Figure Skating

[legaleagle53]

I got Karen Chen.  I'd love to know how they came up with THAT one!

[Jeddah]

9 hours ago, HartofDixie said:

Another skater quiz

https://www.buzzfeed.com/justinejm/which-olympic-bound-figure-skater-are-you-3b7ms?fbclid=IwAR0YivW_IVixFNA1MilCDmvPmmdbrBECArPCAy40qdJx5qyT4jBcUhX7Tzc

I got Bradie. I want to be Mirai!

[Jaded]

I like that those of us who've taken these quizzes have actually gotten a variety of results. 

[andromeda331]

I got Nathan Chen I don't know how that happened. It was hoping for Mirai or Karen.

[healthnut]

I got Adam Rippon

So Elizaveta is out of nationals due to pneumonia. I wonder if they’ll name her to the team or send her to Europeans first and see how she does. Probably depends on what Evgenia does. I’m definitely more excited about Russian nationals than US ladies. 

Edited December 19, 2018 by healthnut

[HartofDixie]

Russian and Japan Nationals are starting soon. Here’s Med’s new short choreographed by Misha Ge.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SkatingLesson/status/1075392684351733761

[Maelstrom]

Misha Ge!!💖💖 I miss watching him skate in competitions, he's been one of my favorites for years. But it's very cool that he's become such an accomplished choreographer.

[NUguy514]

I got Mirai.

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

I got Mirai.

Lucky! How did you do it?

[AnnaBaptist]

On 12/7/2018 at 11:05 AM, Darknight said:

 

 

On 12/7/2018 at 11:05 AM, Darknight said:

 

And I seriously need to learn Russian. I alway mess Alena's name up. It's Aloyna. Then I get confused seeing Anna's last name. It's Scherbokva but in Russia it started with a W. 

I know it's not just me but seeing Rika, the other skaters  and the Russian girls, you can see how Rika uses her toe pick to jump and actually has some strength vs Alina and some of Eteri skaters who use their whole blade and their jumps aren't as strong. Anna's jumps are so tiny and you notice she is not using her legs. She is using her arms. 

The "e" in Alena is the e with an umlaut on top of it. It is pronounced roughly as "yo". Often, this umlaut is omitted in languages that do not use one. This is why Gorbachev's name is pronounced "Gorbachov".  In Russian, the letter that looks like a "w" with flat bottoms is the "sh" sound. If you add a little tail to it at the end, it is the "shch" sound.

[Jeddah]

On 12/16/2018 at 6:02 PM, HartofDixie said:

Ashley Wagner started a blog.  She interviewed Meryl Davis.

https://www.theashwagner.com/blog/spotlight-post

 

I loved hearing what Meryl had to say about post- Olympics life. However, I cannot stand Ashley. Even the way she sat with her hand under her chin annoyed me. She just always seems so smug! But I’ll probably keep watching if she keeps interviewing good people!

[Darknight]

4 hours ago, AnnaBaptist said:

 

The "e" in Alena is the e with an umlaut on top of it. It is pronounced roughly as "yo". Often, this umlaut is omitted in languages that do not use one. This is why Gorbachev's name is pronounced "Gorbachov".  In Russian, the letter that looks like a "w" with flat bottoms is the "sh" sound. If you add a little tail to it at the end, it is the "shch" sound.

Thank you. I look at their names and then hear them I'm like wow. I was saying it wrong. I was not expecting Alena to be Alyona. I was shocked.   I wonder how hard it is to travel.  They have like two different  names their Russian name and another translation. In Russian it sounds and is written differently than in English and other languages. Even Zagitova in Russian the Z looks like a 3. It confused me when I first saw it. I'm sure if I learn a bit of Russian it will come easier for me. I have the backwards r down so far. Ya I believe. The Russian alphabet has my brain in overload mode. Being a figure skating fan makes me want to learn Russian and Japanese right now. 

