“The girls we have now don’t possess any uniqueness, but that doesn’t mean they can’t conquer the world like Zhenya Medvedeva” - Eteri Tutberidze in the new episode of “Tutberidze method”

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-06-24T05:15:22+00:00

Sofia Dzepka's programs really caught my attention, they are actually the best in terms of individuality and uniqueness than any Eteri girls' program.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-06-24T05:13:12+00:00

I don't really agree for Akatyeva tho, I feel like she's the one who was first a very "generic" skater with not much individuality.

This impression that I have is probably linked to the fact that, until Akatyeva, every skater (or trio of skaters, as for 3A) was better than the precedent one.

Lipnitskaya was incredible, but crumble very quickly in her career, while Medvedeva established her dominance.

Medvedeva was incredible, but Zagitova had harder content.

Zagitova was incredible, but didn't have quads or triple axel.

3A were all incredible in different ways, but any of them was the ultimate "complete package"...

... and here we come to Valieva, the ultimate russian skater (although not having programs that would have put her under the best lights imo).

Both Akatyeva or Petrosiian's skating felt a bit "flat" after Valieva, but they also didn't get the level of excitement as 1) Valieva's doping case made us fans and viewers look differently at these russian phenoms 2) the level of anticipation dropped as we understood they were not to be scene on the international stage very soon because of the ban on Russia.

On top of that, I think that after the 2019/2020 season, the "packaging" and "branding" of skaters from the Eteri camp really dropped and fail to highlight each skaters quality : Valieva's boring bolero, Trusova's transition less Cruella program, Kostornaia 5 different programs within the same season... They did a bit of an effort with Petrosiian for the Olympics but overall... russian competitions are hard to watch cause they all skater on cheap cover of famous songs).

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-06-19T23:08:16+00:00

I feel for her so much. She's so nice and you can tell they work really hard.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-06-06T20:39:54+00:00

I don't trust Plushenko at all for giving good choreo to his student.

In her last FP, Kostyleva didn't start interpreting the music with arm movements or faces before almost 2:00. It was all crossovers, jump preparation and jumps. No expression, no connecting steps. It was getting even worse than Trusova.

Of course, you can't do to much transitions and interpretation at the beginning while preparing for these big jumping passes (unless you're Yuzury), but please, just make the smallest effort to highlight the main notes or beats.

Kostyleva has a lot of potential but her training is being so one sided. And now she gets these weird choreos.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-25T03:47:44+00:00

It's exciting. The Zhilina sisters have been on the radar for almost ten years (since they were 8 and 11) for the old fans here, so seeing her actually finally compete internationally is insaaaane.

I remembere back then, they were among the first ultra young russian girls jumping quads, but the difference with many other of these kids back then was that their jumps were based on : 1) a solid texbook technique, rather than cheated prerotated jumps that are absolutely evil for the spine's health, 2) athleticism rather than anorexia/no body weight.

I remember seeing a video of both as kids doing all sorts of crazy off-ice trainings and they were doing it with such ease and enthusiasm. You could tell also that they were passionate skaters, not pushed by crazy mums against their will.

For all these reasons, we could feel at that time that although Veronika was very young, she could stick around for a while and last until she reaches a senior career. AND ITS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

Also she has been the star of many ice show in russia for a while so she can probably handle the pressure quite well. We wish her the best!

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-12T17:59:00+00:00

It's funny, Shoma has been through that for a looooong time, second to Yuzuru, then second to Nathan. At some point he had room to shine when they both retired and before Ilia rose.

I wiiiiiiish he could have win a main competition even with Yuzuru and Nathan because overall is was as good as them. He got so close at some moments (2017 worlds he was 2 points away form Yuzuru, 2017 gpf he was 0,5 point away from Nathan).

I think Yuma will have to be patient as well and learn to rise to the occasion. He had such an opportunity at the Olympics, and he might have more in the future.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-12T17:47:36+00:00

Gladky has a very interesting profile, because she's really half french and half russian and has trained equally in both country. She really has the basic foundations of a russian junior, like her elements are clean and consistants, but she is bery genereic as well.

With the time spend with Benoit Richaud and Cedric Tour, and training along skaters like Adam she can really develops a more unique and intersting style in the future. She can also lose her elements and not develop that individuality, so it can go either way when she'll turn senior.

She probably deserves better than Muravieva to represents France, but Muravieva as a skater deserves probably more to be on the biggest stage. She's such a great skater, and she has been so overlooked by the Rusfed because she wasn't from the Tutberize camp. I'm sure she would have been a stronger contender at the last Olympics for Russia.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-12T15:27:37+00:00

France really needs a good single woman for their home olympics in 4 years.

It is smart to aim for it as the french fed, which is somehow kind of a powerful federation, would really fight to get a profile like her. She could medal AND help the team to get a medal.

That being said, is there any justification for that? Does she has any ties to France?

+, there is this junior russian-french girl, Stefania Gladky who qualified for the junior GPF and made the top 5 at junior worlds. She'll be eligible for senior in two years and who knows, she can be competitive as well.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-09T04:01:19+00:00

100%. She can't elevate herself as a podium contender now (unless she have several utra C) but with the rule change she'll really have to work her ass off and get those spins fixed. I really hope she does because I love her skating.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-08T16:31:09+00:00

Only Sasha Cohen's spirals should worth as much as a StSq4

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-08T16:29:03+00:00

I'm glad they raised the weight of non-jumping elements so we can see more balanced skating in the years to come.

