TAHbKA
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Boris Khodorovski's interview with Rafael Arutyunyan for ria.ru
BK: In Tallinn 9 junior skaters attempted a quad jump. Some even landed. Does it mean the competition was a high level?
RA: The level was good. Malinin dominated, but then he already competed at the senior worlds. I can point some other guys. The Kazakh Mikhail Shaidorov - Urmanov's pupil had 3 quads in his LP. I liked the Estonian skater Mikhail Selevko.
BK: Malinin had 4 quads scheduled and 3 were different ones - toeloop, salchow, lutz.
RA: Ilia landed the flip and loop in the practices. He is quite consistent with his quads which he showed in the competition.
BK: What happened to your pupil Stephen Gogolev?
RA: It's an achievement he was able to compete after almost 3 years off. We needed to remind he is still alive. He grew to be 1.80cm tall and taking the huge gap in his practices his 5th place at the junior worlds is a great achievement.
BK: does he want to switch to pairs?
RA: No. He can jump, his coordination is good - he'll be a single skater. I was shocked when Stephen who became 30cm taller and have not practiced for a while landed a quad. We have to work very cautiously with him. He was growing and needed to heal his back problem.
BK: How do the professionals take the lack of the Russian skaters?
RA: There is nothing good about it. No matter which country the skaters are from. The goal of the national federations and the ISU is to let the athletes compete. When the main medals contenders are not competing at the main competition of the season is a loss. Though the Russian skaters still competed in Tallinn, just representing different countries. Even the American Malinin and the Canadian Gogolev have roots from Ural. The Kazakh Shaidorov is training in Sochi with Urmanov, Lev Vinokur who represents Israel - in Moscow, the Czech Georgii Reznichenko was born in St. Petersburg. A lot of coaches communicate in Russian.
BK: It seems plausible the ISU congress will expel Russia - permanently or temporarily. Will the coaches and the athletes be heard?
RA: It's a mixed coattail now and it does not taste nice. The skaters should have a chance to compete on the highest level. This is my point of view.
BK: The main loss for the JW 2022 is the lack of the Russian junior ladies, who showed the content worth of the Olympic medalists in the nationals in Saransk
RA: Everyone knows it.
BK: For the American Levito who won the lack of the competition is a good thing or a bad?
RA: For winning - a good. For feeling the competition - probably a bad.
BK: It also seems plausible the ISU will decide to raise the age. Your comparison of the young champions to the disposable cups and a preference to have your coffee from a porcelain cup became a saying in Russia.
RA: I didn't want it to become part of the PR campaign. When the age question arose I was sure: one day the ISU will need to make the changes to prolong the skaters' careers. Though now it is a moot point with the Russian and Belarusian skaters not competing.
BK: During the Olympics in Beijing you were saying it will be hard for you to endure another Olympic cycle and raise the champion for Milan Olympics. Once the first emotions were gone have you changed your plans?
RA: Not at all! I will continue working but without as much enthusiasm and will. I would not mind if one of my assistances would become the coach of the future Olympic champion and kept me as a mentor.
BK: Have the Olympic champion Nathan Chen change his mind about focusing on his studies?
RA: At any rate that will be his priority. I can't tell whether he'll continue practicing and competing. It's hard to finish the brilliant career at once. Chen will decide himself, but I love the magic of the numbers: 6+3+1. 6 times USA champion, 3 times World champion, an Olympic champion. Beautiful, isn't it?
BK: In Tallinn 9 junior skaters attempted a quad jump. Some even landed. Does it mean the competition was a high level?
RA: The level was good. Malinin dominated, but then he already competed at the senior worlds. I can point some other guys. The Kazakh Mikhail Shaidorov - Urmanov's pupil had 3 quads in his LP. I liked the Estonian skater Mikhail Selevko.
BK: Malinin had 4 quads scheduled and 3 were different ones - toeloop, salchow, lutz.
RA: Ilia landed the flip and loop in the practices. He is quite consistent with his quads which he showed in the competition.
BK: What happened to your pupil Stephen Gogolev?
RA: It's an achievement he was able to compete after almost 3 years off. We needed to remind he is still alive. He grew to be 1.80cm tall and taking the huge gap in his practices his 5th place at the junior worlds is a great achievement.
BK: does he want to switch to pairs?
RA: No. He can jump, his coordination is good - he'll be a single skater. I was shocked when Stephen who became 30cm taller and have not practiced for a while landed a quad. We have to work very cautiously with him. He was growing and needed to heal his back problem.
BK: How do the professionals take the lack of the Russian skaters?
RA: There is nothing good about it. No matter which country the skaters are from. The goal of the national federations and the ISU is to let the athletes compete. When the main medals contenders are not competing at the main competition of the season is a loss. Though the Russian skaters still competed in Tallinn, just representing different countries. Even the American Malinin and the Canadian Gogolev have roots from Ural. The Kazakh Shaidorov is training in Sochi with Urmanov, Lev Vinokur who represents Israel - in Moscow, the Czech Georgii Reznichenko was born in St. Petersburg. A lot of coaches communicate in Russian.
BK: It seems plausible the ISU congress will expel Russia - permanently or temporarily. Will the coaches and the athletes be heard?
RA: It's a mixed coattail now and it does not taste nice. The skaters should have a chance to compete on the highest level. This is my point of view.
BK: The main loss for the JW 2022 is the lack of the Russian junior ladies, who showed the content worth of the Olympic medalists in the nationals in Saransk
RA: Everyone knows it.
BK: For the American Levito who won the lack of the competition is a good thing or a bad?
RA: For winning - a good. For feeling the competition - probably a bad.
BK: It also seems plausible the ISU will decide to raise the age. Your comparison of the young champions to the disposable cups and a preference to have your coffee from a porcelain cup became a saying in Russia.
RA: I didn't want it to become part of the PR campaign. When the age question arose I was sure: one day the ISU will need to make the changes to prolong the skaters' careers. Though now it is a moot point with the Russian and Belarusian skaters not competing.
BK: During the Olympics in Beijing you were saying it will be hard for you to endure another Olympic cycle and raise the champion for Milan Olympics. Once the first emotions were gone have you changed your plans?
RA: Not at all! I will continue working but without as much enthusiasm and will. I would not mind if one of my assistances would become the coach of the future Olympic champion and kept me as a mentor.
BK: Have the Olympic champion Nathan Chen change his mind about focusing on his studies?
RA: At any rate that will be his priority. I can't tell whether he'll continue practicing and competing. It's hard to finish the brilliant career at once. Chen will decide himself, but I love the magic of the numbers: 6+3+1. 6 times USA champion, 3 times World champion, an Olympic champion. Beautiful, isn't it?
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I have none called Malinin or Gogolev and if I had, by reflex, I'd think they have origins in Eastern Europe. If I heard a skater with your last name announced in a competition, I'd think he could be from about anywhere. Again it doesn't mean I agree with what Raf said. It's just that some names tend to point towards some specific origins. It's certainly no reason to lump their bearer with Russia and ban them from competition. That would be preposterous. Raf's being a jerk and I'm disappointed. I don't even know why I made my original post as it's totally useless 
. In French it's called "enfoncer une porte ouverte" (breaking and entering through an open door) 
Don't mind me, I'm still on anti-depressant and not functioning at full capacity. My neurons are having a rave party on their own 
to ascertain that Aoife is not pronounced "Oy, vey." 
