What is your attitude to Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva?

Fiero425

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I hope they remain competitive.

That remains to be seen with the depth of female Russian skating! Just a season after the Olympics and these 2 are almost irrelevant; AZ being tested by the next wave and EM breaking ranks to a new coaching team! I don't watch enough to keep up with the latest and greatest in FS news! It's just jarring to come back a few months later to see what's going on with the Russian and Japanese teams! If not for the men's Nathan Chen, the US team would be only a footnote in world competition! It just seemed like yesterday the balance of power was more Western with Canada, USA, France, & Germany! :rolleyes: :COP: :kickass: :shizuka1: :plush: :TnD1:
 

DreamSkates

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The original poster doesn't claim to have expertise in FS. I believe that the research is for a PhD thesis, but do think the questions need to be refined and further developed in order to address the research question.
If a grad student is working on a thesis, for a Masters or Doctorate, there would need to be some expertise first in order to pose questions.
 

Japanfan

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If a grad student is working on a thesis, for a Masters or Doctorate, there would need to be some expertise first in order to pose questions.

It appears that the OP has expertise in popular culture. Looking at FS through that lens is fine and expertise on FS itself is not required.

To give an analogy I've edited two theses for graduate students in the field of public health who focused on HIV. They did not have expertise in HIV itself, but rather in public health. And looked at HIV through that lens.

Such practices are common in graduate studies. The focus of an investigation is not a focus the student has expertise in, but rather, uses their expertise to illuminate.
 

tripleflutz

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Cant stand Zagitova's skating even at her best, but I do grudgingly admire some of the objective traits of her talent, particularly her jumping ability at her best, and her complex choreography even if it is an eyesore at times. She seems like a sweet girl.. Her inevitable fall she is already experiencing is going to be hard to witness.

Medvedeva is a true champion. Not a huge fan of her skating either, although I much prefer it to Zagitova's. Seeing her lose the Olympic Gold after being the dominant skater almost 3 years was sad, but that seems to be the fate of most ladies stars in skating with few rare exceptions like Yu Na Kim, Katarina Witt, and Kristi Yamaguchi, with the second tier-ers winning the gold medals instead, or even on occasion the third tier-ers or nobodies like Hughes or Sotnikova. Admire her guts in continuing and trying to make changes, even if there is some obvious short term loss she might never recover from. A tough cookie.
 

Fiero425

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Cant stand Zagitova's skating even at her best, but I do grudgingly admire some of the objective traits of her talent, particularly her jumping ability at her best, and her complex choreography even if it is an eyesore at times. She seems like a sweet girl.. Her inevitable fall she is already experiencing is going to be hard to witness.

Medvedeva is a true champion. Not a huge fan of her skating either, although I much prefer it to Zagitova's. Seeing her lose the Olympic Gold after being the dominant skater almost 3 years was sad, but that seems to be the fate of most ladies stars in skating with few rare exceptions like Yu Na Kim, Katarina Witt, and Kristi Yamaguchi, with the second tier-ers winning the gold medals instead, or even on occasion the third tier-ers or nobodies like Hughes or Sotnikova. Admire her guts in continuing and trying to make changes, even if there is some obvious short term loss she might never recover from. A tough cookie.

I compare AZ to Tara L., snatching the GOLD from the presumptive DIVA in charge! Michelle Kwan hung on for an extra chance in '02, but it was not to be with another 2nd/3rd tier skater stealing her thunder! :rolleyes: :COP: :duh: :kickass: :oksana1: :sarah1: :sasha1:
 

tripleflutz

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I compare AZ to Tara L., snatching the GOLD from the presumptive DIVA in charge! Michelle Kwan hung on for an extra chance in '02, but it was not to be with another 2nd/3rd tier skater stealing her thunder! :rolleyes: :COP: :duh: :kickass: :oksana1: :sarah1: :sasha1:

Agreed. Although unlike arrogant diva Kwan, Medvedeva seems like a total class act and sweetheart so it was hard not to feel sorry for her. I am not even a big fan but it was hard to watch her crying in the kiss and cry for about 5 minutes. In the case of Kwan, it was hard to do anything but laugh to see the entitled princess who thought she should have a gold medal polished and handed over just for showing up and letting out a fart, have the rug pulled from out underneath, even as someone who personally did not like either Tara or Sarah.
 

Fiero425

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Agreed. Although unlike arrogant diva Kwan, Medvedeva seems like a total class act and sweetheart so it was hard not to feel sorry for her. I am not even a big fan but it was hard to watch her crying in the kiss and cry for about 5 minutes. In the case of Kwan, it was hard to do anything but laugh to see the entitled princess who thought she should have a gold medal polished and handed over just for showing up and letting out a fart, have the rug pulled from out underneath, even as someone who personally did not like either Tara or Sarah.

