This week, the winds of change of blowing in the sport of figure skating. The ISU determined that the Russian ban will remain in effect, yet more skaters are looking to leave Russia and compete internationally. There is rampant speculation that Alena Kostornaia and Georgy Kunitsa will be the next to leave after they announced they will not be participating in domestic competitions this fall – yet will be doing shows and seminars. Kevin Aymoz returned to competition and we discuss his competitive future. Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin are scheduled to make their IAM debut at the 2024 Denis Ten Memorial. We preview the event and look at the field for the 2024 Shanghai Trophy. We also break down the status of Kazuki Tomono, Wakaba Higuchi and Mai Mihara based on their recent domestic performances on the latest edition of ‘This and That’.

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47 Comments

  1. If everything stays "status quo" with a war and Russians are allowed back it definitely will create a lot of tension, controversy and so on. I was hoping that after success with Europeans there will be another competition in Kaunas, Lithuania. But if Russians are back it definitely will not happen bc we're very pro Ukraine as ex soviet country.

  2. I really don’t miss the Russians in any of the disciplines anymore & I really hope they’re not back for the Olympics. Definitely don’t need them back in the women’s event,that was way too much shady judging & child abuse in plain sight. I do hope Kostornaia does switch countries though. They just don’t appreciate her & they never have. They don’t deserve her.

  3. Honestly, if the Israelites are still able to compete during this climate, so should the Russians. The moral inconsistency is just so baffling to me. I’d rather see neither nations at competitions, but I can’t stand political hypocrisy at all. At this rate, bring the Russians in.

  4. Real question: I will be in Tokyo for the start of NHK, if I don't fly home that Friday morning. I have to be home Monday. Go to see the short programs at NHK Friday night?? Then fly home on Saturday? I feel like this is a serendipitous coincidence.

  5. My Question is why is the USA ALLOWED to Participate in any sport competition at all. THE USA IS WAR country number one/ and they have the best Doping and Doping covering.

  6. War is such a biased argument. Israel violates human rights and receives no sanctions.
    I don't believe in good or bad in any country, but treating Russia as the evil of the world while Israel is protected and the US funds wars and coups around the world is pathetic.
    I have my criticisms of various aspects of Russian skating, but I don't buy this hypocrisy.
    And yes, the abuses that Russian girls suffer are also regrettable, but they are not the only victims. Look at the off-season and the various reports of abuse and sexual harassment in different countries. It's strange that there are only repercussions when they happen in Russia.

  7. Caitlin Clark has brought in tons of interest, fans and money to the WNBA. The other girls, including the one with lashes, seem to be jealous and it does not look good on them. Caitlin has taken the high road. Good for her.

  8. Hi! Did you guys know that some russians are doing 5axels in Russia, including Veronika Zhilina? How do they plan to compete internationally?? Sofya Samolodkina will train in a few months with her coach Rafael Arutynian in Virginia. She's a really great skater.👍

  9. Child abuse/doping of the Russian athletes demands a permanent ban of the coaches/adults in the room, especially Valieva's coaches (I'm looking at you Eteri) if Russia was to ever be allowed to compete in the Olympics or international ISU events again. Bare minimum. The fact that Eteri is allowed to coach ANY athlete still today is a complete joke.

  10. Most other sports including winter sports keep the ban on russian participation, thankfully. Elena Vyalbe said if russia throws a bomb at the center of London, they will be allowed to compete internationally again. They are sick in the head, the whole country.

  11. Irina Rodnina(???) was winner of the gold medal at the Olympic Games 1980 in pairs. She won a seat in the Duma…she is against the LGBQI passed by the Olympic Committee.

  12. Skating has become very boring. I literally watch only men for Ilia and Yuma. So I kinda want Russia back for drama and all the stuff.

  13. Ой, да без русских лучше. Без русских (а точнее без московских – так правильнее их называть) кажется что и воздух стал чище и дышится легче. С их вечными интригами, жульничеством, с их телефонным правом, стремлением обойти правила, объехать всех на кривой козе – там где появляются московские сразу такое напряжение повисает, как-будто цыгане зашли в троллейбус.

  14. Whatever Eteri inflation Diana and Gleb get, A. Reed doesn’t belong nowhere near the top 6 (and really not the top 10 or 12, even). Bet that giveaway medal of ECh’s hosts is gonna be the only championship medal ever, otherwise Ice Dance would have had become an even bigger charade than it already is.

  15. Please Johnathan come back soon as the chemistry between you and Dave is so special and we need some eye candy. Nolan is a nice kid but there’s no fun with him at all and Dave need’s Johnathan to bounce off.

