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Elena Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with Alexandr Samarin `Learning 3A took a while, I even landed on my head' for ria.ru
EV: You skated amazingly in your SP on Thursday and hardly landed your jumps in the LP. What happened between the two skates? Too much nerves and you failed to concentrate?
AS: There are reasons but I don't want to talk about it and look for excuses. Nothing happened. I was ready and was focused going on the ice.
EV: Yet in the mixed zone you said you were shocked by your skate. I.e. you were aiming for something completely different
AS: Of course.
EV: So waiting for the skate as a leader after the SP was too much?
AS: No, mentally all was fine. I was nervous but nothing extraordinary. My legs were not shaking and the warm up went fine. I am so ashamed of that skate and I never want to repeat it. I'll just have to work harder.
EV: Stop, stop. That's the usual script you are giving me. Let's put things apart. You attempt a quad lutz and fall. You pop the second jump and... What could possibly happen that after doing one combo with the allowed 3 you didn't even attempt to add a second jump to one of the 3 triple jumps you landed later?
AS: There were reasons. I was thinking of a combo and perhaps attempting. But it could come out even worse.
EV: Is it related to your limping off the ice?
AS: I was not.
EV: Then what was it?
AS: At the beginning of the skate my boot broke and the inner silicon slide. Once it happened the boot was not supporting my ankle. I first thought the lace popped, but then realized it was something else. Hence all the landings were so unsecure. It's not a justification and the fault is mine. I should had maintained my equipment and I haven't.
EV: Have it happened before?
AS: Never. Hence I didn't understand at instance what happened. I managed to pull a 3A but even before the take off I realized the problem - was doing the crossovers, trying to push the leg into the ice but the boot just didn't hold. I had to use more muscles and the ankle on the landings. It all had an effect on my concentration. And, as a result - the elements.
EV: If the boot was fine after failing the 4lz would you have changed the programme?
AS: Of course. We have several options - a skater can't do without it. If the first quad lutz doesn't go and I can't do a combo I add the second combo jump to the second jump in the list. And so on. When going on the ice am ready to any scenario. But I did not expect the boot to break. It's such a shame. We made such a huge work with the team and I was so ready for this competition.
EV: How did your coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya react?
AS: She supported me, and said she hoped it was the first and the last time. We never really had such a skate. I mean I made mistakes before, but this...
EV: What were you thinking after taking the lead after the SP?
AS: Satisfaction. I feel asleep fast, had a good sleep. I wasn't even thinking about how I'd skate the LP.
EV: Were you thinking it was the Olympic qualifier?
AS: No. I set myself on the thought the qualifier is the Euros
EV: A year ago not so many people considered you a contender for the Olympic team. This season, however, you are one of the main ones. How can you help not thinking of it?
AS: I was not really. Was focusing on making it to the Euros team. And that's the competition I'll be focusing on now. I have nothing to say about the Olympics yet.
EV: Last year you learned the 4Z and made it. Are you learning anything new now?
AS: Yes, but see no point talking about it now.
EV: Which is the easiest jump for you?
AS: I attempted all the quads except for a loop. That jump demands a right mental set. It's an edge jump and demands a very exact take off, if something goes a bit wrong you might fall even from a triple. So if by the end of the season we set a goal to learn another quad we'll try various jumps and focus on what will be working better.
EV: You learn the new jumps at the end of the season?
AS: The beginning of the season is full of the competitions, they go one after the other and there is no chance to learn a new jump. In the middle of the season the major competitions come and again, there is no time. Besides, the odds to be injured on a quad are higher. At the end of the season, on the other hand, there is time. Hence everyone learns new things then. Spring or the summer camps.
EV: Does it take you long to get back to work after a vacation?
AS: Not really. Of course some things go away and sometimes it might be scary entering a complicated jump, not everything works at once, but the main thing is not to rush it. Things work out eventually.
EV: Leonid Raytsin who you are working with on your strength since his times with Kulik said with the right body preparation a skater can do 4 or even 5 revolutions. Did he ever talk to you about that?
AS: Sometimes we discuss that stuff, but it is mainly about the current goals: what do I need to work on now. I recall one of the practices we were watching the GPF men and he said about one of the skaters with the right work he could attempt a 5. But I don't even remember who he was talking about. But I realize sooner or later someone will attempt 5 revolutions.
EV: You think it's possible?
AS: Well, the sport progresses, right?
EV: Would you want to land a 4A?
AS: Not any time soon. Even the 3A was hard for me. It took me a long time to learn it. I even landed it on my head.
EV: No way.
AS: True. In the nationals in Sochi before the Olympics. 4 or 5 years ago. I didn't even take off the ice - balanced on my left foot and found myself don't know where.
EV: Your coach said this season you not only focused on the jumps but on the steps as well. Is it a hard work for you?
AS: Yes. I saw I was behind the guys and we indeed worked a lot on integrating the new steps and transitions into the programme. They are not so hard as such, but putting it all together and adding the jumps is not easy. But think it works for me in the SP.
EV: Is there anything in your life except for figure skating?
AS: It was my choice to focus on that at this stage of my life.
EV: What would you want to do besides? Have a dog, a tattoo, play a guitar, sing?
AS: I would not do a tattoo. I like watching the others', there are some nice paintings, but I don't want to see any decorations on my body. The dog - I would love to have one. It's my childhood dream to have a husky or a german sheppard. When I was a kid my grandparents had one, it was called Jack. I didn't visit them too often - just a month a year, but I do remember it was great.
EV: What prevents you from getting a dog right now?
AS: My mom is allergic, so I can't do it now.
EV: Are you sometimes tired having your life set into the boundaries and all set for the result?
