Russian women news & updates, 2021-22 season

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Perhaps a trade is in order- Eteri can take Camden and try to whip him into shape, and nice supportive Tammy G can take on Alena and some random colorado tik tok dance person can give her some fun programs and she gets her groove back and she can switch to Cyprus or whatever

But then Alyona would start UR every jump. Keep Alyona away from TG!!! Almost none of her skaters fully rotate. The "Gambill Technique" leaves much to be desired.

 

[Polaris]

It shocks me that Alena Kostornaia was lauded as possibly the most complete skater a few years back when the 3A broke into seniors. Fast forwards 2 years and now Valieva has replaced her as the most complete skater and Kosto is in a troubled position for Olympics season no less.

 

[angi]

It shocks me that Alena Kostornaia was lauded as possibly the most complete skater a few years back when the 3A broke into seniors. Fast forwards 2 years and now Valieva has replaced her as the most complete skater and Kosto is in a troubled position for Olympics season no less.

I have to ask why is it shocking? It's completely on par with how the Russian ladies field has worked in the past two quads, each model is replaced with a new and improved model - Medvedeva -> Zagitova -> 3A (with Kostornaia as the dominant one internationally) -> Valieva. The newer models are already in process on the junior circuit and will replace Valieva soon after she'll peak. Somewhere in between, there were also Radionova, Pogorilaya, and Tuktamysheva who is basically a unicorn at this point.
To be clear, this is not an attempt to diss the Russian ladies, they are all talented and would have likely had a successful and perhaps even long career at other federations. It's just the reality of how the Russian ladies field works and I can't see it changing any time soon.

 

[Karen-W]

Kostornaia is off the Budapest Trophy entries list as of today. Khromykh, Shcherbakova and Samodurova are still entered.

 

[Vash01]

I wonder if Kosto could be the next Russian lady looking for another country?

 

[love_skate2011]

Kostornaia is off the Budapest Trophy entries list as of today. Khromykh, Shcherbakova and Samodurova are still entered.

opps that's an Alarm, the Olympic hopes looks dimmer and dimmer.

 

[Frau Muller]

I wonder if Kosto could be the next Russian lady looking for another country?

I was thinking this morning about Rozanov having the wonderful male skater from Azerbaijan, Litvintsev. Possibility?

 

[Karen-W]

opps that's an Alarm, the Olympic hopes looks dimmer and dimmer.

Eh, I was surprised to see her on the entry list in the first place since she had Finlandia this past week and Skate Canada three weeks later. Budapest Trophy between the two never seemed all that likely. Plus, all of the top Russian women on the GP have one senior B assignment so far, save for Usacheva. My guess is that Usacheva will be assigned somewhere like Tallinn Cup, Warsaw Cup or Golden Spin, but we'll see; Samo will probably get a 2nd senior B unless she picks up a 2nd GP; and Frolova will get a couple more senior Bs since she doesn't have any GP assignments (and doesn't seem likely to receive any). Seems like they're all going to have 3 international assignments this fall, whether those are GP or senior B.

Trusova - US Classic
Tukt, Kostornaia, Valieva - Finlandia
Shcher, Khromykh, Samo - Budapest
Frolova, Sinitsyna - Denis Ten Memorial

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I wonder if Kosto could be the next Russian lady looking for another country?

I doubt RusFed would ever give her clearance to skate for another country. I mean, really... Alyona??? But I hope other Russian younger women continue like Anastasiya Gubanova (GEO), Maria Talalakina (ITA), and Safonova (BLR), et al. If I were a strong junior/pre-junior like Anna Frolova, Elizaveta Berestovskaya, Adeliya Petrosyan, and others, I would be looking to make the change ASAP. Frolova wouldn't even have to wait to compete internationally if she just sits out this fall season. She's number one on the list who needs a change. She is going nowhere in Russia pretty fast. In fact I would not be surprised if she's considered/planning to switch already, since she didn't get any JGP. That's a big sign, when her teammate Elizaveta Kulikova gets TWO jgp's and Anna got ZERO, and Anna is by far a more advanced and mature skater/performer.

 

[Vash01]

Eh, I was surprised to see her on the entry list in the first place since she had Finlandia this past week and Skate Canada three weeks later. Budapest Trophy between the two never seemed all that likely. Plus, all of the top Russian women on the GP have one senior B assignment so far, save for Usacheva. My guess is that Usacheva will be assigned somewhere like Tallinn Cup, Warsaw Cup or Golden Spin, but we'll see; Samo will probably get a 2nd senior B unless she picks up a 2nd GP; and Frolova will get a couple more senior Bs since she doesn't have any GP assignments (and doesn't seem likely to receive any). Seems like they're all going to have 3 international assignments this fall, whether those are GP or senior B.

