Alena Kostornaia Interview
- Thread starter LadyScarlatta
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- Nov 12, 2021
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Translation of the first 16 and a half minutes of the podcast. A is Alena, Z is Andrey Zhurankov, a sports journalist, E is Ekaterina Bobrova, the 2014 Olympic champion in the team competition.
E: Hello everyone! With you, the podcast "Skate Move", which we make in collaboration with the championship.com website. We are Ekaterina Bobrova and Andrey Zhurankov, and today we have a wonderful, very wonderful guest - European champion, winner of the Russian Cup final, international master of sports ...
Z: Winner of the Grand Prix Final!
E: What did I say?
Z: You said - the Cup of Russia.
E: You can go there too… Alena Kostornaya!
Z: Wow!
(applause)
E: Finally!
Z: I climb under the table (bends over and takes out a bouquet of flowers from under the table)
E: We have been waiting for you for so long and have been trying to meet with you for a very long time, and finally you are with us.
Z: Let's put a bouquet over there for beauty.
E: These flowers are for immediately cheer up.
Z: We have been waiting for Alena for more than a month, and now ... We are very glad that you got to us. Most importantly, how is your health?
A: Excellent!
Z: That's great!
E: Well, thank God!
Z: Exactly! Thank God!
E: My favorite question is how are you doing?
A: Everything is excellent too (laughs)
E: Great, so we can finish with this if everything is excellent (laughs).
Z: Well, then ... I don’t even know where to start. (to Ekaterina) Let's start from today.
E: Well, whatever you say. I will pick up what you say.
Z (to Alena): How do you feel now in CSKA?
A (laughing): Excellent!
(everyone laughs)
Z: Great! Do you train every day?
A: Yes, naturally.
Z: Twice a day?
A: Of course. No, well, there are days for rest, but these are pre-planned days.
Z: Understood. Well, how do you like the atmosphere that reigns there?
A: Training, working atmosphere. That's all. Everything as usual.
Z: Great.
E: Well, what about you… You know, I also have the experience of moving from one coach to another, and I was a little uncomfortable, because I didn’t train with a new coach. I could personally know him, communicate with him, but I had no idea how the workflow in the group works. And now when you came there now - how was it for you? You breathed a sigh of relief, are you comfortable now, or are you and Elena Germanovna still getting used to each other? How is it happening now?
A: I think that we study each other, but at the same time I can’t say that I ... Well, yes, the first two days when I went to training, I was even shaking, to be honest, I was very afraid. And now I’m going to training and now I kind of understand Elena Germanovna, I’m very, very comfortable. And I hope we get to know each other even better. But perhaps that was...
Z: Was it hard for you to go to training? You... Behind the scenes, Alyona told us that by her own calculations, she hadn't skated in 16 weeks.
A: Yes.
Z: 16 weeks without ice is very hard to imagine. This is probably the longest vacation of your life.
A: Yes, usually we go on vacation for three weeks and then get ready for a very long time. 16 weeks - it seems to me that this is even more than the quarantine lasted.
Z: Quarantine, which was in 2020? Well, yes, you seem to be right. Four months…
E: Probably, we will return to this issue later, but I still want to know about everything from the very beginning. Now we want to reveal you not only as an athlete, but also as a person. You can read a lot about you as an athlete everywhere, including on Wikipedia. Tell me how it all started. That's how I learned from what I read - your mother sent you to figure skating, but you didn’t want it from the very beginning. Tell me how it was, how did you end up falling in love with figure skating? What problems did you go through as a child?
Z: And when you fell in love with figure skating, tell me too ...
E: Yes, why did you beloved this sport?
A: I can probably remember my training process more or less accurately from about the time when I was six years old. And everything else, earlier - I was told. I have heard these stories many times.
Z: That is, your mother sent you to figure skating early?
E: Four years is not too early. standard age.
A: I just don’t remember myself at the age of four. I have ... filtering was on.
Z: Understood...
A: What I did not like - aside. It doesn't need to be memorized.
Z: And what happened, starting at the age of six?
A: The story itself [that is, the story of coming to figure skating] is as follows: I didn’t know how to fall, every fall ended in a fainting state for me. In a state of shock. And since I was an active child, the falls were not just “walking and stumbling.” I fell from trees, from playground slides, from swings - that was all the time. And they couldn't leave me with anyone. If I'm not mistaken, I didn't even have a babysitter, because no one could stand it - to look after me.
