Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with M. Trankov

[cathlen]

Very interesting interview from Elena Vaytsekhovskaya with Maxim Trankov: http://www.sport-express.ru/se-vele...a-ispolnyal-rol-geroya-vtorogo-plana-1253018/

And translation on FSU from invaluable TAHbKA: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/in...ov-i-was-a-background-player-in-sochi.101221/

I'm very pleasantly suprised he gets along with Robin Szolkowy so well. Not suprise that he and Ksenia couldn't share the ice They are both divas

But the most suprising for me was him openly talking about reputation scoring in competitions. I mean, fans are complaining about it all the time, but were there ever skater themselves admitting that they got reputation score? And that they were winning because of that despite not skating well?

Also, very nice to hear he enjoys Javi style of skating

 

[jace93]

Very interesting interview from Elena Vaytsekhovskaya with Maxim Trankov: http://www.sport-express.ru/se-vele...a-ispolnyal-rol-geroya-vtorogo-plana-1253018/

And translation on FSU from invaluable TAHbKA: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/in...ov-i-was-a-background-player-in-sochi.101221/

I'm very pleasantly suprised he gets along with Robin Szolkowy so well. Not suprise that he and Ksenia couldn't share the ice They are both divas

But the most suprising for me was him openly talking about reputation scoring in competitions. I mean, fans are complaining about it all the time, but were there ever skater themselves admitting that they got reputation score? And that they were winning because of that despite not skating well?

Also, very nice to hear he enjoys Javi style of skating

Very interesting read... I'm always surprised by how candid Trankov is in his interviewes.

 

[andromache]

So the perception that no one on Mozer's team gives a crap about making T/M the best they can be is real. At least Trankov has realized their potential. (Though T/M are very different than V/T in that V/T were medal hopes for at-home Olympics, and it's obvious that a metric ton of effort went into Russian figure skating for Sochi, and they are being much more conservative this time around. If Sochi was in 2018, T/M would be getting way more help from their team/RusFed than V/T would at a non-Russian games in 2014.

Ha, the main competition was between Tatiana and Aliona, not Maxim and Robin. Divas rule in pairs skating. (Though Trankov has always seemed like more of a diva than Tatiana.)

He was very impressed by Nathan Chen in Hackensack, and thinks singles men in Russia need to train at various different places rather than with just one coach in order to reach their full potential. (Interesting that the Russian, more insular approach to coaching has worked for ladies but not men.)

I'm not sure how I feel about him saying that he roots for Javier (whom I love) because he's the last top man who isn't Asian. Also happens to characterize that non-Asian man's skating as "truly male" in comparison to the others. As if the Asian men are not as male as Javi? Ummmmmmm there's some bad implications there, sorry.

Ladies skating has become as "Asian" as gymnastics and diving due to young ages? Did you watch the Summer Olympics? But he does praise Carolina Kostner in comparison to Alina, who can't "fill an arena" with her skating. Nice observation from someone who has seen them live.

Robin/Maxim bromance is my new favorite thing. Imagining them talking over beer about how hard it is to win with bad skates over skaters with less reputation who should've won that night...

 

[moriel]

"Also happens to characterize that non-Asian man's skating as "truly male" in comparison to the others."
He actually just said that specifically Javi's skating is "truly male". There were no such generalizations.

"Ladies skating has become as "Asian" as gymnastics and diving due". He said that, as those sports are becoming "asian". Its easier for girls that didnt grow up yet compete against asians.
(which makes sense because asian ladies tend to be less curvy than their european competition).

 

[Snow63]

His words about judging system are... interesting to say the least. Never really thought that he feels this way, especially considering that he benefited from it. But I'm glad that at least some of the top skaters, including Max and Robin, understand that it's not ALWAYS skill and performance that wins.

 

[icybear]

Funny how when talking about Javier all Asians rivals he ignored Boyang - recent bronze medallist but included Denis Ten who finished 16th. Is it really that painful to acknowledge him?

 

[lyndichee]

We didn't know how to look in the eyes of the guys who were better and lost.
After that conversation with Robin I realized I don't want to be a part of that system. Should the great champions skate badly I will not be able to mark them higher

I love this line. I never really liked some of Trankov's comments but I think that despite his strong opinions, he admits he is not invincible to bias. I think some fans in figure skating could take away from this comment and realize their biases. This would create a lot less hostility between fans.

 

[daphenaxa]

I'm not sure how I feel about him saying that he roots for Javier (whom I love) because he's the last top man who isn't Asian. Also happens to characterize that non-Asian man's skating as "truly male" in comparison to the others. As if the Asian men are not as male as Javi? Ummmmmmm there's some bad implications there, sorry.

when i read about that on twitter i was outraged but reading his interview now i am a bit unsure.

1st about the Asian thing i just don't get it. Mozer kinda said the same and i get that they are maybe talking about morphotypes that help rotating but cmon watch Patrick/Shoma and Yuzu/Boyang those are not the same morphotypes at all. So already saying they are advantaged because they are Asian is weird.

However, i don't think in that interview he equals being Asian to not being "truly male". He just says that it's "rare" nowadays and that Javi is "truly male" lol whatever it means. But i don't think it is connected to his Asian remarks before. And he is so complimentary about Nathan and Yuzu and Shoma. So that's weird idk. But again if it is I don't get it because those top Asian men really have very different styles.

Some very interesting bits though.

 

[beki]

It did seem to me that Trankov was using stereotypes about race and masculinity. I don't care to hear either of those.

What I can find to agree with is that I hope there will continue to be different kinds of body types in the top group, not only slender, boyish ones. But I don't see why there wouldn't be. Haven't Takeshi Honda, Michael Weiss and Brandon Mroz all been able to do the quad lutz?

While I appreciate what Trankov said about the judging system, that's exactly why we need him to participate. Hopefully he'll change his mind.

I also found it interesting that even a gold medalist's prospects can be limited. I feel that type of honesty is very useful.

Overall a worthwhile read. I find the frank Russian style in interviews refreshing, even if I disagree with what is said.