Alexandra Trusova | Page 204 | Golden Skate

Alexandra Trusova

GINO said:

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The Wonder Woman of figure skating is back with the Bang! I love the blue.
 
Trusova4Ever said:
I dont know if it was from this interview but she has confirmed she wants to try to learn a quint jump, and be the first to land it man or woman.

https://m.sports.ru/figure-skating/...t-pyaternoj-pryzhok-esli-pol.html#button-back
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Also she talks about possibly retiring after the next olympics when she will be 22. Says she believes there will be opportunities in shows and outside of competing. She was asked about pair skating and she said she would have to trust her partner and she says she trusted Alexei Tikhonov when they tried together.

https://m.sports.ru/figure-skating/...to-posle-zaversheniya-karery-ochen-mnogo.html
 
So, the full translation of the interview:

Hi Sasha! We are very glad to see you here today. Well, let's get started, and I hope we'll have a good time. So - you're 17 years old, right?

-Yes.

During your 17 years, you managed not only to finish your studies at school, but also to receive a number of very serious titles. In addition, you got into the Guinness Book of Records several times. We will talk about all this later, but for now I will ask you to briefly answer some questions in order to get to know you better.

-OK.

You spend a lot of time on the ice. How do you feel about the cold in general?

-Well, I don't really like the cold. I like it better when it's warm, when it's summer. But when I'm on the ice, I'm never cold. In addition, there are very warm skating rinks.

Is it even hot during trainings?

-Yes.

What is the most unusual gift you received on the ice after your performance?

-Most often, soft toys are thrown onto the ice, because they do not break or deteriorate. But in general, I was given many different interesting gifts, I can’t single out any one of them.

Are you collecting all this?

- Well, of course, I pick everything up and take it to my home.

And what is your diet?

-I eat like all ordinary people, it's just ... Well, I watch my weight, of course. There is no type of food that is prohibited.

If you completely forgot about figure skating, what would you say about yourself?

- I would tell you that I have five dogs.

Well, yes, I think that everyone at your home remembers this for sure. Why do you have that hair color?

- I wanted to be red since childhood, I have a natural red-haired brother. I really liked this color in general, and therefore I bought red dogs for myself, and then dyed my hair.

What signs do you believe in?

- I don't believe in signs.

Don't you believe at all? So you don’t even have any mascot toy that you always take with you to competitions?

-Not. More precisely, I have a napkin holder, but I take it with me, because it contains napkins.

What kind of music do you like?

-Miscellaneous. Sometimes my brothers download music, sometimes I myself download music that I accidentally heard and liked, but there are no specific preferences.

And if you wanted to change something in your life, what would it be?

- I don't want to change anything.

OK, what qualities do you value in people?

-Patience.

And what are you most afraid of?

-Fly on a plane.

Then you often have to face this fear! Well, now let's move on to the main part of the interview, and we will start from the very beginning - right from childhood. Tell me what kind of a child were you?

-I don't remember. This is more of a question for my parents. I must have been an active child. I know that when ... I have two brothers, both younger than me, and here is the youngest of them, when they offer him, for example, to run a race (my dad loves this game very much, and the eldest of the brothers too), he once said: “ I won't run, I don't want to." And dad at that moment told me: “You, Sasha, never said this, if you needed to find out who was the first, then you always participated in this.” Perhaps this is precisely because I was very active.

What do you think, what character traits did you get from your mom, and which ones from your dad?

- Well, obstinacy, probably - it's from dad. And from my mother - I don’t know, maybe a little patience.

A little bit of patience?

- Yes, I'm just not look like her and it seems to me that in terms of character I basically look like my father.

I think it is thanks to this character that you have achieved a lot.

- Well, my character still lacks some details to achieve more.

I think a lot of people say that about themselves. So, why did you choose figure skating? Your parents were into very different sports.

- Mom was not in sports, and dad was in wrestling. But I am a girl and could not to become wrestler. As for figure skating, again, I don’t remember myself, but they told me that at the age of four I was presented with roller skates. I started skating on them, I succeeded, and my parents thought - why not try skating on ice. Well, they told me about one more reason - that my mother really liked the dresses and suits in which the skaters train and perform, and she wanted me to also go in for such a beautiful sport.

You know, those two reasons are pretty good. Roller skating is really something like figure skating - there are even jumps. And dresses - yes, indeed, they are very beautiful, and this attracts young children 100%. Do you remember your first competitions and your first steps in figure skating in general?

-Well, on the ice, although I don’t remember well, I remember that at first my dad walked on the ice with me, because I didn’t walk myself, then, when I grew up a little, it changed, my mother or grandmother went to trainings with me and they sat on the edge. In fact, you can’t do this, and some coaches simply kick their parents off the ice, and sometimes they can’t sit in the spectator seats either. And my parents were sitting right behind the edge, because without them I simply did not go out on the ice.

Of course, the child is calmer when the parents are nearby ...

- And we had the first competitions ... We all had the same program, and the coach behind the edge showed us the movements so that we would not forget it, because we were four and a half years old, and it was a little scary to go out on the ice alone. I remember this - they showed us, and I immediately repeated these movements. The second competition was already full-fledged, there was a podium, there were first, second and third places. I think I was the third at the time. I was about five years old at the time, I guess.

