May I ask a question?

I remembered Albena once said that they would retire after 2007 World Champions. Is it really ture or do they change their mind now? I hope that they can continue to compete internationally and be able to win gold medal at 2010 Winter Olympics. However, if they feel very tired and want to enjoy life soon, I will be supportive too.

Snow wrote!

Quote :

I remembered Albena once said that they would retire after 2007 World Champions. Is it really ture or do they change their mind now? I hope that they can continue to compete internationally and be able to win gold medal at 2010 Winter Olympics. However, if they feel very tired and want to enjoy life soon, I will be supportive to

Hola! Snow! Bienvenida! Welcome!

I think that most of Albie and Max's fans are asking themselves the same.
I really don't know what to think or say.. They are the ones to decide..

Besos!

snowingyang wrote:

I remembered Albena once said that they would retire after 2007 World Champions. Is it really ture or do they change their mind now? I hope that they can continue to compete internationally and be able to win gold medal at 2010 Winter Olympics. However, if they feel very tired and want to enjoy life soon, I will be supportive too.

Welcome, snowingyang!
It's very nice to meet you
well, it's very hard to predict, but it is time already to have a rest, to stop competing, to stop getting all of this stress.. of course, we can't say for sure. Albena and Max can't either. Last year after Torino they were sure they would retire, but after the WC they changed their minds and now we all can see them skating again! That's really great, but to tell the truth.. I don't think they are going to continue till the next Olympic games. They are not so young. And there are Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin and russian federation will do their best to get them to the top of the podium. Without Albena & Maxim they will do it without any problems, but they CAN do it even with Albena & Maxim. And if Albena & Max stay and the russian federation will be a success with their plan, it would be so so frustrating.
I think it's the last season. Sorry!

QUOTING LERA!

Quote :

I don't think they are going to continue till the next Olympic games. They are not so young. And there are Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin and russian federation will do their best to get them to the top of the podium. Without Albena & Maxim they will do it without any problems, but they CAN do it even with Albena & Maxim. And if Albena & Max stay and the russian federation will be a success with their plan, it would be so so frustrating. :

YES!!! You are sooo right!!!
But,... Will this sport never change?? All the goings on?? I know that Oxsana and Maxim are talented, but there are other couples but their carrer has been meteoric.. :scratch:soooo far.....
In the interview A. Zhulin { in other thread}...predits that russian skaters are not going to find it very easy to get to the top in the coming years, but perhaps he is not refering to Oxsana and Maxim...



Beijinhos!

Thank you very much! It's very nice of you to explain to me in details. Other fans are worried about the situation,too. We all noticed that Domnina-Shabalin were "rising" way too fast! But I can tell you that almost everyone who likes watching ice dancing loves Albena&Maxim in China and we were offended everytime Albena&Maxim were robbed of a deserved medal. We all hope that they could stay longer on the ice, because there are fewer people nowadays in ice dancing who can interpret music with their heart. However, as I said before, whatever they chose to do after 2007 World Championships, I would be 100 percent supportive and I just hope they could get married soon and have kids as beautiful and cute as themselves.

snowingyang wrote:

Thank you very much! It's very nice of you to explain to me in details. Other fans are worried about the situation,too. We all noticed that Domnina-Shabalin were "rising" way too fast! But I can tell you that almost everyone who likes watching ice dancing loves Albena&Maxim in China and we were offended everytime Albena&Maxim were robbed of a deserved medal. We all hope that they could stay longer on the ice, because there are fewer people nowadays in ice dancing who can interpret music with their heart. However, as I said before, whatever they chose to do after 2007 World Championships, I would be 100 percent supportive and I just hope they could get married soon and have kids as beautiful and cute as themselves.

Hehe...Oksana and Max are rising too fast in my opinion...and we get kinda ticked off here if Albie and Max are robbed of a deserving medal...and were freaking out during the OD at the GPF... I want them to stay as well...but I also want them to get married and have their gorgeous kids...and their kids will be downright angels... Only time will tell...


Lyra

Snow wrote!

Quote :

We all hope that they could stay longer on the ice, because there are fewer people nowadays in ice dancing who can interpret music with their heart. However, as I said before, whatever they chose to do after 2007 World Championships, I would be 100 percent supportive and I just hope they could get married soon and have kids as beautiful and cute as themselves.

