Russian Ladies news & discussion

[becca]

But Anna is also here at her first Worlds and I'd say the expectations on her to win are even higher than those Trusova had coming in.

Everyone is different. Some people are great competitors right away some people take time. It took Plushenko like two or three worlds to win? Took Kim awhile to go completely clean too.

I am not saying at all what Anna isnt doing isnt cool (although who knows how she will react to the free) What I am saying is Trusova should not be written off long term

 

[starrynight]

Also Trusova has been the one that has been individually hyped way more than Anna has.

 

[Vash01]

Also Trusova has been the one that has been individually hyped way more than Anna has.

Sasha was one of the earlest quad queens. That is why she got the hype. Others caught up with her with 4Lz, 4f. I still believe that Plush needs to let her loose and let her be herself, with 5 quads.

 

[Rina RUS]

 

[angi]

What a comeback story for LaTuk. Her resilience is one for the books.

 

[ChelleC]

Liza

 

[Skibean]

And Anna has not?
Anna has always been nothing but decent. Plus: she was sick with the 'rona and overcame everything to win Russian Nats for the 3rd time in a row which is quite an accomplishment in itself.

Because I was speaking of Trusova and not Anna. Not everyone has to include Anna in every post. I’m giving Trusova credit for her hard work. If you want to praise Anna then so be it. I was speaking specifically about Trusova.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Its kind of funny with all the talk about quads and 3As and must having them to be competitive Anna didn't need any of it to win. All she had were 7 triples and 2 double axels (remember when that was the must have standard to be competitive for gold? ). And despite that she was still less then half a point behind Trusova's sloppy quad fest. The full package still counts for something!

Also huge props for keeping calm after falling on the 4F. Considering how bad her practices were it wouldn't have been shocking if she had crumbled but she didn't. She's got nerves of steel

 

[Cherub721]

Remember how all the pairs started doing quads in 2015 and pushing the sport forward but it was really messy, but then Savchenko/Massot won with no quads but really clean beautiful big skating? That's what I want. Inch it forward during the quad but I want to see clean skating at the Olympics. Valieva may be able to deliver something in between, with a 3axel and easier quad but no 5 quadfest.

 

[becca]

Yeah for Anna! However I will point out she wasn’t perfect either. These girls are young give them time to figure it all out.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Watching the performance again I find it interesting that even in distant 12th, with virtually no chance at gold, Trusova really performed no different then what she normally does when she is in gold medal contention, actually maybe a little worse. There was no "well its over so let's just be free, go for it, and do it for myself" type redemption (I thinking Mao 2014 Sochi). Instead she didn't perform at all and just ticked off the elements one by one with indifference. She just refused to let herself skate with any sense of freedom or joy for skating. But I guess she isn't wired that way.

 

[Wyliefan]

Indifference? I didn't see that. I saw a skater going for broke.

 

[NAOTMAA]

I suppose if you go solely on the jump content she attempted then yeah she went for broke but overall there was no energy or conviction in any of her movements and she was sloppy. The improvements she made in her skating were not on display in that performance.

 

[Immortelle]

I don’t think she’s a fan of the program this season. Last year I feel that she liked her GOT program and it showed...when she wasn’t upset with herself for missing her jumps.

 

[screech]

Watching the performance again I find it interesting that even in distant 12th, with virtually no chance at gold, Trusova really performed no different then what she normally does when she is in gold medal contention, actually maybe a little worse. There was no "well its over so let's just be free, go for it, and do it for myself" type redemption (I thinking Mao 2014 Sochi). Instead she didn't perform at all and just ticked off the elements one by one with indifference. She just refused to let herself skate with any sense of freedom or joy for skating. But I guess she isn't wired that way.

Mao in 2014 literally had nothing to lose. Trusova is fighting to stay in consideration as one of Russia's top skaters going into the Olympics. If she didn't go all out and placed lower, chances are that the Russian fed would not support her compared to the upcoming ladies. IMO, she knew she had to deliver, and skated like she knew if she failed, she may be out.
While it was an empty program and not her greatest skate ever, I give her huge credit for what she accomplished today. I hope that next year she's better able to combine an actual program with the quads, but well done to her for what she did under that pressure.

I also give huge props to Liza. She was likely feeling similar pressure, as she's often overlooked when talking about the Russian ladies. But to come in, skate well and win silver - it's no wonder she was overcome with emotion!

Congrats to Anna! While her technique may not be perfect, she just has such an elegant, ethereal quality to her skating that just draws me in. A well deserved win. And such an adorable reaction when she realized it. Also, her English always completely blows me away.

 

[Vash01]

I love Trusova. I love her spunk. I have no problem with her going for broke with 5 quads. After being in 12th place in the SP she had to give herself a chance. She looked sloppy compared to her performance at the nationals, but she has improved since last year and she will continue to improve.

Many men will be proud of landing three quads out of five. I see no reason for ladies to hold back.

I am all for the quads. I was surprised that Anna attempted just one quad (and she fell on it). Was it her strategy to skate conservatively? She is such a lovely, ethereal skater!