I understand... I don't remember myself at the age of five at all.

- Well, me too... I remember it vaguely, and sometimes I watch old videos.

Do you like watching this video?

-Yeah interesting. I can't even believe it happened.

Well, yes, you look at yourself and think: “My God, is that me?! When was all this?" Look - here you are gradually growing, your skill has grown, the level of your competitions has also increased. Which of these competitions, which took place at your more conscious age, do you remember the most?

- Well, of course, I have already answered this question many times… Well, my first world championship among juniors. I made two quadruple jumps there for the first time in the world. I made one of these jumps for the first time in history (among women). Then everything worked out for me, everything was exactly as it should be. That's why I remember that championship. A very pleasant memory.

You recently returned from the Olympics, which were held during the pandemic. Did this somehow affect the organization of the competition itself, or the morale of the athletes?

-Yes, of course, it was completely different because of the pandemic. We were in a "bubble" and could not go out into the city - no way and never. We were surrounded by fences, and these fences were guarded by special people who always stood there and did not let anyone in or out. We had to stay inside at all times and were only allowed to leave this area to go to the skating rink. We took the bus to the skating rink and back - and that's it, you can't go anywhere else. And always in a mask, nowhere you can take off the mask, only on the ice you can get rid of it. That is, I go out on the ice - I take off the mask, I return to the ice - I immediately put on the mask.

What else can be said about this? Well, of course, they didn’t let our parents in and didn’t allow us to take dogs with us. Animals could not be kept there at all, and the number of people was strictly limited. Every day we took a covid test, and every day we were very afraid of this moment, because if the result is positive, then that's it - the competition is over for you and you will go home. Or they can send you to an infectious diseases hospital, or to a “covid hotel” and only then, after some time, they let you go home.

Nightmare! And at other competitions that took place before, did you have the opportunity to explore the city, to visit somewhere?

- Well, before the pandemic - yes, of course. We tried to take a walk, and if there was time, we went to different places. For example, I was in Australia - at competitions. There, of course, I went to the zoo, I'm touched and holded a koala in my hands - it is allowed there. There were also kangaroos walking around. People can go to a certain area where these kangaroos run, just like we have goats - and they have kangaroos. Very interesting. You can take food from the staff and feed them.

We have something similar in the Taigan park. They also allow you to feed the animals, hold them in your hands. For example, I holded a tiger. Quite an unexpected experience - to hold a tiger instead of a cat. So if you can visit our park, I think you will like it there.

(Sasha nods)

*Note: Taigan is a safari park in Crimea.

You are the first female figure skater in the world to land five quadruple jumps in the free skate. That is, you are the person who creates history and who proves every day that nothing is impossible. Where do you get the motivation to work so hard, constantly improve, reach new heights?

-About five quadruple jumps, I can say that I did all this in order to win the competition. And, of course, I wanted to be the first to do it. So I kept adding and adding complexity to the program. It's very hard for me to stand still. I need to learn something new all the time, insert some new elements into the program. I like it, and I think that's what sport is for. Sport is needed in order to defeat yourself every time. You have to improve yourself over and over again. That's how I think.

Well, I totally agree with you. What do you think about quintuple jumps?

-I… well, of course I want to learn it. In addition, I want (of course, if I succeed in such a jump) to do it before everyone else. Not only before other women, because...

But before men?

-Yes, because men haven't done quintuple jumps yet. Now the Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu is trying to master the quadruple axel, and no one has yet tried five jumps in competitions, and there has almost never been such a thing in training.

Quadruple axel - does it turn out four and a half turns?

-Yes.

Good. And now let's move away from all these competitions and discuss what we girls are interested in - this is the individual content of long programs. Although no, not only long, but also short programs. Very beautiful costumes, you can not ignore them. Therefore, please tell us in detail about the process of creating costumes.

- Well, I guess... I'm always asked about what I want, what colors, and I usually answer: "I want a beautiful outfit and comfortable." Now it is important for me that it is more comfortable than beautiful, especially in the long program, because the most comfortable dress is required there. And it doesn’t matter how many rhinestones and jewelry are on this dress - the main thing is to be comfortable and light. Of course, it is desirable that it be beautiful. The costume designer and our coach, Eteri Georgievna, are engaged in the creation of a model of a dress, an image. She chooses the color herself, everything as I would like, and the choreographer is also involved in this. Already at the time of the development of a new program, the first ideas about what the dress should become appear. In addition, I have not only dresses, but also suits with trousers ...

Yes Yes i remember.

- In the short program of this season, in the first two or three starts, I had one dress, then it was replaced, then it was replaced again. The first was replaced because it was for training, but only then it was proposed to leave it. In it, the skirt was not made of mesh, but of ordinary fabric, and this skirt was like a parachute. And I immediately said that this does not suit me - I need to change it.

Did this dress slow you down on the ice?

-Well, you can get used to it with time. When I was little, I also had such a skirt. This is where you need to develop a habit.

There were so many things you could think of in your costumes, for example, for the dress to change color ...

