This and That: 2022 Olympic Games Women's Recap with Polina Edmunds (Alexandra Trusova)

Earlier today, viewers of the 2022 OIympic Games witnessed a shocking scene transpire involving a screaming Alexandra Trusova, bawling Kamila Valieva, jubilant Kaori Sakamoto, Anna Shcherbakova, and critical Eteri Tutberidze. It was a medal ceremony for the ages and Polina Edmunds joins us for a very special recap of the women's event on 'This and That'.
Polina Edmunds podcast episode about the Russian Doping Scandal:
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2022 Olympic Games
Alexandra Trusova meltdown

[@carloscordero6695]

"We will allow Kamila to compete to prevent irreparable damage" - this did not age well

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Agreed

[@riaanamclean]

She should have pulled out and reminded mentally healthy.

[@tracymetherell8744]

This was a mental health disaster for this young lady. Shame on the adults involved in this. She appears destroyed.

[@angy.litvin]

@@tracymetherell8744 ok! do you think it was disaster? thanks for your answer

[@macerface]

Yep. The irreparable damage was done today to this poor girl. Shame nobody did the right thing, they failed her.

[@isabellao18]

The part I can't get over is in the midst of her meltdown (I feel for her, she's a teenager, but that's what it was), when Eteri tried to hug her, she pushed her away and yelled "You knew about everything!" Why aren't more people talking about those specific words??

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Very alarming!

[@joanneolsen5635]

I like her words, she isn’t lying

[@isabellao18]

@@joanneolsen5635 exactly! Why aren't there tons of articles written about this? Why hasn't Christine Brennan tweeted/written about the fact that Trusova said something likely very damming?

[@oyinolubayo7079]

@@isabellao18 because they are all worried abt exploitation for this girl and saying she is showing bad sportsmanship when it seemed like she was clearly more frustrated abt something a lot more than just getting second place.

[@janisseraneses4823]

@@isabellao18 Vox has written about this (the whole article itself was about the conclusion of the women's event, but Trusova's words were there)

[@troyaturner1979]

And rather than focus on the negative, I'll focus on the good things. Seeing Kaori win bronze & her reaction to finding out she medaled was PURE JOY and left me misty eyed.

[@iamdee2615]

She’s the real winner cause she skated clean and deserved her Bronze...

[@rajs7876]

She won the gold, Waksba the silver, young you the bronze. Anything else is delusional

[@mattcastg5170]

Yeah it was literally one of the only redeeming features of this very surreal (and often quite disturbing) women’s event. We’ve had our fair share of emotional drama during the conclusion of the women’s event at each Olympics, from the 2018 heartbreak of Evgenia watching her younger teammate take the gold, to 2014’s controversial conclusion with Sotnikova winning (and the cameras following her as she ran to hug the Russian judge) to the 2002 results with images of an elatedly crying and screaming Sarah Hughes & her coach in a state of stunned celebration interposed with the images of the devastated favorites Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya, but the conclusion of this years event was just more surreal and emotionally draining then any i can recall seeing before.

[@carolinedavis6557]

And at her second Olympics too. Wakaba was an empress, and Liu looked like she was really enjoying herself and embracing her youth. Loved Young You’s passion - clearly inspired by her compatriot Kim Yu Na, and even though she fell, Bell just absolutely having the time of her life. These women are inspiring because of their persistence, personality, and absolute love for what they do, despite the knowledge that they wouldn’t win.

[@bobababy6089]

Me too. She was the only one geniunely enjoying the flower ceremony. The gold medallist was feeling empty while the silver was mad as fuck. Kaori was just happy to be there holding up her flag 🇯🇵

[@hantingchen5497]

When Trusova said the words “you knew everything”, i got chills in my bones

[@stfrchtr1969]

What did she mean.?

[@JackAShepherd]

it was an epic fucking tantrum

[@cickihasselblad]

She meant Tutbarize knew what she had done to kamila and maybe all other girls, giving them drugs and more.

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

@@cickihasselblad no, I think eteri had told her if she lands 5 quads she would win, and Sasha was injured but eteri said you have to come back and do 5 quads if you want to win, and she did 5 quads but she didn’t win, so she probably said that because she meant you knees I wouldn’t win if I did 5 quads. Just what I’m thinking, if you watch the rest of the video you will know it has nothing to do with kamila

[@1chienandalou]

She meant that she was led to expect she would win if she landed five quads. But it actually was not going to be enough. I know people want to create the narrative that it’s about doping but I’ve talked about this with 4 different native Russian speakers including my dad who isn’t a figure skating person and therefore didn’t have any sort of bias and started the conversation in nonleading ways and this is my conclusion.

[@twinklejelly123]

This event was catastrophic on SO many levels. Heads should roll.

[@TheReneex]

Even more bizarre but not surprising was Eteri's cold and unmoving response to Kamila. After she collapsed before the entire the world. In what should have been a monumental event for her in her first Olympic competition. She had the nerve to ask the young teenage girl whose career she literally destroyed, why did she give up?

[@Jude74]

Yep total $hit show.

[@mainaalmeida4246]

@@TheReneex right?? She was so horrible, I couldn't believe

[@meleona2399]

@QUEENS OF ICE⛸ NEWS 1 привет!!! I follow both of your channels, honestly I'm very proud of the three girls...But something is just a bit of for this edition of the Olympic Games im figure skating.

[@iamsoverybored878]

@@TheReneex I would have told her to piss off and walked away. I had a similar thing happen to me. My mom was dying and i was on my phone with my aunt and she was criticizing me I yelled at her some expletives and hanged up. I was so loud with my crying that a security guard at the hospital came by to tell me to be quite. Luckily a case worker and my other aunt were there to help.

[@aalegalfocus]

That was definitely the weirdest and saddest Olympic skating event ever. Only Kaori Sakamoto's joy (as well as Alysa's) put a smile on my face. Thank you, Polina, for sharing your insight.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Agreed

[@RaineriHakkarainen]

NOT TRUE!!! Nathan Chen skates 10% faster than Trusova! Nathan Chen his jumps Are 17% longer than Trusova's jumps!! STILL WITHOUT POWER OF NATHAN CHEN! ALEKSANDRA TRUSOVA KICK SOME ASS!!! ALEKSANDRA TRUSOVA 5 QUADS JUMPS!! NATHAN CHEN 5 QUADS JUMPS TOO!! ALEKSANDRA TRUSOVA THE REAL RUSSIAN ROCKET!!!!!!!!

[@rajs7876]

Wakaba too.

[@taylor11111]

@@RaineriHakkarainen what

[@CrazyTiffany86]

Thanks for all the content you've put out these past 2 weeks Dave! What we witnessed today was just.....whew chile!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

More to come!

[@beckyclawson2245]

I second that - best coverage out there!!

[@nomiddlenamenmn427]

I agree. Dave keeps up this stamina, we may need to request a urine test. Just joking, please! Trying to lighten the darkness of this sadness.

[@hak5620]

Seeing Trusova breakdown after years of abuse and never winning gold's honestly heart breaking and it doesn't help that literal grown ass adults are calling her a brat for it, I truly hope all these girls pack up and leave eteri and seek therapy. I also cannot fathom why certain people would think Trusova and Valieva 'stole' Anna's 'time to shine' these girls are literally breaking down right in front of our eyes and you expect them to get their shit together after everything? some of you lack sympathy and empathy.

[@carolinedavis6557]

Trusova always had a smile on her face, even when she was being yelled at. She has never broken at all - not even after an average performance in the kiss and cry. For her to break like this, this must have been BAD.

[@chelsh8316]

I agree I thought it was completely out of character. Also.. it’s the biggest moment of her life.. she was exhausted and it breaks my heart to see people call her out on her reaction. Give her a break..