I never warmed up to MK with commentators and the press fawning relentlessly over her every move even if she was legitimately beat! It was all about KWAN and I was nauseated most of that era! I was so happy to see TL come out of nowhere and start taking those comp. one by one from her; GPF, US Nat'ls, Worlds, then the Olympics in Nagano! After '99 Irina Slutskaya took over their rivalry! With SLC they seemed to try to help MK along when not marking her down on her SP 3-Flip execution leaving her in 1st place! If not for that bit of shenanigans, Irina might have taken it instead of Sarah H! :rolleyes: :COP: :judge: :oksana1: :sarah1: :sasha1: :shizuka1:
 

Japanfan

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I never warmed up to MK with commentators and the press fawning relentlessly over her every move even if she was legitimately beat! It was all about KWAN and I was nauseated most of that era!

The commentators' gushing turned me off MK, and later, off Sasha Cohen. I always rooted for Kwan's rivals to beat her. :scream:

But, to give MK her due, she was an incredibly consistent and musical skater. When I could put the gushing aside, I appreciated her skating - for some MK fans, watching her was a spiritual experience (so I was told). Her spiral was a thing of beauty, and Cohen's even more so. I'd love to see spirals like that done again (but please, no mandatory spiral sequence in the SP - never again!).

I was so happy to see TL come out of nowhere and start taking those comp. one by one from her; GPF, US Nat'ls, Worlds, then the Olympics in Nagano!

I wasn't. TL was a child with a loud squeal. Even though I'm not an MK fan, I was gutted for her at Nagano.
 

Fiero425

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The commentators' gushing turned me off MK, and later, off Sasha Cohen. I always rooted for Kwan's rivals to beat her. :scream:

But, to give MK her due, she was an incredibly consistent and musical skater. When I could put the gushing aside, I appreciated her skating - for some MK fans, watching her was a spiritual experience (so I was told). Her spiral was a thing of beauty, and Cohen's even more so. I'd love to see spirals like that done again (but please, no mandatory spiral sequence in the SP - never again!).



I wasn't. TL was a child with a loud squeal. Even though I'm not an MK fan, I was gutted for her at Nagano.

For some reason, I still remember it like it was yesterday! I've always been a night-owl, so I was just going to bed after 5 AM when I lived in Cal. and they reported on sports-radio that Tara had upset Michelle, playing both their music! I couldn't wait for it to be televised later that evening! That squeal still haunts me after all these years! :drama: :kickass: :revenge: :shuffle:
 

bardtoob

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... :yawn: ... All threads on FSU are still about Michelle Kwan ... even when the title is "What is your attitude to Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva?"
 

Fiero425

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... :yawn: ... All threads on FSU are still about Michelle Kwan ... even when the title is "What is your attitude to Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva?"

I can talk history better than current affairs! I can't even keep the names straight in either of my favorite sports of tennis and figure skating! The changing of the guard wasn't enough these days! With the ladies they come and go like the wind; take an OG and vanish! With Russia and Japan it's just plain too competitive! I'm accustomed to a bit more stability in the ranks even though I don't mind change! At my age, it's just gotten to overwhelming to keep up with all the sports like I used to so I rely a lot on "harking back" just for a change of pace around here! :rolleyes: :COP: :judge: :encore:
 

UGG

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Why do people say Tara “came out of nowhere”? She was 14 at her 1st world championship (winning bronze at nationals) and 15 at her second when she won. She had an agent and was famous before she even won anything. Was she supposed to be making headlines as a fetus?

When I think of “came out of nowhere” I think of someone like Bradie Tennell who was 19 years old, had competed at multiple nationals never being on the podium, or as part of a podium discussion, never skated a GP, was never part of the Olympic team discussion between 2014- 2017 until skate America, was never on anyone’s radar as a contender for the team and all of a sudden she is the US Champion.

Tara has a lot of buzz prior to her national title.
 

tripleflutz

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Why do people say Tara “came out of nowhere”? She was 14 at her 1st world championship (winning bronze at nationals) and 15 at her second when she won. She had an agent and was famous before she even won anything. Was she supposed to be making headlines as a fetus?

When I think of “came out of nowhere” I think of someone like Bradie Tennell who was 19 years old, had competed at multiple nationals never being on the podium, or as part of a podium discussion, never skated a GP, was never part of the Olympic team discussion between 2014- 2017 until skate America, was never on anyone’s radar as a contender for the team and all of a sudden she is the US Champion.

Tara has a lot of buzz prior to her national title.

Interesting you say that. I think the buzz just before her Nationals win in 97 was significantly less than the buzz on her in fall 94 and 95 in fact. The hype on her seemed to have died down at that point. Even her rising results in fall of 97 where she started winning grand prix medals after being only 15th at the 96 worlds got little to no attention.

I agree she definitely didnt come out of nowhere to win her Olympic Gold, she was the reigning World Champion after all. Or even when she won her National title she wasnt a total nobody exacty. I dont agree on her getting that much buzz prior to her 97 Nationals win, 2-3 years earlier yes, but it had significantly dried out for awhile before then.
 

VGThuy

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Hearing the two Kwan haters find each other and talk to each other again reminds me of my glory days fighting with anybody who said a disparaging word about her. I'm surprised you guys haven't called her "Shelley" or anything. Nice to know her skating and success (and "failures") has been so impactful to your lives that you can't let go of the bitter feelings you guys have over it. I hope you guys enjoyed this past Michelle L. Kwan Day!
 

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