Russian figure skating news in 2024

[rfisher]

I've always been on Team Mish/Gal, but I'm switching allegiance this year. Boi/Koz have 2 supurb programs this season. Even if Sasha's FS dress looks like three flavors of sherbert melted together. The choreography of their FS is just stunning.

 

[irenemulindwairen]

I've always been on Team Mish/Gal, but I'm switching allegiance this year. Boi/Koz have 2 supurb programs this season. Even if Sasha's FS dress looks like three flavors of sherbert melted together. The choreography of their FS is just stunning.

Could not agree more.

 

[Ka3sha]

Kostornaia says she and Kunitsa will skip two seasons and then come back to competitions.
So they are either expecting a baby, or switching to represent another country

 

[Vagabond]

Kostornaia says she and Kunitsa will skip two seasons and then come back to competitions.
So they are either expecting a baby, or switching to represent another country

These are not mutually exclusive explanations.

 

[annie_mg]

My guess is on a baby. She is Russian after all. Early twenties and pregnant is the norm.

 

[TAHbKA]

Khodykin retired. He is going to coach with Lipnitskaya and do shows

 

[Bigbird]

Khodykin retired. He is going to coach with Lipnitskaya and do shows

Good for him...

 

[Primorskaya]

Finally got around to watching all of those programmes everyone here is talking about and while I agree that Boikova/Kozlowski have two awesome programmes, I also really liked Mishina/Galliamov's SP.
Loved Frolova as well -the video I watched also had an awesome tracker that showed her planned content right at the start, then showed what she's just done and the upcoming move. That would be so useful to new skating fans!

 

[rfisher]

Finally got around to watching all of those programmes everyone here is talking about and while I agree that Boikova/Kozlowski have two awesome programmes, I also really liked Mishina/Galliamov's SP.
Loved Frolova as well -the video I watched also had an awesome tracker that showed her planned content right at the start, then showed what she's just done and the upcoming move. That would be so useful to new skating fans!

They compete head to head in the 5th Russian cup (next week Nov 23rd and 24th). I think Boi/Koz are/were more prepared at this point, but Mish/Gal are rapidly catching up.

I really like that new content tracker graphic as well.

 

[cholla]

Where do you watch all this? (Sorry if it's already been asked and answered)

 

[Amy L]

The Russian Grand Prix events are posted on "rutube". You don't need a VPN for it like you would on Channel One.

Фигурное катание на Первом смотреть онлайн все серии и сезоны бесплатно в хорошем качестве. RUTUBE

RUTUBE — ведущий российский видеопортал, предлагающий к просмотру тв онлайн, кинофильмы, сериалы, мультфильмы и пользовательское видео. Смотри. Создавай. Загружай.

rutube.ru

 

[rfisher]

The Russian Grand Prix events are posted on "rutube". You don't need a VPN for it like you would on Channel One.

Фигурное катание на Первом смотреть онлайн все серии и сезоны бесплатно в хорошем качестве. RUTUBE

RUTUBE — ведущий российский видеопортал, предлагающий к просмотру тв онлайн, кинофильмы, сериалы, мультфильмы и пользовательское видео. Смотри. Создавай. Загружай.

rutube.ru

I watch channel 1 without a VPN but you can replay the rutube vids

Frolova won both of her events. She's had a great season thus far.

 

[Ka3sha]

Loved Frolova as well -the video I watched also had an awesome tracker that showed her planned content right at the start, then showed what she's just done and the upcoming move. That would be so useful to new skating fans!

They have really improved the production, also did a series of videos "Guide on how to watch and understand figure skating" with top skaters explaining different elements
https://www.sport1tv.ru/sport/figurnoe-katanie-kak-pravilno-smotret-i-ponimat

Despite Instagram being officially blocked in Russia, they keep posting fluffy videos there https://www.instagram.com/figureskating_1tv/
The funniest part is that they added Spanish subtitles to the Kaganovskaia/Nekrasov videos due to her celebrity status and popularity among Spanish-speaking countries.


This week in Russian figure skating - Russian Cup event in Moscow (Saturday-Sunday)

Ошибка 404 - страница не найдена - Федерация фигурного катания на коньках России

Официальный сайт Федерации фигурного катания на коньках России. Новости, интервью, календарь и результаты соревнований, состав сборной команды.

fsrussia.ru

 

[rfisher]

Very interesting and very well skated second group of Russian men today. Six totally different skaters and they put on a show for the audience.

