Volosozhar/Trankov blog translates

[TAHbKA]

Think it's about time I dropped the Mukhortova/Trankov thread and started a new

Anyway, the latest blog entry (thanks for posting the link in from russia with love)
Falling on the ice is painful

Perhaps worth mentioning there are some photos in the blog, so go to the link even if you don't read
Russian.

Q: Tanya, did you ever feel tired enough to drop it all and retire? We realize behind your gorgeous skating there is so much hard work.
Volosozhar: Thanks, it's nice to hear. I'm so taken by our work with Maksim that no, I don't have such thoughts. Such thoughts did cross my mind though seldom before, it was more about Stanislav's injures. I realize the success of our team is not up to me only.

Q: While you still represented Ukraine who were you close with and still in touch with? Do you know what is Bekhnazarova doing now?
Volosozhar: I was friendly with Verbillo, Zadorozhnuk, Kovalevsky, Beloglazova, Oksenich. With our doctor and masseur. I still keep in touch with all of them. As for Bekhnazarova, I heard she parted with her partner Zuev.

Q: Maksim, you mentioned being a football fan. Which teams are you supporting?
Trankov: Between Real and Barca - Barca, between Inter and Milan - Milan, as for the brits - I like the Arsenal and Tottenham.

Q: Tanya, are you responsible for your makeup? Who is usually helping you?
Volosozhar: I used to do it myself. Now I have a professional who does it.
Trankov: Her name is Karina, she is a professional make up artist. She used to help Maria Mukhortova and I, now I asked her to work wit Tanya. She is quite well known in certain circles.
Tanya: I like her work. She does the make up, I do the hair.

Q: What do you think about the other skaters programmes? This season and in general. Which programmes of yours with the previous partners or of other pairs do you like the most?
Tanya: I loved the programme Stanislav and I skated to the `Perl Harbor' soundtruck and `Romeo & Juliette' to Rota's music I skated with Petro Kharchenko. I liked Savchenko/Shelkowy's `Once upon a time in Mexico' and last year Pang/Tong's programme. And `Lady and the Hooligan' by Mukhortova/Trankov.
Trankov: I liked that programme with Maria as well. Can't say it was my favourite though. I liked the `Petrushka' from 2005 and Rakhmaninovs' `Rhapsody on the theme of Paganini'.

Q: Do you have a choreographer who works with you?
Trankov: Yes, Alla Kapranova. She worked with Kulik, Butyrskaya, Smirnova/Ulanov, Elena Sokolova, Kira Ivanova.
Volosozhar: we work with her both on and off the ice.
Trankov: It's not a classical choreography, but adapted especially for figure skating. Alla is a great professional and we love working with her.

Q: Am sure you can do a level 4 split twist. And its' not quite clear why now you only receive level 2. You have a difficult entry, Tanya does a split, you catch her right... What is not counted?
Trankov: Actually we don't have a difficult entry. It's a simple one, which gets a positive GOE, but is not affecting the element level. For the entry to be difficult there must be some steps and the split must be performed in the pace of those steps. Or some skating elements are required, such as a spread eagle and then spiral position. I.e. if we add the spread eagle to the spiral - now that would be counted as a difficult entry.

Q: Have you ever tried a 4 split twist? Are you going to? You have so much high on the split twist that it seems you could do 4 revolutions in the air.
Volosozhar: Thanks for the compliment! We haven't tried it, but we might some day.
Trankov: I think so too, that we are capable doing the 4 split twist. With a bad catch - easily. The well performed one would demand lots of work. But it's pointless right now. If the 4 split twist coasted the same points the tripple of level 4 we would had tried it a while ago.
Volosozhar: indeed, it is pointless

Q: Maksim, you are gaining your second academic degree. Why have you chosen that subject?
Trankov: I'm studying towards my first academic degree. I dropped out twice. Now my specialization is teaching psychology. I like it. The shrink who worked with Maria and I in St. Petersburg adviced me to study that.

Q: Do you keep any diets? How do you keep in shape? I realize you have lots of exercise, but some skaters gain weight between the seasons, while it seems you don't have such a problem. Am mostly interested in Tanya's reply- she mentioned being a plump kid.
Volosozhar: I do not keep any diet. Of course if I figure I gained weight I give up eating at the evening. But in general I don't have such a problem and can eat whatever.
Trankov: The same here. We hardly gain any weight during the offseason either, but at any rate it all dissolves once we start training.
Volosozhar: When I was 13 or so, I weighted 37kh, which was quite alot for my high. But then it somehow became normal and now everything is perfect.

Q: Sometimes even the most experienced skaters fall. I always admire their ability to get up quickly, refocus and continue with their programme as if nothing happened. But it must be painful to fall. Is being able to overcome the pain fast something that you born with or it can be gained with the experience and hard work?
Volosozhar: When you fall, of course, it's painful and disappointing. All skaters fall alot when they just start skating. We are even taught how to fall correctly, so you get used to it and can take it. Falling during the competition is disappointing, you loose power, the pace changes. Most important thing is to regroup and go on with the skate. Everything matters - the character, the mood, the experience.

Q: Will you show one of the new exhibition numbers at the Worlds?
Volosozhar: should we make it to the exhibition - sure. We think it'll be our funny programme.

Q: Have you seen the Europeans? Did you want to skate there yourselves or were you relieved you didn't have to freeze there?
Trankov: yes, we watched everything - pairs, dance, men, ladies.
Volosozhar: We were thrilled with the way our team worked! Well done guys! We'd like to congratulate all the medalists and we are sorry we were not able to perform in Bern. We are really looking forward for the competitions.