Mom, when she nevertheless gave me to someone, she said: “You must constantly hold her by the collar!”. These people answered: “Well, what are you, this is just a small child, what can happen to her?” But as soon as my mother turned away - and I was gone. And these people are completely bewildered: “But how is it? And where?". And mom turned to them and said: “I warned you!”.
And so I was sent to figure skating just so that I could learn to fall. I didn’t like it all very much, because it’s cold, wet, and they force you do something. But somehow Marina Evgenievna found an approach to me ...
Z: Cherkasova?
A: Yes, probably. Because at some point, when it was no longer necessary to throw me onto the ice and lock the gate so that I would not run away to the locker room ...
Z: And you could to do that?
A: Of course! Every time I was pushed onto the ice by coach almost by a kick. I didn't want to, I stood like this (puts her hands on her hips) and waited for this door to open. (laughs) And if one of the parents, taking their child out on the ice, did not close this gate, I quickly ran away - and then they found me in the locker room!
Z: And you were hiding in the far corner?
A: No, I brazenly satted down in my place and showed with all my appearance: “that's it, I skated enough”.
Z: How Marina Cherkasova was able to withstand it?
A: Well, we were all small! What claims can be made to a four-year-old child? Well, of course, I understand that now it's a different level. I saw someone say in a YouTube video that at the age of six you need to consciously, with thoughts, come to training and know what exactly needs to be done.
Z: And you believe it?
A: Of course not! What can you consciously do at the age of six?
Z: Well, that is, Marina Cherkasova, I think that many people know that there was a famous athlete. By the way, she did not see the potential for pair skating in you - after all, she herself skated in pairs? Or do you just not know it?
A: I don’t know for sure if she considered me as a pair skater, but I remember that there were moments when Marina Evgenievna said about me: “She will go far.”
E: You have such a character, and it seems to me that this character gives you the opportunity not to give up and move forward. We will definitely talk about this too. When, at what age did you realize, did you realize that you like it? What was the reason? Now many children say that they really like the situation in which at first nothing works out, they even want to give up everything and leave, and then it still works out. And it gives euphoria - maybe it was like that for you too?
A: Well, getting over yourself is always nice, no matter where. But if you remember my youngest age, I fell in love with figure skating through competitions. Because at competitions, my dad threw deers for me on the ice. Deer, seals, and I ... Moose also happened. That was my favorite part of figure skating.
E: Good goal!
Z: That is, in ordinary life it was impossible to get a deer, seal or moose?
A: Well, because we have something like this: I am a deer, and my brother is a seal. We were rarely even called by our real names. And it somehow stuck - it's not some kind of insult. Here is a deer! Deer children. Well, it happens. As my mother says, oranges do not grow on aspens. We have a very funny family
Z: We already understood that.
A: And I fell in love with figure skating through competitions, because there is always some kind of adrenaline, everyone applauded me, and I liked it all. I liked the interaction with the judges. That's when you go on skates past them, you look, and they are also like that - it seems like a small child is showing them something - it's funny. And I liked it all so much - it was the competition.
Z: That is, you are small - and already so you could flirt with the judges, right?
A: Yes, I love it. Working for the public is generally my love.
Z: Understood.
A: I have it since childhood, I guess.
Z: Is that why you have such final looks and gestures in free programs? And not only in free programs ...
A: Yes, it's constant.
Z: Is it fun?
A: Yes!
E: This is an integral part of the competition. All figure skaters are partly actors on the ice. We need to show a silent performance, a mini-performance, in four minutes.
Z: I remember this, we recently discussed this with the dancers ... Well, you fell in love with it, and then it went further and further and you moved to the group with Elena Vyacheslavovna Zhgun. Then you were 10 years old?
A: No...
Z: Not ten years old? Earlier, at eight?
A: I remember that I already [finished] the second grade. And yes, we already went to Elena Tchaikovskaya. So I was eight or nine years old.
Z: You talk about everything so cheerfully, but I will ask a boring question - when did your signature sliding appear?
A: I don't know... Nobody ever told me. On the contrary, they always told me that my skating is a nightmare, they said “you just don’t know how to skate.” It seems to me that it was Elena Vyacheslavovna who made a contribution to this, who constantly forced me. That is, at that time I did not remember the steps on the skates. To be honest, I still don't remember the steps. That is, if I work out the steps in the morning, and in the evening they ask me what I did, I will answer that I don’t remember. That is, when I did everything, then for me this is already unnecessary information. And I remember the situation when the older girls have already skated forward, and I stand and understand that I didn’t remember anything - and I skated after them with some of my own steps, turning either to the right or to the left. She tells me: “Alena, you did something wrong. Do what I showed you." And I stand and do not understand, I have tears.
