German Skating News - 2022 / 2023 Season

[sus2850]

Yes, all the pairs training with Hotarek are really happy to have him as he is so enthusiastic and encouraging. They also say that he does never ask them to do anyhing the way he did it when competing but analyzes everybody individually and looks for specific things that apply to each one differently. The atmosphere seems to be really friendly and they seem to have fun training together.

I guess Aljona is rather a strict coach. But she also was coaching younger kids in the Netherlands and not the higher level athletes, which she rather hoped to be able to, I guess.

 

[Miezekatze]

I found another article which confirmed that Aljona brings Alexandra Nazarova and Nicola Todeschini with her to Chemnitz as coaches.

 

[Frau Muller]

Aljona is going to return to Chemnitz in April and coach together with Robin. Aljona, Robin and the rink in Chemnitz all posted about it today and there's also an article, which is pay-per-view only unfortunately, so I can't read all of it:

Paukenschlag: Eis-Traumpaar Aljona und Robin in Chemnitz wieder vereint

Der Traditionsstandort im Eiskunstlaufen bekommt internationales Flair. Paarlauf-Olympiasiegerin Aljona Savchenko kehrt im April an ihre alte Wirkungsstätte zurück und wird mit ihrem früheren Eis-Partner Robin Szolkowy und weiteren Trainern aus dem Ausland Talente fördern. Bis es soweit ist...

www.freiepresse.de

I'm therefor a bit confused on whether this is a permanent move or something like a camp, but from the wording I assume it's permanent. Just not 100% sure, cause it also says something about "other international coaches" too.

This article is free, but doesn't have much more information except for a quote from Robin, who says they want to put back Chemnitz on the international scene of figure skating.

It also mentions Aljona will bring 2 coaches with her, so I assume it's really a move.
I wonder if the 2 coaches Aljona brings along are Alexandra Nazarova and her husband. They've been working with her, so that would make sense.

Back to Frau Muller’s Land!

 

[text_skate]

Interview by local media outlet in Berlin with Hocke/Kunkel:

"Die Bronzemedaille hat uns super viel Motivation gegeben, die uns tragen kann"

Nach EM-Bronze führen die Berliner Paarläufer Annika Hocke und Robert Kunkel das deutsche Aufgebot bei der Eiskunstlauf-Weltmeisterschaft in Japan an. Was sie von sich selbst erwarten und wieso schon das Training vor Ort besonders ist.

www.rbb24.de

about medal at Euros:

We don't have the feeling that we get so much attention ... figure skating is still very, very niche.

Arriving a week befor comp:

We were able to take in the Japanese atmosphere. We were here a week before the start of the World Cup and stayed in Fukuoka for preparation so that we could get used to the time difference. We also got to see a bit of the city and the culture. That was very nice. Not just arriving for the competition and flying straight back home, without ever realising where you actually are.

Perparations

At the EC we made a pretty big mistake, which then caused a second smaller mistake. We changed our jumps a little bit so that something like that can't happen anymore. ... We worked on that, but unfortunately we also had to be careful not to do too much. I've had a few back problems since the EC, actually already during them.

About WC

Between fifth and twelfth place, everything is somehow realistic. It also depends on how the others skate.

 

[karmena]

From the Dutch Skating Federation:

Aljona Savchenko gaat niet verder als bondscoach kunstrijden

De KNSB neemt afscheid van Aljona Savchenko als bondscoach kunstrijden. Zij zal haar werkzaamheden dit seizoen nog afmaken. De schaatsbond gaat op zoek naar een opvolger, die tevens de leiding krijgt in het Nationaal Trainingscentrum Kunstrijden, dat afgelopen jaar in Heerenveen is geopend.

www.schaatsen.nl

 

[Ananas Astra]

From the Dutch Skating Federation:

Aljona Savchenko gaat niet verder als bondscoach kunstrijden

De KNSB neemt afscheid van Aljona Savchenko als bondscoach kunstrijden. Zij zal haar werkzaamheden dit seizoen nog afmaken. De schaatsbond gaat op zoek naar een opvolger, die tevens de leiding krijgt in het Nationaal Trainingscentrum Kunstrijden, dat afgelopen jaar in Heerenveen is geopend.

www.schaatsen.nl

Call me surprised...

 

[Sylvia]

From the Dutch Skating Federation:

https://www.schaatsen.nl/nieuws/202...-gaat-niet-verder-als-bondscoach-kunstrijden/

Machine translation of the press release:

The KNSB says goodbye to Aljona Savchenko as national figure skating coach. She will finish her work this season. The skating association is looking for a successor, who will also be in charge of the National Training Center Figure Skating, which was opened in Heerenveen last year.

