From Russia With Love - Spring into Summer 2013

[Sylvia]

I believe this is now the 10th thread in this series (started in May 2010). Looking forward to reading more translated articles from Worlds...

Re-posting this interview from the last thread:

http://fsrussia.ru/news/516_nikita-k...poluchitsya--/

Interview with Nikita

- Nikita, what happened to you in this tournament?

- I have no idea what happened, because I trained very well. In training, there was not the slightest nervousness, nothing. I could feel every movement, every finger.

- It seemed that you were struggling in the free program?

- I just couldn't get the connection with Lena. Something is not the same as during the program. I do not know how to explain it. Everything went to inconsistency. Terrible.

- What will you do now?

- We'll take a break and then work again.

- This season you worked with Elena Kustarova?

- Yes, Elena helped us. Not as much as I would like in some moments. But when she could she came to us. It's great to have her try it in the women's part, because we have always had male coaches. She helped Lena with many questions and skated with me too. She's a very good technician. She worked on the polka a lot with us, also she helped with FD, complemented the choreography, adding some emotion. She put very much in us in a short time.

- Are you going to continue working with her?

- I can not say. Where to go, where we train?

- Do you have complaints about the work of your coach Morozov?

- Nikolai worked with us in full. We worked in the USA before the World Championships, everything was perfect. It is true that from time to time in Lena ache a little something in one place, then in another. Sometimes she couldn't practice at full strength. But when Lena was able to train at her best, we have done everything to the maximum. Charges in America have been very good. We skated with with the feeling that we want to fight, compete. Nikolai did nothing wrong.

- You said that you have a problem with the lifts. You have found such a professional?

- We worked with great specialists at the start of the season. As far as I know they are working with Canadians Weaver - Poje. Super specialists. We have so much to do with them, but, unfortunately, only on the floor. The we started to do our programs & didn't work on the new lifts on the ice. We need to do them over & over again. When we went to Novogorsk they were put on the shelf. But we have great ideas and do great lifts on the floor. And I'll be insisting to do it in new programs, because it isn't interesting skating without them.

- So according to you, the coach is good, good training, what is missing?

- I do not know. I spoke to Tatiana Anatolievna after the event & she agreed. Perhaps, in training I gave too much in training, and there was nothing left for the competition. Apparently, we are too inexperienced, green. We need to learn to save our energy and use it more intelligently.

- What are the priorities now?

- We made so many mistakes. We have been through all that we can. We had starts when after 7 place in SD we won medals, we had starts like this. It is necessary to work out all the negatives and clear them away. Do it right, with a cool head. And, of course, we have to be very well prepared physically. Of course our priorities are the lifts and the connection on the ice ... You just have to work day and night, and do it.

[Macassar88]

So going back to the interview with Elena and Nikita, I think that it's hilarious that Kustarova was working with them and suddenly they got catapulted down in the rankings.

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

The Russians need to put a stop to Tarasova's interference. Everything she touches lately seems to turn to suck.

And I really hope I&K get a new coach. Igor or Platov are my early choices.

[Macassar88]

The Russians need to put a stop to Tarasova's interference. Everything she touches lately seems to turn to suck.

And I really hope I&K get a new coach. Igor or Platov are my early choices.

TAT needs to shut up. She messed up BS's FD which could have been even more amazing if they had done Man with the Harmonica the whole way through.

[Loves_Shizuka]

I'm very intrigued to see where I/K go from here. Is them leaving Morozov an actual reality do we think?

[MysticHaze]

With Elena banging Morosov, I don't think they will leave him.

[caseyedwards]

Morozov is now part of their best success - almost winning euros and worst failure worlds 2013 so it's a mixed bag.

[Vash01]

May be they were just nervous. They need more mileage.

[Macassar88]

Or maybe they should just go to Kustarova lol
Since they think so highly of her!

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

With Elena banging Morosov, I don't think they will leave him.

The Russian Federation can always force them to, like they forced D&S to go to Linichuk.

