From Russia With Love (No 32): Spring to Summer 2019

[Bigbird]

I really want another fab dance team.S/K are nice enough but that's what they are nice not exciting.S/B are more interesting I like them. Popova/Mozgov are a team I hope do well next season they are dramatic I love her personality!

Maybe E/B might surprise us? Mozgov is an average partner and Betina has her flair but sometimes it all looks too hard. Ms. Morozov and partner are working with Massimo Scully maybe they can surprise as well. S/B are truly exciting but her lack of SS pulls them down. Whom else is there, Z/G? Who knows? Looking forward to being surprised and not only by Russian talent.

 

[Yehudi]

To be fair, Russian Nats also happened to be held in Saransk (Mordovia) which is also pretty much "WTF?!". At least we got TAT there with a Mordovian cookbook she talked about and thus provided random entertainment.
Maybe she'll get a Siberian cookbook next time or some other random local gift she is going to rave about.

Hey Saransk can’t be all that bad considering Gerard Depardieu chose it to be his official “residence”. Maybe next year they can hold it in Sakhalin, the part of Russia Delta flies over towards the end of the Detroit to Tokyo route.

 

[TAHbKA]

Hey Saransk can’t be all that bad considering Gerard Depardieu chose it to be his official “residence”. Maybe next year they can hold it in Sakhalin, the part of Russia Delta flies over towards the end of the Detroit to Tokyo route.

Don't give them ideas.... Between Arkhangelsk, Khabarovsk and Krasnoyarsk... Actually compared Krasnoyarsk does nto sound that bad...

 

[rfisher]

As long as they have a live video feed. My heart starts to palpate at the thought of not getting to watch Russian nationals. I will gladly give up US nationals if forced to have only one.

 

[Ka3sha]

Looked on the map where is Kranoyarsk. The rusfed really doesn't skip a hole in the middle of nowhere...

My guess is that they now have to use the venues which were built/reconstructed specifically for 2019 Universiade.
I expect that several sports events will be held in Krasnoyarsk next few years, like it was with Sochi after Olympics.

 

[VenusH.]

Don't give them ideas.... Between Arkhangelsk, Khabarovsk and Krasnoyarsk... Actually compared Krasnoyarsk does nto sound that bad...

There is still Vladivostok....

 

[mjb52]

Hey Saransk can’t be all that bad considering Gerard Depardieu chose it to be his official “residence”. Maybe next year they can hold it in Sakhalin, the part of Russia Delta flies over towards the end of the Detroit to Tokyo route.

My only association with Sakhalin is that it's an island where Chekhov visited a prison! Of course that was over 100 years ago so maybe they've built a rink since then...

 

[Wyliefan]

Looked on the map where is Kranoyarsk. The rusfed really doesn't skip a hole in the middle of nowhere...

Sofia Samodurova was born there. Home field advantage? (Hey, I can dream . . .)

 

[TAHbKA]

Sofia Samodurova was born there. Home field advantage? (Hey, I can dream . . .)

Am surprised last year's nationals were not held in Izhevsk as a tribute to Zagitova...

 

[zebraswan]

I can't imagine the logistics of holding a major competition in what looks like the buttcrack of Siberia in winter. I can just picture someone like Brian Orser arriving at the rink after 24+ hours of travel and being

Because Toronto is so famous for its mild winters? It's a city with a population of 1 million+ people. He can suck it up for a few days. Nobody died during the Universiade.

 

[Sylvia]

Maybe next year they can hold it in Sakhalin

My only association with Sakhalin is that it's an island where Chekhov visited a prison! Of course that was over 100 years ago so maybe they've built a rink since then...

The first Winter Children of Asia International Sports Games figure skating competition was held in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (largest city and capital of Sakhalin Oblast) this past February: https://fsrussia.ru/results/1819/saha19/index.htm

 

[her grace]

I really want another fab dance team.S/K are nice enough but that's what they are nice not exciting.S/B are more interesting I like them. Popova/Mozgov are a team I hope do well next season they are dramatic I love her personality!

Shevchenko/Eremenko, JGP Final champions and jr. world medalists are moving up to senior. Scoptkova/Aleshin and Shpileyeva/Smirnov will have their sophomore senior seasons. All three need more time to work on their craft, but could become fabulous with age and seasoning.

 

[Bigbird]

Shevchenko/Eremenko, JGP Final champions and jr. world medalists are moving up to senior. Scoptkova/Aleshin and Shpileyeva/Smirnov will have their sophomore senior seasons. All three need more time to work on their craft, but could become fabulous with age and seasoning.

And new coaching sadly.

 

[mjb52]

I think Shevchenko/Eremenko are doing fine and so are Stepanova/Bukin. S/S aren't getting the results (yet) but they are certainly a lot of fun as well!

 

[Amy L]

Shevchenko/Eremenko, JGP Final champions and jr. world medalists are moving up to senior. Scoptkova/Aleshin and Shpileyeva/Smirnov will have their sophomore senior seasons. All three need more time to work on their craft, but could become fabulous with age and seasoning.

I love S/E and S/S so much that I'm afraid I've already doomed them with my jinx powers. I apologize to them in advance for whatever happens to them in the upcoming season.

I loved Khudaiberdieva/Nazarov too and they already split. Though that seems to be more of an age difference thing so maybe my jinx powers didn't get involved with that.

 

[Rina RUS]

My guess is that they now have to use the venues which were built/reconstructed specifically for 2019 Universiade.
I expect that several sports events will be held in Krasnoyarsk next few years, like it was with Sochi after Olympics.

I like, that the state tries to develop Krasnoyarsk this way.
As far as I know Krasnoyarsk has serious ecological problems... Maybe the order of activities is wrong... Maybe it's wrong to invite people to the city before having solved ecological problems...