Adelia killed her SP. Both her programs this year are perfect for her. IMHO, She's the odds on favorite to be the sole woman if the Russians are allowed to compete in the upcoming Olympics (unless Valieva stuns at Russian nationals next year after her ban is lifted but I think that is a long shot given how long she's been unable to compete). It's sad that Frolova might never get that opportunity because she's really come into her own. Absolutely no idea which man the Russians might send at this point. They have multiple good choices. Pairs: it's between two and I wouldn't want to choose. Whichever team they sent, would be the OGM favorite. They are that much better than all the international teams. Dance, no idea as I don't follow it.

 

[caseyedwards]

Adelia Petrosian is better than any Japanese or Korean you can name

 

[rfisher]

If you are a pair skating fan watch today's SP contest between Boi/Koz and Mish/Gal. 1 point differece in the SP and you'll have to look hard to find where the difference occurred. Two very different programs skated extremely well. Pair skating at its best.

 

[Karen-W]

If you are a pair skating fan watch today's SP contest between Boi/Koz and Mish/Gal. 1 point differece in the SP and you'll have to look hard to find where the difference occurred. Two very different programs skated extremely well. Pair skating at its best.

Or, you know, today's Cup of China FS. Pretty damn good skating there too.

 

[Flanker]

If you are a pair skating fan watch today's SP contest between Boi/Koz and Mish/Gal. 1 point differece in the SP and you'll have to look hard to find where the difference occurred. Two very different programs skated extremely well. Pair skating at its best.

Unfortunately the free skate did not fulfill the expectations, B/K made several mistakes, esp. aborting the last lift.

 

[rfisher]

Unfortunately the free skate did not fulfill the expectations, B/K made several mistakes, esp. aborting the last lift.

I think nerves got to Kozlowski (unusual) unless he was ill. Apparently a number of skaters came down with some bug, but I haven't read that was the case with him. This season I think B/K have the stronger SP and M/G the stronger FS and they were flawless. I think they'd have won even if B/K hadn't made the errors. Neither can afford to make an error when they compete against each other. I never cease to be amazed at how Moskvina is able to use signature moves and reinvent them each season yet she finds a way. But, I think the next time they meet at Russian nationals, the win could go either way, that's how closely they are matched.

 

[Flanker]

I think nerves got to Kozlowski (unusual) unless he was ill. Apparently a number of skaters came down with some bug, but I haven't read that was the case with him. This season I think B/K have the stronger SP and M/G the stronger FS and they were flawless. I think they'd have won even if B/K hadn't made the errors. Neither can afford to make an error when they compete against each other. I never cease to be amazed at how Moskvina is able to use signature moves and reinvent them each season yet she finds a way. But, I think the next time they meet at Russian nationals, the win could go either way, that's how closely they are matched.

Agreed. B/K suffered with these sudden "meltdowns" (well it wasn't complete meltdown but skating with multiple mistakes suddenly) in the past already, their nerves are their biggest enemy. Otherwise I think they have the chance of winning over M/G but they have to keep focused. I am more fan of M/G but for balance of the discipline (and progress, also for motivation) I think it would be good if the winners would switch from one competition to another. We will see at nationals.

 

[Flanker]

Speaking of pairs, this season was little depopulated in this discipline at Russian GP, only seven pairs competed in total. I tried to make comparison with the last year where 15 pairs took part. So of those 15 pairs:

1 Anastasia Mishina / Alexander Gallyamov -still with us
2 Alexandra Boikova / Dmitry Kozlovskii - still with us
3 Natalya Khabibullina / Ilya Knyazhuk - injured
4 Elizaveta Osokina / Artem Gritsaenko - still with us
5 Ekaterina Chikmareva / Matvey Ianchenkov - injured
6 Yulia Artemeva / Alexey Briukhanov - missing for medical reasons, last news Nov 1: “There will be a decision on Yulia in the near future.”
7 Yasmina Kadyrova / Valery Kolesov - split, Kadyrova skates with Mironov this season, Kolesov retired
8 Alyona Kostornaya / Georgy Kunitsa - "skipping two seasons"
9 Taisia Sobinina / Denis Khodykin - Khodykin retired, Sobinina probably plans to continue according to her latest statements, I presume is in process of looking for a new partner
10 Anastasia Mukhortova / Dmitry Yevgenyev - still with us
11 Darya Boyarintseva / Roman Pleshkov - Pleshkov retired, Boyarintseva wants to try coaching accordoing to Mozer (statement from April)
12 Victoria Vasileva / Roman Zaporozhets - withdrew from second stage due to illness, attended third stage of GP, withdrew after SP, I suppose still illness.
13 Maya Shegai / Igor Shamshurov - split, Shegai skates with Shaderkov in juniors
14 Karina Akopova / Nikita Rakhmanin - injuries, plans to move to Armenia
15 Elizaveta Kuleshova / Vladimir Sled - terra incognita, last info is they competed at Rusakov's memorial (local competition) in February 2024

