picking up where
@Ka3sha stopped with Stolbova/Klimov - Grishin
AG: A well known point of view two are to blame for a mistake in the pair. Is it so?
FK: Of course. It's never just one. If only the SBS jumps. And even then you can say the partner's take off was wrong...
KS: First of all, of course, you blame yourself. You try to understand what have you done wrong. Then you start discussing with the partner and see what is more convenient. That's how it works for us.
FK: More or less it's always both fault. It's never like... I.e. you can't blame one of the partners, it's a dead end.
AG: Ksenia, you said you are an explosive person, Fedor is more calm. What do you have in common?
KS: Stabborness, probably.
FK: But even that comes out in a different way.
KS: We are nothing alike.
FK: Yeah, I can't come up with anything either. We were never asked that.
AG: The opposites that attract each other?
FK: It's not about humans, I think. All that opposites, attractions...
KS: I don't believe in that, frankly. Nonsense.
FK: See, there is something in common!
AG: Yet you've been skating together and quite successfully for so many years. How do you combine?
KS: We have a common goal which unites. There are many goals, but one main goal.
FK: At some point we realized together we will achieve more than if we split and try something else. Hence we should endure. All these injuries, conflicts etc... That's it.
AG: When did you realize it?
FK: A while ago. After the first success on the junior level. And then, during all these hardships, with the health I kept reminding myself that I made up my mind and it's not the time for changes.
AG: An example: The GP competitions. You do earn there, well, not as much as the football players, but some money. And one of you falls... That influences the final amount. Do you get into talking how to split?
FK: No, never. I don't even know whether such thing exists for the others. We receive the price money on our accounts and we decided from the very first we are giving 1/3 the coach. In St. Petersburg we were splitting with the choreographer as well. We now have 2 coaches, so we give 30-40%. But among us - never. That is the same as the mistakes are of the two.
A while ago a friend explained that if the partner fell from the jump or a split twist you can never tell `she fell'. It stuck. Ever since no matter what happens in the programme I say `We didn't do the jump'. That's the only way.
AG: A couple of years ago Maksim Trankov while commenting explained that in pairs missing even one element, i.e. 7-8 points is almost impossible to regain. Do you agree?
FK: No. I do not. Maksim was probably comparing to the singles skating, where a jump costs about 10 points. One fell, one landed and they switched places. For us 10 points is a serious gap, but we saw it when the guys took a risk, tried landing hard elements, failed the programme and lost. Bottom line 5-7 points are possible to get back. Maksim himself proved that at the Worlds.
KS: Maksim's words were probably taken out of context. Our example in Helsinki shows you can climb up from a deep hole, take the small bronze and make it to the top 5. Yes, we didn't medal. But our SP is not even that case... it's hard to catch up for a failed element only in case of you rivals not making any mistakes at all and doing ultra c elements. The rest is possible. The most important is to fight till the end
AG: The test skates in Sochi in September where you came, even though you didn't plan participating. What was the point? Wasn't it easier to stay in Moscow and train?
KS: It was a planned training camp for the final work on the final part of the programmes together with the choreographers. We had the same event last year in Sochi. Just like last year the ballet-master from Marrinski Yuri Smekalov came to work with us. It's one of the most important stages of the preparations, hence all our coaches need to be present. So the meet up during the test skates is the best thing, besides, we had a chance to speak to the federation's specialists and see the other teams programmes. So sitting in Moscow behind the closed doors was not the best solution in our case.
AG: The fans still remember the story of your attempt for a quad throw jump because of which you ended up misisng the Worlds. Will you attempt it again?
FK: No. No way. We decided on the elements set for this season. Looking back the idea of a quad throw was a huge mistake. That's my personal point of view. Though I contradict myself now, it was me saying `Yes, we will do the quad!'. I was trying to support the partner and the coaches because they wanted it.
Now I understand it was a mistake that caused a chain of events. We missed the Worlds. The injures, those boots. Perhaps Ksenia will say it had nothing to do, but I think it had it's influence. The more stiff boots for that throw which turned out to be bad. One pair, another, third.... chain of events which started with a decision to learn the quad throw.
AG: Is it possible to aim for the first place in pairs without the quad now?
KS: Yes, but only if the programmes are clean and they were executed so well that the judges were impressed.
FK: I think so. After all looking back at that GP event when we got almost the highest ever marks executing exactly the same elements set, you understand had we went that road... Not many were able to get close to those marks. Even with 2 quads - the split and the throw. Those are the facts.
AG: Is it your pair only or the others might win without the quads as well.
FK: Anyone.
KS: What do you mean us only? The whole top 10 have that opportunity. Ok, not top 10, but the top 5 for sure.