Ted Barton just did an interview with Eteri. It was very sad hearing about her mom and she died last month from cancer I believe. 

 

The interview imo was soft core. But Ted doesn't live for drama. 

 

Eteri and her team also changed Alexandria's  and Anna's quads. Maybe JGP made them  think smarter. 

[legaleagle53]

53 minutes ago, Darknight said:

Thank you. I look at their names and then hear them I'm like wow. I was saying it wrong. I was not expecting Alena to be Alyona. I was shocked.   I wonder how hard it is to travel.  They have like two different  names their Russian name and another translation. In Russian it sounds and is written differently than in English and other languages. Even Zagitova in Russian the Z looks like a 3. It confused me when I first saw it. I'm sure if I learn a bit of Russian it will come easier for me. I have the backwards r down so far. Ya I believe. The Russian alphabet has my brain in overload mode. Being a figure skating fan makes me want to learn Russian and Japanese right now. 

Learning the Russian alphabet is actually one of the easiest steps to learning the language. What complicates it just a bit is that Russian vowels are pronounced differently depending on whether they're stressed or unstressed.  That threw me when I first started learning Russian, because I was used to Spanish and Italian, where vowels are always pronounced with their full value whether they're stressed or unstressed.

Now, once you get past the alphabet and pronunciation, you have to start dealing with cases.

[HartofDixie]

2 hours ago, Darknight said:

 

6 hours ago, AnnaBaptist said:

 

The "e" in Alena is the e with an umlaut on top of it. It is pronounced roughly as "yo". Often, this umlaut is omitted in languages that do not use one. This is why Gorbachev's name is pronounced "Gorbachov".  In Russian, the letter that looks like a "w" with flat bottoms is the "sh" sound. If you add a little tail to it at the end, it is the "shch" sound.

Thank you. I look at their names and then hear them I'm like wow. I was saying it wrong. I was not expecting Alena to be Alyona. I was shocked.   I wonder how hard it is to travel.  They have like two different  names their Russian name and another translation. In Russian it sounds and is written differently than in English and other languages. Even Zagitova in Russian the Z looks like a 3. It confused me when I first saw it. I'm sure if I learn a bit of Russian it will come easier for me. I have the backwards r down so far. Ya I believe. The Russian alphabet has my brain in overload mode. Being a figure skating fan makes me want to learn Russian and Japanese right now. 

Ted Barton just did an interview with Eteri. It was very sad hearing about her mom and she died last month from cancer I believe. 

 

[Tippi]

I saw an interview that Meryl did with Nathan.  I thought she did a good job.  She was natural and low key, had a good presence.  It seems that a lot of recently retired skaters are getting into the media game. 

I actually also watched a cute "interview" Liza T. did with Nathan.  She was charming and bubbly.  Made me want to root for her!  I hope she feels better soon.

[annzeepark914]

I'd love to see some of the recently retired skaters used by NBC as commentators.  Belbin & Agosto are my #1 choice.  They are so knowledgeable about skating (especially Ben), speak & sound well on TV. And they're so professional.  Also think Ryan Bradley can do well.  Some folks have complained about him but I've enjoyed listening to him.

[carrier76]

Ryan has definitely toned down the I’m-speaking-to-a-roomful-of-kindergarteners commenting style. He has gotten better.

[Mellowyellow]

Can someone explain to me what "boot issues" are?

Rika was having them according to GS and I totally don't understand what it means.

Surely they have lots of skating boots to choose from/use?

[Good Queen Jane]

Boots give stability to the skater's ankles and affects the landing. When a skater lands, there has to be enough flexibility to spread the impact through the leg but enough firmness to keep the leg upright. If the boot is too firm or too soft, it can really throw off the landing. It also has to give enough support for the spins. Most skaters take months to get their boots to the right flexibility. It's like breaking in a pair of new shoes. Sometimes they never become comfortable and sometimes ones you wear all the time just fall apart.