It was mainly affected by the reality that precisely the two "second best" pairs (Chikmareva/Iancenkov and Khabibullina/Knyazhuk) are injured, among others.

 

[Flanker]

Otherwise, esp. pairs and women are affected by the raise of the age eligibility, there are lots of junior pairs and lots of girls but only few can move to seniors soon. From top 12 by standings after the junior cup Alisa Dvoeglazova, Lyubov Rubtsova and Lyashenko I think, and domestically (they would be still only junior eligible internationally for the case of lifting the ban, about which I don't intend to speculate).

 

[Flanker]

Junior 1TV cup (6-8 Dec 2024) preliminary info:

Each team is made up of:
3 boys singles
3 girls singles
️3 sports pairs
2 dance duets

Preliminary team compositions:

Team 1:

Nikita SARNOVSKY
Arseny FEDOTOV
Eduard KARARTYNYAN
Elena KOSTYLEVA
Elizaveta ANDREEVA
Alena PRINEVA
Polina SHESHELEVA / Egor KARNAUKHOV
Veronica MERENKOVA / Danil GALIMOV
Zoya KOVIAZINA / Artemy MOKHOV
Vasilisa GRIGORYEVA / Evgeniy ARTYUSCHENKO
Arina GORSHENINA / Ilya MAKAROV

Team 2:

Lev LAZAREV
Nikolay KOLESNIKOV
Vadim VORONOV
Alisa DVOEGLAZOVA
Lidiya PLESKACHEVA
Margarita BAZYLYUK
Taisiya SHCHERBININA / Artem PETROV
Anastasia CHERNYSHEVA / Vladislav VILCHIK
Sofia Diana KASINS / Alexander BREGEY
Elizaveta MALEINA / Matvey SAMOKHIN
Maria FEFELOVA / Artem VALOV

 

[rfisher]

There are some real future stars here if they stay healthy and avoid injury.

 

[caseyedwards]

Or, you know, today's Cup of China FS. Pretty damn good skating there too.

ridiculous and absurd pretending pair skating without Russians is worth anything

 

[Flanker]

There are some real future stars here if they stay healthy and avoid injury.

Definitely, esp. when one looks into the standings after junior Cup/GP. But thanks to the increasing of age eligibility it will take time for them till they turn senior, as I've posted above. Just example with girls:

(source for all categories: https://olympteka.ru/sport/figure_skating/rating/608.html)

As I've written above, from the top 12 I think only Dvoeglazova, Rubtsova and Lyashenko will be senior eligible next season and just domestically. BTW even Sofia Akateva would be still only junior internationally this season, although she is just one month younger than Adeliia Petrosian, who could be senior since 2022-23 even internationally, that's how the "sequential" increase of age eligibility invented by ISU actually is not sequential at all.

 

[Flanker]

ridiculous and absurd pretending pair skating without Russians is worth anything

Half of pairs skating at GP were actually Russians or related to Russia through coaching. Yes, without Russia pair discipline is the most depleted.

 

[Karen-W]

As I've written above, from the top 12 I think only Dvoeglazova, Rubtsova and Lyashenko will be senior eligible next season and just domestically. BTW even Sofia Akateva would be still only junior internationally this season, although she is just one month younger than Adeliia Petrosian, who could be senior since 2022-23 even internationally, that's how the "sequential" increase of age eligibility invented by ISU actually is not sequential at all.

