Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with Stolbova

TAHbKA

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Elena Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with Ksenia Stolbova for ria.ru (please click the original link for photos and the paper's counter)

EV: December last year you and your partner became 2nd in the Nationals, made it to the team and took silver at Europeans. At what point did things go wrong? When you learned you would not be participating the Olympics?
KS: The Olympics are a different matter. But even before learning I was not invited to participate I realized am not really into it anyway - that was the mood from the beginning of the season.

EV: Nevertheless, you were expected at the worlds in Milano. Were you indeed injured, or it was just an excuse?
KS: I indeed had a serious injury that happened Feb 18th or 19th, I don't remember exactly. I sprang my foot twice when performing a 3f - probably my favourite element. I then skated for another 20 minutes. Realized something was wrong with my leg, but thought I'll suffer it up, finish the practice and then see. The next day they did the scan and it turned out bad: the ligament was almost torn in 3 places. The foot swell and became huge.

EV: Did you fly to the USA to mend your leg?
KS: No. They put a plaster and for 3 weeks I was on my own - no one cared what was going on with me.

EV: Surely there was some reaction by the partner and the coach?
KS: Once Nina Mikhailovna Mozer came back from the Olympics we had a conversation about having to have a long break. That was the only thing we all 4 discussed - me, Fedor, Nina Mikhailovna and Vladislav Zhovnirski who, in fact, was our coach.

EV: What is the meaning of a `long break'?
KS: At least half a year. When I realized that the decision was made by the 3 out of 4 I was confused: I didn't understand, was hurt, the freshly missed Olympics added up and all that together with being injured. I really didn't understand why couldn't we spend the next couple of months on mending my leg and work so hard that the beginning of the season would be a decent one, and not like previously. I told the team I can't finish my career in such a way, because I will be sorry later, I will feel I let down my relatives, my team, my federation and my fans. Hence my goal is to recover as fast as possible and keep skating. But I was told again that we all need a break.

EV: What were the reasons for the break?
KS: Each explained differently. Nina Mikhailovna wanted to take some time off and take care of her health. Fedor had his own plans, the same with Zhovnirski.

EV: Did you feel that moment you were a bother for your own coaches? That Zhovnirski and Mozer already have the progressing Zabijako/Enbert and you with your constant injuries are simply not needed anymore?
KS: Deep down I thought that. But such thoughts began long before that conversation.

EV: Did you understand why you were not invited to the Olympics?
KS: I still would love to understand. I was the last to learn I was not invited. Not even from the coaches or mom - everyone knew but were too afraid to tell me. One of your colleagues called. Of course I was shocked - I can admit it now. I didn't leave a house for a whole day. I was crying. For a long time. Till I understood crying is useless and I still have 2 weeks and I must act. At least learn the reason why I was not allowed to the Olympics. I went to the federation, spoke to Nina Mikhailovna. I was fast explained I can't even go to the court. It's like a celebration where you invite guests and I was not invited. What would you sue for? For not being in the guest list?

EV: Did you feel guilty? Letting down the partner, the coaches?
KS: No, I was clean. I knew for sure there was no global problem that I could answer for, it just didn't exist. I wanted to know the truth, not for the IOC to change their decision. I wouldn't go to Korea anyway. I wouldn't be able to humiliate myself anymore - wearing that mouse like grey uniform. I was willing to fight for my team, but not for myself.

EV: How long did healing your leg take?
KS: I spent 3 weeks in the cast, had physio which I was given and the leg became more or less ok. Then I had a short vacation because realized I was mentally spent. In April I was ready to work and wrote Fedor. I thought enough time to calm down and talk had passed. We met on the rink and I asked whether he changed his mind about half a year break. And is he sure he'll want to come back after. He answered indifferently he is not sure about anything and he is not changing his mind

EV: Were you hurt to hear that?
KS: Actually no. Just at that point my brain started working and the emotions were off. I understand am not a very young girl, there are many injuries I suffered and one needs to understand for sure whether I'll be able to skate or not. It was my only hesitation. When the men at the age of 27 doesn't know what he wants, or a will to do something, what is there to discuss? Yes, guess I was the moving power, as some called me. But at that point I realized crystally clear I don't want to carry that weight. Especially as the person never asked how my foot was since February, whether I need any help or support.