-Well, yes, it is...

[inaudible phrase] In general, even here you can come up with something interesting. So - the question is: there are a lot of rhinestones (you yourself have already talked about these rhinestones) - tell me, do these rhinestones often fall off, or are they sewn on very firmly?

-No, rhinestones are not sewn on, but glued - that's for sure. Yes, they fall off, but usually it is imperceptible, because there are a lot of rhinestones and if one falls, no one will see it.

That is, the external effect is preserved, right?

-Yes. In general, of course, there are always a lot of rhinestones lying around in the locker rooms, and in the hall too, because when you jump, they touch each other, rub and can fall off.

The next question is - I've always wondered - how long does it take to get used to new skates? Because I watched the video, and they made it clear that performing in new skates is just some kind of horror. Is it true?

-It's individual. Some skaters say that it is very difficult for them, some perceive it as “average”, but in general, as it should ideally be, these are one skates for one season. You can get used to new skates at the end of the season, when there are no more competitions, when there is nothing to prepare for and there is time to get comfortable with these new shoes and slowly start jumping. Then, in already comfortable skates, you can perform the whole next season, and then change again. But skates have one feature - they can break. They break from jumping, because they have a large load. And then it becomes hard to jump - the skates do not hold the leg. As a result, a dislocation or other injury may occur, and in general it is inconvenient. And last year I had seven pairs. In general, this did not really interfere, but with new skates there are always a lot of corns. That is why it was hard, but on the new skates I could still perform all the elements that I did on the old ones. It's just that the new skates are a little uncomfortable, a little stiff. There are skaters who prefer to stay with broken skates because it's hard for them to get used to new ones.

I remember there were some incidents, Zhenya Medvedeva's skates broke, she tried to fix them herself.

-Yes, well, tape sometimes helps, skates can be wrapped with tape. There are options for how to maintain broken skates. And if the start is right now - of course, you will try to use the old skates, somehow strengthening them. But I recently switched to another model of skates, and now instead of seven pairs this year I had only two. It is very good and I am very glad that there were only two pairs. Of course, when I had to use new skates all the time, it was worse. At the same time, you always think: "Now they will break." I broke one pair of skates in just four days. I just got on those skates and...

Did this happen after you jumped?

-Yes. Immediately in training, I started jumping - and they broke on the fourth day. So yes, new skates are not very good.

So, let's talk about your programs. In 2019-2020 you used the Game of Thrones soundtrack, and this season you skated to the music from the movie Cruella. Daenerys and Cruella are two very strong, powerful and ambitious women. Maybe you have already got into the habit of playing just such roles in your programs?

- Yes, I have always been comfortable playing such roles, and we have always chosen music in such a way that it tells about some strong woman. We chose movie characters. This is interesting to me and I really like it. But I tried other roles as well. Last season I had lyrical programs. I also generally liked it, and when we fully worked out these programs, it seemed to me that everything was working out well. And so we can say that I try different roles, but the roles of strong women are more convenient for me.

What can we expect from you next season?

- I don't know yet, I haven't thought about the next season yet. Now, relatively recently, the Olympics have ended, and so far I am still recovering from this competition. Therefore, I don't know.

Can we expect you to appear as a fragile girl?

-I don't know, we'll see later...

Well, or something completely different?

-Don't know…

We'll find out next year! So, we talked very interestingly about costumes and programs, but the career of a figure skater is short. In one of the interviews, you named the number 22 - the age after which you would like to end your sports career. Why do you consider this number to be the limit.

- Well, in general, 22 years old - this is because this is the end of another Olympic cycle.

Does it all come down to this cycle?

-Yes. Now I will be 18, and in four years, at the end of the Olympic cycle, I will be 22.

Well, it's quite reasonable. And then what? You probably don’t think about it very much now, because you have a goal that you are moving towards. Well, what if you still go beyond and think?

- I think that I have a lot of opportunities. Then all the skaters begin to perform in the show, and this ...

By the way, about the show. If you were offered to pair up with someone, be some kind of princess, to get some kind of prize - would you like to try it?

- Well, if in a couple, then I have to trust this person very much, because so far it is very difficult for me. So I tried with Alexei Tikhonov. I trust him completely, which is why I tried him. And I can't name any other person yet.

But, probably, there will still be no plans to perform twists and some complex elements ...

-That's understandable, but still [requires full trust]. It seems to me that... I don't know.

Well, as you said, you really have a lot of opportunities. I am sure that you have many useful connections, you can cooperate with some brands, you can become a coach. What do you think about higher education?

-Of course, I need a higher education. It’s just that I haven’t thought about it yet, because it was the Olympics, and now I’ll just have time and I’ll think about it.

Let's move away from the topic of education a bit and talk about collaboration with brands. I am sure that every day you will receive new offers. And tell me - how do you choose someone with whom you would be interested to work?

- Well, I have an agent, and he offers different options. He reads the proposals, consults with me, and I consult with the parents and determine what is suitable and what is not suitable. There are no special principles here, we look at what conditions.

What can you say about coaching? Many athletes go to work in this field of activity and educate future champions themselves. Do you like this idea? Maybe you would become an excellent coach - recently you had a master class in Ryazan. What can you say about it?

