Post IdF 2018 interview with Evgenia Medvedeva

[rfisher]

Eteri had gone on Russia’s Channel One soon after the split, and said Evgenia had told her in PC after Alina’s win, that she wished Eteri had held Alina back in jrs. one more year. Here Evgenia categorically denies having said that.

I don’t have any official poll numbers (Will Levada please get on that?) But the movers and shakers in the skating community mostly seem to support Med. Private citizens, however, hiding behind the anonymity of the internet, have been pouring vitriol on her social media pages.

I didn't read that as a categorical denial, but rather that she didn't remember saying it and things said in the heat of the moment of a competition didn't necessarily reflect the true feelings. There have been multiple reports that she did say that. Which is no big deal and did reflect her disappointment at losing the OGM.

 

[IceAlisa]

I didn't read that as a categorical denial, but rather that she didn't remember saying it and things said in the heat of the moment of a competition didn't necessarily reflect the true feelings. There have been multiple reports that she did say that. Which is no big deal and did reflect her disappointment at losing the OGM.

I read it this way: she had repeated several times that she didn’t say that and has given a reason why she never would.
When she mentioned a “gap in her memory” she was being sarcastic.

There can only be one report of her saying it and that would be Eteri’s interview on Channel One. How can there be more than one report when Med had allegedly said these words privately?
She also graciously declined to give reasons for not giving Eteri flowers like the Russian tradition dictates when you leave a long time teacher. This is only a rumor that I think I’ve read here that Eteri told Med to retire and to go have babies after PC.

 

[Rock2]

I have serious doubts that her situation is what Winston Churchill would have defined as hell.

His definition doesn't matter. The context of the quote is your own experience. That's what makes the quote universally-relatable.

 

[SkateSand]

I read it this way: she had repeated several times that she didn’t say that and has given a reason why she never would.
When she mentioned a “gap in her memory” she was being sarcastic.

There can only be one report of her saying it and that would be Eteri’s interview on Channel One. How can there be more than one report when Med had allegedly said these words privately?

Tinami posted this youtube link in another thread. I don't read or understand Russian so I don't know what's being said, nor do I know how accurate this is. I think Tinami said it was sensationalized. But I think this might be a source of the rumor or story if I correctly understood what the video was alleged to depict.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io-xfvXt2p4

 

[IceAlisa]

Tinami posted this youtube link in another thread. I don't read or understand Russian so I don't know what's being said, nor do I know how accurate this is. I think Tinami said it was sensationalized. But I think this might be a source of the rumor or story if I correctly understood what the video was alleged to depict.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io-xfvXt2p4

Dear skategods. This video of Med and Eteri in K&C in PC was supposedly lip read by an uncredited third party and alleges that Med said to Eteri “You’ve done everything you could to make sure Alina wins the SP and the FS.” Which, if true which I doubt, is not at all the same thing Eteri reported to Channel One. The story keeps changing and the evidence is tenuous. Meh.

Again, the source of the story about Med chiding Eteri for not keeping Zag in juniors is none other than Eteri herself on Russian TV. This video is neither here nor there

 

[lily]

To me this interview doesn't seem that mature. In some situations is better talk less - do more.
But of course she finds that she must be regularly in media ...

 

[antmanb]

Hasn't Mishin said before that he only coaches that he has trained from the get go?

Has he taught Tuktamysheva from the beginning? I feel like I remember her moving to him a few seasons before her world championship win, but I might be misremembering.

ETA: no I was completely wrong she worked part time with Mishin from an early age and he has mostly always co-coached her until she was solely coached by him in 2011.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Evgenia Medvedeva is a two time World Champion and reigning Olympic silver medalist. At age 19, she made a realistic decision about how best to sustain her career in a field that favors young teenagers. She had the opportunity to be coached by a team that has already won multiple Olympic gold medals, and where she would be their top ranked woman. She voluntarily left her previous team to move to a new country and new environment, presumably with specific and achievable goals in mind.

I have serious doubts that her situation is what Winston Churchill would have defined as hell.

I disagree. Do read his speeches around that.. he was not just referring to the war but to life...hope...spirit. against all odds the British kept on going and never gave up.

Medvedeva is going through a personal hell. The vitriol hurled her way is crushing. Obviously it is not on a global scale...but for her it is hell. I suspect she will keep on going.

Churchill's quote endures because it is ever wise and ever relevant.

 

[ChiquitaBanana]

To me this interview doesn't seem that mature. In some situations is better talk less - do more.
But of course she finds that she must be regularly in media ...

