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Anatoly Samokhvalov's interview with Arthur Danielian for ria.ru
AS: Arthur, after the silver at the Junior Worlds 2018 you had some hard times.
AD: I was growing up, it lasted for a year or two. But it's more or less stable now.
AS: You, a guy from Volgograd, was doing figure skating, swimming and tennis. Who are your idols?
AD: I was not following the figure skating closely, but when I decided to take it seriously I started following the leaders. Back then it was Pluschenko and Yagudin.
AS: So one of them should be your idol?
AD: I didn't think one was better than the other and I rooted and was in awe with both. I was watching their skates and was trying to figure how do they do the quads or the tripples. It was quite an experience.
AS: The two Olympic champions seemed out of this world?
AD: For me - yes. But it was well in the past. Back then I was only landing the double jumps.
AS: The national champion Aliev said that when he was little he would barricade in his room and repeat every move from Yagudin's MITIM. Did you go through the same?
AD: Not really. I always wanted to create something new and be like no one else.
AS: And yet you have to see something genious to know what to aim for.
AD: Not really. You can just try some moves, steps, a piece of music. And you'll figure what suits you and what does not.
AS: When did you realize you have your own style?
AD: Really just this year. When I moved to the level of the junior international competitions I realized I have my own style, my own character, that I stand out.
AS: When we were kids and one would be studying music moms would try to make a new Van Cliburn out of them. And yet all we wanted is to go out and play football with the friends. What about figure skating?
AD: I had enough time for all, so no worries. I would attend a practice and play football with the friends in the evening.
AS: What was your role there?
AD: I was an Arthur who took the ball, ran, scored etc.
AS: Who were you rooting for?
AD: Messi
AS: What about the Volgograd local team? (ugh... why do they always have to talk about football????)
AD: I never attended a single game. I didn't really follow the football, I didn't even have the gadgets and I mainly watched the cartoons on the TV. Now I certainly have no time for football left. Back then at least I would play with some friends, but now it's gone.
AS: You were born in Volgograd. Have you been to Armenia (Danielian is an Armenian last name)
AD: Yes, recently at the junior GP event in Erevan. I visited prior to that a long time ago when they had just opened the rink named after Rodnina. But I do speak Armenian - we speak both languages home.
AS: Which language did you speak to Ari Zakarian?
AD: He asked me whether I speak Armenian. We spoke during the Russian Nationals in Krasnoyarsk
AS: Was your figure skating a big financial stress on your family?
AD: My dad was working and mom was with me. We were not lacking anything, hence mom was deep into the figure skating world, she would take me to the additional lessons. I didn't have enough ice time and I had to skate a lot. At least one additional lesson a day, other than that I had to do the gym and the off ice training. I would do the figure skating pretty much the whole day long - ice, additional ice, choreo.
AS: Did you parents support you at once when it became obvious you have to move to Moscow in order to progress?
AD: My previous coach came to mom personally and said I have to develop and she can't help me with the 3A and the quads. `If it's possible - move'. Mom asked me who I would like to work with, I said with Elena Buyanova.
AS: How did you get to know about her?
AD: I got curious after the Sochi Olympics. I watched a lot of videos of Elena Germanovna with Sotnikova. I was inspired and wanted to study under Elena Buyanova. I knew she had Kovtun in her group and he learned his quads with her.
AS: What about Lipnitskaya, the team event champion and her coach Tutberidze?
AD: I just felt I should be in Buyanova's group.
AS: Did Buyanova immediately accept you?
AD: I first went to the training camp in Novogorsk with Viktor Kudriavtsev. And then asked to come for a try out in TSKA. I came and Elena Buyanova wasn't there. So I ended up with Mihail Magerovski. But in the end I got to show my tripples to Elena Germanovna. I had my jumps with no combos. The practice was over. Elena Germanovna shook my hand and said `I'll see you in June'
AS: Were you dreaming about becoming a world champion?
AD: I didn't think that far - I wasn't even yet dreaming about the junior medals, since I had no idea for how long I'll be in TSKA. Will I have enough in me to keep up with the Moscow training.
AS: What did you feel when you first met Sotnikova?
AD: I was so emotional. Here she is - right next to me!
AS: Did you take a photo with her?
AD: I did in Sochi - after the Olympic season Adelina came to compete in the Russian Cup. My first training camp with the TSKA team was in Kislovodsk and then I had a chance to talk to her. First I was quite afraid of the guys in TSKA. But they started talking to me to make me feel better and become part of the team.