- I was interested in trying it. However, this event in Ryazan lasted only one hour, and these were children whom I do not know. In addition, they were all of different ages, there were 20 of them, and I did not know which of them I needed to look at until the moment when they themselves began to drive up to me and ask questions about what they were interested in, and also ask I have advice on how best to perform some elements. Only then did I really get involved in this activity, and my first coaches stepped aside, I relaxed a little and gave advice. I hope this helps the kids. In general, I already imagined myself as a coach, I thought about what I would do, what I would say. Certainly interesting to try.

And in the presence of your first coaches, were you embarrassed to give advice to children?

- Well, yes, after all, they are still my coaches and I don’t know ... Of course, they didn’t tell me something like: “Tell me about it, don’t forget about it,” but in their presence I was modest.

(Further on, Sasha is asked questions by both the presenter and the fans)

What is your favorite element? From jumping, probably for now.

-Lutz.

Lutz? And from slips?

-Not sliding, but a cantilever. I do a spiral, lean back (shows)

That is, you don't (inaudible)

-I do. This is before the jump. I make a cantilever and then immediately make a jump. And in the free skate, I do the cantilever during the choreographic sequence, because before the jump it is almost impossible to put my hands back, because I need to jump and completely concentrate on this jump. It's generally not very easy to make a cantilever in the middle of a program, but everyone likes it and that's why I try.

Have you ever wished you were a judge?

- I would like to be a judge during the performance of dance couples (laughs). There you sit, look, choose. But here (that is, during the performances of single skaters) it doesn’t happen like that, it’s not so fun. Judges have computers, they have certain tasks. And if we take on judging, then the best option is the Grand Prix final. There in each of the types - only six of the strongest athletes. You are interested, you watch and judge. All other competitions… Girls can be… well, at least 24, there are always so many. Or maybe there will be 50 of them. That is, you sit for six hours, watch and judge - it seems to me that this is not very fun.

Well, what about coaches, for example, Eteri Georgievna and Daniil Markovich, can they also play the role of judges and evaluate performance in training?

-Eteri Georgievna evaluates and always writes down. I have a lot of printouts of the notes she made.

By the way, does she give you these records right away?

-Yes, she always gives us these printouts every evening after practice skates. That is, I have records from both very bad and very good rentals, and all this is on paper.

What do you think you will do next?

-I want to open a shelter [for homeless animals]. But I do not consider it work, but on the contrary, I will invest in this financial resources. I will do it when I earn a lot of money and I have time to take care of it. That's when I'll do it.

Do you like to train them [animals]?

- Yes, I like to train them. More precisely, I like to train this dog [the one on Sasha's lap]. She is so smart. She understands every word. She understands everything, but does nothing!

(everyone laughs)

If you could choose any ability for yourself, what would it be?

-Teleportation. It's just that this is exactly what you need in conditions when you have to spend five hours in Moscow in order to drive five kilometers by car.

You now have a month off. Suppose some friend invites you to go ice skating. How will you react - will you go there with joy, or will you say: “Again to the skating rink? Not!"?

-I already went to the skating rink. I was there on the weekend with a friend.

(I can't hear the question)

-Well, more people need it than me. There are a lot of rules according to which I tie my skates. You need to do this so as not to rub the foot. Here, then on the fingers, so as not to rub them, then on the sides, so as not to put pressure on the bones, it all accumulates. I spend at least half an hour on this. If you tie your shoelaces just like that, it takes at most three minutes. But if you need to jump and ride - you need at least half an hour. And I can't jump with badly tied shoelaces.

I often watched figure skating competitions and I often see that athletes wear headphones, which they then give to the coach. What kind of music do you listen to before going out on the ice, what helps you tune in?

-Headphones are needed mainly not for listening to music.

Why then?

- This is necessary in order not to hear the assessments [of competitors] and the reaction of the audience, not to listen to anything that could distract. Once there was a case when I heard the assessment received by a girl who was skating right before my performance. This score was three points above my personal best. In addition, I heard that she was in second place, so the gap from first place was even more significant. I heard it, and of course...

The mood immediately fell, right?

- I just performed without the right mood ...

My favorite phrase of yours is "I'm not Juliet, I'm Juliet's evil rock"

(Sasha laughs)

- It was once in the program. There was music from "Romeo and Juliet" and, of course, the image of Juliet does not suit me. And when they began to say: “Juliet, Juliet”, and then they also asked me - that's when I said that I was not Juliet, but bad luck. Because the evil fate of love, fate - that is, there was such a plan that it was necessary to show not Juliet herself.

Is there a place, perhaps a city, that you would really like to visit?

-In Thailand, I was there when I was about eight years old and I really liked it. Well, also in the Maldives - I think everyone would like to visit there. However, I have already visited these islands, but then I was about twelve years old, and I did not appreciate this trip, because there was no entertainment, I just lay and rested. And now it's the other way around - that's exactly what I want. But during such trips, you have to part with the dogs, and this is very difficult for me. So I'm thinking about different options, I like to relax with the dogs. Therefore, I would like to open my own hotel in the Maldives on my own island, where you can live with dogs. Each dog should have its own place.

