Alina Zagitova "I want to do things my way" Olympic Channel interview

[Tinami Amori]

Alina Zagitova "I want to do things my way".
https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/s...ova-i-want-to-do-things-my-way/?sf209835898=1

Interesting, sounds like she is staying to compete...

For me the most important thing now is to continue performing. I can also become a two-time, three-time champion...But I am not thinking of any records, I am always saying that, for me the most important thing right now is to skate.

I tried Q flip, Q rittberger, but so far it is just the beginning. So far I haven't planned them, but I understand that, with time, it will be necessary to jump them, if you want to be at the top.

Maybe, my love for figure skating. Every athlete has a moment when they achieve everything, they just want to leave everything behind and live an ordinary life. But then I am thinking: 'how will I live an ordinary life, now that I have seen the world, thanks to the work that I love?' I understand I will not be able to live without figure skating. So that’s it: first I think I would stop, then I realise I cannot leave it as I have dedicated all my life to this until now. So I will not be able to leave figure skating!

 

[Japanfan]

That dog looks like a Shiba Inu, not an Akita. But IIRC someone did give her an Akita, as a gift?

 

[Deleted member 40371]

That dog looks like a Shiba Inu, not an Akita. But IIRC someone did give her an Akita, as a gift?

It was handed to her by Japanese PM, I guess it is an Akita then..

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday took part in a ceremony to present a Japanese Akita dog to Russia's Olympic figure skating champion Alina Zagitova during a visit to Moscow.

Zagitova, the 16-year-old who won gold at this year's Pyeongchang Olympics, proclaimed her love for Akitas after spotting them while training in Japan, and local officials pledged to find one for her.


The head of the Akita preservation society, Takashi Endo, gifted her a puppy called Masura in the ceremony in a central Moscow hotel.

https://www.france24.com/en/20180526-japan-keeps-word-gifts-akita-dog-russian-skater-zagitova

 

[Coquelicot14]

Thanks for sharing! Now that she has a full collection of all the medals, the next season should be a lot less stressful.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Thanks for sharing! Now that she has a full collection of all the medals, the next season should be a lot less stressful.

yes and no... she has several major corporations' sponsorship (Puma, Shiseido, Sberbank, Airweave, Magia Record Video Games, and few others). Such contracts are usually signed in expectations that an athlete stays active/competitive through the whole Olympic cycle, in this case to 2022, and in most cases are connected to results.

Any athlete on such contract needs to perform well and/or stay in the public's eye (with positive image). So, Alina, and all others in her situation, still have a responsibility.

 

[hanca]

Thanks for sharing! Now that she has a full collection of all the medals, the next season should be a lot less stressful.

I don’t think that having a gold medal from worlds makes it less stressful for the next season. Quite on the contrary; when you are on the top, there is no more way up, the only way is down. After all, having a gold medal from Olympics didn’t make it any less stressful for this season.

 

[Coquelicot14]

I don’t think that having a gold medal from worlds makes it less stressful for the next season. Quite on the contrary; when you are on the top, there is no more way up, the only way is down. After all, having a gold medal from Olympics didn’t make it any less stressful for this season.

She had to prove it that it was not a one-time victory, if not to others then to herself. That was achieved this year, and with a great score. You are right, there is that pressure to stay on top, and sponsors, as Tinami has mentioned. But there is nothing more to prove, that alone, should an amazing feeling.

 

[hanca]

She had to prove it that it was not a one-time victory, if not to others then to herself. That was achieved this year, and with a great score. You are right, there is that pressure to stay on top, and sponsors, as Tinami has mentioned. But there is nothing more to prove, that alone, should an amazing feeling.

