Med injured, possibly out of GPF

[Meoima]

Golden opportunity for Zagitova to win and build her PCS reputation to 9.5's by PyeongChang.

This feels like 97-98 season. Zagitova winning GPF is like when Tara won GPF before the Olympics, when judges were willing to give her 5.9's for presentation when Kwan was absent. Med is toast if Zagitova starts getting PCS boost from judges. Her TES is already higher than Med's when clean.

Tara was the reigning WC before Olympic 1998 anyway, while Zagitova is not.

Never before we have a junior just turn senior girl winning Olympic right away. So we shall see how it’s going for Zagitova. I like the girl and all but it’s too early to say anything.

I hope Med will rest very well and come back stronger than before.

 

[Kateri]

Agh, so worried about her, she's as bad as Hanyu for competing at all costs! Hopefully her team can keep her off the ice as long as necessary. Get well soon, Evgenia!

 

[Spun Silver]

I hope her doctors and Eteri are tough and give her an absolute NYET to skating at the GPF.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

Do we know which of the 5 metatarsals?

 

[mag]

Why on earth would she continue to skate with painkillers at silly GP events in an Olympic year?!?!

Because she is a teenager and invincible. It is a common trait shared by most teenagers that they are totally and completely invincible. They do learn, eventually, but it is what allows them to do stuff that the rest of us would never try. That can be both an advantage and a disadvantage.

Hope she heals quickly. Those small bones in the feet are a real pain to heal.

 

[tony]

This feels like 97-98 season. Zagitova winning GPF is like when Tara won GPF before the Olympics, when judges were willing to give her 5.9's for presentation when Kwan was absent. Med is toast if Zagitova starts getting PCS boost from judges. Her TES is already higher than Med's when clean.

To be fair, Lipinski skated about equal to Laetitia Hubert (or maybe even slightly better) in France and lost to her a week after Laetitia finished last in her first event. She also handily lost Skate America and was only 4th in the short at Nationals a few weeks later. Tanja Szewczenko had the skate of her life in the LP at home-- a personal favorite performance of mine-- and her scores were pretty high so many judges probably felt they needed to give Lipinski a tenth higher to give her the win. I think it was more-so that then anything else. And the same at the Olympics- they needed to give her those 5.9s because a 5.9/5.8 or 5.8/5.8 on most scorecards was going to place her 2nd to Kwan.

 

[viennese]

What a rotten injury at a bad time. I wish she'd taken time off earlier. I hope she can get treatment and rest and return in a couple of months to skate at the Olympics. It's not even important to skate at Europeans.

 

[Meoima]

To be fair, Lipinski skated about equal to Laetitia Hubert (or maybe even slightly better) in France and lost to her a week after Laetitia finished last in her first event. She also handily lost Skate America and was only 4th in the short at Nationals a few weeks later. Tanja Szewczenko had the skate of her life in the LP at home-- a personal favorite performance of mine-- and her scores were pretty high so many judges probably felt they needed to give Lipinski a tenth higher to give her the win. I think it was more-so that then anything else. And the same at the Olympics- they needed to give her those 5.9s because a 5.9/5.8 or 5.8/5.8 on most scorecards was going to place her 2nd to Kwan.

I think Tara won due to skate order. Had Kwan skated last, she might have been the winner.

 

[Vash01]

She can skip GPF and the Russian nationals, use Euros as a test and go full speed with her preps for the Olys. Who cares if another skater wins those titles?

 

[AxelAnnie]

She says why in the linked article: “It is an Olympic season, but it is completely unclear what will happen in the future considering the situation in our sport, and besides, I’ve never missed a competition because of an injury even when I had been injured.”

In other words, she doesn’t feel like saving herself for the Olympics that might never happen.

Whoa! I am surprised and now worried. If you are correct, and she is worried about whether or not Russian Athletes will compete things may be way more serious than I thought.

 

[Vagabond]

You can skate with painkillers? Isn't that drugging?

You hope it is

What a rude thing to say!

These are reasonable questions, and I would expect that @AxelAnnie would have asked them if the skater had been from the U.S. as from Russia.

 

[skatingguy]

You can skate with painkillers? Isn't that drugging?

You hope it is, but it's not. Certain painkillers aren't on the list and Evgenia is far from the only one who's ever skated with a painkilling injection.

I would imagine skating with painkillers isn’t a good thing as you could make the injury worse if you can’t feel anything.

I'm guessing that means numbing agents or injections as opposed to narcotic pain killers. Think Shen Xue at the 2003 World Championships. It might explain why she struggled early in her free skate if she had to get used to skating with a lack of feeling in her leg.

 

[AxelAnnie]

What a rude thing to say!

These are reasonable questions, and I would expect that @AxelAnnie would have asked them if the skater had been from the U.S. as from Russia.

UMMMM I am not sure what was rude. That was not at all my intent. I just never would have thought to link Med's comments to the current speculation.

I figure the entire Russia not being allowed to compete is much to do about nothing.

 

[IceAlisa]

Bummer. Hope she allows herself to heal fully and is in top shape for the Olympics.