I agree!

Lera wrote!

Quote :

I don't think they are going to continue till the next Olympic games. They are not so young. And there are Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin and russian federation will do their best to get them to the top of the podium. Without Albena & Maxim they will do it without any problems, but they CAN do it even with Albena & Maxim. And if Albena & Max stay and the russian federation will be a success with their plan, it would be so so frustrating. :

That would be really unthinkable, I think! I am sure all Albie and Max´s fans don´t want that to happen!

snowingyang wrote:

But I can tell you that almost everyone who likes watching ice dancing loves Albena&Maxim in China and we were offended everytime Albena&Maxim were robbed of a deserved medal. We all hope that they could stay longer on the ice, because there are fewer people nowadays in ice dancing who can interpret music with their heart. However, as I said before, whatever they chose to do after 2007 World Championships, I would be 100 percent supportive and I just hope they could get married soon and have kids as beautiful and cute as themselves.

Awwww Your words are so sweet, Snow!
Albena & Maxim would be very touched to read it!

Actually,it is kinda ironic that the more the judges are involved in a team's succuss, the more unpopular the team becomes. Of course Oksana&Maxim have their own fans, but I believe that they will have more if they are not rising this fast, and then everybody will think they "earn" recognition from judges and applaud from the audience.
You know, the very weir phenomenon is that a lot of people in my nation prefer Dominina to Shabalin. I don't know the exact reason, but I guess that they think Oksana is the hotter one of their team.
In the Chinese figure skating forum, once I read a post whose topic is " What makes you guys hate Navka & Kostomarov so much? They seem Ok", and most replies shout out almost the same opinion-They won too many championships that didn't belong to them.

It's kind of making me sad to watch Domnina & Shabalin get less popular-- I truly believe that they are the most talented dance team to come along in a long, long time, and any future success they have will likely be deserved (not that I would enjoy or support them beating A&M this year, but I think that at this point if they were 3rd in the world, that would be well-deserved). I'm not totally into their programs this year, but their skating is so fabulous that I love watching them anyway. I always knew this would happen to them (a fast rise, and the resentment that follows it), but it's still a little depressing.

Sorry, Grace, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm so sorry and right now I feel guilty...
Of course there are a lot of people who really appreciate Oksana&Maxim's skating, and they will support them whatever the situation will be. You see, we love A&M even when they were underestimated because we know their ture value and ability. Those judges' opinions would not affect our feelings about them. That is the mature attitude of an objective fan. And I think that theory works the other way around. You can love Oksana&Maxim even when they were" overestimated" because you truly enjoy their skating and you sincerely believe that even without the help of Russian Federation they could still make it sooner or later.
See, we don't have any pernonal feeling against Okasana & Maxim, or even Navka & Kostomarov; it is the manipulative judges to blame.
Grace, please don't feel unhappy.

snowingyang wrote:

" What makes you guys hate Navka & Kostomarov so much? They seem Ok", and most replies shout out almost the same opinion-They won too many championships that didn't belong to them.

I don't like Navka & Kostomarov, it's true.. but the thing you told is just too mean I think And.. *in a whisper* I'm fed up with that N/K thing already, guys!! they retired!!! can we forget about them, no?

Quote :

It's kind of making me sad to watch Domnina & Shabalin get less popular-- I truly believe that they are the most talented dance team to come along in a long, long time, and any future success they have will likely be deserved (not that I would enjoy or support them beating A&M this year, but I think that at this point if they were 3rd in the world, that would be well-deserved). I'm not totally into their programs this year, but their skating is so fabulous that I love watching them anyway. I always knew this would happen to them (a fast rise, and the resentment that follows it), but it's still a little depressing.

Yes, I agree.. it's quite sad.. but something really happened to Oksana she is so.. "moved away" (I'm not sure it's the right word.. hope you will understand me ) from the routine she is dancing and this moment upsets me. She is really pretty and Max is very emotional. I love their style. I love their skating, their edges.. but their place ahead of Isabelle & Olivier just depress me. I know Isa & Olivier MUST skate cleaner, but still..

Grace wrote:

It's kind of making me sad to watch Domnina & Shabalin get less popular-- I truly believe that they are the most talented dance team to come along in a long, long time, and any future success they have will likely be deserved (not that I would enjoy or support them beating A&M this year, but I think that at this point if they were 3rd in the world, that would be well-deserved). I'm not totally into their programs this year, but their skating is so fabulous that I love watching them anyway. I always knew this would happen to them (a fast rise, and the resentment that follows it), but it's still a little depressing.

