Cheer thread for Anastasia Gubanova

[Vash01]

It was So good to see Gubanova competing for Georgia, at the recent Finlandia! I first saw her at age 10, thanks to someone who posted her skate. She had great musicality even then.

I look forward to seeing her in many more competitions including Worlds. May be in a future Olympics too.

Anastasiia GUBANOVA GEO Finlandia trophy 2021, SP

Anastasiia GUBANOVA GEO Finlandia trophy 2021, SP

ok.ru

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I remember seeing a video of Anastasiia when she was 8 or 9 and she was landing a 3flip, and I thought that was unheard of at the time!!!! I've been following her career over the last ten years and this change in countries makes me so happy for her and her career. She was lowballed far too often by RusFed and it will be nice to see an actual, fully realized, mature artistic skater with the jumps leave Russia for greener pastures. My hope is that she will start getting the "Best non-Russian in Europe" marks, like Kostner did for years.

 

[Vash01]

Updated world standings-

Gubanova - None to 119

As she enters more competitions she will climb up to at least top 50. It was so unfair that Russia didn't give her a chance to compete!

 

[Sylvia]

I'd like to pay tribute to FSU's Ziggy (he passed away in August 2014 ) who was the first to start an uber thread after watching a 10-year-old Gubanova compete in person at 2013 Warsaw Cup (this thread is in the Archives so only available to current premium subscribers): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/anastasia-gubanova-the-next-wonderbaby.89883/

Vyacheslav Sambur's figureice blog interview with Anastasia:

«Если вдруг позвонят с иностранного номера – берите трубку». Наша топ-фигуристка теперь катает за Грузию (хотя еще не бывала там)

Интервью Анастасии Губановой.

www.sports.ru

Thanks to @Ka3sha for posting the link in the OES news thread in GSD & translating excerpts : https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/oes-news-2021-2022-season.108400/#post-6077206

 

[Vash01]

I owe it to Ziggy for introducing a 10 year old wonder baby Gubanova. She was amazing in her musical interpretation and basic skating. Very unusual for a 10 year old for her artistry.

 

[Sylvia]

“I SEE WHAT KIND OF COMPETITION THERE IS IN RUSSIA. I DIDN’T WANT TO QUIT, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MOTIVATE ”. GUBANOVA'S INTERVIEW ABOUT GOING UNDER THE FLAG OF GEORGIA
Marina Chernyshova-Melnik (28 October 2021):

«Я вижу, какая в России конкуренция. Бросать не хотела, но с мотивацией было трудно». Интервью Губановой об уходе под флаг Грузии

Новые возможности для фигуристки с большими способностями.

matchtv.ru

Excerpt from the beginning of Gubanova's interview:

A large-scale event happened in your career - the transition to the Georgian national team. How did it all work out and when did it start?

- It all started in the spring of 2020, when we were at home in quarantine. The head of the Georgian Figure Skating Federation, Mariam Giorgobiani, called my coach (Evgeny Rukavitsyn - Match TV) and suggested that I compete for her country. Evgeny Vladimirovich immediately told me about the invitation, and I agreed. Then we began to resolve organizational issues, draw up documents. I received a second citizenship. We decided not to advertise this process - I just worked in silence. And before the start of the season, I gladly announced that I was now performing in a new capacity.

Did you immediately realize that going under the Georgian flag is a chance to extend your career at the world level?

- Of course, I can see what kind of competition there is in Russia. In recent years, it was difficult when my performances were limited to local tournaments. I continued to skate anyway, because I wanted to show myself. I didn't plan to quit sports, but it was sometimes difficult to get motivated.

Her next scheduled competition is CS Cup of Austria in Graz next week.

 

[Scott512]

Updated world standings-

Gubanova - None to 119

As she enters more competitions she will climb up to at least top 50. It was so unfair that Russia didn't give her a chance to compete!

I have never seen a skater of this young lady's ability not have a world ranking. I think she fell out of the top 1,000 after last season because she did not skate in an international event for almost 3 years. I've never seen a skater of Anastasias ability not have a world ranking it's just so appalling I don't even want to think about it.

I hope she can still blossom into something special but not skating much for the past 3 or 4 years has really hurt her development.