EV: At what point have you started looking for a partner?
KS: Not immediately. At the beginning of the summer I was in rehabilitation in New York with a doctor who worked with our team for many years. I got a lot of support from Tatiana Tarasova, who was in the USA as well at that point, who constantly told me that Klimov and I should not part. That everything that can be done to keep the pair should be done. Later Tatiana Anatolyevna went to Moscow and I started slowly practicing in Nikolai Morozov's rink. I was given a green light by the doctors, I could work full force. I then briefly saw Fedor in the USA. We just said hello. That was it. I learned later he sent Nikolai Morozov a message he thought about it and he doesn't want to skate anymore.

EV: Starting a new career at the age of 26 from the scratch, with a new partner for a skater with your achievements is a big decision.
KS: It happens to me since I was 14. Since the puberty. I decided at one moment I had enough of the singles and am switching to the pairs. I told my mom and my coach. Perhaps it will sound weird, but I never had a doubt I'd find a partner, the team and that something might not work. Once I parted with the first partner I was confident there will be a new and we'll go to the Olympics. I don't know why, but I was certain. And indeed, 2 months later Fedor came along. No matter what our 9 years journey was a good one.

EV: Were you sorry you haven't started looking for a partner or switched coaches earlier when the first problems in the group began?
KS: I wanted to.

EV: What stopped you?
KS: Guess just the way I am. When I start something I go till the end. Since we decided in 2014 to go through another Olympic cycle I had to finish it. With all the injuries, misunderstandings, lies, intrigues and provocations - no matter what. I had to and that was the most important. Even though I had doubts about the team and the partner.

EV: Does Aljona Savchenko's example, who switched partners after the Games in Sochi and won the Olympics in Korea at the age of 34 has anything to do with what goes on with you now?
KS: None. I respect Aljona a lot, kudos to her. But her example is not the only one - not only among the Olympians or ParaOlympians, but among the normal people who start a new life and are successfull. As for the motivation - my mom is a big motivation. She supports me when it's needed and pushes when it's needed.

EV: Am listening to you and thinking you were quite satisfied with your life after Sochi . What made you think life turns out not quite as you wanted?
KS: I guess... not guess, for sure - the spark was gone. The spark in our teams' eyes. Everything became too comfortable all of the sudden: one bought a car that he was dreaming of all his life, some bought a flat, a summer house. I dreamed for a long time to have a flat and a car and suddenly it was possible. I.e. we were in such a comfort zone where you could make all your dreams come true and there was no place for the hunger anymore. Hunger for the result. I understood things were going wrong in 2015 when Fedor and I skipped the Worlds. Before that we had a bad ending of the LP in the Europeans, where Fedor fell and we lost to Yuko Kawaguti and Alexandr Smirnov. That was just an accident, but skipping the Worlds and starting working on the throw quad instead - that, I think, was a mistake.

EV: The idea to learn that element, as far as I know, was yours.
KS: Indeed I always wanted to learn that throw. I did, and landed. Yet I understood it was quite useless integrating the quad throw in a competitive programme.

EV: What as going on the next season? You won the GPF in Barcelona with a brilliant skate, but your skipping the Nationals and the Europeans seemed like you were taken off so Volosozhar/Trankov would win both competitions effordlessly.
KS: There were some moments that didn't seem right. Right after the GPF the coaches said since all goes so well it would be a good idea to skip the nationals and work on the throw quad. I.e. it was obvious it was kind of a game. But I tried to stay out - it was hard enough for me as it was.

EV: You and Klimov always seemed very different. But that season it was obvious you lacked understanding.
KS: We never had it. We came to the practice, did our job and knew what we are doing and why.

EV: Did you argue a lot?
KS: It happened. Am very emotional and a perfectionist. No matter how much we worked I always wanted to do more and better. I was always on the edge and understood it.

EV: What about that comfort zone you spoke about before?
KS: It took me a while to realize I have to get out from that comfort zone the faster the better. I tried to make Fedor think the same, but failed. At that point I was constantly annoying him. In such cases a person grows a hard skin and stops understanding what you are saying. And the other people added the fuel to all that.

