Interview with Rafael Arutyunyan

[GGFan]

Hat tip to the Nathan Chen thread for the heads up. Today TSL interviewed Raf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQLeq5JKnI&frags=pl,wn

Thoughts:

1. Fascinating interview overall. I'd never really sat down and listened to Raf. It took me a few minutes to train my brain to understand everything, but it was worth it. He's very wise.

2. On the recent trend of quads and triple axels by youngsters: "You’re killing your bones. You’re killing your joints." I think this is a valid concern. I hope some of these girls don't end up messing up their bodies permanently.

3. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of warmth he has for Adam and Ashley. I guess I'd stereotyped him as someone who didn't share his feelings. He was quite open in saying he missed them.

4. He is so straightforward and honest. It never comes across as rude though. According to Raf, Michelle Kwan was always very professional. Adam and Ashley "became professional." Nathan reminds him of Michelle in his level of professionalism.

5. Did I mention straightforward? Comparison between Adam and Ashley leading up to the Olympics: he put the work in. He was more hungry.

6. His thoughts on Marin's previous coaching situation were especially interesting. He is much more progressive than I thought. He views his job quite broadly and seemed to be very in tune with the psychological state of his skaters and their motivation.

7. Loved his points about our pairs. He said in Russia they put together two single skaters who can do all the jumps while here we put together skaters who cannot jump.

8. Finally there was my favorite quote. Raf was discussing why skater's opinions of their own skating is not as valuable as his own analysis of their skating: "They have feelings. I have eyes." Well played sir!

 

[MarinHondas]

Glad he cleared the rumor of Marin being lazy. Very little talk of Mariah Bell, only saying she can still be competitive at nationals.... great. Good interview. Definitely agree with him on changing the age limit.

 

[GGFan]

Glad he cleared the rumor of Marin being lazy. Very little talk of Mariah Bell, only saying she can still be competitive at nationals.... great. Good interview. Definitely agree with him on changing the age limit.

I would be interested to hear what others think but my feeling was that between the lines he was saying: I got her too late but we will see what I can do. At best he seemed to indicate that she will have an Angela Nikodinov type of career (i.e. 3rd and 4th place at Nationals annually but never making a mark internationally).

 

[Tavi...]

Hat tip to the Nathan Chen thread for the heads up. Today TSL interviewed Raf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQLeq5JKnI&frags=pl,wn

Thoughts:

1. Fascinating interview overall. I'd never really sat down and listened to Raf. It took me a few minutes to train my brain to understand everything, but it was worth it. He's very wise.

2. On the recent trend of quads and triple axels by youngsters: "You’re killing your bones. You’re killing your joints." I think this is a valid concern. I hope some of these girls don't end up messing up their bodies permanently.

3. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of warmth he has for Adam and Ashley. I guess I'd stereotyped him as someone who didn't share his feelings. He was quite open in saying he missed them.

4. He is so straightforward and honest. It never comes across as rude though. According to Raf, Michelle Kwan was always very professional. Adam and Ashley "became professional." Nathan reminds him of Michelle in his level of professionalism.

5. Did I mention straightforward? Comparison between Adam and Ashley leading up to the Olympics: he put the work in. He was more hungry.

6. His thoughts on Marin's previous coaching situation were especially interesting. He is much more progressive than I thought. He views his job quite broadly and seemed to be very in tune with the psychological state of his skaters and their motivation.

7. Loved his points about our pairs. He said in Russia they put together two single skaters who can do all the jumps while here we put together skaters who cannot jump.

8. Finally there was my favorite quote. Raf was discussing why skater's opinions of their own skating is not as valuable as his own analysis of their skating: "They have feelings. I have eyes." Well played sir!

Thanks so much for the summary - I look forward to listening.

 

[lurkz2]

I would be interested to hear what others think but my feeling was that between the lines he was saying: I got her too late but we will see what I can do. At best he seemed to indicate that she will have an Angela Nikodinov type of career (i.e. 3rd and 4th place at Nationals annually but never making a mark internationally).

I got the impression that the Angela Nikodinov career was doable (and not the best case scenario), but of course they were going for more. Coupled with what he said about quads being doable for Jason Brown, it felt like a dig at Kori Ade (their previous coach).

 

[alexaa]

I got the impression that the Angela Nikodinov career was doable (and not the best case scenario), but of course they were going for more. Coupled with what he said about quads being doable for Jason Brown, it felt like a dig at Kori Ade (their previous coach).

He was asked about if Jason can do quad, and he is positive about Jason can do it, and it was Jonathan who started with if Jason needs new information and Raf responded. I guess it is impossible not to reflect on what the previous coach did.

 

[Tavi...]

I found this a very interesting interview, although I sometimes found it hard to understand Raf, and even listening closely I think I missed some things. That said, I came away with a surprisingly positive impression.

