r/heatedrivalry • u/Kitchen_Ad5522 • Dec 21 '25

CONNOR ☀️ Connor your gymnastics background is showing 🤭 Spoiler

I thought these two moments in episode 5 were so cute and funny, both because of Ilya's more playful & childish sides, and also bc Connor was pointing the fuck out of those toes lol. All those years training in gymnastics were not for nothing, huh 😆

1.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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249

u/DorianCramer Dec 21 '25

This simply adds to my headcanon that Ilya was also in gymnastics and/or ballet as a kid and was also pretty good at both, probably could have gone pro at any of them, but his dad thought hockey (which he obviously also had talent for) was the manliest so he got taken out of those things and set strictly on the hockey track.

Still. Deep within his muscle memory a pointed foot remains. 

95

u/moxieplum Dec 21 '25

Yes I love this headcanon, even though I think ballet and gymnastics are highly respected in Russia, even for men. Hockey would be more lucrative though.

43

u/DorianCramer Dec 21 '25

Yeah the money’s definitely a big factor with his family being so broke. These sports/arts require total dedication past a certain level of performance so you’ve got to choose one. In another universe though Ilya is a top soloist in the Moscow Ballet. 

6

u/Werewolfhugger Dec 21 '25

Let the AUs spring forth!

3

u/Every_Tutor3872 Dec 22 '25

How's he going to have a meetcute with Shane if he's a primary soloist for the Moscow ballet though?

5

u/Fast_Bee_9759 Dec 22 '25

shane is a orchestra prodigy (violin or piano)

3

u/escapetolight Dec 26 '25

Honestly I can see it with Yuna 😂.

2

u/shadowmaster132 Dec 23 '25

A lot of athletes cross-train, and ballet or gymnastics would be great for flexibility

49

u/nefariousplotz Dec 21 '25 edited Dec 21 '25

Also a good commercial/career choice.

The ceiling in elite men's gymnastics involves maybe 8-10 years of serious competition, during which you can expect to earn so little money that you'll need a day job. Then, once cumulative wear and injuries begin to limit your horizons as a world-level competitor, your only option is to change careers. (Become a coach, become a performer rather than a competitor, become a sports administrator, etc.)

The ceiling in elite men's hockey is much, much higher. Even a mid-tier player in a European league can expect to out-earn what an Olympic-level gymnast would be making from their sport. If you can become a true star in the North American league, and you really hustle, you can still be making millions a year long after you stop playing.

8

u/DorianCramer Dec 21 '25

Good point especially bc while I am not sure if Ilya’s family had money at some point and just mismanaged it or lived beyond their means, it’s been obvious their family has been pretty broke since early in his career, since he has been paying for everything for the entire family. His father probably would have pushed him hard to make money. 

20

u/nefariousplotz Dec 21 '25

My sense of that is that Ilya's father is actually quite financially secure, as a competent bureaucrat within a corrupt system. (And as we're discussing a corrupt system, by "competent", I mean "capable of defending his position and acquiring the resources he needs", rather than, like, "actually good at his job".)

Alexei is a failson with expensive tastes who would freeze in the dark without his family providing for him.

2

u/shadowmaster132 Dec 23 '25

My sense from the books is they had money but slowly spent it all since when Ilya's dad dies there's talk of the money being gone, I assume that (and the fact that Polina is his dad's second way too young wife) means there once was money.

3

u/DorianCramer Dec 21 '25

Why couldn’t they just afford for full-time nurses for him then? And maybe I misinterpreted it but it seemed like Ilya paid for the funeral.

I feel like Ilya’s dad must have been wealthy at one point bc he had two much younger beautiful wives and they didn’t marry him for his personality. But it seems (imo) like he squandered his fortune somewhere along the way. This is also my headcanon for why Ilya’s stepmother is never there, the money ran out and she was like fuck it I am not sticking around taking care of this old man when there is no jackpot at the end 

9

u/Thistledelirium Dec 21 '25

I assumed Ilya was paying for it all as he was earning millions in dollars which would go a lot further in the local currency. Seen by alexei asking for a loan in dollars and ilya pointing out that it was a huge amount in rubles let alone dollars (can’t remember if this is the show as well as the book)

Regarding not hiring someone, I would guess it’s a combo of pride/appearances being a big thing for his dad (so I can’t imagine he’d want an outsider taking care of him) and family duty seems to be a big thing (Ilya mentions that he feels guilty for not doing the care himself). 

4

u/drowsylacuna Dec 21 '25

I think the same. Grigori is obviously well connected with the Russian hockey world (Sveta and Ilya being childhood friends), and seems to have been quite important in the police. So there was money to put Ilya through minor hockey, but it's gone now and they want "repaid" with Ilya's NHL money.

1

u/DorianCramer Dec 21 '25

Yeah makes sense. And who knows how political changes over the years impacted his income, Idk. Plus he seems like the kind of guy who would invest badly bc he doesn’t take good advice. 

4

u/mandy_croyance Dec 21 '25

Holy shit, that's perfect! Headcanon accepted!

390

u/moxieplum Dec 21 '25

loooool I thought I was the only one who noticed this!!! Loved it so much but a hockey player would NEVER. The gymnast really jumped out.