EV: How did you find your new partner?
KS: Quite simply really. I kept skating and recovering from the injury and was just waiting. I was not reading the internet forums, I did not ask to check anyone out and did not break a pair. Of course I read some news because I knew the post Olympic off season is usually fierce. But it all happened by chance. Don't think I should give any details of our work right now - officially our pair doesn't exist yet, but there was no doubt we can skate - neither for me nor him. I guess it's like in any relationship: you feel at once whether you are comfortable with a person or not. By the gaze, the touch, the way of talking, the care. I understood at instance I was done looking. Of course we'll have to learn new things, but it's nice. I start rethinking and relearning things. I like feeling that new chemistry with a partner, like my brain working again.

EV: Are you afraid you might not have enough spark to get till the end? That you'll get tired, that you'll be annoyed the result you wanted does not come as fast as you'd like?
KS: Am not afraid of that. I was hurt too badly. Really hurt. I love skating and know what I want. Even now, at 10:30pm I am half dead with tiredness and yet I enjoy that pain. I indeed started enjoying figure skating again. Am up for anything. Absolutely anything.
 

Mad for Skating

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OMG THIS INTERVIEW IS MY EVERYTHING.

These kind of interviews are why I love her. She's just so honest and open about what must've been the hardest year of her career, and I really wish her the best. The part about the Olympic ban almost made me tear up and laugh at the same time - "What do you sue for, not being on the guest list?"
 

3T3T

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What a great interview. Very honest answers from Ksenia but also probing questions from the journalist. It was very interesting to here her take on Fedors fall in the Europeans (it was just an accident) and their decision to skip worlds that year to work on the quad was a mistake. The Olympic ban seems such an injustice, I still a bit concerned that she may not get an invite for 2022. I hope I’m wrong though.

I loved them as a pair and will really miss their skating but I wish her the very best of luck with her new partner and look forward to see her competing internationally again. They gave us many great moments but their skate in GPF in Barcelona, along with K&S’s Manfred, were by far the best skates of the last quad IMO.
 

Mad for Skating

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Wow, so many people judge her based on her relationship with Fedor, and her death stare when he had that fall at the Europeans, but there are two sides to each story.

AGREE 100%! It was ONE MOMENT in her whole career with him, while I've seen her smiling and laughing with him so many times. But people only seem to remember the occasional bad thing, never all the good things. The problem is with them, not her.
 

kwanfan1818

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and their decision to skip worlds that year to work on the quad was a mistake.
In an interview from after that Worlds, Nina Mozer agreed that it was a mistake -- she thought that S/K needed a break at the beginning of the season -- and admitted to a lack of experience with Pairs of that caliber. It's easy to forget that she had been a junior and younger Pairs coach until Volosozhar/Trankov started to train with her, and she always described herself more as a manager than a coach.
 

hanca

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Well, from Ksenia’s hints I get a feeling that it was well-thought politicking from Moser. it seems to me that being inexperienced coach is just an excuse.
 

kwanfan1818

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Aside from the fact that she said she had a partner, if that didn't work out for whatever reason, if her perceptions are correct, then she needs a Russian partner or one where the release would be relatively easy to negotiate. Unless the Russian Fed knows exactly why she was refused an invite, and believes it's surmountable in 2022, the IOC has whispered into Russia's ear that, if there are no drug-related scandals between now and then, there won't be a repeat of 2018 before Beijing, or, if they are otherwise confident there won't be a repeat, I can't imagine they'd invest in her by paying a big ransom for a partner. IMO she can only hope that the Russian Fed has DG in a position where it's in his best interest to cooperate, even if that means a prisoner exchange. I doubt the "unreasonable" clause in Rule 109 has any teeth.
 

Sylvia

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EV: How did you find your new partner?
KS: Quite simply really. I kept skating and recovering from the injury and was just waiting. I was not reading the internet forums, I did not ask to check anyone out and did not break a pair. Of course I read some news because I knew the post Olympic off season is usually fierce. But it all happened by chance. Don't think I should give any details of our work right now - officially our pair doesn't exist yet, but there was no doubt we can skate - neither for me nor him. I guess it's like in any relationship: you feel at once whether you are comfortable with a person or not. By the gaze, the touch, the way of talking, the care. I understood at instance I was done looking. Of course we'll have to learn new things, but it's nice. I start rethinking and relearning things. I like feeling that new chemistry with a partner, like my brain working again.
Is this a reliable source? Stolbova reportedly spoke to this person and mentioned Andrei Novoselov by name for the first(?) time: https://rg.ru/2018/09/10/figuristka-kseniia-stolbova-prodolzhit-kareru-s-novym-partnerom.html