Trusova - US Classic
Tukt, Kostornaia, Valieva - Finlandia
Shcher, Khromykh, Samo - Budapest
Frolova, Sinitsyna - Denis Ten Memorial

This makes a lot of sense. AK may not be in trouble (yet).

 

[Frau Muller]

I doubt RusFed would ever give her clearance to skate for another country. I mean, really... Alyona??? But I hope other Russian younger women continue like Anastasiya Gubanova (GEO), Maria Talalakina (ITA), and Safonova (BLR), et al. If I were a strong junior/pre-junior like Anna Frolova, Elizaveta Berestovskaya, Adeliya Petrosyan, and others, I would be looking to make the change ASAP. Frolova wouldn't even have to wait to compete internationally if she just sits out this fall season. She's number one on the list who needs a change. She is going nowhere in Russia pretty fast. In fact I would not be surprised if she's considered/planning to switch already, since she didn't get any JGP. That's a big sign, when her teammate Elizaveta Kulikova gets TWO jgp's and Anna got ZERO, and Anna is by far a more advanced and mature skater/performer.

I think you’re right about Frolova, ErikWilliam. Not skating in the JGPs this fall was a smart move...timing-wise.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I think you’re right about Frolova, ErikWilliam. Not skating in the JGPs this fall was a smart move...timing-wise.

Now she just needs to withdraw from DenisTenMemorial due to "injury". She'd be all set to represent another country next season and then get to go to Worlds and Euros. She really should consider that, if she wants to compete internationally and make the 2026 Olympics. Now is the witching hour for her.

 

[Sylvia]

Interview with Sasha Proklova, now 21 (one of my faves in junior back in 2013-15), published last month:

Â«Ð¢Ñ Ð±Ð¾Ð»ÑÑе не инÑеÑеÑен маÑÑе лÑдей. ÐÑо Ñложно пÑинÑÑÑ, ÑколÑко Ð±Ñ Ð»ÐµÑ Ñебе ни бÑло». ÐÑкÑовенное инÑеÑвÑÑ ÐлекÑандÑÑ ÐÑокловой

ÐеÑедÑÐµÑ ÐаÑина ЧеÑнÑÑова-ÐелÑник.

matchtv.ru

Ten years ago, Alexandra Proklova was one of the most promising singles: in her first junior season, she won the Grand Prix medals and finished fourth in the Russian championship. The programs matched her temperament - fiery, flying and impetuous. It seemed that soon Alexandra would fight for world leadership on a par with Olympic champions Adelina Sotnikova and Yulia Lipnitskaya, as well as Elena Radionova. But a back injury canceled all plans, and soon a career.
Now the skater trains and participates in international camps. For the first time in a long time, Alexandra spoke in detail about the feelings that accompanied her retirement from sports. Also, Match TV learned about the famous Don Quixote program and asked for an opinion on modern women's single skating.

At the end:

... what is the strong point of each of our top skaters?
- Sasha Trusova has great jumps. Anechka Shcherbakova is a refined petal. She is so gentle, her whole program flies straight! Alena Kostornaya has mature female skating, despite her young age. Kamila Valieva has incredible lines, rotations, stretching. Liza Tuktamysheva evokes tremendous respect for how she has been holding the bar for so many years. Her character, triple axels and technical jumps - everything is very clear and, I think, will bring more success.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Interview with Sasha Proklova, now 21 (one of my faves in junior back in 2013-15), published last month:

Thank you for posting this, Sylvia. Alexandra Proklova was one of those "what could have been" skaters. A would-be star in the making. Great ice coverage, speed, spins, jumps, she had it all. The base for greatness was all there. Unfortunately, injuries derailed her...

Here is an example of her skating. Pretty great for a junior in 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbfylNpo3iI

 

[Tobbe]

It's very possible that she still has some lingering effects from *********. Everyone is affected differently. Nobody here can possibly know what is going on in her body or mind with any certainty. I don't see the point of perpetuating baseless rumors about her personal life...seriously, pregnancy? Good grief...

It's even more possible she has some lingering effects from - not training!. The freedom at Plushy's meant that she had more power over her training schedule and she chose to - skip it. She said it herself after RC Final last season, "the vacation is over, time to go back to work". That's why she went back to Team Tut.

It's behaviour like this that is alarming to me. Kostornaia has a very rare gift that not many other skaters have - she look good out there. But there is only so much a talent can give you, you need to do the work as well. At Finlandia she looked like she tried to phone in the performances. That is not the mentality of a top skater. Compare that to Anna, Sasha and Kamila who all fight for every single thing they are doing, even if they have bad programs.

