Russian women news & updates, 2021-22 season

[Cachoo]

Hopefully awful Eteri and her team are all banned for life after this.

We'll see. I'm sure K. will feel singled out if indeed everyone else was doping but came out clean in time for competition. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that camp. What a train wreck.

 

[Amantide]

All 3 Russian Ladies FS are posted on YT (B.ESP)
Anna
Trusova
Valieva

Unfortunately I don't see Kaori but they have posted Mariah too.

 

[concorde]

I am probably going to be slammed for asking this but . . .
Do you KV was told to flub her long to take the heat off the rest Team Eteri?

 

[tony]

I am probably going to be slammed for asking this but . . .
Do you KV was told to flub her long to take the heat off the rest Team Eteri?

No. She was visibly off from the start of the program and even her spins were getting away from her. I don't have any reason to doubt that the pressure was too much for her.

 

[Wyliefan]

Judging by Eteri asking her why she didn't fight, I would say absolutely not.

 

[Karen-W]

So, ahem, anyone here who wants to try and still argue that there is nothing inherently wrong with Eteri's training methods or just how toxic her school is, I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona that I'd like to show you...

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

I am probably going to be slammed for asking this but . . .
Do you KV was told to flub her long to take the heat off the rest Team Eteri?

She was way too off to suspect anything. There was risk of serious injury on some of her jumps. I just wanted her to get off the ice without breaking a bone.

 

[wickedwitch]

Really sweet post about Anna from Aliona: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaFd0byIPC_/

But LOL at the tacked on " I also congratulate @avtrusova @kamilavalieva26 on your worthy results."

 

[Cachoo]

I wonder if Aliona is quietly happy that she is home in Russia during that mess.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Words cannot describe just how over the moon excited I am for Anna. I never thought it would happen. She was struggling all season long and Kamila was destroying everyone. And when I saw Aleksandra's marks and I thought even silver wasn't happening. I was even worried no medal at all considering how well the Japanese were doing too. Yet she pulled it all off. She really is steel inside

 

[Amantide]

I am probably going to be slammed for asking this but . . .
Do you KV was told to flub her long to take the heat off the rest Team Eteri?

Nothing to be slammed about. But no, I don't think that's the case at all.
Kamila's performance was to be expected given the whole mess. Honestly, I was surprised how could she hold her nerves in the SP. I'm a grown up woman and I consider myself pretty strong character, but I think I would've crumbled too, in such circumstances. Yet, my impression was that she fought hard to hold it together. It could've been worse, in terms of mistakes.

 

[Amantide]

Words cannot describe just how over the moon excited I am for Anna. I never thought it would happen. She was struggling all season long and Kamila was destroying everyone. And when I saw Aleksandra's marks and I thought even silver wasn't happening. I was even worried no medal at all considering how well the Japanese were doing too. Yet she pulled it all off. She really is steel inside

The Italian commentators call her "The Princess" because she is always poised and not a word or gesture out of place.

 

[screech]

Sasha has already updated her Instagram profile summary as the Olympic silver medallist. I hope that since it's been a few hours she's now able to see how much she's accomplished and that she has a lot to be proud of (even within the disappointment).
Anna hasn't updated her profile, but posted a picture from the stuffed animal ceremony (one where you can actually tell she's smiling behind her mask) with the caption "This Bing Dwen Dwen is definitely my favorite."

 

[alexikeguchi]

My bet is that we’ll hear very little about Kamila from now on. Eteri’s team will try to distance themselves from her. I don’t think she’ll be at Worlds.

Kamila has such talent and beauty and I’m afraid her career is over. Very sad.

I would be careful if I were Eteri though. Now that Kamila has no medal and no incentive to cover up where she really got her meds, there could be some serious repercussions when WADA gets around to investigating the adults in her life. And Sasha may not give a flying quadruple flip any more about hiding the truth either.

 

[Lilia A]

Sasha has already updated her Instagram profile summary as the Olympic silver medallist.

From what I know, her mother manages her IG most (if not all) of the time.

