Russian women news & updates, 2021-22 season

[Vash01]

According to Match TV, Aleksandra Trusova competed at Skate America with a foot stress fracture

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matchtv.ru

2018 flashbacks, no?

Poor girl. I hope she heals by the nationals. Amazing that she landed the 4Lz and many triples with a stress fracture in her foot.

 

[Karen-W]

Selfishly for Alysa, Young, Kaori and Rika, I hope that Sasha pulls out of NHK to give herself the proper time to heal.

 

[DreamSkates]

Selfishly for Alysa, Young, Kaori and Rika, I hope that Sasha pulls out of NHK to give herself the proper time to heal.

Or just for Sasha's sake, and being able to compete at Russian Nationals and the Olympics.

 

[Karen-W]

Or just for Sasha's sake, and being able to compete at Russian Nationals and the Olympics.

Yes, that too. I'm not a huge fan of her skating but I do appreciate her athletic ability.

 

[DreamSkates]

Agree. This just feels like an act of desperation to me. She shouldn't focus on changing her programs now, she NEEDS to focus on her tech that isn't there atm.

It seems not unusual for skaters to change their programs in an Olympic year. Nerves can get to you in a number of ways. Being unsure of a program likely means you can't sell it (think, Mariah Bell last year at Nationals compared to the year before).

 

[TAHbKA]

A long interview with Sotnikova. The interview made a an impression something is wrong with her speech and... erm.. her head

• she retired because of the injuries
• she signed with a show biz agency and will try to either act or sing or do something
• she realizes her fame fades away, she always dreamed being famous. She really wants to be famous
• she participated a song `metal' with some Latvian singer/producer/showbiz woman
• she wanted to do the Ice Age again but was not accepted because it did not `work out'. Usually it's Averbukh who calls the skaters and she would tell him to talk to the agent. This time it was the other way around and her agent called Averbukh. She was supposed to skate with some Russian blogger. She was practicing with that blogger on the ice and he broke his arm during the practice while Sotnikova got a bump in her head, they tried to find a new partner together with her manager (the said Latvian singer). They found an actor who was an ok skater, since it was just a week before the beginning; the actor was ok with that, Averbukh was ok with that and then the channel 1 declined. Some of the potential partners were declined because `they are not famous enough and the grandmothers would not watch' She was promised at least to be a constant judge, but not even that and she is very hurt she was promised to be a judge for the whole project and not.
• The Olympics - she watched the team event where she was taken out it made her so mad that she was not part of it. During the ladies warm up the crowd was going crazy with Lipnitskaya's name, but they had no clue who Sotnikova was. That made her even madder. The LP was the best skate of her life, she did not think of the marks, she just wanted everything to think `wow, she can skate like THAT!?'
• at the Olympics Tutberidze approached, congratulated them and said the victory was fair.
• Sotnikova is not much in the media because she doesn't like it
• Sotnikova does not believe the skaters can be friend while competitors. She assumes the ice dancer and a single skater can be friends, but not two single skaters
• she retired after the spine surgery - she was invited to a TV show and decided to use it to announce. She didn't really have plans, she was sick of being asked all the time what is going on.
• she opened her skating school from her own money, right now she is not earning anything and is losing money with that school
• as an athlete she worked with a shrink - she couldn't hold it. She would do everything fine in the practice and then not be able to skate in the competition. The shrink helped
• the host scolds Adelina for not talking about the 3m rubles she allegedly gave a fortune teller
• she didn't give a normal answer about having or not having a boyfriend.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Junior ladies/women in Stage 3 of RussiaCup concluded and Alisa Dvoeglazova of the Eteri Team continued her rivalry with Sofia Titova of Team Plushenko afer defeating her in the RussiaCup final last season. Sofia Titova won this one today with a fall on 3axel and a successful 4salchow-2toe. Congrats Sofia!

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Sofia Titova (Софья Титова) SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6hZ4EdH_y4

She is Evgeny Plushenko's rising star. I believe will be eligible for junior internationals next season.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

A long interview with Sotnikova. The interview made a an impression something is wrong with her speech and... erm.. her head

• she retired because of the injuries
• she signed with a show biz agency and will try to either act or sing or do something
• she realizes her fame fades away, she always dreamed being famous. She really wants to be famous
• she participated a song `metal' with some Latvian singer/producer/showbiz woman
• she wanted to do the Ice Age again but was not accepted because it did not `work out'. Usually it's Averbukh who calls the skaters and she would tell him to talk to the agent. This time it was the other way around and her agent called Averbukh. She was supposed to skate with some Russian blogger. She was practicing with that blogger on the ice and he broke his arm during the practice while Sotnikova got a bump in her head, they tried to find a new partner together with her manager (the said Latvian singer). They found an actor who was an ok skater, since it was just a week before the beginning; the actor was ok with that, Averbukh was ok with that and then the channel 1 declined. Some of the potential partners were declined because `they are not famous enough and the grandmothers would not watch' She was promised at least to be a constant judge, but not even that and she is very hurt she was promised to be a judge for the whole project and not.
• The Olympics - she watched the team event where she was taken out it made her so mad that she was not part of it. During the ladies warm up the crowd was going crazy with Lipnitskaya's name, but they had no clue who Sotnikova was. That made her even madder. The LP was the best skate of her life, she did not think of the marks, she just wanted everything to think `wow, she can skate like THAT!?'
• at the Olympics Tutberidze approached, congratulated them and said the victory was fair.
• Sotnikova is not much in the media because she doesn't like it
• Sotnikova does not believe the skaters can be friend while competitors. She assumes the ice dancer and a single skater can be friends, but not two single skaters
• she retired after the spine surgery - she was invited to a TV show and decided to use it to announce. She didn't really have plans, she was sick of being asked all the time what is going on.
• she opened her skating school from her own money, right now she is not earning anything and is losing money with that school
• as an athlete she worked with a shrink - she couldn't hold it. She would do everything fine in the practice and then not be able to skate in the competition. The shrink helped
• the host scolds Adelina for not talking about the 3m rubles she allegedly gave a fortune teller
• she didn't give a normal answer about having or not having a boyfriend.