Great! This concludes our conversation, let's all applaud!
 
The interview was amateurish, but Sasha's words that she intended to do a quintuple jump were taken quite seriously. In particular, Zhulin has already managed to say that he simply does not believe in such a thing, and Tarasova said that she would prefer to see not quintiple jumps, but clean skating performed by Sasha.
 
Alex Fedorov said:
So, the full translation of the interview:

Hi Sasha! We are very glad to see you here today. Well, let's get started, and I hope we'll have a good time. So - you're 17 years old, right?

-Yes.

During your 17 years, you managed not only to finish your studies at school, but also to receive a number of very serious titles. In addition, you got into the Guinness Book of Records several times. We will talk about all this later, but for now I will ask you to briefly answer some questions in order to get to know you better.

-OK.

You spend a lot of time on the ice. How do you feel about the cold in general?

-Well, I don't really like the cold. I like it better when it's warm, when it's summer. But when I'm on the ice, I'm never cold. In addition, there are very warm skating rinks.

Is it even hot during trainings?

-Yes.

What is the most unusual gift you received on the ice after your performance?

-Most often, soft toys are thrown onto the ice, because they do not break or deteriorate. But in general, I was given many different interesting gifts, I can’t single out any one of them.

Are you collecting all this?

- Well, of course, I pick everything up and take it to my home.

And what is your diet?

-I eat like all ordinary people, it's just ... Well, I watch my weight, of course. There is no type of food that is prohibited.

If you completely forgot about figure skating, what would you say about yourself?

- I would tell you that I have five dogs.

Well, yes, I think that everyone at your home remembers this for sure. Why do you have that hair color?

- I wanted to be red since childhood, I have a natural red-haired brother. I really liked this color in general, and therefore I bought red dogs for myself, and then dyed my hair.

What signs do you believe in?

- I don't believe in signs.

Don't you believe at all? So you don’t even have any mascot toy that you always take with you to competitions?

-Not. More precisely, I have a napkin holder, but I take it with me, because it contains napkins.

What kind of music do you like?

-Miscellaneous. Sometimes my brothers download music, sometimes I myself download music that I accidentally heard and liked, but there are no specific preferences.

And if you wanted to change something in your life, what would it be?

- I don't want to change anything.

OK, what qualities do you value in people?

-Patience.

And what are you most afraid of?

-Fly on a plane.

Then you often have to face this fear! Well, now let's move on to the main part of the interview, and we will start from the very beginning - right from childhood. Tell me what kind of a child were you?

-I don't remember. This is more of a question for my parents. I must have been an active child. I know that when ... I have two brothers, both younger than me, and here is the youngest of them, when they offer him, for example, to run a race (my dad loves this game very much, and the eldest of the brothers too), he once said: “ I won't run, I don't want to." And dad at that moment told me: “You, Sasha, never said this, if you needed to find out who was the first, then you always participated in this.” Perhaps this is precisely because I was very active.

What do you think, what character traits did you get from your mom, and which ones from your dad?

- Well, obstinacy, probably - it's from dad. And from my mother - I don’t know, maybe a little patience.

A little bit of patience?

- Yes, I'm just not look like her and it seems to me that in terms of character I basically look like my father.

I think it is thanks to this character that you have achieved a lot.

- Well, my character still lacks some details to achieve more.

I think a lot of people say that about themselves. So, why did you choose figure skating? Your parents were into very different sports.

- Mom was not in sports, and dad was in wrestling. But I am a girl and could not to become wrestler. As for figure skating, again, I don’t remember myself, but they told me that at the age of four I was presented with roller skates. I started skating on them, I succeeded, and my parents thought - why not try skating on ice. Well, they told me about one more reason - that my mother really liked the dresses and suits in which the skaters train and perform, and she wanted me to also go in for such a beautiful sport.

You know, those two reasons are pretty good. Roller skating is really something like figure skating - there are even jumps. And dresses - yes, indeed, they are very beautiful, and this attracts young children 100%. Do you remember your first competitions and your first steps in figure skating in general?

-Well, on the ice, although I don’t remember well, I remember that at first my dad walked on the ice with me, because I didn’t walk myself, then, when I grew up a little, it changed, my mother or grandmother went to trainings with me and they sat on the edge. In fact, you can’t do this, and some coaches simply kick their parents off the ice, and sometimes they can’t sit in the spectator seats either. And my parents were sitting right behind the edge, because without them I simply did not go out on the ice.

Of course, the child is calmer when the parents are nearby ...

- And we had the first competitions ... We all had the same program, and the coach behind the edge showed us the movements so that we would not forget it, because we were four and a half years old, and it was a little scary to go out on the ice alone. I remember this - they showed us, and I immediately repeated these movements. The second competition was already full-fledged, there was a podium, there were first, second and third places. I think I was the third at the time. I was about five years old at the time, I guess.

I understand... I don't remember myself at the age of five at all.

- Well, me too... I remember it vaguely, and sometimes I watch old videos.

Do you like watching this video?

-Yeah interesting. I can't even believe it happened.