 

[angi]

I didn't watch the Olympics prior to 2010 but this must be the worst ladies event in a few decades at least. All three Russian ladies looked devastated when it was done - all for different reasons. Kamila had a complete meltdown on the ice in front of the entire world and didn't even end up on the podium, Sasha had a complete meltdown post-event in front of the cameras because she felt like she was supposed to win after landing 5 quads (clearly she was repeatedly told that landing 5 quads will get the job done), and Anna just set in the k&c alone post win and looked solemn.
If this giant mess won't spark a full investigation into Sambo 70 nothing will. We basically watched the fallout of years of abuse unfold on live TV, it was horrifying to me.
It will be fascinating to see what they'll do with Worlds that are only a month away.

 

[NAOTMAA]

There's absolutely ZERO private for these athletes anymore. Remember 2002 when the camera wasn't allowed behind the wall to see Michelle Kwan cry after her free skate? That doesn't exist anymore the camera is in their face everywhere. Like that stupid "let's see the current top 3 on the couch" shit. A few years back we never would have been able to see these meltdowns. They would have simply been described and we would have to make guessing what happened. The cameras backstage got to go

 

[HSCluv]

I think I would have had a meltdown if I were Trusova, too. I thought she should have won by a mile. I think she is artistic in a way that is authentic to her. And she has a turned out foot on free leg!!! And technically she was out of this world.

 

[Rafter]

I think I would have had a meltdown if I were Trusova, too. I thought she should have won by a mile. I think she is artistic in a way that is authentic to her. And she has a turned out foot on free leg!!! And technically she was out of this world.

It it were a jumping competition then yes.

 

[screech]

If I were Sasha, I'd be frustrated mainly because Nathan Chen wins gold for programs that are almost as empty as hers - just 'getting the job done' with quad after quad until the last 30 seconds when he lets loose - IMO very little 'composition' and 'interpretation', and little 'performance' until the very end. However while his programs are mostly praised, hers are criticized.

I almost expected her to pull a Surya

 

[MacMadame]

I think I would have had a meltdown if I were Trusova, too. I thought she should have won by a mile. I think she is artistic in a way that is authentic to her. And she has a turned out foot on free leg!!! And technically she was out of this world.

She did come in first in the FS. But she was in 5th from messing up the 3X in the short, so ...

 

[barbk]

I think I would have had a meltdown if I were Trusova, too. I thought she should have won by a mile. I think she is artistic in a way that is authentic to her. And she has a turned out foot on free leg!!! And technically she was out of this world.

Trusova is like one of my students with perfect test scores/grades but meh extracurricular achievements and zero leadership who is shocked that those grades/test scores didn't get him into Stanford.

 

[Ananas Astra]

Please remind me, who of Eteri's now-Juniors will be eligible for Milano 2026?

 

[skatingguy]

Please remind me, who of Eteri's now-Juniors will be eligible for Milano 2026?

We actually don't know yet because we don't know what the rules for age eligibility will be. All the current age eligible juniors, but if the rules don't change the skaters will currently be 11, and we probably don't know who they are yet - Russian novice division I guess.

 

[Ananas Astra]

We actually don't know yet because we don't know what the rules for age eligibility will be. All the current age eligible juniors, but if the rules don't change the skaters will currently be 11, and we probably don't know who they are yet - Russian novice division I guess.

I think, the minimum age will be raised, so if you have to be 17 by 1st July 2025...who is in the running for the spots?

 

[Karen-W]

I think, the minimum age will be raised, so if you have to be 17 by 1st July 2025...who is in the running for the spots?

In Eteri's camp - Petrosian will be 15 next season, Akatieva will be 15 in 2 seasons, so both will be 17 by the 25-26 season. We'll see if their bodies make it that long. Not sure who she has in the pipeline.

 

[Cachoo]

Maybe Kamila will still be there...

 

[Samurina]

Maybe Kamila will still be there...

not if she gets banned which I think she will.

 

[becca]

not if she gets banned which I think she will.

I doubt the ban will be 4 years

 

[Amantide]

There's absolutely ZERO private for these athletes anymore. Remember 2002 when the camera wasn't allowed behind the wall to see Michelle Kwan cry after her free skate? That doesn't exist anymore the camera is in their face everywhere. Like that stupid "let's see the current top 3 on the couch" shit. A few years back we never would have been able to see these meltdowns. They would have simply been described and we would have to make guessing what happened. The cameras backstage got to go

I hated that couch the first time they introduced it and I'll continue to hate it for eternity.
It's voyeurism at the lowest level as far as sporting is concerned. It's demeaning and humiliating to see the skaters, especially the lower level, sitting there for 5 minutes waiting the next one to "dethrone" them. Disgusting.