It's already been over a month since nasty is skated well at Finlandia and she hasn't competed anywhere since. It's frustrating and then you look at someone like Hendrix from Belgium who has skated in like seven or eight events a year for the past few years she's really developing even though she does not have the ultra jumps. The Belgian girl has probably skated in 35 events in the past Four Seasons Nastia has probably skated in less than 10.

Good luck to Nastya representing the Republic of Georgia and I hope she can skate in like seven or eight events this season. She was buried so deep in the Russian figure skating Federation that she probably gave up and this season should really be used to rebuild her skating and confidence because we all know she has the highest level of artistry musicality and interpretation to go along with really nice skating skills.

 

[Scott512]

It was So good to see Gubanova competing for Georgia, at the recent Finlandia! I first saw her at age 10, thanks to someone who posted her skate. She had great musicality even then.

I look forward to seeing her in many more competitions including Worlds. May be in a future Olympics too.

Anastasiia GUBANOVA GEO Finlandia trophy 2021, SP

Anastasiia GUBANOVA GEO Finlandia trophy 2021, SP

ok.ru

I never even knew this thread existed of my favorite skater I actually found it through Google tonight. I have been following Nastyas since she was a 12 or 13 year old office and she was the best novice I've ever seen. She has wonderful skills that used to matter in figure skating and I mean skills such as artist rate musicality interpretation and genuine skating skills. She looks to be in fantastic shape and has survived puberty which was very rough on her career.

After basically not skating for Russia last season it was nice to see Nastya go out there and skate very well at Finlandia even though her scores were lower than they should have been. That's par for the course right? Some people think she will be scored low from here on out because she's representing Georgia and not Russia.

I must admit the thought of Nastiy possibly skating this season for Georgia in Europeans the Olympics and worlds is a very nice thought. I just hope the Georgia figure skating Federation doesn't play any games with her and hold her back.

 

[Scott512]

I remember seeing a video of Anastasiia when she was 8 or 9 and she was landing a 3flip, and I thought that was unheard of at the time!!!! I've been following her career over the last ten years and this change in countries makes me so happy for her and her career. She was lowballed far too often by RusFed and it will be nice to see an actual, fully realized, mature artistic skater with the jumps leave Russia for greener pastures. My hope is that she will start getting the "Best non-Russian in Europe" marks, like Kostner did for years.

I agree with you 100% and it's nice to read another poster here besides me saying how Nastya was low-balled in Russia most of the time because saying that is not well received sometimes here and on other boards.

Back with Nastya was 12 and 13 she had the 1994 men's Olympic champion Alexi Urmanov as her coach but he foolishly left St. Petersburg for Sochi never became much of a coach and if he had stayed her coach she would not have been low-balled like she was. So many things have. gone wrong in this girl's career and no doubt she has caused some of her own problems which is normal for a teenager but now she has a second chance to really develop as a beautiful figure skater all her skills and qualities. Yes she does not and probably will never have the ultra jumps but just seeing her skate beautifully again hopefully the next few years and help put Georgia figure skating on the map will be plenty for me to be happy with

 

[Sylvia]

It's frustrating and then you look at someone like Hendrix from Belgium who has skated in like seven or eight events a year for the past few years she's really developing even though she does not have the ultra jumps. The Belgian girl has probably skated in 35 events in the past Four Seasons Nastia has probably skated in less than 10.

Back with Nastya was 12 and 13 she had the 1994 men's Olympic champion Alexi Urmanov as her coach but he foolishly left St. Petersburg for Sochi never became much of a coach and if he had stayed her coach she would not have been low-balled like she was.

There's really no need to make digs at and/or sound like you're blaming others in this fan thread. Loena Hendrickx was unable to compete in 2019-20 due to injury and is not to blame for representing a country that can send her to Euros/Worlds/Olympics as long as she's healthy.

Gubanova is not longer listed for the CS Cup of Austria in Graz this week but hopefully she will compete again internationally in the near future.

 

[Scott512]

There's really no need to make digs at and/or sound like you're blaming others in this fan thread. Loena Hendrickx was unable to compete in 2019-20 due to injury and is not to blame for representing a country that can send her to Euros/Worlds/Olympics as long as she's healthy.

Gubanova is not longer listed for the CS Cup of Austria in Graz this week but hopefully she will compete again internationally in the near future.

