The Skating Lesson

[alchemy void]

What was he insinuating? Don't make me watch!

-She had already popped a lot of jumps, had no points, and therefore decides to not only fall a couple times, but to make the falls as dramatic on purpose.

-He says her body has changed. Then references a Netflix movie about Russian athletes and says he has a theory that she has “taken off the program” because “usually Russian bodies don’t change in an Olympic year.” And also gives us a couple of dramatic pen clicks.

I don’t know what movie he’s talking about, but it’s pretty easy to read between the lines.

 

[meggonzo]

Ugh, like anyone would do that splat into the spin on purpose. what an asshole.

I have no idea what movie that is... is it about doping?

 

[overedge]

But has their viewership gone down? My impression is no. Just like how most of the people on here complaining about it continue to watch.

How do you know that "most of the people" on here who complain about it aren't viewers?

 

[alchemy void]

Ugh, like anyone would do that splat into the spin on purpose. what an asshole.

I have no idea what movie that is... is it about doping?

Yeah. I'm assuming the movie he refers to is Icarus, about Russian doping. And he bases this insinuation on her "body changing over the summer." That's a total BS connection to make as is, never mind the fact she was apparently wearing a support corset for her back at Skate Canada, which somewhat altered her physical appearance.

He just pulls shit out of thin air to create some entertainment, a little drama, a few laughs.

 

[Willin]

There's evidence that plenty of Russian athletes doped, but no evidence that there's doping in Russian Figure Skating. Besides, doping helps you with stamina and endurance. While increased stamina can help you land the last couple of jumps in your program cleanly, it's not going to help you avoid falling. Her problem isn't stamina, it's the falls.

I think Pogorilaya's problem is probably a combo of the back injury and just never learning how to fall properly. I've literally never seen a skater splat that badly that many times. Maybe once or twice in a career due to a really violent fall, but they teach you to fall the day you step on the ice. There's a reason they teach you how to fall - falling like Anna does makes injuries a lot more likely, particularly back and neck injuries. With every fall (and I guarantee you she doesn't only splat like that in competition), she's exacerbating that back injury or creating new ones. In a cruel circle, that back injury makes it more likely she'll fall. Either she stops skating long enough to recover completely, or she quits to protect her back. I doubt she'll do either in an Olympic season.

 

[sap5]

How do you know that "most of the people" on here who complain about it aren't viewers?

I said that most of the people are viewers.

 

[overedge]

I said that most of the people are viewers.

My bad, I stand corrected.

But my point is the same. How do you know whether the complainers in this post watch or don't watch it? I see more than a few posts from "complainers" who used to watch and then gave up on it, for the reasons they are complaining about.

 

[Dobre]

I don't watch. I occasionally read this thread and try to offer insight if I have any because this is FSU, and we all know that more voices can create a more complete, balanced picture.

 

[caseyedwards]

-She had already popped a lot of jumps, had no points, and therefore decides to not only fall a couple times, but to make the falls as dramatic on purpose.

-He says her body has changed. Then references a Netflix movie about Russian athletes and says he has a theory that she has “taken off the program” because “usually Russian bodies don’t change in an Olympic year.” And also gives us a couple of dramatic pen clicks.

I don’t know what movie he’s talking about, but it’s pretty easy to read between the lines.

This is so crazy! Literally no other country on earth has more wada people conducting more drug tests!

 

[mysticchic]

Well I gave it one more shot to try and listen to the ice dance at Skate Canada and that is time I will never get back. Mean and bitchy. he might as well go back to being Auntie Joyce again.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

The accountability is that Jenny probably picked up on it for a second time and left (with all of the recording equipment, which is hilarious to me) and now we don’t see Dave at early-season events or summer practices because I’m quite sure the credentials are gone. And sponsors, too.

Any chance you'll relaunch your site again?

 

[tony]

Any chance you'll relaunch your site again?

I don’t have the motivation. If a group could put together a video recap or something of that nature, I would be down but I always have plenty to write one day and then nothing to say the next month.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I don’t have the motivation. If a group could put together a video recap or something of that nature, I would be down but I always have plenty to write one day and then nothing to say the next month.

That's too bad.

Fortunately, there are some new YouTube recap sites that have popped up lately worth checking out.

 

[misskarne]

-He says her body has changed. Then references a Netflix movie about Russian athletes and says he has a theory that she has “taken off the program” because “usually Russian bodies don’t change in an Olympic year.” And also gives us a couple of dramatic pen clicks.

The brainless twatface insinuating Russian ladies are doping? colour me shocked. Not like he spent pretty much all last year calling Tuktamysheva a doper and then getting all offended when people called him out on it...

 

[Seerek]

The doping insinuations from TSL date back to when Polina Tsurskaya withdrew before the short program and Alisa Fedichkina before the long program at 2016 Jr. Worlds. You could tell Dave wanted to "go there" regarding doping, but Jenny wouldn't let him.

 

[Ka3sha]

The doping insinuations from TSL date back to when Polina Tsurskaya withdrew before the short program and Alisa Fedichkina before the long program at 2016 Jr. Worlds.

Of course, Fedichkina had her leg in a cast for more than a month and Tsurskaya couldn't train for more than three months 'cause they were dopers

 

[lala]

The doping insinuations from TSL date back to when Polina Tsurskaya withdrew before the short program and Alisa Fedichkina before the long program at 2016 Jr. Worlds. You could tell Dave wanted to "go there" regarding doping, but Jenny wouldn't let him.

