`Am not too fond of the USA' - Vaitsekhovskaya's interview with Leonova

[GarrAarghHrumph]

I thought I read somewhere, the whole group travels to all of the GP events (or to all of the GP events where any Morozov's student compete, so it would probably be all of the events), so they don't see him only in the weeks they are competing, they see him all the time, but then they spend every week at different place. think it must be insane for him to arrange the rinks at every place they go.

He pretty much brings his group with him when he travels, so they can train with him. He tends to use the same rinks when he travels, when possible. So for example, there are certain rinks in the NJ/CT area he uses again and again. He also knows a lot of people -former students, other coaches - that he can use to help him find a local rink if, for some reason, the rink he normally uses isn't available.

But yes, this does sound like a lot of work, doesn't it?

[VarBar]

I disagree. Maybe Yagudin was preferred in US and North-America, but not in any other country. This is a stereotype in FSU forum, but is not true. Yagudin was preferred in USA, because he trained there, Tarasova was his coach and he won his Olympic Champion title in US. He competed in North-America many times in professional competitons. But you are right, Yagudin has never been Russian champion, he was beaten Kulik or Plushy. But you don't forget Yagudin was beaten by Plush in 2000 ECH, when Plushy was 17 y.o and in 2001 everywhere. Plushy is almost 3 years younger like Yagudin. And if you really curious their presentation skills, look at their early programs. Plushenko's artistry comes from inside, he had innate artistry, but Yagudin has learned it. I remember when Yagudin begun to compete in the senior comps the commentators said Yag is very good in jumps but needs to improve in presentation. But Plushy's second marks were really high from the beginning.

That's probably as true as your post about how the ISU illegally added Transitions to the other program components right in the 2010 Olympic season to help the North-American skaters win the title in Vancouver.

Keep up the good work, lala.

[Willowway]

Which is why people who don't want to own cars don't live in the suburbs.

Thank you! and

You know, bashing someone's hometown or country just isn't polite

THANK YOU!

I think it is as simple as that.

[hanca]

He pretty much brings his group with him when he travels, so they can train with him. He tends to use the same rinks when he travels, when possible. So for example, there are certain rinks in the NJ/CT area he uses again and again. He also knows a lot of people -former students, other coaches - that he can use to help him find a local rink if, for some reason, the rink he normally uses isn't available.

But yes, this does sound like a lot of work, doesn't it?

Yes, a lot of work. To arrange accommodation for group of 10-15 people, enough training time, are they going to be able to get from rink to accommodation, or do they need also transport, is there somewhere place to eat or what will everyone be eating (I imagine they spend at the rink most of the day, so if possible the food shops/restaurants should be nearby so that they don't waste possible ice time....) Will they all need to sharpen their blades somewhere? (I doubt they would trust the rink sharpened to do their blades) .... and the same tasks to arrange for next week at another place... surprising he has time to coach. One would think that he spends most of his time on the phone.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Re; cities and suburbia, There are many wonderful places in the US, and much to admire. But for inexperienced tourists, some aspects can of America be daunting. As a Canadian, one assumes that there won't be too much difference, and i've fallen into that trap. When I visisted the Humana Festival in Louisville with another middle aged woman, we taxied to a theatre for a popular show. It was still daylight and the city looked absolutely like any other city I'd been in. At the end of the evening, we asked the box office manager to call a cab. He looked at us as if we had two heads and informed us that taxies do not venture down town after dark. I explained we were tourists and asked we could get back to our hotel. He was flabberghasted by the question, and from the way he said "Americans have their own cars" and dashed away, I belive he thought we were lunatics, or at least from the moon. We had no choice but to walk, in our high heels along entirely empty, dark streets. There were no lights from on buildings, no brightly coloured signs. We were so terrified that we almost ran for half hour trip back to the hotel. There weren't even cars coming from the theatre on the streets as the underground parking lot emptied in a different direction.

I've travelled to many cities in Europe and Asia, including those with different aphabets, but have never felt more out of my comfort zone than in Louisville. There is culture shock where you least expect it.
Perhaps that's all Leonova meant.

That's weird. You'd think for a city that would hold a festival that would attract tourists, they'd have cabs for those visitors after dark. I mean Louisville may not be the most happening place, but it isn't exactly the middle-of-nowhere.

[Katarzyna]

While audiences and especially the judges in Russia seemed to prefer Plushenko (who also very publicly said he's staying and training in Russia instead of going to the US like Yagudin did), out of Russia mostly Yagudin was preferred because of his presentation skills, that's the impression I had anyway.

To be honest, I don’t think Russians preferred Plushy as he was training in Russia and Yags in the U.S. Berezhnaya / Sikharulide or L/A were also training in the U.S. that time and were beloved in their country. I think taste is also a matter of culture and Russians simply seem to love Plushy’s style.

In addition Yagudin obviously didn`t care much for competitions in his home country. It was pretty much ridiculous when he so often complained about how bad Russian judges treat him as he never won Russian Nats, cause that was the competition where he usually skated his seasons worst. – Which actually was a clever move in order to build up shape towards Euros and Worlds, but then he should have accepted being beaten by Plushy at Nats and not started whining how badly he has been treated by Russian judges. And I don’t think that such statements made him very popular among those Russian figure skating fans who knew that Plushy skated better than Yags at these events.

