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Elena Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with Maria Sotskova for ria.ru (please click the original link for the paper's counter/photos)
EV: I know you made it clear to your relatives that you make all the important decisions in your life yourself. Was it the case this time when you were thinking if your education?
MS: The same. Once I began the 11th grade I started thinking where do I want to study next. I didn't really want to study in the sports institute and I was wondering is there anything particular that I know. 2 years ago I had a very interesting experience as a choreographer: I did a programme for a little girl. So I thought why not try accepting to the arts school to Tchaikovskaya's ice choreography faculty? But it happened that Elena Anatolievna was not starting a new group this year, so I ended up in the ballet. A ballet choreographer faculty.
EV: Do you have a clue what your studies will look like?
MS: Not really. I will know better starting September 1st. Mentally am ready for the stress being even more than at the school. But I already spoke to the teachers and asked whether it's possible to miss the school from time to time and was told it's not a big deal, but I would have to take the exams with everyone else. I am not afraid of it - that was my school experience - I was mainly studying externally. Of course I will do my best to make it to the lectures - the studies go on from 8am and finish at 10pm, so there will be lectures I will be able to attend.
EV: Were you nervous at the exams?
MS: Oh yes. It was the creative exam and the interview. First we were asked to improvise in the theme of a `Gypsy', then we had to come up ourselves with 2 dances and at the end I had to sing. Since I lack any musical talent I guess it was quite funny. Fortunately the only audience was the lecturer.
EV: What were you asked about in the interview?
MS: I was asked to talk about the ballet history. It's very abstract - I can talk about it for days because the history is so long and interesting. I was trying to put short and ended up with quite a lot of points. 97 out of 100 for the creativity and 87 in the interview. Studying for the exams was so much fun - I spent all the training camps reading the ballet literature, watching the historical movies on the ballet, the ballet-maisters, the dancers. I found a lot of things that correlate with figure skating. The teachers behave the same and the work, all and all, is quite the same. I so want to begin the studies. I really can't wait.
EV: How fast were you able to choreograph with Peter Tchernyshev this season?
MS: We did both programmes at the end of May. The LP is the `Summer time' - a jazz, the SP a latin. I insisted on it, even though Elena Germanovna Buyanova was against.
EV: Why?
MS: Till the very last moment she couldn't see me in that character. But I wanted it so badly, I dreamed of it. Once I already did a latin - `Black Magic Woman', But I was a little girl and could not express the hotness of the dance. Now I really want to show something new and it would be a push in my development. I want the audience and the judges to see I can be very different. Hence I insisted on a latin.
EV: Were the muscles hurting for a long time after the unfamiliar moves?
MS: I did prepare in advance. I took some ballroom dances lessons, was dancing a lot, was trying to shake myself for the future programme. I understood if am to try the latin rhythms I should do it well. Hence I had to prepare my body. I was expecting it to be hard. The LP was easier. The choreographing of the programmes went very fast and all worked from the start. All and all everyone is satisfied with the result.
EV: Alina Zagitova's example last season showed how important it is to put the top elements in the programme. Is there a place to make your programmes more complicated?
MS: It's not the goal this season. It is possible elements wise, but the main goal is to show the Olympic season was a push, I grew as a skater, matured. That I can be different on the ice, not the way am used to be seen by the audience and the judges. I do follow my competitors, I watch their skates, not things and borrow them. For example the Canandian Gabrielle Dalemann is so fast on the ice. I try to develop that power and speed as well.
EV: What can you take from Alexandra Trusova, who begins her season with three different quads?
MS: I can only clap and be in awe. For now I can't do the quads.
EV: Have you tried?
MS: I attempted a quad sal at the end of the last season. Understood with a lot of work I would be able to perform that jump. Just that when we were preparing for the Olympics I didn't see a point working on the quad.
EV: I saw your feet without the skates and it seemed breaking the new boots was not easy.
MS: It's a problem that I have for the last 3 seasons. Guess it's chronic. My skin is very thin and it breaks and goes blisters on my feet. I have to put special silicon pads in my skates, in an addition I put some self made `puffs' - I take 3 dish sponges, in which I made holes. But breaking the boots is a normal process. I spend a week on it because they are so hard and t hen all works fine and there is hardly any pain. By the end of the season the stiffest boots become too soft. They are always wet during the practice and soften.
EV: Mao Asada used to break two pairs of boots each season.
MS: That thought crosses my mind from time to time, but for now there was no need. See, it's not that it's hard to break too bots, Just that when you skate on one pair the other gets dry and shrinks. So you have to break it every time anway.
EV: Did you have a chance to take a break from figure skating this summer?
MS: Yes, in Turkey. For the 2nd year in a row I spent my vacation with Polina Tsurskaya.
EV: You don't mind it that on the ice you compete with each other?