Well, yes, you look at yourself and think: “My God, is that me?! When was all this?" Look - here you are gradually growing, your skill has grown, the level of your competitions has also increased. Which of these competitions, which took place at your more conscious age, do you remember the most?

- Well, of course, I have already answered this question many times… Well, my first world championship among juniors. I made two quadruple jumps there for the first time in the world. I made one of these jumps for the first time in history (among women). Then everything worked out for me, everything was exactly as it should be. That's why I remember that championship. A very pleasant memory.

You recently returned from the Olympics, which were held during the pandemic. Did this somehow affect the organization of the competition itself, or the morale of the athletes?

-Yes, of course, it was completely different because of the pandemic. We were in a "bubble" and could not go out into the city - no way and never. We were surrounded by fences, and these fences were guarded by special people who always stood there and did not let anyone in or out. We had to stay inside at all times and were only allowed to leave this area to go to the skating rink. We took the bus to the skating rink and back - and that's it, you can't go anywhere else. And always in a mask, nowhere you can take off the mask, only on the ice you can get rid of it. That is, I go out on the ice - I take off the mask, I return to the ice - I immediately put on the mask.

What else can be said about this? Well, of course, they didn’t let our parents in and didn’t allow us to take dogs with us. Animals could not be kept there at all, and the number of people was strictly limited. Every day we took a covid test, and every day we were very afraid of this moment, because if the result is positive, then that's it - the competition is over for you and you will go home. Or they can send you to an infectious diseases hospital, or to a “covid hotel” and only then, after some time, they let you go home.

Nightmare! And at other competitions that took place before, did you have the opportunity to explore the city, to visit somewhere?

- Well, before the pandemic - yes, of course. We tried to take a walk, and if there was time, we went to different places. For example, I was in Australia - at competitions. There, of course, I went to the zoo, I'm touched and holded a koala in my hands - it is allowed there. There were also kangaroos walking around. People can go to a certain area where these kangaroos run, just like we have goats - and they have kangaroos. Very interesting. You can take food from the staff and feed them.

We have something similar in the Taigan park. They also allow you to feed the animals, hold them in your hands. For example, I holded a tiger. Quite an unexpected experience - to hold a tiger instead of a cat. So if you can visit our park, I think you will like it there.

(Sasha nods)

*Note: Taigan is a safari park in Crimea.

You are the first female figure skater in the world to land five quadruple jumps in the free skate. That is, you are the person who creates history and who proves every day that nothing is impossible. Where do you get the motivation to work so hard, constantly improve, reach new heights?

-About five quadruple jumps, I can say that I did all this in order to win the competition. And, of course, I wanted to be the first to do it. So I kept adding and adding complexity to the program. It's very hard for me to stand still. I need to learn something new all the time, insert some new elements into the program. I like it, and I think that's what sport is for. Sport is needed in order to defeat yourself every time. You have to improve yourself over and over again. That's how I think.

Well, I totally agree with you. What do you think about quintuple jumps?

-I… well, of course I want to learn it. In addition, I want (of course, if I succeed in such a jump) to do it before everyone else. Not only before other women, because...

But before men?

-Yes, because men haven't done quintuple jumps yet. Now the Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu is trying to master the quadruple axel, and no one has yet tried five jumps in competitions, and there has almost never been such a thing in training.

Quadruple axel - does it turn out four and a half turns?

-Yes.

Good. And now let's move away from all these competitions and discuss what we girls are interested in - this is the individual content of long programs. Although no, not only long, but also short programs. Very beautiful costumes, you can not ignore them. Therefore, please tell us in detail about the process of creating costumes.

- Well, I guess... I'm always asked about what I want, what colors, and I usually answer: "I want a beautiful outfit and comfortable." Now it is important for me that it is more comfortable than beautiful, especially in the long program, because the most comfortable dress is required there. And it doesn’t matter how many rhinestones and jewelry are on this dress - the main thing is to be comfortable and light. Of course, it is desirable that it be beautiful. The costume designer and our coach, Eteri Georgievna, are engaged in the creation of a model of a dress, an image. She chooses the color herself, everything as I would like, and the choreographer is also involved in this. Already at the time of the development of a new program, the first ideas about what the dress should become appear. In addition, I have not only dresses, but also suits with trousers ...

Yes Yes i remember.

- In the short program of this season, in the first two or three starts, I had one dress, then it was replaced, then it was replaced again. The first was replaced because it was for training, but only then it was proposed to leave it. In it, the skirt was not made of mesh, but of ordinary fabric, and this skirt was like a parachute. And I immediately said that this does not suit me - I need to change it.

Did this dress slow you down on the ice?

-Well, you can get used to it with time. When I was little, I also had such a skirt. This is where you need to develop a habit.

There were so many things you could think of in your costumes, for example, for the dress to change color ...

-Well, yes, it is...

[inaudible phrase] In general, even here you can come up with something interesting. So - the question is: there are a lot of rhinestones (you yourself have already talked about these rhinestones) - tell me, do these rhinestones often fall off, or are they sewn on very firmly?

-No, rhinestones are not sewn on, but glued - that's for sure. Yes, they fall off, but usually it is imperceptible, because there are a lot of rhinestones and if one falls, no one will see it.

