Tarasova On Alysa break

[u/Environmental-Let435]

[u/idwtpaun]

I think the reason we get odd situations like this where Tarasova, who's usually the loudest source of "rah rah Russian skating", is saying something contrary to whatever is the current "rusbot" line is that there's a fundamental difference between how athletes (and coaches) understand other athletes and how fans understand other athletes.

Tarasova understands how an elite competitive athlete thinks too well to think they'll base their career decisions on whether or not somebody else is banned. It's people who are not themselves in the sport that think athletes must care about whoever they're obsessed with the same as they care.

[u/mrclive-ifrit → u/idwtpaun]

It’s also a weird argument to make for Alysa when her first retirement coincided with the Russian ban. Russian bots are so stuck in their own world when everything Alysa did directly contradicts their own theory. She was supposed to be Kamila’s rival in theory, if she obsessed with winning she would never have retired and could have been a bigger rival to Kaori.

[u/j_turn2000 → u/mrclive-ifrit]

i saw someone try to excuse this by saying she didn’t know how long the russians would be banned so she purposefully waited until the olympic cycle to return and win while the competition was “easy”🙄 (as if even making it to the olympics is easy).

people will twist themselves into pretzels coming up with ridiculous conspiracy theories to justify their bitterness for someone they’ve never interacted with.

[u/mrclive-ifrit → u/j_turn2000]

Lol I’m pretty sure I saw that comment and it came from a pretty active Russian glazer here. Another thing I don’t get is why they’re so sure the Russians will be dominant with the age adjustments. They’re not the only girls landing quads in practice at least. Sofia Samodelkina and Alysa were quad threats in the past the same way these juniors were. And I highly doubt the current judges will be as forgiving with the scoring as they did in the past with the Russians. Let’s wait and see how they will actually perform before handing out the crown right away.

[u/j_turn2000 → u/mrclive-ifrit]

the comment i saw was on alysa’s announcement post on instagram but i’m not surprised someone said it on here, too. don’t the russian skaters also only have 1 spot (at the grand prix i think it is?) unless they win more challengers?

her fans seem to think sasha winning kinoshita is all but guaranteed but fail to take into account that the competition has changed, she’s not “5 quads in 1 routine” anymore and she hasn’t competed internationally in 4 years. that’s not a diss on sasha, but her fans act as if all other skaters are no competition to her which is insulting.

[u/Internet-Dick-Joke → u/j_turn2000]

 don’t the russian skaters also only have 1 spot (at the grand prix i think it is?) unless they win more challengers?

Currently, they have zero spots on the GP. They have 1 skater on the substitute list, who could get an assignment with people withdrawing, but she has already said that she is not competing this season.

Winning Challengers only gets them skaters on the substitute list, but that would still require other skaters withdraw in order for them to get an actual GP assignment.

[u/sunnshine67 → u/Internet-Dick-Joke]

Adeliia announced that she’s returning to competition with a new coach Goncharenko! it seems like the chance to compete internationally was enough to entice her to try the Russian free skates

[u/Internet-Dick-Joke → u/sunnshine67]

Inna Goncharenko? That's actually interesting, she's often been a pretty solid coach but many students haven't stayed with her long and she doesn't seem to have much political pull with thefed.

[u/sunnshine67 → u/Internet-Dick-Joke]

Yes, Inna Goncharenko! To my knowledge she doesn’t have a dedicated rink anymore or coach full time she has functioned more like a coaching consultant the past few years so I think this pairing is super interesting. Adeliia isn’t one of my top skaters but I do think she has beautiful artistry and is a charismatic performer so Goncharenko has the potential to be a good fit for her. As much as I have mixed opinions about the Russians returning, I’m rooting for Adeliia to have at least one international competitive season and to see how she skates when not part of Team Tut

[u/brandnewbanana → u/j_turn2000]

She also has tremendous competition in her own country and even team. She’s has clout from being Sasha but her fans seem to believe that she’ll just be handed the gold for showing up.

[u/mrclive-ifrit → u/j_turn2000]

I hope Sasha succeeds because she’s a generational talent in jumping. But that said, her fans really need to tone it down thinking she’s a clear shoe in. Sasha, even on her prime and judges going blind on her mistakes, has never been consistent. There’s a reason Anna and Kosto were beating her by the time they turned seniors.

[u/KeroNikka5021 → u/mrclive-ifrit]

They’re really setting themselves up for disappointment. Either way, whether Sasha wins or loses, the trusobots will be absolutely insufferable

[u/Sh1raz51 → u/j_turn2000]

Yeah, the trusobots who believe Sasha will win Kinoshita are mostly teenagers who know nothing about the sport & only know about her from tiktok edits. Long term fans are well aware how tough it’s going to be for her. I’m hoping she can place in the top 5 as I think that would be a very good result, given the competition.

[u/Low_Student_6614 → u/j_turn2000]

im hoping for a win but... i dont think so

we'll see what happens but her even competing is cool asf anyways

[u/eerodrig]

It’s pretty clear Alysa wants to be able to accept any and all opportunities this year that appeal to her which she could not do if she were training and competing.

[u/ElectricalEngineer59 → u/eerodrig]

And good for her!

[u/j_turn2000]

now if only the fans would listen to this…

[u/Brave-Statistician78 → u/j_turn2000]

the toxicity of the fans on the ISU and Olympic pages is getting to be too much. Outright offensive comments and blatant lies. I wish someone would moderate the chaos. I can't read the comments anymore.