MS: No. When Polina switched to our group, frankly, I was a bit afraid whether the daily competition would hurt our friendship. It turned out to be the opposite: the common practices brought us closer. Life and sports are two separate things.
EV: Yet you don't share the ice. Or it's not always the case?
MS: Frankly, I don't care who to share the ice with since during the practice I don't see anyone else and only focus on myself and my tasks. Indeed Polina and I don't share the ice most of the time, hence I don't even know what is she working on. She doesn't know what I work on. But I'll admit: when we are on the same ice it motivates me.
As for our relationship outside the ice we discuss completely different things, not related to figure skating. Or sometimes we talk about the problems we both have. Like gaining weight and having to go down.
EV: How do you solve that problem?
MS: I close the fridge. And the mouth. It's not a big deal for me. There was a time when I was hungry all the time. Guess it's the puberty that everyone is talking about. When you think of the food all the time and keep telling yourself `No, you can't, don't touch the food'. When I was little I ate a lot and it didn't have any effect. I used to think all these talks about the food are nonsense. But then I learned that `nonsense' can do evil things to the athletes. That there are no `nonsense' in the sports. You gain 1kg and your legs have to work harder to push you on the ice, the chance to be injured is higher. Hence I try to keep my weight within a certain margin and not go over. The only question is the priorities: either you eat as much as you like or you want to skate and have to limit yourself. My mom helps me with the right diet, but I try to do it myself. There are so many materials on the internet you can find. Of course there are a lot of silly stuff, but you can find what you need if you put your mind into it.
EV: You talk like a person who is responsible for her life and understands what they want in their life.
MS: It've been a while. Guess when I made the decision to leave Panova's group and switch to Buyanova. At that time I thought if I decided to make decisions in my life I have to understand what do I do and what will be the consiquences.
EV: Viktoria Sinitsina mentioned in an interview an athlete should be a bit bitchy, because it helps overcoming the hardships.
MS: I agree with Vika. I know they are skaters who can skate well only when they are mad. Someone pisses you off and you go and skate really well just to prove them wrong. I never had it. Just that with the time you understand the sport is real, there are so many competitors around you and you must grab every opportunity you are given. That there are 30 girls aiming for those 3 Olympic spots and all the kind and nice girls will be left home. You'll be much more than bitchy. You have to go out there and kill everyone on the ice.
EV: How able are you to do that?
MS: It was hard at the beginning - am not such a person. But then it started just working: you see your goal, you go there and don't waste energy on anything else. I really wanted to go to the Olympics. I didn't care about anyone else during the Nationals. I don't even remember who was there and how they skated. I went there and fought for every element.
EV: What is your goal this season?
MS: As always, I want to do my job well and be satisfied with it. Of course, I want to finally medal at the Europeans and the Worlds. It's something am lacking.
EV: Despite making it to the Olympics?
MS: Yes. Korea was a priceless experience, but am disappointed with the result. The hardest part was missing out in the SP. It came as a complete surprise - during the whole season I was spotless in my SP. But there... The next day I was destroying myself. I understood I had to concentrate, put it all behind, but it didn't work. Think I wouldn't be able to cope without my coaches. They spoke to me a lot and were convincing `Masha, get back here'. Thanks to them I was more or less sane in the LP.
That experience, when you have to concentrate no matter what, be a fighter is priceless. Even though it was very hard.
EV: For the last two season your first part of the season was much better than the rest. Did you try to understand why it happens?
MS: Yes, the coaches and I analyzed it. I think the problem is that I give too much in the Russian nationals. I leave it all on the ice and then have no resources left to recover and get back to the usual rhythm. Yet you can't do it differently - the price of making a mistake is too high. I thought about it a lot and came to a conclusion it's a problem that can be solved. I don't want to make it public for now, but think I found a way to work on my mistakes there.
EV: How thinkskinned are you towards the critique that sometimes the skaters are flooded with on the internet? Do you read what is written about you?
MS: Frankly yes, I read everything.
EV: Why?
MS: I care what people think. It doesn't mean I will listen to it - I have my relatives for that, but it might be useful to know certain things. I don't mean the comments on the vacation photos in the social networks - everyone works and Masha only vacates. If I don't upload photos from the practices it does not mean I don't train.
EV: The other photos you upload because you want to or because that's the fashion?
MS: The instagram for me is kind of an album I do for myself and my friends. So people would be able to see some interesting places I visit, some interesting stuff that goes on in my life. I like it.
EV: Do you limit your internet activity during the competitions?
MS: Yes, I turn the phone off in the skates days. I don't want to be disturbed and try to be isolated. The only thing that exists for me the day of the competition is the competition. Many things can happen, including the bad stuff. I might as well learn it after skating and not before going on the ice.