But at the same time, no one ever scolded me for it. Elena Vyacheslavovna was very calm about this. And here I am standing, I have tears, I am in a panic and I don’t know what steps she showed me. And after my hysteria that lasted 15 minutes, we started with the easiest steps. Well, then at the beginning of each workout there was a slide. Plus sometimes there was additional skating. But I didn't like it very much. That is, it was much better for me to practice sliding with Elena Vyacheslavovna for a longer time than to go somewhere, to some skating rink, somewhere far away in the evening, at night, to practice sliding with dancers. I didn’t like it very much and tried not to linger for a long time after the main workout either.
E: Actually, I think it's very correct. Because it’s really different for you… Did you like these classes with dancers or not, that’s another question…
Z: What exactly is very correct not to work with dancers?
E: Well, that too. Because what they give you at these workouts, judging by the videos that I watched, is just a warm-up. And what is needed for sliding depends on the knees. And you really have this, and this sliding of yours is different from other skaters. Whenever they announce that Alena Kostornaya is performing, I look and see that you are sliding, skating, and not running on ice. This is very important, because in single skating this is immediately noticed.
Z: I have a question that we often ask and, in my opinion, this is just the question for you: is this ability to slide on ice - is it innate after all, or can this ability be acquired? What do you think, Alena?
A: Well...
Z: This is the feeling of sliding, the feeling of the edge.
A: The human body, the organism has no boundaries. Everything can be developed, any skill can be developed.
Z: Do you think that it is possible to develop? Or, rather, do you think that you developed it rather than that you had this ability by nature?
A: Well, I think so. You can look at my childhood performances and later ones - there is a difference. This means that it is an acquired ability.
Z: I don’t know, I still have a feeling that this is some kind of innate talent. This is my feeling.
E: No, talent also gives a big plus to sliding on ice, but Alena tells the truth - the human body can do a lot. It's just that everything should be in the aggregate - this is both choreography and gliding ...
Z: This is understandable, but, Alena - look: for some reason, when you appeared at the junior competitions, then in the first adult season, I immediately had an association (maybe I'm wrong and you will argue with me) with Patrick Chan. I will explain why - because your skate goes in one direction, you turned your body in the other direction. Chan had the same thing, he also liked to do this.
A: Well, it's just somehow worked out. They just did a good job with me at one moment, and the body itself remembered these sensations - that if I go there, it will be convenient to tilt in this direction. And then everything went by itself, you begin to understand - since you can do it to the right side, then you can probably repeat it to the left side. And so you try, try, try - and as a result, the direction is obtained later.
E: And the body bends as it should...
A: Yes...
Z: So that's how it all happened.
A: Yes, of course.
Z: And when, in what period was it? When did you train with Elena Vyacheslavovna?
A: This was developed both by Elena Vyacheslavovna and Eteri Georgievna, of course. That is, it's all together.
Z: Understood.
E: Do you consider sliding your strength, one of your advantages?
A: Yes, you can say that.
E: Well, well, you worked with your coach for a long time, and what happened after? Have you decided to move on to a new coach, that is, just to Eteri Georgievna?
A: It was originally planned differently. I went to show me to Elena Germanovna. Yes, even then I wanted to went to CSKA (laughs). And it was, of course, previously agreed with Elena Vyacheslavovna that I need to move on, and there is little chance of this if I remain in the same group.
E: So she agreed with that? This is very correct.
A: Yes, she agreed with that. She agreed that I need to move on and that I need a coach with whom I can enter the international arena. Because I had such an age: either you move on, or that's all - you finish. Well, I somehow ... I tried, they told me: "you are still small, come back later."
E: How old were you?
A: I was ten years old. Then there was just a case that I remember well - I was standing at the side, and there Elena Radionova came out, Sasha Proklova came out and looked at me with a mute question - “Who is this?”. And here they are warming up, and all this time I’m like: “Ah-ah-ah-ah!”. Well, you understand - these were my idols then. And I look at them and think: “Wow! How cool is that!” But they told me that I was still small and advised me to come a little later. And later I was already selected, even for the second time I was selected for junior competitions, and once I got into the same warm-up with the Tutberidze girls.
I look at them - here they are doing something and they are all so cheerful, happy. I think: “Damn, so they also win!”. And at one point, my mother opens the list of Khrustalny coaches to me, to whom I could go. And so I look, look, look and say to my mother: “to be honest, I don’t want to [go to one of them], they don’t inspire confidence in me.” She answers me: “Well, look - you can’t go here, you can’t go here either, but it’s useless here.” Well, Eteri Georgievna remained from the entire list and ... that's all. That is, Eteri Georgievna or Eteri Georgievna. Well, I say: "Okay, let's go and try."