  16. This close 👌 to stop watching women’s skating, so I can’t think of anything that would make one watch the WNBA. Maybe an entertaining enough scandal could get one to watch women’s tennis and that’s already pushing it.

  17. I don’t think they’ll be in Olympics, unless it’s just individual. Russia should be banned for doping, not for the war, because other countries are at war/ doing terrible harm to other countries and are still allowed to compete. America was allowed to compete during the Iraq war. Eteri needs to be locked up, and I need the documentary ASAP.

  18. I agree 100% Kevyn LOvES to skate and he loves to do elements that people love for shows .Hydroglades and interesting choreography lots of show elements and needs to do this while ha has a name and while he is still young so he can grow into it.I think he wasn’t really in shape yet and I am not sure if he cared or not .He did seem tired at the end I thought..

  19. Without getting into it, the situation between the two is very different. And to equate the two is unjust.

  20. That scandal with the junior skater, watched an interview with the mother. She signed a 8 year contract. Jana took over all control, down to sponsorship deals and time the girl should use in photo shoots. Training, dresses. Everything. The other mothers hated her (the mother), she says, but she wasn’t there to make friends. They were mean to her daughter towards the end, making her do jumps with weights (doubles) regardless of injury and the whole thing was funded by private sponsors anyway, so the mother of this junior skater doesn’t understand how Jana has lost money on this. Anyway a trial in process. She’s now with team Tut and happy. Also saw a YouTube report from a Russian FS channel, figurka, reporting on how fantastic Tutberitzes new rink is. Looks great but also scary. Like that Eagles Hotel California song. You can check in anytime you like, but you can never leave…

  21. Timestamps? There used to be a channel member who always did Timestamps.
    I like the "new guy." Dont let the haters get you down!

  22. Do we need Russia for drama? Are we not interested in skating unless there is drama? Are skaters only worthy if they're doped up pre-pubescent, machines capable of doing what a body with natural muscles cannot? Do we need 1 Russian per discipline for the Olympics? They routinely get a nice little hand tap, and then their athletes are allowed to compete on the world's biggest, grandest, far-reaching, mega-media-blitz stage under whatever flag the IOC deems appropriate at the time.

    And, great job, Dave and Nolan!

  23. The main difference is that Russia has attacked another sovereign state based on imperialistic hegemonial ideology. Sports in russia is dictated by exactly the same doctrine which rules all: it legits doping, manipulation, lies and cheats. Not comparable to any other country or nation that has been acting in geopolitics for this century.

  24. I asked Nolan this on Facebook. I'm curious. Could Kevin's problem be more serious than a mental health issue? He's taken some terrible falls so I wonder if he has balance issues from a concussion.

  25. I think you guys forgot about Ava Marie in your conversations about Nationals and the World Teams! She is definitely going to be in the mix (unless she's so injured she doesn't make it back this year at all).

  26. I feel bad for Taschler and Taschlerova. I feel like they are not being rewarded as they should for their skating skills. I like their style.

  27. Russian and Belarusian tennis players have never stopped playing (except at Wimbledon 2022) but I guess professional sport is another cup of tea 😎🥳

  28. Kevin Aymoz is a very artistic and talent skater. But like Gracie Gold I do wonder if they need some real time off. Instead it seems almost like they can't live without being in the limelight. I want to be respectful of Gracie and all that she has gone through but sometimes I wonder if they need to step back and focus on themselves – but it is like they both feed off the attention. I was hoping to hear Kevin had got it together but that freeskate at the test skates was a mess.

  29. I agree the Danadians are kind of "finished" but I do hope for a revival. US ladies is so exciting. Really great promise from Alysa to Ava to Isabeau to Bradie to Amber. i really do miss the Russians especially in ladies, dance and pairs. I don't know how Diana and Gleb can break the top 5 – they even need to pass or consider teams like Chock and BATes, USA 2, the unpopular Danadians LALA is on the upswing, the Italians Top 1 or 2 French teams, Piper and Paul, Fear and Gibson forget Allison Reed will make it super hard for them to get in the top 5

  30. I believe Russia will be back at some point, but I have no idea one. I agree that they should be given one spot per discipline. They can build their team back up to prominence after next year. All the entrance would have to do is finish within the top 10. I would love to see competition one time where Russia only had one skater or team for discipline. Let’s be real, if this happens in the Olympic season odds are it’s only gonna happen one Time, because the next year I’m guessing Russia will have done well enough to at least qualify in two or three disciplines. Perhaps not all four. JMO.

  31. I saw a video of the bombed-out skating rink in Ukraine, and a male ice skater talking about what it would feel like to have to deal with seeing Russian skaters being allowed to compete, and I say KEEP THE BAN!

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