[rfisher]

Thanks for the translation. I want to learn Russian and have drinks and chat with both of them and Stas.

[RumbleFish]

What a wonderful interview. I wish them all the best at the Worlds.

[Cherub721]

That was so sweet how she remembered her programs with Kharchenko back in the day. I remember that LP! That was when I first fell in love with her.

[TAHbKA]

Pluschenko says hello
Hello, dear friends, we are logging in from Switzerland. Starting 3/2 we are participating the `Art on Ice' show. First we skated in Zurich and now we're in Lausane and we can't wait to share our excitement.

TV: It's not our first time in Switzerland, we love the country
MT: Zurich is a beautiful town. I had a chance to walk in the centre with Stephane Lambiel, who also participates the show. Great architecture, picturesque lake.
TV: I didn't have a chance to walk around. I had to glue the sparkling stones on Maks' shirt.
MT: The shows take place twice a day. At 11am we have a rehearsal, then we rest and the first show is at 13.00. Then we rest again and back to the ice. There is hardly any free time. During the rehearsals not only we work on the show programmes, but we polish the competitive programmes and the elements. We had a chance to have partial run through. Stas Morozov is watching us and makes sure we're in shape.
TV: Every evening we must participate an after party for the viewers who bought the VIP cards.
MT: In Zurich we got to skate to the live music to Keythlin Jenkin (sorry, might be misspelled)
. She is gorgeous, by the way.
TV: In Lausagne we'll skate our funny exhibition number. The audience loves it, it's sold out every day!
MT: WE live in Motr. There is a Nabokov museum here. I must visit it - I like his writing. There is also a statue of his in town.
TV: Except for Stephane Lambiel Evgeny Pluschenko participates the show. He asked us to say hello to all the Russian fans of figure skating. Other participants are Shen/Zhao, Savchenko/Shelkowy, Sarah Meier, Delobel/Schonfelder, the Kerrs. It's a great company and we enjoy mixing with them outside the competitions.

And answering some questions:
from mashunja: does the spotlights bother you? Especially when you perform a split twist or a jump? Or do the organizers make sure it doesn't bother the skaters?
Answer: it's something one gets used to. SOmetimes the organizers ask whether we need more lights for certain elements, but this time we are skating under the lights they suggested and didn't ask to change anything.
MT: Lambiel does his jumps much better in the dark. We got used to it too.
TV: During the rehearsals the lights are low. As if you were skating in a twilight.

That's it, we are going back to Russia on 10/2 and will start preparing to the competitions.
Till next entry!

[Jackie Sparrow]

Katherine Jenkins is the singer.

[oleada]

Thanks TaHbka! I can't wait until their debut

[museksk8r]

Thanks TaHbka! I can't wait until their debut

I KNOW! Their performances are what I'm most excited for at Worlds this season. Regardless of how their debut turns out, it's going to be a treat for me just to see them together on the ice!

TaHbka, you're an angel for translating all of these blogs/articles for us . . . THANK YOU!

[stephanie2006]

Here's the program they performed at Art on Ice Zurich (and it was the same in Lausanne but without live music by Katherine Jenkins): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59GRtyAUeXQ

[Asli]

Volosozhar will be free to skate for Russia in just six days!
And their first appearance in an international competition (Mont Blanc Trophy) is in seven days.

[rfisher]

Here's the program they performed at Art on Ice Zurich (and it was the same in Lausanne but without live music by Katherine Jenkins): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59GRtyAUeXQ

Even skated to lyrical snot I love that program. The variation on the death spiral is

I'll squeal like a little girl if V/T, S/S, and B/L all skate brilliant programs at worlds. I won't even care who places where.

Of course S/S are touring with them so they both know exactly what the other team can do. There will be so much hotness on the ice, it may melt.

[loopey]

Here's the program they performed at Art on Ice Zurich (and it was the same in Lausanne but without live music by Katherine Jenkins): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59GRtyAUeXQ

Beautiful skating! What language is the vocals in?

So I will ask: Since teaming up with Max, has Tatiana ever landed the throw 3 sal cleanly and on one foot? Just curious.

[Yukari Lepisto]

Beautiful skating! What language is the vocals in?

So I will ask: Since teaming up with Max, has Tatiana ever landed the throw 3 sal cleanly and on one foot? Just curious.

It's clearly two footed in that particular performance. But I've heard from other people that went to watch the show that the throw is perfectly clean, but we don't have videos from others..

[kwanfan1818]

Thank you, TAHbKA!

[Jackie Sparrow]

Beautiful skating! What language is the vocals in?

Italiaaaaaano!

[iris81]

but we don't have videos from others..

we have
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOr60i7grx4

And here throw seems to be clean.

[Asli]

So I will ask: Since teaming up with Max, has Tatiana ever landed the throw 3 sal cleanly and on one foot? Just curious.

Wasn't it clean at the Russian Nationals? I can't be sure from the camera angle. Anyway, even if it wasn't clean, at most the toe of her blade barely swept the ice, so it looks on its way to become clean.

[poths]

I think it was 2 foot in both the short and long. But as Asli says, hard to tell from the angle.

[Asli]

I think it was 2 foot in both the short and long. But as Asli says, hard to tell from the angle.

In the short they did the throw loop and I believe it was completely clean, as it was in the long. They seem to find the throw salchow more difficult than the loop.

Well, it's still early days and they are making everything look easier and easier.

[melonmelon]

TAHbKA Thank you so much.. !!
Tatiana Maxim