Savchenko, a German of Ukrainian origin, came to Heerenveen from Germany last autumn. There she led the NTK, where she trains with both individual and pair riders [skaters[. She had a two-year contract with the KNSB (until mid-2024), with an evaluation moment halfway through, which had now arrived.

“Last year we were proud that Aljona had chosen us, but unfortunately she turned out not to be the right woman for this place. In good consultation, we have decided to end the collaboration after this season," says Remy de Wit, technical director of the KNSB. “We will quickly and carefully look for the best possible successor for the drivers of the NTK.”

Aljona Savchenko: “It was short but powerful, my stay in the Netherlands. I started this adventure last year with a lot of energy. But that turned out to be less suitable for me in practice than I had expected. Everything comes to an end. I look forward to the next challenge with great anticipation, because I know that I will make a new start in my second home, in Chemnitz.”

The departure will have a lot of impact for Tessel Clercx, Lois Libregts and Ymke Jagersma, these Dutch women trained under Savchenko all week. World Cup participants Daria Danilova/Michel Tsiba and Dmitry Epstein/Nika Osipova also occasionally joined the NTK.

 

[Frau Muller]

So much for that great idea!

 

[text_skate]

After disappointing SP today Kunkel said:
"I have back problems at the moment, we even thought of cancelling our start at short notice. But we want to finish the season on a high after the good results at the German Championships and the European Championships"
source sportschau

 

[text_skate]

More quotes
Schott about her result: "For so long I've just been able to do it in training, finally it worked out in competition."
Most likely her best SP ever. I'd given her more PCS, but then I'm not an expert

Blommaert: "We had one mistake, but the rest of the programme was good. We're satisfied with the marks."
I particularly liked their the unison. Hopefully they manage somehow their jumps in FS.

source

 

[clairecloutier]

Blommaert: "We had one mistake, but the rest of the programme was good. We're satisfied with the marks."
I particularly liked their the unison. Hopefully they manage somehow their jumps in FS.

I'm pleased that the judges scored Efimova/Blommaert well in PCS, which I think is well deserved. They had the highest PCS aside from the main medal contenders. So yes, if they could just manage the SBS jumps ...

 

[Quadjump]

I'm pleased that the judges scored Efimova/Blommaert well in PCS, which I think is well deserved. They had the highest PCS aside from the main medal contenders. So yes, if they could just manage the SBS jumps ...

There has not been a single clean SBS ever from them so far. This really makes me pessimistic about their comming career.

 

[Karen-W]

There has not been a single clean SBS ever from them so far. This really makes me pessimistic about their comming career.

I thought they did clean SBS from them at either Nebelhorn or Finlandia early in the fall...

 

[text_skate]

Hocke/Kunkel about FS:
"We couldn't be more satisfied with the day. It was difficult in the FS. We wanted to end the season on a high," Hocke said. "We managed to do that."

This was a really good skate for them. Imo their GOE/PCS suffered a bit because of all the sloppy skates over the last couple of seasons. Although I'm ok with a 2 pts in PCS difference between them and Efi/Blo

Efimova/Blommaert felt tired at the end of the first almost complete competition season. "Training has been very difficult lately"
"We are happy to be through. I wasn't feeling so good health-wise," said Blommaert, adding: "The free skate wasn't that bad."

I love their FS, particularly the step sequence (thank you, Benjamin Steffen and Rostislav Sinicyn). They achieved a PB. Now they need to work out the jumps, find a solution to their adverse preferences somehow, one feels comfortable with Sal, the other hates it and vice-versa).

sources: sportschau, ran

 

[clairecloutier]

There has not been a single clean SBS ever from them so far. This really makes me pessimistic about their comming career.

I think they had some clean SBS jumps at German Nationals last year? Which had me hopeful at the time.

 

[text_skate]

There are no quotes from Starostin apart from happy, that final reached, statisfied with skate
JvR/S:

We are very happy that we got through our programme well and that we have already achieved our biggest goal by reaching the final. Now we demand a clean free skate from ourselves.

There is no more beautiful place or country for the World Cup premiere. It was madness. We are very happy that we skated the programme well. We were very well prepared and took everything we did in training with us.

Schott after FS

I was completely in a flow. I have never managed two clean programmes before. This is the best I have ever achieved in my career.

