Tatjana Flade interview with Aliona Kostornaia: 'I love jumping, love the feeling of flying'
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/364...zhki-mne-nravitsya-oshchushchenie-poleta.html
Russian figure skater, Aliona Kostornaia, has won her first silver medal at JWC. After the competition she answered on Tatjana Flade questions.
- It's your first World Championship. How did this event differ from other competitions?
- Everything was quite unusual. I took part in a such high level competition for the first time. Of course, lot's of things were different here. Even the location of the dressing rooms. The dressing rooms in Sofia were downstairs, for example. And the skating rink was on the top. It's a little unusual.
- What do you think about this season?
- For me it was a successful season. I finished in the top-3 at all competitions.
- What are you planning to improve in the future?
- Technical content. Want to learn quad jumps.
- Because Sasha Trusova, who trains in your group, already has quads?
- Because female figure skating is changing.
- You said that you have already tried a quad jump, but not everything has worked out yet. Isn't it scary to go for the quad jump?
- No.
- What kind of quad jump did you try?
- Toe loop.
- Your triple toe has great hight.
- There are different opinions on which jump I should learn. Some people say that I should work on triple axel. Others - on quad salchow or quad toe. But I have already decided that it will be a toe, because the toe is more convenient for me and easier to jump. I wanted to try quads this season, but my coaches didn't allow me to do it. They said that I need more time to learn them. And it's better to start working on them after the season is over.
- Everyone notes that you have very interesting programs and that your skating is beautiful. How do you feel about other elements, besides jumps?
- Naturally, I like to jump. Although glinding is also very important in figure skating. It is necessary to work on it and try to improve it. We work a lot on it with Daniil Markovich (Gleinkhengauz). The gliding, transitions in my programs - it's all thanks to him.
- But you still enjoy jumping more. Why?
- It's more interesting to me. I like the feeling of flying.
- What style or music suits you better?
- Tango, Spanish motives. That's what I do best. I truly trust my coaches in choosing music for my programs. Eteri Georgievna (Tutberidze) knows such things better than even I do.
- Will you have break after the Worlds?
- No. I will go to the rink on the next day. We have two days off now, today and tomorrow.
- But you had exhibitions today?
- So what? It also considered as a day off, because we didn't have a practice today.
- But you had a practice before exhibitions.
- We did. But it doesn't count.
- You train with Evgenia Medvedeva, Alina Zagitova and other girls. For sure, you look at them.
- Of course. They motivate me. I always look at others, trying to pay attention to some movements, interesting details. You can use some of these moves, not just to copy them, but to try to re-work them and make them yours.
- For how long have you been training with Eteri Tutberidze?
- More than a year now. Prior to that, I also was training in Sambo-70, with another coach in the other department ( "The Tchaikovskaia's Skate" ). My parents decided that I should move to "Khrustalny" as all the girls from Eteri Georgievna's group were always on the podium. And I also wanted to be on the podium.
- Why did you choose figure skating?
- I was a very active child, so we decided that I should do some sports. I was always running, jumping, no one was able to keep up with me.
- What are your earliest memories related to figure skating?
- I didn't want to go on the ice at all. My mother pushed me to the skating rink and just closed the boards. I was crying: "Open it, let me to go out. I do not want to be here. " Then I just got used to it.
- You didn't like the cold?
- I just didn't want to do anything. Just wanted to run around and have fun...
- And when you realized that it's yours?
- When I achieved my first results, when the jumps got better. At around 8 or 10.
- What is figure skating for you now?
- It's my life. I can't imagine myself and my life without figure skating.
- What attracts you the most in figure skating?
- All things. I like to get up in the morning, to go to practices, to enjoy the work I'm doing, to show everything we have worked on at the competitions.
- How do you cope with the excitement before the start?
- I'm just going to the warming-up area.
- What did you feel before you took the ice at JWC?
- I was nervous only when I left the hotel. And after that I wasn't thinking about it, only that I have to do my work.
- Your mother was with you here.
- Yes. But I usually travel alone. It's easier for me that way. My mom loves order, when everything lies in its place in the room. And I'm used to doing things on my own.
- Your younger brother also does sports?
- Yes. He plays football. My brother's name is Stepa. He is 9 y.o. He tried figure skating, but did not like it.
- You are training in a very big group with strong skaters. How are you fighting coaches attention?
- It is necessary to always show your maximum at each practice. To work hard every day. The better you do, the more attention you get from the coaches. They see that you want to achieve results, that you work, that you need it for yourself. And if an athlete wants it for himself, and no one forces him to work, then this athlete will get more attention.
- So each practice is like a competition in your group?
- And consistency comes from there. At first it's hard, but then you get used to it. You feel yourself calmer and less worries at the competitions. It's like brushing your teeth in the morning.
- And how are the things at school?
- I'm homeschooled. I usually come to school once in a week after lessons and show my homework to the teachers. I don't care that I don't communicate a lot with my classmates. They cannot feel and experience those things, that I do. I have "excellent" grades. Education is a must. Sport is sport. But you never know what will happen in the future. I have already said that I want to become a neurosurgeon. I watched a TV series about doctors, and I liked this profession. But we will see how it goes. Maybe I will really decide study Medicine. But for now it's just in plans.