[quiqie]

Piseev interview: http://fsrussia.ru/news/519_valentin...upat-neprosto/

The main achievement of these World championships is the gold medal in pairs skating, for the first time since 2005. There are different kinds of victories. This one was convincing. As we say: with a clear advantage.

What was especially good? Interesting programs. Textbook elements. To win such a crowd! You know how difficult it is to skate in Canada, because here, they support mainly their own skaters. But Volosozhar and Trankov managed to make the audience cheer for them. And many Americans and Canadians came up after the competition and congratulated, because it was indeed a big win.

First of all, I want to congratulate Tatiana, Maxim and the coaching team of Nina Mikhailovna Moser and Stanislav Morozov on their success.

Speaking of other Russian pairs, they skated to their level. To fight for podium, you need not only pairs element, but jumps as well. Perform them consistently, because if it happens from time to time, judges start to doubt if it would be executed or not. You need to be consistent throughout a season. Not lose the point anywhere.

But, in general, Bazarova/Larionov and Kavaguti/Smirnov skated as they could. What they could have shown, they did.

As for a new coach for Bazarova/Larionov, we are not going to hurry with this matter. Everything should be thought through. There are certain offers. We will consider them carefully. We'll make it better than it was before.

Ice dance - we haven't been on World podium since 2009. After the Olympics, when Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin had retired, our teams didn't have any medals. It is great that Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Soloviev won the bronze here. Indeed, after they switched to Alexander Zhulin, they improved from competition to competition and achieved such success.

Another Russian couple, Elena Ilynykh/Nikita Katsalapov, are a very interesting team. Talented. One of the most talented. But, in addition to talent, you need also to work hard. It is something they lack, in my opinion. And not only in mine. You need to work not only depending on what mood you are in. If we're in a mood - we work. No mood - we rest. If the skaters change their preparation system, they will, I am sure, achieve good results. But what can you do, unfortunately, so far they lack work discipline.

In singles, this year we had three debutants - Adelina Sotnikova, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Maxim Kovtun. It had shown, of course, because it is hard to skate in seniors, in such company, with such an audience, it isn't easy. That is why, as Maxim says, that when he got on the ice, he was lost, and came to his senses only when he missed the combination. But he skated well in the free. He was exhausted by the end of the program. If the ending had been good, I think, he would be higher.

But I have to say, that level of men's skating in our country is lower than in the world.

About Maxim Kovtun. I know there were many discussions whether to send him to the Worlds or not. I am convinced that we did the right thing. He needs this experience. Technically, he is prepared much better than the rest of our skaters.

Looking at last year's results, our experienced skaters Gachinsky, Voronov were 13th and 18th in Nice. And for Kovtun, it was his first big competition. He has a great potential. Bigger than any other our skater. Of course, I am not talking about Plushenko. It is different subject altogether. But as for the rest, Voronov, Gachinsky and others, when people compare the scores they got in Tver, you need to understand that Tver is Tver. It is a completely different level of competition. Plus bonuses.

Girls. The level of ladies skating is such that we don't lack anything in technique. Both Sotnikova and Tuktamysheva have good technique. What do they lack? They lack consistency to skate both programs like they can. On the good level.

They both can fight for medals. At the recent European championships, they outskated Carolina Kostner, who won silver here. One of them won the short program, another won the free. Of course, they need experience and reputation. They not always can make it to the last group. And when athletes skate in the last group, they get completely different component scores.

It means that they need to compete more, to gain experience. It is a pity we have only two spots next year. We have many girls who will fight for the right to go to Sochi. But I believe that in ladies in Sochi, we will fight for medals.

[Macassar88]

Thanks for the translation!

[misskarne]

So basically, Piseev's all "Gachinski/Menshov/Voronov could have scored 400 at the Russian Cup final and we wouldn't give a toss because Tarasova said to send her little golden boy so we're going to". Why not just be honest instead of all this rubbish about how the Russian Cup Final was a qualifier?