I could sign under every word of yours

I should say I'll love and support Oksana and Maxim i spite of all the judge things. They are gorgeous. And I know perfectly well that after A&M retire there is a couple to occupy their place in my heart
(well, not their place.... but a new one :albino: )

Lerka wrote:

I don't like Navka & Kostomarov, it's true.. but the thing you told is just too mean I think And.. *in a whisper* I'm fed up with that N/K thing already, guys!! they retired!!! can we forget about them, no?

*pfft* I want to forget about them, too. But I think the last few seasons (2004-2006) are still too fresh in everyone's mind. Too bad.

Lana wrote:

Lerka wrote:

I don't like Navka & Kostomarov, it's true.. but the thing you told is just too mean I think And.. *in a whisper* I'm fed up with that N/K thing already, guys!! they retired!!! can we forget about them, no?

*pfft* I want to forget about them, too. But I think the last few seasons (2004-2006) are still too fresh in everyone's mind. Too bad.

I know!!! It's impossible to forget about them and our *dear* judges always always remind us about them..

*MAGic diable* wrote:

I love their style. I love their skating, their edges.. but their place ahead of Isabelle & Olivier just depress me. I know Isa & Olivier MUST skate cleaner, but still..

Oh, well, I totally agree with that. I think the top three right now should be
1) Albena and Maxim
2) Isabelle and Olivier
3) Oksana and Maxim

So, I agree with Oksana and Maxim's third place at GPF, I just don't agree with who they were third behind. Poor Isabelle and Olivier are having a terrible year.

Grace wrote:

Oh, well, I totally agree with that. I think the top three right now should be
1) Albena and Maxim
2) Isabelle and Olivier
3) Oksana and Maxim

That is what I really want!!! Yes, poor Isabelle & Olivier.. it's so hard for them..

*MAGic diable* wrote:

snowingyang wrote:

" What makes you guys hate Navka & Kostomarov so much? They seem Ok", and most replies shout out almost the same opinion-They won too many championships that didn't belong to them.

I don't like Navka & Kostomarov, it's true.. but the thing you told is just too mean I think And.. *in a whisper* I'm fed up with that N/K thing already, guys!! they retired!!! can we forget about them, no?

Quote :

It's kind of making me sad to watch Domnina & Shabalin get less popular-- I truly believe that they are the most talented dance team to come along in a long, long time, and any future success they have will likely be deserved (not that I would enjoy or support them beating A&M this year, but I think that at this point if they were 3rd in the world, that would be well-deserved). I'm not totally into their programs this year, but their skating is so fabulous that I love watching them anyway. I always knew this would happen to them (a fast rise, and the resentment that follows it), but it's still a little depressing.

Yes, I agree.. it's quite sad.. but something really happened to Oksana she is so.. "moved away" (I'm not sure it's the right word.. hope you will understand me ) from the routine she is dancing and this moment upsets me. She is really pretty and Max is very emotional. I love their style. I love their skating, their edges.. but their place ahead of Isabelle & Olivier just depress me. I know Isa & Olivier MUST skate cleaner, but still..

Sorry, here goes my apology for my indiscreet choice of word. Maybe I didn't use the right word before. I didn't mean to say "hate", and probably "dislike" is the better interpretation of that guy's topic of post.

Someone did ask the reason for why their popularity doesn't match with their titles. You know, not every forum has the atmosphere as polite as ours, and sometimes people just express their feelings directly using comparatively strong words. On the contrary, some people, very few though, actually fancy N/K extremly and praise them with exaggerated phrases. As someone's hatred towards N/K surprises you, other people's positive remarks on N/K surprise me too. So, really it's just difference of opinions.Don't take it so seriously.