That is, the external effect is preserved, right?

-Yes. In general, of course, there are always a lot of rhinestones lying around in the locker rooms, and in the hall too, because when you jump, they touch each other, rub and can fall off.

The next question is - I've always wondered - how long does it take to get used to new skates? Because I watched the video, and they made it clear that performing in new skates is just some kind of horror. Is it true?

-It's individual. Some skaters say that it is very difficult for them, some perceive it as “average”, but in general, as it should ideally be, these are one skates for one season. You can get used to new skates at the end of the season, when there are no more competitions, when there is nothing to prepare for and there is time to get comfortable with these new shoes and slowly start jumping. Then, in already comfortable skates, you can perform the whole next season, and then change again. But skates have one feature - they can break. They break from jumping, because they have a large load. And then it becomes hard to jump - the skates do not hold the leg. As a result, a dislocation or other injury may occur, and in general it is inconvenient. And last year I had seven pairs. In general, this did not really interfere, but with new skates there are always a lot of corns. That is why it was hard, but on the new skates I could still perform all the elements that I did on the old ones. It's just that the new skates are a little uncomfortable, a little stiff. There are skaters who prefer to stay with broken skates because it's hard for them to get used to new ones.

I remember there were some incidents, Zhenya Medvedeva's skates broke, she tried to fix them herself.

-Yes, well, tape sometimes helps, skates can be wrapped with tape. There are options for how to maintain broken skates. And if the start is right now - of course, you will try to use the old skates, somehow strengthening them. But I recently switched to another model of skates, and now instead of seven pairs this year I had only two. It is very good and I am very glad that there were only two pairs. Of course, when I had to use new skates all the time, it was worse. At the same time, you always think: "Now they will break." I broke one pair of skates in just four days. I just got on those skates and...

Did this happen after you jumped?

-Yes. Immediately in training, I started jumping - and they broke on the fourth day. So yes, new skates are not very good.

So, let's talk about your programs. In 2019-2020 you used the Game of Thrones soundtrack, and this season you skated to the music from the movie Cruella. Daenerys and Cruella are two very strong, powerful and ambitious women. Maybe you have already got into the habit of playing just such roles in your programs?

- Yes, I have always been comfortable playing such roles, and we have always chosen music in such a way that it tells about some strong woman. We chose movie characters. This is interesting to me and I really like it. But I tried other roles as well. Last season I had lyrical programs. I also generally liked it, and when we fully worked out these programs, it seemed to me that everything was working out well. And so we can say that I try different roles, but the roles of strong women are more convenient for me.

What can we expect from you next season?

- I don't know yet, I haven't thought about the next season yet. Now, relatively recently, the Olympics have ended, and so far I am still recovering from this competition. Therefore, I don't know.

Can we expect you to appear as a fragile girl?

-I don't know, we'll see later...

Well, or something completely different?

-Don't know…

We'll find out next year! So, we talked very interestingly about costumes and programs, but the career of a figure skater is short. In one of the interviews, you named the number 22 - the age after which you would like to end your sports career. Why do you consider this number to be the limit.

- Well, in general, 22 years old - this is because this is the end of another Olympic cycle.

Does it all come down to this cycle?

-Yes. Now I will be 18, and in four years, at the end of the Olympic cycle, I will be 22.

Well, it's quite reasonable. And then what? You probably don’t think about it very much now, because you have a goal that you are moving towards. Well, what if you still go beyond and think?

- I think that I have a lot of opportunities. Then all the skaters begin to perform in the show, and this ...

By the way, about the show. If you were offered to pair up with someone, be some kind of princess, to get some kind of prize - would you like to try it?

- Well, if in a couple, then I have to trust this person very much, because so far it is very difficult for me. So I tried with Alexei Tikhonov. I trust him completely, which is why I tried him. And I can't name any other person yet.

But, probably, there will still be no plans to perform twists and some complex elements ...

-That's understandable, but still [requires full trust]. It seems to me that... I don't know.

Well, as you said, you really have a lot of opportunities. I am sure that you have many useful connections, you can cooperate with some brands, you can become a coach. What do you think about higher education?

-Of course, I need a higher education. It’s just that I haven’t thought about it yet, because it was the Olympics, and now I’ll just have time and I’ll think about it.

Let's move away from the topic of education a bit and talk about collaboration with brands. I am sure that every day you will receive new offers. And tell me - how do you choose someone with whom you would be interested to work?

- Well, I have an agent, and he offers different options. He reads the proposals, consults with me, and I consult with the parents and determine what is suitable and what is not suitable. There are no special principles here, we look at what conditions.

What can you say about coaching? Many athletes go to work in this field of activity and educate future champions themselves. Do you like this idea? Maybe you would become an excellent coach - recently you had a master class in Ryazan. What can you say about it?

- I was interested in trying it. However, this event in Ryazan lasted only one hour, and these were children whom I do not know. In addition, they were all of different ages, there were 20 of them, and I did not know which of them I needed to look at until the moment when they themselves began to drive up to me and ask questions about what they were interested in, and also ask I have advice on how best to perform some elements. Only then did I really get involved in this activity, and my first coaches stepped aside, I relaxed a little and gave advice. I hope this helps the kids. In general, I already imagined myself as a coach, I thought about what I would do, what I would say. Certainly interesting to try.