[@cindytartt4048]

@@chelsh8316 not true, by that age you know right from wrong. You know grace thru all that competition for years. You show it HERE at the olympics

[@coolkidsneversleep2490]

@@chelsh8316 just because she “always had a smile on her face” on other comp does NOT give her the right to act ridiculous this time

[@coolkidsneversleep2490]

and kamila never stole anna’s moment. she was sad and crying and that’s totally fine but trusova on the other hand was yelling and blaming everrrhing but herself, that’s what we call attention seeker and poor sportsmanship

[@qiwi2980]

0:17 Feelings after the event 1:12 Anna Shcherbakova 2:58 Doping 13:47 What this means for teenage athletes 16:10 Tutberidze technique 18:40 Sasha Trusova 19:30 Polina's favorite jumpers 21:00 back to Trusova, judging system, Olga Mikutina 26:11 Emotional abuse at Rambo 70, Tutberidze after Valieva's free skate 30:20 Narrative in russian media 34:18 Julia Lipnitskaya 36:28 Scaring the fandom off 39:56 American ladies 45:05 Wakaba Higuchi 47:40 World entries 50:44 Team event, aftereffects of the scandal 56:53 Moment of the event

[@oceanle]

Thank you!!!!

[@abbeey9935]

Thank you

[@AG-ur4dr]

I loved Kaori's performances. She skated her SP last, and her performance made me feel that everything will be ok. Then, she had to skate her FP after Trusova, knowing that she doesn't stand a chance against the Russians with their quads. And she nailed it, showing how powerful she is. I am so happy for her!

[@redfloverd112]

Kaori was just lucky.

[@nguyentraninhquy9698]

@@redfloverd112 “Sasha and Anna was just lucky to land those quads too”. Lol. Stop trying to discredit other skaters. Kaori was SO MUCH MORE CONSISTENT than almost every other skater.

[@troyaturner1979]

@@redfloverd112 Kaori was consistent while Trusova & Valieva weren't. And let's not even talk about artistry.

[@dawnbaswell1853]

Sasha and Anna technique was horrible compared to Kaori wonderful technique

[@RedDevilRaspberry]

So glad you covered the pre-jump rotations and posture, landings, etc. I’ve been complaining about this for a few years now. I really think that dropping compulsories was a great disservice to our beloved sport. The classic edges and beauty of our sport is now living in a bygone era. Very sad.

[@elizabethlangefeld5479]

It feels like a palate cleanser to have Polina outline all the wrong edges, pre-rotations, etc, AND highlight undervalued skating skills in other skaters in such a matter-of-fact manner.

[@Meghan326]

I agree

[@anamarkovic8994]

@spbusei10 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@mustyfan1584]

@spbusei10 Well this comment aged poorly. We now have every reason to believe Polina’s account. You’re kind of cringe tbh 🤷‍♂️

[@fxfxfxfx6895]

Anna Shcherbakova absolutely deserves her gold medal. Many had written her off ( including DAVE AND JONATHAN ) but she came back to win a third Russian National, Worlds and now Olympic gold - and they still don’t give her any credit. The mental game is what makes a champion - especially at the Olympics. Anna knew she needed two quads in the Free and she delivered when it mattered most. Afterwards, she had the grace and maturity to refrain from celebrating while her teammates were in pain. What more do you want from her?

[@evanperilstein5308]

No, Kaoti deserves the gold medal. Anna and Sasha have almost certainly been doping too. They were just lucky that the drugs got out of their systems in time.

[@amethyst5512]

For her not to have doped. In her case, she never tested positive but it’s quite obvious something is going on. Too many miracle recoveries in short time frames. And the “smelling salts”… all the signs point to her body being quite done at the age of 17.

[@thesovgc]

@@amethyst5512 if that's the case, it's done with an Olympic gold around her neck and the adulation of her countrymen for the rest of her life 🤷‍♂️.

[@angieortizurena3327]

Yeah, a lady that hasn’t landed a proper Lutz in her entire career, that has HUGE prerotation and under rotation, that jumps with her upper body strength and a swinging arm motion cause otherwise she couldn’t get a quad, that invented the flootz, that has an awful hammer technique for “flips” DESERVES gold. Yeah, she is very artistical and ethereal and good at interpretation but that’s not enough for being an Olympic champion.

[@cindytartt4048]

There was little if any beauty or artistry to this performance. It was entirely cold. 🥶❄️

[@brooklynt1758]

Watching the Women's FS today was emotionally exhausting, and I wasn't even there...

[@nickreynolds8391]

It made me depressed after. On many different levels.

[@iamsoverybored878]

I for some reason woked up at 2:30 and decided to put it on. I thought why not I have today off it would be better to watch live.

[@trisanatandler]

Did not want to watch after it was clear some countries are allowed to dope and break their skaters 😒😒

[@user12ek5]

@@trisanatandler do you have proof of doping?

[@trisanatandler]

@@user12ek5 do you have prove of the opposite? She had medication in her body she is not supposed to have 👀.

[@Sonia94537]

I feel so bad for Tuktamysheva, imagine if the judges scored everyone fairly, she is technically one of the best, her 3A is actually 3A when she hits it and her 3L is usually huge and correctly jumped.

[@Kareragirl]

And it's so nice to see someone jump with the strength of their legs, too, not with their upper body.

[@violachow4261]

@@Kareragirl yes!!! Her relaxed upper body 3A position is so amazing

[@dorisluka2184]

My heart broke for Liza, they really did dirty to her so Anna could go. Liza is great to watch, plus real lady among the kids. I also feel so sorry for Mariah Bell, she deserved to be in a team event, don't understand why she wasn't. And, at the end, Trusova... first, they didn't put her in team event, they took her the opportunity to be the first lady to land quad in Olympic. Than after making history once again with 5 quads she was cheated to not win gold. And, lets not forget that Kamila was doped when she won RusNat in front of Sasha. So much injustice. So sad for these 3 ladies. And, I'm even more sad that no1 cares enough to even talk about this. "I hate figure skating!" I don't think I will watch it again.

[@msmo2060]

If she had any skating skills then maybe but she is just as bad as trusova

[@mamima4]

@@dorisluka2184 I would suspect that not only Kamilla was doped in Rus Nationals...

[@selenity08]

So quick, as always. I’ve been waiting eagerly for this episode. Thank you 🙏

[@yezuyi2938]

Totally agree with Polina abt how the unfair and flawed judging system has cause so much unnecessary heartbreaks for hardworking skaters and gave those with wrong jump techniques skaters a wrong sense of entitlement. All in all, super happy for Kaori. A bronze medal that felt like GOLD to her.

[@mamasam5180]

I was soo happy for her. And Anna. It’s a shame the other two girls threw such tantrums that they couldn’t even enjoy it.

[@hoang-yennguyen5637]

@@mamasam5180 Good for anna. But honestly please don't hate? Kamilla has been centered around this entire olympics. The pressure of competing. Maybe she gave up because there is no point, she would ruin the podium for every other skater because she knew something was wrong with her being allowed to compete, or the amount of hate. And don't tell me you wouldn't cry when you worked day and night 12 hours, for something for 12 years just for it to miss you by 4 points. Do not put the word tantrum on this situation. Such a level of disrespect for Trusova and Kamilia. Anna did beautiful and I wish she got to celebrate but don't downplay the pain of the other two.

[@thatrealoneguy7220]

Yes, yes and yes! I was waiting for Russian girls to be marked with wrong or at least uneven edge on their jumps, but "strict" panel didn't notice it somehow 😇

[@susannapotter1859]

Kaori - my favorite skater won a medal!! Yay!!!