I read you are one of Med's haters.

 

[mjb52]

I think the past few years have made it clear that the psychological pressures these skaters go through are incredibly intense. I don't think I could handle it, I don't know how they do it. And they do it so much on their own - even when they have a team, we have all seen in this case and many others how when these kind of struggles arise often the relationship with the team is deeply impacted rather than a source of support.

 

[sus2850]

She gave great and thoughtful answers.
One point I do not quite get: the stuff about the 40 year old father. Is this a specific stalker she is harassed by or a generalization? If it is a real person it seems to be a bit dangerous to provoke him, she should rather report him to police. But maybe I did misunderstand

 

[barbarafan]

Dear skategods. This video of Med and Eteri in K&C in PC was supposedly lip read by an uncredited third party and alleges that Med said to Eteri “You’ve done everything you could to make sure Alina wins the SP and the FS.” Which, if true which I doubt, is not at all the same thing Eteri reported to Channel One. The story keeps changing and the evidence is tenuous. Meh.

Again, the source of the story about Med chiding Eteri for not keeping Zag in juniors is none other than Eteri herself on Russian TV. This video is neither here nor there

Interesting....perhaps Med was so shellshocked at results because her team were assuring her all along if she went clean she would win...that nothing else needed to be done to her program while the team together figured with the backloading and winning GPF would put Alina just a bit ahead if they both were clean. They prob. told each of the girls what they felt would make them skate clean and to them as long as Sambo got gold and silver it did not matter which was which. Translations of kiss n cry I saw showed Med saying ...but I did all I could. After Eteri's classless and immature behavior I would certainly go with whatever Med said happened and what she said.

 

[lily]

I read you are one of Med's haters.

Not at all, I am just neutral. But that's my opinion. She spoke almost non-stop and gave interviews since spring. Maybe it would be better to work some time in peace and not to comment every step in media.

 

[Polaris]

She gave great and thoughtful answers.
One point I do not quite get: the stuff about the 40 year old father. Is this a specific stalker she is harassed by or a generalization? If it is a real person it seems to be a bit dangerous to provoke him, she should rather report him to police. But maybe I did misunderstand

Both.

 

[IceAlisa]

Interesting....perhaps Med was so shellshocked at results because her team were assuring her all along if she went clean she would win...that nothing else needed to be done to her program while the team together figured with the backloading and winning GPF would put Alina just a bit ahead if they both were clean. They prob. told each of the girls what they felt would make them skate clean and to them as long as Sambo got gold and silver it did not matter which was which. Translations of kiss n cry I saw showed Med saying ...but I did all I could. After Eteri's classless and immature behavior I would certainly go with whatever Med said happened and what she said.

There was a moment Med said very clearly I did all I could. Even Johnny Weir heard it and translated for the US audience. The rest is rumors.

 

[annie_mg]

Not at all, I am just neutral. But that's my opinion. She spoke almost non-stop and gave interviews since spring. Maybe it would be better to work some time in peace and not to comment every step in media.

You make it sound like she calls journalists intentionally every week just to be mentioned in the media. My guess would be that they reach out to her, not the other way around...

 

[lily]

You make it sound like she calls journalists intentionally every week just to be mentioned in the media. My guess would be that they reach out to her, not the other way around...

Of course but you don't need to say always - yes. And if yes - what you answer them. She seems often arrogant in her interviews.

 

[VGThuy]

Neutral, eh?

 

[Kasey]

I'll admit to being a fan, and therefore perhaps biased, but I've never noted anything "arrogant" in her interviews. She is quite well-spoken for a younger person, and appears to be giving thoughtful and thought-out answers to questions posed to her.

 

[Aerobicidal]

Thank you for translating this @IceAlisa! I think the interviewer should have asked a couple more questions:

How dare you allow people on FSU to only enjoy your skating now that you are "Canadian"!?!?!

Are you enraged by the way people talk shit about Zagitova by posting memes about why she's awesome?

Actually, ignore all of the above. I didn't actually read the interview. I'm too busy. This may be my last post in this thread.

 

[Rob]

I am a little confused -- the reports of Eteri's interview made it sound like Medvedeva asked Eteri before the season began or before the Olympic team was named to keep Zagitova back. It sounded as if Medvedeva expected Eteri to do it so Zagitova could not challenge her, but Eteri refused. But if she said it in the K&C at PC, then it was not a request at all like the reports made it sound...it was just a heat of the moment, lashing out, sour grapes statement -- "why couldn't you have kept her back" or "you threw me under the bus." Definitely different -- just mad at Eteri, and not trying to sabotage Zagitova.