Video clips of them practicing in Russia recently were posted in the other Stolbova thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-has-a-new-partner.104129/page-6#post-5406744
 

Ka3sha

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TAHbKA

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Is this a reliable source? Stolbova reportedly spoke to this person and mentioned Andrei Novoselov by name for the first(?) time: https://rg.ru/2018/09/10/figuristka-kseniia-stolbova-prodolzhit-kareru-s-novym-partnerom.html

Video clips of them practicing in Russia recently were posted in the other Stolbova thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-has-a-new-partner.104129/page-6#post-5406744
Yes, Dolgopolov is a reliable source. He is the one who runs the press conferences at CoRs.
 

kwanfan1818

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In 2014-15, Volosozhar/Trankov were taking time off, and it wasn't clear if/when they'd return, and S/K nearly beat V/T at 2014 Euros and were reigning Euros, Olympics, and World medalists, with Savchenko/Szolkowy having split. K/S were often injured. The path should have been open for S/K to dominate, and to consolidate Mozer's influence and reputation.

Even if S/K were the Pang/Tong of Mozer's rink, in the best case scenario, Zabiiako, whom Mozer loved and convinced to skate for Russia, would not have been able to skate until after 2015 Worlds, and that is if she found a partner good enough to make the Euros and Worlds team. (As it turned out, Zabiiako wasn't released until 2015 after a difficult struggle with the Estonian Fed, and by then, she had already split with Larionov and was a new team with Enbert.)

So I don't see what incentive Mozer had to politik against Stolbova in the 2014-15 season. I don't remember reading anything at the time to suggest Mozer wanted to break them up and have Klimov skate with Zabiiako or anyone else.
 

Ania

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Wow. Very honest and raw. If her comments are truthful (and I have no reason to suspect otherwise), Fedor's recent interview can be described as being misleading by omission - in his comments there was not a hint that the split was his decision and not hers, and I (and I venture others) got the impression that he did not initiate the split. His comments read as 'class act' (and indeed were praised as such here), but I think it would have been more classy to admit that one was ready to retire rather than leave room for rampant speculation (often incorrect speculation).

There is one comment Ksenia made that I do not understand (I read the original version in Russian, double checked my understanding in the translation above and I'm still mystified):
"KS: Indeed I always wanted to learn that throw. I did, and landed. Yet I understood it was quite useless integrating the quad throw in a competitive program".
Why would it NOT make sense to put this new element they learned in the program? Why was it useless? What am I missing?
 

dinakt

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While I wish Ksenia all the success in the world, and she is an amazing skater (with SS to die for), I also completely understand Fedor's side. It seems that he was totally honest with her all along. He was honest in February (while also living through the shock of not being able to go to the Olympics or Worlds), he was honest in April- so that "I was so hurt" attitude seems one-sided to me. Taking themselves in different directions seems like the right thing for both of them.
 

dinakt

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Wow. Very honest and raw. If her comments are truthful (and I have no reason to suspect otherwise), Fedor's recent interview can be described as being misleading by omission - in his comments there was not a hint that the split was his decision and not hers, and I (and I venture others) got the impression that he did not initiate the split. His comments read as 'class act' (and indeed were praised as such here), but I think it would have been more classy to admit that one was ready to retire rather than leave room for rampant speculation (often incorrect speculation).

There is one comment Ksenia made that I do not understand (I read the original version in Russian, double checked my understanding in the translation above and I'm still mystified):
"KS: Indeed I always wanted to learn that throw. I did, and landed. Yet I understood it was quite useless integrating the quad throw in a competitive program".
Why would it NOT make sense to put this new element they learned in the program? Why was it useless? What am I missing?
Yes, I questioned that as well.
If my memory is correct, Ksenia got hurt practicing it, and the technique for the triple throw went awry in the meantime...
I was posting at the same time as you did, and it is curious how differently we perceived the timeline:)
Fedor was not ready to commit to more years of training with Ksenia (who was still somewhat injured in April, as she went to rehab to the USA in June). He wanted to "wait and see". She wanted immediate commitment. It seems that neither is lying, but both have their truths... I imagine the rebound for Fedor- after missing both Olympics and Worlds- was very tough. Ksenia feels wronged. He, likely, just feels that lots of effort was wasted.
 
