Team Russia

[EisElle]

re: Zhenya, after the April/May blunder, I'm here second guessing the motives behind even the nicest things she says or does and I hate this. Well, the quotations about Yuzuru and Mao were nice, and wow the timeline of her movements was confirmed (Jpn fans who had raised the issue were absolutely right)

still wish she had handled things in a different way

glad to know she is in Russia now, probably also easier to find ice there compared to a foreign country, with her being on national team and all  (and I hope that she's self-isolating for real, however frustrating it might be to be forced to stay inside while feeling perfectly fine)

 

 

 

10 hours ago, ralucutzagy said:

 

 

what she says in the first post is sad    not unexpected: FS requires such an early specialization and young skaters need to make some very harsh choices and sacrifice things so early in their lives.

It looks like Betina now feels she wished she had done some things in a different way.

 

It made me think about the recent interview to Shcherbakova's parents: pursuing competitive FS was Anya's own choice and I admire her for her committment (gosh, to have a sliver of that kind of determination!)

She clearly loves competitive FS and not even a serious injury could stop her, so pretty sure she is happy with her choice right now...but I also wonder, is she always going to feel it was all worth it?

I constantly wonder the same about Yuzuru too, but at least with him I know he's an adult know, with more experience than many people of his age, even in FS, and I know that figure skating has, in some measure, given him back something.

Well, it sounds like she has a nice, caring and supportive family that stands by her side but isn't interested in "gaining" something out of her career, so I know she isn't being forced to devote herself to FS

Spoiler

(Alysa worries me more from this POV, though it sounds like she genuinely loves FS, too)

 

 

as for Betina's second post... well, it's a well-known truth that there's a huge power imbalance in partnerships, and it's been linked to a whole series of other issues, sexual abuse included.

I remember SafeSport talking about how in US pairs skating there was an environment that fostered abuse, and Betina's is a first-hand description of a similar situation. I'm happy to know that she has realized the toxicity of that kind of thinking and very proud that she's also taking another step - speaking out in public about this.

I hope her words can help stir a bit the usually lethargic world of FS (where some things are widely know but are just accepted because that's how they have been for decades)

[rockstaryuzu]

37 minutes ago, LadyLou said:

I'm here second guessing the motives behind even the nicest things she says or does and I hate this.

Same. 

[rockstaryuzu]

1 hour ago, Fay said:

She came back to Russia and self-isolating now. 
https://tass.ru/sport/8851707

So why didn't Flash and Josei Jishin say so? Instead they made it sound super mysterious and let everyone think suspicious thoughts. 

 

As for why she spoke to them, maybe they were hounding her for interviews this whole time and she thought that if she gives them a little, they'll leave her alone? It wouldn't be unheard of. IMO, she needs someone handling her PR and her social media for her, stat.  

[PapiandPooh422]

41 minutes ago, LadyLou said:

re: Zhenya, after the April/May blunder, I'm here second guessing the motives behind even the nicest things she says or does and I hate this.

 

2 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Same. 

Well, I'm a fan but I got turned off, big time. 

[rockstaryuzu]

13 minutes ago, PapiandPooh422 said:

 

Well, I'm a fan but I got turned off, big time. 

Understandable, but I'm also old enough to know that there could be a lot more to the story that we don't get to see so I'm willing to keep an open mind. 

Also, remember that nothing Zhenya did was ever against the law and Japan never issued any quarantine 'orders' as such (because they're not allowed to, as per their constitution). All the pandemic measures were requests by the various governments, but only requests. Appeals to conscience, as it were.

 

Yes it says something that she acted the way she did, but on the other hand, there was no legal reason for her to refrain from going about her business. 

 

The part that made me facepalm was her response to criticism on social media. She could have just ignored those comments, instead of engaging with them in a, hmm, shall we say, non-productive way. 

 

Anyway, given that those tabloids couldn't even be straightforward about the fact that she was going back to Russia, I'm not going to read too much into what they claim she said about quads. If Tuktumysheva can get a quad toe at 21, Zhenya can get a quad sal, of that I'm sure. 