Some things that struck me:

In the past, he was very competitive (as a coach). He never expected to produce World medalists. Now that he has, his focus has shifted more to helping / giving back / making sport better.

The new Anaheim Ducks practice facility will have four rinks, and one will be completely dedicated to figure skating. He hopes to establish an academy there. His vision is that coaches will come with their skaters; he will give them new ideas and then have coaches first work with his (Raf’s) students; after that they will work with their own skaters (while still at the academy) to try to apply those techniques and discuss how it is working. He thinks that’s a better approach then just him working directly with the students without the coach being there.

He enjoyed having Kolyada there and it was fun to watch him and Nathan together. He thinks Kolyada may have picked up a few ideas. He thinks it will not be easy for Kolyada to return periodically - in Russia they don’t have as many private sponsors so it would probably be hard for him to afford.

He thinks ISU rule changes should be implemented more slowly so that coaches have time to make appropriate adjustments. I think he would like four years between adoption and implementation of new rules - for example, if they are going to heavily penalize a flutz, fixing that takes time.

Asked about the new crop of Russian girls who do quads, he basically thinks the ISU and doctors should step in and say that it’s dangerous for young skaters to pound their bodies like this because they aren’t fully developed and they can damage cartilage and growth plates and hips. He did not discuss Nathan’s injuries so I’m not sure how much that informed his opinion.

He thinks that becoming World champion has changed Nathan (positively) and that he may have learned a lesson at the Olympics about continually changing jumps at last minute. Raf wishes he could dictate but he can only suggest. He’s not sure how the long distance coaching relationship with Nathan will work - they’ll take it step by step, but he thinks Nathan is very professional / knows how to practice. They may use Skype sometimes. It sounded like at the moment Nathan isn’t interested in working with a coach near Yale.

He thinks Gracie is a beautiful girl and great jumper and can return if she really wants to but because she took a long time off it will take time for her to get back - it will not be quick.

He think Med made a great choice going to Orser - he thinks she moved because she saw in her prior coaching situation she would be getting less attention and support, that whether she can reach her goal (Olympics) is open to question but Brian is the perfect coach to encourage and support her.

He loves Hanyu, thinks he’s a wonderful jumper.

He thinks Mariah is making progress and can be competitive within the US; beyond that they’ll see what she can do.

He thinks Ashley lost motivation after winning her World medal. He misses Adam and Ashley a lot; they’re both busy now but he thinks they will eventually return to the rink and work with him. I got the impression he meant as coaches rather that they would be continuing as competitors. But I could be wrong.

Regarding Jason he had very brief comments- he thinks he can get quad, he has no problem with jumping or rotation, just needs correct information. I got the feeling Raf was being a bit diplomatic here and did not want to criticize Kori, but again, that’s just my impression.

That’s all I was able to retain! It’s definitely worth listening to.

 

[GGFan]

Thanks for that detailed summary. I know there are posters who will not listen for various reasons, so you've done them a great service!

 

[andromache]

He thinks Ashley lost motivation after winning her World medal. He misses Adam and Ashley a lot; they’re both busy now but he thinks they will eventually return to the rink and work with him. I got the impression he meant as coaches rather that they would be continuing as competitors. But I could be wrong.

I can't imagine seeing Ashley and Adam as coaches (neither seems to be the type) but I wouldn't be surprised if they return to Raf for periodic "tune-ups" for their show skating. I also think they could be very valuable in giving occasional feedback and lessons to younger skaters on musicality and emoting.

 

[MasterB]

He came accross as someone who is very grateful for the success he has had. With his limited English he does not have the luxury of mincing words he gets straight to the point.

 

[alexaa]

1. on skaters helping skaters in Lakewood

Raf said Adam and Ashley are quite busy now, but he is sure they will come back to help. Per Raf, Adam helped Nathan a lot, and Nathan helped Brezina a lot. Adam, Ashley and Nathan are wonderful group of people and helped him a lot. With Nathan leaving, it is going to be a little hard. Senior skaters at his rink passed on information to the younger ones. I guess that explains the warm relationship among Raf's kids. They like to help each other out.

Here is clip of Romain Ponsart's IG story from last Friday. Raf was observing his kids while Nathan was coaching Romain. He mentioned that sometimes he would not talk while coaching.

https://twitter.com/nwcgold2018/status/1028108681827643393

2.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of warmth he has for Adam and Ashley. I guess I'd stereotyped him as someone who didn't share his feelings. He was quite open in saying he missed them.

https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/982395231202144257

GGFan, I am not sue if you've seen this tweet from Adam back in April when SOI started. In the very beginning of tour, Adam, Ashley, Nathan were always spotted together. Adam texted Raf "we miss you" with a selfie of the trio and Raf replied back " I miss you too".

3. Raf replied that he would rather working with coaches and share his knowledge than working as a coach when asked if he would like to retire in 20 years.

