Russian women news & updates, 2021-22 season

[Tobbe]

This is her team's doing and that's just horrible. How is she meant to have a good showing at Skate Canada with programs that are two weeks old? Not to mention she had 6 programs next season (two with Eteri before leaving, four with Plushenko) and now 4 with Eteri again - that's 10 programs in a little over a season. I'm not one to say they are sabotaging her but it's feeling more and more like they are sabotaging her.

Or maybe she is just hard to work with...all those programs you were mentioning kinda suggests that.

 

[angi]

What makes you think it wasn't her idea?

Because since when do any of these skaters get to decide their material? They can ask but they are not making the decisions and it has been made clear many times both by the skaters and by the coaching team.
Her team should have given her good programs to begin with, they know it's an Olympic season and they still gave her an empty FS with a bad music cut and a controversial SP. When they want to they seem very capable of giving solid program choices to skaters, but somehow with her, they dropped the ball entirely. At this point, it just doesn't feel coincidental.

 

[Tobbe]

Because since when do any of these skaters get to decide their material? They can ask but they are not making the decisions and it has been made clear many times both by the skaters and by the coaching team.
Her team should have given her good programs to begin with, they know it's an Olympic season and they still gave her an empty FS with a bad music cut and a controversial SP. When they want to they seem very capable of giving solid program choices to skaters, but somehow with her, they dropped the ball entirely. At this point, it just doesn't feel coincidental.

I disagree. You have to work with what you got. Prime example is Anna who had horrible programs last year, but she still performed the heck out of them and won the world title.
This changing programs all the time that Alyona does just looks like an excuse to me. The programs are never the problem, it's your skating that is...

 

[angi]

I disagree. You have to work with what you got. Prime example is Anna who had horrible programs last year, but she still performed the heck out of them and won the world title.
This changing programs all the time that Alyona does just looks like an excuse to me. The programs are never the problem, it's your skating that is...

Anna had two popular programs last season and her FS music cut was changed after feedback that allowed her to have an uplifting ending.
I don't think Kostornaia had to change programs, I think she could have probably made both work but it's likely they got different feedback. And since the team itself repeatedly said they don't let the skaters make the decisions I don't understand the constant need to put the blame on Kostornaia.

 

[rfisher]

Because since when do any of these skaters get to decide their material? They can ask but they are not making the decisions and it has been made clear many times both by the skaters and by the coaching team.
Her team should have given her good programs to begin with, they know it's an Olympic season and they still gave her an empty FS with a bad music cut and a controversial SP. When they want to they seem very capable of giving solid program choices to skaters, but somehow with her, they dropped the ball entirely. At this point, it just doesn't feel coincidental.

Trusova picked her music this year. Gauz asked her if she heard the Cruella de Ville soundtrack, she watched the movie and told them she wanted to skate to the music. Kostornaia has always had input into her programs in the past. Some skaters want input and some don't, especially the younger skaters. As they get older and mature, they have input if they want.

 

[Bigbird]

Reportedly Kostornaia has changed her programs. It's now "New York, New York" for the SP, and "Lovely" by Billie Eilish (again) for the FP.

Косторная поменяла обе программы перед этапом Гран-при в Канаде

Чемпионке Европы 2020 года Алене Косторной после турнира Finlandia Trophy поменяли обе программы.

matchtv.ru

Much, better.

Thank goodness.

Can you tell how happy I am? Whooopeee......

 

[Coco]

It's possible that they had these programs in mind all along, but they were just waiting for her fitness to go up a level. They needed to get her out competing earlier than she was ready, so they gave her other programs to use during that time. That way at the Olympics she will not be skating the same programs that people saw her skate when she was having trouble rotating and landing seven triples.

 

[Bigbird]

It's possible that they had these programs in mind all along, but they were just waiting for her fitness to go up a level. They needed to get her out competing earlier than she was ready, so they gave her other programs to use during that time. That way at the Olympics she will not be skating the same programs that people saw her skate when she was having trouble rotating and landing seven triples.

Level 4 spin. High five!!

 

[Frau Muller]

. And I'm sorry but "New York, New York" seems a bizarre choice.

It could be great. Hasn’t Kostornaia been “the Western audiences’ choice” among Team Eteri skaters for the last two years?

But... I have a nagging feeling...that there could be a costume change with this:

Begins in a country girl’s simple frock...leaving the farm for the Big City..


Start spreading the news,
I’m leaving today,
I wanna be a part of it -
New York, New York...

Then rip-off the simple frock when she gets to the lights of Broadway!

...to find I’m Queen of the Hill,
A#1, cream of the crop,
...at the top of the list!

