A recent interview with Alena Leonova

[Mikhail]

http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/1-1-0-4
In the interview Alena Leonova talks about her spring holidays, summer trainings and goals for the upcoming season.

 

[Spun Silver]

This is for Janetfan:

Unlike other skaters you didn’t try to conceal your music choices for as log as you could; instead, you wrote about them at your official website…
“Well, someone has to break stereotypes! (laughs) I’ve got nothing to hide.

She's as charming off the ice as she is on it!

The music (Barynya) is superb! Oh, how funny I am in this program!

I liked working with Tarasova immensely. She is such a cheerful and enthusiastic kind of person! We literally worked together: I skated and she performed the whole dance behind the board.

Tatiana Anatolievna nevertheless said that I didn’t know how to skate (laughs). She said that I lack some basic things and should thoroughly work on steps and skating skills. That’s exactly what I’m busy with right now.

At each event you come to the ice with a smile on your face.
“Yes, now it is so. But remember what a wry face I wore at the Cup of China! (laughs) After that I decided that it wasn’t at all proper to come to the ice and skate with such a look. It’s better to smile then to goggle like a mad cow! (laughs) That’s why I always smile before skating, thus making myself ready for a good performance”.

If this child should pull a Sarah Hughes and win it all, I will be smiling too.

 

[Medusa]

I love that interview. She made me smile, she seems to have a wonderful sense of humour. I enjoyed her description of fleeing from pair skating

Finally I just slipped away and nobody noticed it (laughs).

And what does Mishin think about this - four years ago Leonova was 14, wasn't Mishin the one saying that the girls have to learn the Triples really really early in order to succeed?

About four years ago, when I was very unsuccessful at jumping – I could do only doubles and an occasional double Axel – Alla Piatova suggested that I should try pair skating.

She had no problem telling the journalist the negative things Tarasova said about her skating, that's endearing...

 

[Mikhail]

She's as charming off the ice as she is on it!

Oh yes, she is indeed!

 

[oleada]

Alena is so charming both on and off the ice that I can't help but root for her

 

[museksk8r]

Love her! I will surely be rooting for Alena to do well in all of her events! She, along with Rachael Flatt, are my favorites among the Senior ladies' newbies!

 

[Mikhail]

Here's another interview taken after this weekend's test skate session for the members of the Russian national team:

http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/thi...ctations_of_me_i_should_not_only_hold/1-1-0-8

 

[Mikhail]

Now there are four recent interviews with Alena taken
after the Finlandia Trophy:
http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/ale..._struck_my_knee_badly_against_the_ice/1-1-0-9

after the short program at the Rostelecom Cup:
http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/ale...errotated_toeloop_in_the_combination/1-1-0-10

after the free skating at the Rostelecom Cup:
http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/leonova_im_going_to_strive_for_entering_the_final/1-1-0-12

http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/ale..._the_time_left_before_the_nhk_trophy/1-1-0-11

 

[Mikhail]

Alena Leonova: “The Olympics don’t scare me for some reason”
http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/alena_leonova_the_olympics_dont_scare_me_for_some_reason/1-1-0-16

And yet another article, which looks rather like a blog post than an interview:
http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/my_hairs_color_is_more_important_for_me/1-1-0-18

 

[silverlake22]

And yet another article, which looks rather like a blog post than an interview:
http://en.alena-leonova.ru/publ/my_hairs_color_is_more_important_for_me/1-1-0-18

I heard that the Russian Federation awarded her with her own flat and that she just preferred to live with her family?

Anyhow, she seems like such a sweet girl :agree:

 

[Mikhail]

I heard that the Russian Federation awarded her with her own flat and that she just preferred to live with her family?

Not quite so. The Federation pays for a one-room flat, but it's a rental one, not her own. She uses it to have a rest between practices.
I guess she ment she saves up to buy a larger flat for her family. Russian communal flats, USSR's legasy, are not good at all, I can say!

 

[Tinymavy15]

She seem like a charming girl who loves the sport. I am not really a big fan of her skating style, but wish her the best.

 

[chuckm]

She says the Olympics don't scare her, but she sure looked spooked at the GPF and had the worst skate of her life.

I love Alena's personality, but on the ice she often looks clunky. Tarasova is correct when she says Alena's skating skills and edging aren't good.

 

[Lucky Star]

Tarasova is correct when she says Alena's skating skills and edging aren't good.

But it improved a lot since last season and keeps improving! She's working really hard on it and we can see the results

 

[silverlake22]

She says the Olympics don't scare her, but she sure looked spooked at the GPF and had the worst skate of her life.

I love Alena's personality, but on the ice she often looks clunky. Tarasova is correct when she says Alena's skating skills and edging aren't good.

I agree about the clunkiness, and I think it is partly do to the choreography and nature of her programs. I also think if she wore her tights over her boots she'd have a much nicer line....everytime I see her on TV her ice skates just look huge , like her feet are too big for her body. I don't even know if this is true but it is just something I notice.

 

[Fashionista]

Tarasova is correct when she says Alena's skating skills and edging aren't good.

Tarasova never said anything like that. She just said that Alena couldn't skate

 

[chuckm]

That's pretty much the same thing, isn't it?

 

[R.D.]

Tarasova never said anything like that. She just said that Alena couldn't skate

...zzzzing!

 

[Medusa]

Tarasova never said anything like that. She just said that Alena couldn't skate

Which is why I sometimes love the Russians. To actually say that - and it's not like Tarasova said it in an interview, Leonova told an interviewer that Tarasova said that. It's just so refreshing. Because if I have to hear again that the 3A only looks underrotated from one perspective, or that the Flip is only a Lip because - I don't know - an ice crystal bedazzled the tech controller -- I am so going to scream. Every skater has flaws, to pretend otherwise makes fake even faker.

 

[schiele]

that the Flip is only a Lip because - I don't know - an ice crystal bedazzled the tech controller --

Unfortunately, many many skaters do the denying, excuse creating and name calling... The first time I saw Alena, I could tell she was very genuine, she is transparent as glass. Her enthusiasm for skating is such a joy for me, I couldn't care less if she's polished or not. I am truly suprised how ppl keep saying she's only here cos of her jumping because obviously her jumping is not an actual strong suit or very consistent, it is clear she's working very hard on them.. It came as no suprise to me when I found out that she got the triples under her belt only after 14.