[@mariahazcueta3621]

@@hoang-yennguyen5637 it’s not Kamila that I’m feeling upset over. She had every right to her emotions and I can’t say I would have handled it any better. However, Trusova’s tantrum was totally uncalled for. She didn’t win so she blew up. Poor sportsmanship and it took away from her teammates well deserved gold.

[@BrentWolgamott]

Never clicked on something so fast in my life. THE DRAMA, DAVE!! 😂😂❤️❤️

[@iluvcatslol5714]

Yess samee

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@janisseraneses4823]

I'm so proud of Wakaba, Kaori, Alysa, Mariah, You (just to name a few) for skating out there and exemplifying the joy of skating (which I think we all NEED to see right now)! So glad I watched them. I couldn't watch the entire event as I'm appalled by the authorities' decisions, but I did analyze the score sheet, compared it with the scoring rules, consulted skatingscores, and concluded that it's the typical bs scoring of boosting certain skaters while burying others, as per usual (am glad Scott's show honed in on this judging issue). Edit P.S. I saw some people sharing that Wakaba isn't invited to the gala. I am in denial and I'm hoping that this is just a mistake.

[@dmp7252]

Help us make sense of it all Dave. What on earth did we witness today? When Sarah Hughes won the Olympics, images of JOY. When Tara won the Olympics, images of ELATION. What we saw today were images fit for A FUNERAL.

[@bobababy6089]

Imagine being the gold medalist and feeling EMPTYYY. Why she feeling empty tho she deserves that gold

[@orlihimmelweit2105]

Fit for a Gulag...

[@dmp7252]

@@orlihimmelweit2105 You could say that again.

[@dmp7252]

@@bobababy6089 She's feeling empty because her "friends," that is her "teammates" who she skates with day in and day out are not supporting her. I just felt like Trusova was a combination of a bully/spoiled brat/sore loser - can you imagine being Anna trying to process all that. I hope someone is there to support Anna as well.

[@bobababy6089]

@@dmp7252 i bet she will be out next season to take a break just like alina did. This sport is brutal mentally physically emotionally

[@72586jejones]

I need therapy after this. But, I am so proud of Alysa and Mariah, especially Alysa. Contentment, joy and an unbreakable spirit are more valuable than any medal. I hope her dad is so proud of her. She made me proud. Kaori made me proud. My heart went out to poor Anna. No one to celebrate with when it should have been the happiest moment of her life.

[@sallydaniel1023]

I love Alyssa! Her smile was so refreshing in such a contentious Olympics and

[@nickreynolds8391]

That was heartbreaking.

[@elizabethburrell4756]

Did you see Alysa's Instagram where she said there was something Sasha was upset about but she ( Alysa) couldn't say. Thoughts on what she was hinting at?

[@GayleFalkenthal]

@@elizabethburrell4756 hmmmmm…

[@chrisgomez860]

Is Alysa the one who competed for China in the team competition?

[@Elizabeth-yp4fd]

I feel like so many are forgetting that after months of many saying Anna couldn’t come back or complete quads again she just slammed down two clean programs. She had great musicality, really performed and gave it 110%. She fought for every single element and spin. I wish there had been a few moments to discuss how well she did and her mental fortitude to get through that. Watching her alone after with no one to congratulate her was heart breaking.

[@veronikavartanova4044]

Anna is truly the one who breaths soul and emotion even in the lackluster programs of Team Tutberidze, and one who not only fights tooth and nail with what she's given, but (at least on emotional level) elevates the material she's got to work with, in spite what she's denied. There's gonna be an ugly cloud of doping suspicion/assurance where teamT athletes are involved from now on, but despite everything, despite imperfections and raided up scores (and assuming she's clean after all), she's the one deserving the top spot right now overall.

[@thesupremediva]

I'm so sad to see how little attention she was given by her coaches, NBC, general media, etc. She is NOT a one-hit wonder. In fact, she accomplished what Med couldn't - clawing back after two years on top to win Olympic Gold. She won Russian Nats three times in the most competitive era EVER in that country. She's a total-package skater who performs and seems to be a real sweetheart. She deserved total glory in this moment she hung on for, not this debacle. I hope she gets as far away from Eteri as possible after this.

[@lenamorozova9317]

@@thesupremediva Никогда. Анна предана Этери как никто. Тем более теперь, когда она сделала ее олимпийской чемпионкой.

[@ingetamm7951]

@@thesupremediva I wouldn't say that Anna did what Evgenia couldn't. Evgenia lost in a clean duel, while Anna won because Kamila messed up, I'm not saying that she didn't deserve it, but it's clearly not the same thing. It's not like Anna managed to outscore a clear 15 year old in her 3rd year, you know what I mean...

[@chocolatemilkshake7196]

She certainly put more effort in her performance than Sasha, thats true. But she's criminially overscored. They never call her edges. Her skating skills needs refinement. Anyone with eyes wouldnt put her in top 5 PCs specially with how skilled some of the other girls were. I like her, but I just really wish she was judged fairly.

[@nctandtheirjollyenglishuncles]

I won't have time to watch right now, but I wanted to share some thoughts on the free skate. My little highlights were Ekaterina moving up through half the ranks to finish twelfth with a clean free. Mariah fighting for her jumps and delivering a heartfelt Hallelujah. Yelim creating a beautiful moment with her Turandot program. Alysa, Wakaba, and Young landing their 3as and delivering (mostly) clean and enjoyable performances. Sasha achieving her goal of landing five quads. Kaori having the skates of her life in both the short and the free and becoming an olympic medalist. Apart from that, it was quite troubling. I'm sad for Kamila, because whether the doping test and/or her crumbling under pressure were orchestrated or not, she was forced to let go of her Olympic dream and the chance to deliver her best. I'm sad for Sasha who must have worked so hard to land all her quads only to realise it still wasn't enough to win. I'm sad for Anna because she may well feel unable to properly celebrate her win because her teammates are utterly devastated, not to mention all the talk that's been going on about whether she even deserved to go and how she's overscored.

[@Q_from_Star_Trek]

I'm sorry for Anna, that she couldn't celebrate her Olympic win, because of her teammates and also because she shares the room with Trusova :-)

[@angy.litvin]

Did you live in Russia? thank you

[@user-kv2sy7qe5w]

Me too. Feeling the same as you do, I'm really sorry for the Russian sportsmen, who literally mark the history of female figure skating. Their well-being should be taken seriously and I sincerely hope that they can still maintain their friendships, for Sasha and Anna. Thank you, Kamila, Anna and Sasha, and a great thanks to all the other athletes, bringing us unforgettable performances and showing the spirits of Olympics. (especially Mariah...I was so touched)

[@nctandtheirjollyenglishuncles]

@@angy.litvin No, I've actually never even been in Russia, although I would like to visit someday. I have lived most of my life right next door in Finland though :)

[@angy.litvin]

@@nctandtheirjollyenglishuncles you're welcome. Russia is defferent. Somewhere is hot and sometimes is cold in the north. And I live on the Black sea coast )))

[@VanjaKel]

It indeed looked like it took a while before anyone congratulated Anna. Eteri and Danny G were in the KnC with Kamila and Dudakov was dealing with Trusova. What a terrible situation for literally everyone involved.

[@nickreynolds8391]

It was surreal. And depressing. Sakamoto's pure joy made me happy though.

[@benbailey159bb]

Yeah it was like the parents were dealing with the two problem children and the good one is ignored.

[@sapphire22011]

Trusova behaved disgracefully

[@oyinolubayo7079]

@@sapphire22011 she behaved like someone who was really frustrated after years of always coming second and third in major competitions in her senior years still came second in the Olympics even after doing something never done in ladies figure skating. And the camera man continuing following her when she clearly wanted to be alone and was moving more and more to a corner….the exploitation. And non of them seem to care enough to cover some of her words. Her towards Eteri “you knew everything” it was so clear she was frustrated as well with something more than just getting second place

[@laynaribeiro3248]

@@oyinolubayo7079 yes!!!

