#2021 Russian Test Skates

[figureskatingcostumes]

Annabelle Morozov and Andrei Bagin's rhythm dance costumes at the 2021 Russian Test Skates and 2021 Internationaux de France. They skated to My Body Is a Cage by Peter Gabriel and Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas.

(Sources: 1, 2 and 3)

[bopinion]

2024 / 16

Aperçu of the Week

"You can't knock on opportunity's door and not be ready."

(Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars and my sons favorite soundtrack while he's cooking)

Bad News of the Week

Sport actually has nothing to do with politics. Because the competition is carried out by individuals who (can) stand outside of systems. Nevertheless, sport is often instrumentalized by politics by stylizing successful athletes as symbolic figures for the strength of a system. I can still remember the Olympic Games in the 70s and 80s very well, in which the athletes of the USA and the Soviet Union competed against each other in many ways as a priority. And Rocky IV, of course.

It is fitting that sports organizations have always been suspected of being corrupt - often rightly so, see FIFA. It is therefore clear that it is almost always not the athletes who are the problem, but the officials. Do you need proof? How about China and doping? Because there was a big boom this week, as a journalistic investigative team from ARD (the BBC of Germany) found out.

At a national swimming competition in China at the beginning of 2021, 23 swimmers tested positive in the mandatory doping tests - which means negative in this context. This was then covered up. With the knowledge of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). The agency did not consider it worth investigating the banned substance trimetazidine, for which the Russian figure skating prodigy Kamila Valiyeva was banned for four years in the same year. The Chinese swimmers, however, were not. In the following Summer Olympics in Tokyo, three of them won gold and two silver.

We can see that China today is what the Soviet Union (and to some extent the GDR) used to be - a regime that abuses even its top performers to score points at international level. The staff looking after athletes (including doctors who have long since thrown the Hippocratic Oath overboard) still have more say than the athletes themselves. An institution that was set up to prevent malpractice can also be corrupt. At the major sporting events this summer, first the European Men's Football Championships and then the Olympic Games in Paris, spectators will not know whether they are cheering on a fake. And the athletes themselves won't know whether the competition was fair at all.

Good News of the Week

At last, US weapons are back in Ukraine. For months, the Republican “Freedom caucus” in the House of Representatives had been standing on the brakes. And Ukraine lost. Because, as is generally the case in the NATO context, all other members cannot compensate for the loss of by far the most capable partner country. It is therefore a great relief that the rationalists in the USA have regained the upper hand. And are now giving the badly shaken Ukraine hope again.

The following still applies: if Putin can subjugate Ukraine or impose a dictated peace on it, he will not sit back contentedly in his armchair in the Kremlin and enjoy the day of victory. He will continue in his quest to bring the Soviet Union back from the dead. Even if the Baltic states are members of NATO, they would be his next victims (not to mention Moldova, for example). Because apparently he could simply allow himself to do this without being stopped. The democracy of the whole of Europe is being defended in Ukraine, that must not be forgotten. So my heartfelt thanks to the US Congress.

A positive side effect of all this is that the same financial package, which Joe Biden will undoubtedly sign as soon as possible, contains even more. Namely 26 billion US dollars for the suffering population in Gaza - in your face, Benjamin Netanyahu! And 8 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region - in your face, Xi Jinping! The USA are back on the world stage where they belong. I would not have thought it, but I must now pay tribute to a member of the Republican establishment. So thank you, Speaker of the House James Michael “Mike” Johnson. Hopefully I'll get over it...

Personal happy moment of the week

My son was in trouble with a teacher. A misunderstanding - that had developed into a solid crisis due to a certain stubbornness on both sides - was now threatening to cost him his participation in a project that is important to him. I took his side and was called in for a “clarifying discussion”. This was then canceled because the teacher (probably looking for reinforcement and arguments) consulted with other teachers. And “received very positive feedback on his behavior”. Disciplinary measures were not taken “because he is so committed and keeps the group together.” So a serious accusation suddenly turned into high praise.

I couldn't care less...

...that a Belgian court acquitted a driver who was driving with a blood alcohol level of 2.1. Because he suffers from the extremely rare “home-brew syndrome”: the body produces alcohol itself, which leads to the usual symptoms such as reduced responsiveness etc. Anyone who is a danger to themselves and, above all, to others on the road should not be allowed to drive - for whatever reason. After all, the disability of no blind person is their own fault. But no court in the world would allow him to drive.

It's fine with me...

...that for the first time in the history of the USA a criminal trial is taking place against a (former) president. I don't care whether or not you can plead guilty to election interference by falsifying business records because of hush money payments to a porn star. I just wish that a proven notorious liar and cheat, who is also a sexist, racist, homophobe and incidentally “unfit for office”, would finally have to take responsibility for his actions in court.

As I write this...

...April lives up to its name: first you can go swimming and two days later it's snowing. Candles are set up in the vineyards to warm the tender buds. And the hedgehog that has been hibernating on the terrace under our barbecue probably thinks it has woken up too early. Allergy sufferers are happy about the abrupt end of the pollen season. But everyone misses spring.