Clearly you believe the age increase is not fair, however there has to be a cut-off date for eligibility and it has always been June 30, the end of the previous season, that determines the age category for which one is eligible in the coming season. The ISU made a decision to gradually increase the age limit and chose to not punish the skaters already in juniors who would be eligible for seniors on July 1, 2022, by choosing to implement the increase in the age minimum gradually. There was always going to be a group of skaters who were unable to move up until 17 and it had to start somewhere.

The fact that Akateva, whose birthday falls after June 30, was affected and Petrosian, whose birthday falls before July 1, was not, is a situation encountered by talented skaters in every country. Akateva was also, because of her birthdate, unable to compete in juniors internationally, until the season after Petrosian, and yet you do not seem to be criticizing that fact. It's also strange that you do not seem to be criticizing the impact the senior age increase had on any Russian junior men. Only the fact that the ISU raised the age for seniors and its impact on one Russian woman in particular.

Half of pairs skating at GP were actually Russians or related to Russia through coaching. Yes, without Russia pair discipline is the most depleted.

Is that so? Let's go through the Pairs teams that competed on the ISU GP this season...

AUS - Golubeva/Giotopoulos Moore - Russian/Australian (teamed up in 2021) - train in Montreal
CAN - Laurin/Ethier - Canadian/Canadian - train in Montreal
CAN - Pereira/Michaud - Canadian/Canadian - train in Oakville/Toronto
CAN - Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps - American/Canadian - train in Montreal
CHN - Wang/Zhu - Chinese/Chinese - train in China
FIN - Vaananen/Clerici - Finnish/Italian - train in Bergamo
FRA - Faula/Belle - French/French - train in France
FRA - Kovalev/Kovalev - French/Russian (teamed up in 2014, married in 2017) - train in France
GBR - Vaipan-Law/Digby - British/British - train in Dundee
GEO - Metelkina/Berulava - Russian/Georgian (teamed up in 2023, he was born in Russia to Georgian parents, neither has represented any other country) - train in Perm
GER - Hase/Volodin - German/Russian (teamed up in 2022) - train in Berlin
GER - Hocke/Kunkel - German/German - train in Bergamo
HUN - Pavlova/Sviatchenko - Russian/Russian (teamed up in 2022, she began representing Hungary with diff partner in 2021) - train in Sochi
ITA - Conti/Macii - Italian/Italian - train in Bergamo
ITA - Ghilardi/Ambrosini - Italian/Italian - train in Bergamo
JPN - Miura/Kihara - Japanese/Japanese - train in Oakville
JPN - Nagaoka/Moriguchi - Japanese/Japanese - train in Oakville
NED - Danilova/Tsiba - Russian/Dutch (teamed up in 2019) - train in Heerenveen & Sochi
PHI - Gamez/Korovin - Filipina/Russian (teamed up in 2021) - train in Montclair (some in the summer in Sochi)
POL - Chtchetinina/Wozniak - Swiss/Polish (she emigrated as a small child from Russia to Switzerland & represented SUI & HUN previously; teamed up in 2023) - train in Berlin
USA - Chan/Howe - American/American - train in Boston
USA - Efimova/Mitrofanov - Russo-Finnish/American (she was born in Finland to Russian parents & represented Russia prior to 2021, switched to GER then the USA; teamed up in 2023) - train in Boston
USA - Kam/O'Shea - American/American - train in Colorado Springs
USA - Martins/Bedard - American/American - train in Irvine
USA - McBeath/Parkman - American/Russo-Georgian (he was born in Russia & represented Russia prior to 2021 when he switched to GEO, teamed up in 2023) - train in Irvine
USA - Williams/Lewer - American/Australian (teamed up in 2022) - train in Colorado Springs
UZB - Geynish/Chigirev - Russian/Russian (teamed up in 2022, competed domestically in Russia then switched to UZB) - train in Moscow

And of the teams who had GP assignments, but withdrew -
CHN - Peng/Wang - Chinese/Chinese - trained in China
CHN - Yang/Deng - Chinese/Chinese - trained in China
CHN - Zhang/Jia - Chinese/Chinese - trained in China
FRA - Piegad/Strekalin - French/Ukrainian (he only ever represented France internationally) - trained in France
ITA - Beccarri/Guarise - Italian/Italian - train in Bergamo
USA - Plazas/Fernandez - American/American - train in Detroit

So, 27 teams on the GP - of which 3 have one partner who was living in Russia or competed in Russia in the current Olympic cycle; another 5 who have one partner who represented Russia prior to 2021 (the last Olympic cycle); and another 2 who have not represented Russia in at least 5 years; mind 2 of those teams would not have received ANY GP assignments had none of the 6 teams with assignments originally withdrawn. But, still the math ain't mathin'... Realistically, 10 of 27 teams - just over one-third - have at least one Russian partner. Of the 54 skaters on the GP - 11 have represented Russia at some point in the past - that's not even 25%.

