by whitebamboo » 04 Apr 2012, 22:01
(sorry, I'm having trouble editing, so I'll go on a little more here.)
I do have to say that I was a little surprised myself to read this particular commentary by Evgeni, because this is actually the first time I can recall that he's been critical of the performance of any Russian skater in recent years. Especially with Artur. For so many years, Evgeni has constantly praised, encouraged, supported, helped, and been an older brother to him, that frankly, I think he's earned the right to be a bit "harsh" this once. And I think Artur understand him well enough not to take it in any way where it was not intended.
I know this must be a tough time for Artur, but the important thing is for him to do better next time. They are already saying that Evgeni is expected to "save Russia" next year, but the truth is, next year Evgeni will be 30. And even if in the next two seasons, Evgeni defied age, injuries, everything else, what will happen to Russian men's skating after 2014? I know it would be unfair to Artur to expect him to fill Evgeni's shoes or carry Evgeni's burden, but he really is the most promising Russian male singles skater since Evgeni, and it would be disappointing--just for his own sake and nothing else--to not perform to the level allowed by his talent and abilities.
Back in 2000, Evgeni also had a bad Worlds at Nice (though he was two years younger than Artur is now, and "bad" for him meant fourth), but that defeat did not crush him. Just the opposite, it seemed to have been a transformative experience. The level of his skating increased, and in 2001, he did not loss a single competition. I hope that with Artur, this will ultimately be an experience that will help him improve, too.
- These users thanked the author whitebamboo for the post (total 2):
- Phrazey (04 Apr 2012, 23:15) • lovplush (04 Apr 2012, 22:34)