4. on Sasha Cohen: Raf said that he started working with Sasha when she was 14, long before their official relationship started. He just came to the US at the time, and John Nicks gave him permission to help Sasha.

 

[iorii]

https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/982395231202144257

GGFan, I am not sue if you've seen this tweet from Adam back in April when SOI started. In the very beginning of tour, Adam, Ashley, Nathan were always spotted together. Adam texted Raf "we miss you" with a selfie of the trio and Raf replied back " I miss you too".

I remember this! It's very cute. You have this image of scary, grumpy man who admits honestly and replies 'I miss you too.' Tough coach with soft side.

Marin is still on 'scary phase,' I hope she will be able to bond with Raf in a way soon. (because living abroad while being that young can be hard sometimes, I hope she'll be able to rely on her coach more)

 

[andromache]

1

2.


https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/982395231202144257

GGFan, I am not sue if you've seen this tweet from Adam back in April when SOI started. In the very beginning of tour, Adam, Ashley, Nathan were always spotted together. Adam texted Raf "we miss you" with a selfie of the trio and Raf replied back " I miss you too".

This is the most precious thing I have ever seen. Thank you for sharing. I love Raf!

 

[rikaquegira]

I loved this interview! He's very direct and honest. Surprisingly, he seemed very lovely to me. Kind of a tough love, but very lovely. And so grateful! I liked that he thinks he has achieved everything and now it's time to give.

About Eunsoo Lim, he was very direct as always: she's very good, good jumps, but she messes up a lot!
He said it takes time to do meaningful work with a skater. He always begs for two years.

About Marin Honda, what I understood he said was that Marin didn't work as hard because she lost motivation and Hamada didn't fix that lack of motivation. He said his job is everything, including motivating his students. So I guess Marin must be putting the work in now that she had this big change. So I guess it was a great decision from her, to move to Raf.

Another funny part of the interview was when he was asked if he was surprised by Nathan's SP in the Olympics. He said he wasn't, he knew it. Because Nathan kept changing the program. That was something I didn't know, if it was Nathan's decision alone to keep changing the layout or if Raf had something to do with it. Nathan should've listened to his coach!

About Adam and Ashley, it's so cute how he smiles and his eyes shine when talking about Adam's success and about they coming back to the rink some time. He said he's sure they'll come back. :luv17: Not to train for competitions, but just to keep skating and also help him out(at least that's what I understood).

Oh, another thing he said I thought it was interesting was about asking Adam why he skated and Adam said "because I love it" and Raf said, no. "This is your business". He said if Adam loved skating he should go to the public session. He said skating was his business. And from that conversation he thought Adam started to get it. And now he's super successful. So, good coaching, Raf!

 

[mishulyia]

I agree re: Ashley and Adam, they could always choreograph as well.

 

[leoleo]

About Eunsoo Lim, he was very direct as always: she's very good, good jumps, but she messes up a lot!
He said it takes time to do meaningful work with a skater. He always begs for two years.

About Marin Honda, what I understood he said was that Marin didn't work as hard because she lost motivation and Hamada didn't fix that lack of motivation. He said his job is everything, including motivating his students. So I guess Marin must be putting the work in now that she had this big change. So I guess it was a great decision from her, to move to Raf.

He's speaking quite nicely of Marin and Eunsoo so far, that's good. I love them and i really want to see them both improve with him. Is that all he said about them? I'm curious but I don't want to give TSL a single view lol

 

[rikaquegira]

He's speaking quite nicely of Marin and Eunsoo so far, that's good. I love them and i really want to see them both improve with him. Is that all he said about them? I'm curious but I don't want to give TSL a single view lol

Yes, he talked little about them, but only positive things.
Dave Lease asked about Marin, saying "she's very talented and.." and Raf was already like "yesss, very talented", he seemed like, really impressed about her, as we all are.
About Eunsoo I felt he didn't have the same kind of reaction, which I get. Marin is like this natural talent who just need some good training. Eunsoo is less gifted but he praised her jumps, just said she messes up a lot. He said he works on consistency. From I understood, I think he said it needs time, things won't magically happen. It was after talking about Eunsoo that he said he needs time to make significant changes with a skater. So I guess he was saying that Eunsoo's consistency won't happen right away, it will take time.

 

[charlotte14]

Marin is very talented but whenever I see her takeoff in the toe jumps I feel hopeless. Will Raf fix that?

 

[shine]

There was another short clip of Raf being interviewed from a week or two ago. I don’t remember exactly but I think it might Have been part of The Ice broadcast. He talked so positively of Marin saying something like how she’s a very special skater; the way she responds to music and her edges are really a gift from God. It was heart warming to hear him speak of her like that and I can see how he is dedicated to making things work for her.

 

[Jaana]

Thanks for the interview link! Raf always gives such great and highly interesting interviews...