[@Q_from_Star_Trek]

Thank you Dave and Jonathan for having Polina, it was wonderful!!! I was totally captivated for the whole 59 minutes...wow...problem is I'm on the West coast and couldn't stay that late (3-5am) and I didn't see any of the performances, but I'm so glad I could hear your takes. Hope that NBC or the Olympic channel will post them, as I wanted to watch all the skaters. Very good job, and thank you so much to all of you! 🌻🌺🌼

[@Q_from_Star_Trek]

I saw Kurakova's performance, wonderful , You Young's very nice, Kaori, very nice and Anna's very nice, too. I saw Kamila's and i still think it would've been great if she was withdrawn after the testing cam positive, rhather than crashing her in front of the world, no 15yo, can whistand such a pressure and scrutiny...how sad, and I'm so sorry they did this to a 15yo kid...

[@Q_from_Star_Trek]

I saw Kurakova's performance, wonderful , You Young's very nice, Kaori, very nice and Anna's very nice, too. I saw Kamila's and i still think it would've been great if she was withdrawn after the testing came positive, rather than crushing her in front of the world; no 15yo, can whistand such a pressure and scrutiny...how sad, and I'm so sorry they did this to a 15yo kid...so sorry for Kamila :-(

[@hihyuni98]

Thank you so much for posting this, Dave!! I've been waiting for this all day

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@Susan42375]

Aren’t ALL of you forgetting Tara Lipinski that wrecked her body at FIFTEEN doing triple/triples just to beat Michelle Kwan, and NEVER SKATED AGAIN due to injury??? I know no doping was involved, but she, with that small frame and pushing herself at every practice to do these multiple jumps that were unheard of then…..it’s kind of the same. A tiny fifteen yr old wrecks her body for one moment of glory? It’s the SAME with Eteri - she wrecks their bodies, then discards them. From what I understand, Tara has problems to this day. In Tara’s case it was her MOTHER! Do you not recall the media strife Tara’s mother created? I do. She was a monster, pushing her daughter, and Tara never skated again, due to injury and repetition triple combos.

[@sapphire22011]

That's right....mainly due to her famous 3Lo/3Lo combos. Also Tara made 3/3 almost mandatory to win in 1997.....similar to Sasha pioneering the eimens quads. In 1996 u cud get away with a nice 3/2 and 5-6 other triples

[@elizabethburrell4756]

Tara was talking about beautiful skating and mentioned Peggy and Dorothy. I was thinking she would add Kwan- then I remembered who was speaking.

[@iamsoverybored878]

@@elizabethburrell4756 Was thinking the same thing I wonder if she told Terry and Johnny to never mention Kwan over the air.

[@isabellayang231]

Exactly like Tara is shaming the Russian teenagers but she doesn’t realize the exact same thing happened to her like the Russians still competed but Tara right after the Olympics was done with skating like she needs to think about what she did

[@kristenjunker1632]

@Nathaniel Walker you are right about the anatomical predisposition....I've known athletes with cam or pincer deformities that result in labral tears after just skating or running 10 hrs/week. That's not enough skating to get one to Nationals.

[@hoizgmischt]

I was watching Olga Mikutina's SP and thought "wow that girl has some skating skills and interesting choreo, and oh my she is performing the heck out of it" and she didn't even get 30. I was so happy Polina mentioned her!

[@Essylte]

She had a unique Short program that surprised me. If she weren't so underscored...well. Hopefully, with the Russians out of competition at the moment, she can be scored correctly and maybe even make top 10 at Europeans!

[@waynesworld5855]

Great job Dave! Your in-depth analysis of the Kamila Valieva saga/scandel was very informative and insightful. This whole affair I hope brings about major changes in and for Figure Skating, If it doesn't I'm afraid the sport will die or be relegated to an obscure olympic sporting event like Curling.

[@ColonelGreen]

For the second consecutive Olympics, the bronze medalist was the real star for me.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

100%

[@joanneolsen5635]

I agree although I love Anna’s mental strength

[@pandaz1993himick]

So true

[@oyinolubayo7079]

Righttt ppl r so focused on the fact the she “showed bad sportsmanship” than the fact that this girl just did something never done or even attempted in ladies figure skating. She has worked so hard. It hasn’t been working so hard for her but she kept trying. (Sad the 3A didn’t work out again) but I rlly fail to see how one can actually this Sasha was also being dopped she is the only who seems to rlly know what she wants in this sport rather than looking like a puppet for a coach.

[@pandaz1993himick]

@@oyinolubayo7079 think OP is talking about Kaori!

[@fabi0681]

The video we were all waiting for!!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@dannyfromthebay2940]

The bronze medalist was ecstatic and proud of their accomplishment (and rightfully so) and was moved to tears. The Silver Medalist was angry that she wasn't awarded the winner and was full of tears. Valieva could not handle the immense amount of pressure that was on her and she struggled and was full of tears of heartbreak. The winner was alone and had NOBODY to be there for her or to celebrate her accomplishment. She looked hesitant and unsure of what emotion she was allowed to exhibit. Thankfully after 6 minutes Sergei Dudakov swung by and gave her a hug. Such a bizarre day.

[@oyinolubayo7079]

@EE DR rightttt she seemed like she was angry also abt something else. She said to Eteri “YOU KNEW EVERYTHING” like what does that mean

[@dannyfromthebay2940]

@EE DR Didn't she say (while crying) something to the effect that everyone else has won golds and I haven't won anything.

[@rhythmicelegance4670]

@@dannyfromthebay2940 Yes she did say that, among other things, such as “It’s impossible!” etc etc. At the interview she said she thought what she delivered was enough to win gold, but it wasn’t.

[@LiriaAndreina]

Kaori, Wakaba, You. They made me cry with their performances. When I realized that Kaori had made it, I even screamed. They were the Olympic moment I wanted and needed. Thanks for another great recap!

[@maria375s]

You have been amazing keeping up with all the recaps, thank you so much!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Glad you like them!

[@herm712]

For the record, fans have been pissed about the 180-270 degrees pre-rotation on the jumps for YEARS yet the ISU refuses to do anything about it. They put a rule in that mentions pre-rotation but it's never been enforced otherwise half of the skaters in the field would be in trouble as most can't do a jump without 90 degrees pre-rotation or less. For some reason pre-rotation is completely ignored while under-rotation is heavily penalized. It's basically the same thing: one is cheating the jump on the landing, the other is cheating on the takeoff. It all amounts to the same thing: rotation not completed in the air.

[@YannisGoedermans]

Worst part of that is that the rule in question is exclusive to Toe Loops to prevent toe axels which are much easier to spot with the naked eye than the current pre-rotation trend going on. It's also incredibly stupid they can only review landings in slow-motion and not the take off. Which is utter bullshit if you ask me. Like you said, whether it's a cheated take-off or landing or even both, the rotation is not done in the air. Allowing to review take-off would also help in spotting wrong entry edges. And even if it's a glaring obvious edge violation Eteri students do not get punished. See Medvedeva who has gotten world records that wouldn't be records if she had been judged correctly.

[@rekacsermely7020]

Around 37:00 Omg when Jonathan was talking about loving the sport but when Eteri's students came, he sort of had to convince himself that he should appreciate them... YES. When I was 8 years old, I saw figure skating for the 1st time on TV and I immediately fell in love. When I see Yelim Kim, Wakaba Higuchi and Kaori Sakamoto skate, those are the moments I recognize the same sport I fell in love with all those years ago.

[@cashmoneycowgirl]

Kaori had me crying happy tears at my tv this morning

[@jdtaylor81]

Me too. Loved both her routines.

