TAHbKA
Cats and garlic lover
- Messages
- 22,173
Anatoly Samokhvalov's interview with Alina Zagitova for ria.ru
AZ: You learn more from the defeats, hence the next competition you know better what you should do. How to get ready mentally. Every athlete has a habit: some step on the ice with the right foot. I go through my successfull skates, recall what did I do, what did I eat. That's what the athlete is about - these small things.
AS: Was a competition in Canada hard because of the time difference?
AZ: It's the first time I was jetlagged. It's easier in Japan - feels as if I woke up very early when the sun was shining. The weather outside matters. It's just the way I am - if it's sunny outside am good, when it's grupmy it's hard for me to feel my body. Here in Canada I had to take sleeping pills - I was unable to fall asleep and felt like I'll fall asleep in the practice.
AS: Sleeping pills?
AZ: Yes. Think all the athletes do it to fight the jet lag. It's not always a good thing, so I try to fall asleep, because it effects you the next day. It was the only time I tried a sleeping pill.
AS: What were you thinking before the LP? The points between you and Rika Kihira, or something else?
AZ: There was that. For some reason I recalled the Worlds. My worst competition ever. I recalled being 2nd there as well and thinking in Italy overnight what do I have to do to become first. Am more experienced now. I set myself differently: what do I have to do just to skate my programme clean. When you think of beating someone it's wrong. Wrong to have such thoughts.
AS: But how do you learn it?
AZ: Just keep repeating the same sentence till you remember it. `Only a clean skate'. And nothing else.
AS: Is it true you were injured in Vancouver before the LP?
AZ: I already warmed up before the skate and decided to run a bit. I stumbled over an electricity cable. It just happened.
AS: Did you need a doctor's help?
AZ: Of course. Fortunately our doctor came with us and he did his job. The shot. The leg was a bit swallen.
AS: Have you considered withdrowing?
AZ: No. At that moment I thought of Hanyu, who was competing in Moscow with a much worse injury. I realized: you have to overcome hardships in order to be an athlet. Things don't always run smoothly.
AS: what were the conclusions after the GPF?
AZ: I have to polish both my programmes so I won't be skating as stiff as I have. I have a place to improve. My record, if I'm not mistaken, about 238points. I only got 226 here. So there is a lot to work on.
AS: Do you have to watch the rivals who land a 3A?
AZ: The most important lesson I learned in the GPf is don't count on someone failing. You have to skate great yourself.
AS: During the GPF you said don't blow the Russian nationals out of proportions.
AZ: Right.
AS: And yet you will be working towards it? It's not just the nationals anymore, people will have the Olympics in Korea in mind.
AZ: Really? I had no idea. Hope there won't be too many comments before the championship. I will take any comment after, but I love the silence before the buttle.
AS: Do you read what is being written about you in the social networks?
AZ: Not on purpose. When I enter the instagram to see some new photos and perhaps recepies I sometimes see some headlines. It's impossible not avoid.
AS: That's fame.
AZ: Sometimes it's a bother.
AS: Have you tried laughing it?
AZ: I did. But still sometimes it annoys, but I realize sometimes it's the only way. However, you will never be loved by everyone.
AS: I spoke to Medvedeva in France and she said that she is most annoyed to be called a traitor. What annoys you the most?
AZ: Am annoyed when I skate not as well as everyone wants me to and get the comments: ok, that's it, she is done. It's easy to comment from your couch. They have no idea what the athlete is like. It's the same as if I went to comment on some other sport not knowing a thing about it. They are not in my shoes, they are not athletes, they don't know how hard it is to be a sportswoman on such a level. I'll repeat: they are not in my shoes and they never will be. When I realize it I calm down.
AS: There are people who laugh at their haters and do even better, looking down on those couch commentators.
AZ: I try to laugh it off, because indeed it's sometimes funny.
AS: Sorry for the awkward question, but when I asked Medvedeva in France why you stopped commenting on each other she said so many nice things about you: that she haven't seen a person who was more hard working than you are. Why aren't you commenting on Medvedeva after the Olympics?
AZ: What do you want me to comment? We said it all during the Olympics. We said all the nice words. As for the rest, I don't want to.. It's our own business and I don't want the others to know it.
