...After finishing his career, he switched to coaching and now also has a second mainstay in the real estate business. He currently lives with his family in Switzerland, and is due to move back to Chemnitz at the end of July. Martina Martin spoke with the 42-year-old.
Freie Presse: How come you are now returning to Chemnitz?
Robin Szolkowy: We were constantly on the road in the past years, experienced and saw an incredible amount. Now the time came to think carefully about what our future should look like. We weighed things up, lumped all our experiences together and asked ourselves where we could be happiest as a family in the future. In the end, the choice fell on Chemnitz.
Freie Presse: What were the main reasons for this decision?
Robin Szolkowy: There are a few. We first moved to Switzerland in 2016, but Chemnitz always remained an option. The city is my home, I lived here for almost 20 years and have a large circle of friends. Over the years, the contacts have remained close, also to the people in the club. When I recently visited again more often, I simply realised: this is my pace, my language, my way of thinking. The decision was made in favour of Chemnitz because I was offered a great job with good prospects. It just feels good for us. Besides, life with two children is more difficult in Switzerland.
Freie Presse: Can you explain that a bit more?
Robin Szolkowy: Germany is a welfare state. You can see some things that are better, for example child care, the school system or the security in general if you are dependent on outside help, in case of illness or unemployment. The Corona situation has changed my way of thinking. In the past seven years, we have been able to acquire a lot of knowledge. Chemnitz simply has a better chance of getting the family through in an economically relaxed way. And there is not so much time left to start from scratch again.
Freie Presse: Are you going to set up a new pair skating centre in Chemnitz now?
Robin Szolkowy: No, that's not an issue for the time being, because the conditions are missing. I'm not coming to Chemnitz primarily because of figure skating. The plan is for me to do 70 to 80 per cent of my main work in real estate. My friend of many years, André Bauer, who is the head of a financial services company with a real estate department, offered me this permanent position because he wants to expand in this field. I had built up this second mainstay in Switzerland, attended courses for it and have been working in this profession since the beginning of the year. But I'll still be true to skating, it's my life, my heart is in it. That's why I will be working as a club coach the rest of the time.
Free Press: What specific tasks will you take on?
Robin Szolkowy: It is planned that I will take care of the pair Letizia Roscher and Luis Schuster together with my former coach Ingo Steuer. Because their coach of many years, Monika Scheibe, who also once inspired me for pairs skating and coached me for several years, will soon retire. Then we'll have to see which other skaters join us, whether I give special courses or support the ice dancers in their pirouettes. I have already done that. I'm open to everything, and I've already been able to gather a wide range of experience in Moscow, the USA and Switzerland. I know the system, have many connections, a good network.
Freie Presse: Under the direction of Ingo Steuer, you once developed into a world-class athlete as a pairs skater, celebrated outstanding successes together with Alyona Savchenko. The separation at the end of your career in 2014 was not exactly harmonious. The discrepancies have probably been resolved?
Robin Szolkowy: We already dealt with each other normally during my time as club president in 2015/16. Certainly, not everything that happened back then has been finally clarified. But the situation has completely relaxed in that respect. By the way, also with Aljona, with whom I talk on the phone from time to time. It remains to be seen whether and how everything will work out. We all want the couple to continue to develop well, to become internationally present and perhaps to tie in with our successes one day.
Freie Presse: Could you imagine changing the relations in favour of figure skating in the future?
I can't say anything about that yet. We have to see in which direction everything goes. The question of maintaining the national base is still unresolved. I want to make a difference and I know that I can help. I don't care about the level or the age. Maybe all of us in the team can use our know-how and our successful past to develop more good runners again, including more pairs. I'm looking forward to this challenge and have heard several times that people think it's cool that I'm coming back.
Freie Presse: Do you also receive requests from runners from other countries?
Robin Szolkowy: Every now and then. But so far it has been difficult to fulfil these requests. Last year I was in the USA again for a few weeks as a coach. In May, the Israeli couple Hailey Kops and Evgeni Krasnopolski asked me if I could support them. They really want to go to the Olympics. We then worked together intensively for a few months in the USA or in remote support via video. And then they won the last possible ticket at the Nebelhorn Trophy in September and finished 15th in Beijing. For them a great success, for me a nice thing. I think Chemnitz is also more open for these guests.
Freie Presse: Your wife Romy was born in Switzerland. Wouldn't she have liked to stay in her homeland?
Robin Szolkowy: She has lived in Chemnitz for several years and always felt at home. We made this decision together and with all consistency. That was also the case with the previous changes of location. We have always given up a lot, but we have also experienced a lot. And what we do, we do right. After the USA, we went back to Switzerland to live with her family because it was the safest option during the Corona period. Now we hope that we can settle down. Romy has already had job interviews in the city. We are sure that the boys will like it as well. Henry, who is now starting school, made friends immediately at our last meeting with the friendly families at Easter.
They are still based in Chemnitz if I remember correctly and getting Robin as a coach would certainly benefit them.
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