 

[Ananas Astra]

I like, that the state tries to develop Krasnoyarsk this way.
As far as I know Krasnoyarsk has serious ecological problems... Maybe the order of activities is wrong... Maybe it's wrong to invite people to the city before having solved ecological problems...

Maybe you are wrong in this forum.

 

[Amy L]

As long as they have a live video feed. My heart starts to palpate at the thought of not getting to watch Russian nationals. I will gladly give up US nationals if forced to have only one.

The Universiade stream was pretty good, the video was exceptionally clear. Hopefully RusNats will be the same quality.

 

[DeGraaf]

I can't imagine the logistics of holding a major competition in what looks like the buttcrack of Siberia in winter. I can just picture someone like Brian Orser arriving at the rink after 24+ hours of travel and being

Having Skate Canada and Skate America in backwater little villages is logistically much better,of course,than having Russian nationals in a city which has just held the Winter Universiade,has its own airport and a popularion over half a million

 

[Amy L]

Having Skate Canada and Skate America in backwater little villages is logistically much better,of course,than having Russian nationals in a city which has just held the Winter Universiade,has its own airport and a popularion over half a million

Did I say it didn't??? Me saying that Krasnoyarsk is in the middle of Siberia and hard to get to doesn't mean that Lake Placid isn't difficult logistically as well. This is the Russian thread and talking about Russian Nationals, do I have to mention every scenario that exists on the planet?

 

[gk_891]

@gk_891 , I think you'd enjoy this interview. Thank you TAHbKA for taking the time to translate it. I can't believe she's still living in such bitterness. She really was one of the best ice dance coaches IMO, but she's so angry and seems to have been angry for things that happened decades ago. I guess she still doesn't like Tarasova. She STOLE K/P from her and later had her assistant seduce Shae-Lynn from her as well. Jokes on them as they got divorced with no Olympic medal according to Dubova, .

Sorry I'm late to the game but this interview was very interesting indeed! Thanks for drawing my attention to it.

 

[gk_891]

That may be true, but K/P already wanted to leave Dubova over perceived ideas of favoritism towards Usova/Zhulin and felt they were unsupported by her during the whole failed drug test debacle at 1991 Europeans leaving them feeling abandoned at 1991 Worlds. If they were happy with her, K/P wouldn't have happily left. Then Dubova did a number on Oksana Grishuk and Tatiana Navka due to Zhulin's actions and wanting to protect Usova. Even if she was justified, all of that just added more credence to the whole Dubova favoring Usova/Zhulin narrative.

It's funny how she doesn't even mention Grishuk or Navka in that interview. Hmm, I wonder why.

 

[Amy L]

It's funny how she doesn't even mention Grishuk or Navka in that interview. Hmm, I wonder why.

Russian ice dance in the 90s was both the best and the worst things in the world. Probably not so fun for the people directly involved, but so damn entertaining to read about.

 

[zebraswan]

Did I say it didn't??? Me saying that Krasnoyarsk is in the middle of Siberia and hard to get to doesn't mean that Lake Placid isn't difficult logistically as well. This is the Russian thread and talking about Russian Nationals, do I have to mention every scenario that exists on the planet?

I don't remember anyone complaining about having problems getting there for the Universiade...which was a much larger international competition, with 3000 athletes. It's a real city with an airport and everything. I heard they even have electricity and indoor plumbing.

 

[floridaice]

Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert talk in this interview for Golden Skate about their breakthrough year and overcoming his health issues as well as about plans for next sesaon:
https://www.goldenskate.com/2019/05/zabiiako-enbert/

his health issues sound scary. I hope he is ok.

 

[VGThuy]

I can't imagine the logistics of holding a major competition in what looks like the buttcrack of Siberia in winter. I can just picture someone like Brian Orser arriving at the rink after 24+ hours of travel and being

I google imaged 2019 Universiade and it looked pretty nice to me. I mean it is Russian nationals. Why couldn't it take place in the middle of Russia even if it's closer to the Mongolia than Poland? A city with nearly a million people according to the 2010 Census doesn't seem like a remote place at all. I know the figure skating centers are in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but maybe this is to help rev up interest in figure skating in other parts of Russia. Also, Orser should prepare for this possibility when he took on a Russian skater. I'm sure him traveling won't be that big of a deal. I mean, what is he? Fragile? Also, just from a check search...from New York to Krasnoyarsk has only one stop in Moscow. From Toronto, it's two stops with the first being in New York. A few hours more than if he'd have to travel to Moscow.

 

[Amy L]

I know most figure skating centers are in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but maybe this is to help rev up interest in figure skating in other parts of Russia.

I believe that's one of the main reasons. It's also a "neutral" zone. The audience at the Universiade were really excited and clapping for everyone. I notice that sometimes when a competition is in one of the main two cities, the crowds can be kind of biased for their own.

 

[VGThuy]

I believe that's one of the main reasons. It's also a "neutral" zone. The audience at the Universiade were really excited and clapping for everyone. I notice that sometimes when a competition is in one of the main two cities, the crowds can be kind of biased for their own.

I didn't even think about that. That's a very good point. I'm sort of excited that it will take place in that location...for some reason since I doubt I'm going to be watching too much of it. I think the last time I really watched Russian Nationals was during the 2015-2016 season.

 

[mjb52]

I think it's awesome they're holding RusNats somewhere outside of St. Petersburg/Moscow and hope my post didn't imply otherwise! I mostly just wanted to show off my knowledge of Chekhov .

 

[VGThuy]

I think it's awesome they're holding RusNats somewhere outside of St. Petersburg/Moscow and hope my post didn't imply otherwise! I mostly just wanted to show off my knowledge of Chekhov .

Speaking of Chekhov, according to Krasnoyarsk's wikipedia page, he called it the most beautiful city in Siberia.