Russian figure skating news in 2023

[Sylvia]

Golden Skate's Russian Nationals recap articles by discipline (ETA direct links):
Women: https://www.goldenskate.com/2022/12...-with-gold-in-senior-russian-nationals-debut/
Men: https://www.goldenskate.com/2022/12/dramatic-tie-breaking-win-for-semenenko-at-russian-nationals/
Pairs: https://www.goldenskate.com/2022/12/boikova-and-kozlovskii-snatch-pairs-gold-at-russian-nationals/
Ice Dance: https://www.goldenskate.com/2022/12...azin-crowned-new-russian-ice-dance-champions/

Translation of championat.com's 12/28/22 interview with Tuktamysheva:

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: “Until you feel something more tragic in your life than just losing in competitions, you won’t understand that this is just a sport and that there are more important things.”

Interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. In the interview Liza told how she came to a realization that figure skating is just a sport and not the whole life.

fs-gossips.com

 

[sus2850]

Golden Skate's Russian Nationals recap articles by discipline are linked from here: https://www.goldenskate.com/tag/2022-russian-nationals/

This link brings me to the result of nationals from December 2021. I guess the recent nationals have „2023“ in their title.
Here is for example the pairs’ report

Boikova and Kozlovskii snatch pairs' gold at Russian Nationals

2023 Russian Nationals: Pairs' Recap In what turned out to be a very close competition, Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii snatched the Pairs gold

www.goldenskate.com

 

[On My Own]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1610632322734489600

 

[Sylvia]

Maybe you could have posted that here instead:

Russian Figure Skater tests positive for drugs - delays ceremony for team medals

I think this deserves it's own thread and not a sub-line of one. If true, this behavior should be swiftly and severely dealt with. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/beijing/2022/02/09/olympic-figure-skating-team-medals-delayed-russian-drug-test/6717526001/ For me, disgusted with...

www.fsuniverse.net

Thanks for the heads up @sus2850 - I was able to edit in the 4 recap links in my original post.

Channel One Cup will be in Moscow, January 21-22, 2023: https://fsrussia.ru/calendar

 

[On My Own]

Maybe you could have posted that here instead

Why so? Russian propaganda is pretty much always entangled with skating, might as well discuss in the skating thread. She also talks about Nationals in the interview, in fact.

 

[hanca]

Kostiukovich officially retired.

 

[rfisher]

Kostiukovich officially retired.

The Curse of the Polinas.

 

[million$momma]

Kostiukovich officially retired.

I loved her when she first came on the junior scene!

 

[ChelleC]

There are reports on Twitter that Panfilova and Rylov have retired too.

 

[On My Own]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[Sylvia]

There are reports on Twitter that Panfilova and Rylov have retired too.

Panfilova/Rylov's joint "THE END" post today : https://www.instagram.com/p/CnCoD_botn9/

Polina Kostiukovich's post (eta & pics of career highlights with D. Ialin) yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm_82uUpiRW/

 

[Karen-W]

Oh, this is sad. They were one of my favorite teams.

 

[rfisher]

There are reports on Twitter that Panfilova and Rylov have retired too.

Death in my soul. I guess the two years out due to injury were too much. They were so good. Figure skating is killing me. I knew it wasn't going to happen for Kostiukovich, but I clung to hope for Panfilova/Rybov. Everything they did (apart from her 3 jumps) were some of the best pair moves I've ever had the privilege to watch. There are no other Russian pairs with their level of talent at the moment. I'm just devastated but I totally understand the decision.

 

[TAHbKA]

Panfilova/Rylova's joint "THE END" post today : https://www.instagram.com/p/CnCoD_botn9/

Grammar

 

[skatfan]

Kostiukovich officially retired.

Panfilova/Rylov's joint "THE END" post today : https://www.instagram.com/p/CnCoD_botn9/

Polina Kostiukovich's post/video of career highlights yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm_82uUpiRW/

So sad. The injuries sound pretty bad, and I can see how they lost the desire for continuing.

 

[3T3T]

Such sad and disappointing news but health comes first. The injuries sound quite severe, I hope his back does not hold him back in life. I wish them the best moving forward.

I always enjoyed their skating from when they appeared on the JGP. The sky high twist, the huge throws, the brilliant lifts. A real delight & joy to watch. For me this was their best performance, the YOG in 2020. They nearly broke 200.

RELIVE - Figure Skating - Pairs Free Programme - Day 3 | Lausanne 2020

📲 Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe Watch the best young figure skaters as they compete in the Pairs Free Programme at the Winter Youth Olymp...

youtu.be

 

[rfisher]

It will forever be a pain in my heart that they never got to have the brillant senior career I pictured for them. And, they are just really nice kids as well. is so appropriate.

 

[ChelleC]

It will forever be a pain in my heart that they never got to have the brillant senior career I pictured for them. And, they are just really nice kids as well. is so appropriate.

I honestly think they could have been Olympic champs someday if everything had gone right.

BTW, you were the first one I thought of when I read the posts on Twitter.

 

[Vagabond]

I hate to break it to you, @rfisher, but the only Senior career any Russian skaters have in the foreseeable future is domestic competition.

Not so brilliant.

 

[greenapple]

I hate to break it to you, @rfisher, but the only Senior career any Russian skaters have in the foreseeable future is domestic competition.

Not so brilliant.

And those will likely be short lived. It is only a matter of time until they tire of endlessly competing only against each other. Once the faux competitions the Ruskies are running this season are done, I wonder how many will look forward to a repeat of that scenario next season.

