TAHbKA
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Elena Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with Elizabeta Tuktamysheva for ria.ru (scroll down to a little green hand at the bottom of the link and click 10 times. Beats me WTF)
EV: Liza, you were able to land two 3A in Vancouver, yet both times the landing was not clean. What prevented you from having a clean execution?
ET: When you are on the ice you always want to do your best. The SP I was set on the elements, was ready to fight for every element. In the LP... The 3A was huge and guess I could had landed it better. Guess I was being too careful. Thinking more about staying on my feet rather than having a clear landing.
EV: Was it hard to set yourself for the skate?
ET: For the SP especially. The LP is always easier for me. First you realize half a job is done and get used to the conditions, hence are not as nervous. It makes concentrating on the elements easier.
EV: In Vancouver when talking the press you repeated several times the GPF is an opportunity to get ready for the nationals. Does it mean the nationals are more important for you?
ET: Of course. It's the main competition and that's where I'd love to show all I can.
EV: It happened throughout your career you haven't made it to the main competition and guess you should had learned by now not to mind it too much. Why now the nationals are suddenly became so important?
ET: Guess because now am in a pretty good shape, understand what I can do and see I can fight for the top placements. Hence I really want to use the change. It will be a shame if I miss out. I have to get to the main competitions sometime.
EV: During your not most successfull years were you crashed thinking the work you are doing has no result, while there are more and more little girls around you who climb higher?
ET: Those little girls didn't come just now, more than that, Adelina Sotnikova and I were the first. What's the point discussing now whether it's good or bad? I take things as they are and don't plan to give up the pleasure of competing, am not leaving the work of my life. In contrary, I like the high competition in the ladies and like being part of it. I am flattered am the oldest skater in the GPF.
EV: When we were talking at the beginning of the season you said the new rules suit those whose forte is a mature beautiful skating, and not a 3lz3loop at the end of the programme. What do you think now, after seeing that your clean skate still marked lower than Zagitova or Kihira in the 2nd mark? And does that mark show the real state of the affairs?
ET: Am used to it. Think my skating is the way it is. I guess I could be called an old school - meaning when I was growing up and learning the most important thing were the jumps and then the rest. I switched to seniors quite early and was quite successfull there, i.e. what I was able to do was always enough. Of course we are now working on the 2nd mark, but it's much harder for me, then the young girls. I realize it. Those who only switch to the seniors now grew up in that system, learned to skate under the current demands. They learned their jumps from the complicated entrances, with a complicated landing and showed things that I never had to. Hence competing with them in that part is hard.
On the other hand I know for sure people love my skating, I love it, and, in general, it is quite well marked. Just that it's different. Perhaps more technical. I don't think it's a bad thing. Besides, as I already said, it would be naive to expect a high 2nd mark after missing 4 years of competing. If I should do well in the other 2-3 competitions am sure the 2nd mark will start climbing up.
EV: Your coach's pupils usually understand the jumping technique really well. What is harder: the 3A or a quad? I know the single men have different opinions on that.
ET: A 3A is easier for me personally. It depends on your technique. If the 2A is learned right and is comfortable of course that's where the next jump will be. If the jump is uncomfortable to begin with adding another rotation is a huge stress for a skater. I thought about the quads. If I decided to learn a quad now it would probably be a lutz and not a toeloop. Becuase am very comfortable with the lutz.
EV: How do you explain the 3A was first landed by a lady 35 years ago, now several skaters, including you, successfully land it, yet the quads still remain a huge deal?
ET: First it's really hard and even mentally scary. I'm afraid to even think about it, even though when I was a kid I tried a 4T. More than that, had the competition back then been the way it is now am sure I could had learned that jump. Just that back then I didn't need to, especially having a 3A.
EV: Did a day off between the SP and the Lp bother your concentration?
ET: I'd rather skate without the breaks. It's emotionally eaiser. First it seems the day off allows to rest and recover better, but it's not true. Your mind is on the ice, you keep thinking of the competition, the elements, it tires. Though it's a matter of a habbit. In the 2014-15 season most of the competitions included a day off between the programmes. I got so used to it that felt uncomfortable if there wasn't a day between.
EV: I know you planned to do a lot of sight seeing in Vancouver. Were you able to?
ET: Not at all. I did plan to see the city, the old town but then I started thinking I might get tired, not get back on time, so perhaps I just should take a walk around the hotel and not go anywhere. So all my sightseeing summed up in shopping.