AG: But what about pushing the sport?
FK: Pushing the sport is great, but the health is more important. Hence many give up the throws now. Do the split twists. For those whose technique is right it's a less dangerous element.
It is possible to push the sport in a different way. I was always for making the programmes more interesting, telling the story. Even though for me figure skating is a sport and not an art. Still, there is nothing against creating a story. Not just chase the elements, even the quads.
KS: The well balanced teams push the sport. It could be the athletes with the powerful skating and technique. But if they found their characters and can integrate them into the interesting contemporary programmes they will not be taken as technical skaters only. Say, today, a technical - powerful skater can find the way in contemporary, fast dancy beats, drama with a heroic character. It would be a modern and progressive programme.
AG: The pair skating is considered the hardest discipline of figure skating. What is so much harder compared to the singles?
FK: First of all the single skaters are only responsible for themselves. Here, on the other hand, the destiny of another person depends on you. Beside, as a male partner you have more responsibility. All these throws, split twists - you are the one to control. There were cases when the ladies fell from the lifts. Horrible. When you fall yourself you injure yourself, while here you might injure another person.
And again, you have to compromise all the time in the pair, which is also a hardship. As for the technique - its hard, but not harder than a quad jump. Learning the element is almost the same, but it's about the communication. No matter how many ears you would be skating together, if you don't know what is going through your partner's mind, how they feel and skate.
AG: The ice dancers can't usually tell right after the skate which levels they got for their elements. Can you tell on the way or right after the skate which elements you'll receive?
FK: Yes, we can. Either we know it ourselves or the coach, who was looking from the border will tell. In general if you are ready and didn't make any serious mistakes you do what you learned. The lifts, for example, we match for the 4th level. And if you didn't screw it up it will be level 4. In general we can make a mistake in a death spiral or a spin, where the amount of revolutions is important. But we do count it and I can tell I had to get up from the death spiral earlier. I.e. the level might be on a bordering line and am not sure whether it's 3rd or 4th. Say, I counted 3 revolutions, but the judges might not count it. But yes, all and all you usually know your levels.
KS: The elements are learned according to the level the athletes are capable of. In our case we perform all the elements as we learned them. There is a case of missing the element or something going wrong - there you would miss the levels.
AG: Who decides when to get up in the death spiral?
FK: The male partner. She is just down there relaxing. No no, of course she is working hard as well. But she is head down and am not even sure she can count down there. Besides, the male partner's hip must be parallel to the ice during the death spiral. When you raise a little bit the element is over. You might as well stop the rotations there.
AG: There are many examples when the athletes become a pair of the ice as well. Volosozhar/Trankov and now Tarasova/Morozov. Is it easier or harder for you compared to them
KS: I would go nuts!
FK: It's easier for us, of course. I would find it hard to be 24 hours a day with the same person. On and off the ice. And how do you not take the ice home...
KS: Oh, I wouldn't.
FK: Oh, you so would.
KS: Yeah, I would. Hence it's a huge advantage in our case.
AG: Does it happen you spent your free time together?
FK: Seldom. Usually when we are in a training camp or go somewhere between the practices.
AG: Fedor, you have so many hobbies. Watching football, playing golf. Ksenia, how do you spend your free time?
KS: Quite actively, but not many know of that since I try to keep it personal. I love the experimental theatre. Musicales. Ballet. I love the snowboard.
AG: Is there a limitation for the extreme sports, like snowboard?
KS: Many skaters love the extreme sports - downhill, snowboard, bikes etc... it's all about the risks you are taking. If you are remaining within the sane limit and control the situation the hobby would be nothing but for the good. Snowboard develops the reaction and an ability to balance yourself on a high speed. As for the injuries, as it is well known, usually happen in the practices, or when playing such a non extreme football.
AG: Which experimental theatre impressed you the most?
KS: I was really impressed by the `Black Russian' (a variation on Pushkin's `Dubrovski' where the audience takes part together with the actors). It was unusual. We didn't come to watch the play, but to participate it. We were lead into a house, divided in pairs and I was unable to stay with my friends. We were wearing masks and watching the actors. Ravshana Kurkova was playing there. We were walking from the room to the room and seeing the process. I love it - not just sit and watch, but something quite different.
I am less eager about the musicales, though I do love them both in the USA and here. When we were in Montreal we went to see the `Circle du Soleil' and loved it.
FK: By the way, we went to the POTO together. With the coach Vlad Zhovnirski. In the USA I loved and quite disliked it in Russia. It was as if the same, but it didn't impress much in Russian. But I loved it in the USA in the theatre where they've been performing it for 50 years.
AG: From what you've seen what did you want to take on the ice?