Talking about Leonova I really wish Vaitsekhovskaya would have gone into more detail on the issue with the U.S. Leonova didn’t really answer her question (--> what exactly) and instead of digging deeper she let the answer stand as a stereotype and used it luridly as headline.

[smileyskate]

Love it when we get translated interviews here. I do think in part she gave the Russian PC answer, but also she is not alone in not really liking it in the USA. Remember Carolina tried living in California and did not like it. Also, Maxim did not like it at all, including how people communicate with each other and even that the food tastes like plastic.

[MacMadame]

I think it is as simple as that.

I think it's as simple as a bunch of people having a cow over a chance remark that wasn't even that derogatory towards our country and more about how lonely and unsettled she finds life as a Morosov skater. It's definitely not for everyone.

That's weird. You'd think for a city that would hold a festival that would attract tourists, they'd have cabs for those visitors after dark. I mean Louisville may not be the most happening place, but it isn't exactly the middle-of-nowhere.

Louisville shuts down after dark. IME, anyway.

[Vagabond]

There's really nothing derogatory in anything that Leonova said about either the United States or Canada, as far as I can tell. It is possible to dislike certain aspects of visiting a country without disparaging the country as a whole.

What rubs me (and several other people) the wrong way is that she has been handed a tremendous opportunity to travel the world and even go to the Olympics and all she does is moan about how it isn't exactly like what she's used to back in Novogorsk.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

Can't they have a caterer bring in the kinds of food they want?

No, the rink would not usually allow that. The rink's cafe would be the exclusive supplier of even catering.

[kwanfan1818]

It doesn't rub me the wrong way. I traveled a lot for work and loved it -- I commuted from Seattle to Buffalo every week for two months -- and some of my co-workers who got sent to Paris three times a year hated it. A friend just turned down a spouse's junket, all expenses paid, to some festival in Brazil. I also know people who love to travel for vacation and hate to travel for work: the change in routine affects how effective they think they are, and they miss their families.

For Leonova it's a necessary evil of training with Morozov, and that's fine.

[Ziggy]

This is so true. Almost all of Alaska, Montana, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho, and Utah is covered with suburban sprawl, whereas in Belgium and the Netherlands, for example, there are huge swaths of wilderness and the population is concentrated in the urban core.

This is not what I said, so stop being an ass for the sake of it. Population density is not relevant here.

There is a substantial difference between a village or a small town and suburban sprawl.

There's also a substantial difference between cities built using traditional urban planning and ones like LA.

Which is what I was talking about.

Which is why people who don't want to own cars don't live in the suburbs.

Skaters don't have that choice, though. They go where the rinks are located.

[kwanfan1818]

I can understand why a rink wouldn't allow a caterer to set up shop in the rink, but skaters are allowed to bring in their own food and drink to practice, and caterers can make lunch boxes that skaters can take with them and dinners that can be stored in mini-fridges and heated with microwaves that are found in many residential hotels.

[Prancer]

Skaters don't have that choice, though. They go where the rinks are located.

Yes, but the comments in this particular conversation, including mine, were made in response to this:

Probably the main reason why I could never live in the US. I either walk everywhere or use public transport.

What rubs me (and several other people) the wrong way is that she has been handed a tremendous opportunity to travel the world and even go to the Olympics and all she does is moan about how it isn't exactly like what she's used to back in Novogorsk.

And? Not everyone sees travel as a tremendous opportunity. If she doesn't like to travel, it's not some sort of insult to those who do.

[berthesghost]

Can't they have a caterer bring in the kinds of food they want?

once, in Lake Placid after a week, we spotted a guy selling fresh fruit and veg out of truck and stopped to buy as if we were seeing water in a desert! the guy said he came once a week at Dubova's request so that her skaters could buy healthy food.

[AndyWarhol]

exactly. for many people travel is a burden.

[elka_sk8]

I totally didn't interpret the interview as "bashing" the U.S. at all. She isn't comfortable over here, so what? The training situation sounds less than ideal, with a coach who can't devote enough time to each skater, having to live out of a suitcase and eat rink food, etc. Does she speak much English? Not being fluent in the native language would likely make things even harder. I feel bad for her, but I guess it comes with the coach. Is there anyone else she could switch to?

And if my introduction to the U.S. was New Jersey, I'm not sure i'd be so fond of it either.

[IceAlisa]

I have a perfect solution for the travel-averse Leonova: compete at home.

[MacMadame]

Sometimes people make sacrifices to get their goals. For Leonova, her sacrifices include having to move around and live places she doesn't really want to. I don't understand why that's such a big deal. I think it's great that she's willing to do what it takes to get what she wants even if it means she can't sleep in her own bed in her own country ever night it seems as she'd prefer.

Personally I love new places and new people but for a lot of people that wears them out.

[IceAlisa]

It's not a big deal. It is in keeping with an obnoxious trend I've been noticing and commented on earlier.