- Thank you, Aliona
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/364...zhki-mne-nravitsya-oshchushchenie-poleta.html
Russian figure skater, Aliona Kostornaia, has won her first silver medal at JWC. After the competition she answered on Tatjana Flade questions.
- It's your first World Championship. How did this event differ from other competitions?
- Everything was quite unusual. I took part in a such high level competition for the first time. Of course, lot's of things were different here. Even the location of the dressing rooms. The dressing rooms in Sofia were downstairs, for example. And the skating rink was on the top. It's a little unusual.
- What do you think about this season?
- For me it was a successful season. I finished in the top-3 at all competitions.
- What are you planning to improve in the future?
- Technical content. Want to learn quad jumps.
- Because Sasha Trusova, who trains in your group, already has quads?
- Because female figure skating is changing.
- You said that you have already tried a quad jump, but not everything has worked out yet. Isn't it scary to go for the quad jump?
- No.
- What kind of quad jump did you try?
- Toe loop.
- Your triple toe has great hight.
- There are different opinions on which jump I should learn. Some people say that I should work on triple axel. Others - on quad salchow or quad toe. But I have already decided that it will be a toe, because the toe is more convenient for me and easier to jump. I wanted to try quads this season, but my coaches didn't allow me to do it. They said that I need more time to learn them. And it's better to start working on them after the season is over.
- Everyone notes that you have very interesting programs and that your skating is beautiful. How do you feel about other elements, besides jumps?
- Naturally, I like to jump. Although glinding is also very important in figure skating. It is necessary to work on it and try to improve it. We work a lot on it with Daniil Markovich (Gleinkhengauz). The gliding, transitions in my programs - it's all thanks to him.
- But you still enjoy jumping more. Why?
- It's more interesting to me. I like the feeling of flying.
- What style or music suits you better?
- Tango, Spanish motives. That's what I do best. I truly trust my coaches in choosing music for my programs. Eteri Georgievna (Tutberidze) knows such things better than even I do.
- Will you have break after the Worlds?
- No. I will go to the rink on the next day. We have two days off now, today and tomorrow.
- But you had exhibitions today?
- So what? It also considered as a day off, because we didn't have a practice today.
- But you had a practice before exhibitions.
- We did. But it doesn't count.
- You train with Evgenia Medvedeva, Alina Zagitova and other girls. For sure, you look at them.
- Of course. They motivate me. I always look at others, trying to pay attention to some movements, interesting details. You can use some of these moves, not just to copy them, but to try to re-work them and make them yours.
- For how long have you been training with Eteri Tutberidze?
- More than a year now. Prior to that, I also was training in Sambo-70, with another coach in the other department ( "The Tchaikovskaia's Skate" ). My parents decided that I should move to "Khrustalny" as all the girls from Eteri Georgievna's group were always on the podium. And I also wanted to be on the podium.
- Why did you choose figure skating?
- I was a very active child, so we decided that I should do some sports. I was always running, jumping, no one was able to keep up with me.
- What are your earliest memories related to figure skating?
- I didn't want to go on the ice at all. My mother pushed me to the skating rink and just closed the boards. I was crying: "Open it, let me to go out. I do not want to be here. " Then I just got used to it.
- You didn't like the cold?
- I just didn't want to do anything. Just wanted to run around and have fun...
- And when you realized that it's yours?
- When I achieved my first results, when the jumps got better. At around 8 or 10.
- What is figure skating for you now?
- It's my life. I can't imagine myself and my life without figure skating.
- What attracts you the most in figure skating?
- All things. I like to get up in the morning, to go to practices, to enjoy the work I'm doing, to show everything we have worked on at the competitions.
- How do you cope with the excitement before the start?
- I'm just going to the warming-up area.
- What did you feel before you took the ice at JWC?
- I was nervous only when I left the hotel. And after that I wasn't thinking about it, only that I have to do my work.
- Your mother was with you here.
- Yes. But I usually travel alone. It's easier for me that way. My mom loves order, when everything lies in its place in the room. And I'm used to doing things on my own.
- Your younger brother also does sports?
- Yes. He plays football. My brother's name is Stepa. He is 9 y.o. He tried figure skating, but did not like it.
- You are training in a very big group with strong skaters. How are you fighting coaches attention?
- It is necessary to always show your maximum at each practice. To work hard every day. The better you do, the more attention you get from the coaches. They see that you want to achieve results, that you work, that you need it for yourself. And if an athlete wants it for himself, and no one forces him to work, then this athlete will get more attention.
- So each practice is like a competition in your group?
- And consistency comes from there. At first it's hard, but then you get used to it. You feel yourself calmer and less worries at the competitions. It's like brushing your teeth in the morning.
- And how are the things at school?
- I'm homeschooled. I usually come to school once in a week after lessons and show my homework to the teachers. I don't care that I don't communicate a lot with my classmates. They cannot feel and experience those things, that I do. I have "excellent" grades. Education is a must. Sport is sport. But you never know what will happen in the future. I have already said that I want to become a neurosurgeon. I watched a TV series about doctors, and I liked this profession. But we will see how it goes. Maybe I will really decide study Medicine. But for now it's just in plans.
- Thank you, Aliona
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