and Morozov together in the Kiss & Cry at the 2018 Olympics, so everything must have blown over by that point.

The court documents did make interesting reading. Particularly about how a team can get cut out on the whim of a top coach. If Chait hadn't sued on their behalf, it would have been curtains. (It was Zaretsky/Zaretsky who came 6th at 2010 Worlds).
 
ErikWilliam said:
...., I'm not talking Tanith Bel-bimbo "O" faces and forcing her partner to smile like Joel Osteen asking for money for his ministry while he drives up in a 300K Ferrari at his 'church'. uggh. (Tan and Ben reminded me of these mega-church frauds in Houston with their big fake smiles, eek). ....
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ROTFL!!! ? I haven’t laughed so hard in a long while!

And doggone it, Tanith is still at it with her cheesy Homelight commercials! ?

Some people are born commercials. The Osteens... Al Roker the weatherman-cum-commercial whore. It’s all about the Ca-Ching!
 
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Idk Evgenia's situation but there isn't always a "getting healthy" option for some injuries. I would imagine especially with spine injuries that have been re-occuring in some capacity for years, they might never fully heal or always be at high risk for re-injury or just never be at full strength again to withstand top-level training.
And I know some people will never accept this, but almost none of the criticism of the Sambo-70 skaters is really about the girls. Everyone thinks they're so unbelievably talented but are being held back by Daniil's repetitive choreography, Sergei's poor technique, and Eteri's soulless score obsession. And the fact that the judges give them near perfect scores make people feel compelled to point out the ways in which they're not perfect.
 
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I think the issue with some of the posts re the Eteri skaters is how opinions are stated as incontrovertible facts with this inoculation complaint about anyone who might disagree. These are just your opinions. You have every right to them. But that is all they are. And yet they are phrased as hard facts that other people just won't admit to or whatever. There are perfectly valid criticisms of the Eteri school and her techniques and all things associated with her, but there is always this "poor me I am going to criticize Eteri and oh those mean people won't accept that what I am saying is the gospel truth" vibe to these posts that is used to try to invalidate contrary opinions. Like yeah, if you don't like her skaters' style that's fine, but other people actually do like her skaters' style and they aren't obligated to refrain from saying so.
 
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E. Voitzehovskaya in NevaSport gives move details on Medvedeva's health condition.
nevasport.ru

Вайцеховская: Медведева легла на микрооперацию. В день выписки стало известно, что тест на ковид положительный

Журналист Елена Вайцеховская прокомментировала решение Евгении Медведевой отказаться от участия в чемпионате России.
nevasport.ru nevasport.ru
  • Medvedeva went to a hospital for a micro-surgery.
  • on the day of her release from the hospital she tested positive for XYZ.
  • she was hospitalized then for 8 more days.
  • her condition was not asymptomatic and she "felt" all the nasty symptoms.
  • she just returned to the rink and starting to practice on ice.

 
Tinami Amori said:
Why don't you note that "when you're coached by Mishin you skate in a competition after having C19 symptoms"? this is far more serious.
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Are you talking about Sofia? I thought she had covid-19 symptoms as well but she is skating in the St. Petersburg Cup this week.
 
topaz said:
Evgenia not appearing at Russian Nationals was expected in my opinion. She looked fragile at Russian Test skates and has not skated well in almost two years. Her time at the top is gone. I hope she realizes that and comes to term that she has had a very successful amateur career. She has much to be proud of.

I can't imagine that someone with her intensity and competitiveness would accept placing 8th or less in a competition.
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this is Zhenyas decision about her career and she wants to continue skating so I support her.

if she wants to try another seizing she will be funded by the Russian Federation she has a new home in Moscow things should be looking up in her life not bleak.

for those of you who want her to pack it in and retire because she'll never be what she was 3 and 4 years ago what do you want Zhenya to do with the rest of her life and career?

I say let her skate a couple more seasons and see where she's at and if she can't get back to top five in the world then she can retire on her own terms.
 
mjb52 said:
I think the issue with some of the posts re the Eteri skaters is how opinions are stated as incontrovertible facts with this inoculation complaint about anyone who might disagree. These are just your opinions. You have every right to them. But that is all they are. And yet they are phrased as hard facts that other people just won't admit to or whatever. There are perfectly valid criticisms of the Eteri school and her techniques and all things associated with her, but there is always this "poor me I am going to criticize Eteri and oh those mean people won't accept that what I am saying is the gospel truth" vibe to these posts that is used to try to invalidate contrary opinions. Like yeah, if you don't like her skaters' style that's fine, but other people actually do like her skaters' style and they aren't obligated to refrain from saying so.
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Truth!
 
starrynight said:
I missed most of November and the beginning of December due to illness, was in the hospital with serious lung lesion.

Whoah. Poor Evgenia. I think this is a cautionary tale to all those who were claiming athletes were too strong to be affected.

I see Tuktamysheva is on the list of entries. Perhaps she is doing well and will be ready to compete.
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A lesion on her lung? Poor Zhenya.

Liza has covid-19 how can she possibly go to Nationals in Siberia on a flight that is who knows how many hours long with maybe fifty or a hundred other figure skaters on the plane with someone who has C19? What parent of any figure skater anywhere in the world would want their child on a plane with numerous competitors of theirs that have or recently had covid-19? they are playing Russian roulette with a lot of lives. I say send Nastya Gubanova instead.

but what I really wanted was something sensible by backing up Russian Nationals 3 or 4 weeks allowing many of the skaters to get healthy and fit. I mean many skaters who have been recently ill are going to Siberia where it's probably 40 degrees below zero outside and that's not good for people coming off of pneumonia or C19. I wish them all good luck much success and great health.
 
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