[ML89]

13 hours ago, Tippi said:

I actually also watched a cute "interview" Liza T. did with Nathan.  She was charming and bubbly.  Made me want to root for her!  I hope she feels better soon.

She's already been teasing Terry Gannon on Twitter that she wants his job:

 

 

[SeanC]

3 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Boots give stability to the skater's ankles and affects the landing. When a skater lands, there has to be enough flexibility to spread the impact through the leg but enough firmness to keep the leg upright. If the boot is too firm or too soft, it can really throw off the landing. It also has to give enough support for the spins. Most skaters take months to get their boots to the right flexibility. It's like breaking in a pair of new shoes. Sometimes they never become comfortable and sometimes ones you wear all the time just fall apart.

Choi Dabin has missed this whole season to date because her preferred brand was discontinued and she can’t find a new pair that works for her, in an extreme case.

[Darknight]

I'm happy Evegenia is getting so much support. Especially from Tatiana even if I don't like her. Tatiana supports both Brian and Evegenia. I can't believe how exciting Russian Nationals are. 

5 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Boots give stability to the skater's ankles and affects the landing. When a skater lands, there has to be enough flexibility to spread the impact through the leg but enough firmness to keep the leg upright. If the boot is too firm or too soft, it can really throw off the landing. It also has to give enough support for the spins. Most skaters take months to get their boots to the right flexibility. It's like breaking in a pair of new shoes. Sometimes they never become comfortable and sometimes ones you wear all the time just fall apart.

Karen had boot issues too. I've heard many skaters say it takes some time to find the right boot and get use to them. My dancer goes through ballet and dance shoes like water. I wonder if this is the same for skating too. 

Edited December 21, 2018 by Darknight

[honeywest]

I wish Misha Ge would choreograph for Jason Brown.

[le bordel chaud]

I'm a tad bit disappointed that my girl Alyona Kostornaia couldn't pull out the win. But sadly, she just doesn't have the technical content to compete when the quadsters hit. So unless she adds her triple axel in, Alyona is going to have to hope that time is on her side and her competitors' bodies won't hold up in the long run. Time will tell!

But that being said, if Medvedeva or Kostornaia (my two favorites) couldn't win, I'm thrilled it was Anna Shcherbakova. I don't like her LP music (and her choreography is inadequate) but she is still delightful to watch and that quad lutz was mind-blowing! She has an artistic flair and is a satisfying champion.

I was so disappointed after Zhenya blew the short, but she came back like a champion in the long! Too bad about the 2A3T<< fall, because a clean long would have been so redemptive and a cause for celebration. I hope this isn't the end of her season because I love her Tosca and I feel like her Libertango gets better every time. 

Zagitova's meltdown gave me a flashback to Worlds last season. It was just as shocking today as it was then. When things like that happen, you truly realize how much pressure these young women are under. Poor thing. I wanted to give her a hug.

All in all, what an amazing and exciting competition! Year after year, Russian Nationals is my favorite Christmas present.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Victim Noises

[Darknight]

I'm shocked at the results. I also love Brian's reactions seeing his skaters skate. He gets into it..

 

. I think Alena will go further than Alexandra and Anna. She is being smart with her training. She took out her 3a because it wasn't stable and she is going through puberty right now. She is a year older than both of them. Clearly I think the judges favor her over the other two. With the new scoring system I think it will help Alena. 

 

Evegenia probably needs a sports psychology. Sports are like 80 percent mental 20 percent physical. 

 

 

What happened with Alina? I missed her FP. 

[le bordel chaud]

29 minutes ago, Darknight said:

What happened with Alina? I missed her FP. 

Fell on her lutz and axel. Unable to do any 3-3s. :/ Not a good skate and only 12th in the long.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Victim Noises

[Mellowyellow]

My two favourites had meltdowns on different days it seems. 

I caught Evgenia's SP live and that was hard to watch. I don't think I'll be watching Alina's. I'm very fond of her and she looks especially sorrowful when she has a bad skate so I can't watch. She breaks my heart more than anyone when she looks sad. Something about her.  