[@72586jejones]

I went from depressed tears to happy tears to depressed tears again. It was all so much. I don't know how to feel.

[@aalegalfocus]

Yes, she was the highlight of the event!

[@livetoskatefigureskating4238]

I'm so happy for Kaori!

[@embeth446]

Excellent discussion guys, and I really enjoy hearing Polina speak. She’s honest, straight forward and explains the technical side of things. I thought it was very important what she was saying about young athletes’ health and the risks for clean athletes trying to keep up with this quad revolution. I think all of us are only beginning to understand this. There’s a reason only one country and one skating club has achieved this. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

[@tatianamokienko]

appearance of honesty

[@johnjackson3735]

My favorite moment was Young You's LP performance and her emotional reaction when she finished. Besides being one of my favorite skaters and having my favorite jumps in the competition with such aesthetic air position and beautiful flow, I was really happy to see her go clean to my mind after her mistakes at the 4CC's whie being the tallest woman I know of to land the triple axel. It was a great comeback and really heartwarming.

[@Essylte]

Her performances, as well as Wakaba's, were some of my favorite ones to watch! I even watch them when there is nothing to watch on TV.

[@colleenshaughnessy7081]

I've been waiting !! Thanks guys!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

You bet!

[@BillyWhaler]

Up until now skating’s drama has had a TMZ humor. But that was abusive and nauseating to watch this week. I don’t think Kamila or anyone would fully recover from that trauma. Difficult to support the sport at this point.

[@ns2110theonly]

Agreed. Stuck with this sport through Harding/Kerrigan, 2002, drama, more drama and more again. But this another thing. Utterly heartbreaking & scarring for the girls and nothing short of criminal abuse by the adults (ie Eteri basically). It makes me almost ill to think about it. Part of me wants to say but it’s a beautiful sport, but if there is no punishment for this crime and if they get away with it then I will just entirely stop supporting the sport at a competitive level. But I will continue to support SOI (and similars) because that’s something else entirely, for a great cause & great people involved.

[@tksi3843]

All the gossip and things are entertaining when it comes to stuff like Harding because fully grown women are in control of their own decisions. They have agency that allows us to criticize them when they're wrong, empathize with them when they make a mistake and support them when they're right. Invest in them. Right now there's hardly any of that because you have a bunch of scared and unsupported children competing at the Olympics and being forced to grow up before they're meant to. Drugs and feeling like you're replaceable before you're even an adult. Immense pressure and all eyes on you. Yikes. I really hope they follow through on increasing the age limit. I agree with Polina that it won't solve everything but I believe that adults and older teenagers are able to handle the pressure better and are less impressionable. And beyond that, it would help prevent improper technique since adult skaters wouldn't be able to skate well like that anyway. And that in turn would make it so that skaters have longer careers and train for the long term, not just one and done.

[@ns2110theonly]

@@tksi3843 this! Everything you said +1👍🏻

[@tooba1819]

It's relieving to hear other Olympic athletes call out the atrocious technique, off coaching style, and the evidence of doping among Eteri's athletes. Thank you.

[@tracienieto2722]

Thank you so much for this and everything! If anybody asks/demands timestamps again…….

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@freddyc8098]

Fantastic interview. Great video Dave and Jon you two are the best!!

[@yosily]

at least zagitova shed tears of joy after she found out she won. shcherbakova just looked completely out of it. yet again, kaori was the happiest skater of the night

[@keelykova]

Anna (TO ME) looked like she said to her self “ all of this for this ? “ “This” being = not eating for weeks not drinking , abuse and abuse for this ? have you ever worked so hard for something and got it and realized it wasn’t what you thought it would be…. Just my take.

[@frostrune]

It was a different situation. There was less drama going on.

[@thesovgc]

@@keelykova She was shell-shocked because Trusova was bitching about how she should have won. It was impossible for Anna to be happy in that moment. Put yourself in your shoes and your teammate is saying she should have won (meaning that you didn't deserve to win). How would you have felt? This demonization of Shcherbakova is ridiculous.

[@angieortizurena3327]

Zagitova new she was going to get the Gold, Anna was resigned to Silver before Valieva’s debacle

[@turtlew1019]

As a former athlete, I'm sick to my stomach. You work most of your life for the most important competition of your life...to have your life's work tarnished in a week of scandals and dreams dashed in 5 minutes...at 15 years old. It's crushing...

[@roddo1955]

Polina should do the commentary for TV broadcasts during championships. She has a very clear, straightforward way of explaining things without any 'fluff'. Easy to understand for enthusiasts and laymen, alike.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@suzannefraser4966]

Really good idea

[@channelxcaramelo]

My favorite has to be Kim Yelim, she was so elegant and beautiful on her performance, her technique looked so goooood. Can't wait to see more of her.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@jamesyu5212]

I’m so proud of Anna. She’s always written off in conversations and ALWAYS comes out skating her best at the right time. I’m glad I picked her as my child just like Dave 😂😂

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@SamKreinberg]

LMAO not he did not picked her. He was saying she was done after her second Nationals win and after Worlds said that it was her consolation prize for her to disappear quietly? Her win is biggest FUCK OFF to Dave.

[@naailtariq5930]

@@SamKreinberg Relax. It's a half joke lol

[@coolkidsneversleep2490]

@@SamKreinberg 🎉🎉

[@flywings111]

@@SamKreinberg Yeah it is funny how they want to prove so badly they chose Anna lol. Everyone wrote her off in the past 1 year. One thing is for sure, never underestimate Anya. Although it is true she would not have won without the doping scandal, because Kamila was much more the favorite for the gold.

[@shantarakelian1998]

Timestamps in progress: 0:00 Introduction (guest as well, Polina Edmunds, two time national silver medalist) 0:21 Dave asks Polina what the heck we make of the womens competition. Felt dystopian as Dave said. I haven’t personally watched it yet but I saw EVERYTHING on twitter, Instagram, youtube literally my phone was blowing up at work lol. I don’t know how I got anything done lol at work. Edit: I just finished watching the ladies free program. 0:36 Polina’s reaction and response to Dave’s question. Lots of tears (Kaori, Sasha, Kamila, all for different reasons of course). 1:14 Anna Shcherbakova winning and it took 5-7 minutes for someone (other than Kaori) to congratulate her. She looked lost 2:03 Polina responding to Jonathan’s question. She was speaking about her 2015 4CC win 2:28 Eteri finally congratulating Anna, her initial question was why didn’t you do the quad lutz 😂😂😂 wow 3:01 Polina making headlines about something she spoke about the JGPF, it was in her podcast and she mentioned something that had happened in the locker room. Some sort of bottle with liquid in it, that’s highly suspicious. In retrospect I am glad that Polina is bringing awareness to this. Mentioned the warmup and how odd it was. She said in the last year something fishy has been going on, I couldn’t agree more Polina. 5:48 Jonathan asking to clarify whether these program enhancers are more for long term or short term effects. More likely or not they are used for training to do all of these insane jumps. 6:19-8:41 Polina responding to Jonathan’s question. A skater doesn’t need drugs. Polina goes more into skating doping, it’s highly interesting in what she has to say. Skating doping is endurance doping. Mentioned meldonium. Insane run-throughs at Sambo70. Long term drug use effects. Dave continues with his points after Polina starting at 8:42, mentioned various methods used (lack of eating, dehydration, etc) Polina continues with this topic again picking up from what Dave had mentioned at 9:10 (Polina mentioned her drug tests and what goes on during these tests and the oddity of how long it takes and how odd it is that Russian skaters said they don’t drink water, which is alarming in it of itself). 10:22 Scandal bringing things to light, most amount of coverage at the Olympics 10:39 Dave reading about something on Xenon gas 11:19 Dave brings up the Anna Shcherbakova 2021 Russian Nationals “smelling salts” 11:37 3 substances found in Valieva (Trimetazidine, and two other heart drugs, All three drugs were heart medications of which only TMZ is banned). 11:49 Polina mentioned that it should be fair to investigate the rest of Eteri’s camp and legitimacy as well.