Actually I like what Hendrix is doing. Nastya should be using her as an example for longevity and peaking in her early 20s.

I didn't even know Nastya was entered in cup of Austria. She has not competed in more than a month now and she needs to build some momentum in her career the way Loena has. But if you only skate a couple events a year as Nastya has in recent years that can't really happen.

And I'll try not to be negative in the future in this fan thread. I will try to be more positive. But it's important to paint the whole picture accurately.

 

[Scott512]

I'd like to pay tribute to FSU's Ziggy (he passed away in August 2014 ) who was the first to start an uber thread after watching a 10-year-old Gubanova compete in person at 2013 Warsaw Cup (this thread is in the Archives so only available to current premium subscribers): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/anastasia-gubanova-the-next-wonderbaby.89883/

Vyacheslav Sambur's figureice blog interview with Anastasia:

«Если вдруг позвонят с иностранного номера – берите трубку». Наша топ-фигуристка теперь катает за Грузию (хотя еще не бывала там)

Интервью Анастасии Губановой.

www.sports.ru

Thanks to @Ka3sha for posting the link in the OES news thread in GSD & translating excerpts : https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/oes-news-2021-2022-season.108400/#post-6077206

I wish I was here then to read Ziggy's posts about baby Nastya from 2013. Its interesting that Ziggy saw her in Warsaw because I think she's scheduled to skate there again this season in a challenger.

 

[Sylvia]

Gubanova is no longer listed for this week's Warsaw Cup but her name appeared today in the entries for CS Golden Spin of Zagreb in December.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

Gubanova is no longer listed for this week's Warsaw Cup but her name appeared today in the entries for CS Golden Spin of Zagreb in December.

I was JUST about to post that! Thank you, @Sylvia!

 

[Scott512]

Gubanova is no longer listed for this week's Warsaw Cup but her name appeared today in the entries for CS Golden Spin of Zagreb in December.

Thank you for that information. The problem is by the time Nastya skates Golden Spin and that's a big if as she just pulled out of two events it will be two months between Finlandia and Golden Spin and that's much too long a time between competitions for somebody trying to rebuild her career in Olympic season skating for a new country. I hope there's nothing wrong and that Anastasia is not overwhelmed with her whole situation.

Nastya did very well at Finlandia has two really nice new programs two excellent dresses and I hope we get to see a lot of her skating this season.

 

[Scott512]

Nastya had coronavirus about 6 weeks ago which is why she withdrew from a Challenger that she was supposed to skate in more than a month ago. She won the Challenger in Zagreb yesterday with a lower then expected first place score coming off coronavirus and struggling in the second half of her programs. But a win is a win and Anastasia will take it and move on and we can all be thankful that this beautiful skaters career is still alive. It would be practically over if not for the Republic of Georgia taking her on.

I'm learning to like her free skate but I would almost rather she put her SP on the shelf for summer time or take five which Nastya knows so well and which so few people ever saw her skate to.

I hope Nastya can get her lungs back and let's see what happens with Europeans.

 

[Scott512]

Coronavirus hit Anastasia at the wrong time after her fine performance and International debut as a senior at Finlandia in October. She struggled mightily with fatigue even though she won the gold medal at the 53rd golden spin. Nastia had a very nice short program at the European championships and then struggled in the free skate. It doesn't look like she has her endurance back yet.

Good luck to Nastia in Beijing. But because she has struggled in recovering from coronavirus I hope she doesn't have to skate both programs in the olympic team event and then the ladies event for Georgia. The International Skating Union should change the rules on the fly for the team event in the Olympics because of the coronavirus world we live in. This girl could barely get through 2 skates at golden spin one month ago and then at Europeans the last couple days. I hope Nastia goes to Beijing and does well and has fun but I don't want her to get overworked when she's not 100% healthy.

 

[DreamSkates]

Cheers to her for continuing and hopefully she'll gain some strength in the weeks before Olys.

 

[Vash01]

I didn't know that she had been sick recently. That explains her mistakes in the LP.

How nice to see her at the Europeans! Possibly worlds and Olympics too, more than once.

 

[Scott512]

Cheers to her for continuing and hopefully she'll gain some strength in the weeks before Olys.