[Darknight]

2 hours ago, Victim Noises said:

Fell on her lutz and axel. Unable to do any 3-3s. :/ Not a good skate and only 12th in the long.

Wow. How sad. Poor girl. I want to hug her. It's crazy she just won the OGM 10 months ago and regressed so fast. She looks miserable and hurt every time I see her skate now. 

[SeanC]

6 hours ago, Victim Noises said:

I'm a tad bit disappointed that my girl Alyona Kostornaia couldn't pull out the win. But sadly, she just doesn't have the technical content to compete when the quadsters hit. So unless she adds her triple axel in, Alyona is going to have to hope that time is on her side and her competitors' bodies won't hold up in the long run. Time will tell!

She actually would have won here if she hadn't fallen on her step sequence in the short program.

1 hour ago, Darknight said:

Wow. How sad. Poor girl. I want to hug her. It's crazy she just won the OGM 10 months ago and regressed so fast. She looks miserable and hurt every time I see her skate now. 

The thing is, Alina actually had better jump technique than Evgenia did, but for some reason it's deteriorating much faster.  

[Growsonwalls]

43 minutes ago, SeanC said:

She actually would have won here if she hadn't fallen on her step sequence in the short program.

The thing is, Alina actually had better jump technique than Evgenia did, but for some reason it's deteriorating much faster.  

Alina had some pretty horrible injuries. Her timing was better -- those injuries didn't happen during the Olympic year. But for a 16 year old she has a pretty wrecked body. 

[Darknight]

7 hours ago, SeanC said:

She actually would have won here if she hadn't fallen on her step sequence in the short program.

The thing is, Alina actually had better jump technique than Evgenia did, but for some reason it's deteriorating much faster.  

I agree. I didn't expect this from her. 10 months ago, she won the Olympics. Now, she doesn't even look like an Olympic athlete. She won everything but world's last year. 

 

Her programs and music suck. Her coaches suck too. Poor Alina. I mean her own country didn't even support her winning the OGM. Japan has shown more love to her than Russia. She just looks miserable and hurt. I want to hug her. This year has been a hot mess for her. Poor kid needs a good program and good music. She can do so much better

 

It wouldn't shock me if Eteri gives her skaters pills or injections to stop puberty and let puberty happen when it matters. It's bad enough Alina doesn't eat and feels shamed for growing and going through puberty. The fact that puberty is a death sentence is just horrible. I can't imagine being a young teen skater in Eteri's group and going through puberty. Being told gaining weight, growing taller, getting breasts, and your period is wrong because then you don't skate well. Even Alexei told everyone Liz has to go through puberty because it's normal. He said let it happen. 

[Ruby Gillis]

11 hours ago, Darknight said:

I agree. I didn't expect this from her. 10 months ago, she won the Olympics. Now, she doesn't even look like an Olympic athlete. She won everything but world's last year. 

 

Her programs and music suck. Her coaches suck too. Poor Alina. I mean her own country didn't even support her winning the OGM. Japan has shown more love to her than Russia. She just looks miserable and hurt. I want to hug her. This year has been a hot mess for her. Poor kid needs a good program and good music. She can do so much better

 

It wouldn't shock me if Eteri gives her skaters pills or injections to stop puberty and let puberty happen when it matters. It's bad enough Alina doesn't eat and feels shamed for growing and going through puberty. The fact that puberty is a death sentence is just horrible. I can't imagine being a young teen skater in Eteri's group and going through puberty. Being told gaining weight, growing taller, getting breasts, and your period is wrong because then you don't skate well. Even Alexei told everyone Liz has to go through puberty because it's normal. He said let it happen. 

Has Zagitova gotten even taller in the past few months?   It's hard to tell on the ice.  I hope she can adjust.