I think not only the sponsors, but three A will be senior eligible next season. They already beat her at the nationals and now they will be her direct competitors. Tursynbaeva has also improved a lot, as she demonstrated at the worlds, and she has the quad unlike Zagitova. So Zagitova will be training in a group with four more senior ladies, three of them can beat her and the last one is just behind her heels. It will be super stressful. For Tutberidze (and for fans too), past wins don’t count. What counts is what is at present. So everyone is only as good as their last competition. At the moment Zagitova is at the top, but that can change after the first competition in the next season.

 

[babayaga]

I think not only the sponsors, but three A will be senior eligible next season. They already beat her at the nationals and now they will be her direct competitors. Tursynbaeva has also improved a lot, as she demonstrated at the worlds, and she has the quad unlike Zagitova. So Zagitova will be training in a group with four more senior ladies, three of them can beat her and the last one is just behind her heels. It will be super stressful. For Tutberidze (and for fans too), past wins don’t count. What counts is what is at present. So everyone is only as good as their last competition. At the moment Zagitova is at the top, but that can change after the first competition in the next season.

Of course everything will change, so much talent is coming up! On the other hand, Alina seems to have a healthy attitude towards loosing, like after 2nd place in GPF she said she is happy to be second in such a difficult tournament since next time she could get no medal at all. She got no medal at Russian Nationals this year as well, so it's not like she doesn't know how to lose. Maybe next year will be very competitive, but the year after that will be easier. Who knows, right.

 

[Coquelicot14]

Hanca, I don't see it as such, she already has an Olympic gold, a World gold, European gold, so it's the rest of the girls that are playing catch up, she's the prima. Even if one of the junior girls beats her in a competition next season, that changes nothing.

I think the stress from the upcomers will be more on Liza and Evgenia. They don't have the full set and must try to stay afloat and make the team for the next Games... now that is stress.

 

[Vash01]

From now on, Alina can just work on getting better, and enjoy it, win or lose. She doesn’t need to prove anything to others or to herself.

 

[Tinami Amori]

She had to prove it that it was not a one-time victory, if not to others then to herself.

I don't see it quite this way, in terms of "proving she is not a one-time victory". She is far from "one-victory".

Season 2015/16 - she won Gold at RJN, JW, JGPF, Jr Olympics, and 1 out of two GP events. She was 2nd at Senior Russian Nationals which was huge for her at that time.

Season 2016/2017 - she won Gold at every event: RN, Euros, 2 GP, GPF, Lombardia and Olympics. She only "lost it" at Worlds, but that's normal, after 6 consecutive Golds in one season.

This season - she was 1st and 2nd the whole season, except for RN with Jr. Girls, but if we leave only Senior results, she was also 2nd in Senior (that's how it was looked at in terms of Team Selection).

So from Fall 2015 to Spring 2019, for solid 3.5 years, she earned:
1st place ... 16 events
2nd place ... 4 events
3rd place ... 1 event
no medal ... 1 event

 

[Tinami Amori]

So Zagitova will be training in a group with four more senior ladies, three of them can beat her and the last one is just behind her heels. It will be super stressful.

Not more stressful than watching, as usual, Trusova flying by with quads for the last 2-3 years... As with the rest of the girls, who dash by her 3 feet up in the air... She's been around Sambo-70 for a while, i think... and it has not stopped her...

For Tutberidze (and for fans too), past wins don’t count. What counts is what is at present. So everyone is only as good as their last competition. At the moment Zagitova is at the top, but that can change after the first competition in the next season.

That's life! that's how it is everywhere in everything. And should be that way... or progress would stagnate. When one wins, one receives a reward, and a segment of time when one has a platform to enjoy one's "celebrity status" and capitalize off it. But next term/season/segment/etc.... is a new game. and game is on.. and it's fun..

 

[Coquelicot14]

I don't see it quite this way, in terms of "proving she is not a one-time victory". She is far from "one-victory".

Season 2015/16 - she won Gold at RJN, JW, JGPF, Jr Olympics, and 1 out of two GP events. She was 2nd at Senior Russian Nationals which was huge for her at that time.