I am hoping for the same thing. Nastya looked a little healthier at Europeans than she did a month before at Golden Spin. I think she was the only lady in the top 10 at Europeans who had Corona virus this season.

 

[Scott512]

I didn't know that she had been sick recently. That explains her mistakes in the LP.

How nice to see her at the Europeans! Possibly worlds and Olympics too, more than once.

If Nastya can compete in Europeans the Olympics and worlds this season that would be incredible because she was close to being done with the Rusfed. There were no International assignments on the horizon for Anastasia especially after not having an international event for 3 full seasons. Because she had no International starts for 3 seasons Nastya had no world ranking or standing. She had fallen out of the top 1000 in the world which is unthinkable for a skater of her ability.

While I don't think any of us expect her to be able to challenge the top Russian ladies Nastya can now build a career that can last a few more years and hopefully satisfy her.

If Nastya is fit I think it's possible she could be top 10 at the Olympics or worlds this season.
While that might not sound like much it's something for her and a great starting point to rebuild her career and reputation which will help her much too low PCS mark's in the future.

 

[Scott512]

While I don't expect Anastasia to ever have ultra jumps I really hope she models her career after Loenas. Even though Hendrix easily beat Nastya head to head twice this season at Finlandia and Europeans I think Nastyas skill set is quite similar to Loenas. Is there really a big gap between them talent wise as the scores indicate? Or is it experience wise? Loena gets big PCS and scores and much respect from the judges. Hopefully Nastya will someday too.

 

[Scott512]

Anastasia has officially been named to the Georgian Georgian Olympic team. What a great opportunity for her to re establish herself. Heck Nastya doesn't have to re establish herself she was never established as a senior not skating internationally for 3 seasons! She has to establish herrself as a stable beautiful skater and then her scores will go up including her PCS which are too low. That's what people keep telling me. Let's see if it happens

Good health and good luck to Anastasia in Beijing. She will probably have to do all 4 skates which is asking a lot. I hope the bubble the figure skaters will be in in Beijing keeps them all safe and healthy.

 

[Sylvia]

Congrats to Anastasiia! (Ziggy is probably smiling somewhere. )

Absolute Skating has transcribed some of her quotes from Europeans: https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3qWhnI6jM/

Two-time junior GP champion in 2016, @nastya_gubanchik felt her career was stuck when she moved to seniors. She didn't have the technical content required for the high placements inside Russia which led to almost no international events. In August of 2021, it was announced that she would continue her career competing for Georgia. She finished fifth at the Finlandia Trophy, her first international assignment since 2018. And, while still not fully recovered from COVID, she won the Golden Spin of Zagreb in December. Making her debut at #Euroskate2022Tallinn, she had a clean SP which let her be in the last warm up group for FS, but after several errors there she dropped to seventh overall. Still a great result for Georgia which will have two women's spots at #EuroFigure next season.

(about points and surprised reaction in K&C after SP)
It's the judges' decision, I'm just trying to do my best. Well, this means this is what my performance was worth. But I think I can do better, this was not my maximum still.

(about @alenkaleonova's choreography for both programs)
We're really good friends. So both my coaches and Alena proposed for her to choreograph my programs. I agreed to that straight away, because it always helps when there is a connection between the student and the coach/choreographer, especially when it's such a warm one. The work was comfortable and fruitful.

(about her SP w/o "storyline" but just mood & feeling)
I wanted to skate to that music for many years, I have been listening to it a lot. When you go through a certain life experience it's easy to depict it in the program. I show some of my own feelings about being in love - whether it was a good or a bad experience.

(about Euros)
[Skating in the last group] did not add pressure, it motivated me, I wanted to be better. Of course I am not happy with my FS, for now I don't know what was the reason, I have to think and analyse. The impressions after this event, however, are amazing, it's a huge experience for me and for my future career. This event was incredible and [for my debut] I wasn’t too nervous, actually the opposite - it was a new and kind of great feeling.
#анастасиягубанова

 

[Scott512]

Congrats to Anastasiia! (Ziggy is probably smiling somewhere. )

Absolute Skating has transcribed some of her quotes from Europeans: https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3qWhnI6jM/

Two-time junior GP champion in 2016, @nastya_gubanchik felt her career was stuck when she moved to seniors. She didn't have the technical content required for the high placements inside Russia which led to almost no international events. In August of 2021, it was announced that she would continue her career competing for Georgia. She finished fifth at the Finlandia Trophy, her first international assignment since 2018. And, while still not fully recovered from *********, she won the Golden Spin of Zagreb in December. Making her debut at #Euroskate2022Tallinn, she had a clean SP which let her be in the last warm up group for FS, but after several errors there she dropped to seventh overall. Still a great result for Georgia which will have two women's spots at #EuroFigure next season.