I never liked Medvedeva's skating but now I'm rooting for her.  It takes guts to make such a big change and rebuild technique.  She seems like she might be mentally tough enough to fight through the next four years.  

[SeanC]

Daisuke Takahashi claims silver at the Japanese championships.  The free skate was a struggle, but the rest of the field struggled more.  He was offered a Worlds spot, but declined, perhaps thinking he didn't have the stamina.  In any event, a nice cap for his domestic comeback.

Kaori upset the applecart a bit by winning the Japanese title, but good for her.

Interestingly, unless Kaori also wins Worlds (which would be an even bigger upset), this will be the second year in a row that the ladies' World title goes to someone who is not their country's reigning national champion.  None of the Russian seniors are even reigning national medalists, while Rika got silver in Japan, and Satoko the bronze.  Nobody else is really a contender.

[annzeepark914]

32 minutes ago, SeanC said:

Daisuke Takahashi claims silver at the Japanese championships.  The free skate was a struggle, but the rest of the field struggled more.  He was offered a Worlds spot, but declined, perhaps thinking he didn't have the stamina.  In any event, a nice cap for his domestic comeback.

Awww...be still my skating heart!  I've always loved Daisuke's skating, always.  Too many skaters' music is just background. But DT actually skates-the-music throughout his programs. Even if you had no audio, you could almost hear music just by watching him.  I'm sorry he's not going to Worlds but I'm delighted he's back on competitive ice.  Not many skaters "got it" but Daisuke sure does.

[specialj67]

28 minutes ago, SeanC said:

Daisuke Takahashi claims silver at the Japanese championships.  The free skate was a struggle, but the rest of the field struggled more.  He was offered a Worlds spot, but declined, perhaps thinking he didn't have the stamina.  In any event, a nice cap for his domestic comeback.

Kaori upset the applecart a bit by winning the Japanese title, but good for her.

Interestingly, unless Kaori also wins Worlds (which would be an even bigger upset), this will be the second year in a row that the ladies' World title goes to someone who is not their country's reigning national champion.  None of the Russian seniors are even reigning national medalists, while Rika got silver in Japan, and Satoko the bronze.  Nobody else is really a contender.

I’m an unabashed Kaori fan, so the fact that she won was thrilling for me. I really love her speed and flow across the ice, and the fact that she was able to bring it in a stacked field. Yay! I mean, really, I love a lot of the top Japanese women skaters, but Kaori is my fave of faves.

I’m impressed with what Daisuke Takahashi has done considering how long he’s been out of the competitive game. It’s hard to imagine a skater turning down a world team spot absent a serious injury or illness. Although, honestly, will Keiji do any better than Daisuke might have? The selfish skating fan in me would rather watch a technically imperfect, yet aesthetically pleasing, Daisuke over a wildly inconsistent Keiji.

[SeanC]

Former British dance champions Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland, who retired after their third Olympics earlier this year, are engaged.

[Growsonwalls]

TSL did a rather long interview with Katia Gordeeva. It's a pretty good interview, she goes very in-depth into the Soviet sporting system.

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

I’m impressed with what Daisuke Takahashi has done considering how long he’s been out of the competitive game. It’s hard to imagine a skater turning down a world team spot absent a serious injury or illness. Although, honestly, will Keiji do any better than Daisuke might have? The selfish skating fan in me would rather watch a technically imperfect, yet aesthetically pleasing, Daisuke over a wildly inconsistent Keiji.

I saw his performance and he really seemed to struggle with endurance. But IIRC he did land a beautiful quad toe.... 

[Mellowyellow]

Omg Alina is practising quads 💀

Quad flip on a harness. 

It is my wish for Alina to win worlds and then peace out and cash in on endorsements using her beautiful looks but seems like she's not giving up skating. 

I hope her body survives so she can have the career she wants. And for her coaching team to be nice to her!!!

[Darknight]

1 hour ago, Mellowyellow said:

Omg Alina is practising quads 💀

Quad flip on a harness. 