We went and tried it, and they told me: “More likely yes than not.” Then I performed at another tournament - and calmly transfered to Tutberidze team.
E: Tell me, your mother sent you to figure skating and, as I understand it, she supported you, followed everything, decided which coaches to go to - but does she even understand your figure skating?
A: Yes.
E: And at what level - amateur, professional?
A: Mom is the person who for the last three years has simply shouted to me from behind the edge: “This is only the fifth flip-toe loop, but you need to do ten!”
E: Hello everyone! With you, the podcast "Skate Move", which we make in collaboration with the championship.com website. We are Ekaterina Bobrova and Andrey Zhurankov, and today we have a wonderful, very wonderful guest - European champion, winner of the Russian Cup final, international master of sports ...
Z: Winner of the Grand Prix Final!
E: What did I say?
Z: You said - the Cup of Russia.
E: You can go there too… Alena Kostornaya!
Z: Wow!
(applause)
E: Finally!
Z: I climb under the table (bends over and takes out a bouquet of flowers from under the table)
E: We have been waiting for you for so long and have been trying to meet with you for a very long time, and finally you are with us.
Z: Let's put a bouquet over there for beauty.
E: These flowers are for immediately cheer up.
Z: We have been waiting for Alena for more than a month, and now ... We are very glad that you got to us. Most importantly, how is your health?
A: Excellent!
Z: That's great!
E: Well, thank God!
Z: Exactly! Thank God!
E: My favorite question is how are you doing?
A: Everything is excellent too (laughs)
E: Great, so we can finish with this if everything is excellent (laughs).
Z: Well, then ... I don’t even know where to start. (to Ekaterina) Let's start from today.
E: Well, whatever you say. I will pick up what you say.
Z (to Alena): How do you feel now in CSKA?
A (laughing): Excellent!
(everyone laughs)
Z: Great! Do you train every day?
A: Yes, naturally.
Z: Twice a day?
A: Of course. No, well, there are days for rest, but these are pre-planned days.
Z: Understood. Well, how do you like the atmosphere that reigns there?
A: Training, working atmosphere. That's all. Everything as usual.
Z: Great.
E: Well, what about you… You know, I also have the experience of moving from one coach to another, and I was a little uncomfortable, because I didn’t train with a new coach. I could personally know him, communicate with him, but I had no idea how the workflow in the group works. And now when you came there now - how was it for you? You breathed a sigh of relief, are you comfortable now, or are you and Elena Germanovna still getting used to each other? How is it happening now?
A: I think that we study each other, but at the same time I can’t say that I ... Well, yes, the first two days when I went to training, I was even shaking, to be honest, I was very afraid. And now I’m going to training and now I kind of understand Elena Germanovna, I’m very, very comfortable. And I hope we get to know each other even better. But perhaps that was...
Z: Was it hard for you to go to training? You... Behind the scenes, Alyona told us that by her own calculations, she hadn't skated in 16 weeks.
A: Yes.
Z: 16 weeks without ice is very hard to imagine. This is probably the longest vacation of your life.
A: Yes, usually we go on vacation for three weeks and then get ready for a very long time. 16 weeks - it seems to me that this is even more than the quarantine lasted.
Z: Quarantine, which was in 2020? Well, yes, you seem to be right. Four months…
E: Probably, we will return to this issue later, but I still want to know about everything from the very beginning. Now we want to reveal you not only as an athlete, but also as a person. You can read a lot about you as an athlete everywhere, including on Wikipedia. Tell me how it all started. That's how I learned from what I read - your mother sent you to figure skating, but you didn’t want it from the very beginning. Tell me how it was, how did you end up falling in love with figure skating? What problems did you go through as a child?
Z: And when you fell in love with figure skating, tell me too ...
E: Yes, why did you beloved this sport?
A: I can probably remember my training process more or less accurately from about the time when I was six years old. And everything else, earlier - I was told. I have heard these stories many times.
Z: That is, your mother sent you to figure skating early?
E: Four years is not too early. standard age.
A: I just don’t remember myself at the age of four. I have ... filtering was on.
Z: Understood...
A: What I did not like - aside. It doesn't need to be memorized.
Z: And what happened, starting at the age of six?
A: The story itself [that is, the story of coming to figure skating] is as follows: I didn’t know how to fall, every fall ended in a fainting state for me. In a state of shock. And since I was an active child, the falls were not just “walking and stumbling.” I fell from trees, from playground slides, from swings - that was all the time. And they couldn't leave me with anyone. If I'm not mistaken, I didn't even have a babysitter, because no one could stand it - to look after me.