I don't know whether it is your delivery, or she's hilarioous, but I just LOVE this summary!! lol.

 

[mjb52]

"the grandmothers would not watch" is a great turn of phrase

 

[Coco]

I hope she's ok. She doesn't seem to be in the "in crowd" in Russian skating circles and it would appear the money is drying up

 

[Bigbird]

I hope she's ok. She doesn't seem to be in the "in crowd" in Russian skating circles and it would appear the money is drying up

She is so young. I hope she realizes that she can start to dream new dreams at any time.

I wonder why she would even undertake to open a school of her own when Lipnitskaya and Ilinykh proved how difficult it is to do and joined more established schools.

I also hope she doesn't sound as dreary as the summary reads.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Here is a SP from Elena Kostyleva, aged NINE. She's amazing! Her whole program seems to be a footwork sequence! She has mad skills for her age. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er9eLrbRiVE

Also, this is Elena's LP in that competition to better see her overall skating. She is such a prodigy for nine years old!

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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[hanca]

She is so young. I hope she realizes that she can start to dream new dreams at any time.

I wonder why she would even undertake to open a school of her own when Lipnitskaya and Ilinykh proved how difficult it is to do and joined more established schools.

I also hope she doesn't sound as dreary as the summary reads.

Trankov tried with Larionov (if I recall correctly), there were posters about recruitment of new students into their school, but then Trankov somehow abandoned the idea and went to work in Moser’s school, helping Tarasova/Morozov and then suddenly ending up being their main coach. Larionov is coaching somewhere but I am not sure if it is his own school. I haven’t heard about any significant results from his students yet. Klimov also wanted to have his own school but ended up coaching in Moser’s school, but at least became quite independent (he is in Sochi, has a branch of Moser’s school but it seems that he is now his own boss now). Lipnitskaya/Ilynikh never tried to have their own school, it was just seminars or short term courses (like skating camps).

I guess it is easier to build up new school when one has Pluschenko’s financial situation. Sotnikova got some money for Sochi, but that wouldn’t last forever, and with every Olympics there will be newer champions and that would affect her income.

 

[PRlady]

The problem with your country winning several Oly golds in a row is that you are replaced as the Heroine du jour every four years or less. I hope Zags has a better time of it than Sotnikova seems to have had.

 

[rfisher]

The problem with your country winning several Oly golds in a row is that you are replaced as the Heroine du jour every four years or less. I hope Zags has a better time of it than Sotnikova seems to have had.

She has a lot of product endorsements and modeling contracts, partly because she's stunning and photographs beautifully, and she's finishing college. I don't know if she has a better agent than Adelina had/has or has just managed better. Adelina used a lot of her OGM prize money to help her family. She has a younger sister with severe health issues and the family struggled. That was one reason for her to stop competing--that and it's just not really worth while to do so. It seems Adelina made a lot of poor or misguided decisions as well. Which seems to happen to a lot of OGM medalists.

 

[TAHbKA]

The problem with your country winning several Oly golds in a row is that you are replaced as the Heroine du jour every four years or less. I hope Zags has a better time of it than Sotnikova seems to have had.

Less. Lipnitskaya got all the publicity after the Olympics, not Sotnikova

 

[karmena]

Less. Lipnitskaya got all the publicity after the Olympics, not Sotnikova

.... and deservedly so. Though, seems that Julia was (and is) against popularity or, as Adelina calls it " a fame". Anyway, all the best tot both of them.

Julia's skate touched each and everyone.It is unforgettable.

 

[Coco]

She (Adelina) posts a lot of clips on IG of her working with her young students. They seem to adore her and she seems to enjoy working with them.

 

[hanca]

She has a lot of product endorsements and modeling contracts, partly because she's stunning and photographs beautifully, and she's finishing college. I don't know if she has a better agent than Adelina had/has or has just managed better. Adelina used a lot of her OGM prize money to help her family. She has a younger sister with severe health issues and the family struggled. That was one reason for her to stop competing--that and it's just not really worth while to do so. It seems Adelina made a lot of poor or misguided decisions as well. Which seems to happen to a lot of OGM medalists.

