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

[Amy L]

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.

I watch every year, either streaming at hours or trying to find sekret videos later. I love the Hunger Games. Although I did have to look up past Nationals locations. Moscow hasn't held RusNats since 2002! I guess it's because Moscow gets most of the Internationals. The locations for RusNats seem to flit between St. Petersburg and smaller provincial cities, except for the prep up to the Sochi Games, Sochi hosted Nationals three years in a row. Krasnoyarsk will be the first senior-level Russian Nationals that will be in Siberia. Ural cities like Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk have hosted but Krasnoyarsk is the first one that is straight up in Siberia.

Looking at the list of host cities, I would have assumed that Perm would have held at least one, but they never have. They've produced tons of figure skaters, why doesn't that city get much love?

 

[LoopCombo]

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!

I love this team too! I’m hoping Popova and Mozgov emerge as one of the top 3 Russian teams in time for the next olympics

 

[ViSt]

Looking at the list of host cities, I would have assumed that Perm would have held at least one, but they never have. They've produced tons of figure skaters, why doesn't that city get much love?

Hi, I live in Perm! We hosted Younger Nationals last season. Everybody was happy! According to tradition the city hosted YN was expected to host RN next season. But not in this case. The problem is that the "Molot" Palace of Sport (6000 seats) is under reconstraction and other places are much smaller. And of course the effect of new facilities in Krasnoyarsk was taken into account.

 

[Ka3sha]

I am surely pretty biased, but it’s not accurate to compare Moscow and St Petersburg with other Russian cities. Moscow gets all international events + test skates in the beginning of the season (as Novogorsk is not far from the city and all needed infrastructure for the camp and closed part of the test skates is available for them). But 2006/07 Grand Prix Final was the last international event in St Petersburg, and we haven’t gotten even a single Rostelecom Cup since then.
Of course that was great to host Nationals in Olympic season, but I want more

 

[Ka3sha]

The Permanent Rain Press Interview with Evgenia Medvedeva.

We had the opportunity to interview Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva ahead of Stars On Ice’s performance in Vancouver. Watch as she discusses meeting her Canadian fans on the tour, training sessions with Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson, and being a Nike athlete.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Alina Zagitova, Miki Ando, Cap/Lan on the streets playing with a live rabbit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxwvrpMoHhG/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxwwuWLoDUl/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxw07XJICcZ/

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...

There are two rinks in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (capital), a regular practice rink and a full-scale training facility called "Krystal", and a grand arena for competitions and shows "The Arena City" and they are both modern/updated facilities, very expensive.

"Krystal Ice Palace Complex" has outdoor rink for recreational skating and an indoor rink with training facilities, gyms, choreo rooms, etc.
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/09/8a/64/9b/caption.jpg
http://new.ikristall.ru/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2-1.jpg
http://trueimages.ru/img/65/0c/80150aae557c8079a48270dfb19.jpg

"Arena City"
https://ruspekh.ru/images/articles/26013/2016_06_24-04-01_001.jpg
https://ruspekh.ru/images/articles/26013/2016_06_24-04-04_006.jpg
http://ikristall.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/соревнования-по-ФК-март-2015-2.jpg

I can't imagine the logistics of holding a major competition in what looks like the buttcrack of Siberia in winter.

Krasnoyarsk is a lot less of a "buttcrack" than "Detroit" for example.

Krasnoyarsk is a booming major city in central Siberia, an industrial centre and an airline hub. It has buildings dating back to 19th century, and modern infrastructure of today.

http://www.admkrsk.ru/assets/Медиафайлы/ЖД вокзал.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Красноярск_(ночной).jpg

http://rossija.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/krasnoyarsk_znakomstvo_01.jpg

It has a great Ice Arena, where the recent Universade 2019 was held...
https://phototass1.cdnvideo.ru/width/1020_b9261fa1/tass/m2/uploads/i/20181017/4836616.jpg

And it is very convenient to fly to from Asian countries.