Mom, when she nevertheless gave me to someone, she said: “You must constantly hold her by the collar!”. These people answered: “Well, what are you, this is just a small child, what can happen to her?” But as soon as my mother turned away - and I was gone. And these people are completely bewildered: “But how is it? And where?". And mom turned to them and said: “I warned you!”.
And so I was sent to figure skating just so that I could learn to fall. I didn’t like it all very much, because it’s cold, wet, and they force you do something. But somehow Marina Evgenievna found an approach to me ...
Z: Cherkasova?
A: Yes, probably. Because at some point, when it was no longer necessary to throw me onto the ice and lock the gate so that I would not run away to the locker room ...
Z: And you could to do that?
A: Of course! Every time I was pushed onto the ice by coach almost by a kick. I didn't want to, I stood like this (puts her hands on her hips) and waited for this door to open. (laughs) And if one of the parents, taking their child out on the ice, did not close this gate, I quickly ran away - and then they found me in the locker room!
Z: And you were hiding in the far corner?
A: No, I brazenly satted down in my place and showed with all my appearance: “that's it, I skated enough”.
Z: How Marina Cherkasova was able to withstand it?
A: Well, we were all small! What claims can be made to a four-year-old child? Well, of course, I understand that now it's a different level. I saw someone say in a YouTube video that at the age of six you need to consciously, with thoughts, come to training and know what exactly needs to be done.
Z: And you believe it?
A: Of course not! What can you consciously do at the age of six?
Z: Well, that is, Marina Cherkasova, I think that many people know that there was a famous athlete. By the way, she did not see the potential for pair skating in you - after all, she herself skated in pairs? Or do you just not know it?
A: I don’t know for sure if she considered me as a pair skater, but I remember that there were moments when Marina Evgenievna said about me: “She will go far.”
E: You have such a character, and it seems to me that this character gives you the opportunity not to give up and move forward. We will definitely talk about this too. When, at what age did you realize, did you realize that you like it? What was the reason? Now many children say that they really like the situation in which at first nothing works out, they even want to give up everything and leave, and then it still works out. And it gives euphoria - maybe it was like that for you too?
A: Well, getting over yourself is always nice, no matter where. But if you remember my youngest age, I fell in love with figure skating through competitions. Because at competitions, my dad threw deers for me on the ice. Deer, seals, and I ... Moose also happened. That was my favorite part of figure skating.
E: Good goal!
Z: That is, in ordinary life it was impossible to get a deer, seal or moose?
A: Well, because we have something like this: I am a deer, and my brother is a seal. We were rarely even called by our real names. And it somehow stuck - it's not some kind of insult. Here is a deer! Deer children. Well, it happens. As my mother says, oranges do not grow on aspens. We have a very funny family
Z: We already understood that.
A: And I fell in love with figure skating through competitions, because there is always some kind of adrenaline, everyone applauded me, and I liked it all. I liked the interaction with the judges. That's when you go on skates past them, you look, and they are also like that - it seems like a small child is showing them something - it's funny. And I liked it all so much - it was the competition.
Z: That is, you are small - and already so you could flirt with the judges, right?
A: Yes, I love it. Working for the public is generally my love.
Z: Understood.
A: I have it since childhood, I guess.
Z: Is that why you have such final looks and gestures in free programs? And not only in free programs ...
A: Yes, it's constant.
Z: Is it fun?
A: Yes!
E: This is an integral part of the competition. All figure skaters are partly actors on the ice. We need to show a silent performance, a mini-performance, in four minutes.
Z: I remember this, we recently discussed this with the dancers ... Well, you fell in love with it, and then it went further and further and you moved to the group with Elena Vyacheslavovna Zhgun. Then you were 10 years old?
A: No...
Z: Not ten years old? Earlier, at eight?
A: I remember that I already [finished] the second grade. And yes, we already went to Elena Tchaikovskaya. So I was eight or nine years old.
Z: You talk about everything so cheerfully, but I will ask a boring question - when did your signature sliding appear?
A: I don't know... Nobody ever told me. On the contrary, they always told me that my skating is a nightmare, they said “you just don’t know how to skate.” It seems to me that it was Elena Vyacheslavovna who made a contribution to this, who constantly forced me. That is, at that time I did not remember the steps on the skates. To be honest, I still don't remember the steps. That is, if I work out the steps in the morning, and in the evening they ask me what I did, I will answer that I don’t remember. That is, when I did everything, then for me this is already unnecessary information. And I remember the situation when the older girls have already skated forward, and I stand and understand that I didn’t remember anything - and I skated after them with some of my own steps, turning either to the right or to the left. She tells me: “Alena, you did something wrong. Do what I showed you." And I stand and do not understand, I have tears.