EV: Any good?
ET: Oh yes. Guess that's why I was in such a good mood going into my LP.
EV: Liza, you were able to land two 3A in Vancouver, yet both times the landing was not clean. What prevented you from having a clean execution?
ET: When you are on the ice you always want to do your best. The SP I was set on the elements, was ready to fight for every element. In the LP... The 3A was huge and guess I could had landed it better. Guess I was being too careful. Thinking more about staying on my feet rather than having a clear landing.
EV: Was it hard to set yourself for the skate?
ET: For the SP especially. The LP is always easier for me. First you realize half a job is done and get used to the conditions, hence are not as nervous. It makes concentrating on the elements easier.
EV: In Vancouver when talking the press you repeated several times the GPF is an opportunity to get ready for the nationals. Does it mean the nationals are more important for you?
ET: Of course. It's the main competition and that's where I'd love to show all I can.
EV: It happened throughout your career you haven't made it to the main competition and guess you should had learned by now not to mind it too much. Why now the nationals are suddenly became so important?
ET: Guess because now am in a pretty good shape, understand what I can do and see I can fight for the top placements. Hence I really want to use the change. It will be a shame if I miss out. I have to get to the main competitions sometime.
EV: During your not most successfull years were you crashed thinking the work you are doing has no result, while there are more and more little girls around you who climb higher?
ET: Those little girls didn't come just now, more than that, Adelina Sotnikova and I were the first. What's the point discussing now whether it's good or bad? I take things as they are and don't plan to give up the pleasure of competing, am not leaving the work of my life. In contrary, I like the high competition in the ladies and like being part of it. I am flattered am the oldest skater in the GPF.
EV: When we were talking at the beginning of the season you said the new rules suit those whose forte is a mature beautiful skating, and not a 3lz3loop at the end of the programme. What do you think now, after seeing that your clean skate still marked lower than Zagitova or Kihira in the 2nd mark? And does that mark show the real state of the affairs?
ET: Am used to it. Think my skating is the way it is. I guess I could be called an old school - meaning when I was growing up and learning the most important thing were the jumps and then the rest. I switched to seniors quite early and was quite successfull there, i.e. what I was able to do was always enough. Of course we are now working on the 2nd mark, but it's much harder for me, then the young girls. I realize it. Those who only switch to the seniors now grew up in that system, learned to skate under the current demands. They learned their jumps from the complicated entrances, with a complicated landing and showed things that I never had to. Hence competing with them in that part is hard.
On the other hand I know for sure people love my skating, I love it, and, in general, it is quite well marked. Just that it's different. Perhaps more technical. I don't think it's a bad thing. Besides, as I already said, it would be naive to expect a high 2nd mark after missing 4 years of competing. If I should do well in the other 2-3 competitions am sure the 2nd mark will start climbing up.
EV: Your coach's pupils usually understand the jumping technique really well. What is harder: the 3A or a quad? I know the single men have different opinions on that.
ET: A 3A is easier for me personally. It depends on your technique. If the 2A is learned right and is comfortable of course that's where the next jump will be. If the jump is uncomfortable to begin with adding another rotation is a huge stress for a skater. I thought about the quads. If I decided to learn a quad now it would probably be a lutz and not a toeloop. Becuase am very comfortable with the lutz.
EV: How do you explain the 3A was first landed by a lady 35 years ago, now several skaters, including you, successfully land it, yet the quads still remain a huge deal?
ET: First it's really hard and even mentally scary. I'm afraid to even think about it, even though when I was a kid I tried a 4T. More than that, had the competition back then been the way it is now am sure I could had learned that jump. Just that back then I didn't need to, especially having a 3A.
EV: Did a day off between the SP and the Lp bother your concentration?
ET: I'd rather skate without the breaks. It's emotionally eaiser. First it seems the day off allows to rest and recover better, but it's not true. Your mind is on the ice, you keep thinking of the competition, the elements, it tires. Though it's a matter of a habbit. In the 2014-15 season most of the competitions included a day off between the programmes. I got so used to it that felt uncomfortable if there wasn't a day between.
EV: I know you planned to do a lot of sight seeing in Vancouver. Were you able to?
ET: Not at all. I did plan to see the city, the old town but then I started thinking I might get tired, not get back on time, so perhaps I just should take a walk around the hotel and not go anywhere. So all my sightseeing summed up in shopping.
EV: Any good?
ET: Oh yes. Guess that's why I was in such a good mood going into my LP.
