"I do not have Groundhog Days, every day is different"
Alexander Petrov skater won the international tournament "Nebelhorn Trophy" in Oberstdorf. After the competition, the athlete was interviewed by journalist Tatiana Flade.
Sasha, tell us about the preparation for this season?
- First, we went to Canada, where I worked on the short program, and Liza Tuktamysheva worked on her free program. We arrived to a fairly large group - Alexei Mishin, Tatiana Prokofieva, Liza Tuktamysheva, Evgeny Semenenko, Petr Gumennik, Alisa Lozko and Liza Nugumanova. Alexei held a workshop, and for five days we closely and productively worked on new programs. We rolled these productions at the next gathering in Tartu, which came Misha Ge and Carolina Kostner. Carolina practice jumps with Alexei Nikolayevich and I, Liza, Artur Dmitriev worked on programs. Misha Ge worked with me on the free program, to finish the program we went to Benoit Richaud in Courchevel. The program at that time was still raw, just set, and with Benoit we finished it.
Between camps, before Switerland, we returned for a week to St Petersburg. The others continued to train and I went on vacation, to the sea, to put myself in order, and with renewed forces to start preparing for the season. In Switzerland, I had to work on the stamina, at an altitude. I rolled the program, trained quadruple toe loop. But 40 percent of the time allotted for training, missed due to illness. Not to say that I had a temperature, I just felt bad. Perhaps affected acclimatization, that I started training right after the holidays and made known to the sharp drop height, abrupt load. To name the reason I can not. As a result, training in Switzerland, I was not that frustrated, but not full out. Therefore, in Tartu we took everything to the maximum. And preparations for the season, in principle, different from what it was last year. This time we did not go to Turkey for obvious reasons. But what is there to replace the collection of Switzerland (if you do not take me personally) we can say that it has paid off.
Not to say that now I'm in perfect shape, but gradually go into the season. For the tournament in Finland I will try (I do not want to think and promise), but I will try to prepare a quadruple toe loop. It is now my primary task. Returning St. Petersburg and on Monday will go out on the ice, I will work as usual, but with a focus on the quad toe loop.
Why do you think you are having difficulty with this jump? In training, it turns out?
- It's hard to say why. In training, I obtained 40 percent [success rate], it is in its raw state. I think as long as I do not feel that the quad fully, I will not paste it into the program. Therefore, in Oberstdorf, this task was not set.
Do you find it psychologically difficult ?
- Perhaps yes. But everything comes with time, and gradually the quad will become more of my jump. My inner attitude has changed. Not that I go, I will try and go and do. It's a little different. So quad gradually enters the stage where I will go and just do it. I think that the programs will work out.
You're in the second season at the senior level. What is the difference from the first year of performances, how have you changed?
- No drastic changes have taken place in me, but in a sense, I definitely grew up, became more experienced. In the first season for an adult I had a task to show themselves, to show, to express themselves. I think it worked out. From this perspective, the first season was productive. The second is just beginning. It will be more difficult, because its a pre-Olympic season. It so happens that we have only two places in the men's figure skating at the world championships. It is necessary to seek a third. Now the task is in front of our team. In ice dance the same position.
This puts additional pressure on the athletes?
- The responsibility is colossal. But I will say for himself. My opinion is that you need to go to the start and do your own, that you know how. I hope that this season will be able to show the quad, and grow in the sense not to be known as "irrelevant" when the athlete comes to the adult level, and continues to do that in juniors. I have to get fully stronger not physically, not mentally, but to prove to myself that I'm worthy to perform at a high level.
You have an interesting free program about events in America in the 50s. Do you like this time period?
- I do not know, but I'm really attractively those times, wondering how people were living like dressing up. And it's not that it was stylish, just in this present some charm. If there was a time machine, I would be happy to send at the time and saw everything with my own eyes.
Many people your age are interested in very different - not the past and the future, but science fiction, flying machines ...
- What will be in the future, perhaps, interesting to all. But wait and see.
You will have a saturated season - this tournament is over, ahead is "Finlandia Trophy", two Grand Prix ...
- Between Finland and Canada will stage another event in Nice, where he will participate in the last year. Perhaps this experience - act in such a rhythm, in a schedule to be on our toes all the time. Do not balance, and be prepared for the fact that in any difficult situation to be able to show their maximum.
You've been in such a beautiful city ground - Courchevel, Oberstdorf, Nice ... you able to see something, to take a walk?
- In fact, the competition is not so much free time. But even if you go from the hotel to the rink here in Oberstdorf, then the window you can see beautiful scenery. It seems to me that for the sake of it and to live, to travel around the world and watch the beautiful places, but also, of course, to speak, to go for their dreams. So far I have everything going well. Hopefully, talking about it, it does not turn into a jinx.
Where else would you like to go?
- In Europe, I have been to many places, but I would like to take a trip to the UK and Amsterdam. And so - in Australia I would like to visit the East. This year I will go to China for the first time in my life. I will play there on the stage of the Grand Prix.
You're still studying at school?
-Last year. This season will be more difficult for me, and in this regard, because I will finish the 11th grade, take the state exams and go to college. The season will be difficult, and in sports and in school. And I will go for driving courses, and it will be necessary to obtain a driver's license. It's very tight, but it's cool, because you can not afford to connect everything together. Not that coming home and whine, it is bad, it's not happened, and rejoice even minor victories over himself. Every day is not ideal - it turns out that that is not present. We must draw the right conclusions and move on. Just like on the basis of this launch in Germany, it is necessary to draw conclusions and to work on the bugs that are trying to fix in the next tournament. There is no limit to perfection. We need to move forward.
Easily given study?
- My GPA is about 4.0. But because of many sports activities I am missing, then making up for myself, and I go to tutors. I think that if it is not a sport, I would have achieved better results. But I chose the sport.
I like the school. I'm in a normal, in-depth study of French. However, foreign do not teach because he transferred to the school from the other, where he studied German before two years. As a result, neither the one nor the other did not know because of my omissions. Now, in practice, mastering the English. But some German words I remember, however, German can not speak.
When I have time, I try to go to school every day. I went after a workout for about two hours, and lessons, chat with classmates enable switch. And that's not even what I would call inspiration, is simply removes fatigue. It turns out that you're always doing something different, so do not get bored. My life is not like routine, I do not have Groundhog days. I experience every day in different ways. And I like it.
(http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/2395-aleksandr-petro
For the most part google translated so there are a few inaccuracies but the overall meaning is there.)
In-depth interview. If anyone had any doubts whether he's having a very hard time, this interview should put that to rest. Very interesting interview but as a fan it was difficult to read and I don't mean the translation...