Russian women news & updates, 2021-22 season

[love_skate2011]

Kostornaya's chances hanging by a thread, she needs to beat Tuk in SCI or else her stocks will drop lower, pcs lower than Chen and Tuk , well she has new programs again but still...

If she loses to Tuk here, she will have further competition in the lower Ranks with teh two Stepsisters, especially with stepsister Kromkh having a quad and considered a darkhorse, so is Alena now an underdog ?

 

[love_skate2011]

Tuk getting now 35 PCS , considering ISU and Olympics keep posting articles of her being "Mature" and veteran its a win for her I guess.

so maturity = high PCS ? but Satoko is getting older too yet not in that level of pcs yet.

 

[Vash01]

Oh my god, the announcer is hilarious. She's introducing Kostornaiia over the loudspeaker and goes on and on "and she left Eteri in June 2020 to train with Evgeny Plushenko, but returned to the welcome receiving arms of her famed coach Tutberidze" or some such. Talk about As the Blade Turns! lol

That was uncalled for. The announcer could have simply said she is being coached by Eteri Tuberidze. There was no need for the soap opera. I am glad it didn't affect Alyona's performance.

 

[Lilia A]

Even worse, I'm pretty sure she said "...but ASKED TO RETURN to Eteri". I mean I'm sure there's nothing else that's interesting about Kostornaia. It's not like she's the reining European champion or anything like that....

Edit: Verbatim "...but asked to return to her former coach Eteri Tutberitz in March of 2021"

 

[skatingguy]

The coaching switch might be old news here, but most of the people watching this live in the building will have no idea of any of the drama behind it so it's simply a piece of info about how Kostornaia went from one well known coach in the skating world to a former Olympic Champion, and back again.

 

[tony]

Even worse, I'm pretty sure she said "...but ASKED TO RETURN to Eteri". I mean I'm sure there's nothing else that's interesting about Kostornaia. It's not like she's the reining European champion or anything like that....

Edit: Verbatim "...but asked to return to her former coach Eteri Tutberitz in March of 2021"

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00102764.htm

Because that's exactly what her profile says.

 

[Lilia A]

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00102764.htm

Because that's exactly what her profile says.

Ahaaaa! I see now. Okay, I take it back. Announcer wasn't being shady.
But her pronunciation of Russian names still sucks lol.

 

[Scott512]

I was watching a Russian news blip and Kamila was landing her 3axel fine, also landed 4salchow. No video of Kostornaia or Tuk. Did i read correctly that Alyona is skating to the LIZA MINNELLI version of Ny,Ny?!?!?!? This could be absolutely dragalicious or it could utterly miss and be yet another tragic misstep. It has trainwreck all over it, and I'm for it!! And she's never even going to show this program in America, much less NY!!!! Lol. Is there anyone at practices who saw them practice?

I like aliona's SP much better now and she skated very well last night as did the other two Russian ladies and Alysa.

AK is making New York New York work for her. Nice. I like the Liza Minnelli version.

 

[Bigbird]

I like aliona's SP much better now and she skated very well last night as did the other two Russian ladies and Alysa.

AK is making New York New York work for her. Nice. I like the Liza Minnelli version.

I liked it too, just not feeling the dress. It just needs a bit more confidence. But this will come with time.

 

[love_skate2011]

Anything other than that Beth Hart wailing SP was going to be better,
Kostornaya is also bringing back her Billie Eillish FS, so this could work better as compared to losing all those chereo from Four Seasons.

 

[Coco]

How on Earth did Liza's combination get positive GOE?

 

[zigzig]

How on Earth did Liza's combination get positive GOE?

Seriously - her getting full credit and positive GOE while Wakaba getting a < and one judge giving a -4 GOE is bat$hit. Michael Hopfes should be ASHAMED.

 

[Frau Muller]

I was watching a Russian news blip and Kamila was landing her 3axel fine, also landed 4salchow. No video of Kostornaia or Tuk. Did i read correctly that Alyona is skating to the LIZA MINNELLI version of Ny,Ny?!?!?!? This could be absolutely dragalicious or it could utterly miss and be yet another tragic misstep. It has trainwreck all over it, and I'm for it!! And she's never even going to show this program in America, much less NY!!!! Lol. Is there anyone at practices who saw them practice?

Unfortunately, it’s mostly a slow, bluesy version of NY, NY (Alicia Keys? Not sure who but a female blues vocalist with tinkly piano). Only for the last minute does it switch to Liza...audience can wake up.

 

[4rkidz]

I can respect that POV. The jury is definitely still out on Valieva and we'll just have to see how she does this season.

She is quite incredible live, her athleticism. More so than in the TV so I can see why her marks are higher as everything seems more precise. Spins and jumps tighter and faster. But I think her second marks are a little too high.

 

[layman]

For only having had that program for 60 seconds (it looks like it was choreographed the morning of the Short Program), Kostornaia's performance was not bad. With more mileage and her mojo and confidence back, I think she could really sell "New York, New York."

Liza T looked regal. Let's call her Empress Liza, the Great.

Valieva has slowed down a great deal since she won junior worlds a few seasons ago. I miss the almost reckless speed and abandon that she used to have. I don't like the way that she pumps her back in crossovers either, but I do like her extension, her posture and her turned out feet.

 

[Karen-W]

For only having had that program for 60 seconds (it looks like it was choreographed the morning of the Short Program), Kostornaia's performance was not bad. With more mileage and her mojo and confidence back, I think she could really sell "New York, New York."