EV: I know you made it clear to your relatives that you make all the important decisions in your life yourself. Was it the case this time when you were thinking if your education?
MS: The same. Once I began the 11th grade I started thinking where do I want to study next. I didn't really want to study in the sports institute and I was wondering is there anything particular that I know. 2 years ago I had a very interesting experience as a choreographer: I did a programme for a little girl. So I thought why not try accepting to the arts school to Tchaikovskaya's ice choreography faculty? But it happened that Elena Anatolievna was not starting a new group this year, so I ended up in the ballet. A ballet choreographer faculty.
EV: Do you have a clue what your studies will look like?
MS: Not really. I will know better starting September 1st. Mentally am ready for the stress being even more than at the school. But I already spoke to the teachers and asked whether it's possible to miss the school from time to time and was told it's not a big deal, but I would have to take the exams with everyone else. I am not afraid of it - that was my school experience - I was mainly studying externally. Of course I will do my best to make it to the lectures - the studies go on from 8am and finish at 10pm, so there will be lectures I will be able to attend.
EV: Were you nervous at the exams?
MS: Oh yes. It was the creative exam and the interview. First we were asked to improvise in the theme of a `Gypsy', then we had to come up ourselves with 2 dances and at the end I had to sing. Since I lack any musical talent I guess it was quite funny. Fortunately the only audience was the lecturer.
EV: What were you asked about in the interview?
MS: I was asked to talk about the ballet history. It's very abstract - I can talk about it for days because the history is so long and interesting. I was trying to put short and ended up with quite a lot of points. 97 out of 100 for the creativity and 87 in the interview. Studying for the exams was so much fun - I spent all the training camps reading the ballet literature, watching the historical movies on the ballet, the ballet-maisters, the dancers. I found a lot of things that correlate with figure skating. The teachers behave the same and the work, all and all, is quite the same. I so want to begin the studies. I really can't wait.
EV: How fast were you able to choreograph with Peter Tchernyshev this season?
MS: We did both programmes at the end of May. The LP is the `Summer time' - a jazz, the SP a latin. I insisted on it, even though Elena Germanovna Buyanova was against.
EV: Why?
MS: Till the very last moment she couldn't see me in that character. But I wanted it so badly, I dreamed of it. Once I already did a latin - `Black Magic Woman', But I was a little girl and could not express the hotness of the dance. Now I really want to show something new and it would be a push in my development. I want the audience and the judges to see I can be very different. Hence I insisted on a latin.
EV: Were the muscles hurting for a long time after the unfamiliar moves?
MS: I did prepare in advance. I took some ballroom dances lessons, was dancing a lot, was trying to shake myself for the future programme. I understood if am to try the latin rhythms I should do it well. Hence I had to prepare my body. I was expecting it to be hard. The LP was easier. The choreographing of the programmes went very fast and all worked from the start. All and all everyone is satisfied with the result.
EV: Alina Zagitova's example last season showed how important it is to put the top elements in the programme. Is there a place to make your programmes more complicated?
MS: It's not the goal this season. It is possible elements wise, but the main goal is to show the Olympic season was a push, I grew as a skater, matured. That I can be different on the ice, not the way am used to be seen by the audience and the judges. I do follow my competitors, I watch their skates, not things and borrow them. For example the Canandian Gabrielle Dalemann is so fast on the ice. I try to develop that power and speed as well.
EV: What can you take from Alexandra Trusova, who begins her season with three different quads?
MS: I can only clap and be in awe. For now I can't do the quads.
EV: Have you tried?
MS: I attempted a quad sal at the end of the last season. Understood with a lot of work I would be able to perform that jump. Just that when we were preparing for the Olympics I didn't see a point working on the quad.
EV: I saw your feet without the skates and it seemed breaking the new boots was not easy.
MS: It's a problem that I have for the last 3 seasons. Guess it's chronic. My skin is very thin and it breaks and goes blisters on my feet. I have to put special silicon pads in my skates, in an addition I put some self made `puffs' - I take 3 dish sponges, in which I made holes. But breaking the boots is a normal process. I spend a week on it because they are so hard and t hen all works fine and there is hardly any pain. By the end of the season the stiffest boots become too soft. They are always wet during the practice and soften.
EV: Mao Asada used to break two pairs of boots each season.
MS: That thought crosses my mind from time to time, but for now there was no need. See, it's not that it's hard to break too bots, Just that when you skate on one pair the other gets dry and shrinks. So you have to break it every time anway.
EV: Did you have a chance to take a break from figure skating this summer?
MS: Yes, in Turkey. For the 2nd year in a row I spent my vacation with Polina Tsurskaya.
EV: You don't mind it that on the ice you compete with each other?