And in the presence of your first coaches, were you embarrassed to give advice to children?

- Well, yes, after all, they are still my coaches and I don’t know ... Of course, they didn’t tell me something like: “Tell me about it, don’t forget about it,” but in their presence I was modest.

(Further on, Sasha is asked questions by both the presenter and the fans)

What is your favorite element? From jumping, probably for now.

-Lutz.

Lutz? And from slips?

-Not sliding, but a cantilever. I do a spiral, lean back (shows)

That is, you don't (inaudible)

-I do. This is before the jump. I make a cantilever and then immediately make a jump. And in the free skate, I do the cantilever during the choreographic sequence, because before the jump it is almost impossible to put my hands back, because I need to jump and completely concentrate on this jump. It's generally not very easy to make a cantilever in the middle of a program, but everyone likes it and that's why I try.

Have you ever wished you were a judge?

- I would like to be a judge during the performance of dance couples (laughs). There you sit, look, choose. But here (that is, during the performances of single skaters) it doesn’t happen like that, it’s not so fun. Judges have computers, they have certain tasks. And if we take on judging, then the best option is the Grand Prix final. There in each of the types - only six of the strongest athletes. You are interested, you watch and judge. All other competitions… Girls can be… well, at least 24, there are always so many. Or maybe there will be 50 of them. That is, you sit for six hours, watch and judge - it seems to me that this is not very fun.

Well, what about coaches, for example, Eteri Georgievna and Daniil Markovich, can they also play the role of judges and evaluate performance in training?

-Eteri Georgievna evaluates and always writes down. I have a lot of printouts of the notes she made.

By the way, does she give you these records right away?

-Yes, she always gives us these printouts every evening after practice skates. That is, I have records from both very bad and very good rentals, and all this is on paper.

What do you think you will do next?

-I want to open a shelter [for homeless animals]. But I do not consider it work, but on the contrary, I will invest in this financial resources. I will do it when I earn a lot of money and I have time to take care of it. That's when I'll do it.

Do you like to train them [animals]?

- Yes, I like to train them. More precisely, I like to train this dog [the one on Sasha's lap]. She is so smart. She understands every word. She understands everything, but does nothing!

(everyone laughs)

If you could choose any ability for yourself, what would it be?

-Teleportation. It's just that this is exactly what you need in conditions when you have to spend five hours in Moscow in order to drive five kilometers by car.

You now have a month off. Suppose some friend invites you to go ice skating. How will you react - will you go there with joy, or will you say: “Again to the skating rink? Not!"?

-I already went to the skating rink. I was there on the weekend with a friend.

(I can't hear the question)

-Well, more people need it than me. There are a lot of rules according to which I tie my skates. You need to do this so as not to rub the foot. Here, then on the fingers, so as not to rub them, then on the sides, so as not to put pressure on the bones, it all accumulates. I spend at least half an hour on this. If you tie your shoelaces just like that, it takes at most three minutes. But if you need to jump and ride - you need at least half an hour. And I can't jump with badly tied shoelaces.

I often watched figure skating competitions and I often see that athletes wear headphones, which they then give to the coach. What kind of music do you listen to before going out on the ice, what helps you tune in?

-Headphones are needed mainly not for listening to music.

Why then?

- This is necessary in order not to hear the assessments [of competitors] and the reaction of the audience, not to listen to anything that could distract. Once there was a case when I heard the assessment received by a girl who was skating right before my performance. This score was three points above my personal best. In addition, I heard that she was in second place, so the gap from first place was even more significant. I heard it, and of course...

The mood immediately fell, right?

- I just performed without the right mood ...

My favorite phrase of yours is "I'm not Juliet, I'm Juliet's evil rock"

(Sasha laughs)

- It was once in the program. There was music from "Romeo and Juliet" and, of course, the image of Juliet does not suit me. And when they began to say: “Juliet, Juliet”, and then they also asked me - that's when I said that I was not Juliet, but bad luck. Because the evil fate of love, fate - that is, there was such a plan that it was necessary to show not Juliet herself.

Is there a place, perhaps a city, that you would really like to visit?

-In Thailand, I was there when I was about eight years old and I really liked it. Well, also in the Maldives - I think everyone would like to visit there. However, I have already visited these islands, but then I was about twelve years old, and I did not appreciate this trip, because there was no entertainment, I just lay and rested. And now it's the other way around - that's exactly what I want. But during such trips, you have to part with the dogs, and this is very difficult for me. So I'm thinking about different options, I like to relax with the dogs. Therefore, I would like to open my own hotel in the Maldives on my own island, where you can live with dogs. Each dog should have its own place.

Great! This concludes our conversation, let's all applaud!
Click to expand...
Thank you for the translation. Interesting that she blocks out her competitors with the headphones-Tara Lipinski used to do the same. Instead of coaching she really ought to find an animal related profession-I think "dogs" really is her passion in life, even more than skating.
 
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