I wonder if anyone can translate this recent Russian article on Alexandrovskaya & Windsor, posted after their bronze medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy.
https://zubakovsport.com/00000658-2/
Using Google Translate (normally I would just post a link but for some reason I can't this time) ...
Ekaterina Aleksandrovskaya and Harley Windsor: We train equally - 3 months - in Australia, 3 months - in Russia.
World Champions 2017 among juniors in pair skating, Australian figure skaters Ekaterina Aleksandrovskaya and Harley Windsor took third place in the Nebelhorn Trophy series in the German Oberstdorf, thus successfully qualifying for the 2018 Olympic Games in Korea. Immediately after the rental of an arbitrary program, the athletes shared their impressions with Lyudmila Orlova for the Sports Agency Alexei Zubakov
- You rolled back both programs, how could you cope with the excitement at such a responsible start?
Harley: Actually, I've never worried so much in my life, as in these competitions. We have done a very great job over the past two years, we have been very long in reaching this result, and this success for us is the result of the efforts that we have invested.
Ekaterina: To be honest, we were very worried, especially before the short program. We never catalyzed a short program last, and on the warm-up worried very much. But somehow they were able to prepare so well for this start, that everything turned out literally on the machine. I also have such a feature - I'm always very nervous about the first element, then we successfully do the twist, and the excitement disappears immediately, and I'm already starting to think about the next element.
- That is, as at the last final of the junior Grand Prix, the twist did not turn out and then everything went a little differently, as planned?
Ekaterina: In principle, yes. But then we arrived from Australia immediately after the national championship [December 2016], that is, we got two starts in a row, the flight was very difficult. Well, the start is very important for us, after all the Grand Prix finals. I could not even dream about it earlier (smiling).
- Harley, figure skating - a very atypical kind of sport for Australia, how did it happen that you became a figure skater?
Harley: Actually, it turned out quite by accident. I was 9 years old, my mother and I went somewhere by car, accidentally turned the wrong way and went to the rink. For me it was something unusual, and I asked if it was possible to ride. I was skated, I skated, and it was just cool. Then I went there next week, then a week later, I really liked everything, and that's how it all happened (smiles).
- This year, you have a short and arbitrary [long] program turned out to be very interesting, can you tell us more about the choice of music, about images on the ice?
Ekaterina: Short program - Paint it Black, Hidden Citizen, this is a remix of the Rolling Stones composition. The music was chosen by the wife of coach, Galina Pachina. I immediately liked this music, it is strong, so "dark", I somehow immediately realized that this is for me. We try to convey these strong emotions on the ice.
A music for an arbitrary [long] program was advised by our second coach, this is the soundtrack to the movie "Mask". On the ice, everything is like a movie - a crazy partner who put on a mask, I seduce him. This program differs very strongly from our previous programs, it has more bundles, transitions between elements, more complicated choreography. We generally try to pay more attention to the components now. Last year, we skated together only the first season, and for us it was more important to have a technical assessment, a clean execution of the elements, and now we are trying to develop, work with each other, and not just to go by the hand and the elements to perform.
- How do you currently split the training process, how much do you train in Moscow, how many in Australia?
Ekaterina: We train equally - 3 months - in Australia, 3 months - in Russia. In Moscow, we ride on the same skating rink with Yevgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov from Nina Mikhailovna Mozer.
In Australia, we also have good training conditions. Of course, not as chic as in Moscow, but still good ice, you can skate, everything is there. The director of the ice rink supports us very much, always tries to make concessions to us, to provide more ice.
- What are your nearest plans?
Ekaterina: Now we are staying in Oberstdorf, we will train here for two days, then we fly to Poland [Gdansk] at the junior Grand Prix stage. Then to Moscow somewhere for three weeks and then to Australia.
Second Olympics running qualified in 3 events (2014 Ice Dance, 2018 Pairs)
