Translated some parts of this interview:
Interview with Evgenia Tarasova
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matchtv.ru
- You chose Marina Zueva from all the other options. Why?
- When there was a choice, Vova and I weighed all the pros and cons. We decided that we need to get what we were lacking. We had pretty great technical elements on the whole, but the choreography and transitions were not interesting enough. And we went to Marina Olegovna Zueva to get that.
- Didn't you have any doubts as Zueva hasn't trained high-level pairs for a long time? For many years she specialized in ice dance.
- Not. Anyway, we initially agreed with Maxim (Trankov - Match TV) that he would continue to work with us. And he keeps his word: he often flies to us in Florida, worked with us at the post-quarantine camp in Novogorsk, now he's here in Florida for the third week. We were happy to follow Marina Olegovna's students in the last Olympic cycles, and often saw her great ice dancers at different events. Pairs skaters also trained in her school before us, so there wasn't any doubts.
- Remember your first training session under her guidance in Florida?
- We flew to America and on the next day at 8 am we came to the rink. Marina Olegovna guided us in the arena and sent us to skate for a bit. She said that she would be only observing us during the first training session. She studied us closely, and the next day our joint work began. Everything was fast, smooth and natural.
- There are more dance elements in your programs - for example, the last lift in the short program last year. What else does cooperation with Marina Zueva give you?
- Marina has vast experience in ice dancing, which she brings to our programs. And also - the relationship between a man and a woman on the ice, emotions and choreography. Over the past year, many experts have agreed that Vova and I have become different. This is exactly what we went to Zueva for.
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- Let's go back to the past. How did your career in Tatarstan start? At one time, you were one of the most successful single skaters in your region.
- I started going to the Raketa stadium at the age of four, and then I was invited to a sports school. My first coach is Vyacheslav Dmitrievich Golovlev. Soon after that I was noticed by Gennady Sergeevich Tarasov - the man who led to the first victories of the Soviet world champion Alexander Fadeev. My training ended early, and I stayed in the hallway of the ice palace, waiting for my mother to pick me up after work. Once, seeing me alone, Gennady Sergeevich joked: “Why are you bumming around? Let's go to the ice!" So I soon started skating under his guidance.
- 10 years ago you started pair skating. Why? After all, back then singles skating wasn't that crowded.
- I started dreaming about pairs at the age of 11. The girls from the group and I often tried light pairs elements, for example, we could skate by the handle in a parallel spread eagles. And once there was a show in Kazan, and I was assigned to a brief number with one boy. He stood in the spread eagle, and I skated in a swallow. I really enjoyed skating in a duet, and after that show I realized: This is for me! I was not afraid at all. But the coaches did not want to let me go anywhere at such a young age, so I stayed in the group of singles. Only at the age of 14 it became possible to get a try out at the Mozer's group. So I ended up in Moscow. I am glad that my mother agreed to let me go alone: she could not leave with me, so I lived at the Olympic reserve school. I have never regretted becoming a pairs skater.
- As a single skater, did you meet in competitions with Liza Tuktamysheva and Adelina Sotnikova, who were just gaining the momentum then?
- We met with Lizka (smiles) at my first competition in Nizhny Novgorod . Since then we have been friends, we communicate a lot and are just glad that we know each other. I also know Adeline from an early age, probable we saw each other for the first time also in Novgorod. From our very first meeting I remember Liza as a very radiant, emotional person. I liked being with her, because she was very playful, cheerful and sociable, and I was a little shy, but together we could have some fun. Liza has been such a positive person since childhood! And now she is just the same as she was back then.
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- At the 2018 Olympics Aliona Savchenko and her dramatic journey in sports were in the spotlight. And what was going on in your soul at that time?
- I had the support from all the close ones - parents, coaches, partner, guys from our team. I remember well the words of Robin Szolkowy: that everything has its time, this is only our first Olympics, we skated well at the team event and became silver medalists. Probably, then the very great desire and pressure did not play into the hands. Nina Mikhailovna said to get our phones away and not go to open any social networks, to limit communication. But still we felt this pressure, the media has already attributed gold to our couple ... In general, it did not work out. Today I am somewhat happy about it. It is not known how it would have gone further. The sports path should be long, with ups and downs, and not just about the immediate success. I think it’s a big plus that Vova and I have experienced such a lesson: now we know what we’re worth of and what it’s like to fall. Of course, I'm not saying that I was glad to lose (laughs). But on the other hand, now we understand how to approach the next Olympics and definitely do not want to experience this again.
- After the Olympic season, Maxim Trankov became your new coach. How did you balance between friendly relations with him and the "student-coach" ones?
- I think I have always listened to him. Max already knows a lot and has experienced a lot in sports, he himself skated with different coaches at one time. We initially had complete confidence in him, so we quickly adapted. Maybe just that there's less laughing on the ice. And outside the rink, Maxim and I continue to communicate as equals, like friends.
In addition, he was already the choreographer of both programs in the 2014/15 season. We were straight out of juniors then, and Max had an injury and he couldn't train. Nina Mikhailovna suggested that he try to choreograph a program for us. Why not? It was an interesting experience. The programs Maxim choreographed were beautiful and comfortable to skate to, with them we won our first medals at the adult level.
- Have you analyzed the causes of your mistakes last season?
- Several reasons, I think. We moved to another country, adapted to the new realities of life, changed the image of our team. It was difficult to put together all the elements and a new style of skating at once. But now, I hope we have overcome it, and everything will be fine.
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BTW I wish Maria and her husband the best!
⛸