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hanca

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There is one comment Ksenia made that I do not understand (I read the original version in Russian, double checked my understanding in the translation above and I'm still mystified):
"KS: Indeed I always wanted to learn that throw. I did, and landed. Yet I understood it was quite useless integrating the quad throw in a competitive program".
Why would it NOT make sense to put this new element they learned in the program? Why was it useless? What am I missing?
To me that’s pretty clear. She was keen to chase the super hard elements, she eventually landed the quad, but she doesn’t say what the success rate it was. My guess is it was not very stable. It could become the same curse as for Savchenko/Szolkowy was the 3A. After all, no matter how hard Aliona chased the quad and triple axel, they managed to win worlds without it, and the chance is that they would even lose the worlds if they tried it and it wasn’t clean. And having quad didn’t guarantee great results anyway, e.g. Duhamel/Radford didn’t manage to beat S/M ans S/H.
 

hanca

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While I wish Ksenia all the success in the world, and she is an amazing skater (with SS to die for), I also completely understand Fedor's side. It seems that he was totally honest with her all along. He was honest in February (while also living through the shock of not being able to go to the Olympics or Worlds), he was honest in April- so that "I was so hurt" attitude seems one-sided to me. Taking themselves in different directions seems like the right thing for both of them.
Maybe if you were not invited to Olympics without being given any reason, you would be hurt too?
 

dinakt

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Maybe if you were not invited to Olympics without being given any reason, you would be hurt too?
For sure! Not questioning motivations for either of them.
If Ksenia is ready to fight another day, I'll be her fan for as long as she continues.
It's that "Oh I was so blindsided" that was said in her previous interview that has me annoyed, as she gives a different timeline here.
Look, I was unsure about Massot during S/M's first year:)
 
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Kasey

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I think that this is a prime example of "he said, she said, and the truth lies somewhere in the middle". Or, as someone else mentioned, each has their own "truth" of the situation. With miscommunication, both could be honest and sincere in what they are saying right now.

Was a fan of her and Fedor and what they put out together on the ice. Not necessarily a fan of either by themselves or with a new partner. We'll see.
 

hanca

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I think it is pretty natural what happened here. We get a couple who have very different personalities. As their personalities were not matched that well, they clashed. Grief affects everyone differently, sometimes it brings people together and sometimes it takes people further apart. This must have been a pretty traumatic experience especially for Stolbova- she was more or less publically accused without actually even being told what she was guilty of. The emotional impact from that, especially in this age of public media, internet...
If S-K didn’t get on even before something as traumatic as this, I am not surprised that it pushed them even further apart. Klimov would have to be a saint if deep down he didn’t blame her, while she didn’t even know what she had supposedly done wrong. So suddenly the whole world is judging her, she needed support and he wasn’t there for her because he was very likely involved in his own loss and grieving process.
 

kwanfan1818

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I don't see it as a "he said" / "she said" issue, if she wanted a commitment, and he didn't want to give one: it's a classic break-up situation. The person who wants a commitment can interpret the refusal as a break-up, just as the person who is asked for one can feel prematurely backed into a corner, but, if you give what is, essentially, an ultimatum, you have to be ready for the response you don't want.
 

Ania

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I was posting at the same time as you did, and it is curious how differently we perceived the timeline:)

Indeed! :) I actually thought your post was in reply to mine. I am pretty neutral on S/K (I like pairs in general, and I liked S/K, but I did not love them and did not feel invested in that pair as a fan). But after I read Fedor's interview I felt that it raised more questions that it answered and after I read Ksenia's the other interview made sense in retrospect. I don't know if this makes sense to anyone but me. And her feelings of hurt could be inflated relative to the offenses... But if I were injured and my partner not once tried to get in touch with me to find out how I'm doing and was evasive/non-comittal in a meeting I requested after I recovered, I can't imagine not feeling hurt.

To me that’s pretty clear. She was keen to chase the super hard elements, she eventually landed the quad, but she doesn’t say what the success rate it was.

Thank you, it does make sense! I guess I took her words too literally ('can do it'). 'Didn't make sense to put in the program' indeed seems to imply that the success rate was not high enough.
 