LOL, I was there! I live in that city. I know in which hospital they were treated.

 

[mysticchic]

I don’t have the motivation. If a group could put together a video recap or something of that nature, I would be down but I always have plenty to write one day and then nothing to say the next month.

Tony, you would do great. A 15 minute recap would be great!! I love reading your stuff.
I love Jason Lambs one also. Maybe you guys could get together and do something! He has some great guest host like Claire, @Josh78 and others.
BTW Shout out to @Josh78 for his amazing post after each skater with scores on FB. If I'm not watching, I can just keep an eye on his page and know what each skater has done. He put the good and bad in there, but never ever is mean. I know the skaters love his stuff. They have mad respect for him. He also does comps that are not in the big leagues and US regional and sectionals

 

[aussieSKATES]

We arranged a media credential for Justin Laem to act as a special guest reporter for us at Skate Canada. He did a stellar job interviewing the two Australians, Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry, who were skating at the event.

 

[Seerek]

BTW Shout out to @Josh78 for his amazing post after each skater with scores on FB. If I'm not watching, I can just keep an eye on his page and know what each skater has done. He put the good and bad in there, but never ever is mean. I know the skaters love his stuff. They have mad respect for him. He also does comps that are not in the big leagues and US regional and sectionals

Not to mention Josh also covers the U.S. Junior and Novice levels in thorough detail as well (as anyone who follows him on twitter would know). Yes, it's true he let's you know if he's a non-fan of "so-and-so", but the breadth of knowledge is certainly better than TSL and the like.

 

[jaddee]

Not to mention Josh also covers the U.S. Junior and Novice levels in thorough detail as well (as anyone who follows him on twitter would know). Yes, it's true he let's you know if he's a non-fan of "so-and-so", but the breadth of knowledge is certainly better than TSL and the like.

Links please.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Links please.

https://twitter.com/skatefan78

 

[jaddee]

https://twitter.com/skatefan78

Thank-you!

 

[aftershocks]

He was right though about Japan needing 3 spots and the US not needing them from what we've seen of the US ladies so far.

Eh, why U.S. ladies moreso than Canadian ladies with the terrible way 3rd Canadian candidate, Alaine Chartrand is skating, and Canada's steep drop off in lack of depth past Kaetlyn, Gabby and Alaine? Seems more to me like Canada and the U.S. could both give up a ladies third spot!

The other thing to remember too is that the Japanese ladies DID NOT skate well at 2017 Worlds, and that's why they lost a third spot in the first place. Just like what happened in U.S. pairs, under the current system and rules, there's obviously a price to be paid that's often unfair. This highlights the fact that the sport needs to consider much better ways of rewarding talented skaters with the ability to compete at major competitions, rather than continuing to use this unwieldy country-based political selection system that's full of holes.

 

[VGThuy]

What about the fact that two Americans just placed ahead of the both Japanese skaters at Skate Canada with one of them being a skater people want that third lady spot for.

 

[GullyGirl84]

What about the fact that two Americans just placed ahead of the both Japanese skaters at Skate Canada with one of them being a skater people want that third lady spot for.

Very true. I think Marin was underscored in PCS in the short and long, and that the triple lutz combo messed her up in the short, but I was interested to see what Dave would say about it here (basically he said that it was still a great grand prix debut and that it was first grand prix nerves, which I can also agree with, but I think that it's safe to say that it was a bit disappointing given the expectations on her. She had a lower scored debut than Wakaba and Mae had in their Senior grand prix debut events. Yet Dave was tweeting after the long that he would give Marin the Olympic spot based on "coming back in the long" and that the other skaters in the first group weren't worthy of wiping the snow off of Marin's boots, etc. Commentary/opinion show, but you can also see how he'll spin things for his favorites. Though I do wish that there were three spots for Japan, it's not unfair, despite him whining about it).

 

[Marco]

Good for Dave for snatching a chat with Plushenko. I didn't like his style as a skater, but he sounds like a genuine and respectable person.

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

Good for Dave for snatching a chat with Plushenko. I didn't like his style as a skater, but he sounds like a genuine and respectable person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4JDStBAufw

 

[giselle23]

-She had already popped a lot of jumps, had no points, and therefore decides to not only fall a couple times, but to make the falls as dramatic on purpose.

-He says her body has changed. Then references a Netflix movie about Russian athletes and says he has a theory that she has “taken off the program” because “usually Russian bodies don’t change in an Olympic year.” And also gives us a couple of dramatic pen clicks.

I don’t know what movie he’s talking about, but it’s pretty easy to read between the lines.

More ridiculous "commentary." I put commentary in quotes because it is sheer speculation. I watched her program again yesterday and she was doing OK for the first 2 minutes or so. After that, she was clearly running out of steam--that is the reason for the pops and the falls. To suggest she would do it on purpose is just Dave's fevered imagination.

 

[angi]

After hearing what he said about Pogorilaya and seeing how he talks about Wagner and Gold for example - is it just me or is he totally misogynist? He goes after female skaters but never once have I seen him disrespect or make the accusations he makes toward female skaters against male skaters? His attitude and borderline hatred is aimed 99% of the time at female skaters and not male skaters.