AS: But are you in touch?
AZ: No.
AS: It seemed perfect during the Olympics: you won, Medvedeva took silver. She cryed a little and then helped you during the press conference. It seemed like an amazing sportsmanship and a relationship of two great professionals. Why did it end there in Korea?
AZ: First of all she moved to Canada. We didn't communicate all that much in general, especially before the Olympics. It's hard to explain why. First because we were rivals. We were never best friends. Ever since she left she never wrote me, so I haven't either. I generally dislike writing. Or talking. I'm sometimes even too lazy to talk on the phone to my parents.
AS: Is a friendship even possible between the rivals?
AZ: I guess not. I don't know though. I was watching the Olympics in Rio where our rhythmic gymnasts Mamun and Kudriavtseva were competing. They seemed best friends. But I think they are rivals first of all. I'm in touch with Mamun, but I haven't asked her how were they communicating during the Olympics. I know they were separated. They used to share a room, but at the Olympics they were put in different rooms. But only they - Mamun and Kudriavtseva know what went on there.
AS: Who do you share the room with?
AZ: Either I live alone or with Tiffany Zahorski. I love sharing a room with her. She is such a sunny person, you can talk anything to her. That's a first thing. Second she is an adult, an experienced athlete who shares her experience with me. And it also matters that she is an ice dancer and am a single skater - we are not competing with each other, which calms.
AS: Which language do you talk to her?
AZ: Russian. Sometimes she says something in English and then I remind her `Tiff, you forgot I don't speak English?'. But she is kind of my English teacher. She is so calm. She behaves the way people usually do abroad. So when I am nervous she calms me down. It's great before the competitions.
AS: What question would you like to answer yourself?
AZ: About my dog. She is good. Are we done?
AS: Do you imagine what 2022 Olympics will be like?
AZ: A funny question. I don't even know what will be tomorrow. At the beginning of 2018 we didn't even know who will go to the Olympics.
AS: What do you mean? Zagitova, Medvedeva, the 3rd spot is open for grabbing.
AZ: I wasn't so sure about it till the Nationals. Think during the Nationals 2022 it will become clear who will compete at the Olympics. And don't forget about the injuries.
AZ: You learn more from the defeats, hence the next competition you know better what you should do. How to get ready mentally. Every athlete has a habit: some step on the ice with the right foot. I go through my successfull skates, recall what did I do, what did I eat. That's what the athlete is about - these small things.
AS: Was a competition in Canada hard because of the time difference?
AZ: It's the first time I was jetlagged. It's easier in Japan - feels as if I woke up very early when the sun was shining. The weather outside matters. It's just the way I am - if it's sunny outside am good, when it's grupmy it's hard for me to feel my body. Here in Canada I had to take sleeping pills - I was unable to fall asleep and felt like I'll fall asleep in the practice.
AS: Sleeping pills?
AZ: Yes. Think all the athletes do it to fight the jet lag. It's not always a good thing, so I try to fall asleep, because it effects you the next day. It was the only time I tried a sleeping pill.
AS: What were you thinking before the LP? The points between you and Rika Kihira, or something else?
AZ: There was that. For some reason I recalled the Worlds. My worst competition ever. I recalled being 2nd there as well and thinking in Italy overnight what do I have to do to become first. Am more experienced now. I set myself differently: what do I have to do just to skate my programme clean. When you think of beating someone it's wrong. Wrong to have such thoughts.
AS: But how do you learn it?
AZ: Just keep repeating the same sentence till you remember it. `Only a clean skate'. And nothing else.
AS: Is it true you were injured in Vancouver before the LP?
AZ: I already warmed up before the skate and decided to run a bit. I stumbled over an electricity cable. It just happened.
AS: Did you need a doctor's help?
AZ: Of course. Fortunately our doctor came with us and he did his job. The shot. The leg was a bit swallen.
AS: Have you considered withdrowing?
AZ: No. At that moment I thought of Hanyu, who was competing in Moscow with a much worse injury. I realized: you have to overcome hardships in order to be an athlet. Things don't always run smoothly.
AS: what were the conclusions after the GPF?
AZ: I have to polish both my programmes so I won't be skating as stiff as I have. I have a place to improve. My record, if I'm not mistaken, about 238points. I only got 226 here. So there is a lot to work on.