Liza T looked regal. Let's call her Empress Liza, the Great.

Valieva has slowed down a great deal since she won junior worlds a few seasons ago. I miss the almost reckless speed and abandon that she used to have. I don't like the way that she pumps her back in crossovers either, but I do like her extension, her posture and her turned out feet.

Kostornaia's new program is terrible. The first 2/3 is the dreariest, sleepiest cover of "New York, New York" ever and I'm with the people who think Danny G is just trolling her at this point.

 

[Scott512]

I liked it too, just not feeling the dress. It just needs a bit more confidence. But this will come with time.

Yes it will come in time and last night was a good start kind of a new beginning for aliona.
The problem is she's competing with like six other tremendous Russian ladies for an Olympic spot. But now aliona has a Fighting Chance.
Having two new programs and A Renewed confidence will help her close the gap on Liza and any others many consider she's trailing at this point for the Olympic team.

 

[Scott512]

Kostornaya's chances hanging by a thread, she needs to beat Tuk in SCI or else her stocks will drop lower, pcs lower than Chen and Tuk , well she has new programs again but still...

If she loses to Tuk here, she will have further competition in the lower Ranks with teh two Stepsisters, especially with stepsister Kromkh having a quad and considered a darkhorse, so is Alena now an underdog ?

Aliona was the underdog until last night. Her new programs will help her skate better and score better and feel better.

The Olympic team won't be named until after Russian Nationals or maybe sometime in January. The only one certain to be on your team if healthy is KV. We have to know if Anna and Sasha can get healthy and do their regular programs.

 

[hanca]

Aliona was the underdog until last night. Her new programs will help her skate better and score better and feel better.

Maybe. Or maybe she will finally realise that it is not the programs where the problem is. It is her skating.

 

[rfisher]

Maybe. Or maybe she will finally realise that it is not the programs where the problem is. It is her skating.

This. The excuses ...she was distraught and left Eteri for Plushenko....she was distraught about issues with Plushenko...she's distraught about going back to Eteri. It's the evil choreographers giving her programs she doesn't like....on and on and on. Maybe, it's her skating that's the problem.

 

[AxelAnnie]

That was uncalled for. The announcer could have simply said she is being coached by Eteri Tuberidze. There was no need for the soap opera. I am glad it didn't affect Alyona's performance.

.Maybe her last job was with the Inquirer.

 

[Ka3sha]

According to Channel 1 Skate Canada preview, Aliona’s “New York, New York” SP is not new, it was choreographed before she switched to Pluschenko during the off-season. Same for her Billie Eilish LP.

 

[hanca]

According to Channel 1 Skate Canada preview, Aliona’s “New York, New York” SP is not new, it was choreographed before she switched to Pluschenko during the off-season. Same for her Billie Eilish LP.

That’s funny. So those are the programs Tutberidze’s school made for her and then she left them and dumped the programs? Well, at least they are not wasted. But it is like if she has walked in a circle. Didn’t she say in an interview that she really did not like the programs and that it was one of the reasons that contributed to decision to leave Tutberidze?

 

[Karen-W]

That’s funny. So those are the programs Tutberidze’s school made for her and then she left them and dumped the programs? Well, at least they are not wasted. But it is like if she has walked in a circle. Didn’t she say in an interview that she really did not like the programs and that it was one of the reasons that contributed to decision to leave Tutberidze?

Lol. Makes you think that she got told, when griping about this year's programs "Fine, you want different ones? Use the ones we made for you last year."

 

[Coco]

Did she actually gripe about this year's initial programs? Or was it just fans, lol?

 

[hanca]

Did she actually gripe about this year's initial programs? Or was it just fans, lol?

I don’t know whether she griped about this years programs, but Tutberidze doesn’t usually change her students’s programs. The only time she did was when in Olympic season Medvedeva returned to her program from previous year because it was easier to skate. So I think it is pretty good guess that any idea about changing came from Aljona. (Taking into consideration that last season she had three sets of programs…)

 

[Coco]

Honestly, though, I think my earlier post about her having bare bones programs as she worked her way back into shape is not a bad theory.

Maybe, to make a point, Eteri insisted on NY, NY and B.E. when she took AK back. The other programs were just to get her through the first few competitions.

 

[hanca]

Honestly, though, I think my earlier post about her having bare bones programs as she worked her way back into shape is not a bad theory.

Maybe, to make a point, Eteri insisted on NY, NY and B.E. when she took AK back. The other programs were just to get her through the first few competitions.

I think it would make more sense to have the same program, but start with bare bones and throughout the season keep adding little things for transitions. I don’t think a coach would want to completely change a program, to have one ‘easy’ program for the first month of the season, and then harder program for the rest of the season. As a skater you want to build the muscle memory. That the program would become completely automatic. If you change the whole program, you start again from zero. I think some posters here are going into unbelievable lengths to find excuses why Aljona needed six programs last season and four programs this season, but it seems it is the skater who initiated the changes.

 

[layman]

What color are Kostornaia's eyes? They are so big and bright. They almost look Turquoise (blue/green).

 

[Scott512]

Maybe. Or maybe she will finally realise that it is not the programs where the problem is. It is her skating.

You will see it was the programs. But Aleona may never get back to being the truly great skater she was 2 years ago. That remains to be seen.