Lina Fedorova's IG Live chat earlier today with Daria Pavliuchenko first and then Denis Khodykin joined them (47 mins.):
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDO-34VoFHU/
(translating a video interview is a horrible waste of time - the interviewers seem to enjoy their own voice much mroe than asking the skaters. Most of the skaters speak horribly and without the editing it's again, a huge waste of time)
A bit about their studies- he is about to graduate the uni and she is getting ready for the end of school exams next year.
Pavluchenko on becoming a pairs skater - she retired as a single skater, she was off the ice for 8 months, she was offered to try pairs, she had to do some homework and thought if she agrees to go and try out the pairs she will not have to do the homework.
Khodykin: the Russian education system supports the sports!
Fedorova: How was getting back on the ice?
Pavluchenko: the hardest was to lose weight and get the jumps back. Then the training camp and then after she lost weight the skates became too big and again she was not able to do the jumps. She got a lot of support from her partner adn the coaches and when one of the coaches told her to either get her jumps back or just go back to school. It made her mad.
Fedorova: You teamed up not so long ago, you spent just one season in the juniors and then switched to the seniors. Dasha, you are just 17, didn't you want to stay a junior a bit longer and only then switch?
Pavluchenko: 2 junior seasons. It was a common decision, the age of 17 allowed me to skate in the seniors
Khodykin: if we really want to we can still skate juniors. But we won pretty much everything except for the JGPF.
Pavluchenko: we had a chance to try the seniors, so together with the coaches we decided why not?
Khodykin: our first year we were thinking just do the GP, then the nationals and then junior worlds. And then we made it to the main team and the Euros.
Fedorova: Your hard entrances, complicated dismounts - why do you bother? You would receive the same levels and marks if you were spending time resting?
Pavluchenko: we love it
Khodykin: when am tired, the coaches tell me let's change this piece, I get all excited, yes! something new! and then Dasha is upset when it's just 2 months before the competition and we are changing the piece of the programme!
On working with the acrobats
Khodykin: the one we work with has so many ideas, we worked with him so much and now am into that and I see something cool in the video, I send him and say `I want to do that' sometimes he says yes, sometimes explains why it's impossible. Now in Novogorsk we learned a new lift.
Fedorova: the music choices?
Khodykin: we wanted to tell ourselves, but the coach already revealed. The SP to `sing sing sing' the LP `SOS'
Fedorova: How do you pick the music/programme? Many claim the coaches do not consult them and they are given the music.
Pavlukovich: the coach always tells us to send 5 pieces for the SP and 5 pieces for the LP and then we sit together and choose. The coach does have the last word.
Khodykin: this year we took a while to figure the SP music. Each can veto out one piece of music. So the SP took a while. The LP - I liked the piece, convinced Dasha and the coaches and that was it.
Fedorova: Before skating with Dasha you were skating with another partner - Maria Bogoslovskaya. I watched your skating, it seemed quite nice. What happened , why did you break up?
Khodykin: She said she doesn't want to skate seriously, she just wants to skate for fun and health, she doesn't want to progress, she doesn't want to learn anything new. That was not my plan.
Fedorova: How did you team up?
Khodykin: I broke up with the previous partner and thought ok, now I have a month off, I'll rest and will look for a new partner. But then just 2 weeks later a common friend, Liza Uschenko found Dasha. We skated for a week together, and then the vacation came and Dasha came with 10kg less. I thought it was a different partner.
Pavluchenko: Well, that's right, I went to one practice in my old rink and people didn't even recognize me!
Fedorova: the weight issue is always the girls problem, but I know it's something you both dealt with.
Pavluchenko: In my case: the amount of food am consuming and why. Not just skip eating the whole day and lose weight - I'll gain it all back. I have to watch my nutrition, eat the right things. Well, I like the dark chocolate in the morning. I am very lucky our coaches always give me time. It's never `come back tomorrow with one kg less', but am given time.
Khodykin: the weight itself... ok, it is a question, but it's not about the number, but about looking good - more athletic than I am. Am working on it, there are some results and am still working on it. I started watching what I eat and make some decisions.