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SLIVER

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The worst bit is where she hints that Mozer and the fed made them skip Nationals and Euros in 2016 for no reason but to aid V/T's return, and using the excuse that it was time to learn the quad sal..again.
That's pretty shocking even by Russian Fed standards and paints Mozer as a pretty shady character :eek:
 

Perky Shae Lynn

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While I wish Ksenia all the success in the world, and she is an amazing skater (with SS to die for), I also completely understand Fedor's side. It seems that he was totally honest with her all along. He was honest in February (while also living through the shock of not being able to go to the Olympics or Worlds), he was honest in April- so that "I was so hurt" attitude seems one-sided to me. Taking themselves in different directions seems like the right thing for both of them.
She is not accusing Fedor of lying. Making a unilateral decision to end a partnership, and informing your partner (rather than sitting down and making a decision together) may be honest - but it doesn't make it any less hurtful. Fedor probably did the right thing for himself. Doesn't mean Ksenia wasn't hurt in the process.
 

zebraswan

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Leaving any relationship that you poured 9 years of your life into can't be easy, even if it was "only" a business relationship or even if it was an unhappy relationship at times. And especially if it feels like the trust was broken. I understand that they weren't friendly off the ice but still, skating with a partner every day surely creates some kind of a bond that it would be hard to just let go without any emotion. Anyway, I don't believe in dwelling on the past. She is still young for a pair skater...Valentina didn't even start doing pairs until she was 28, after all. I just hope I can learn to like this new partner...maybe he'll look better standing next to her on the ice.

I loved what she said about the "mouse gray uniforms"...they were really disgusting and I can't blame her for not wanting to be seen in one! :drama:
 

Mad for Skating

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Wow. Very honest and raw. If her comments are truthful (and I have no reason to suspect otherwise), Fedor's recent interview can be described as being misleading by omission - in his comments there was not a hint that the split was his decision and not hers, and I (and I venture others) got the impression that he did not initiate the split. His comments read as 'class act' (and indeed were praised as such here), but I think it would have been more classy to admit that one was ready to retire rather than leave room for rampant speculation (often incorrect speculation).

Usually Fedor manages adversity very well, but I do think he was under some very unusual circumstances and thus he didn’t react as well as he usually does. It doesn’t justify it, but I can understand. At the same time, my heart breaks for Ksenia.

I think it is pretty natural what happened here. We get a couple who have very different personalities. As their personalities were not matched that well, they clashed. Grief affects everyone differently, sometimes it brings people together and sometimes it takes people further apart. This must have been a pretty traumatic experience especially for Stolbova- she was more or less publically accused without actually even being told what she was guilty of. The emotional impact from that, especially in this age of public media, internet...
If S-K didn’t get on even before something as traumatic as this, I am not surprised that it pushed them even further apart. Klimov would have to be a saint if deep down he didn’t blame her, while she didn’t even know what she had supposedly done wrong. So suddenly the whole world is judging her, she needed support and he wasn’t there for her because he was very likely involved in his own loss and grieving process.

This is very accurate! I agree 100%. I don’t believe they ever intentionally tried to hurt each other, but they were both just too wrapped up in their own problems to be there for each other. It’s sad that it had to end like this, but it is in the past now.
 

Mad for Skating

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Leaving any relationship that you poured 9 years of your life into can't be easy, even if it was "only" a business relationship or even if it was an unhappy relationship at times. And especially if it feels like the trust was broken. I understand that they weren't friendly off the ice but still, skating with a partner every day surely creates some kind of a bond that it would be hard to just let go without any emotion. Anyway, I don't believe in dwelling on the past. She is still young for a pair skater...Valentina didn't even start doing pairs until she was 28, after all. I just hope I can learn to like this new partner...maybe he'll look better standing next to her on the ice.

I loved what she said about the "mouse gray uniforms"...they were really disgusting and I can't blame her for not wanting to be seen in one! :drama:

I AGREE SO MUCH WITH THIS POST!!!

I always got the impression that Ksenia and Fedor tried very hard to overcome their differences even though they were polar opposites. It was never anything personal.

But yes, when you see the same person every day for nine years, you develop some kind of feeling for them - if not love, at least respect. I do think Ksenia and Fedor had a really deep respect for each other under all the differences and petty squabbles.

I really hope I warm up to this Novoselov guy too. I think the important thing to remember is that he’s not Fedor. They will never have the magic of Stolbova/Klimov. What they need to find is the magic of Stolbova/Novoselov. For me it will be like watching a completely new pair.

Also lol the part about the mouse gray uniforms made me smile. My girl is a fashionista! And the comment had that little bit of defiance that makes me love her even more.
 

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