Interview with Liza Tuktamysheva for Russian GQ
Чемпионка мира и 23-летний ветеран спорта – о четверных прыжках, работе с психологом и запуске первой линейки одежды.
www.gq.ru
Some small excerpts I liked:
- I want to clarify this: you have repeatedly said that the adult figure skating was captured by children ...
- I don't really need to speak on this topic at all. In my case, it is not good to say that I am for femininity, grace, because I myself was in the place of these young skaters. But at that time, Adelina and I were a unique phenomenon, back then all figure skaters was very feminine, adult. And now at the Russian championship the girls are almost ten years younger than me, and this is the norm now. In general, the answer is: in figure skating you want to have the balance. Jumping quads is great. But quads are not enough for the sport to exist.
...
- In your opinion, why figure skaters who got into adult sports early and win the Olympics retire at such a young age? It's about Sotnikova and Lipnitskaya, for example.
- I think a lot of energy and nerves was invested in getting to the Games and winning. And it is difficult for people to stay at the same level for a long time. And if you give yourself a year off, then it is very difficult to get back in shape, to return to training. It's like a candy. You try something sweet, you will like it, and you want more.
- Do you want to - because you haven't tried such sweets before?
- Yes. It's hard to stay in top shape. Win the Olympics, show your maximum. Then devastation sets in, and emotionally it can be difficult. You understand what is behind all the victories. Nobody can skate on the same high level for ten years. Well, except for Irina Slutskaya.
- And you.
- I had many falls, deep pits. I love this thing. And we have a very trusting relationship with my coach. I work, he sees it, and we are in contact. He doesn't try to change me. He knows that I am. And even if I fail, he doesn't forget about me.
...
- I don’t like to ruin my health, I don’t want to leave this sport as a sick and injured person. I would like to start another life, in which I'd know what to do, by the time I consciously decide to retire. Also, my mother always supported me, I took over her this approach to figure skating. She never went deep into this sport, does not know the names of the elements, and when something bad happens, my mother says: “So what? It's just figure skating. You are a healthy girl, you will be fine." Perhaps because of my attitude to sports, I did not win the Olympics when I had the opportunity. But I prefer it this way.
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- Is it possible to perform quads and other complex elements today and get to deal with the health consequences tomorrow?
- Interest question. It seems to me that only with time we will find out, quads are still rather new. To say that this is a huge strain on the body is to say nothing.
...
- I didn't make it to the Grand Prix final. I was in good shape, but I was literally a couple of points away from it. So there was a big break and there was a lot of time to learn something new. And during all last season, Alexei Nikolaevich, little by little, inspired me that I could learn a quad. I was doing it on the lounge at the very beginning of the season, and I suddenly had a desire to do it without outside help. And when that desire arises, I cannot be stopped. I worked with a lounge for another week, and then in a couple of days I landed that quad.