It is my wish for Alina to win worlds and then peace out and cash in on endorsements using her beautiful looks but seems like she's not giving up skating. 

I hope her body survives so she can have the career she wants. And for her coaching team to be nice to her!!!

Alina doesn't need to practice quads. She needs to fix what she already had and improve what she has now. Not practice quads. What is wrong with her coaching team? Quads? Did they see her skating. Alina is already losing her current technique. What will quads do to help her? Injury her even more

[Darknight]

Also, I can't read nor understand Russian, thanks to Google translate and a few others who translate, I read Tatiana is pushing for Evegenia to go to Europeans and Worlds. She also said something about Russian skaters are robbed of medals internationally and against Japan. I don't know if this is translated right but this woman never disappoints me. 

[Mellowyellow]

Tatiana is nice about Evgenia which I am glad for since I love Evgenia and she needs a lot of support right now. Tatiana can and has been quite nasty about Alina though. 

Anyone got a prediction for Worlds? I am so torn! I adore Rika Kihira who is the most adorable little munchkin (mad skating skills aside) but I REALLY want Alina to get a gold Worlds medal, cuz sad Alina breaks my heart.

I will admit I prefer Rika's actual program though! 

[Darknight]

20 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Tatiana is nice about Evgenia which I am glad for since I love Evgenia and she needs a lot of support right now. Tatiana can and has been quite nasty about Alina though. 

Anyone got a prediction for Worlds? I am so torn! I adore Rika Kihira who is the most adorable little munchkin (mad skating skills aside) but I REALLY want Alina to get a gold Worlds medal, cuz sad Alina breaks my heart.

I will admit I prefer Rika's actual program though! 

Yes, Tatiana told Alina's father on national TV that Alina shouldn't have won. Russia and everyone wanted Evgenia to win not Alina. She said the judges made a mistake by giving Alina the OGM. It was all in Russian but my heart broke for Alina. Poor girl. She looks like she works hard. I love her personality. She is shy yet sweet and wise beyond her years. Her own country didn't give her the respect she deserves. She can do so much better. Her programs are just awful. I can't believe she went from black swan and red ballerina to this. 

 

 

For worlds if Liz goes, then for me it's between Rika and Liz. Maybe Alina if she skates clean. Rika has my heart now and I hope she stays consistent. Liz has an empty program but she brings it. 

[Mellowyellow]

3 hours ago, Darknight said:

I love her personality. She is shy yet sweet and wise beyond her years. Her own country didn't give her the respect she deserves. She can do so much better. Her programs are just awful. I can't believe she went from black swan and red ballerina to this.

She's a really sweet girl who is very sensitive I think which is why I worry about her under Eteri. Moreso than Evgenia under Eteri.

Alina didn't have much of a reaction when she won the OGM (something I believe she tried to control for Evgenia's sake) however this year during the GPF while Rika was waiting for her scores (and it was looking like she had a good chance of beating Alina based on her skate), the camera flashed to Alina and you could see her trying to be all smiley like a good sport. She is an absolute sweetheart that girl! 

Looking back I am glad she went for that crazy backloaded program. Some may not like it but to me she made history to be able to skate that and to skate it so well jumping pass after jumping pass. I'll look back and think "Oh that was the year Alina did the crazy backloaded program in the red tutu and nailed it."

[Growsonwalls]

Fans did buy Alina a puppy which she still has. As for her winning OGM and clutching a stuffed animal, I felt so sad for her. The other girls were comforting Evgenia or just flat out ignoring her. I get that they might not know her that well because she had just risen from the junior ranks but the way she seemed so alone when it was supposed to be the happiest moment of her life was sad.

[Darknight]

Seeing Boyang's perfect 4Lz is a gift. Perfect textbook technique and a real 4Lz jump vs the junior girls and even some men quads. His 4Lz was perfect. 

[Darknight]

21 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

She's a really sweet girl who is very sensitive I think which is why I worry about her under Eteri. Moreso than Evgenia under Eteri.