 

[caseyedwards]

But isn’t it a fact that most of Russian skaters never went to competition outside Russia anyway? The best skaters with most potential may leave but the Russian competitions will always be there
Test skates
Russia cup series
Nationals
Shows

People made too much of Russia cup being renamed

 

[Karen-W]

But isn’t it a fact that most of Russian skaters never went to completions outside Russia anyway? The best skaters with most potential may leave but the Russian competitions will always be there
Test skates
Russia cup series
Nationals
Shows

People made too much of Russia cup being renamed

Sure, and it's the same that most US and Japanese and Canadian skaters (and Korean ladies) never go to competitions outside of their respective countries.

The problem for the Russians is that now there is not any chance they'll be competing outside of Russia and it's hard to see that changing anytime soon - certainly not this season and, quite possibly, not next fall either. At the bare minimum, there might be scant opportunities for a handful Russians to compete on the GP if at all - Shcherbakova, MishGal, BoiKoz, TarMor, & SinKats (and maybe StepBuk, Trusova & Valieva) are the only Russians who will be in the WS Top 24 by the end of this season so no one else is going to be eligible for even a single GP assignment; and only one skater/team per discipline is going to get a Euros or Worlds assignment.

My gut says that we won't see many country switches until September* at the earliest. Skaters & teams will hold out hope that Russia will be allowed back into competition as long as possible, and it won't be necessary for any of them to compete internationally and get their TES minimums for a new country until Oct-Dec, but it's going to become a critical situation if they can't get on the SB Top 75 list to set themselves up for the 2024-25 season. Senior level skaters who aren't Russia #1-2 will want to compete in at least one or two Challengers next fall.

*Pairs skaters and ice dancers who have split from their current season's partners - they could make the switch even sooner if they find a compatible partner from another country.

 

[caseyedwards]

Sure, and it's the same that most US and Japanese and Canadian skaters (and Korean ladies) never go to competitions outside of their respective countries.

The problem for the Russians is that now there is not any chance they'll be competing outside of Russia and it's hard to see that changing anytime soon - certainly not this season and, quite possibly, not next fall either. At the bare minimum, there might be scant opportunities for a handful Russians to compete on the GP if at all - Shcherbakova, MishGal, BoiKoz, TarMor, & SinKats (and maybe StepBuk, Trusova & Valieva) are the only Russians who will be in the WS Top 24 by the end of this season so no one else is going to be eligible for even a single GP assignment; and only one skater/team per discipline is going to get a Euros or Worlds assignment.

My gut says that we won't see many country switches until September* at the earliest. Skaters & teams will hold out hope that Russia will be allowed back into competition as long as possible, and it won't be necessary for any of them to compete internationally and get their TES minimums for a new country until Oct-Dec, but it's going to become a critical situation if they can't get on the SB Top 75 list to set themselves up for the 2024-25 season. Senior level skaters who aren't Russia #1-2 will want to compete in at least one or two Challengers next fall.

*Pairs skaters and ice dancers who have split from their current season's partners - they could make the switch even sooner if they find a compatible partner from another country.

But if skaters switch countries to compete internationally their post skating careers can they coach in Russia or do shows in Russia? They would have to move to america possibly if they switching to new countries created backlash. Russia seemingly has lots of skating related entertainment. Any info on leaving Russia and hoping to skate in shows in Japan and coach In America

 

[Karen-W]

But if skaters switch countries to compete internationally their post skating careers can they coach in Russia or do shows in Russia? They would have to move to america possibly if they switching to new countries created backlash. Russia seemingly has lots of skating related entertainment. Any info on leaving Russia and hoping to skate in shows in Japan and coach In America

Just how much money do you think the skaters who don't have any international hardware are likely to make in shows in Russia? The Russian economy is sputtering and skating shows aren't going to be subsidized by the oligarchs to the extent you seem to believe, at least not for skaters with Russian Nats 10th place or Russian Nats 7th place behind their names.

 

[Frau Muller]

No way in heck that Russians compete internationally until (a) the war ends and (b) a post-war reparations trial is held and concluded. Many years/seasons. Maybe the 2030 Olympics as a small representative body?

 

[Bigbird]

And those will likely be short lived. It is only a matter of time until they tire of endlessly competing only against each other. Once the faux competitions the Ruskies are running this season are done, I wonder how many will look forward to a repeat of that scenario next season.

Even with all that money?

 

[Bigbird]

Just how much money do you think the skaters who don't have any international hardware are likely to make in shows in Russia? The Russian economy is sputtering and skating shows aren't going to be subsidized by the oligarchs to the extent you seem to believe, at least not for skaters with Russian Nats 10th place or Russian Nats 7th place behind their names.

They pay Valieva, Tuktik, Sinkats and Medvedeva quite handsomely though.

 

[caseyedwards]

Just how much money do you think the skaters who don't have any international hardware are likely to make in shows in Russia? The Russian economy is sputtering and skating shows aren't going to be subsidized by the oligarchs to the extent you seem to believe, at least not for skaters with Russian Nats 10th place or Russian Nats 7th place behind their names.

If the skaters leave Russia to win medals but they win them for other countries would they be invited to the shows in Russia? I was just wondering how the people would respond to trusova skating for France or something. If France or any country would allow Russians to transfer or Russia would release them. If no one is winning medals the shows still have to star people. But again you have a point all the oligarchs may stop funding them if they don’t have world medalists

 

[alj5]

I honestly think they could have been Olympic champs someday if everything had gone right.

BTW, you were the first one I thought of when I read the posts on Twitter.

I'm so sad. They had the potential to challenge at this last Olympics. They were my favorite pair team of this last Olympic cycle.


(ETA - referring to Panfilova & Rylov)

 

[greenapple]

They pay Valieva, Tuktik, Sinkats and Medvedeva quite handsomely though.

I am interested to learn how you would know what skaters earn for these shows. Is this information posted somewhere online?