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Eleva Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with Evgenia Medvedeva for ria.ru (please click the original link...)
EV: The pressure during the ladies competition in Saitama was obvious. How did you take it and how was your skate?
EM: It was over so fast. I was skating first in my group, which is unusual for me- am more used being one of the last. After the draw I as a bit upset about it and was thinking how will it work? And then understood it was working for the best. I mean during the 6 minutes warm up I didn't really do much - I was in too much pain.
EV: Were you injured?
EM: I didn't even understand what happened. We didn't speak to the doctors, but since I feel better today I guess it's nothing major. Just that my leg hurt really badly before the LP. So badly I had to switch on the `animal mode' and pull all my fighting qualities together. I wouldn't say the LP skate was super hard - physically, yes, because I had to overcome the pain.
EV: It seemed to me your only technical mistake - the underotation of the 2A was because you were going too fast into the jump.
EM: I don't know. I wasn't really thinking while skating. I just felt.
EV: You were skating in autopilot?
EM: Not quite. I was controlling every move. But `controlling' and `thinking' are different things. It's one thing controlling your body - how to move the arm or lift the head. A different thinking of the speed `am I going too fast? If am going too fast what does it mean? What will happen if..' Such thoughts are a dead end. You might as well stop right there and not skate.
EV: When you knew for sure you medalled one of the Russian coaches said `No one except for Zhenya herself believed she can do it'. Were you feeling that lack of belief in you?
EM: I assume there probably are people who did not believe in me, but I don't mind. I know I have Brian and Tracey and the `Cricket Club' team, Jason Brown, who became a true friend and someone to lean on. Am surrounded by so many amazing people.
EV: It's unusual in your sports.
EM: True! Am so lucky. I was really luck that my life changed so much after the Olympics and I found all these people. Am so grateful to Misha Ge, who I've known for a long time. In general I felt quite confident this competition. It's very important feeling not only the coaching support, but the human support. Those people, who don't really need anything from you, but you know they are behind you.
EV: In Russia you spent many years in a very strict conditions. Was it scary to learn once you moved to Canada that figure skating might be so different?
EM: OF course. For example there was a period when I was afraid to learn I can decide on the amount of practices, I can pick the road to my goal. I was afraid to pick the easiest.
EV: Were you tempted?
EM: I'll be true. A human always chooses the easiest path. There were moments when I was weak.
EV: You mean the weight you gained?
EM: The weight and the work - I was not always able to remain in the strict boundaries, though that wasn't really hard - after all am used to work hard during the practices. I needed time to learn I shouldn't be afraid. Because first am surrounded by people who will advice if things go wrong and second - am not a person to drop things in the middle.
EV: During that time were there moments when you didn't believe things will work out?
EM: Frankly? Yes. After the SP at the Nationals, for example. After the GP in France. The SP in Skate Canada was a big disappointment - it was really hard to set myself to keep skating at the competition. I spent the whole night with no sleep, lost 2.5 kilos. But think all that made me stronger.
EV: Were you afraid after the Russian Cup, when the Worlds became real? You probably understood after such a season you had no longer had a right to make a mistake?
EM: I understood all that. But I was not afraid, I was confident. And very focused. We - the whole team- worked so much for that competition. If you only knew how much Jason Brown, Yuzu Hanyu, Cha Jun-hwan work! Really, it's something you need to see - how hard they work in the practices. After such work there was no way one would skate badly.
On the other hand the athletes are always hesitating about some things. No one really knows what we are capable of. Hence there is never a 100% certainty. The only thing that I was not worried about, but kept under the control - not to let the nerves get over me at the right moment.
EV: Do you mind the medal you took is bronze and not gold?
EM: Not at all. I was standing on the podium and thinking I overcame myself. The girls who beat me - kudos to them and I know how much Alina and Elizabeth had worked. They are pushing our sport and it's amazing.
Just that for me the Worlds were a competition where I did't compare my result to the others. The same as comparing this competition to the rest of the season. It's uncomparable. And am proud of myself.
EV: Are you serious?
EM: totally. I think I learn a very important lesson. Every athlete goes to a competition thinking of a victory. It's the right thing. Just that the definition of `victory' is different - depending on the circumstances. Taking these circumstances -I won. The Worlds were a special competition and the colour of the medal is not important.
EV: When in the middle of the season you decided to give up the SP that was created by Sandra Bezic and David Wilson were you feeling uncomfortable with them?
EM: It's a decision we made together - the whole team. Sandra supports me so much, so does David. They both, even before I did, realized that programme demanded too much changes, which I was not yet ready for. It was hard to deal with all the tasks at once. There were no hard feelings.