(DRESS TRANSFORMS!!!)

The final strutting footwork in sequins!

The Classic Liza Minnelli version, please!

 

[Vash01]

Yes! Thank you for mentioning Veronika Yametova (Вероника Яметова). I had never seen her before. What a power house! Here is her amazing program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LETS6OCGIQ

She is very good and very young. She could have a really good future. Her marks 138 are really good at that level.

 

[Vash01]

Is there any news about Zhilina's recovery from her injury? Expected return, etc.? The last I read was she was on the ice but skating on just one foot.

 

[Tobbe]

Is there any news about Zhilina's recovery from her injury? Expected return, etc.? The last I read was she was on the ice but skating on just one foot.

I would suspect that she will WD from JGPF and Zinina will take her place. That would explain why Zinina hasn't shown up at the first 3 stages of the senior Russian Cup, because if she goes to JGPF she will q automatically.

 

[BittyBug]

It's possible that they had these programs in mind all along, but they were just waiting for her fitness to go up a level. They needed to get her out competing earlier than she was ready, so they gave her other programs to use during that time. That way at the Olympics she will not be skating the same programs that people saw her skate when she was having trouble rotating and landing seven triples.

They have too many skaters to be that calculating.

 

[LoopCombo]

It's possible that they had these programs in mind all along, but they were just waiting for her fitness to go up a level. They needed to get her out competing earlier than she was ready, so they gave her other programs to use during that time. That way at the Olympics she will not be skating the same programs that people saw her skate when she was having trouble rotating and landing seven triples.

I like this theory!

 

[Karen-W]

It's possible that they had these programs in mind all along, but they were just waiting for her fitness to go up a level. They needed to get her out competing earlier than she was ready, so they gave her other programs to use during that time. That way at the Olympics she will not be skating the same programs that people saw her skate when she was having trouble rotating and landing seven triples.

Or, you know... it's this...

 

[Ka3sha]

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

Трусова выиграла Skate America c переломом стопы

Стали известны подробности о характере травмы, с которой Александра Трусова выступала на этапе Гран-при в США.

matchtv.ru

2018 flashbacks, no?

 

[rfisher]

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

Трусова выиграла Skate America c переломом стопы

Стали известны подробности о характере травмы, с которой Александра Трусова выступала на этапе Гран-при в США.

matchtv.ru

2018 flashbacks, no?

She now qualifies for nationals and can WD from her next GP if needed so she can let it heal by December. It was a calculated risk but given this is the Olympic season, I get why she, her parents and coaching team took it. I would have in her place. Depending on where the fracture is, it takes 6-8 weeks to fully heal so she pretty much had to do this GP in order to skip the one closer to nationals.

 

[hanca]

This is her team's doing and that's just horrible. How is she meant to have a good showing at Skate Canada with programs that are two weeks old? Not to mention she had 6 programs next season (two with Eteri before leaving, four with Plushenko) and now 4 with Eteri again - that's 10 programs in a little over a season. I'm not one to say they are sabotaging her but it's feeling more and more like they are sabotaging her.

That’s very convenient to blame her team, but she changed both her programs last year while in Pluschenko’s school, and changed her programs again this year…I can see a pattern here. It is not the coaches, it is the skater who can’t admit that she doesn’t skate the programs well enough, and that’s why she blames the programs.

 

[Bigbird]

That’s very convenient to blame her team, but she changed both her programs last year while in Pluschenko’s school, and changed her programs again this year…I can see a pattern here. It is not the coaches, it is the skater who can’t admit that she doesn’t skate the programs well enough, and that’s why she blames the programs.

Her programs both were empty and uninspired for this year. She has changed. She needed something else. How can you also give two girls practically the same program? Thankfully they've changed them now.

 

[BittyBug]

Her programs both were empty and uninspired for this year. She has changed.

How do we know the new programs are any less so?

 

[Ananas Astra]

This is her team's doing and that's just horrible. How is she meant to have a good showing at Skate Canada with programs that are two weeks old? Not to mention she had 6 programs next season (two with Eteri before leaving, four with Plushenko) and now 4 with Eteri again - that's 10 programs in a little over a season. I'm not one to say they are sabotaging her but it's feeling more and more like they are sabotaging her.

I cannot remember anybody whining like this when Lambiel kept changing his programs several times during the season. Didn't he have like 4 different ones in 2003/04 and was prone to changing them whenever something was not working out?

 

[annie_mg]

I don't love the idea of skaters getting last-minute programmes either. The programmes need to be skated several times in front of audience and judges to get mileage and mature. On the other hand, Med did a great job with her Anna Karenina programme at the Olympics depite only skating it a couple of times. And Kostornaia has the musicality and interpretation ability to pull this off. If anyone can do it, it's her. Let's see!