I really wanted to reach 200 points, it was just a bit short, but that's okay. I'm just satisfied and happy and enjoying every moment. The crowd gives us so much on an emotional level."

Schott is invited to the gala

sources: dpa, sportschau, SZ (a tiny bit more than a news agency report), German fed

It will be interesting, if German press will take notice of Schott's story and write something about her. It's the best placement since 27 years in women skating at Worlds.

 

[sus2850]

If you want quotes from Starostin they are at the ISU site for worlds/section media (quick quotes). He said after his short program that he is very happy with his skate, that he worked hard and that he loved being in a practice group with Jason, Deniss and Ilia and that he told Deniss that he is his idol.

 

[text_skate]

If you want quotes from Starostin they are at the ISU site for worlds/section media (quick quotes). He said after his short program that he is very happy with his skate, that he worked hard and that he loved being in a practice group with Jason, Deniss and Ilia and that he told Deniss that he is his idol.

I was thinking more along the lines of journalistic content. But it looks like German fed and ISU is providing quotes and content for reports and articles. I guess no German journalist is in Saitama

 

[Ananas Astra]

Schott is invited to the gala

Why?!
It's like as if there aren't any other decent skaters the world wants to see having fun out there at the gala.
Galas are meant to be entertaining. Schott is everything but.

 

[Frau Muller]

There are no quotes from Starostin apart from happy, that final reached, statisfied with skate
JvR/S:



Schott after FS


Schott is invited to the gala

sources: dpa, sportschau, SZ (a tiny bit more than a news agency report), German fed

It will be interesting, if German press will take notice of Schott's story and write something about her. It's the best placement since 27 years in women skating at Worlds.

Fabulous! So long since a solo German woman has skated so well…in the thoughts of the REAL FRAU MULLER!!! This is a bit of history.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Why?!
It's like as if there aren't any other decent skaters the world wants to see having fun out there at the gala.
Galas are meant to be entertaining. Schott is everything but.

I admire Schott. She spent a lot of years in the middle of the pack. Japanese showing they understand what it means to finally succeed and at 26yo. Gala feel good moment.

 

[Miezekatze]

And she was one of the few skaters who did 2 clean programs.

 

[clairecloutier]

Ruben Blommaert has announced his retirement on Instagram :

Ruben Blommaert OLY on Instagram

958 likes, 232 comments - rubenblommaert on March 29, 2023

www.instagram.com

He cites lack of financial support from the German fed for next season, and differences in approach with Efimova, as the main reasons.

I had kind of suspected from their quotes after Worlds that their partnership might not last much longer. It's too bad, they're both so talented, and I had high hopes when they first teamed up.

But, best wishes to both of them for the future.

 

[Rhumba d’Amour]

Ruben Blommaert has announced his retirement on Instagram :

Ruben Blommaert OLY on Instagram

958 likes, 232 comments - rubenblommaert on March 29, 2023

www.instagram.com

He cites lack of financial support from the German fed for next season, and differences in approach with Efimova, as the main reasons.

I had kind of suspected from their quotes after Worlds that their partnership might not last much longer. It's too bad, they're both so talented, and I had high hopes when they first teamed up.

But, best wishes to both of them for the future.

Some talented pairs man (outside Russia) should snap Efimova up immediately! Her skating is lovely.

 

[Quadjump]

Maybe I am stubborn but in my book Ruben behaves kind of ruthless. Sorry.

Investing so much over more than two years and now it is suddenly done like it was worthless.

 

[Karen-W]

Dang!!!!!! I did not see that coming. Such an absolute shame for Efimova, though I'm not sure I see her being snapped up by anyone else unless she can get her jumps sorted. She's never been all that consistent with the SBS jumps sadly.

 

[Tesla]

Maybe I am stubborn but in my book Ruben behaves kind of ruthless. Sorry.

Investing so much over more than two years and now it is suddenly done like it was worthless.

So he should keep going even though his heart isn't in it anymore and doesn't want to? In other words, mental health be damned?

 

[Ananas Astra]

Maybe I am stubborn but in my book Ruben behaves kind of ruthless. Sorry.

Investing so much over more than two years and now it is suddenly done like it was worthless.

I mean, he has never been a true gentleman to his former partners...

 

[Finnice]

I wish Efimova would find a new partner. And represent her homr country, Finland.

 

[Quadjump]

So he should keep going even though his heart isn't in it anymore and doesn't want to? In other words, mental health be damned?

Yes. He should fight for it. Other pairs go through everything over years.