And how can he possibly be happy with 17th?!

[bek]

So basically, Piseev's all "Gachinski/Menshov/Voronov could have scored 400 at the Russian Cup final and we wouldn't give a toss because Tarasova said to send her little golden boy so we're going to". Why not just be honest instead of all this rubbish about how the Russian Cup Final was a qualifier?

And how can he possibly be happy with 17th?!

I think it was a crapshoot for Russia to get 2 spots anyways...And I think they were trying to give Kovtun some experience.

[misskarne]

I think it was a crapshoot for Russia to get 2 spots anyways...And I think they were trying to give Kovtun some experience.

So fine. They sent him to Euros. They could send him to WTT for experience. Menshov earned that spot. Kovtun didn't. Flat, plain, simple. And yet the way the Fed are acting you would think it would have physically harmed them to send Menshov. Well, I guess, who knows who Tarasova knows?

[Domshabfan]

So fine. They sent him to Euros. They could send him to WTT for experience. Menshov earned that spot. Kovtun didn't. Flat, plain, simple. And yet the way the Fed are acting you would think it would have physically harmed them to send Menshov. Well, I guess, who knows who Tarasova knows?

How did Menshov earn a spot to the worlds, you can argue about him earning a spot for Europeans but not to the worlds. If at all you feel anyone needs to sent other than Kovtun then it should have been Voronov.

[caseyedwards]

I think it was a crapshoot for Russia to get 2 spots anyways...And I think they were trying to give Kovtun some experience.

He was sent for 2 spots and that was the only reason. Experience can come in a number of ways but he should have had to earn his way to get experience in senior skating. Like GP is way to get experience. And WTT was experience in 2012. This whole thing of sending him for no reason other than to show him off was misguided. After he was at Euros and did too many combos and bombed the SP he should have been forced to earn the worlds spot. He is being put on a path of not having to earn anything.

[pinky166]

So fine. They sent him to Euros. They could send him to WTT for experience. Menshov earned that spot. Kovtun didn't. Flat, plain, simple. And yet the way the Fed are acting you would think it would have physically harmed them to send Menshov. Well, I guess, who knows who Tarasova knows?

The issue IMO was more sending him to Euros. Kovtun earned his spot to Worlds based on his performance at Euros, where he beat Voronov and skated very well, earned a high score, and placed 5th. He was given the spot at Euros which he didn't earn, at least not with his placement at Nationals, but his strong fall season helped make it so that the assignment to Euros didn't seem so totally undeserved. So really, I don't have that much of an issue with his going to Worlds, given that he was sent to Euros and did well there. If the Fed had made it clear that the Russian Cup final was going to be the qualifier for Worlds, I'm sure Kovtun would have competed, but they weren't clear, and perhaps he chose not to compete strategically, because in the case that Menshov skated a blinder at the Russian Cup finals and the Fed wanted to send him to Worlds, they would probably want Kovtun to go to JW, which was literally RIGHT after the Russian Cup final so making him compete twice in a row in two different countries would be a bit harsh IMO, so he probably chose not to compete so as to not be exhausted should he be sent to JW.

Anyways, the placement isn't great but Kovtun skated fairly well at Worlds for a 17 year old first timer with minimal experience. Yeah the SP was bad, but he fought back and landed the 3a and lutz after botching the combo so badly, and he did land two quads and two 3a in his FS, which was overall pretty good even with him running out of steam at the end. It likely wasn't the debut he wanted but I'd understand if he isn't gutted.

[Vash01]

Russian men are a mess right now, and it's hard to tell how long it will be before we see the next Plushenko or the next Yagudin. I would even settle for the next Urmanov (no offense meant; I actually liked Urmanov, but he was not in the same league as EP and AY).

[dawnie]

Did anyone else notice the incredibly unflattering photo of Leonova on Icenetwork's front page? The Good (photo of Davis and White), The Bad (photo of Chan slapping his forehead), and Ugly (Leonova). I'm nowhere near a fan but was that really necessary?