I was thrilled to see Tuk win the silver. Before worlds I thought she was the weakest link, but a silver in that field is a huge accomplishment. So happy for her!

The Russian sweep in the ladies came one year after the expected sweep, with Tuk replacing Kostornaia.

Karen Chen and Loena Hendrix both skated really well. Every time I hear the Butterfly lovers music, I think if Chen Lu at the 1998 Olympics.

I was surprised that Bradie placed so low. She may need a 3A next year if she wants to be in medal contention. I am sure Rika will come back strong after a 7th place finish here. I didn't care for her music. Didn't care for Bradie's music either.

Kaori skates so fast! I wish she would get a 3A.

It seems Satoko had a disastrous worlds. I have not watched her programs yet.

in summary, I did not see the high quality I had expected in this event But I am happy with the podium.

 

[layman]

I truly admire Trusova's guts (going for five quads). She was the only skater in this field who landed a clean quad. She won the free skate and landed on the podium!!!

I see improvements in every aspect of her skating. Even with all the quads, she still takes her time to stretch, point (and turn out) her feet, hold positions, and create and sustain line. She listens to her music now (and times her choreography to music) in a way that she never did in the past. I was sure I heard an audience clapping along with her step sequence (because it is so perfectly timed to the music) until I realized that there was no audience and it was only me clapping.

I truly admire Liza's perseverance. In an era of disposable girls, Liza was the woman who proved she could hang with the girls. She has outlasted 4 or 5 cycles of girls (who have come and gone). Her perfect technique (something that most of the girls do not have) has sustained a long and fulfilling skating career. I still believe that coaches should treat their skaters like Mishin has treated Liza (with respect), see their potential, teach them sustainable technique, support them in every way and focus on the long game. Kudos!

Anna comes from the disposable cups school of figure skating and I fear that she may be tossed aside in her camp next year (even after winning here). I don't see strong (jump) technique and she is getting taller. I don't see joy in her skating. I do see tremendous will power...will to overcome...will to succeed (despite the poor technique). I wish she would learn to point her feet and extend her line, but I fear she won't get that kind of attention from her camp before she is tossed aside.

 

[hanca]

Its kind of funny with all the talk about quads and 3As and must having them to be competitive Anna didn't need any of it to win. All she had were 7 triples and 2 double axels (remember when that was the must have standard to be competitive for gold? ). And despite that she was still less then half a point behind Trusova's sloppy quad fest. The full package still counts for something!

Also huge props for keeping calm after falling on the 4F. Considering how bad her practices were it wouldn't have been shocking if she had crumbled but she didn't. She's got nerves of steel

Sure, but the only reason why Anna did not need it on this occasion was because skaters who did those jumps made mistakes. For example, if Trusova didn’t mess up her SP, Anna would need it. If Tuktamysheva or Kihira skated their program clean... If you were Tutberidze (or if you were Anna herself), would you think the best strategy is relying on everyone else making mistakes to win? The fact that Trusova, Kihira and Tuktamysheva went for those jumps is proof enough that Anna actually needs to, even if at this competition she didn’t. Next year Valieva will go for it, and at the last competition even Khromykh landed two quads. You wouldn’t want Anna to be beaten by Khromykh only because she didn’t risk going for it. I think the time for play it safe strategy has already passed.

 

[miffy]

I think Eteri appears very fond of Anna, and she must feel she is loyal as the only one of the ‘3As’ not to leave, without her she would have suddenly had no medal hope at Worlds this year.
Plus, wasn’t it widely thought that Eteri wanted Medvedeva to win over Zagitova? So she doesn’t just always want the younger ones to win?

(Don’t know why I am sticking up for Eteri, this is just how it appears to me in this case).

 

[Bigbird]

I suppose if you go solely on the jump content she attempted then yeah she went for broke but overall there was no energy or conviction in any of her movements and she was sloppy. The improvements she made in her skating were not on display in that performance.

She's not that type of skater. She only wants to jump. Expending effort on balance was a waste of time for her. She is not interested. Thankfully Plushenko has other talents within his team coming up.

 

[love_skate2011]

Trusova was very lucky she got a medal or else she would have been blacklisted
by the RUSFed and her chances of making the Olympics would have been close to Nil like Tuktamsysheva in 2014 and 2018

 

[hanca]

Trusova was very lucky she got a medal or else she would have been blacklisted
by the RUSFed and her chances of making the Olympics would have been close to Nil like Tuktamsysheva in 2014 and 2018

Are you rewriting the history? Tuktamysheva was not blacklisted in 2014. There were a few pretty decent skaters at that time, and only two spots at the Olympics. Someone had to stay at home.
Lipnitskaya was newly full senior eligible, and she had great season, winning 1st and 1st at her GP events, 2nd at GPF, 2nd at senior nationals, and 1st at Europeans. What would be the justification to keep her at home?
Adelina Sotnikova was 2nd and 2nd at her GP events, 5th at GPF, 1st at senior nationals and 2nd at Europeans.
Radionova wasn’t fully senior eligible; she could compete at senior GP but not at senior worlds or Olympics.
Pogorilaya was 1st and 3rd at her GP events, 6th at GPF, so she still had some chance, but then she was only 8th at senior nationals.
In comparison, Tuktamysheva was 4th and 4th at her GP events, didn’t even qualify to GPF (unlike four of her team mates), and to get it even worse, she was only 10th at senior nationals.

