"They perceive it as a monument": Gumennik on publicity and social media, AI and graduate school, working with Bourne, and surfing by Elena Vaitsekhovskaya (August 21, 2026):
Ше‑Линн Бурн старается найти свой вариант для каждого фигуриста в процессе долгого перебора всех возможных комбинаций, поэтому в её работах сложно увидеть какой‑то определённый почерк. Об этом в интервью RT заявил Пётр Гуменник, для которого канадский хореограф поставила новую короткую...
russian.rt.com
From the end:
— Doesn't publicity depress you? After all, when strangers are ready to engage in endless discussions based on a few photos on social media, it's essentially a constant invasion of personal space.
PG: I'm not very involved in social media; I don't really follow what's going on there, so I don't feel any pressure from outside. On the contrary, when fans who truly follow our sport come up to me, say kind words, wish me luck, and recall specific competitions or programs, it's always very nice. In those moments, you realize that people care, and that what you do on the ice is truly important to someone. It was much more unusual after the Olympics, as people who weren't particularly interested in figure skating started recognizing me much more often. Sometimes they'd come up to me and say, "You're famous—can I take a picture?"
Three-time Olympic champion Alexander Karelin once told a story about taking a photo with a fan at the airport, giving him an autograph, and the fan asking him to write his name on a piece of paper so he could identify who he was talking to.
PG: "Yes, I do feel like I'm seen as a landmark or a monument, something you can stand next to for a souvenir photo. But then I thought: if there's a chance to delight strangers with a chance encounter, to make their day a little more fun and interesting—why not? Besides, people are following figure skating more now, they know a lot of people by sight—and I'm no exception."
BIG INTERVIEW WITH PETR GUMENNIK FROM AUGUST 21, 2026
https://russian.rt.com/sport/article/1672250-gumennik-magistratura-ssha-publichnost
- some excerpts (please, keep in mind I am not professional translator)
ABOUT UNIVERSITY :
(this year Petr finished his Bachelor study at ITMO - Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics University in Saint Peterburg)
PETR: "I decided not to switch universities and to stay at ITMO. I picked three specializations that interested me most. I’ve already been accepted into one — Applied Systems Software. The other two focus on artificial intelligence systems and big data. There are only 27 state-funded spots available for those, and the cutoff score is around 100. Still I decided to take the entrance exams just in case — and also to figure out how to create study plan to balance it with sport. To see if it will work or if I should choose a simpler, more flexible study program instead.
Q: Was the decision to pursue a master's degree spontaneous?
PETR: "When I started my studies, I had such plan (to continue with Master's degree). But by the end of my Bachelor's degree, I wasn't so sure anymore. I thought I might want to take a break at last. However, during my two and a half months in the US, I realized I missed studying - even though I don't currently see myself working as an IT specialist in the field. My future is in sport for at least the next four years, but that’s no reason to waste time. I think it would be beneficial to become a specialist in programming as well in a couple of years."
ABOUT RAFAEL ARUTYUNYAN, TRAINING APPROACH AND VERONIKA DAINEKO:
Q: In your view, is Arutyunyan a classic, old-school mentor, or someone who is ahead of the sport thanks to his highly advanced, technical approach?
PETR: "I’m not even sure what to use for comparison. To me, Rafael Vladimirovich is a special, unique specialist. He understands the technique to the maximum extent possible. He used to tell me that back when he was an athlete himself, coaches didn't really get into that (meaning into technique) - which used to really irritated him. You failed in jump and they told say: "You fell." And you think, "I know that I fell - I bruised my elbows."
Perhaps thanks to exactly this sport past Arutyunyan developed his own methodology very deeply, getting it to the point where an athlete can eliminate technical mistakes right from the very first step of the jump's entry. Mainly, the entire system is based on the precise laws of physics and biomechanics. This approach became really close to me (fits me), so I trusted it immediately. From the start when you build every skating edge and every spin having the correct position of your free leg, free shoulder, everything begins to work together - and executing jumps become incomparably easier. Adapting wasn't difficult, as we also work a lot on technique home in Russia, using a similar approach."
Q: How significant is the difference in training approaches between Russia and the USA?
PETR: "I feel that to succeed in America, you need to be more independent and responsible. Back home, step by step we are getting used to situation that they take care about us, they control everything, they monitor not just your skating of the program but also whether you ate well, got enough sleep, and so on. For example, Veronika Anatolyevna (Daineko - Petr's main coach since 2017) knows about my all health issues, she went to the doctor with me when I had a foot injury, she knows about my appetite, my personality and also, as you noticed, she knows about my ups and downs at University's study. In Russia the coach is the chief of the entire sport process. Particularly she is the one who approves costume designs, coordinates things with choreographers, helps to select music, fully determines the strategy of preparation, and even given personal (private) advices.
Veronika Anatolyevna is a wise strategist. But that is not all - she is also an excellent technical specialist. I watch with admiration as even the youngest skaters land quadruple jumps during practice.
With Arutyunyan, things are different. He explains technique perfectly, but if you are not able to understand the explanations or if you don't do something from what he told you, nobody will drudge with you. On your own, you have to take care to have enough ice time. Of course, I went to Rafael Vladimirovich for not only technical advice, but also for advice how to structure my training, how many times to do run-through of my programs, how much off-ice work to do. But in the same moment I understood that he will not control and test whether I was actually following his instructions."
Q: Perhaps the difference lies in the fact that athletes in the West go to the rink paying for their training from their own pockets? Essentially, they pay for the sheer enjoyment of it, knowing they want it by themselves. Here, no matter what kind of the sport, athletes are often driven by a sense of obligation toward their parents, coaches, and those funding their training. It must be hard to keep enjoying the sport when you’re weighed down by other people’s expectations, right?