 

[Spun Silver]

UMMMM I am not sure what was rude. That was not at all my intent. I just never would have thought to link Med's comments to the current speculation.

I figure the entire Russia not being allowed to compete is much to do about nothing.

Vagabond was defending your right to ask the questions. It was your hater he was calling rude.

 

[Tinami Amori]

look people, don't manage to have a fight over a non-issue.

Med has a fracture. It needs to heal. She, Eteri and the doctors will decide which of the upcoming 3 major competitions she will or will not skate before Olys. We'll know shortly what they decide. No bloody reason to fight...

 

[Vagabond]

UMMMM I am not sure what was rude. That was not at all my intent.

You weren't the rude one. It was the person accusing you of hoping that Medvedeva was using banned medication. (You may have her on Ignore.)

 

[RD]

I figure the entire Russia not being allowed to compete is much to do about nothing.

I think so too. I'd honestly be surprised if anything comes of it...

 

[Jarrett]

You weren't the rude one. It was the person accusing you of hoping that Medvedeva was using banned medication. (You may have her on Ignore.)

Thankfully.

I hope Yevgenia takes the time to heal. No one wants to see her skating hurt.

 

[alj5]

I kind of hope she'd just skip the GPF and concentrate on healing and nationals/Europeans.

 

[icie]

I hope all the injured skaters heal & are able to skate at the Olympics.

 

[Marco]

Hoping Evgenia makes a speedy recovery. GPF and Rus Nats should not be a priority. She needs sufficient rest to allow herself to heal and be ready for the Olympics. She has 2 Oly golds on the line there.

Having said that, while I wouldn't draw an analogy between Tara and Alina, I would like to point out that her situation is eeriely similar to that of Michelle in the 1997-8 season... diagnosed with foot injury during the GPs, won her events, put in a cast... incidentally, Lu, the veteran and Worlds silver medalist from 2 years ago, won the bronze at the Olympics with beautifully captivating performances and UR/2ft jumps, in Asia.

 

[skatfan]

It makes me so sad that she would compete on a fractured foot instead of healing. It explains her small jump issues. I hope she doesn’t do the GPFinal no matter what may come for the Olympics.

 

[skatepixie]

Thoughts and prayers for Janny, of course.

And hoping she doesn't push herself too hard...

 

[bardtoob]

I hope for a quick and thorough recovery for Medvedeva!

 

[topaz]

Golden opportunity for Zagitova to win and build her PCS reputation to 9.5's by PyeongChang.

This feels like 97-98 season. Zagitova winning GPF is like when Tara won GPF before the Olympics, when judges were willing to give her 5.9's for presentation when Kwan was absent. Med is toast if Zagitova starts getting PCS boost from judges. Her TES is already higher than Med's when clean.

It's 1998 and even though some of the judges rank skaters like its 1998, its not. Zagitova is still an inconsistent skater in regards to her short program. She hasn't skated a clean SP this season. Evgenia is still the one to beat even if she skips GPF due to injury. She's most consistent ladies skater in over 10 years. She's a two time world champion and 2 time GPF final champ. Evgenia has proven her worth, Zagitova has not and I am not convinced that Alina Z can handle the pressure of skating two programs at the senior level.

 

[MAXSwagg]

Hanyu does not compete at "all costs." And don't use an event that happened two years ago as an example (and that instance at China was the only time he's ever done that). He's not as "dumb and reckless" as people think, and Medvedeva isn't either.

Regardless, this GPF is going to be a dud in singles.

 

[Coco]

Having said that, while I wouldn't draw an analogy between Tara and Alina, I would like to point out that her situation is eeriely similar to that of Michelle in the 1997-8 season... diagnosed with foot injury during the GPs, won her events, put in a cast... incidentally, Lu, the veteran and Worlds silver medalist from 2 years ago, won the bronze at the Olympics with beautifully captivating performances and UR/2ft jumps, in Asia.

It took me a minute, lol.

 

[kittyjake5]

Hanyu does not compete at "all costs." And don't use an event that happened two years ago as an example (and that instance at China was the only time he's ever done that). He's not as "dumb and reckless" as people think, and Medvedeva isn't either.

Regardless, this GPF is going to be a dud in singles.

Of course Med and Yuzu will be missed at GPF but I would not call GPF a "dud in singles"

There are other very talented skaters who will be there to cheer for.

 

[Japanfan]

I would imagine skating with painkillers isn’t a good thing as you could make the injury worse if you can’t feel anything.

When S/Z skated their brilliant Turandot at 2003 Worlds, Zue Shen had one leg shot full of painkillers. She couldn't even walk on that leg, and IIRC had no feeling in it because the painkillers were numbing. In spite of that, she delivered one of her best performances ever. I say 'she' specifically here not to ignore Hongo's part in the performance, but because in an interview after they skated, he said he wanted to meld his medal with her's so she could have all the medal, and he could stand in the audience and cheer for her.

Athletes are used to working through injury and illness. Skating with an injury is the norm when it's possible.

I would think that at any point in time, most elite athletes are dealing with one injury or another. It comes with the territory of pushing their bodies beyond normal limits.