But at the same time, no one ever scolded me for it. Elena Vyacheslavovna was very calm about this. And here I am standing, I have tears, I am in a panic and I don’t know what steps she showed me. And after my hysteria that lasted 15 minutes, we started with the easiest steps. Well, then at the beginning of each workout there was a slide. Plus sometimes there was additional skating. But I didn't like it very much. That is, it was much better for me to practice sliding with Elena Vyacheslavovna for a longer time than to go somewhere, to some skating rink, somewhere far away in the evening, at night, to practice sliding with dancers. I didn’t like it very much and tried not to linger for a long time after the main workout either.
E: Actually, I think it's very correct. Because it’s really different for you… Did you like these classes with dancers or not, that’s another question…
Z: What exactly is very correct not to work with dancers?
E: Well, that too. Because what they give you at these workouts, judging by the videos that I watched, is just a warm-up. And what is needed for sliding depends on the knees. And you really have this, and this sliding of yours is different from other skaters. Whenever they announce that Alena Kostornaya is performing, I look and see that you are sliding, skating, and not running on ice. This is very important, because in single skating this is immediately noticed.
Z: I have a question that we often ask and, in my opinion, this is just the question for you: is this ability to slide on ice - is it innate after all, or can this ability be acquired? What do you think, Alena?
A: Well...
Z: This is the feeling of sliding, the feeling of the edge.
A: The human body, the organism has no boundaries. Everything can be developed, any skill can be developed.
Z: Do you think that it is possible to develop? Or, rather, do you think that you developed it rather than that you had this ability by nature?
A: Well, I think so. You can look at my childhood performances and later ones - there is a difference. This means that it is an acquired ability.
Z: I don’t know, I still have a feeling that this is some kind of innate talent. This is my feeling.
E: No, talent also gives a big plus to sliding on ice, but Alena tells the truth - the human body can do a lot. It's just that everything should be in the aggregate - this is both choreography and gliding ...
Z: This is understandable, but, Alena - look: for some reason, when you appeared at the junior competitions, then in the first adult season, I immediately had an association (maybe I'm wrong and you will argue with me) with Patrick Chan. I will explain why - because your skate goes in one direction, you turned your body in the other direction. Chan had the same thing, he also liked to do this.
A: Well, it's just somehow worked out. They just did a good job with me at one moment, and the body itself remembered these sensations - that if I go there, it will be convenient to tilt in this direction. And then everything went by itself, you begin to understand - since you can do it to the right side, then you can probably repeat it to the left side. And so you try, try, try - and as a result, the direction is obtained later.
E: And the body bends as it should...
A: Yes...
Z: So that's how it all happened.
A: Yes, of course.
Z: And when, in what period was it? When did you train with Elena Vyacheslavovna?
A: This was developed both by Elena Vyacheslavovna and Eteri Georgievna, of course. That is, it's all together.
Z: Understood.
E: Do you consider sliding your strength, one of your advantages?
A: Yes, you can say that.
E: Well, well, you worked with your coach for a long time, and what happened after? Have you decided to move on to a new coach, that is, just to Eteri Georgievna?
A: It was originally planned differently. I went to show me to Elena Germanovna. Yes, even then I wanted to went to CSKA (laughs). And it was, of course, previously agreed with Elena Vyacheslavovna that I need to move on, and there is little chance of this if I remain in the same group.
E: So she agreed with that? This is very correct.
A: Yes, she agreed with that. She agreed that I need to move on and that I need a coach with whom I can enter the international arena. Because I had such an age: either you move on, or that's all - you finish. Well, I somehow ... I tried, they told me: "you are still small, come back later."
E: How old were you?
A: I was ten years old. Then there was just a case that I remember well - I was standing at the side, and there Elena Radionova came out, Sasha Proklova came out and looked at me with a mute question - “Who is this?”. And here they are warming up, and all this time I’m like: “Ah-ah-ah-ah!”. Well, you understand - these were my idols then. And I look at them and think: “Wow! How cool is that!” But they told me that I was still small and advised me to come a little later. And later I was already selected, even for the second time I was selected for junior competitions, and once I got into the same warm-up with the Tutberidze girls.