[@tassietagarelli8905]

Nearly 12 hours after watching the free skate, I still can't get over what I saw. So emotionally disturbing. That poor girl. They completely threw her to the wolves. I sure hope someone / her family in Russia, is waiting for her and will take loving care of her when she arrives home. ISU better take some action. If they don't, they are promoting & approving child abuse. Just disgusting & disturbing. The way Eteri was admonishing her....😳😳😳. What was that?!?!!

[@laynaribeiro3248]

Oh god, I could't see... where I find this?

[@mariamara7502]

Believe me. All normal figure skating fans in Russia hate Eteri. For everything she did to the girls we rooted for. Broke, destroyed, crushed. And we hope that her coaching end is very soon. I'm from Russia, but I was madly rooting for Nathan and Kaori. I'm glad they did their best.

[@tassietagarelli8905]

@@laynaribeiro3248 , I watched it at 4am CST this morning on the Peacock network live feed. The ending coverage, after the skating was over, was the saddest thing I have ever seen😢😢😢

[@iamsoverybored878]

@@tassietagarelli8905 I was more upset about it then what happened in pairs 20 years ago. What was the big deal then a overrated pair didn't get gold. I never seen anything like it after a skating competition and I've been a fan since 94.

[@tassietagarelli8905]

@@iamsoverybored878 , it was the most disturbing I have ever seen. I can't believe there isn't more outrage.....

[@GayleFalkenthal]

I have been stalking TSL ever since the event concluded this morning - which I watched live in utter horror before dawn on the West Coast. So much blame to go around I hardly know who should be at the top of the shortlist, although Eteri’s finger wagging lecture gives her front runner status. Thank you Dave, Jonathan, and Polina!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Thank you!

[@coachleif]

Polina is dead on - it should be noted ALL of this happened alongside the Sochi doping scandal, in which the skaters had less scrutiny placed on them than other athletes. Then this explosion of technical content happens like it's never been seen before, completely localized in one location. This week, we went from celebrating the first ever quad in ladies Olympic history to 5 in one program all in the same competition.

[@mjamitche5245]

In defense of the viewers, the reason people are calling for an age raise is because the CAS has set a precedence that underage athletes can be excused from doping rules. The general population doesn't want unfairness due to doping. We don't understand about pre-rotation or edges. But, we want skating and the Olympics to be a level playing field and we want fair judging.

[@thesovgc]

Then change the doping rules for minors, not the age rules. That's backwards.

[@jabrams875]

Dave I've been watching for a long time and I think this was one of your best, most informative episodes. Polina was excellent and I'll have to start following her podcast, assuming I still want to hear anything about this sport ever again after this event! Love to all 3 of you.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@allisonswoboda8540]

Agree!! Really, really good!

[@JoshuaFazeli]

Every episode is brilliant from TSL.

[@larhumba4233]

Agree, Polina was articulate and enlightening on all the technicalities and in her experience as a competitor. Excellent. Much as I adore Sandra, she said herself she hasn't watched anything for years, so added little. The Dance edition was disappointing.

[@cosmos9688]

Love love love Polina. Doesn't mess around with bs or sugarcoating; just honest, knowledgeable coverage.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@ElishaaLi]

I agree! And how she admitted that some of the american ladies may have been over or underscored. It shouldnt matter about the country. Just the skating

[@1chienandalou]

Yeah I really like her. Some people might find her too blunt or something but even if I might sometimes differ in my opinion from her I’ve always found her to justify her viewpoint logically and therefore respect her perspective.

[@brennanrobertson6572]

Totally agree. Very articulate and spot on!

[@jazzmanchgo]

@@1chienandalou Tough but honest -- 100% integrity. If I were an athlete, I would love to have her as a coach or a trainer.

[@bethm5791]

THAT is why I was SO happy for Anna. Because in some way it was really truly an f you moment to Eteri and Sambo. They had distanced themselves, absolutely, but this girl is the reigning world champ. She couldn’t land as many quads as she did two years ago so she was no longer the Eteri it girl. She is reaching the Eteri expiration. And then she wins. It artistry won over their technical. And it was suchhhhh a slap in the face for Eteri and I was HERE FOR IT.

[@Love-yg5qq]

how is it a slap in the face for eteri that her skater won gold??? 😭 the same skater who is also probably on the same drug cocktail as kamila (smelling salts lmao) and who she payed the judges to ignore literally all her issues.

[@pandaz1993himick]

Kamila's childhood, reputation, and dreams were totally shattered and she looked absolutely decimated herself, with her coach laying it on thick without giving her space to breathe. Sasha was shouting backstage and flipping the bird on the podium. Anna won Olympic gold and felt empty, with no support. Meanwhile, Daria is skating on a broken hip, and Aliona has fractured her other arm. Maya has all but disappeared. At the same time, ISU officials did everything they could to deprive (mainly Asian) skaters of their rightful scores, and an incompetent CAS fed us all a lie and created a platform for a skater to suffer truly irreparable harm on a global scale. What a total shit-show, and such an injustice to all the skaters. Cancel the bitch, Eteri should be behind bars, as should all her cronies. Also can't wait to hear this episode!

[@elye0987]

Yes yes yes yes. Documentaries will be made about it that camp in 10 years or so. So much abuse

[@ileanasantamaria2364]

Brilliantly summed up. I missed Sasha flipping the bird ON THE PODIUM - wow.

[@nickreynolds8391]

Yeah when it wrapped up, it took me time to process it - and it felt like I had just witnessed a train wreck.

[@joanneolsen5635]

The Terri bonus has robbed all the other skaters

[@pandaz1993himick]

@@elye0987 Hopefully they end in the Grand High Bitch in prison

[@queeniebee7736]

Excellent show! Thank you for continued great content.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Our pleasure!

[@giuliettawilliamson3796]

I thought there were so many amazing performances - My favourite was Kurakova! I think she did really well to jump up so many places after the short. She just seems so sweet and bubbly so I can't help but root for her! As to who I think did the *best*... idk, there were so many great performances - I really enjoyed Young's free a lot too, but I think I'm a little biased as Les Mis is my favourite musical :)

[@Womanincorset]

and she was underscored for artistic components for me... But we are very proud in Poland 🖤

[@mkp158]

I'm glad for this former Muscovite and a child star of Ilia Averbugh's shows. Good Job, Katya!

[@mainaalmeida4246]

Polina is so honest about everything. Respect!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@WHATSUPRUSSIA1]

Polina was just being a b*tch as usual. No accomplishments under her belt, but still she is criticizing Trusova’s quads. WTF

[@thesovgc]

Except when she says her jumps were never underrotated.

[@WHATSUPRUSSIA1]

@@curtisdalrymple42 she was just being bitter because she never won even 5% of what those 3 girls did. So if she wanted to express her professional opinion, she should have started with some recognition of their skills, stamina and hard work. But the only thing she did was criticizing. She herself under-rotated good 50% of her triple jumps. Too bad her PERFECT technique and her mother lessons didn’t help her with that.

[@sleuththewild]

What a treat to have Polina, with her forthrightness, her experience skating in the context of the Eteri skaters, her poise..... All of it, the whole package. Thanks, guys!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@stephaniestrecker1376]

I have been waiting for this REALLY ALL DAY!!!

[@flgirl9128]

I really enjoyed this episode!!! Good conversation and very insightful! Thank you Dave, Jonathan and Polina! Polina I hope you visit this channel again!