As for which team to support, I guess everybody is entitled to make her own choice. Even N/K have their fans, let alone Isa&Oli. And I don't exactly know why nobody mentions Dubreuil&Lauzon in our forum when more than one girl come from North America.
If I make a list, here it comes:
1) A&M, of course
2)Dubreuil&Lauzon (Their FD"somewhere in time" just moves me enormously and this season's "At Last" is also a sweet program)
3)Isa&Oli (Their FD last season is accoladed remarkably in almost every forum)

Sorry I didn't make room in the top three for Oksana&Maxim. Because I just believe discipline like ice dancing requires deep understanding of life and emotional experiences to convey the accurate meaning of music, rather than mere superb technical merits. With the pairs, it works pretty much the same way. (You may know the Olympics silver medalists of Pairs Dan Zhang&Hao Zhang. As much as we Chinese fans like them, we all admit their artistry is not as good as their techniques.)I admit Oksana&Maxim are such a wonderful team ,but what I don't catch is that, if you analyze their program components marks last season, you get numbers around 6; all of a sudden, at COR of this season, their program components mark are all above 8!! Even A&M couldn't get that high marks sometimes.

I believe teams like A&M, Isa&Oli, Dubreuil&Lauzon and Drobiazko&Vanagas(if they could compete this season) are at the same level while teams like Berlin&Agosto and Oksana&Maxim are at the same level, young but promising, technically wonderful but lack of experiences. And team like Tessa Virtue& Scott Moir are in another group, even younger than B/A and Oksana&Maxim but coming along really strong.

That is simply my own feeling and viewpoint. You see, I come from a nation that could boast of no great ice dancers, so none of the persons I just mentioned triggered even the slightest sense of patriotism. But I totally understand different ideas of other people as long as they express wholeheartedly what they truly feel.

Dear Lerka, I think "mean" is a strong word too. It is literally accusation of somebody's personality. Betraying your friend, cheating on your wife, and robbing other people of their chances of happiness could be called as "mean", but I don't think "hating N/K" could count as "mean", not to mention the fact that it was me who actually used the wrong word to translate.
So please don't get upset about those fans who dislike N/K. They are not MEAN.

snowingyang wrote:

Dear Lerka, I think "mean" is a strong word too. It is literally accusation of somebody's personality. Betraying your friend, cheating on your wife, and robbing other people of their chances of happiness could be called as "mean", but I don't think "hating N/K" could count as "mean", not to mention the fact that it was me who actually used the wrong word to translate.
So please don't get upset about those fans who dislike N/K. They are not MEAN.

Noo, Xue!!!!!! I'm not upset at all!!! I understand those people and I'm actually thinking and feeling the same.. I'm a russian girl, but I'm not a fan of russian skaters. Mostly. And Navka and Kostomarov are my verrrrry UNloved skaters If I make a list of my "unloved skaters and the skaters I consider to de terrible" N/K would be on the top I can't even think of other skaters I don't like that much.. (waaaiiit.. I don't like Grushina and Belbin and Ilia Averbukh and Barbara with Maurizio and Anjelika & Oleg ) but I can't say I hate them... because they are nice people! I saw it.. I know it.. and moreover just after using strong words like "we hate Navkos" etc. we had some incidents here with N/K fans.. I don't want this to happen again. So I don't like talking about how I don't like Navkos. and Lana and me try to control the whole situation on the board.. because if someone start the topic we could never restrain ourselves from writing some "nice" sentences about N/K

Quoting!
Dear Lerka, I think "mean" is a strong word too. It is literally accusation of somebody's personality. Betraying your friend, cheating on your wife, and robbing other people of their chances of happiness could be called as "mean", but I don't think "hating N/K" could count as "mean", not to mention the fact that it was me who actually used the wrong word to translate.
So please don't get upset about those fans who dislike N/K. They are not MEAN[quote]

Well, OK I am mean... I still don't like what they have done to this beautiful sport , but ok, let's loooooooook AHEAD! :vo:Dear Lerka, I think "mean" is a strong word too. It is literally accusation of somebody's personality. Betraying your friend, cheating on your wife, and robbing other people of their chances of happiness could be called as "mean", but I don't think "hating N/K" could count as "mean", not to mention the fact that it was me who actually used the wrong word to translate.
So please don't get upset about those fans who dislike N/K. They are not MEAN[quote]

Well, OK I am mean... I still don't like what they have done to this beautiful sport , but ok, let's loooooooook AHEAD!

snowingyang wrote:

Sorry, here goes my apology for my indiscreet choice of word. Maybe I didn't use the right word before. I didn't mean to say "hate", and probably "dislike" is the better interpretation of that guy's topic of post. So, really it's just difference of opinions.Don't take it so seriously.