Try again, please.

ETA - if you want to add in the teams competing on the Challenger circuit who didn't have GPs, we can do that too, but you won't find any Russians...

AUT - Izzo/Maierhofer - American/Austrian - train in Salzburg & Oakville
AUT - Schaller/Mayr - Austrian/Austrian - train in Salzburg & Oakville
CAN - Bombardier/Mimar - Canadian/Canadian - train in Canada
CZE - Kucianova/Bidar - Czech/Czech - train in Bergamo & Prague
ESP - McIntosh/Zandron - Canadian/Italian-Spanish - train in Bergamo
FRA - Ehrhard/Pellegris - French/French - train in France
GER - Roscher/Schuster - German/German - train in Berlin
ISL - Gunnarsdottir/Piazza - Icelandic/Italian - train in Bergamo
ITA - Caldara/Maglio - Italian/Italian - train in Torino
PRK - Ryom/Han - North Korean/North Korean - train in Pyongyang
RSA - Mauder/Wilkinson - German/South African - train in Bergamo
SUI - Vouillamoz/Bouvart - Swiss/French - train in France
SWE - Crafoord/Crafoord - Swedish/Swedish - train in France
UKR - Holichenko/Darenskyi - Ukrainian/Ukrainian - train in Ukraine
USA - Digerness/Sadusky - American/American - train in Colorado Springs
USA - Fitzpatrick/Bearinger - American/American - train in Detroit
USA - Hanns/Neudecker - American/American - train in Colorado Springs

 

[Flanker]

Just some thoughts...

The Russian GP brought some things. First, people think that women's category is deteriorating. I would not say it way but it is true that in seniors much less difficult elements are performed than before. Though I don't think it is as harsh as some say. Who landed clean quad/3A:
Adelia Petrosian - 3A in both of her SP and FS = 4x, then 2x4T, in both her FS the other 4T attempt was unsuccessful, one fall one pop. She is surely the queen for now, she can only lose if she would make serious mistakes.
Daria Sadkova - at both her FS she went for 2x4T. At her first stage she had a step-out from the second one, at the second one both were clean. She is though little kept back by random mistakes, she can medal at nationals but needs to avoid those mistakes.
Alina Gorbacheva - at her first stage her 4S was UR, but at the second one she was clean. She will probably try to do 2x4S at nationals, which could endanger Adelka if she would do mistakes.
Plus Sofia Akateva tried 4T at both entries, once popped, once fell. At least we have seen that she can do it in the warm-up.

So three delivered at least one clean quad/3A. In fact it is not that different from previous seasons, except 2021/22 nationals where ten skaters attempted quad/3A (https://fsrussia.ru/results/2122/rusnat2122/ENG/Women_FS_Scores.pdf), otherwise I think the number was around 3-4.

There is undoubtful effect of the rising of the age eligibility as the skaters born after 1st July 2008 (as the senior eligibility in Russia is 16 before that date) like e.g. Alisa Dvoeglazova (born 10 Nov 2008) have to wait for two more years till they can compete as seniors. For comparison Daria Sadkova who was born 26th June 2008 is senior eligible for second season already. In juniors there actually quads/3A ara basically a norm, but it will take time before many of them will skate as seniors.

Some may see it positive, because skaters like Frolova with no ultra-c but decent skating have much bigger chance. But it can be temporary, it will depend on how long skaters after 17 will be able to keep some ultra-c. Currently Adeliia Petrosian or Alisa Dvoeglazova are IMO skaters with high probability of keeping quads for a long time.

 

[Flanker]

Men are on the rise and I wonder what caused it. Multiple of them cen deliver program with multiple quads mostly clean so the fight foe medals is very interesting and so can be the nationals. There can be like 8-10 real contenders for a podium.

Also ice dance seems to be reborn, after dramas last season when there were plenty of splits and newly formed teams.