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Olga Ermolina's interview with Alexey Mishin `A programme without the quads is empty' for fsrussia.ru
OE: Alexey Nikolaevich, how does the preparation for the season go on? How is Liza Tuktamysheva?
AM: Liza is in a `to be or not to be' state. The upcoming season will be a defining. Her new programmes are interesting, colourful, with the right content they will allow her to reach the highest goals.
As for the other athletes am content with the progress of Sonia Samodurova, who not only will become a better athlete but an artist.
Alina Solovieva slowly recover. I think she is one of the best moving girls in our skating.
OE: The boys?
AM: See, the coach always has to see something positive, otherwise the progress is useless. So looking at the male skating I'd like to stress the advantages of my skaters. I think the last couple of seasons showed Petrov is the most consistent skater of our team. He has a very needed in our sport feature: he shows all he can on the competitions. If the athlete does not have it - all coach's efforts are in vain. Sasha Petrov can and does it.
As for Andrey Lazukin, and his positive features I'd say he is one of the most elegant and best looking skater, his anatomy is the best suited for the figure skating. Besides, he is a very gifted skater, he has a light gliding. Taking in the practices and test skates Andrey showed the 4loop I see a good chance he'll make it to the team.
As for the younger guys, first of all we pay attention to those who have an ability to land the jumps. The leaders there are Zhenia Semenenko and the young skater from Kazan Gleb Seifulin. Zhenya is already doing a 3A in his competition. The 4T. He is getting near landing the 4S. As for Gleb, together with Rezeda Kadyrova we'll try to get the best out of him.
OE: You haven't mentioned Liza Nugumanova nor Petr Gumennik
AM: I put a lot of effort in these guys, they learned a lot, but let me put it this way: the coach, pupil, parents relationship were not to my liking.
OE: You are now in a training camp in Courchevel. An obvious choice: the highs and the endurance. But you also hold an annual training camp in Tartu. What attracts you there?
AM: The organizing of the training camps is quite complicated. We were luck to meet a good organizer in Tartu, who have been working with the international camps and the summer training camps. During the year she thinks to the smallest details - the conditions, the logistics, the transportation, and by the time we come all is ready for us. It is also important the camp is partially sponsored by the foreign skaters who join, yet we have as much ice as we need. During the camp we hold the test skate which is kind of an exhibition.
Looking back at my training camps I'd like to remind such skaters as Sarah Meyer, Kiira Korpy, Stephane Lambiel, Javier Fernandez, Carolina Kostner and Zijung Li learned their jumps under my guiding.
As for why Tartu? It's a remotely cheap place. Good conditions, everything is nearby, it's cosy and calm, nothing takes the skaters' minds off work. The atmosphere of the city is highly intellectual. 90% of the residents of Tartu are students or the university workers, which is one of the oldest in Europe. The way they all treat us is great. The atmosphere in the camp is creative and conduct.
OE: Who are the specialists you worked with this time?
AM: Every year we try inviting new choreographers. In general picking a choreographer is an important aspect. In our team some like it, some less so, the way they treat what the choreographer do - is an unfinished work. Many foreign choreographers do the programmes only to show how great they are. We, on the other hand, have a different goal - to create a programme that would allow winning a medal. The choreographer who creates the programes and polishes them and makes them convenient for the skater - Tatiana Prokofieva. She is a true master.
This year we invited a not so well known choreographer Adam Sol from Belgium. I saw a couple of his works on the ice and I liked Adam's style. I think we'll continue collaborating.
The known choreographer Lori Nichol also worked with our team. She created a programme for Carolina Kostner on the motives of the diagilev's seasons in Paris, it was inspired by `The afternoon of a Faun' by Nijinski. Lori also created 2 programmes for our Chinese skater Zijung Li.
I'll remind previous years we worked with Emmanuel Sandhu and Misha Ge. We keep working with the French choreographer Benoit Richaud. We also had in Tartu Ramil Mehdiev- a soloist of Igor Moiseev ensemble which was a nice surprise.
Working with us the choreographers learn a lot from our experience, the concepts that we created in our group through the years. Every time the collaboration is over they say they learned a lot of new things that will make them more needed in the future. Indeed working with such athletes as Pluschenko, Gatchinski, Tuktamysheva, Petrov, Lazukin adds to their resume.
OE: In the recent years we hear the coaches complaining a lot it's hard to find the right partners for the pairs and dance. Do you have any thoughts on that?
AM: Currently we see a lack of good partners both in the pairs and the ice dance. Let me recall what my supervisor prof. Alexandr Borisovich Gandelsman said: `I think the single skating is the source of all skating'. I think it's right for today as well. Think we have to reconsider and add the amount of the single skating in general. I can certainly say in such countries as the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea and others the amount of the single skaters is much higher than the amount of the dancers or pairs skaters.