EV: In the press room after the Ladies competition you could hear `Zhenya is back!'. Do you agree you are back to the state when you were coming out there competing and not worried at all about the result?
EM: It's different. Am still learning to control that state. The worlds became a point of no return. Am sure from here it will only improve. Brian, Tracey and I know how to communicate, work, reach the goals. I changed yet stayed the same and it's all - me. I can't say am missing what stayed in the past. I used to take all the competitions the same.
EV: The cage opens - off you go?
EM: More or less. Now it's so much richer and colourful. There are new feelings. Perhaps I still have stuff to explore - there are still situations in which am not certain what to expect, but I like moving in that direction, learning, growing. It happens contiously. Like it happens in the finals. If I was not mad before the LP, if I did not turn my inner energy there was no such a result.
EV: How hard was the 13 hours difference in Saitama?
EM: How is it special? Osmond took the bronze at the Olympics in Korea. She was skating with the same time difference there.
EV: There is more time to overcome the jetlag at the Olympics.
EM: I don't think anyone cares. The only important thing is how do you skate when you go out there. The rest is redundant. From my experience: the jetlag catches me when I start thinking about it. Sleeping badly and waking up early happens back in Canada as well.
EV: How important is the weight control for you now?
EM: I control all that I eat - I started thinking about it a year ago - right after the Olympics. Prior to that there was no control at all: sometimes I would just grab one snack of chocolate the whole day. I was constantly afraid I'll get on the weight and there will be an additional 100gr. I work closely with a nuitrician who Brian recommended and think less of what do I see on the weight, but the BMI. Even in the Russian Cup in Novogorsk I was told many saw the difference in my body, I look more athletic. Even though I don't quite agree yet.
EV: What do you mean?
EM: I don't yet have a body I want to have. In order to learn the harder jumps the body must be like machine. And I'll have it. I just need time and patience. Melissa, the nutritionist, has a huge experience working with the Canadian ballet dancers. During the time we have been working together the amount of fat went down and amount of muscle increased. The weight remained the same.
EV: Were you worried when you started gaining weight after the Olympics?
EM: I understood I can overcome all my eating problems just by actually eating. When you keep a very strict diet for many years, basically go hungry for a long while you need time to come to a conclusion if there is food in the fridge you don't need to finish it at once. It will still be in the fridge next time. Once I understood it the weight started getting back to normal.
I was never a big fan of pastry, a place of blueberries is much taster. And is better for the ligaments, lifts the spirits and just 200 calories for a bucket, so to say. I can't say I count the calories all the time, but I switched to the portioned food. All the changes in my body that people notice are mainly thanks to that.
EV: What was the toughest time weight wise for you?
EM: The Olympic season. I knew I had to be as `dry' as possible. I weighted in Korea 1.5kg less than a year before that at the Worlds in Helsinki. It was a hard time, but I had no choice. Otherwise I would simply not be able to skate that programme. I didn't have much muscles, which caused the body to keep the water. You become `heavy' and `swell'. Hence it was really tough and I did damage my body. Fortunately, now it's all behind me.
EV: I think you know better than me how rapidly the ladies skating changes and what do you need to do to keep up. Any ideas?
EM: Of course. We spoke about it with Brian and Tracey. My idea of longlivety in the figure skating does not mean I'll keep skating the SP with a 3f3t forever. I will learn the harder jumps, a higher content, work on the other aspects.
EV: Can you be more detailed?
EM: I'd rather not. Why rush it?
EV: How active are you in the social networks right now?
EM: Not that active. I taught myself to spend less time there and it's a good thing. I stopped mending with nonsense, worry less what other think about me. I really stopped minding the others point of view. Of course there are things that might hurt me, but it's not that stuff that is written on the internet. I used to mind. Not anymore. Those who post the comments on instagram never made any decisions for me and they never will.
EV: Who was the most unusual person you met this year, outside the skating?
EM: I dwell deeply in the music after the Olympics. First I met Kris Kostov - we were taking part in a TV show together. I met Yuri Pack there, his singing name is Haru. I.e. I was suddenly surrounded by the singers and musicians. Which was great - prior to that I was deeply in KPop and was only listening to the Korean music.
Now among my favourite songs, for example, is `Shallow' by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, i.e. my musical taste expanded. I can even hold a conversation about the music now.
EV: The known athletes are often invited to participate the popular TV shows. You did some. Is there a project you'd like to take part now?
EM: The project I want to participate the most is the 2022 Olympics. Nothing is more important in my life right now.