What exactly are you suggesting that the federation could do to justify sending Tuktamysheva instead of Sotnikova or Lipnitskaya?

And in 2018 Tuktamysheva also wasn’t blacklisted. She just objectively wasn’t good enough in the Russian ladies field. Anywhere else she would be their top pick, but Russia just had better ladies.
Season 2017-2018:
Alina Zagitova 1st & 1st GP, 1st GPF, 1st sen nats, 1st Euros
Evgenia Medvedeva 1st & 1st GP, WDR GPF, WDR sen nats, 2nd Euros
Maria Sotskova 2nd& 2nd GP, 2nd GPF, 2nd sen nats, 4th Euros
Polina Tsurskaya 3rd & 4th GP, not qualified to GPF, 5th sen nats
Elena Radionova 4th & 3rd GP, not qualified to GPF, 10th sen nats
Alena Leonova 6th &7th GP, 15th sen nats,
and finally
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva 7th & 9th GP, 7th sen nats

How exactly do you think Tuktamysheva could be sent instead of someone else? Her score at one of the GP was only 167, in comparison with other top skaters who had around 200... that’s at at international competition, so it is not her being blacklisted.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Liza’s capabilities pretty much left her in the last two Olympic seasons.

For all the highs she has reached her career is filled with many gaps of low results and unfortunately for her that included the last two Olympic seasons.

I don’t think Liza has ever been blacklisted. The only time she ever got slapped down by the fed was when they chose Evgenia for worlds despite Liza’s superior season. She’s just major inconsistent and other ladies were more reliable, that’s why all the gaps

 

[Frau Muller]

So will next season’s trio of Olympic/World-eligible Russian Wonder Women be Valieva, Usacheva & Khromik?

 

[Wyliefan]

Anna and Kamila are pretty much being set up for another Evgenia-Alina situation in the Olympic season. But Anna is a stone-cold killer in competition and she won't give up easily. It all depends on whether she can hang on to her jumps and stamina for another year. Personally, I hope she can, because I much prefer her skating to Kamila's.

 

[skatingguy]

I think it's 50/50 whether Shcherbakova's jumps make it to the Olympics next season - probably a Medvedeva situation where she's just holding them together next February. That said, she had a good season in a difficult year, and is World Champion.

 

[Tobbe]

So will next season’s trio of Olympic/World-eligible Russian Wonder Women be Valieva, Usacheva & Khromik?

Yes, and we mustn't forget Frolova, who beat Kostornaia at RC Final. She will move up to seniors next year.

And Sinitsyna, already senior eligible this year but injured, has poitential as well.

These two are not Eteri skaters though...

The list of Russian ladies wanting to go to Olympics next year will be

Medvedeva (if she can heal herself)
Zagitova (if she still has the motivation)
Shcherbakova
Tuktamysheva
Trusova
Kostornaia
Valieva
Usacheva
Khromykh
Sinitsyna
Frolova

and who knows, if the likes of Tsibinova et al can add a 3A or a quad they might be in the game too.

 

[love_skate2011]

Yes, and we mustn't forget Frolova, who beat Kostornaia at RC Final. She will move up to seniors next year.

And Sinitsyna, already senior eligible this year but injured, has poitential as well.

These two are not Eteri skaters though...

The list of Russian ladies wanting to go to Olympics next year will be

Medvedeva (if she can heal herself)
Zagitova (if she still has the motivation)
Shcherbakova
Tuktamysheva
Trusova
Kostornaia
Valieva
Usacheva
Khromykh
Sinitsyna
Frolova

and who knows, if the likes of Tsibinova et al can add a 3A or a quad they might be in the game too.

Realistically on Paper:

A Team: Valieva, Trusova, Kostornaia, Shcherbakova, Tuktamysheva

Backbenchers: Usacheva, Kromoykh

WildCards: Medvedeva, Zagitova

B Team: Sinitsina, Samodurova, Frolova, Guliakova etc

 

[hanca]

Realistically on Paper:

A Team: Valieva, Trusova, Kostornaia, Shcherbakova, Tuktamysheva

Backbenchers: Usacheva, Kromoykh

WildCards: Medvedeva, Zagitova

B Team: Sinitsina, Samodurova, Frolova, Guliakova etc

It may be quite unpopular opinion, but I think Kostornaya should be in either Backbenchers or in Wildcards. I don’t think that at this time she belongs into A team.

 

[starrynight]

I think anyone who likes a Russian lady skater should enjoy their successes as they happen rather than constantly looking to the future.

But I suppose half the intrigue is seeing how long the ladies can sustain the ultra success.

Although as a huge Tukt fan, it’s pretty surreal seeing her back on the World podium after 6 years! So who knows what can happen with any of these girls!