Alina didn't have much of a reaction when she won the OGM (something I believe she tried to control for Evgenia's sake) however this year during the GPF while Rika was waiting for her scores (and it was looking like she had a good chance of beating Alina based on her skate), the camera flashed to Alina and you could see her trying to be all smiley like a good sport. She is an absolute sweetheart that girl! 

Looking back I am glad she went for that crazy backloaded program. Some may not like it but to me she made history to be able to skate that and to skate it so well jumping pass after jumping pass. I'll look back and think "Oh that was the year Alina did the crazy backloaded program in the red tutu and nailed it."

 

 

Alina doesn't mention her backstory much. I'm happy she doesn't because I hate sob stories especially with athletes but hers made me a bit sad. Poor girl was only 12 years old and had to move away from her family. Her mother and Alina went back and forth to Sambo 70 everyday. It took them 4 hours each way by train and bus. They would often rest at the rink because Alina had two sessions at the ring. Alina and her mother had to wait in the cold and rain waiting for the bus that never came to go back home. The apartment with her grandma was paid for by her fathers old company job. I can't imagine being 12 and doing all of this. Then she broke her arm and leg too. She said she has no friends in Moscow only her pets. 

 

 

Her Red ballerina program was perfect for her. It hid her flaws really well but it was perfect. I didn't care if she back loaded it and I'm kind of pissed they changed the rule. I was also pissed at Ashley Wagner and others for "bashing" Alina and her program just because they didn't or couldn't do it. Her jumps were right on beat with the music and I fell in love with it. 

 

Alina is such a sweet girl tho and is a good sport. It sucks Eteri cares more about medals than her skaters. I want to hug her and tell her she is a beautiful skater and sweet girl. You can tell she works hard because right now she muscles her way through her program and tries really hard to get through it. I would hate to not see her skate anymore. That would break my heart. 

5 hours ago, Growsonwalls said:

Fans did buy Alina a puppy which she still has. As for her winning OGM and clutching a stuffed animal, I felt so sad for her. The other girls were comforting Evgenia or just flat out ignoring her. I get that they might not know her that well because she had just risen from the junior ranks but the way she seemed so alone when it was supposed to be the happiest moment of her life was sad.

 

They probably saw Alina as backup. Eteri didn't want to take a chance with just one skater like in Sochi with Yulia. So she brought two skaters but everyone thought Evegenia would win. She went undefeated for two seasons only to be beaten by this junior turned first year senior girl Alina. Russia wanted Evengia to win. All she had to do was skate clean and the OGM was hers. She already had TV interviews and sponsors lined up. Alina didn't. The way Russia, Tatiana, and Eteri treated Alina is so sad. Girl couldn't enjoy her moment or be happy. Then she came back home only to be bashed for winning. I don't get this at all. Russia should be happy they got 1 and 2. 

[HartofDixie]

https://www.ifsmagazine.com/ashley-wagner-on-the-road-to-recovery/

[ChicksDigScars]

On 12/16/2018 at 10:13 AM, Jaded said:

I got Alexandra Stepanova & Ivan Bukin.

I got Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte. I'm good with that. They're fun. 

 

And Adam Rippon on the singles skater quiz. Once again, I'm cool with that. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by ChicksDigScars

[Darknight]

22 hours ago, HartofDixie said:

https://www.ifsmagazine.com/ashley-wagner-on-the-road-to-recovery/

I'm sorry if I sound mean but Ashley should've known they wouldn't choose her for the Olympic team. I think she thought she would be chosen based on her name and laurels. I didn't really like Ashley. Her skating wasn't there for me at all. Even when she was a jr. She never blames herself she always blames everyone else. She  probably thought since Gracie was out she was in. She thought it would be like 2014. Her programs last season were a hot mess. I hope Ashley the best, but I'm tired of her at this point. She is a diva and wants everyone else to bend over backwards for her.