I was a witness, or, even a participant of forming of the pairs skating. What it used to be in the past - if you are useless in the singles skating you switch to pairs. If you are not good enough there - off to the ice dance you go. If you failed there - become a coach. If you did not become a good coach you become a judge. If you failed all that, what is next? Ok, its' a joke. But seriously, when Tamara Moskvina and I were skating we were the best single skaters in the warm ups and the competitions. When the known French coach Vaudecrane saw what we were doing on the ice she exclaimed `It's the singles skating! They are just jumping and jumping!'
Now, years later, you can't do a thing without the jumps. The pairs skaters land a 3lz, the 3-3 combos and it will become more complicated in the future. Hence now in order to create a decent pair you need 2 good skaters and a season later you'll have a pair. No need pairing up in the childhood. The boys are not strong enough,the girls are growing up and you can't predict how tall they will become. The recent development in the ice dance proves my point the new teams will be formed from the decent single skaters.
Of course Ludmila Belousova/Oleg Protopopov brought the artistic side to the figure skating. But when talking about Tamara and I you could say we left our mark. We were one of the first pairs of the teamed up single skaters. We were the pioneers. Look at it today: we sent 2 of our guys - Alexandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii to the pairs skating and they raised at once! Hence there should be more decent single skaters. Then, am sure, thanks to a wider choice of partners we'll improve the state of the dance and the pairs. I spoke to the heads of our federation on that matter and they agreed.
EO: What prevents us from preparing good single male skaters, such as Hanyu today?
AM: We have lots of girls and hardly any boys. Take a little kids group, it's 8:2. Of course the competition among the girls is higher, hence they progress. But everything in nature is repetitive. Where is the known British ice dance school of Towler-Ford? Where are the Austrian Schwarz/Danzer? Where is the Czech Nepela? Where is the American Fleming? So I think we should not panic but understand such unique skaters as Hanuy, who is a combination of an amazing ability and hard working are rare.
During my existence in the Soviet figure skating we had great pairs, dancers and men and lacked decent ladies. Guess it's a compensation and we should do all we can to make things even again.
I want to remind you the wise words of the head of the federation Alexandr Gorshkov `there is no such thing as too many good female skaters'. The Worlds in Helsinki showed it's right. Only one remained `unbeatable'. And yet at the beginning of the season many were offended by my words when after looking at all the ladies in the team, when the mood was that the Russian female skaters are unbeatable I said the only one `unbeatable' is Medvedeva. It turned out to be true.
Let me add something else. When I was becoming a coach there were others, who had great results in the sports - the Worlds and European medalists. The methods of teaching figure skating were only forming back then. The skaters who managed to cross the `iron curtain' and get familiar with the most progressive ways became the coaches of the team. I recall Zhuk. Pliner and Moskvin, myself - we were filming non stop the performances and the practices of the best skaters in the world.
Later when the methods and the system were formed the text book jumps were by Urmanov, Tataurov, Yagudin and Pluschenko and my other athletes. Now any athlete can become a coach, even one who did not achieve much as a skater using the current system and methodology. More than that, the current judging system put the maths above all. If previously we were trying to create an unforgettable programme, a masterpiece that was not limited by the number of revolutions, brakets and rockers or spins or positions...
OE: Do you reckon we'll see in Korean Olympics as many quads as we saw in the recent Worlds?
AM: We will. Or even more. The one who will be attempting a 4lz or 4f, two 4S and two 4T will win. And of course the one who will be lucky
EO: After the worlds there were a lot of talks the men programmes with so many quads become a speed up - jump pattern, that there is no artistic side left. What can be done about it?
AM: It will come to it's places in time. I have an example when before the Olympics in Vancouver many were saying they don't need a quad and they will beat Pluschenko with the transitions. The processes are not only sporadic, they can be controlled. Then, at the 2010 Olympics the ISU leaned towards the transitions. But right after the Olympics both Lysacek and Chan ran to learn the quads. I always wanted my athletes to perform the hardest jumps with the maximum revolutions.
It's a mistake thinking the hard jumps and the beauty cancel each other. When the great athletes switched to the shows after a successful career and were not doing the jumps it became boring. Yes, the flow was better, they were better looking but once there were no jumps there was no flavour in their skating. It was not impressive. Because one of the most convincing ways in figure skating choreography are the jumps. Even the audience can calculate the revolutions and applaud. It would be silly claiming the steps and spins are not important. They are part of the success. But it's like food without the spice. No matter how many vegetables you put in the soup - it will not be tasty.