AS: I'll catch up later. After.
EV: You skated amazingly in your SP on Thursday and hardly landed your jumps in the LP. What happened between the two skates? Too much nerves and you failed to concentrate?
AS: There are reasons but I don't want to talk about it and look for excuses. Nothing happened. I was ready and was focused going on the ice.
EV: Yet in the mixed zone you said you were shocked by your skate. I.e. you were aiming for something completely different
AS: Of course.
EV: So waiting for the skate as a leader after the SP was too much?
AS: No, mentally all was fine. I was nervous but nothing extraordinary. My legs were not shaking and the warm up went fine. I am so ashamed of that skate and I never want to repeat it. I'll just have to work harder.
EV: Stop, stop. That's the usual script you are giving me. Let's put things apart. You attempt a quad lutz and fall. You pop the second jump and... What could possibly happen that after doing one combo with the allowed 3 you didn't even attempt to add a second jump to one of the 3 triple jumps you landed later?
AS: There were reasons. I was thinking of a combo and perhaps attempting. But it could come out even worse.
EV: Is it related to your limping off the ice?
AS: I was not.
EV: Then what was it?
AS: At the beginning of the skate my boot broke and the inner silicon slide. Once it happened the boot was not supporting my ankle. I first thought the lace popped, but then realized it was something else. Hence all the landings were so unsecure. It's not a justification and the fault is mine. I should had maintained my equipment and I haven't.
EV: Have it happened before?
AS: Never. Hence I didn't understand at instance what happened. I managed to pull a 3A but even before the take off I realized the problem - was doing the crossovers, trying to push the leg into the ice but the boot just didn't hold. I had to use more muscles and the ankle on the landings. It all had an effect on my concentration. And, as a result - the elements.
EV: If the boot was fine after failing the 4lz would you have changed the programme?
AS: Of course. We have several options - a skater can't do without it. If the first quad lutz doesn't go and I can't do a combo I add the second combo jump to the second jump in the list. And so on. When going on the ice am ready to any scenario. But I did not expect the boot to break. It's such a shame. We made such a huge work with the team and I was so ready for this competition.
EV: How did your coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya react?
AS: She supported me, and said she hoped it was the first and the last time. We never really had such a skate. I mean I made mistakes before, but this...
EV: What were you thinking after taking the lead after the SP?
AS: Satisfaction. I feel asleep fast, had a good sleep. I wasn't even thinking about how I'd skate the LP.
EV: Were you thinking it was the Olympic qualifier?
AS: No. I set myself on the thought the qualifier is the Euros
EV: A year ago not so many people considered you a contender for the Olympic team. This season, however, you are one of the main ones. How can you help not thinking of it?
AS: I was not really. Was focusing on making it to the Euros team. And that's the competition I'll be focusing on now. I have nothing to say about the Olympics yet.
EV: Last year you learned the 4Z and made it. Are you learning anything new now?
AS: Yes, but see no point talking about it now.
EV: Which is the easiest jump for you?
AS: I attempted all the quads except for a loop. That jump demands a right mental set. It's an edge jump and demands a very exact take off, if something goes a bit wrong you might fall even from a triple. So if by the end of the season we set a goal to learn another quad we'll try various jumps and focus on what will be working better.
EV: You learn the new jumps at the end of the season?
AS: The beginning of the season is full of the competitions, they go one after the other and there is no chance to learn a new jump. In the middle of the season the major competitions come and again, there is no time. Besides, the odds to be injured on a quad are higher. At the end of the season, on the other hand, there is time. Hence everyone learns new things then. Spring or the summer camps.
EV: Does it take you long to get back to work after a vacation?
AS: Not really. Of course some things go away and sometimes it might be scary entering a complicated jump, not everything works at once, but the main thing is not to rush it. Things work out eventually.
EV: Leonid Raytsin who you are working with on your strength since his times with Kulik said with the right body preparation a skater can do 4 or even 5 revolutions. Did he ever talk to you about that?
AS: Sometimes we discuss that stuff, but it is mainly about the current goals: what do I need to work on now. I recall one of the practices we were watching the GPF men and he said about one of the skaters with the right work he could attempt a 5. But I don't even remember who he was talking about. But I realize sooner or later someone will attempt 5 revolutions.
EV: You think it's possible?
AS: Well, the sport progresses, right?
EV: Would you want to land a 4A?
AS: Not any time soon. Even the 3A was hard for me. It took me a long time to learn it. I even landed it on my head.
EV: No way.
AS: True. In the nationals in Sochi before the Olympics. 4 or 5 years ago. I didn't even take off the ice - balanced on my left foot and found myself don't know where.
EV: Your coach said this season you not only focused on the jumps but on the steps as well. Is it a hard work for you?
AS: Yes. I saw I was behind the guys and we indeed worked a lot on integrating the new steps and transitions into the programme. They are not so hard as such, but putting it all together and adding the jumps is not easy. But think it works for me in the SP.
EV: Is there anything in your life except for figure skating?
AS: It was my choice to focus on that at this stage of my life.
EV: What would you want to do besides? Have a dog, a tattoo, play a guitar, sing?
AS: I would not do a tattoo. I like watching the others', there are some nice paintings, but I don't want to see any decorations on my body. The dog - I would love to have one. It's my childhood dream to have a husky or a german sheppard. When I was a kid my grandparents had one, it was called Jack. I didn't visit them too often - just a month a year, but I do remember it was great.
EV: What prevents you from getting a dog right now?
AS: My mom is allergic, so I can't do it now.
EV: Are you sometimes tired having your life set into the boundaries and all set for the result?
AS: I'll catch up later. After.
Man he has some really crappy programs up until Kongos 