(about points and surprised reaction in K&C after SP)
It's the judges' decision, I'm just trying to do my best. Well, this means this is what my performance was worth. But I think I can do better, this was not my maximum still.

(about @alenkaleonova's choreography for both programs)
We're really good friends. So both my coaches and Alena proposed for her to choreograph my programs. I agreed to that straight away, because it always helps when there is a connection between the student and the coach/choreographer, especially when it's such a warm one. The work was comfortable and fruitful.

(about her SP w/o "storyline" but just mood & feeling)
I wanted to skate to that music for many years, I have been listening to it a lot. When you go through a certain life experience it's easy to depict it in the program. I show some of my own feelings about being in love - whether it was a good or a bad experience.

(about Euros)
[Skating in the last group] did not add pressure, it motivated me, I wanted to be better. Of course I am not happy with my FS, for now I don't know what was the reason, I have to think and analyse. The impressions after this event, however, are amazing, it's a huge experience for me and for my future career. This event was incredible and [for my debut] I wasn’t too nervous, actually the opposite - it was a new and kind of great feeling.
#анастасиягубанова

Thank you for the article and quotes. We hardly ever hear from this girl so I appreciate it.

I like how Leanova choreographed Nastyas programs.

I wasn't posting here then but Ziggy would be thrilled that Anastasia still has a career skating for the Republic of Georgia instead of Russia.

She still has a career and in my opinion it's a promising career if she ever gets scored fairly. the biggest competition of Nastyas life at European's they pinched her severely in the SP in her overall score of 67 and the ridiculous pcs of 29. Your post Sylvia pointed out their surprise reaction an in the kiss and cry after the SP. Her coach shook his head at the score and I don't blame him. That was a masterful short program from Anastasia and deserved much more than a 67 score and ridiculous pcs score of 29. I don't care how early she skated she deserves better than that. She would never say anything harsh neither would her coach. Nastya never skated like a junior even when she was a junior. So when will the judges stopped treating her like a junior? Nastya is being politically correct by saying that's what my skate was worth since that's the score they gave me. Classy.

Anastasia does not have the big scoring free skate of a 150 to a 180 points like sasha Anna and KV do. So Nastya has to get properly rewarded for her SP to even make a top 5 in future europeans. Heck it will be very hard for her to make the top 10 at the Olympics or worlds this year. That's just the reality of the situation. the depth of talent around the world in ladies figure skating is mind boggling.

Thanks again for the instagram report and quotes. I hope we hear more from her in the near future.

 

[Vash01]

Congrats and best wishes to Anastasia. I have been watching her skating ever since Ziggy introduced her to fsu.

 

[Scott512]

Congrats and best wishes to Anastasia. I have been watching her skating ever since Ziggy introduced her to fsu.

That's like 9 or 10 years ago.. She was fabulous as a 10 year old and an novice skater. Let's see what Nastya can do this season and more importantly next season when she will be more comfortable and feel like she belongs among the elite. She is basically rebuilding her career on the fly. Not easy.

 

[coppertop1]

She was my favorite of the Russians. So happy she'll be at the Olympics!

 

[Scott512]

She was my favorite of the Russians. So happy she'll be at the Olympics!

It's an amazing opportunity for Anastasia. She can now start building her International reputation as a skater of very high quality with skating skills artistry musicality interpretation also known as the grand slam of figure skating skills. Not everyone has all 4 of those qualities at a high level in fact very few do.

Unfortunately she had coronavirus a couple months ago and that was a setback. I am hoping she is fully recovered now and can skate In the team event and individual event at the Olympics.

 

[Scott512]

Good luck to Anastasia in her Olympic debut and to the team of the Republic of Georgia. I hope they can somehow cause an upset and make the final five of the team competition.