PETR: "It is about your personal attitude toward what you’re doing. If you don’t want to skate, no stipend or sense of duty will make you commit yourself on one hundred percent to the process."
ABOUT OLYMPIC GAMES:
Q: At the Milan Olympics, did you feel any pressure from the fact that you were the only Russian competitor from whom everyone expected an incredible performance? That you were somehow obliged to show incredible performance, that it was a huge honor?
PETR: "As soon as I found out I would be our country's only representative in the men's singles event, I realized immediately that this would be the main challenge. I knew I absolutely couldn't let myself think about the whole country watching and waiting for a result - and feeling that I HAD TO deliver. It could look like a beautiful story - knowing I have a duty and fulfilling it. But the mind often works differently, and an overwhelming sense of obligation can be paralyzing. And so, I decided to view the trip to the Olympic Games not as a duty, but as an opportunity. Of course, I didn’t come to this conclusion on my own: Veronika Anatolyevna, Tamara Nikolaevna (Moskvina, head coach at ice rink Petr trains in, she helps in Petr's preparation as well), and my parents who supported me in everything, they tried not to add extra stress. I think that is precisely why I managed not only to handle the tasks, but also to enjoy my skating."
ABOUT FREE PROGRAM:
Q: Was the idea for the music choice also done by Gleikhengauz’s? (Free Program's music, Daniil Gleikhengauz is the choreographer)
PETR: "Yes. Daniil Markovich really liked the film "Hamnet: The Story That Inspired Hamlet", and he felt the theme would suit me well. We tried to avoid repeating "Onegin" program, not to evoke any associations with previous work (program). The costume will not be a classic one, either."
Q: Will Svetlana Gachinskaya be the designer, as usual? (Mrs. Gachinskaya is mother of Artur Gachinski, 2011 World bronze medalists and 2012 European silver medalist).
PETR: "Yes. We’ve been working together for a long time, and I’m always satisfied with the result. The costumes Svetlana Alexandrovna creates fit me well and look great."
ABOUT SHAE-LYNN BOURNE:
Q: For several years now, there has been persistent talk in Russian online communities that Shae-Lynn Bourne doesn't work with our figure skaters. How did you manage to reach an agreement and have her choreograph your short program?
(From another Russian source - it was Rafael Arutyunyan's good will, he persuaded Shae-Lynn to work with Petr.)
PETR: "I truly worried that it will not work out. I understood that the choreographer (Shea-Lynn) is so much in-demand - new program each week. I even thought that if Bourne couldn't work with me, I wouldn't know who else to turn to, especially since I was going to be in the US until the end of July. Still, I believed it would happen. We had already met in person back in November (2025), when I went to Arutyunyan for three weeks. I really liked her programs skated by Andrew Torgashev and Ilia Malinin during the Olympic season - more precisely that was why I dreamed of working with her. I knew this was a unique opportunity, and I’m glad everything worked out."
Q: How does this Canadian choreographer differ from others?
PETR: "It is hard to see any specific signature style in her work. Bourne seems to find a unique approach for each athlete through a lengthy process of exploring every possible combinations, all of those being different, taking into account how is skater's style, temperament, and movement mechanics. We spent quite a lot of time choreographing the short program - the basic framework alone took 15 hours. It is important, she knows how to design a pattern that allows to go for jump feeling comfortable and not to waste excessive energy in it. That is why, in my view, her programs appear both rich in content and effortless."
Q: Didn’t it irritate you, at least at first, that the choreography process took so much time?
PETR: "Quite the opposite, I really enjoyed the process right from the start. We were working every single second, Shae-Lynn constantly came up with new ideas which I immediately wanted to try out. Even the temporary versions seemed so interesting that I wanted to remember and save them all."
Q: What was it like seeing yourself perform the short program from the outside for the first time?
PETR: "I got upset. While working on it, I felt like I was doing more or less the same things on the ice as the choreographer. But when I watched the video for the first time, I realized that wasn't the case at all. It was immediately apparent that I lacked in precision, sharpness, and contrast a lot. I started focusing on that intentionally, and only after the third or fourth run-through I began to like my skating. I realized the program will be good."
ABOUT ILIA MALININ and rivalry:
Q: There has always been a certain jealousy in Russian figure skating, if a master tailor makes your costume or a choreographer creates your program, the expectation is that they shouldn't work with your main rival. Is there any feeling of that regarding with Bourne? After all, for this season, she choreographed programs not only for you and Malinin but also for Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov.
PETR: "Honestly, I haven't noticed this. I met both Ilia and his father in California - they are very kind people. There wasn't even any reason to suspect there might be jealousy over the fact that I work with Bourne and Arutyunyan. Besides, Gumennik isn't a rival to Malinin yet."
Q: But you beat him at the Olympics, didn’t you?
PETR: "That was more Ilia’s fault than my own achievement." (Not sure that precise translation is giving the right sense - most probably Petr wanted to tell that the final results at the Olympics where he placed higher than Ilia is the results of Ilia's mistakes in Free Skate, not the fact that Petr would be already better than Ilia. Unfortunately some Russian journalists keep asking questions like this, it is really not helpful for both Ilia and Petr.)
Q: Why do you feel you aren’t ready to rival with him? Is it because he has more titles or because he can do things on the ice that you can’t?
PETR: "It’s not so much about skills as it is about the ease which he skates with. When you watch Ilia jumping a Quadruple Axel or some crazy combination, it doesn’t evoke that sense of a sparring training, which can be when two rivals share the ice, challenging each other simply by their presence. In every case watching him, I didn't think about rivals who "never sleep", so I need to practise more, instead, I thought about how beautiful and inspiring our sport can be."
Together with my knowledge of Russian language and online Russian - English dictionary.
