Is Alina Zagitova better than Evgenia Medvedeva?

[The Silent reader]

Is Alina Zagitova better than Evgenia Medvedeva?I think she is.What is you opinion??

 

[Kasey]

I think both are beautiful skaters with excellent qualities, both of whom should grow artistically in time. I have a preference of the two, but both are lovely and massively talented.

 

[debo]

I think Alina has the better jumps, but Evgenia - a great jumper too - has the better overall package.

 

[Twilight1]

No.

Ask again in 4 years and my answer may change.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Nope.

 

[Meoima]

Jumps Alina is better. But that might change after a year.
As a skater, Zhenia is better.

 

[alchemy void]

Opening this thread, I am borderline devastated to see there’s no poll to vote.

 

[bbkenn]

Not at this time.

 

[whiteskates]

They are both great in different ways. Zagitova is a better technician but Medvedeva is softer, more lyrical and is at least for the time being a better artist but we will have to wait and see what happens in the long run. Medvedeva's style may change a lot after switching to Orser and he may be able to develop qualities in her that we haven't seen yet.

 

[Marco]

Both are mediocre when it comes to edges and flow.

 

[Meoima]

Both are mediocre when it comes to edges and flow.

From the fancam I'd rank Med the better skater of these 2
Med: https://youtu.be/OHnGS_pobeo
Alina: https://youtu.be/Kc3Yf6OD_IU

Other fancams
Med: https://youtu.be/dzQFQVewbM8
Alina: https://youtu.be/WlCwmUiQFtQ

 

[The Silent reader]

Both are mediocre when it comes to edges and flow.

Same here...I think I favor Alina because she has correct jumps than Zhenia,who almost has every jumps incorrect.

 

[The Silent reader]

From the fancam I'd rank Med the better skater of these 2
Med: https://youtu.be/OHnGS_pobeo
Alina: https://youtu.be/Kc3Yf6OD_IU

Other fancams
Med: https://youtu.be/dzQFQVewbM8
Alina: https://youtu.be/WlCwmUiQFtQ

I think Med should jump correct Lutz and avoid pre rotation and full blade entry and be more versatile in her music.She will surely be a better skater.But for the time being,Alina has my favor.

 

[WillyElliot]

Hmm, Zag has better jumps and spins. Artistically both are +/-. I prefer Zag.

 

[Meoima]

I think Med should jump correct Lutz and avoid pre rotation and full blade entry and be more versatile in her music.She will surely be a better skater.But for the time being,Alina has my favor.

Skatingwise, Med is better, less labored.

Jumpwise, Zagitova also pre-rotate a lot and has full-blade takeoff in the toe jumps. Have you watched their take-off in slow motion? I have.

What Zagitova has better is the outside edge in the Lutz and full backloaded layout with-3lo combo. But the full backload advantage might disappear next season because the rule change that might limit backloading. Also Med has done -3lo combo rigorously in training (But wasn’t allowed to do it in competition) so the BV gap might lessen.

Anyway in term of styles, they’re from the same coaching group and each is assigned a certain image. Zagi has been dressed up as a ballerina for 2 seasons so I am not sure if that is different from whatever images Eteri has been trying to push on Med. Remember it’s doll house dress up in that group.

 

[Meoima]

I think Med should jump correct Lutz and avoid pre rotation and full blade entry and be more versatile in her music.She will surely be a better skater.But for the time being,Alina has my favor.

Alina’s full blade takeoff https://youtu.be/S6odd1bh7-Y

I wonder why people act like only Med has bad technique.

 

[giselle23]

Medvedeva is better. She is more consistent. Look at her record since she became a senior. She has only failed to win gold three times and in the three times she lost, she won silver. She has never had a meltdown like Zagitova had at Worlds. She has also proven she can skate to more than one long program. Let's see how Zagitova does in her sophomore season with new programs before comparing her to Evgenia's proven record of consistency.

 

[Meoima]

I guess the Anti-Med videos on youtube has done a great job in advertising Med’a weak technique to the casual fans. Never mind that there are many videos on other ladies with questionable take-off (and landings)
https://youtu.be/zYui6rRZh64

You might not agree with the UR calls in these videos, I don’t either. But the takeoff in slow motion says enough.

 

[Ohyes]

Certain things Alina does better and Certain things Evgenia does better in skating. However, for everyone bellyaching about Alina's win, she was better on that night and deserved gold. More energetic, Faster everything, More personality more flow.

 

[Meoima]

Certain things Alina does better and Certain things Evgenia does better in skating. However, for everyone bellyaching about Alina's win, she was better on that night and deserved gold. More energetic, Faster everything, More personality more flow.

I think Alina won Olympic is alright. She has much higher BV in both programs. But it's funny when people go around dragging Med down by saying her technique is horrible etc while on youtube there are like several hundred of slow-motion videos in which we see many ladies have the similar bad tech. Also Alina has same fullblade and prerotation but some people keep saying like Med's technique should be roasted at the stake. While I agree she should fix her toe jumps. If we apply Carolina Kostner technique on these all... none shall pass.

 

[Madison25]

Medvedeva is better. She is more consistent. Look at her record since she became a senior. She has only failed to win gold three times and in the three times she lost, she won silver. She has never had a meltdown like Zagitova had at Worlds. She has also proven she can skate to more than one long program. Let's see how Zagitova does in her sophomore season with new programs before comparing her to Evgenia's proven record of consistency.

I totally agree... Medvedeva is much more consistent and reliable than Zagitova.
This being said, i think Zagitova have much more raw talent than Med, but Med is much more mentally strong and resilient.

 

[Madison25]

Certain things Alina does better and Certain things Evgenia does better in skating. However, for everyone bellyaching about Alina's win, she was better on that night and deserved gold. More energetic, Faster everything, More personality more flow.

She wasn't better on the night of the free... she didn't even match the accents of the music.
She won just because of the TES (backloaded).

 

[AxelAnnie]

Alina’s full blade takeoff https://youtu.be/S6odd1bh7-Y

I wonder why people act like only Med has bad technique.

People think that because it fits their narrative.

 

[DimaToe]

Polina T. is better. Janny’s Mental toughness is amazing as is Zagitova’s stamina to have all the jumps in the 2nd half, but IMO when it comes flow, presentation and overall esthetic (you never defined what “better” means) I would say someone like a Tsurskaya or Kostornaya are “better” skaters. It’s like USA Gym during the Karolyn era. It wasn’t the “better” athlete that made it. It was those that had the mental toughness to get there.

 

[Dr.Siouxs]

Can them both. Kostornaia and Gubanova are better.

 

[IceAlisa]

Kostornaia is a gem. She’s that rare junior who skates with more refinement than a senior. I pray to skategods every day for her jumps to survive puberty and to stay injury-free

 

[Marco]

Neither have perfect jump technique. Medvedeva does have visible flaws in the lutz and the axel and heavily pre-rotate the toe. Zagitova just has bigger and better jumps all around.

 

[IceAlisa]

Neither have perfect jump technique. Medvedeva does have visible flaws in the lutz and the axel and heavily pre-rotate the toe. Zagitova just has bigger and better jumps all around.

Zagitova gets away with URed loop. But her jumps are better

 

[briancoogaert]

Zagitova's jumps are so much better. But all around, I think Medvedeva is still a better skater, with more speed. Alina's skating is so slow considering her amazing level.

 

[Marco]

Zagitova gets away with URed loop. But her jumps are better

Depends on how harsh you want to be. I find her loop combos to be the cleanest of all loop combos for a long, long time.