Marina Zoueva inteview in Sochi

[quiqie]

Marina Zoueva interview: http://winter.sport-express.ru/figur...reviews/26913/

MZ: I thought that Tessa and Scott were better in the free dance. Powerful, inspired... I don't understand the score difference.

EV: So you didn't have a feeling at practices that Meryl and Charlie make quicker progress than their training mates?

MZ: I wouldn't say that Tessa and Scott have slower progress. They are making a good progress. If you look at this season's results, it becomes clear enough. The Canadians started later in the season, they have more complex programs. At the same time, here, in Sochi, Tessa skated great at practices, as well as at the warm-ups. But in the competition something went wrong. It was a little labored.

EV: I thought that Tessa was a bit off during the entry in the lift, and the partner had to support her a little too long, to make sure that she doesn't lose balance.

MZ: Maybe that's why Tessa and Scott got lower scores.

EV: In general, are you satisfied with your students' skating here?

MZ: Yes. We significantly improved the compulsory dances. But still there are some technical problems, lack of speed, lack of expression. I, as a coach, see that all four of them still don't live their roles, but play them. But it's the next step of preparation.

EV: At the time, you with your skaters brought back the dance into the ice dance. Now you brought back the drama programs. Which of these directions do you consider the most advanced?

MZ: Dance-y program is more difficult to choreograph. After all, in dramatic music there is a plot to begin with. Accordingly, there are higher requirements for execution of dance programs. Only the perfectly skated program allows you to be competitive.

EV: How can you evaluate Pechalat/Bourzat program?

MZ: Unfortunately, I can never see the leaders skating. It just always happens so that my teams are the next to skate, and I'm busy with them. If I see something, it's just little pieces. And during replays, everything looks different. That's why it's hard for me to be objective.

EV: What are your plans now?

MZ: We go back home and start preparing for Nationals. The Canadian will be in Mississauga, the American - in Omaha. Then there is Four Continents Championship and Worlds Championship. And we will start preparing earlier, I think. Not like this year.

EV: You mean preparing for the Games?

MZ: Yes, of course. It's difficult to compete with work in progress: the athletes have to make an extreme effort for each skate, and takes a lot. I like when my students skate with joy, confidence, when they are pleased by performing their programs.

EV: Can you imagine a situation when you could let your skaters compete with last season's programs?

MZ: I have sometimes another idea.

EV: To make two programs for a season?

MZ: It has been done already. Meryl and Charlie last year prepared two programs: La Strada and Die Fledermaus. After the test skates we decided to go with the latter, because it turned to be better. So we've done that already. The idea is to skate the programs one season, and then just swap them. To see what another team does with the same program. Although it's a wrong idea, of course.

EV: Why?

MZ: Because when I make a program, I always make it for the particular skaters. That's why it will look like ill-fitting clothes on another team.

EV: Do your skaters know what will be their Olympic programs already?

MZ: Let's say, it's in the air, but I haven't talked specifically about it with the skaters yet.

[l'etoile]

I alwalys love Marina's interviews, real drama yet honest! Thanks for translating

[Jeschke]

MZ: I thought that Tessa and Scott were better in the free dance. Powerful, inspired... I don't understand the score difference.

Thanks for the interview.

I wouldn´t like to hear that as meryl/charlie.

Furthermore scott almost has to kick zoueva out of the kiss n´cry after their sd, although meryl/charlie are preparing as the next skater.
would be kind of strange for me as the pupil.

for me, all the years it was obvious which team zoueva prefers.

but it seems like meryl/charlie sticking with her to prepare for olympics, don´t know it´s the right move for them (said as a tessa/scott fan).

with worlds in canada this year i see tessa/scott as the favourites despite the results until now and that title before olympics would give them surely an additional boost.

[bmcg]

Didn't Marina say pretty much the same thing last year but in regards to D&W and Die Fledermaus. I imagine Meryl and Charlie feel the same as Tessa and Scott did last year after their coach said that after their world title win.

[sykr]

Didn't Marina say pretty much the same thing last year but in regards to D&W and Die Fledermaus. I imagine Meryl and Charlie feel the same as Tessa and Scott did last year after their coach said that after their world title win.

