Pic of the Week

This season is about to wrap up and I'm already thinking about next season.

While on the topic of next season, we've all been bombarded with the news that Evgeny Plushenko is making his much heralded return to competition.

I'll file that under believe it when I see it.

If I recall, for the past two seasons we've been told to expect a return but to no avail. I suspect this time there is a slightly higher chance we'll see the comeback given it's an Olympic Season. Competitors love to make comebacks for Olympics (see Drobiazko & Vanagas, 2006; Fusar-Poli & Margalio, 2006; Sylvia Fontana, 2006; etc. etc. etc.).

The Russian Federation keeps bemoaning the fact that they don't have men at the top of podiums. Russian Men had quite the 'spurt' of energy beginning with Urmanov in 1994 and ending with Plushenko in 2006. In between those two we had Kulik and Yagudin to awe at.

But in figure skating the pendulum swings and I can't blame the Russian Federation for whining about not having top talent among their men, we are doing the same thing here in the U.S. about our ladies talent. How many of us are kind of hoping Michelle and/or Sasha makes some sort of return?

So, can Plushy save the day for Russia (although, I personally don't think Lutai or Voronov did half bad...)? Or is it just another possibility that will never materialize?

How's your Russian? Here's some footage of Plushenko taken Feburary 6th in St. Petersburg as he trains for his presumtive return. Anyone out there care to translate for us...Figure Skating Translations?



UPDATE: Thanks to an anonymous poster we have some new video to share including a fun little diddy with Gregory and Petukhov: