- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
http://www.aif.ru/online/aif/1371/58_01
[size=+3]ROMANce on ice[/size]
Roman Kostomarov has an awful reputation. He’s called a drunkard, a debaucher, and a womanizer. On the eve of his 30th birthday (February 8th), the Olympic champion confessed his youthful sins. That took place in a bar, with a cigarette in hand…
‘When you skated with Ekaterina Davydova, you were disqualified for a year for wild partying. I don’t understand how the highest achievements in elite sport can coexist with drinking and smoking? ’
‘I smoke now, but in the Olympic season I’d indulge myself in one cigarette a month. As for the disqualification, that was a long time ago, I was just 19 then. The guys and I partied some, and broke something in the hotel room. The complaints went all the way to the skating federation president. You’d think athletes weren’t human! We were young, hot-headed, after competition we could get drunk and then go out and get into a fight. Many skaters went through that. I know that both Vladimir Kovalev and Gennady Karponosov were punished for drinking. What’s important is that they didn’t break. When I was disqualified for a year, I kept on training, and what’s more – I learned a lesson!’
’That’s not what your next partner Anna Semenovich recalls. She says, “At the Saint Petersburg Grand Prix, Roma took the ice drunk, fell down, and had to crawl. That shame was broadcasted live…” ’
‘Of course, Anya exaggerated my “heroics”. I never crawled from the rink, and never said, “I don’t care about figure skating, I’d rather go to the hotel and drink.” Yes, I got into trouble, yes, I drank. All kind of stuff would happen then. What happened with Semenovich? I had a few drinks after competition, but I overestimated my strength. I was young, I didn’t know much about hangovers. So I stumbled at exhibitions, and couldn’t skate the program… But that never happened again. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be an Olympic champion.
You know, if I were as bad as Semenovich claims, I’d long be sitting in the subway, drinking vodka and chasing it with bear. I think Anya is just mad at me for leaving her to skate with Tatiana Navka.‘
[size=+2]”Chinese are the pair skating leaders”[/size]
’Semenovich has announced that she’s leaving the “Brilliant” to come back to figure skating and take part in the Vancouver Olympics.’
‘Ridiculous! To do that, she’d first need to reduce her… chest. She’ll have trouble skating with the one she had today.’
’How did she skate before? Semenovich claims she doesn’t have an ounce of silicone in her!’
‘Anya and I skated together six years ago. Since then, some parts of her body have grown considerably. Just compare the pictures! But let’s not talk about that… Figure skating today is very different. While Semenovich can still beat anyone in terms of emotions, her technique is far behind.’
’Recent European championships in Warsaw have shown that Russia has lost its leading position in figure skating. Is it time to say good buy to our country’s superiority in this sport?’
‘It’s just Europeans. What will happen at worlds?! Chinese are now the leaders in pair skating. The only pair that could stand up to them is Maxim Marinin and Tatiana Totmianina. They have just wrapped up their eligible career, but may be they’ll still come back. I don’t see any other pairs. Just as I don’t see the single that could compete with the Chinese, Canadians, and Americans.’
’How did that happen?’
‘The last few years we lived off the old reserve, whatever was left of the Soviet school. Right now, many of our skaters that could be the leaders have run to other countries. All leading coaches (except for Elena Tchaikovskaya, who has never left Russia) are training abroad. That includes Oleg Vasiliev, Alexander Zhulin, Tatiana Tarasova, and Natalya Linichuk. Sad as it is, it’s all about who can pay. Russia still doesn’t have good conditions for training and for a decent life.’
[size=+2]”It would be foolish to come back and loose”[/size]
’On the show “Stars on Ice”, Tatiana Tarasova wasn’t too forgiving of your duo with Ekaterina Guseva. They say it’s because Tatiana Anatolievna found out of your affair with Oksana Domnina, and decided to teach you a lesson about being unfaithful. Is that so?’
‘What absurdity! In fact, Tarasova just didn’t like Katya Guseva. In one of the events, all jury members gave us 6 points, and all were saying in unison that we were the best, but Tarasova only gave us 5.5. That’s was biased.
As for “unfaithfulness”… Yes, I am not yet divorced, but Julia and I aren’t living together. She is now doing coaching in America. I don’t want to announce the personal life’s details to the whole country to say – look, that’s my girlfriend, her name is Oksana Domnina. Let’s better congratulate Oksana and her partner Maxim Shabalin for taking the European silver.’
’Following the end of his eligible career, Ilya Averbukh organized his ice show. Evgeny Plushenko started building hotels. What are you planning to do?’
‘Hard to say. I can’t afford to build hotels like Zhenya has – his financial possibilities are different. I think my future will be connected with figure skating. As of yet, Tanya and I haven’t fully decided to quit eligible career. We’re training, we’re staying in shape, and we’re taking part in Ilya Averbukh’s show. Therefore, it’s possible that we could come back in a year or two. But we would only come back as leaders. Following our Turin triumphal victory, it would be silly to come back to lose.’