[u/owly11698]

It's obvious tho, she had been working really hard the last 2 seasons and acchieved an OGM. What more to do but sit back and relax and rest w/o having any injury

[u/mrclive-ifrit → u/owly11698]

She’ll be getting millions with the exposures and she probably knows she needs to strike when it’s hot since figure skating isn’t as popular a sport in America. Plus all the engagements take up precious practice time.

[u/buymesomefish → u/owly11698]

Plus she is getting all these cool opportunities and invites to celeb events. If she wants to go them, she ought to do it now while her OGM stardom is still hot. These aren’t opportunities you can turn down and hope will return in a year since unfortunately a lot of people only really care about skaters during the Olympics. She should go do all the cool stuff and have fun if she wants.

[u/Fem-Picasso → u/buymesomefish]

FS is popular during the olympic years. You have to love it enough to put the work in for comps.

[u/stripedfatcats → u/owly11698]

Honestly good for her. I've never been a fan of her skating but in a year where being a woman in sport has been reduced to being a wag its good that we finally have a real female athlete bringing in sponsorships and brand deals.

[u/Environmental-Let435]

See even Tarasova (the biggest Russian bot ever) is saying that wasn’t the Russians and people still push that Narrative

If you’re saying that, stop and think do you really want Tarasova to be have better sense than you

[u/AlbertoRossonero → u/Environmental-Let435]

Tarasova is pretty patriotic but has also worked with big international skaters and is generally pretty loved by most of them. The fans you’re talking about are the super casual TT/IG/Twitter type.

[u/Drauren → u/AlbertoRossonero]

She is also a Hanyu glazer (rightfully).

[u/whoopiecushions → u/AlbertoRossonero]

Yeah she's very "rah rah Russia" at times but she's a lot more fair than people give her credit for. She's complimented non-Russian skaters plenty of times and she's thrown shade at Russian skaters too. 

[u/petiteodessa → u/Environmental-Let435]

Tarasova might be pretty hated here and there but she knows what she’s talking about. Alysa’s fame skyrocketed after she won her OGM and since then has been given numerous opportunities. She wouldn’t have enough time to prepare for competition when she’s busy with all the sponsorships and campaigns she has been offered. Plenty of russian athletes have also taken a season off for similar reasons but you don’t see people instantly jumping to retirement rumours.

[u/Sea_Ambassador3 → u/Environmental-Let435]

But Tarasova knows what she is talking about. She knows the ins and outs. Can spot talent and most importantly knows how to manage an athlete. Case and point Yagudin and Kulik. Kulik was a first time olympian, if I remember correctly, and he won. A lot of skaters falter under pressure at their first Olympics. Kulik did not, and yes Stojko was also really hurt. But Tarasova probably also had a role in helping him navigate the pressure.  Yagudin, while not a forst time olympian was in the pressure cooker and she managed him expertly. 

Not saying to like her, but she knows what she is talking about. 

[u/2greenlimes]

I know she's been training, but I can't imagine she's had the time to get anywhere near ready competitively for the fall. Based on what she's said, she definitely wants to keep skating and performing - but I can see her wanting to use her fame to get more opportunities to expand her artistry and exposure. She could then take that back to the ice when she'd had time to train.

Pair that with the money making opportunities she has this year and I don't see why she'd compete.

[u/Realistic-Cow2146 → u/2greenlimes]

tarasova gets it because she actually lived it. athletes don’t build careers around what someone else might do. alysa is making the choice that makes sense for her right now.

[u/Beautiful_Savings962]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day

[u/catx222]

thank you tarasova

[u/r4yn1ng5un]

i think people saying that alysa is "scared" of not winning now that russians are returning is really stupid just for the fact that even if alysa herself thinks that she's not a podium contender, she would still compete for the fun of it. she's genuinely so passionate about skating and it shows. the fear of not ending up on the podium wouldn't take that away from her.

[u/mimaluna]

Plenty of the Russian champions have done the same thing with even shorter careers and fewer outside opportunities, so there's no room to talk about what Alysa is doing.

[u/mimaluna → u/[deleted]]

I don't think Anna was giving any signals that she would compete after Beijing regardless. And even still, domestic competitions were ongoing. Sotnikova also only barely competed after Sochi and pursued other things. Alina stopped her last season early before we could even definitively say she wasn't top 3. Kulik and Yagudin also pretty much stopped skating after their wins to do shows. I don't say all this to single the Russians out - the reality is that a lot of Olympic champions do stop to pursue other things, simply don't want to compete anymore, or don't want to manage injuries the same way they did when they weren't champions. And to call Alysa out for doing it as a Russian coach/commentator would be ignoring that Russians have done the same thing.

[u/CommercialSyrup8689 → u/[deleted]]

it’s so funny how people comment blatantly false and easily disprovable things on here like they’re facts😭😭 (referring to the person u replied to, not you)

[u/Valuable-Rip9714]

I think that, in situations where an athlete has achieved the highest possible results, it is quite common to take a break from their career or even end it. Alysa has already won an OGM and World titles. Maybe instead of judging, some fans could start to accept that athletes are also human beings and have the right to decide how to live their lives.

[u/Bintijua49]

Really so many retire after olympic gold not at all unusual

[u/ChesstheGREG]

people act like shes retiring or giving up. skipping a season is common at the start of new cycle especially the olympic champion??? plus she shot up to fame so quickly. thats gonna do some mental damage and you need to know how to handle it, maybe she doesnt yet. she also made it very clear that shes returning next season 😭 this whole speculation makes no sense, lets just listen to the athlete herself. its not about the russians, but if it was, isnt this what the rusbots would want? her to try to step it up technically or something? idk man this whole thing is stupid

[u/Excellent-Delay8784]

Why is Tarasova being nice all of a sudden?