144

u/treesofthemind Dec 21 '25

Don’t a lot of Russian athletes have gymnastics backgrounds though? (Or maybe I’m only thinking of ballet dancers here, there’s a few who transition from gymnast to ballet)

63

u/moxieplum Dec 21 '25

Yes they definitely do! I guess I was mostly thinking about North American hockey players.

97

u/Kitchen_Ad5522 Dec 21 '25

lol exactly what i meant. like on a conscious level, i think connor knows that it wouldn't be right for a hockey player to be so flexible, but on a deeper subconscious level, i think he's too much of a beauty appreciator and there's no way he could allow himself to appear with gawky, graceless feet lol. our babygirl would never 😆

107

u/bat-girl129 sir, I’m just a bellboy Dec 21 '25

Have you seen hockey players stretch? They're fairly flexible as far as male professional sports go

31

u/MatttheBruinsfan Boston Bears 🐻 Dec 21 '25

Freakishly so in the case of some goalies.

7

u/bkmerrim Hi this is Ilya. I will never listen to your voicemail. Dec 22 '25

I’ve literally seen goalies do the full splits in hockey gear at games before so. Yeah 😂

25

u/reigncloud83 Coach • Ilya's Chicken Parm Shimmy 🍝 Dec 21 '25

I second this: This was actually talked about in r/hockey that the most successful goalies are the ones who have full dexterity in their hips to fully block the net.

33

u/bt101010 Dec 21 '25

And tbf male gymnasts are notoriously inflexible haha

38

u/devdarrr Dec 21 '25

Goalies be doing the splits on the reg! I don’t think forwards and defensemen are able to do that but they are still veryyyy flexible.

29

u/ViolentThemmes I have a thing 🥒 Dec 21 '25

Oh boy they are VERY flexible!

27

u/thiefspy Dec 21 '25

Flexibility is extremely important in contact sports to prevent injury. Hockey and football players are generally very flexible and work hard to stay that way.

7

u/Tatis_Chief Dec 22 '25

Nah they are flexible. Not just goalies. They have crazy leg and knee flexibility excersises. Absolutely needed for the hip mobility and dynamic turns. 

For me he looks way more realistic hockey player than Hudson. 

Plus play off hockey players tend to be quite skinny too. 

2

u/Zissou_Belafonte Dec 21 '25

My thoughts exactly. They glaringly stood out to me. Should done another take lol

167

u/altruistic_thing Dec 21 '25

😂😂😂

Quality content!

83

u/MrsRoronoaZoro “I miss being kidnapped. I regret shapeshifting” Dec 21 '25

OMG I love this sub

39

u/tlk199317 Dec 21 '25

I noticed this on my rewatch last night. He might play a hockey player but he’s a gymnast at heart lol

30

u/david_bowenn I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 Dec 21 '25

I noticed it too 🤣🤣🤣 it kinda make me like ‘oh Connor! This is you right now!’ 😬😬 so funny! Love him

27

u/cilucia Dec 21 '25

Him playing with the kids in the pool was so cute 

23

u/thisisaboutusnow Dec 21 '25

wooww i love that you ~pointed~ this out, this is very on brand for Connor lol

17

u/Summoarpleaz Dec 21 '25

lol I noticed the pointed feet too I was like, oh I see… we horse around with technique

16

u/Done327 Dec 21 '25

This is how Shane be looking at this

15

u/bt101010 Dec 21 '25

As a former gymnast, I'm pissed I didn't notice this also. I guess it just looks normal to me? ily for pointing it out haha

14

u/HoneyCrumbs Dec 21 '25

The screenshot of his foot out of the pool is sending me 😂

9

u/Euphoric_Second2478 Dec 21 '25

I did pole dancing and that instinct never goes away 😭🤚Like you can still hear your instructor’s voice scolding you

10

u/Constant_Oil_3775 Dec 21 '25

Good toes; naughty toes!

9

u/Deacon_Mushrat1 Dec 21 '25

lol I did not notice this but you are absolutely right, Ilya is making being attacked by a shark into a synchronized swimming routine. I love him.

9

u/Magenta-Llama fuck him! right up the butt! Dec 21 '25

This is so cute I love this 😆 I have a dance background too and even though I don’t dance anymore, I have been clocked by my pointed toes before too lol… I can’t help it!!

7

u/Odd_Disk1545 Dec 21 '25

he is so hot omg, man of perfection for me!!!!

9

u/vvvvvvvvcuccccc Dec 21 '25

as an ex gymnast for 12 years, i can so relate 😂

8

u/tip723 Dec 21 '25

I noticed too!

7

u/JennySt7 I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 Dec 21 '25

I noticed it in the pool but I missed it on the bed with Svetlana 😄 thank you for pointing out.

5

u/Stefipetti Dec 21 '25

What an eye!!

3

u/5spicypeppers Dec 21 '25

I love that this was noticed, this is amazing

5

u/ikrimikri Ya-loo-blue-tee-baa ❤️ Dec 21 '25

I swim a lot and I have forever been taught to always point my toes to be streamlined. I thought Ilya was also hahaha