OE: Alexey Nikolaevich, how does the preparation for the season go on? How is Liza Tuktamysheva?
AM: Liza is in a `to be or not to be' state. The upcoming season will be a defining. Her new programmes are interesting, colourful, with the right content they will allow her to reach the highest goals.
As for the other athletes am content with the progress of Sonia Samodurova, who not only will become a better athlete but an artist.
Alina Solovieva slowly recover. I think she is one of the best moving girls in our skating.
OE: The boys?
AM: See, the coach always has to see something positive, otherwise the progress is useless. So looking at the male skating I'd like to stress the advantages of my skaters. I think the last couple of seasons showed Petrov is the most consistent skater of our team. He has a very needed in our sport feature: he shows all he can on the competitions. If the athlete does not have it - all coach's efforts are in vain. Sasha Petrov can and does it.
As for Andrey Lazukin, and his positive features I'd say he is one of the most elegant and best looking skater, his anatomy is the best suited for the figure skating. Besides, he is a very gifted skater, he has a light gliding. Taking in the practices and test skates Andrey showed the 4loop I see a good chance he'll make it to the team.
As for the younger guys, first of all we pay attention to those who have an ability to land the jumps. The leaders there are Zhenia Semenenko and the young skater from Kazan Gleb Seifulin. Zhenya is already doing a 3A in his competition. The 4T. He is getting near landing the 4S. As for Gleb, together with Rezeda Kadyrova we'll try to get the best out of him.
OE: You haven't mentioned Liza Nugumanova nor Petr Gumennik
AM: I put a lot of effort in these guys, they learned a lot, but let me put it this way: the coach, pupil, parents relationship were not to my liking.
OE: You are now in a training camp in Courchevel. An obvious choice: the highs and the endurance. But you also hold an annual training camp in Tartu. What attracts you there?
AM: The organizing of the training camps is quite complicated. We were luck to meet a good organizer in Tartu, who have been working with the international camps and the summer training camps. During the year she thinks to the smallest details - the conditions, the logistics, the transportation, and by the time we come all is ready for us. It is also important the camp is partially sponsored by the foreign skaters who join, yet we have as much ice as we need. During the camp we hold the test skate which is kind of an exhibition.
Looking back at my training camps I'd like to remind such skaters as Sarah Meyer, Kiira Korpy, Stephane Lambiel, Javier Fernandez, Carolina Kostner and Zijung Li learned their jumps under my guiding.
As for why Tartu? It's a remotely cheap place. Good conditions, everything is nearby, it's cosy and calm, nothing takes the skaters' minds off work. The atmosphere of the city is highly intellectual. 90% of the residents of Tartu are students or the university workers, which is one of the oldest in Europe. The way they all treat us is great. The atmosphere in the camp is creative and conduct.
OE: Who are the specialists you worked with this time?
AM: Every year we try inviting new choreographers. In general picking a choreographer is an important aspect. In our team some like it, some less so, the way they treat what the choreographer do - is an unfinished work. Many foreign choreographers do the programmes only to show how great they are. We, on the other hand, have a different goal - to create a programme that would allow winning a medal. The choreographer who creates the programes and polishes them and makes them convenient for the skater - Tatiana Prokofieva. She is a true master.
This year we invited a not so well known choreographer Adam Sol from Belgium. I saw a couple of his works on the ice and I liked Adam's style. I think we'll continue collaborating.
The known choreographer Lori Nichol also worked with our team. She created a programme for Carolina Kostner on the motives of the diagilev's seasons in Paris, it was inspired by `The afternoon of a Faun' by Nijinski. Lori also created 2 programmes for our Chinese skater Zijung Li.
I'll remind previous years we worked with Emmanuel Sandhu and Misha Ge. We keep working with the French choreographer Benoit Richaud. We also had in Tartu Ramil Mehdiev- a soloist of Igor Moiseev ensemble which was a nice surprise.
Working with us the choreographers learn a lot from our experience, the concepts that we created in our group through the years. Every time the collaboration is over they say they learned a lot of new things that will make them more needed in the future. Indeed working with such athletes as Pluschenko, Gatchinski, Tuktamysheva, Petrov, Lazukin adds to their resume.
OE: In the recent years we hear the coaches complaining a lot it's hard to find the right partners for the pairs and dance. Do you have any thoughts on that?
AM: Currently we see a lack of good partners both in the pairs and the ice dance. Let me recall what my supervisor prof. Alexandr Borisovich Gandelsman said: `I think the single skating is the source of all skating'. I think it's right for today as well. Think we have to reconsider and add the amount of the single skating in general. I can certainly say in such countries as the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea and others the amount of the single skaters is much higher than the amount of the dancers or pairs skaters.