 

[RoseRed]

I am a little confused -- the reports of Eteri's interview made it sound like Medvedeva asked Eteri before the season began or before the Olympic team was named to keep Zagitova back. It sounded as if Medvedeva expected Eteri to do it so Zagitova could not challenge her, but Eteri refused. But if she said it in the K&C at PC, then it was not a request at all like the reports made it sound...it was just a heat of the moment, lashing out, sour grapes statement -- "why couldn't you have kept her back" or "you threw me under the bus." Definitely different -- just mad at Eteri, and not trying to sabotage Zagitova.

Eteri said it was after the LP at the Olympics that she said it - it was never claimed that she asked for Zagitova to be kept in juniors. Now whether she actually said it at all isn't known, of course.

 

[UGG]

When I about the statement, the article I read made it sound like Med made the statement prior to the Olympics. I didn't realize it was allegedly in the kiss and cry. It is kind of in the same category of Nancy's make up statement about Oksana. She was pissed and said something maybe she should not have but haven't we all?

I thought she did a great job in this interview- the questions seemed rather aggressive.

One of the things I find sad is that Olympic Silver is seen as a failure by the gold medal contender athletes. Kwan (I know she tried to be positive but it was obvious she was upset), Slutskaya, Cohen, Asada, Kim (maybe not so much because she already had OGM but she wasn't thrilled) and now Med. I realize the OGM has major perks silver and bronze does not.

 

[Deleted member 53443]

She is like the Rocky Balboa of figure skating. Go Medvedeva.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J0Ahh3UxbM

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!

I like that attitude better than "let's regroup and stay away and work behind closed doors for x amount of time until I'm ready". That's fairy land.

 

[Scrufflet]

Jeepers, that interviewer comes across as a real jerk. Although, maybe she said, "Ask all the stupid, all the really prying questions so I can answer them once and for all and be done with it."

Totally agree. This guy is a jerk! And she is classy!

 

[IceAlisa]

She is like the Rocky Balboa of figure skating. Go Medvedeva.

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!

Love this quote!!

 

[Rob]

Eteri said it was after the LP at the Olympics that she said it - it was never claimed that she asked for Zagitova to be kept in juniors. Now whether she actually said it at all isn't known, of course.

Same as UGG, the news articles I read made it sound like she asked for this before the OG -- so perhaps Eteri did not mischaracterize, but the news reporters did.

 

[lily]

I'll admit to being a fan, and therefore perhaps biased, but I've never noted anything "arrogant" in her interviews. She is quite well-spoken for a younger person, and appears to be giving thoughtful and thought-out answers to questions posed to her.

Having read and view all the different media after Olympics until now it's a pity but I can't share your opinion just in all the aspects.

 

[aftershocks]

Medvedeva: "Right now I am surrounded by people who have experienced situations like this one. These are mostly adults known to the public, who have pushed through the thorns to the stars. They share their experience with me, how to handle it."

Kudos to Medvedeva for her courageous decisionmaking re her career and for weathering this storm. She gives such intelligent and mature responses. Medvedeva has great character. As much as the judges were putting such huge stock in her (due to her fast rotations and consistency) for two years, it was rather fickle of them to get down on her when Zag's somewhat better jumps packaged with bells and whistles came along.

Medvedeva clearly possesses and possessed the superior presentation ability vs Zagitova. And it was something to see Med's grit at the Olympics to battle so hard with an injury, but the judges gave Zag the edge. In any case, Osmond was way superior than both re jumping ability, programs, and artistry. It was just Osmond's nerves under competitive pressure that was in question.

At recent IDF, I think the judges were amenable to and actually allowed room for Medvedeva to win, but she's still going through transitional adjustments/ growing pains. Thus a win and even a podium placement was not to be due to her errors, particularly with Bradie Tennell coming on strong in the fp.

 

[DimaToe]

Given this mess on a message board, I can’t even imagine what Medvedeva is dealing with from day to day. At the end of the day she was the face of an Olympic cycle for women’s skating. Regardless of what this coach said or what a random nobody said there’s a lot that Zhenya has had to deal with, I was team Osmond all the way but I’m also conscious enough to realize that the amount of BS being dropped on this young woman isn’t right. People should just back off (one can dream right?) and let things go where they will go.