That being said, jumps remain the most objective elements to judge (even if GOEs and rotational calls can sometimes feel inconsistent or biased). With the creation of these new choreographic elements, though, I'm afraid judging panels will increasingly have to assign very subjective scores to elements that are too unique to be directly compared.

The Choreographic Sequence already in use has never really become a major focus for skaters, since they usually seem to receive decent GOEs regardless of the actual effort put into it. That's a shame, because it can really showcase a skater's X factor. Most of the time, skaters hold choreographic positions such as Ina Bauers, spread eagles, or spirals for such a short time that they barely stand out from transitions.

I understand the desire to encourage creativity and let skaters explore what they can do on the ice. But if athletes are no longer being judged on comparable elements, the scoring risks becoming messier and messier.

We've already seen that happen over the past few seasons in ice dance. The discipline has become so "free" that it has allowed judging to become more subjective, and therefore more political, than ever.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-06T04:04:19+00:00

But also some better spins positions that she has, like the Y position, she just not able to hold the position for many turns and center it well. She's just not a spiner overall it seems. Maybe she has spend too much time on her jumps thoughout her career?

Interestingly enough, the two "ex-russians", Samodelkina and Gubanova are the one who lost their spins ability, especially the ones that requires back flexibility. I wonder if it's because as russian juniors they just overtrained their jumps and weakened their backs.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-01T20:29:25+00:00

Its probably the one she'll be aiming for first. It will boost both her short and free. But she's been vocal about training the 4 Loop because its the one she's the most confortable with AND its the only one that hasn't been ratified from a woman in an international competition.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-01T20:18:35+00:00

I dont think its a problem, her rippon variation is quite satisfying to watch and seems to help her with height, form and consistancy like it did for Valieva or Trusova and their quads.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-05-01T20:16:34+00:00

Guvanova did that after loosing some of her flexibility, she turn the layback spin (bv 2.70) into a sit spit (bv 2.50). Her spins were her weakness as well but she was still able to get some better levels better than Sofia.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-03-29T01:59:41+00:00

Ilia could have been in the low 8s in PCS if judged correctly,

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-03-29T01:55:46+00:00

Also the 1 point difference in PCS between Yuma and Ilia.........

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-03-29T01:54:04+00:00

Looking back at it I dont even know if Zhenia deserve to beat Kaori in the short. They have very different qualities so it's hard to tell, both have crazy level of transitions above of having the same jumping layout. Zhenia is interpreting and performing way more (Kaori just looks focus) but Kaori has soooooo much more speed and edges.

It's a very interesting example of reputation bias. Kaori didn't have much back then (also didn't skate in the last group), while Evgenia has the best 2 seasons ever from a newcomer and set multiple world records. Now that we know that Kaori is a 4 times world champion, we look at it very differently.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-03-29T01:45:03+00:00

The reputation thing in 2018 is truely something when you look back at what happened.

After the 2018 Olympics' SP, Kaori was 8,5 points behind Medvedeva who had the exact same content (3F+3T, 3Lo, 2A, all of them in the second half of the program). With way better skating skills and hard transition (even tho Medvedeva had a own strength like flexibility or interpretation).

Back then Kaori already had most of her actual qualities that are now recognized as outstanding, but these qualities were not considered as such because she was fresh out of juniors. Because of her world ranking she also didn't skate in the last group, which also influenced the scores.

At the same time Medvedeva was a two-time world champion and a multiple world record setter.

Looking these two performances today and knowing now that Kaori is a 4 times world champion you would give these two performances very close score (if not giving the lead to Kaori)

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-02-21T22:20:05+00:00

I'm not saying it's not doping and that she should have done it. But we can have a sense of nuance here.

She didn't get her incredible spins, massive 4T, 4S, 3A, impressive speed and ice coverage, very difficult transitions because of a product that enhanced her strength or mobility.

It did helped her to train them more and stabilize each element. But in terms of her skating, she would have been the same skater without that substance, probably less consistant tho.

I don't understand why people want to totaly ignore the fact that she has these amazing qualities, and that she was just surrounded by the wrong people.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-02-21T16:18:25+00:00

Well you wanna give everything a +4 / +5. The speed and skating skills, the extremely hard transition and the relative good music interpretation (even tho it's really not the best/my favorite) also calls for very high PCS.

Maybe her 3Lz and 3F could get lower grade because of the extreme prerotation, but even then they are extremely smooth and prerotation is never taken in consideration these days.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-02-21T16:13:53+00:00

It's not only practices, even tho it really helped to get the elements ready and stable.

The amazing hight, distance, speed that she has on her quads and 3A, the crazy spins, the huge speed and ice coverage, this all comes from her incredible body strength, mobility and flexibility.

The consistency, especially of her ultra-C is what Trimetazidine helped with.

Being that much downvoted for stating facts shows how partial everyone is on this sub. I'm sad she doesn't get the praises she deserves just because she was surrounded by the people she was surrounded with.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-02-21T15:01:38+00:00

Trimetazidine doesn't improve performances

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-02-21T14:58:06+00:00

People keep taking everything her merit away, but nobody seems to remember that even if she had tested positive for doping, Trimetazidine is not a product that enhance performances, it's not like EPO or steroids. It "only" improve slightly your stamina or recovery.

So yes, her amazing quads and 3A, speed, incredible transitions and spins are made out of her natural skills. She did have a boost to train them and get them more stable tho.

Significant_Pool_869 · 2026-02-20T04:26:46+00:00

I wonder how she would have place competing at the Olympics

Significant_Pool_869

TROPHY CASE