KS: It always happens, whether it's a circus or a ballet - you go out all impressed and emotional and you want to take it somewhere with you. Whether it's the ice or the choreography or an exhibition. You do take something without even knowing, the moves, the glances, the arms... But to take something particular on the ice - no, that didn't happen
AG: About this season. You had to change the LP fast because the first one, choreographed by the Canadian coach and choreographer Dubreuil was not suitable for the Olympics. What does it mean?
FK: A good question. I was also curious to find out what does it mean. If we kept working on it we could get something out of that programme. The music there, on the other hand, was not the winning. Even our LPs from the last 2 years with that unclear, in my book, music were more interesting.
KS: Unfortunately, the collaboration with the Canadian choreographers did not give the results we were expecting despite giving them a complete freedom in the music and theme choice. We don't know why did that happen, but the moves and even the transitions were not competitive. We couldn't afford that, especially during the Olympic season.
AG: Is the `Carmen' an Olympic programme? A well known music, often used in figure skating, especially the ice dancers. Navka/Kostomarov, recently - Virtue/Moir. Is it an Olympic theme?
KS: In every possible way `Carmen' is the optimal choice for us for the Olympic season. I think we are finally mature enough for that. And second the classical version of Bizet/Schedrin will be understood and accepted in every continent. I'm very flattered you mention such a great ice dancers as Virtue/Moir and Navka/Kostomarov. I rewatched almost all the ice and ballet interpretations of the `Carmen' and I hope Fedor and I will be able to leave a stamp in the figure skating history of that masterpiece. And, if am not mistaken, it was never used in pairs before.
AG: It was rumoured the `BesameMucho' for the SP was offered by Ksenia...
KS: I wanted to skate a tango for a while, but a more contemporary one then the singles and the dancers usually do. I found an interesting arrangement of a well known tango and everyone liked and accepted the idea.
AG: In Russia usually the music choice is held a secret till a very last moment. Why?
FK: A good question. A great question. I don't get it either- why? What's the point to keep it a secret, why do we do it, I could never understand it and I never will. Some might be afraid the rivals will find out... and what? They probably have their programmes ready by then anyway. On the other hand no one asked us this summer. We told the first moment we had a chance. Of course when you just start working on the programmes you don't know that yet yourself, but right after I was very eager to tell, just that no one asked.
AG: We are here on `Vdohnovenie' ice rink, which is practically a home rink for Mozer-team. Now there are more and more teams like hers, and yours is one of the most known and best teams in the pairs in the world. Are you a team players?
KS: I think it's a question to you.
FK: Right now - no.
AG: Why?
FK: Because... I don't know... Figure skating is not a team sports. We can be a team within the pair, but that's it. Ok, with the coaches at the most. It was different before the Sochi Olympics because the roles in that team were clear. There were Maks and Tanya and they had a goal. We had a completely different one. Perhaps we were competing with Vera and Yuri but we were helping each other as well. But the roles were set clear. And yes, you could call it a team. It's not a team anymore. Now we don't know who is placed where and we will not find it out till the competitions begin.
AG: Are you a team within the pair?
KS: Yes.
FK: We are now.
AG: Elucidate
FK: There were moments. But I can tell you that a while ago after all those injuries we started supporting each other and I can now call us a team.
AG: What does the healthy athlete do while the other heals?
KS: Wasting his time...
FK: Looks as if working. Skating, working on the jumps, the stamina... and then the other person goes back and you start from the scratch. And it doesn't matter who waited for whom.
Blitz questions:
Theatre or a restaurant
KS: Theatre
FK: Theatre
Twitter or instagram?
KS: Neither
FK: Instagram
Moscow or St. Petersburg?
(at once) St. Petersburg!
The favourite place on eart
KS: Rome.
FK: St. Petersburg.
The favourite pairs element
KS: (After some thinking) let it be a throw
FK: A throw, right.
The best moment in the programme
KS: The finishing.
FK: Right, the finishing
You mean the final pose?
KS: Of course
FK: No, the bows, when you can finally breath.
Who was more lucky with the partner?
FK: Equally lucky
KS: I was
FK: Or equally unlucky.
. . . That, and I adore Kira Ivanova 
). I really like this program on her and she is just so endearing. Her reaction to that double axel mishap was utterly adorable 
. Good job Med, you’ve turned me into a fan this season 
. Love both programs this year (minus SP sound effects but not that big a deal to me).
:
I’m happy Julia will be there. With a good friend around it will be easier for Adian I’m really nervous for him now, Adian is a rather shy person, so doing commentary will probably require him some overcoming at the beginning. But I’m sure once he got used to the situation he will do a great job. 