AS: Do you have to watch the rivals who land a 3A?
AZ: The most important lesson I learned in the GPf is don't count on someone failing. You have to skate great yourself.
AS: During the GPF you said don't blow the Russian nationals out of proportions.
AZ: Right.
AS: And yet you will be working towards it? It's not just the nationals anymore, people will have the Olympics in Korea in mind.
AZ: Really? I had no idea. Hope there won't be too many comments before the championship. I will take any comment after, but I love the silence before the buttle.
AS: Do you read what is being written about you in the social networks?
AZ: Not on purpose. When I enter the instagram to see some new photos and perhaps recepies I sometimes see some headlines. It's impossible not avoid.
AS: That's fame.
AZ: Sometimes it's a bother.
AS: Have you tried laughing it?
AZ: I did. But still sometimes it annoys, but I realize sometimes it's the only way. However, you will never be loved by everyone.
AS: I spoke to Medvedeva in France and she said that she is most annoyed to be called a traitor. What annoys you the most?
AZ: Am annoyed when I skate not as well as everyone wants me to and get the comments: ok, that's it, she is done. It's easy to comment from your couch. They have no idea what the athlete is like. It's the same as if I went to comment on some other sport not knowing a thing about it. They are not in my shoes, they are not athletes, they don't know how hard it is to be a sportswoman on such a level. I'll repeat: they are not in my shoes and they never will be. When I realize it I calm down.
AS: There are people who laugh at their haters and do even better, looking down on those couch commentators.
AZ: I try to laugh it off, because indeed it's sometimes funny.
AS: Sorry for the awkward question, but when I asked Medvedeva in France why you stopped commenting on each other she said so many nice things about you: that she haven't seen a person who was more hard working than you are. Why aren't you commenting on Medvedeva after the Olympics?
AZ: What do you want me to comment? We said it all during the Olympics. We said all the nice words. As for the rest, I don't want to.. It's our own business and I don't want the others to know it.
AS: But are you in touch?
AZ: No.
AS: It seemed perfect during the Olympics: you won, Medvedeva took silver. She cryed a little and then helped you during the press conference. It seemed like an amazing sportsmanship and a relationship of two great professionals. Why did it end there in Korea?
AZ: First of all she moved to Canada. We didn't communicate all that much in general, especially before the Olympics. It's hard to explain why. First because we were rivals. We were never best friends. Ever since she left she never wrote me, so I haven't either. I generally dislike writing. Or talking. I'm sometimes even too lazy to talk on the phone to my parents.
AS: Is a friendship even possible between the rivals?
AZ: I guess not. I don't know though. I was watching the Olympics in Rio where our rhythmic gymnasts Mamun and Kudriavtseva were competing. They seemed best friends. But I think they are rivals first of all. I'm in touch with Mamun, but I haven't asked her how were they communicating during the Olympics. I know they were separated. They used to share a room, but at the Olympics they were put in different rooms. But only they - Mamun and Kudriavtseva know what went on there.
AS: Who do you share the room with?
AZ: Either I live alone or with Tiffany Zahorski. I love sharing a room with her. She is such a sunny person, you can talk anything to her. That's a first thing. Second she is an adult, an experienced athlete who shares her experience with me. And it also matters that she is an ice dancer and am a single skater - we are not competing with each other, which calms.
AS: Which language do you talk to her?
AZ: Russian. Sometimes she says something in English and then I remind her `Tiff, you forgot I don't speak English?'. But she is kind of my English teacher. She is so calm. She behaves the way people usually do abroad. So when I am nervous she calms me down. It's great before the competitions.
AS: What question would you like to answer yourself?
AZ: About my dog. She is good. Are we done?
AS: Do you imagine what 2022 Olympics will be like?
AZ: A funny question. I don't even know what will be tomorrow. At the beginning of 2018 we didn't even know who will go to the Olympics.
AS: What do you mean? Zagitova, Medvedeva, the 3rd spot is open for grabbing.
AZ: I wasn't so sure about it till the Nationals. Think during the Nationals 2022 it will become clear who will compete at the Olympics. And don't forget about the injuries.
and out of dozens of interviews and videos, here are two..