Season 2016/2017 - she won Gold at every event: RN, Euros, 2 GP, GPF, Lombardia and Olympics. She only "lost it" at Worlds, but that's normal, after 6 consecutive Golds in one season.

This season - she was 1st and 2nd the whole season, except for RN with Jr. Girls, but if we leave only Senior results, she was also 2nd in Senior (that's how it was looked at in terms of Team Selection).

So from Fall 2015 to Spring 2019, for solid 3.5 years, she earned:
1st place ... 16 events
2nd place ... 4 events
3rd place ... 1 event
no medal ... 1 event

I don't disagree with you, but reading the commentary given by Tarasova's followers over the season, who were trying to insinuate that Olympics were just by chance. They were proven that Alina is top notch again and I must say that was satisfying, to me, at least.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I don't disagree with you, but reading the commentary given by Tarasova's followers over the season, who were trying to insinuate that Olympics were just by chance. They were proven that Alina is top notch again and I must say that was satisfying, to me, at least.

.. not just "Tarasova's followers", you left out a whole bunch of "groups"... Most of them still "complaining" and inventing issues that are not there...

.. the fact is: http://s9.uploads.ru/t/gh5sv.jpg

.. my evil mind is trying to think what can be done for Nathan to not just seek her company, but to take the next step... it's no harm for a jewish fan to wish for a happy and prosperous union?...
https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagra...n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com

 

[Coquelicot14]

 

[Marco]

Sounds like she is staying with Eteri. Is there a chance she would get external choreographic help?

 

[babayaga]

Sounds like she is staying with Eteri. Is there a chance she would get external choreographic help?

Not a chance. Gleighengaus is already talking about his plans for her programs next year.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Sounds like she is staying with Eteri. Is there a chance she would get external choreographic help?

Only if you are willing to fly there yourself and convince her.

Otherwise, she, her family, and the team (which includes Bolshoi Ballet ballerina Mrs. Shalashova, and a modern dance teacher Alexey Zheleznyakov, who work with her personally on daily basis) all see that she is doing fine... and winning medals, sometimes Gold..

 

[Marco]

Seeking external choreographic help doesn't necessarily mean she isn't doing well. It would just be a way of learning new things and expanding her artistic horizon.

 

[AxelAnnie]

.. not just "Tarasova's followers", you left out a whole bunch of "groups"... Most of them still "complaining" and inventing issues that are not there...

.. the fact is: http://s9.uploads.ru/t/gh5sv.jpg

.. my evil mind is trying to think what can be done for Nathan to not just seek her company, but to take the next step... it's no harm for a jewish fan to wish for a happy and prosperous union?...
https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagra...n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com

Huh?

 

[AxelAnnie]

Only if you are willing to fly there yourself and convince her.

Otherwise, she, her family, and the team (which includes Bolshoi Ballet ballerina Mrs. Shalashova, and a modern dance teacher Alexey Zheleznyakov, who work with her personally on daily basis) all see that she is doing fine... and winning medals, sometimes Gold..

Will they be working on posture. That would be most wonderful.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Seeking external choreographic help doesn't necessarily mean she isn't doing well. It would just be a way of learning new things and expanding her artistic horizon.

i will say something very banal... if she and her team decide that she needs to learn new things in choreography and expand her artistic horizons outside what the team can give her, then they'll do it...

 

[Tinami Amori]

Will they be working on posture. That would be most wonderful.

If her team decides that she needs to, i am sure they will.. like with any skaters..

 

[Frau Muller]

I don’t think that having a gold medal from worlds makes it less stressful for the next season. Quite on the contrary; when you are on the top, there is no more way up, the only way is down. After all, having a gold medal from Olympics didn’t make it any less stressful for this season.

Just having gone through puberty this past season and, hence, having to adapt to a new body, was stressful. The beauty & miracle of her recent win is that it occurred with a visibly more mature body than she had 12 months ago. Now she has the mature body & it shouldn’t change further, especially as active as she is.