[@createchaosgossip]

I mean you can’t say Anna doesn’t have choreography. Her programs are beautiful.

[@createchaosgossip]

I kept saying to never count Anna out! She was spectacular and deserves to win!

[@angieortizurena3327]

She deserved as much as Zagitova and Sotnikova… 😂😂😂😂

[@66bayouboy]

Kaori and Alysa were the highlights for me. The joy on their faces is what figure skating should be about

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@rajs7876]

Wakaba too!!

[@theprinceoftides6836]

Very true, Alysa will never have M.K.s. power, consistency and out of this world physical presence, let's face it, nobody ever will, but everything else was there for all to see. The joy, the beauty and the happiness and joyfulness she projected inside the arena and all skating fans watching was all inherently Kwan in its beauty and magic. I dare say she made me drop a tear or two watching her. Definately the highlight skates for me alongside Anna, Wakabe and You.

[@masbonitadelmundo]

I think there is a lack of African-American Ladies in figure skating. Now this sport is pure racism. We need to kick out all these russians and replace them with African Americans Ladies!

[@soof2838]

When I saw the report from volunteers tonight that Sasha didn’t leave with her team, had to stay alone in the arena and be dragged back later, I lost the little stability and hope I didn’t even know I still had. I hope someone has Anna and Kamila. Someone who isn’t Eteri or Gleikhengauz. Anyone.

[@soof2838]

On a “lighter” note, that led to the discovery that the chinese refer to Eteri as “noodle hair”. I think David Spletnikov should adhere to the pet name. (Mother Gothel still my favorite though)

[@TTran-ti3uy]

Why exactly Sasha didn't want to leave?

[@user-mw8jc1ly4v]

Ooh, where is this report?

[@soof2838]

@@TTran-ti3uy The volunteers didn’t specify, they only said she did not want to leave with her team. I guess her mind was still reeling from everything that happened or maybe she just couldn’t stand being around those people. Probably both?

[@rahelhorvat1471]

Alina and Zenia are there also, they will take care of them.

[@Meghan326]

I had to remind myself when I was watching all these skaters melting down, that I was watching a real sporting event and not a television dramatization or a "reality" show. It was wild.

[@ddpg9976]

As someone who works with teens it was giving me normalcy and regular teen drama. If these were 30 year old women it would have been a perfect episode of reality television, but in knowing their age it was understandable. Hate to say it but drug use was actually safer than what some teens are doing.

[@comment6864]

Yes! Glad she mentioned Gubanova! She is a notch above even Valieva in some ways. Her cross-overs are so much more effortless than any of Eteri's girls.

[@comment6864]

@Nathaniel Walker Components is a pretty vague term.. All i know is that her skating quality is beautiful to watch. I know i'm supposed to be gaga over Valieva's extensions and her jump rotations, but her cross-overs are jerky and just the way she moves across the ice doesn't do anything for me. It's all kind of rickety looking. With all the 'wow' it doesn't wow.

[@thesovgc]

Gubanova is a glorious gem amongst some dirty rocks.

[@teresachadwick2486]

Amongst all of this, when will Eteri be held accountable? She is behind all of the unhappiness of her skaters.

[@msj9097]

No. Don't even expect accountability in figure skating

[@cashelnd]

I hope this interview gets very broad coverage. It was fascinating (and shocking) to hear Polina Edmunds so carefully describe the technical aberrations of the Russian team--this is something the layperson would never know, and it gives important insight into the strange bias of the judging protocol (or simply the specific judges). Not the first time this kind of thing has been seen--corruption at the Olympics!!--but given how much money and corporate greed are involved in the entire enterprise, none of this is a surprise.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Thank you!

[@MsRumex]

And some people would claim that new scoring system is sooo much better than the 6:0 one. Yeah, right. Better ((((

[@colleenduffy1139]

@@MsRumex Yes the current system seems more easily manipulated than the old one.

[@mariamrusishvili1724]

At least one person was genuinely happy on that podium 😔 Kaori saved that “Flower” ceremony.

[@anne-sophie5219]

Thank you for this. I wish that they get away, are healthy and successful in a safe, secure environment.

[@mai3334]

I am manifesting Tuktamysheva being 2022 World Champion.

[@Hithere-dl2cx]

Me too. She deserves it!

[@benbailey159bb]

God that would be amazing

[@joanneolsen5635]

Me too

[@liberty0622]

Russian just didn't respect Tuktamysheva , because they are saying all session she's to old....

[@da96103]

Is she replacing Kamila?

[@gogroregogoror]

KAORI SAKAMOTO!!!!! thats all i meant to say ❤️‍🔥

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@nickreynolds8391]

Loved seeing her pure joy and happiness after she won the bronze.

[@rdemille2297]

Thank you, TSL and Polina, for drilling down to the real issue--the elevated scoring of bad & potentially injurious technique. Inconsistent and flat-out WRONG judging continues as the core issue underlying all of this mess.

[@kelly9876]

I gradually stopped watching the ladies events over the last 4 years. It always feels the same- Russian skaters are shamefully over scored for imbalanced and uninteresting programs, bad technique and little artistic merit. And lately this is happening in ice dance and pairs. If this trend continues, I will not have any skating to enjoy

[@rdemille2297]

@Kirsten Kelly l know--I have been disheartened by the ongoing imbalance in scoring and I agree with you that it it has crossed over to all the disciplines.

[@TheAnnmjensen]

I just don’t know how we get everyone on the page of stressing good technique and not chasing early/young success. As a whole sport - the governing bodies, the rules, the whole emphasis has been on chasing the Russians. We have turned every level of the sport on its head to focus on risk taking at younger ages. I have tried to argue this over the last several years and gotten nowhere. And. here. We. Are.

[@feyanormorfol2457]

W.T.F. Is "good" technics? Prerotation was ALWAYS unlimited. Edges were called yesterday. It seems like sore losers simply like conspiracy theories.

[@jutjubow]

@@feyanormorfol2457 They were clearly more meticulous for certain skaters than for others.

[@feyanormorfol2457]

@@jutjubow you mean Trusova's Flipz or Kaori's flutz? Almost 90% of skaters have edge issues.

[@dmp7252]

Also, maybe you go bring Dorothy Hamil into this discussion. At one of the world championships, she was booed, and Dorothy was under the impression that they were booing HER. It was unprecedented at the time, but Carlo Fassi was able to pull Dorothy together after a quick second off the ice. The referee allowed her time to pull herself together and she went out and skating brilliantly. I do think Valieva could have still pulled it out a win, but she would have needed the MIND of a Shcherbakova. THIS is why I said Shcherbakova was going to win ANYWAY. Even if Valieva was not here, and it was Elizabeta or even Kosternia, niether one of them have the same mental iron will as Shcherbakova. I have said this over and over, to win against ALL of these girls THREE TIMES (at Russian Nationals where the pressure is of an Olympic nature) - that means you are made a steel. If Eteri was smart she would have Anna share with everyone how to deals with pressure. I'll leave it there. But with the right handling, Valieva could have won. (As things stand now, maybe that was a blessing in disguise she didn't win, because now there may only be one medal that will be stripped [team event] vs. two had she competed she medal in the individual event.)

[@quickquick3307]

Alysa is at 7th, Mariah is at 10th, Karen is at 16th at Olympics. Polina, do you know Math? Alysa beats Karen for almost 30 points at Olympics. Alysa, Mariah and Karen are at the same level? Based on your logic. Kaori, Sasha and Karen Chen are also at the same level then.