 

Whether it's worth it is another story. 

[Paskud]

2 hours ago, Fay said:

She came back to Russia and self-isolating now. 
https://tass.ru/sport/8851707

Plot twist: this is Plushenko's grande finale.

[Fay]

13 minutes ago, Paskud said:

Plot twist: this is Plushenko's grande finale.

Would he really want that much trouble? He’s got his hands full with a more promising star, I suppose. 

[Paskud]

3 minutes ago, Fay said:

Would he really want that much trouble? He’s got his hands full with a more promising star, I suppose. 

Yes, I think Plush is greedy enough to take Medo. But for now I'm only joking.

[SitTwizzle]

Just now, Fay said:

Would he really want that much trouble? He’s got his hands full with a more promising star, I suppose. 

I don't think he would chase her.
But if she wants to skate, and most rinks are closed, and she doesn't want to see Eteri Tutberidze (or reciprocal), I don't think she has much choice but to ask Plushenko, who would certainly "communicate" the piece of news in his way.

Warning : too much popcorn and quarantine-related lack of exercise may result in weight gain.

[Fay]

8 minutes ago, SitTwizzle said:

I don't think he would chase her.
But if she wants to skate, and most rinks are closed, and she doesn't want to see Eteri Tutberidze (or reciprocal), I don't think she has much choice but to ask Plushenko, who would certainly "communicate" the piece of news in his way.

Warning : too much popcorn and quarantine-related lack of exercise may result in weight gain.

We've been eating this popcorn ever since the Olympics, I'm afraid, so we're obese anyway. It can't get worse - we're addicted to it. 

[IULIANA]

58 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

If Tuktumysheva can get a quad toe at 21, Zhenya can get a quad sal, of that I'm sure. 

 

Whether it's worth it is another story. 

I think we agree to disagree. Tuktyk`s jump technique is totally different from Med`s. Just think of the Lutzes of these two and you have the picture. The only quad sal Med is going to have is the one she draws on insta. But again maybe I am too harsh and have no hope for her evolution the way some people thought to be. And yes, a quad , a good fully rotated, with minimum pr quad is worth, the field now is challenging for real. The only other story is the judging. And politicking, of course.

[yuzuangel]

Tuktamysheva is probably one of the best jumpers in ladies' skating, ever.

And even her quad toe at the old, old (sarcasm) age of 21 is extremely inconsistent (so far). 

 

There are miles of skaters in between Liza and Evgenia in terms of jump technique but they're not all getting (consistent) quads  

 

It is what it is. 

[Paskud]

 oh snap, the end of fun 

Quote

“We will continue cooperation. Canadian borders remain closed for now. Zhenya plans to return when she has this opportunity, ”said Orser.

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086537959.html

[SitTwizzle]

Just now, Paskud said:

 oh snap, the end of fun 

https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1086537959.html

Oh, but then, you meant a definitive move from Brian Orser to Plushenko?

I just meant skating with him until she can return to Canada (and then, every success she might have, being attributed to Plushenko's brief coaching).

[rockstaryuzu]

3 hours ago, IULIANA said:

I think we agree to disagree. Tuktyk`s jump technique is totally different from Med`s. Just think of the Lutzes of these two and you have the picture. The only quad sal Med is going to have is the one she draws on insta. But again maybe I am too harsh and have no hope for her evolution the way some people thought to be. And yes, a quad , a good fully rotated, with minimum pr quad is worth, the field now is challenging for real. The only other story is the judging. And politicking, of course.

What I'm thinking is that, with people like the 3 A's having multiple quads, if, as a woman skater, you are going to pursue quads, then you have to go all in and try to get more than one. Or get one plus a really, really good triple axel. It's not enough to just have one. 

 

Anyway, if anyone can get Zhenya to the point of jumping a quad, it's the TCC crew. People said it was impossible for Jason, and here he is with a working 4S.