AS: Arthur, after the silver at the Junior Worlds 2018 you had some hard times.
AD: I was growing up, it lasted for a year or two. But it's more or less stable now.
AS: You, a guy from Volgograd, was doing figure skating, swimming and tennis. Who are your idols?
AD: I was not following the figure skating closely, but when I decided to take it seriously I started following the leaders. Back then it was Pluschenko and Yagudin.
AS: So one of them should be your idol?
AD: I didn't think one was better than the other and I rooted and was in awe with both. I was watching their skates and was trying to figure how do they do the quads or the tripples. It was quite an experience.
AS: The two Olympic champions seemed out of this world?
AD: For me - yes. But it was well in the past. Back then I was only landing the double jumps.
AS: The national champion Aliev said that when he was little he would barricade in his room and repeat every move from Yagudin's MITIM. Did you go through the same?
AD: Not really. I always wanted to create something new and be like no one else.
AS: And yet you have to see something genious to know what to aim for.
AD: Not really. You can just try some moves, steps, a piece of music. And you'll figure what suits you and what does not.
AS: When did you realize you have your own style?
AD: Really just this year. When I moved to the level of the junior international competitions I realized I have my own style, my own character, that I stand out.
AS: When we were kids and one would be studying music moms would try to make a new Van Cliburn out of them. And yet all we wanted is to go out and play football with the friends. What about figure skating?
AD: I had enough time for all, so no worries. I would attend a practice and play football with the friends in the evening.
AS: What was your role there?
AD: I was an Arthur who took the ball, ran, scored etc.
AS: Who were you rooting for?
AD: Messi
AS: What about the Volgograd local team? (ugh... why do they always have to talk about football????)
AD: I never attended a single game. I didn't really follow the football, I didn't even have the gadgets and I mainly watched the cartoons on the TV. Now I certainly have no time for football left. Back then at least I would play with some friends, but now it's gone.
AS: You were born in Volgograd. Have you been to Armenia (Danielian is an Armenian last name)
AD: Yes, recently at the junior GP event in Erevan. I visited prior to that a long time ago when they had just opened the rink named after Rodnina. But I do speak Armenian - we speak both languages home.
AS: Which language did you speak to Ari Zakarian?
AD: He asked me whether I speak Armenian. We spoke during the Russian Nationals in Krasnoyarsk
AS: Was your figure skating a big financial stress on your family?
AD: My dad was working and mom was with me. We were not lacking anything, hence mom was deep into the figure skating world, she would take me to the additional lessons. I didn't have enough ice time and I had to skate a lot. At least one additional lesson a day, other than that I had to do the gym and the off ice training. I would do the figure skating pretty much the whole day long - ice, additional ice, choreo.
AS: Did you parents support you at once when it became obvious you have to move to Moscow in order to progress?
AD: My previous coach came to mom personally and said I have to develop and she can't help me with the 3A and the quads. `If it's possible - move'. Mom asked me who I would like to work with, I said with Elena Buyanova.
AS: How did you get to know about her?
AD: I got curious after the Sochi Olympics. I watched a lot of videos of Elena Germanovna with Sotnikova. I was inspired and wanted to study under Elena Buyanova. I knew she had Kovtun in her group and he learned his quads with her.
AS: What about Lipnitskaya, the team event champion and her coach Tutberidze?
AD: I just felt I should be in Buyanova's group.
AS: Did Buyanova immediately accept you?
AD: I first went to the training camp in Novogorsk with Viktor Kudriavtsev. And then asked to come for a try out in TSKA. I came and Elena Buyanova wasn't there. So I ended up with Mihail Magerovski. But in the end I got to show my tripples to Elena Germanovna. I had my jumps with no combos. The practice was over. Elena Germanovna shook my hand and said `I'll see you in June'
AS: Were you dreaming about becoming a world champion?
AD: I didn't think that far - I wasn't even yet dreaming about the junior medals, since I had no idea for how long I'll be in TSKA. Will I have enough in me to keep up with the Moscow training.
AS: What did you feel when you first met Sotnikova?
AD: I was so emotional. Here she is - right next to me!
AS: Did you take a photo with her?
AD: I did in Sochi - after the Olympic season Adelina came to compete in the Russian Cup. My first training camp with the TSKA team was in Kislovodsk and then I had a chance to talk to her. First I was quite afraid of the guys in TSKA. But they started talking to me to make me feel better and become part of the team.