[@dkadkins6545]

Polina is articulate, logical, well reasoned, and evidence-based. Her perspective is interesting and nonabusive. 👍

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@mariamrozek9975]

Polina Spletnica🤫🤣

[@etherealtb6021]

I feel like I only see the Russian skating I also grew up loving in Pairs. Like Tarasova, her foot never leaves the ice in ANY move without a perfect point and a beautiful straight, extended leg!

[@thesovgc]

Zhenya Tarasova is DIVINE! 😍

[@thespion]

This is one of the best shows you have done.

[@ginamanaghan7770]

Very informative and insightful! Thanks for helping me wrap my head around the whole situation a little more.

[@rajs7876]

As a viewer, I have never experienced anxiety watching a competition like this. When I was a kid, I would get nervous for my favourites but this was just pure discomfort as an adult. 8 watched to see Wakaba's Lion King. Even with the fall on the triple 3t, she was so pure and light

[@ceelcste4572]

In Sasha's case, it was years of built-up emotions (probably from knowing that Anna was more favored, both by the judges and her coaches). There was no right time nor place for that emotion; she needed to let that out for the sake of sanity. She was overscored in her pcs, but hell Anna was overly -overly scored as well. Also, Kaori's pure joy was ❤️❤️❤️

[@thesovgc]

How quick people are to forget that Sasha Trusova won two Junior World titles back to back. All this blathering about her "always being the bridesmaid" is painting such a false narrative with revisionist history that it's almost funny.

[@briananavarrolopez9286]

According to Aliona, the girls were always compared to Sasha and were told to be more like her

[@coll4455]

Thank you so much for this!! So much information love it

[@beckyclawson2245]

Aw yeah I’ve been waiting for you guys to post since the Womens free skate!!!!!!!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@oceanle]

CAS ruling literally had the opposite effect they were trying to have for Kamila.

[@alexandraantonovitch428]

It’s the media and the hate from mainly Americans ..not that CAS

[@glsavych]

We have a gold medalist who can't even be happy for herself, a silver medalist who is crying and a 15 y.o. child who is absolutely crushed. Is this normal? Who and what is this for? I couldn't even watch it. Tutberidze ruined everything.

[@FK_loving]

What's exactly she ruined for Anna? That she is a Olympic champ? In her interview Anna said sje was happy and felt joy. What's her fault if Sasha was not good enough and not even listen to coaches who told her not to jump 3A? Should Tutberidze give two gold meadals to make everybody happy?

[@dNbBabe]

With all the drama and scandal, I found myself rooting for and invested in Kurakova (the Polish skater) who was 24th after the short program and managed to rocket all the way up to 12th place after the free skate. I knew there was no shot at a medal whatsoever, but her performance, the way she really just left it all on the ice...for me, that was the shining moment of the free skate, which feels sooo weird! Anyway, that's my 2 cents

[@user-bg5dw7jk2m]

Kurakova is Russian too. 🇬🇪, 🇵🇱, 🇺🇦, 🇦🇿, 🇨🇿, 🇭🇺 these girls are from Russia. Russian ballet is the best!

[@dNbBabe]

@@user-bg5dw7jk2m yes, I know she's Russian, what I meant was "the skater representing Poland". Didn't phrase that right. My bad.

[@skatefan9495]

@@user-bg5dw7jk2m She's Russian but she doesn't skate Russian. She is a breath of fresh air amonst the angst.

[@Amy-ts2ym]

Yelim Kim! Loved her and Gubanova also. Glad you felt they were underscored. Anyone else missing Mai Mihara here? Thanks for making me feel the teeniest bit better.

[@maryfarahlagudas1211]

Imagine you just won the Olympics and the first thing your coach tell u -“it’s a shame you did not jump the 4lutz” wth

[@TheSkatingLesson]

100%

[@da96103]

Asian mom. I have 99% in exam. How come no 100%.

[@Pat_M_]

It bothers me how people don’t understand how eteri failed so many of her Athletes. Trusova deserves better choreography- compared to last season under plushenko- this season bland choreography shows how they underestimate her. Plushenko challenged her- for her- with beautiful combination of quads and choreography. She has the potential- but turberzie just wants to ‘play it safe’ for the sake of her own reputation. Under plushenko her landings were smoother and less strained. Trusova has had it, and the only reason she went back to turebeize is becuase she knows she’ll be extremely underscored in Russia like she was last season. She had a whole mental break down, not a rant, but something that has been building up for a while, bottling up her emotions go the point where she couldn’t mentally take it. She didn’t have her mental support of her mom and dogs and it shows even more how her coaches then failed to even make up for that mental support. Trusova should’ve stayed with plushenko- her technique was better and her choreography was better. Her coaches give her nothing to allow her to show artistry- don’t blame the athlete- blame the coach who has lost respect for the sport and her own athlete as she’s not focused on letting trusova succeed like she wants to, but to keep her own reputation in the federation. Also I fucking hate how people pass the obvious red flag of how trusova pushed away from her coaches every time they tried to touch/hug her. The only coach she looked in the eyes while she was crying was the blond haired one- Dudakov- she has had it with eteri and it breaks my heart about how the coaches have failed these athletes and keep on getting away with it because all people do it put the blame on the athletes.

[@iuliiaregonen6364]

Трусова очень эмоциональная девочка! Очень! Этим всё сказано.

[@nycgtl88]

Danny G has an ego and thinks he can choreograph and teach artistry and that’s not the case. Sasha deserved a dance coach or ballerina teacher or consultant to bring more out of her. She’s a powerhouse but we know a skater must be both technical and artistic. TT always put her last and even tell her to hold back so I’m glad she said FU ima do 5 quads! They never believe in her. To me that silver is highly earned she’s amazing jumper. The meltdown was good and she needed to put TT in their place. I really hope she leaves them for good and maybe takes a season break.

[@thesovgc]

Clearly Sasha didn't want to work on her components and that's why she went back to Eteri. And it backfired.

[@sk83rEmo]

@@thesovgc I don’t think that’s it, If she wanted to go to the Olympics that was her only shot

[@thesovgc]

@@sk83rEmo I don't think that's necessarily true. She made the World Team and won bronze with inflated PCS under Plushchenko. It would have been a gag if Trusova did multiple quads at Nationals under AOP and was left off the team for say, Khromykh. While I agree you're right that her chances were much better under Eteri, I don't think she would have had no shot at all under Plushchenko. JMO.

[@biggestgymfan7230]

That was terrible I felt like I was watching children being exploited like I wanted them to get the cameras out of there face

[@TheSkatingLesson]

It was beyond disturbing.

[@sapphire22011]

It kinda gave me Dance Moms vibes where there were backstage meltdowns and fights...all with the voyeuristic cameras loving the 'drama"

[@oyinolubayo7079]

No seriously the camera WOULD NOT STOP following trusova in a moment of a clear breakdown even as she tried to move more and more to the corner.

[@lez4083]

All three of the girls had breakdowns in different ways. What is supposed to be the pinnacle of figure skating seemed like their worst nightmare. It was truly the worst ladies event i think in the history of the sport. Hopefully this will be the wakeup call that the ISU needed to make changes.

[@Q_from_Star_Trek]

i didn't see it live, but it seemed more like a funeral that a skating event at the Olympics:-)

[@lez4083]

@@Q_from_Star_Trek truly, sasha seemed like the family member in denial, anna in total shock, and kami sad and crying.

[@lobete96]

I’m from Brazil, love this channel! Bring Polina again, she is amazing! ❤️❤️❤️

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@19katherine1213]

Feel like this was an accumulation of what happed the past 4 years finally exploding on the world’s biggest stage

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Last 10 years.

[@sharoxx1894]

Ive been waiting for so longggg

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@NG-ue4th]

Also, I was so impressed with young you (especially after the 4cc) and Alysa liu (with all the emotional instability she's been put through) for really coming through and looking like mental giants 💖