[size=+3]ROMANce on ice[/size]
Roman Kostomarov has an awful reputation. He’s called a drunkard, a debaucher, and a womanizer. On the eve of his 30th birthday (February 8th), the Olympic champion confessed his youthful sins. That took place in a bar, with a cigarette in hand…
‘When you skated with Ekaterina Davydova, you were disqualified for a year for wild partying. I don’t understand how the highest achievements in elite sport can coexist with drinking and smoking? ’
‘I smoke now, but in the Olympic season I’d indulge myself in one cigarette a month. As for the disqualification, that was a long time ago, I was just 19 then. The guys and I partied some, and broke something in the hotel room. The complaints went all the way to the skating federation president. You’d think athletes weren’t human! We were young, hot-headed, after competition we could get drunk and then go out and get into a fight. Many skaters went through that. I know that both Vladimir Kovalev and Gennady Karponosov were punished for drinking. What’s important is that they didn’t break. When I was disqualified for a year, I kept on training, and what’s more – I learned a lesson!’
’That’s not what your next partner Anna Semenovich recalls. She says, “At the Saint Petersburg Grand Prix, Roma took the ice drunk, fell down, and had to crawl. That shame was broadcasted live…” ’
‘Of course, Anya exaggerated my “heroics”. I never crawled from the rink, and never said, “I don’t care about figure skating, I’d rather go to the hotel and drink.” Yes, I got into trouble, yes, I drank. All kind of stuff would happen then. What happened with Semenovich? I had a few drinks after competition, but I overestimated my strength. I was young, I didn’t know much about hangovers. So I stumbled at exhibitions, and couldn’t skate the program… But that never happened again. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be an Olympic champion.
You know, if I were as bad as Semenovich claims, I’d long be sitting in the subway, drinking vodka and chasing it with bear. I think Anya is just mad at me for leaving her to skate with Tatiana Navka.‘
[size=+2]”Chinese are the pair skating leaders”[/size]
’Semenovich has announced that she’s leaving the “Brilliant” to come back to figure skating and take part in the Vancouver Olympics.’
‘Ridiculous! To do that, she’d first need to reduce her… chest. She’ll have trouble skating with the one she had today.’
’How did she skate before? Semenovich claims she doesn’t have an ounce of silicone in her!’
‘Anya and I skated together six years ago. Since then, some parts of her body have grown considerably. Just compare the pictures! But let’s not talk about that… Figure skating today is very different. While Semenovich can still beat anyone in terms of emotions, her technique is far behind.’
’Recent European championships in Warsaw have shown that Russia has lost its leading position in figure skating. Is it time to say good buy to our country’s superiority in this sport?’
‘It’s just Europeans. What will happen at worlds?! Chinese are now the leaders in pair skating. The only pair that could stand up to them is Maxim Marinin and Tatiana Totmianina. They have just wrapped up their eligible career, but may be they’ll still come back. I don’t see any other pairs. Just as I don’t see the single that could compete with the Chinese, Canadians, and Americans.’
’How did that happen?’
‘The last few years we lived off the old reserve, whatever was left of the Soviet school. Right now, many of our skaters that could be the leaders have run to other countries. All leading coaches (except for Elena Tchaikovskaya, who has never left Russia) are training abroad. That includes Oleg Vasiliev, Alexander Zhulin, Tatiana Tarasova, and Natalya Linichuk. Sad as it is, it’s all about who can pay. Russia still doesn’t have good conditions for training and for a decent life.’
[size=+2]”It would be foolish to come back and loose”[/size]
’On the show “Stars on Ice”, Tatiana Tarasova wasn’t too forgiving of your duo with Ekaterina Guseva. They say it’s because Tatiana Anatolievna found out of your affair with Oksana Domnina, and decided to teach you a lesson about being unfaithful. Is that so?’
‘What absurdity! In fact, Tarasova just didn’t like Katya Guseva. In one of the events, all jury members gave us 6 points, and all were saying in unison that we were the best, but Tarasova only gave us 5.5. That’s was biased.
As for “unfaithfulness”… Yes, I am not yet divorced, but Julia and I aren’t living together. She is now doing coaching in America. I don’t want to announce the personal life’s details to the whole country to say – look, that’s my girlfriend, her name is Oksana Domnina. Let’s better congratulate Oksana and her partner Maxim Shabalin for taking the European silver.’
’Following the end of his eligible career, Ilya Averbukh organized his ice show. Evgeny Plushenko started building hotels. What are you planning to do?’
‘Hard to say. I can’t afford to build hotels like Zhenya has – his financial possibilities are different. I think my future will be connected with figure skating. As of yet, Tanya and I haven’t fully decided to quit eligible career. We’re training, we’re staying in shape, and we’re taking part in Ilya Averbukh’s show. Therefore, it’s possible that we could come back in a year or two. But we would only come back as leaders. Following our Turin triumphal victory, it would be silly to come back to lose.’
Tatiana BOGDANOVA