Post Scriptum

Everyone gets their life from their mother. She is the primary caregiver that all humans have in their first perceptions. That's why I've never understood why so many men simply devalue this in the course of their lives - and grant women fewer rights than themselves. Poverty, discrimination and a lack of equal rights cost lives, according to the latest UN World Population Report.

Not only is there no progress towards equality, there is actually a decline. The rights of “women, girls and gender-diverse people are being pushed back more and more,” says Dr. Natalia Kanem (head of the United Nations Population Fund). Lack of representation and limited self-determination force one in four women under a male-dominated yoke. And sexual violence is a problem in almost every country in the world. No man can want that. Not for his mother, not for his sister, not for his daughter. And not for his wife either. Shame on you!

[patricksmorch]

Valievas long-running doping case finally has dates for a hearing | The BIG names in sport

Valieva’s long-running doping case finally has dates for a hearing | The BIG names in sport https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdDrcDammGw The long-running doping case involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva could finally be decided after dates were set Thursday for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CAS will hear the case, which overshadowed last year’s Beijing Olympics, from Sept. 26-29. It won’t be open to the public. The hearing could finally provide clarity about who won the team figure skating competition in Beijing. Russia placed first with Valieva on its team, ahead of the United States, but no medals have been awarded. Valieva’s positive test for a banned heart medication in December 2021 was revealed at the Beijing Olympics several weeks later. Valieva was 15 at the time and her case prompted concern about the coaching and treatment of teenage skaters in Russia. She was allowed to skate in the women’s competition but placed fourth after an error-strewn routine. She is now 17. The World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Skating Union appealed to CAS after a Russian tribunal ruled Valieva was not at fault. WADA is seeking a four-year ban and disqualification from the Olympics. The Russian national anti-doping agency has also joined the case by filing an appeal, but it has indicated a reprimand would be sufficient, a verdict that would leave Valieva and the Russian team as Olympic gold medalists. Visit the WeShow Football store: https://www.youtube.com/weshowfootball/store LIKE our videos? Please SUBSCRIBE here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/weshowfootball?sub_confirmation=1 to support our Channel 👍 #WeShowFootball features previews, reactions and behind-the-scenes footage from Europe's elite football competitions. For more international sports news content, visit SNTV at http://www.sntv.com via WeShow Sports https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5yB3mDwRyLNeRvfCSdKMeg September 26, 2023 at 11:29AM

[sparkles-oflight]

TEST SKATES SP- ETERI GIRLS REVIEW

First of all, I'm sorry I only watched their performances, because, to be honest, I don't really care about the others that much. Like, I'm trying to stay aways as much as possible from anymore Russians so that I don't get stuck to this sport even more. (I'll also comment on some costumes first, because those are always the first thing we see and make the first impression)

LET'S US BEGIN

Maiia Khromykh

For some reason the girls are already wearing costumes instead of practice outfits, obviously some of them are temporary so I don't mind much. BUT TELL ME THAT WAS IS TEMPORARY! I know she used it last season, but I HATE IT PLEASEEEEEE GET A DECENT COSTUME ASAP!

Moving to the skating part, it's probably just me, but she seems faster than before and she was happier out there and much more confident. I would look out for her.

Daria Usacheva

Tone down the make up please, it's too dark for this program, maybe it's just my personal preference :v

Her double axel seemed a bit shorter today, less distance. We haven't also gotten any news about whether she has a triple axel or no yet.

I had heard some people comment on a 3lo combo she was working on, but it seems it's not ready yet.

This was...not a great music choice... People will compare her program to Karen's instinctively. It's not like skaters can't skate to the same music, but usually you don't want to use the music somebody else used not long ago. This looks even worse if we remember that Daria had the same music as Alexandra last year... it's not her fault obviously, but it still looks kinda bad for her😶

Why are they doing this to you. You are one of my favorites.

Btw, Ted misspronounces a lot, but he took her name to a whole new different level XD.

Warm-up

Girls: *doing triple axels*

Cameraman: I like Kamila doing a spiral more

Anna Shcherbakova

I have no ideia what is the program about, but I like it. The beginning pose looks powerful, and during the first half looks like a different vibe and I'm all up to it.

Unfortunately she missed her loop combo, but we saw her doing it in the warm-up, it looks like she still has the combination in her back.

Alena kostornaia

Alena...Her costume works better than Maiia's, maybe because of the gloves or maybe because I'm a sucker for purple+black patterns.

Skating...ugh. Where to begin? Why are they giving the same singer to both her and Maiia? Her triple axel had problems today too, but she seemed nervous even before she entered the ice, maybe I'm wrong.

I personally didn't connect with the program, but if there's someone who can pull it of all of the these six, it's Alena.

Alexandra Trusova

Fall aside, it was the best to me today ✋🏽

It's so odd, that was how I started my account. It started with me commenting on test skates almost one year ago and me saying that Sasha was the best. At the time I didn't even like her and now she grew on me.

Her hair looks really pretty with that costume, judge me all you want on this one. It actually makes her prettier, it makes her more mature.