I was a witness, or, even a participant of forming of the pairs skating. What it used to be in the past - if you are useless in the singles skating you switch to pairs. If you are not good enough there - off to the ice dance you go. If you failed there - become a coach. If you did not become a good coach you become a judge. If you failed all that, what is next? Ok, its' a joke. But seriously, when Tamara Moskvina and I were skating we were the best single skaters in the warm ups and the competitions. When the known French coach Vaudecrane saw what we were doing on the ice she exclaimed `It's the singles skating! They are just jumping and jumping!'
Now, years later, you can't do a thing without the jumps. The pairs skaters land a 3lz, the 3-3 combos and it will become more complicated in the future. Hence now in order to create a decent pair you need 2 good skaters and a season later you'll have a pair. No need pairing up in the childhood. The boys are not strong enough,the girls are growing up and you can't predict how tall they will become. The recent development in the ice dance proves my point the new teams will be formed from the decent single skaters.
Of course Ludmila Belousova/Oleg Protopopov brought the artistic side to the figure skating. But when talking about Tamara and I you could say we left our mark. We were one of the first pairs of the teamed up single skaters. We were the pioneers. Look at it today: we sent 2 of our guys - Alexandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii to the pairs skating and they raised at once! Hence there should be more decent single skaters. Then, am sure, thanks to a wider choice of partners we'll improve the state of the dance and the pairs. I spoke to the heads of our federation on that matter and they agreed.
EO: What prevents us from preparing good single male skaters, such as Hanyu today?
AM: We have lots of girls and hardly any boys. Take a little kids group, it's 8:2. Of course the competition among the girls is higher, hence they progress. But everything in nature is repetitive. Where is the known British ice dance school of Towler-Ford? Where are the Austrian Schwarz/Danzer? Where is the Czech Nepela? Where is the American Fleming? So I think we should not panic but understand such unique skaters as Hanuy, who is a combination of an amazing ability and hard working are rare.
During my existence in the Soviet figure skating we had great pairs, dancers and men and lacked decent ladies. Guess it's a compensation and we should do all we can to make things even again.
I want to remind you the wise words of the head of the federation Alexandr Gorshkov `there is no such thing as too many good female skaters'. The Worlds in Helsinki showed it's right. Only one remained `unbeatable'. And yet at the beginning of the season many were offended by my words when after looking at all the ladies in the team, when the mood was that the Russian female skaters are unbeatable I said the only one `unbeatable' is Medvedeva. It turned out to be true.
Let me add something else. When I was becoming a coach there were others, who had great results in the sports - the Worlds and European medalists. The methods of teaching figure skating were only forming back then. The skaters who managed to cross the `iron curtain' and get familiar with the most progressive ways became the coaches of the team. I recall Zhuk. Pliner and Moskvin, myself - we were filming non stop the performances and the practices of the best skaters in the world.
Later when the methods and the system were formed the text book jumps were by Urmanov, Tataurov, Yagudin and Pluschenko and my other athletes. Now any athlete can become a coach, even one who did not achieve much as a skater using the current system and methodology. More than that, the current judging system put the maths above all. If previously we were trying to create an unforgettable programme, a masterpiece that was not limited by the number of revolutions, brakets and rockers or spins or positions...
OE: Do you reckon we'll see in Korean Olympics as many quads as we saw in the recent Worlds?
AM: We will. Or even more. The one who will be attempting a 4lz or 4f, two 4S and two 4T will win. And of course the one who will be lucky
EO: After the worlds there were a lot of talks the men programmes with so many quads become a speed up - jump pattern, that there is no artistic side left. What can be done about it?
AM: It will come to it's places in time. I have an example when before the Olympics in Vancouver many were saying they don't need a quad and they will beat Pluschenko with the transitions. The processes are not only sporadic, they can be controlled. Then, at the 2010 Olympics the ISU leaned towards the transitions. But right after the Olympics both Lysacek and Chan ran to learn the quads. I always wanted my athletes to perform the hardest jumps with the maximum revolutions.
It's a mistake thinking the hard jumps and the beauty cancel each other. When the great athletes switched to the shows after a successful career and were not doing the jumps it became boring. Yes, the flow was better, they were better looking but once there were no jumps there was no flavour in their skating. It was not impressive. Because one of the most convincing ways in figure skating choreography are the jumps. Even the audience can calculate the revolutions and applaud. It would be silly claiming the steps and spins are not important. They are part of the success. But it's like food without the spice. No matter how many vegetables you put in the soup - it will not be tasty.
, because I wanted him to win the OGM, since I knew Kozuka didn't have a chance.
