Looking ahead to the Sochi Olympics!

I apologize for my looooong absence, but I have to admit that since the 2012 Olympic girls got kicked off the group team (Nazar, Blizia, and Ksyu), I have lost some interest in RG... :(

...And with the Winter Olympics in Sochi coming up, I have been totally distracted by my first great sports love--figure skating!!

So, in honor of the upcoming games, here are pics of Ksyu, Dasha D, and Karolina doing the torch relay for the Olympics!  (I already posted pics of Makar participating in the relay.)  Unfortunately Zhenya couldn't run the relay in Omsk because of her pregnancy...

Ksyu during torch relay

Dasha D

Karolina

Karolina with torch

Ksyu and her mom

Ksyu in Sochi gear

I think I like the 2012 Olympics gear better...what do you think?

Happy birthday, Papa Frizi!

Well, on Monday (October 14), pro basketball player Vitaly Fridzon turned 28, and of course the girls were there to help him celebrate!  First and foremost were his "daughters," Makar and Ul!

Makar, Frizi, Ul

Frizi & Makar

Frizi & Ul

Makar, Frizi, Zhenya Telysheva, Ul, Ruben Begunts and ? in front

And Dasha D, her boyfriend Alexander Radulov, and Matya were there too.

Frizi & Dasha D

Top: Ul, Ruben, Alexander Radulov; Matya, Alexandar Gudumak; ?, Matya; Frizi, Radulov. Bottom: Frizi, Dasha D, Gudumak, Makar; Frizi & Matya; Frizi & Makar

Looks like it was a fun party!

(As Matya said, Frizi dancing with his youngest daughter.)

Even more photos from Yulia & Egor's wedding!

I think this is the final round-up of photos!  (The other sets of photos are here and here.)
Looks like Egor has some of his sister's split leap talents! ;)  Makar is so impressed!

Makar, ?, Blizia and Egor jumping

Speaking of Zhenya, here she is with the newlyweds (and her husband).

Igor (Zhenya's husband), Egor, Yulia, Zhenya

 And here are the group girls with the newlyweds...

Blizia, Yulia, Egor

Blizia, Yulia, Egor, Makar, Ksyu

Yulia, Egor, Blizia, Ksyu

Group photo!

Standing: Ksyu, ?, Egor.  Sitting: ?, Alexander Tikhonov, ?, Oleg Kanaev (maybe?), Igor, Zhenya, Makar

There was dancing...

Makar, ?, Blizia

...and a bouquet toss.

?, ?, Makar in the back, Dasha D, Anna Shumilova, Ksyu, Blizia

Makar and Blizia are just kind of standing there and watching, but Dasha and Anna and the girl on the left look like they really want to catch it, and Ksyu just looks like she's trying to spoil their chances. :P LOL!

And here are some photos of the girls at the wedding.

Laima Lipkina & Makar

Ksyu!

Our cutie pie!

I guess there was a couch that they all took photos on...

Dasha D

Blizia

Makar (see the tattoo on her leg!)

Ksyu

Makar & Ksyu

Putin and the 2012 Olympic team

Here's a trip down memory lane!  I already posted about Putin meeting with the 2013 team after the Universiade this year, but here is the 2012 Olympic team meeting with Putin!

Ul, Putin, Ksyu

(I think it's hysterical how Ksyu just towers over Putin--she's such a giant!!)

Nazar, Putin, Blizia

Karolina & Putin

Putin & Makar

Putin & Blizia

If I were Alina Kabaeva, I might be a teensy bit jealous...Putin does look oh-so-pleased to be hanging out with the girls, doesn't he??

Putin & Dasha D

Especially with Zhenya (but who wouldn't be?!)!

Putin & Zhenya

Putin & Zhenya

Yulia G married Egor Kanaev (Zhenya's brother)!!

Looks like both of the Kanaev kids got married this year!!  In June, Zhenya married Igor Musatov, and yesterday, Yulia Golubenko married Zhenya's brother Egor!

I wrote about them being such a cute couple (and how awesome it must be to have Zhenya as a sister-in-law) earlier. 
Here are more photos from the wedding; I'll add more when I find them.

Dasha D, Makar, Ksyu and Yulia Sinitsina (who's coached by Yulia G) were definitely at the wedding...Unfortunately, Ul might have had to miss it since she's doing "Dancing with the stars" today!

Dasha D & Yulia

Dasha D, Yulia and ?

 A hearty congrats to Yulia and Egor!!! ^_^

Dasha D got a tattoo!!

You can see it on her shoulder in this photo...

Dasha D (with Yana Lukonina in the back)

...and here is a closeup of the text.

Unfortunately I have no idea what it says!

Son Yeon-Jae is more popular than Kim Yu-Na!!

Well, I stumbled across this article last week and couldn't help but share!  Although Son Yeon-Jae has never won an Olympic gold medal or even a World Championship medal, for that matter, she apparently is Korea's sweetheart--more so than the reigning Olympic champion in figure skating, Kim Yu-Na!  (It's because she's cuter!!)

Son is one of the most popular and visible athletes in South Korea, thanks to a series of appearances in television commercials. Last year, she was voted national athlete of the year in a survey, ahead of more accomplished athletes, such as such as Olympic swimming gold medalist Park Tae-hwan and reigning Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na.

For those who do not know, Son Yeon-Jae trains at Novogorsk just like Team Russia.

She takes selfies in her dorm room in Novogorsk, just like the other girls!

She even went with them to Croatia!

She is basically like an honorary member of the team (and is under the protection of Vinerstan)!

Dasha Kondakova, Dasha D, Zhenya, Yeon-Jae

Zhenya, Yeon-Jae, Dasha K, Dasha D

Nastia M, Blizia, Elena, Yeon-Jae, Ksyu, Nazar, Olga

Dasha K, ?, Dasha D, Yeon-Jae

Olga & Yeon-Jae

Zhenya, Yeon-Jae, Makar

In particular, she claims to have been quite close to Zhenya. They are both cuties, that's for sure!

OMG, so cute!!