I look at them - here they are doing something and they are all so cheerful, happy. I think: “Damn, so they also win!”. And at one point, my mother opens the list of Khrustalny coaches to me, to whom I could go. And so I look, look, look and say to my mother: “to be honest, I don’t want to [go to one of them], they don’t inspire confidence in me.” She answers me: “Well, look - you can’t go here, you can’t go here either, but it’s useless here.” Well, Eteri Georgievna remained from the entire list and ... that's all. That is, Eteri Georgievna or Eteri Georgievna. Well, I say: "Okay, let's go and try."
We went and tried it, and they told me: “More likely yes than not.” Then I performed at another tournament - and calmly transfered to Tutberidze team.
E: Tell me, your mother sent you to figure skating and, as I understand it, she supported you, followed everything, decided which coaches to go to - but does she even understand your figure skating?
A: Yes.
E: And at what level - amateur, professional?
A: Mom is the person who for the last three years has simply shouted to me from behind the edge: “This is only the fifth flip-toe loop, but you need to do ten!”
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- Nov 12, 2021
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Excuse me for interrupting just in training with Tutberidze, but I already don’t have time today. So far, I can note that the word "deer" ("олень", alen') in Russian is consonant with the name Alena - that's probably why the nickname arose. Also, the word "deer" rhymes with the word "seal" ("тюлень", tyulen').
As I can see, the discussion of this material has somewhat gone beyond the usual fan-thread. Maybe someone should make a separate topic in another section. Otherwise, we can all get points for violating the rules.
As I can see, the discussion of this material has somewhat gone beyond the usual fan-thread. Maybe someone should make a separate topic in another section. Otherwise, we can all get points for violating the rules.
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Ah, I love this! Thank you for the explanation of the sound similarities!
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And who doesn't believe her every word and doesn't think that Eteri is an evil witch is not her true fan, right?Aliona poured her heart out in that interview, and yet, the usual actors are still here being dismissive, basically calling her a liar and trying to justify team tut's abuse...lovely
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from what we have seen of Aliona the last few years, i can say it has all been consistent. her personality and demeanor has been the same- she has always, always spoke her mind, never sugarcoated anything, advocated for herself, and never hesitated to speak up when something was wrong or bothered her. i can't recall there's ever been a time something she has said did not line up with what actually happened. this interview is consistent with that and as of now, i have no reason to question her or think she is lying.
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And I didn't have to die for it....Thank you! I've read what she said and I'm so sad that some people always try to make something out of nothing. I'd die to watch that video though...
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I think it's totally pointless to start again the never-ending argument about TT, especially here, in Aliona's Fan Fest. We love her no matter what, but she's not flawless, we see her weaknesses, the mistakes she's made etc. etc. And it's the same with the coaching staff. Nobody is an angel, they/we are all humans who, as such, can't be perfect. So I'd like to ask my fellow posters here to stop demonizing the coaching staff all the time, at least, as I mentioned, here in Aliona's Fan Fest (and in other FFs of course). Thank you!
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- Mar 30, 2022
It's great that Aliona is strong enough to stand up for herself. I worry that the others, the younger ones, like Valieva, are still too naive to understand what an unhealthy situation is. Med had the guts, and self awareness, to leave that situation, and came back due to travel restrictions. Let's hope she and Aliona can steer the younger women to something better. Those kids deserve it.Apparently, the worth of a child's (and future adult's) mental and physical health is one Olympic Gold Medal. Good to know…
As for Aliona: The skating world owes her one big apology and I hope she realises how brave she is for laying it out there like that, without sugarcoating anything. Nothing she said came as a surprise, everything has been confirmed by the coaches themselves or other athletes. If anyone still continues to support the coaches, despite the overwhelming evidence and testaments to their abusive methods, they should take a long, hard look at themselves, their values and, how much a young girl is worth it to them.
For Aliona, as well as Anna, Kamila, Sasha and all the other girls harmed by TeamTutberidze'd abuse, I hope for only good things to come their way. Aliona is working with a psychologist, at least, so that should be helpful in unlearning some of the harmful mindsets ingrained in her by the adults in her life. She's a fantastic skater and a gift to this sport, but more importantly than that she's her own person and deserves to feel happy and valued. I hope she finds people (that includes coaches, ball's in Buyanova's court now…) that, finally, do just that.
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I'm new here, so I don't want to offend, but that is kind of the elephant in the room, isn't it? We all respect these athletes, and want what's best. It sucks to see some of the more toxic aspects of this camp, and that's because we want to see the skaters succeed.