I think the only difference is that Sotnikova won nearly 8 years ago, whereas Zagitova nearly 4 years ago. Zagitova is still the reigning Olympic champion, whereas Sotnikova is suddenly ‘long time ago’. I think Sotnikova used to have as much contracts as Zagitova has now, but that’s quite while ago. I don’t think in four years Zagitova will have as much as she has now. There will be another reigning champion, and another one in waiting and Zagitova will be nearly forgotten. OK, not quite forgotten, but not having as many contracts. But she will be always welcome in many Russian shows, because her name will attract audience. Sotnikova is also welcome, it is just that this time it didn’t work out (her partner injured himself etc.)

 

[TAHbKA]

.... and deservedly so. Though, seems that Julia was (and is) against popularity or, as Adelina calls it " a fame". Anyway, all the best tot both of them.

Julia's skate touched each and everyone.It is unforgettable.

Not everyone... some did not like her lack if basics, horrid 2A and head above her head as an 'emotion'.

 

[Tobbe]

I always find Alyona Kostornaia's transformation in only a few months with Eteri to be impressive.

Alyona placed 16th at Russian Juniors in March2017 under her old coach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm2JnSfkadA

Then she switched to Eteri and this was her first junior grand prix in the fall. The transformation is amazing to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uie4rcBGOb4

I re-watched this, and it's kinda funny how Gubanova is the star here in the background, signing autographs while Alëna is watching and waiting for the not so good points. She was no one special. 16th and beaten by everybody like Samodurova, Gulyakova, Talalaikina...etc, all skaters she will easily beat later. Eteri really worked her magic with her in just six months. When you compare the two events, the tech is about the same, but everything is soooo much more polished and beautiful. It's just incredible.

 

[aml78]

So Anna and Sasha are injured and Aliona is still trying to regain form? This is not at all how I thought this was going to go.

 

[Vash01]

So Anna and Sasha are injured and Aliona is still trying to regain form? This is not at all how I thought this was going to go.

It is still early in the season. I wouldn't give up hope yet.

 

[Scott512]

Nothing is certain. It is not just the third spot. Right now Anna is number one because she is the reigning world champion, and a three time Russian national champion. If she skates well during the season, she will have an easier road to the Olympics. I don't understand why people are assuming Kamila is a lock. She is in the same boat as everyone else. They all have to earn the berth.

What you said makes sense except Anna does not have her quads. KV is as close to a lock as it gets. She will put up humongous scores this season and I guarantee you somewhere around 230 to 235 points will win the Olympic gold. That would be a pretty bad score for KV.

But let's see it all play out and hope everyone stays healthy.
There is still plenty of opportunity for Anna and aliona to make the Olympic team and to get their Ultra jumps back. They are still tremendous without their Ultra jumps but making the Russian Olympic team for the ladies is a real battle. Now Maya is in the mix for the third spot. But if Anna doesn't finish in the top three at Nationals she won't go to the Olympics. That is unbelievable isn't it?

Annas record of three straight Russian Nationals and world championship is incredible. Let's hope she gets her quads back.

 

[Scott512]

So Anna and Sasha are injured and Aliona is still trying to regain form? This is not at all how I thought this was going to go.

Let's see how they are doing physically by the Grand Prix final and Russian Nationals. This is an extremely long season in the Olympics season followed by the world championships and it's still early. I hope Sasha is not having the same problem that Evgenia had 4 years ago.

 

[Scott512]

one could argue that if she didn’t make the interviews she did when she left Tutberidze, she wouldn’t have to humble herself and humiliate herself on television. I don’t think Trusova had to humble and humiliate herself when she returned to Tutberidze. But as Kostornaya spoke in such awful manner about Tutberidze, it is her fault that she was asked about that when she went back.

Harsh but true.

 

[Scott512]

Poor girl. I hope she heals by the nationals. Amazing that she landed the 4Lz and many triples with a stress fracture in her foot.

The fact that she is skating to that Carmen and I actually like it to me shows that she is a talent to look for in the future. I think she is so elegant for her age and that she is sophisticated enough to pull it off. Really, the Eteri girls need to look over their shoulders. Samodelkina could be the break out of the next generation. She's solid and not all flash. My money is on her winning in Seniors next season over Maiia, DariaU, and even Kamila if she's not perfect. Or she could be disappointing like this jgp season (even though I was impressed and proud of her performances, I mean ice is slippery you are bound to fall sometimes....). She really is a cut above. Almost in my mind as good as Sofia Akatieva but she's my hope/pick for the future.

Samo is very impressive. She's like a combination of Sasha and Gubanova.

She is the second best Junior Russian Lady. The fact that SS is not in the Junior Grand Prix final is ridiculous she's much better than Petrosan and a little bit better than Zhilina and Zinina.

I also like that SS never bombs competitions like many of the other Russian Junior girls do.

 

[Scott512]

Yes, it does. Great song, but as a short program for a Russian teenager ... nope, not seeing it. Feels like a random pick out of the grab bag.

Aliona is rolling the dice.

 

[Wyliefan]

Aliona is rolling the dice.

Maybe she should've gone with "Luck Be a Lady," then!