 

[soogar]

Or maybe she is just hard to work with...all those programs you were mentioning kinda suggests that.

I get that impression with her as well. I don't know any of these girls but Trusova seems very low maintenance, and it seems that a lot of drama followed Alyona when she switched to Plushenko and back to Tutberidze. My impression is that if Alyona wasn't such a high profile skater, Eteri would have told her to pack her bags. The crummy programs she received this year seem to be a message.

Makes me think of Tinami and how she commented that in her last season, the team really took care to outfit Alina with the best costumes and give her great programs when people commented that Alina was "dumped" for the 3 A's. Hindsight you can see the care they took with her packaging and probably even her psyche in not forcing quads and encouraging her to go pro. I think you can see this season where this team's energy is going in the programs and who Eteri is traveling with. It definitely does not seem to be with Alyona.

 

[karmena]

Alyona is too brilliant for Eteri's factory.

 

[hanca]

Her programs both were empty and uninspired for this year. She has changed. She needed something else. How can you also give two girls practically the same program? Thankfully they've changed them now.

Stop blaming the programs. If she skated the way she did a few years ago, it wouldn’t really matter what programs she is skating.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I wish Kostornaia would stop changing programs all the time. I feel it just leads to none of the programs really developing as they otherwise might, given time. She has promise artistically, but the programs just don't live it up to it, because they're either bad to start with or they're just not given enough chance to breathe.

The Billie Eilish LP is utterly forgettable and definitely not something that will help her versus her Russian competitors IMO. And I'm sorry but "New York, New York" seems a bizarre choice.

I'm so glad someone else was thinking that. I just. can't. with that song.... I mean, she's a great performer and can do anything, or I thought, but I'm holding my breath until I see this one.

Level 4 spin. High five!!

LOL!!! With MAXIMUM GOE!!!! hehe

 

[soogar]

Alyona is too brilliant for Eteri's factory.

Maybe she thinks that way as well. Maybe the positive press is getting to her head and she wants special treatment. She just doesn't seem focused out there.

 

[rfisher]

I get that impression with her as well. I don't know any of these girls but Trusova seems very low maintenance, and it seems that a lot of drama followed Alyona when she switched to Plushenko and back to Tutberidze. My impression is that if Alyona wasn't such a high profile skater, Eteri would have told her to pack her bags. The crummy programs she received this year seem to be a message.

Makes me think of Tinami and how she commented that in her last season, the team really took care to outfit Alina with the best costumes and give her great programs when people commented that Alina was "dumped" for the 3 A's. Hindsight you can see the care they took with her packaging and probably even her psyche in not forcing quads and encouraging her to go pro. I think you can see this season where this team's energy is going in the programs and who Eteri is traveling with. It definitely does not seem to be with Alyona.

She's in the US because Diana skated at US classic and this weekend at Skate Canada. I suspect she'll be with Kostornaia and Valieva this weekend. But, of course that doesn't play with a good conspiracy theory does it? They have juniors and seniors doing challengers, Russian cup events and senior GP events all over Europe and North America

 

[Coco]

It's always possible Alena K. had blah programs to start the season because that's all she could handle at that time.

I don't know...Eteri seems a bit more expressive and emotional this season. I think she's really enjoying working with T/M and it's spilling over, lol. She even gave an affectionate leg pat to Trusova in the K'n'C at Skate America.

 

[LoopCombo]

When I was a teenager, I struggled to do well in classes, or projects, or essay topics that I didn’t love or feel a connection with. I even remember choosing a project topic I thought I loved in high school English only to feel later like I hated it and asking the teacher for special permission to change topics and do a whole new project rather than stick with the one I ended up disliking. I also remember dropping out of a musical in college because I didn’t care about my role, even if it meant I might not be cast in anything later in the year because I was seen as ‘difficult.’ Sure, these weren’t super pragmatic choices, but some people really struggle to do good work when they don’t feel excitement or a connection. All that to say, I can imagine Alena is this way: she thought she liked the Beth Hart program but she doesn’t like it now so she changes it, and she changes both programs. If she’d rather do more work than work on something she doesn’t enjoy, maybe the end results will be all the better for her increased interest in the material. The most practical path is not always the best one for some personalities. The fact that her team is ‘allowing’ the changes, to me is a sign of respect for her as an athlete and performer. This might be the change she needs to get where she wants to be. It’s not like she has bad taste: the original programs and costumes were not that special. I can see New York New York as being really cute, and the Lovely program was nice and she already knows the choreography. All in all, I’m happy for her.