hoodie axel

Selling tickets definitely figures into reputation.

Her basic skating, and stroking especially have improved. She's learning more to use her legs in her jumping (and skating). It looks heavy currently, because the muscle memory isn't entirely there, but the power is becoming more obvious.

She's definitely improved. I'm more annoyed at people trying to justify her being on the team due to her "trajectory", as if we must insist on living in a world without context.

No, it's not obvious. She'd be at the mercy of the TP, compared to Tuktamysheva. If this were 2016-17 season, it'd make sense. And I don't know what you're looking at, her Tosca SP at RCF was easily one of her worst performances this season, staying on her feet aside. Even if this were correct, it's still far lower than what tuktamysheva has delivered in the SP and LP, and CAN deliver if she hit both her 3As, which is where we're going with given the 3 low quality data points in Med's case anyway.

I really am curious as to why people think this. She's been getting called out more in the international events this season, and there were URs + flutz ignored in RCF, and IIRC nationals too. Does the upward trajectory also include the hope that she won't be called on anything if she goes "clean" at worlds? She's been looking more confident lately, and is landing things more. It might be a personal upward trajectory, but not something that skews the decision in her favour.

Ahhhh. I always do wonder about the naïveté of skaters. My personal recommendation to all of them is retirement, but I doubt they'll ever listen. I've heard enough about the training conditions of skaters (and they really do seem to be kept in bubbles) to make the political aspects of this "sport" strike a pretty bad chord. I sincerely hope the sport dies. I don't see why that post is being interpreted as such. They are expressing their opinions on the situation, and are saying they can't root for skaters who have strong political backings. Goodness knows I and several here can't root for certain male skaters for similar reasons. Doesn't look like they're taking away Med's hard work. If it leaves a bad taste, it leaves a bad taste, and if they don't look forward to Med on a team, that's all it means -- not like they're actively rooting against her to fall or to never make the team again.

Yeah. The decision might actually have been made a while back, and the RCF results might have been planned. It does reek of TAT.

She was recovering as seen at RCF, and the margin there was too close for it to not go to Tukt, IMO. She'd already proved she could medal with the best in GPF, too... Well, I didn't think so. Med still has her issues, her flutz was ignored, she fell on a +3Lo, and had some other URs ignored, vs Tukt who basically went clean apart from a fall in the SP on a 3A, and a UR in the LP that IDK was even right. Med also still is retuning her technique, and there is zero guarantee that she's stable enough for worlds as we saw her at RCF, or if she will be. This just seems like a blatantly political move to save face after the support RusFed threw her way. Of course she will still be in the top 6 or 8 no matter how she skates because of lingering reputation, and the utter lack of depth this year, but they could have had stronger chances for a medal with Tukt, and it seems unfair to pull her back by the hand like this. And if Med does bomb again, that will hardly bolster her confidence, and on a world stage it will attract even more backlash. There is zero smartness in this decision for me, but maybe someone will add something to the discussion here to explain what I'm missing.

https://fsrussia.ru/news/4271-ispolkom-ffkkr-nazval-sostav-sbornoj-rossii-na-chempionat-mira-v-yaponii.html Very disappointed in RusFed for this decision.

Oh come on. No 4Lz+3Lo from Tukt? 3A+4T from Sofya? 4S+1Lo+4F from Med? Boring.

I'm sure the judges will rightly determine it's worth as -2 GOE.

Well, dogs are dogs.

TSL apparently trashed Konstantinova and Tukt. Well, they do have links at TCC...

Very, very recently. Not really. It just fits (this and a lot of FS things). I think Konstantinova might be set up for failure at Universiade

Three chairs here, though. All the more reason to not be injured!

Fair enough. Although I do think there's a reason for arguing that simply the best skaters deserve to go, regardless of country.

But can fire kill trash fire?

...I think Canada deserves zero this season.

TAT for Med, IMO.

I think you can post old vids as stories. But I think it's recent, tbh.

GPF? But IIRC she was taped up before that too.

Totally conspiratorial, but I won't be shocked if Eteri and co are uploading those vids on IG now to ensure the RusFed knows she's capable of delivering and is recovered...

That was actually well rotated, as far as I can tell from an IG video. Sighing at her problems at Nats and Euros...

Wasn't another that Raf wanted him? People on Twitter seem invested in the Orser idea, but that won't ever happen IMO.

https://goldenskate.com/2019/02/chinas-sui-and-han-we-see-our-shortcomings/ All the high fives to Lori Nichol for this: The skaters do indeed want to use this as a creative opportunity, just a pity that the rules are so restrictive.