 

[Ka3sha]

Apparently, Ilya Skirda (former Tutberidze student and 2016/17 JGPF participant) switched to ice dance and is now training in Zhulin's group
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx14YxlJVng/

I didn't know it before, but it looks like former RUS and AZE ice dancers, Yulia Zlobina and Alexei Sitnikov are now part of Zhulin's coaching team

 

[Tinami Amori]

Apparently, Ilya Skirda (former Tutberidze student and 2016/17 JGPF participant) switched to ice dance and is now training in Zhulin's group
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx14YxlJVng/

Interesting... Ilya Skirda in the season 2018/19 season was coached by Viktoria Volchkova (Butsaeva), he went back to "Moskvitch Rink" which he was originally from.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br90jPLBzkN/

His last two skates were:
Moscow Cup 2019 (local)....................... - 5th place (155.47)
4th Segment Russian Cup 2018 (national) - 13th place (166.65)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGxHLn0yOF4

He never mastered the 3A or made his jumps solid, so perhaps trying in dance is a good idea, hope it works for him.

 

[Dobre]

Apparently, Ilya Skirda (former Tutberidze student and 2016/17 JGPF participant) switched to ice dance and is now training in Zhulin's group
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx14YxlJVng/

Hey! Best wishes to him. I thought he was a very musical young performer the year I saw him compete on the JGP.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Hey! Best wishes to him. I thought he was a very musical young performer the year I saw him compete on the JGP.

I too liked him as a junior. Eteri and Sergey fussed with him a lot then, when he made mistakes tried to explain to him how to do it better next time, not just physically but in his mind... encouraged him when he did not skate well..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERLkaHL7Rzc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UldAswHiRg

 

[Mad for Skating]

I forgot that Shae-Lynn was married to Morosov. Did she have a child with him, too? How many times has Morosov been married and how many kids does he have?

He has been married (and divorced) 4 times:
Tatiana Navka
Caroline Dourarin (his daughter Annabelle’s mother. I think I might have misspelled her name)
Shae-Lynn Bourne
Vasilisa Davakanova

He had one daughter with Caroline for sure (Annabelle, she’s actually a very good skater in her own right). I’m 99% sure that he is the father of Miki Ando’s baby, but it hasn’t been confirmed. So as far as I know, he’s had 2.

Russian test skates Please, please, please let Stolbova be there with her new minion.

TAT said they’ll be there, so I’m hopeful!

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/

This is really concerning. His health problems sound very serious. Reading this, I can’t help thinking of Grinkov. Also, didn’t Mozer say that Vladimir Morozov has heart problems too? It’s scary.

Apparently, Ilya Skirda (former Tutberidze student and 2016/17 JGPF participant) switched to ice dance and is now training in Zhulin's group
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx14YxlJVng/

I didn't know it before, but it looks like former RUS and AZE ice dancers, Yulia Zlobina and Alexei Sitnikov are now part of Zhulin's coaching team

Aww, finally some news on Ilia Skirda! Wishing him the best - he seems like a talented guy.

 

[hanca]

I thought Skirda was always quite small. Wouldn’t it be hard for him to find a partner?

 

[mjb52]

Didn't Morozov just skate with Navka? I don't think he was married to her, was he? I just googled it and it didn't appear to be the case, although perhaps I just missed something.

 

[Ananas Astra]

I thought Skirda was always quite small. Wouldn’t it be hard for him to find a partner?

He went through a growth spurt a few years ago and is quite tall now. That is also why he probably lost his jumps.

 

[Japanfan]

Didn't Morozov just skate with Navka? I don't think he was married to her, was he? I just googled it and it didn't appear to be the case, although perhaps I just missed something.

Isn't Navka married to a higher up in the Russian government, buddy to Putin, something like that? Or is that someone else?

SFAIK she was never married to Morozov.

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

@Michalle @Japanfan

Navka is married to Dmitry Peskov, a Russian diplomat.

She was married to Zhulin, and they have a daughter together. They divorced about ten years ago.

She skated with Morozov, for Belarus from 1996-98, I believe.