She did, but it was after worlds and it didn't matter so much as Tessa and Scott already got their medal, it could only make D/W feel less bad while it didn't affect Tessa and Scott's result. Here, it's before the most important competitions of the season and if even your coach say you didn't deserve to win, what message does she send to the judges??? I find it personally very unprofessional and very unfair towards Meryl and Charlie

[arakwafan2006]

She did, but it was after worlds and it didn't matter so much as Tessa and Scott already got their medal, it could only make D/W feel less bad while it didn't affect Tessa and Scott's result. Here, it's before the most important competitions of the season and if even your coach say you didn't deserve to win, what message does she send to the judges??? I find it personally very unprofessional and very unfair towards Meryl and Charlie

The reason why it does not "effect" either team is because they understand the European/Russian culture. Russian coaches are frank. end of story. Marina's honesty had nothing to do with her imagination but rather what she saw. It is what it is. Tessa and Scott do have the more complex programs which means that if they dont execute such difficulty perfectly, it looks like mush. Meryl and Charlie have a crazy difficult program that they execute better than Tessa and Scott. It's no different in singles skating coach to say that his pupil who is trying all triples and quads in a program have a more difficult program than his skater who won but won with a program with the same content but perhaps missed some jumps. Marina can see more than we can and thus has a more clear view that has nothing to do with bias.

[arakwafan2006]

Everyone is free to have their opinion. I believe that and i believe it even if it's contrary to popular belief. What I dont understand is why in this sport especially that if someone has a view that is not popular that the fans here get so bent out of shape. Marina made an observation as a professional and just because she was not all Sandra Sunshine, she gets labeled as unprofessional. The woman eats sleeps and breathes with these skaters and is loyal beyond belief and it's suggested that Meryl and Charlie must have missed a sign or something and should leave Zueva! SHE CHOREOGRAPHED THE WINNING PROGRAM and has in my mind head on addressed the biggest issue Meryl and Charlie had which was avoiding each other emotionally. Now they display a chemistry that is believable and hot! lol. Before it was almost as if their brother/sister relationship that most likely came as a result of them skating together since Charlie thought that girls had cooties.

Anyway, I am glad that Marina expressed what she did. I am not sure why people slam her.

[Jeschke]

Don´t get me wrong arakawafan2006, i like her honest words and appreciate that.

however for myself i cannot understand 2 top teams ( v/m, d/w for gold, p/b, w/p for bronze) going with the same coach. maybe it´s my personal opinion, that zoueva prefers d/w, but come on, even if it´s d/w, there is one team, which she would like to see on the top, or?

[shan]

Zoueva has quite a balancing act to do in order to keep both teams happy with her. So one team gets the title and the other gets this type of "I thought they skated better, I have to talk to the judges" type of interview.

[professordeb]

Marina says "I thought that Tessa and Scott were better in the free dance. Powerful, inspired... I don't understand the score difference."

I took that to mean she felt they should have scored higher in the free, not necessarily that she felt that they should have beaten D/W in the free let alone in the comp. Since I don't understand Russian, I obviously don't know the context of the sentence but that's how I took that sentence to mean. And from my perspective -- she's right. I felt that V/M deserved a higher score for that FD. Considering that both teams had a minor "bobble" That being said, V/M's free is getting better, smoother and their marks for it are increasing at a higher rate than D/W's -- much like last season.

[Cherub721]

double post

[Cherub721]

Zoueva has quite a balancing act to do in order to keep both teams happy with her. So one team gets the title and the other gets this type of "I thought they skated better, I have to talk to the judges" type of interview.

Exactly, it's all crap.

Basically she left it open to interpretation - first it sounds like she thinks V&M skated better and should have won, then she points out the flaws in their routine and just implies they shouldn't have been behind by as much.

[acraven]

Marina says "I thought that Tessa and Scott were better in the free dance. Powerful, inspired... I don't understand the score difference."

I took that to mean she felt they should have scored higher in the free, not necessarily that she felt that they should have beaten D/W in the free let alone in the comp.

That is my interpretation as well.

[ddtpdx]

She's no different than a politician.

[Anya]

I think Zoueva is just being her usual self. Last season she was wuzrobbing D/W in Nice. Which ('my second-best team should have scored higher'), come think of it, is much more PC and more likely to keep everyone happy than the alternative ('my best team is fantastic, no one can touch it').

[Vash01]

I wouldn't like my coach saying that I did not deserve to win, compared to my training partner. I wonder what Davis & White think of this. I would be upset, but may be they just ignore such partiality by their coach, and continue to train hard.

[professordeb]

I wouldn't like my coach saying that I did not deserve to win, compared to my training partner. I wonder what Davis & White think of this. I would be upset, but may be they just ignore such partiality by their coach, and continue to train hard.

Please show me where in this article Marina said such a thing.