Fedorova: the comments in the social networks - do you mind?
Khodykin: I receive a lot of comments, but not about our team
Pavluchenko: I usually receive support messages and it's nice. I like receiving supporting messages - sometimes you are in a bad mood and there are people who write something nice and support and it makes me work.
Fedorova: pairs skating is going through changes every year. The progress is obvious. Even the youngest teams do the hardest elements and attempt the 4 throws, split twists. Are you willing to try it and is it worth it?
Khodykin: It's not our way because the 4 split twists and throws are not worth the marks. The level you might get for the 4 split twist will not be 4 and the GOE will be low. It is too time consuming doing the great 4 split twist. Since it's worthless marks wise you have no reason to try it. And you can't work on it from time to time because you need a 3 split twist at the end of the day
Fedorova: Do you plan to change the content for next season?
Khodykin: We are working on the 3T/3T, it's not quite content. We were attempting it in the juniors.
Fedorova: not 3f/3t?
Fedorova: A couple of years ago and figure skating today. Was the competition higher a couple of years ago? I can't recall a team who were in the juniors just for a couple of seasons and then took the bronze at the nationals Euros?
Khodykin: well, we didn't either, we only took the bronze in our 2nd senior Europeans. As for the competition - there are less international teams. There were great Canadian teams, this season the French were not skating, the Chinese were only this season. On the other hand the Chinese are there ,the USA teams are quite good. Perhaps the level is a bit lower but the competition is still there.
Fedorova: The reason?
Khodykin: The generation - one generation retired, the new is not yet there.
Fedorova: Who is your main competition among the young teams?
Pavluchenko: ourselves. There are a lot of great teams
Khodykin: we try to solve our problems first - as the juniors we were more consistent. We try to improve our skating, our consistency, ourselves.
Fedorova: What are you lacking right now in order to be first?
both: everything
Khodykin: the gliding, the lifts, the consistency, the speed.
Fedorova: does it happen that at the end of the season you talk to your coaches what we have to work on?
Khodykin: Not at the end of the season, but during the season, say after a competition.
Fedorova: define your coaches in 3 words
Khodykin: Democratic, wise, fun. We decide everything together and our point of view is always taken into an account - democratic; wise - sometimes they go as far as which step should we put - a rocker or a braket so we can breath
Fedorova: What is your main goal except for the Olympics? Or for the next season, assuming it happens?
Khodykin: to get to a level when we can perform all that we think about.
Pavluchenko: I have an ideal in my head. Reaching it - more important that anything else. The ideal programme, what I have in my imagination - to take it to the ice.
Fedorova: you are a fun and funny person, you are laughing all the time. Yet on the ice and around you look so serious.
Pavluchenko: It's the concentration.
Khodykin: too much. The concentration is too much
Pavluchenko: am very emotional and the emotion can take over me, so that's my way taking over.
Fedorova: How do your parents support you in the competitions?
Khodykin: I try to get them to stay away. It's easier for me when they don't bother.
Pavluchenko: right, during the practice they might help with things, but during the competition - just be left alone.
Fedorova: What does Denis tell Dasha before the competition?
Khodykin: we do have our small tradition, I will not voice it, it has nothing to do with the sports, nor with Dasha. The conversation itslef is about the mood and some moments in the skate.
Fedorova: favourite pairs element and why?
Pavluchenko: I can't say there is an element. Depends on the mood
Khodykin: death spiral. There are a lot of interesting things you can do there - for 2 years I was jumping into it
Fedorova: what motivates you?
Pavluchenko: loving what we do. It's not just a hobby, it's something you can't go on without.
Khodykin: I see where do develop and progress.
Fedorova: Dasha you said in an interview you think of figure skating 24/7. Is it too much?
Pavluchenko: Well... say you watch a movie and then wham! there is a thought in your head?
Khodykin: I only think of the skating in the practice and when I get dressed for the practice.
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Wow. And Eteri makes it sound like she asked Alena to leave? And then picking such an unflattering picture. 