 

[Ananas Astra]

If they (Navka and Morozov) were married at all, I think it had to do with citizenship stuff.

 

[clairecloutier]

If they (Navka and Morozov) were married at all, I think it had to do with citizenship stuff.

I believe this is the case. I am pretty sure that Navka/Morozov were indeed briefly married back in the 1990s, and that it had something to do with citizenship or visa issues. I recall reading about it in Blades on Ice magazine at some point (back in the day). But, I looked briefly online today & couldn't find any confirmation. There are some Tumblr sites that mention the marriage, but without links to further confirmation.

ETA: There's a translated interview with Dmitri Aliev on FSGossips: https://fs-gossips.com/dmitri-aliev-something-broke-in-me-after-the-olympics/

 

[Cherub721]

During Russian Nationals someone asked Ari Zakarian and Tatiana Flade if Navka & Morozov were ever married and they said no.

 

[Eislauffan]

Re Alexander Enbert:
He never clearly stated that he had a heart problem, but for sure it does sound like it from what he shared in the interview. I also recall that either Penny Coomes or Nicholas Buckland had a heart issue and there was also a Canadian ice dancer (Bradley Yaeger) who even got a pacemaker or something like this. Alexander did make it clear that he will be careful and monitor his health, but I agree, it is still scary.

Re Ilia Skirda:
This sounds like a good move. He struggled with the jumps, never got the 3A or quads even before his growth spurt. But he is a musical and expressive skater, so it's good he took the ice dance route.

 

[Dobre]

I also recall that either Penny Coomes or Nicholas Buckland had a heart issue

Nicholas Buckland

 

[Mad for Skating]

I heard that Navka and Morozov were in a relationship, but I looked again and there’s no reputable source. All I can find is this tumblr post that mentions they were in a relationship.
https://rinkwatchers.tumblr.com/post/80949521307/is-nicolai-morozov-becoming-a-predator
I also saw their names on one of those “Who’s Dated Who” sites, but those are very unreliable.

 

[Eislauffan]

World Junior Pairs Champions Anastasia Mishina/Alexander Galliamov talk about their season, about moving up to the senior level, about being different and about their programs. They are keeping the long program but have made a new short to "romantic-tragic" music (they didn't reveal the name of the music yet).
https://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/44...zhary-a-ya-zhavoronok-i-lyubitel-kholoda.html

ETA: Video blitz "Tea or Coffee" now online at figureskating-online.com and Katze Lucinda YouTube channel (Russian with English subtitles): http://www.figureskating-online.com/tea-or-coffee.html

 

[Ka3sha]

Golden Skate article on Popova/Mozgov: Russia’s Popova and Mozgov are ‘on the right track’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1VGcd1eZnY

 

[alchemy void]

Golden Skate article on Popova/Mozgov: Russia’s Popova and Mozgov are ‘on the right track’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1VGcd1eZnY

I love these two so much:

We have an awful character, we are disgusting athletes that are not working in the right way, but now we’re improving. We have everything to win, and we want to do that, because we’re fed up with sitting somewhere in the middle.

I'm disappointed with their FD choice of Bohemian Rhapsody, but I'm optimistic they'll make it as OTT, voidy, and in-your-face as possible.

 

[mjb52]

I'm disappointed with their FD choice of Bohemian Rhapsody, but I'm optimistic they'll make it as OTT, voidy, and in-your-face as possible.

I'm really curious about what Krylova wanted them to skate to, that they didn't feel ready for yet.

 

[TAHbKA]

Igor Zavozin (who used to skate with Elena Garanina and is a father of Maksim Zavozin) passed away. RIP

 

[nuge]

I'm really curious about what Krylova wanted them to skate to, that they didn't feel ready for yet.

Probably Masquerade waltz or Carmen

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Igor Zavozin (who used to skate with Elena Garanina and is a father of Maksim Zavozin) passed away. RIP

Oh I remember him. Very sad news.

 

[Ananas Astra]

Probably Masquerade waltz or Carmen

They already did Carmen. And a very good one, I must add.