MS: No. When Polina switched to our group, frankly, I was a bit afraid whether the daily competition would hurt our friendship. It turned out to be the opposite: the common practices brought us closer. Life and sports are two separate things.
EV: Yet you don't share the ice. Or it's not always the case?
MS: Frankly, I don't care who to share the ice with since during the practice I don't see anyone else and only focus on myself and my tasks. Indeed Polina and I don't share the ice most of the time, hence I don't even know what is she working on. She doesn't know what I work on. But I'll admit: when we are on the same ice it motivates me.
As for our relationship outside the ice we discuss completely different things, not related to figure skating. Or sometimes we talk about the problems we both have. Like gaining weight and having to go down.
EV: How do you solve that problem?
MS: I close the fridge. And the mouth. It's not a big deal for me. There was a time when I was hungry all the time. Guess it's the puberty that everyone is talking about. When you think of the food all the time and keep telling yourself `No, you can't, don't touch the food'. When I was little I ate a lot and it didn't have any effect. I used to think all these talks about the food are nonsense. But then I learned that `nonsense' can do evil things to the athletes. That there are no `nonsense' in the sports. You gain 1kg and your legs have to work harder to push you on the ice, the chance to be injured is higher. Hence I try to keep my weight within a certain margin and not go over. The only question is the priorities: either you eat as much as you like or you want to skate and have to limit yourself. My mom helps me with the right diet, but I try to do it myself. There are so many materials on the internet you can find. Of course there are a lot of silly stuff, but you can find what you need if you put your mind into it.
EV: You talk like a person who is responsible for her life and understands what they want in their life.
MS: It've been a while. Guess when I made the decision to leave Panova's group and switch to Buyanova. At that time I thought if I decided to make decisions in my life I have to understand what do I do and what will be the consiquences.
EV: Viktoria Sinitsina mentioned in an interview an athlete should be a bit bitchy, because it helps overcoming the hardships.
MS: I agree with Vika. I know they are skaters who can skate well only when they are mad. Someone pisses you off and you go and skate really well just to prove them wrong. I never had it. Just that with the time you understand the sport is real, there are so many competitors around you and you must grab every opportunity you are given. That there are 30 girls aiming for those 3 Olympic spots and all the kind and nice girls will be left home. You'll be much more than bitchy. You have to go out there and kill everyone on the ice.
EV: How able are you to do that?
MS: It was hard at the beginning - am not such a person. But then it started just working: you see your goal, you go there and don't waste energy on anything else. I really wanted to go to the Olympics. I didn't care about anyone else during the Nationals. I don't even remember who was there and how they skated. I went there and fought for every element.
EV: What is your goal this season?
MS: As always, I want to do my job well and be satisfied with it. Of course, I want to finally medal at the Europeans and the Worlds. It's something am lacking.
EV: Despite making it to the Olympics?
MS: Yes. Korea was a priceless experience, but am disappointed with the result. The hardest part was missing out in the SP. It came as a complete surprise - during the whole season I was spotless in my SP. But there... The next day I was destroying myself. I understood I had to concentrate, put it all behind, but it didn't work. Think I wouldn't be able to cope without my coaches. They spoke to me a lot and were convincing `Masha, get back here'. Thanks to them I was more or less sane in the LP.
That experience, when you have to concentrate no matter what, be a fighter is priceless. Even though it was very hard.
EV: For the last two season your first part of the season was much better than the rest. Did you try to understand why it happens?
MS: Yes, the coaches and I analyzed it. I think the problem is that I give too much in the Russian nationals. I leave it all on the ice and then have no resources left to recover and get back to the usual rhythm. Yet you can't do it differently - the price of making a mistake is too high. I thought about it a lot and came to a conclusion it's a problem that can be solved. I don't want to make it public for now, but think I found a way to work on my mistakes there.
EV: How thinkskinned are you towards the critique that sometimes the skaters are flooded with on the internet? Do you read what is written about you?
MS: Frankly yes, I read everything.
EV: Why?
MS: I care what people think. It doesn't mean I will listen to it - I have my relatives for that, but it might be useful to know certain things. I don't mean the comments on the vacation photos in the social networks - everyone works and Masha only vacates. If I don't upload photos from the practices it does not mean I don't train.
EV: The other photos you upload because you want to or because that's the fashion?
MS: The instagram for me is kind of an album I do for myself and my friends. So people would be able to see some interesting places I visit, some interesting stuff that goes on in my life. I like it.
EV: Do you limit your internet activity during the competitions?
MS: Yes, I turn the phone off in the skates days. I don't want to be disturbed and try to be isolated. The only thing that exists for me the day of the competition is the competition. Many things can happen, including the bad stuff. I might as well learn it after skating and not before going on the ice.
not because it is the "ultimate" but because the "alternatives" are shoved down your throat with greater vigor than "Lenin and Stalin"... 