EV: The pressure during the ladies competition in Saitama was obvious. How did you take it and how was your skate?
EM: It was over so fast. I was skating first in my group, which is unusual for me- am more used being one of the last. After the draw I as a bit upset about it and was thinking how will it work? And then understood it was working for the best. I mean during the 6 minutes warm up I didn't really do much - I was in too much pain.
EV: Were you injured?
EM: I didn't even understand what happened. We didn't speak to the doctors, but since I feel better today I guess it's nothing major. Just that my leg hurt really badly before the LP. So badly I had to switch on the `animal mode' and pull all my fighting qualities together. I wouldn't say the LP skate was super hard - physically, yes, because I had to overcome the pain.
EV: It seemed to me your only technical mistake - the underotation of the 2A was because you were going too fast into the jump.
EM: I don't know. I wasn't really thinking while skating. I just felt.
EV: You were skating in autopilot?
EM: Not quite. I was controlling every move. But `controlling' and `thinking' are different things. It's one thing controlling your body - how to move the arm or lift the head. A different thinking of the speed `am I going too fast? If am going too fast what does it mean? What will happen if..' Such thoughts are a dead end. You might as well stop right there and not skate.
EV: When you knew for sure you medalled one of the Russian coaches said `No one except for Zhenya herself believed she can do it'. Were you feeling that lack of belief in you?
EM: I assume there probably are people who did not believe in me, but I don't mind. I know I have Brian and Tracey and the `Cricket Club' team, Jason Brown, who became a true friend and someone to lean on. Am surrounded by so many amazing people.
EV: It's unusual in your sports.
EM: True! Am so lucky. I was really luck that my life changed so much after the Olympics and I found all these people. Am so grateful to Misha Ge, who I've known for a long time. In general I felt quite confident this competition. It's very important feeling not only the coaching support, but the human support. Those people, who don't really need anything from you, but you know they are behind you.
EV: In Russia you spent many years in a very strict conditions. Was it scary to learn once you moved to Canada that figure skating might be so different?
EM: OF course. For example there was a period when I was afraid to learn I can decide on the amount of practices, I can pick the road to my goal. I was afraid to pick the easiest.
EV: Were you tempted?
EM: I'll be true. A human always chooses the easiest path. There were moments when I was weak.
EV: You mean the weight you gained?
EM: The weight and the work - I was not always able to remain in the strict boundaries, though that wasn't really hard - after all am used to work hard during the practices. I needed time to learn I shouldn't be afraid. Because first am surrounded by people who will advice if things go wrong and second - am not a person to drop things in the middle.
EV: During that time were there moments when you didn't believe things will work out?
EM: Frankly? Yes. After the SP at the Nationals, for example. After the GP in France. The SP in Skate Canada was a big disappointment - it was really hard to set myself to keep skating at the competition. I spent the whole night with no sleep, lost 2.5 kilos. But think all that made me stronger.
EV: Were you afraid after the Russian Cup, when the Worlds became real? You probably understood after such a season you had no longer had a right to make a mistake?
EM: I understood all that. But I was not afraid, I was confident. And very focused. We - the whole team- worked so much for that competition. If you only knew how much Jason Brown, Yuzu Hanyu, Cha Jun-hwan work! Really, it's something you need to see - how hard they work in the practices. After such work there was no way one would skate badly.
On the other hand the athletes are always hesitating about some things. No one really knows what we are capable of. Hence there is never a 100% certainty. The only thing that I was not worried about, but kept under the control - not to let the nerves get over me at the right moment.
EV: Do you mind the medal you took is bronze and not gold?
EM: Not at all. I was standing on the podium and thinking I overcame myself. The girls who beat me - kudos to them and I know how much Alina and Elizabeth had worked. They are pushing our sport and it's amazing.
Just that for me the Worlds were a competition where I did't compare my result to the others. The same as comparing this competition to the rest of the season. It's uncomparable. And am proud of myself.
EV: Are you serious?
EM: totally. I think I learn a very important lesson. Every athlete goes to a competition thinking of a victory. It's the right thing. Just that the definition of `victory' is different - depending on the circumstances. Taking these circumstances -I won. The Worlds were a special competition and the colour of the medal is not important.
EV: When in the middle of the season you decided to give up the SP that was created by Sandra Bezic and David Wilson were you feeling uncomfortable with them?
EM: It's a decision we made together - the whole team. Sandra supports me so much, so does David. They both, even before I did, realized that programme demanded too much changes, which I was not yet ready for. It was hard to deal with all the tasks at once. There were no hard feelings.