If you really want to continue this, then I say, first read how Aliona talks about her mother in connection with her training, the tone is similar to how she talks about her coaches. Does she think her mother is "toxic". I don't think so. Second, the important thing is in that interview Aliona talks with smile, not like she reveals some dark secrets of her past. Third, her words need to be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, when she was leaving the team two years ago, she complained she was on the ice with little kids, now she talks about that her team was preventing her to interact with little kids. Those are obviously some very particular situations, that were changed in mind as a rule. That's not I'm critical to Aliona, that's completely normal thing and I myself am critical to myself enough to understand I do it too sometimes. Something like when after several years you recall school, previous job etc. and some particular moments cover the rest. And fourth, if you read that, you still relize Aliona definitely respects Eteri even though she disagrees with her on something.
I'm mentioning her mother again, remember she tried to persuade Aliona staying with TT. I don't think she would do that if she would think about some "toxicity".
Is Eteri Tutberidze (and the other members of her coaching team) perfect, flawless people who never made a mistake or bad judgement? Definitely not and TBH I'm glad for it.
And, last but not least, I do think this is not a debate for a FF.
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"Skating parents" (meaning parents who are chasing success for their children first and foremost) are very much real and the behaviour of Aliona's mother, as described by her, was extremely wrong as well. In fact, the girl went from being verbally abused at training to having her mother tear her down at home as well. It's incredibly sad to even think about.
They seem to be doing better now, thankfully, but it took them quite a while, including Aliona moving out and her mother backing off, i.e being less controlling. She literally said all of this. Does she need to cry for the weight of her statements to sink in?
As for the parts with the little kids … it's interesting how a) you're cherry picking tiny details to discredit everything Aliona said, b) ignore the incredibly problematic stuff she addressed and c) your argument doesn't even make sense. She said she was being discouraged from directly interacting with the little kids, talking to them in the locker room etc. Being sent to skate on the same ice as them as punishment (for what exactly, by the way? Not being able to land her jumps and being frustrated… very healthy coaching techniques), has little if anything to do with this.
Matter of fact is that people didn't bring up TeamTutberidze without reason. Aliona HERSELF described everything that was going on there and this directly concerns her. You can choose to continue ignore everything she said and claim she lied or exaggerated. That is your right. But you can't expect people to do the same. Especially not when Aliona's claims are internally consistent and consistent with what other skaters (and coaches themselves) have revealed about the camp and its practices.
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I've always been fascinated by the Russian skaters and gymnasts because of the deep-rooted influences of ballet and dance, which makes them different than any other country in these sports. But it's kind of difficult to discuss Russian skaters and not discuss the complicated realities of the system. They are intertwined.
I agree, I just want to point out that the true "realities of the system" (no matter if it's about skating or something else) are very often different from how people in the west imagine it. I myself verified that when it came to my own country. And it doesn't have to be just about "east-west" differencies, it is related even to such things as how a particular thing is refered in media and how it differs from reality even within my own country. I myself experienced a situation when four "eye-witnesses" (it wasn't a crime
) refered about the very same thing completely differently, which was caused by different attitude, different sympathies and different expectations. So, that's why I rarely haste with any judgement.- Joined
- Mar 30, 2022
I understand there are cultural differences in how people in the west respond to a system like Sambo 70 but when you read or hear about some of the more extreme methods, such as restricted water intake during competitions, or training while injured, and hear from the athletes themselves, its beyond cultural differences. Eteri is going to be under the hot lights when the doping trial gets underway, so it will be interesting to see how she responds.I agree, I just want to point out that the true "realities of the system" (no matter if it's about skating or something else) are very often different from how people in the west imagine it. I myself verified that when it came to my own country. And it doesn't have to be just about "east-west" differencies, it is related even to such things as how a particular thing is refered in media and how it differs from reality even within my own country. I myself experienced a situation when four "eye-witnesses" (it wasn't a crime
Well what you named are exactly the things I was talking about, twisted (like that about the water intake)), partially received with ignorance, not in derogatory way, just plain lack of familiarity, like in the case of "training while injured". Of course, in some cases it's also the case of settling two different sets of rules for two same cases, which unfortunately happens very often. There is hardly a single top athlete throughout all sports all around the world, who does not train or compete while he is injured, and figure skating is no exception in this.
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Aliona gave a very long, very frank interview. Are you seriously trying to enforce a new rule banning the content of her interviews from her fan fest now?
No, you're right. Let's continue to comment on too-small dresses instead. That's what being a fan is all about, right?
Quoting the exchange for reference:
> Twilight dress is a bit too small for her now..
I guess a few of us here don't really mind that... Sorry, it was just too tempting!
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