And that's what she was today. She looked more mature to me and that made her skating prettier. I'll be exited to see her during this whole season.

Also, the triple Axel was fully rotated and her triple flip edge seems better, to me at least. I just which her cantaliever was better placed to be longer and more bent.

Kamila Valieva

Uhm...I know the costume is temporary, it's her exhibition costume, but it still bothers me to see it.

Anyways, that apart...

...

...

It was boring...

I'm sorry...

It's my opinion...

Kamila isn't my favorite at all, but the music choice is also boring. I know it's still a master piece next to Bolero 😶

[enby-axels]

ok so alena-kamila-sasha for russian women olympic team, we're all in agreement here right

[beautifulstorms]

call me crazy, call me insane but you're stuck in the past and I'm ahead of the game

Alexandra Trusova, Cruella || Russian Test Skates 2021

[yuzuavenue]

two 4Lz, one in combination right on the music

insane

[eggplantgifs]

cruella de vil, cruella de vil, the fear on your face, it gives me a thrill...

[rabidline]

Kseniia Sinitsyna at the 2021 Russian Test Skates on September 11, 2021 (x) (x) (x)

[skate-the-onion]

[figureskatingcostumes]

Daria Usacheva skating her Nessun Dorma free program at the 2021 Russian Test Skates.

(Source: veravalenta)

[figureskatingpenguin]

just seen: quad queen sasha trusova on her way to conquer the universe 👑 

***

sp bonus:

eteri: were you going for a quad? you don’t need a quad, just do a 3A 

dg: we have to get her tired so that she doesn’t do the extra rotation 🤣

[fyeahsmokinhot]

❤Alexandra Trusova LANDS her 4F+4S+4T+4L3T+4L in the Russian Test Skates❤

[sywtwfs]

2021 CS Lombardia Trophy & Russian Senior Test Skates: Info & Streaming

The Challenger Series begins this week with Lombardia Trophy! Senior Russian skaters will also debut their new programs at the annual test skate event. Subscribe to our calendar to get event times in your own time zone!

LOMBARDIA TROPHY

Results & schedule | Entries | Facebook | ISU

Type: Challenger Series When: Sept. 10-12 Where: Bergamo, Italy Level & disciplines: senior ladies, men, ice dance, pairs (non-Challenger)

Schedule & Youtube Streams (UTC+2)

9/10: Women’s SP 11:00; Men’s SP 15:30

9/11: Rhythm Dance 11:15; Women’s FS 14:15; Pairs’ SP 19:50

9/12: Men’s FS 12:00; Free Dance 16:00; Pairs’ FS 19:35

Notable entries: Adam Siao Him Fa, Morisi Kvitelashvili, Daniel Grassl, Tomoki Hiwatashi, Yaroslav Paniot, Eva-Lotta Kiibus, Ekaterina Kurakova, Alexia Paganini, Alysa Liu, Audrey Shin, Laurence Fournier-Beaudry/Nikolaj Sorensen, Sara Hurtado/Kirill Khaliavin, Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri, Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko, Molly Cesanek/Yehor Yehorov, Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise

How to watch: Free livestreams on Youtube (direct links above)

==============================================

RUSSIAN SENIOR TEST SKATES

Entries & schedule | SP Starting order | Channel One website

Type: Domestic test skates When: Sept. 11-12 Where: Chelyabinsk, Russia Level & disciplines: senior ladies, men, ice dance, pairs

Schedule (UTC+5)

9/11: Rhythm Dance 14:00; Men’s SP 15:25; Pairs’ SP 16:45; Women’s SP 17:50 [Livestream]

9/12: Free Dance 14:00; Men’s FS 15:30; Pairs’ FS 17:05; Women’s FS 18:15 [Livestream]

Entries:

Women: Kamila Valieva, Alena Kostornaia, Elizaveta Nugumanova, Sofia Samodurova, Kseniia Sinitsyna, Alexandra Trusova, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Daria Usacheva, Maiia Khromykh, Anna Shcherbakova

Men: Dmitri Aliev, Petr Gumennik, Artur Danielian, Makar Ignatov, Mikhail Kolyada, Mark Kondratiuk, Andrei Mozalev, Alexander Samarin, Evgeni Semenenko

Ice dance: Angelica Abachkina/Pavel Drozd, Diana Davis/Gleb Smolkin, Tiffani Zagorski/Jonathan Guerreiro, Annabelle Morozov/Andrei Bagin, Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov, Anastasia Skoptcova/Kirill Aleshin, Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva/Egor Bazin

Pairs: Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin, Iuliia Artemeva/Mikhail Nazarychev, Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii, Iasmina Kadyrova/Ivan Balchenko, Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov, Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov

How to watch: Free livestreams on 1tv Youtube (available worldwide) and 1tv website (geoblocked).

[sparkles-oflight]

ALEXANDRA FOR THE WIN

[jennibeultimate]

Sasha Trusova 🔥 and Rita Mamun ❤️ @ Russian Test Skates 2021

When fandoms collide ❤️

(From Rita's Instagram)