EV: In the press room after the Ladies competition you could hear `Zhenya is back!'. Do you agree you are back to the state when you were coming out there competing and not worried at all about the result?
EM: It's different. Am still learning to control that state. The worlds became a point of no return. Am sure from here it will only improve. Brian, Tracey and I know how to communicate, work, reach the goals. I changed yet stayed the same and it's all - me. I can't say am missing what stayed in the past. I used to take all the competitions the same.
EV: The cage opens - off you go?
EM: More or less. Now it's so much richer and colourful. There are new feelings. Perhaps I still have stuff to explore - there are still situations in which am not certain what to expect, but I like moving in that direction, learning, growing. It happens contiously. Like it happens in the finals. If I was not mad before the LP, if I did not turn my inner energy there was no such a result.
EV: How hard was the 13 hours difference in Saitama?
EM: How is it special? Osmond took the bronze at the Olympics in Korea. She was skating with the same time difference there.
EV: There is more time to overcome the jetlag at the Olympics.
EM: I don't think anyone cares. The only important thing is how do you skate when you go out there. The rest is redundant. From my experience: the jetlag catches me when I start thinking about it. Sleeping badly and waking up early happens back in Canada as well.
EV: How important is the weight control for you now?
EM: I control all that I eat - I started thinking about it a year ago - right after the Olympics. Prior to that there was no control at all: sometimes I would just grab one snack of chocolate the whole day. I was constantly afraid I'll get on the weight and there will be an additional 100gr. I work closely with a nuitrician who Brian recommended and think less of what do I see on the weight, but the BMI. Even in the Russian Cup in Novogorsk I was told many saw the difference in my body, I look more athletic. Even though I don't quite agree yet.
EV: What do you mean?
EM: I don't yet have a body I want to have. In order to learn the harder jumps the body must be like machine. And I'll have it. I just need time and patience. Melissa, the nutritionist, has a huge experience working with the Canadian ballet dancers. During the time we have been working together the amount of fat went down and amount of muscle increased. The weight remained the same.
EV: Were you worried when you started gaining weight after the Olympics?
EM: I understood I can overcome all my eating problems just by actually eating. When you keep a very strict diet for many years, basically go hungry for a long while you need time to come to a conclusion if there is food in the fridge you don't need to finish it at once. It will still be in the fridge next time. Once I understood it the weight started getting back to normal.
I was never a big fan of pastry, a place of blueberries is much taster. And is better for the ligaments, lifts the spirits and just 200 calories for a bucket, so to say. I can't say I count the calories all the time, but I switched to the portioned food. All the changes in my body that people notice are mainly thanks to that.
EV: What was the toughest time weight wise for you?
EM: The Olympic season. I knew I had to be as `dry' as possible. I weighted in Korea 1.5kg less than a year before that at the Worlds in Helsinki. It was a hard time, but I had no choice. Otherwise I would simply not be able to skate that programme. I didn't have much muscles, which caused the body to keep the water. You become `heavy' and `swell'. Hence it was really tough and I did damage my body. Fortunately, now it's all behind me.
EV: I think you know better than me how rapidly the ladies skating changes and what do you need to do to keep up. Any ideas?
EM: Of course. We spoke about it with Brian and Tracey. My idea of longlivety in the figure skating does not mean I'll keep skating the SP with a 3f3t forever. I will learn the harder jumps, a higher content, work on the other aspects.
EV: Can you be more detailed?
EM: I'd rather not. Why rush it?
EV: How active are you in the social networks right now?
EM: Not that active. I taught myself to spend less time there and it's a good thing. I stopped mending with nonsense, worry less what other think about me. I really stopped minding the others point of view. Of course there are things that might hurt me, but it's not that stuff that is written on the internet. I used to mind. Not anymore. Those who post the comments on instagram never made any decisions for me and they never will.
EV: Who was the most unusual person you met this year, outside the skating?
EM: I dwell deeply in the music after the Olympics. First I met Kris Kostov - we were taking part in a TV show together. I met Yuri Pack there, his singing name is Haru. I.e. I was suddenly surrounded by the singers and musicians. Which was great - prior to that I was deeply in KPop and was only listening to the Korean music.
Now among my favourite songs, for example, is `Shallow' by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, i.e. my musical taste expanded. I can even hold a conversation about the music now.
EV: The known athletes are often invited to participate the popular TV shows. You did some. Is there a project you'd like to take part now?
EM: The project I want to participate the most is the 2022 Olympics. Nothing is more important in my life right now.
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I can understand that a person obsessed with weight might feel that way, but it's a terrible mindset for an athlete.
Kidding! Please don't.