 

[Karen-W]

Now she just needs to withdraw from DenisTenMemorial due to "injury". She'd be all set to represent another country next season and then get to go to Worlds and Euros. She really should consider that, if she wants to compete internationally and make the 2026 Olympics. Now is the witching hour for her.

So, who do you know in the Frolova camp that made this happen? She's off the updated Denis Ten Memorial entries list today.

 

[Vash01]

So, who do you know in the Frolova camp that made this happen? She's off the updated Denis Ten Memorial entries list today.

I am sure she read the suggestion on fsu. LOL.

 

[greenapple]

My head is spinning from endless skaters withdrawing from endless competitions.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

So, who do you know in the Frolova camp that made this happen? She's off the updated Denis Ten Memorial entries list today.

Hmmm...... (я не в политик). lol

 

[tkaug]

+3T comparison of Kostornaia and Valieva

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Kostornaia's +3T is beautiful and effortless. No upper body movement at all.
Valieva's +3T has a lot of extra movement. Her shaky edge and high free leg at the takeoff and landing are killing the flow and speed. No way to deserve +4 or +5.
She also has a bad technique for her Lutz/Flip.

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m.imgur.com

 

[annie_mg]

+3T comparison of Kostornaia and Valieva

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Kostornaia's +3T is beautiful. No movement of her upper body at all.
Valieva's +3T has a lot of effort. No way to deserve +4 or +5.

Valieva has the standard Eteri "I'm going to use my arms and upper body to get me up and around" trademark take off. It started with Lipniskaya and really all of them have it apart from Kostornaia and Trusova to a lesser extend. Scherbakova's is the ugliest one.

 

[Doggygirl]

I found Tuk's Oblivion SP at Finlandia to be absolutely mesmerizing!!! I wish her well at Nationals and on the GP, and truly hope to see her compete at the Oly's!

 

[love_skate2011]

Still early in the season but we are getting a look at the puzzle.

unexpectedly Stepsister2 won with quads, she landed them before domestically thus it was counted as a fluke.
I guess Stepsister2 needs an upgrade so shall be called as Kromyk

Shcerbakova still hasnt regained a stable quad and looks to have neck injury?, Tuk might have a chance of an Olympics
if all stars aligned and she keeps skating clean and Kromykh flops her quads.

Ranking so Far

1 Valieva
2 La Tuk
3 Trusova (Never landed a triple axel, never landed a clean 5 quad (practice test skates are not counted))
4 Kromykh
5 Scherbakova (needs to get back the quads)
6 Kostornaia
7 Stepsister 1

 

[mjb52]

bro (or sis)... just stop. stoooooooooooooooop. Stepsister isn't going to happen.

 

[Ananas Astra]

I'd be fine with an Olympic team of Valieva, Tuktamysheva and Trusova .

 

[Karen-W]

Still early in the season but we are getting a look at the puzzle.

unexpectedly Stepsister2 won with quads, she landed them before domestically thus it was counted as a fluke.
I guess Stepsister2 needs an upgrade so shall be called as Kromykh Khromykh

Shcerbakova Shcherbakova still hasnt regained a stable quad and looks to have neck injury?, Tuk might have a chance of an Olympics
if all stars aligned and she keeps skating clean and Kromykh Khromykh flops her quads.

Ranking so Far

1 Valieva
2 La Tuk
3 Trusova (Never landed a triple axel, never landed a clean 5 quad (practice test skates are not counted))
4 Kromykh Khromykh
5 Scherbakova Shcherbakova (needs to get back the quads)
6 Kostornaia
7 Stepsister 1 Usacheva

If you're going to opine on the Russian women, at least learn how to spell their last names correctly.

Aren't you forgetting Sinitsyna? She has a couple of GP assignments also...

 

[Vash01]

If you're going to opine on the Russian women, at least learn how to spell their last names correctly.

Aren't you forgetting Sinitsyna? She has a couple of GP assignments also...

Is Sinitsyna going to be at SA? I think she is because her visa is approved, if I remember that post correctly. I have never seen her skate, so she could be a pleasant surprise at SA.

 

[her grace]

My, my, Maia!!

Things just got interesting.

 

[Tobbe]

Is Sinitsyna going to be at SA? I think she is because her visa is approved, if I remember that post correctly. I have never seen her skate, so she could be a pleasant surprise at SA.

Never seen Sinitsyna skate?? Here is her programs from JGP Egna two years ago, that earned her the two GP spots.
Just exquisite.

short https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_PZ7pHhOxk
long https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54fyhzsO-I4

 

[tkaug]

Ranking so Far

1 Valieva
2 La Tuk
3 Trusova (Never landed a triple axel, never landed a clean 5 quad (practice test skates are not counted))
4 Kromykh
5 Scherbakova (needs to get back the quads)
6 Kostornaia
7 Stepsister 1

Where is Usacheva? USA! USA!