Oh, if it was just that, so it's not strange and it's normal! We used to have talks like that, too..

Quote :

And I don't exactly know why nobody mentions Dubreuil&Lauzon in our forum when more than one girl come from North America.

It's not true we mention Marie-France & Patch and very often. Especially we did it last year, because their programs were fab! This year we also talk about them in the GPF topic, in the Canadian Nats topic, too.. here I didn't mention them (and Grace didn't), because we were talking about the European championships and its podium. I guess. I was talking about Europeans at least!
So at the World Champs in Tokyo the podium must be like you wrote. Although I would put Marie-France and Patch to the third this year. I'm not in their FD.. I prefer Isabelle & Olivier's Bonnie & Clyde, but since Marie-France & Patch are World Silver medalists 2006 and also they were second at the GPF.. they will be the main opponents of Albena & Maxim in Tokyo.

Quote :

I believe teams like A&M, Isa&Oli, Dubreuil&Lauzon and Drobiazko&Vanagas(if they could compete this season)

they won't compete.

Quote :

I believe teams like A&M, Isa&Oli, Dubreuil&Lauzon and Drobiazko&Vanagas(if they could compete this season) are at the same level while teams like Berlin&Agosto and Oksana&Maxim are at the same level, young but promising, technically wonderful but lack of experiences.

All of what you said about these couples is obvious and everyone here thinks the same.. it's impossible and it's really stupid to compare A&M, Isa & Olivier and some other experienced couples with Belbin & Agosto and Oksana & Max.. Oksana & Maxim used to look at Albena & Maxim as at Gods while they were training together in Odintsovo.. and now Russian Federation can do everything.. mouais.. nevermind!

Lerochka wrote:

but I can't say I hate them... because they are nice people! I saw it.. I know it.. and moreover just after using strong words like "we hate Navkos" etc. we had some incidents here with N/K fans.. I don't want this to happen again. So I don't like talking about how I don't like Navkos. and Lana and me try to control the whole situation on the board.. because if someone start the topic we could never restrain ourselves from writing some "nice" sentences about N/K

Exactly... We do have a couple girls here that like N/K , so it is important not to say overly harsh things. I think Lerka would agree that we don't want to be known as a "Navkos bashing board". Because of course, that's not why we are posting here. This board was created to celebrate Albena & Maxim and their gorgeous routines! hehe. So, me & Lerochka try to keep the Navkos "criticism" to a minimal here.

*MAGic diable* wrote:

It's not true we mention Marie-France & Patch and very often. Especially we did it last year, because their programs were fab! This year we also talk about them in the GPF topic, in the Canadian Nats topic, too.. here I didn't mention them (and Grace didn't), because we were talking about the European championships and its podium. I guess. I was talking about Europeans at least!

You were, but I wasn't. I think Marie and Patch are the single most overmarked dance team in the world right now. It's frustrating because I do actually like them, but I don't think they deserve to be placing anywhere near as high as they are now (okay, I can't stand their FD this year , but otherwise I've liked them). They have very good presentation, lifts, and spins, but in my opinion they are not as good skaters as Albena and Max, Isabelle and Olivier, or Oksana and Maxim, and in terms of footwork and twizzles they cannot match those three teams or Belbin/Agosto in difficulty. Their edge quality is not as good, the range of turns and holds they're capable of executing is not as big, and on and on and on. And since IMO presentation is important, but above all, these are skating competitions, I do not think that people who can't skate as well should be placing so high. It is almost exactly the same as my opinion on Grushina/Goncharov was (except I never liked G/G )

Quote :

So at the World Champs in Tokyo the podium must be like you wrote. Although I would put Marie-France and Patch to the third this year. I'm not in their FD.. I prefer Isabelle & Olivier's Bonnie & Clyde, but since Marie-France & Patch are World Silver medalists 2006 and also they were second at the GPF.. they will be the main opponents of Albena & Maxim in Tokyo.

I agree that they will be, but I don't think they should be. I think Marie and Patrice should be battling with Belbin/Agosto for fourth (well, depending on what B/A's new FD looks like, it's a mystery!). But I know that that is not how it's going to work.

Don't worry, though, I would never say I hate Marie and Patrice, or that their fans are mean. I just think that they're placing too high relative to their actual skating abilities. That's all.