"I've grown used to being shouted at" - Yuko Kawaguchi | Golden Skate

"I've grown used to being shouted at" - Yuko Kawaguchi

Hsuhs

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
There is a cute interview with Yuko Kawaguchi in today's 'Sport Den' za Dnyom'.

- Sounds like she doesn't mind critique b/c she needs it to be able to train harder. Moskvina shouts at her a lot, but doesn't do so with Smirnov.

- Tikhonov (of Petrova & Tikhonov duo) speaks decent Japanese.

- As for the 2010 Olys, she'd go for it, if she and her partner have a chance of winning the OGM.

Maybe someone wants to translate the entire thing:
http://sportsdaily.ru/issue.aspx/493/13052
 

maureend

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Kawaguchi Translation Provided

Maureen: I'm busy and there's lots of press these days, so I've taken to not translating repetitive bits of info already known to skating fans, the journalists' questions (usually) and... things that bore me! You'll note this by ...

http://sportsdaily.ru/issue.aspx/493/13052
Elena Yazeva
Trans. M.Diffley
Q. Specialists thought she wouldn’t be ready for worlds 2007?
“What do they know? I really had a break. I fell badly on a throw. They put on the cast, but I told Tamara Moskvina that I want to go to worlds, since it was in my own Jpaan. I asked her to think of something. She said the only way was to skate through pain. I agreed and don’t regret it.”

Q. After OP, you were 4th…
“When I saw we were so high, I got scared! We had a really easy program. And when I skated for Japan I was never higher than 13th or 14th. It’s a pity we didn’t have strength left for the free.”

Q. What did Moskvina say after the skate?
“She said ninth was an offensive result, but didn’t yell at us, even though she is usually very harsh! Anyway, she always yells at me. But my partner Sasha Smirnov never gets it from her. I guess it’s her system: never yell at boys.”

Q. Does it offend you?
“No, I’m used to it. My Japanese coach always yelled at me and mama always raises her voice too. I need to be criticized regularly, otherwise I relax and start to train badly.”
…..
Q. You started working with Smirnov under Nikolai Velikov, then suddenly left. What happened?
“I really liked Nikolai Matveevich, but I always wanted to skate under Moskvina. Maxim Trankov and Masha Mukhortova couldn’t work under her and she had no students. I decided to take advantage of the situation and right away switched. Nikolai Matveevich was really upset by our departure, but there really was no other choice. Now we practically don’t interact, he works in Academy (rink) and I train at Yubeleini. We practically don’t run into each other. We don’t even barely talk with Masha Petrova and Aleksei Tikhonov for the same reason. But when I first came to Russia, Lesha helped me very much. He really speaks Japanese well – he represented my country for a long time and skated with my friend.

Q You speak Russian well. Where did you learn it?
At first, I started with English. My mom helped because she teaches this foreign language. But Russian… Moskvina taught me, I studied independently. Now I think I should get a 2 (Maureen: this is the equivalent of an American "D") for grammar, although I study at the university in the international relations department (Maureen: Very prestigious degree program.) and pass all my exams in Russian.

…”My mom fell in love with ice dancers Ludmila Pakhomova and Aleksander Gorshkov and dreamed that I would achieve success. She forced me to go to the rink, but I hated skating. It was a struggle for her to drag me there until age 10. I always thought of excuses: headaches, leg hurts, too much homework. Then gradually I learned the jumps, Now I really love figure skating!”
…….
To compete at Olympics
“I have to give up Japanese citizenship and take Russian. If we realize we can get first place, then I’ll do it. Now I know that in 10 years time I can regain my citizenship, but I think it will be hard years in my life. I’m pure Japanese, and I’ll have to ask a visa for every visit home. It’s scary even to think about it.

Could they make an exception for you?
“It’s possible. There is no dual citizenship in Japan, but maybe they’ll allow me to wait 5years instead of 10.”

By the way, Yuka Kawaguchi says that what is sold at sushi bars bares no resemblance to her national food..”In St. Petersburg, it’s simply impossible to make normal sushi. You don’t have the right kind of fish. And from frozen food you cannot make normal sushi. She tries to eat at home, and learned to cook well from her mom. Once a month her parents send her a big package with national foodstuffs (tea, sweets.)
 

emma

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Thanks for the link and translation!

I remember a while ago reading a tid-bit somewhere that said that Kawaguchi has had a number of fairly seroius injuries - does anyone know if this is true? If it is, do we know why? is this a concern for her future progress?

Also, does anyone know by when she has to choose to get Russian citizenship to be eligible for the 2010 Olympics?

Here's hoping this team has wonderful season - i really enjoyed watching them last year!
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Also, does anyone know by when she has to choose to get Russian citizenship to be eligible for the 2010 Olympics?
If I recall, Belbin had to get hers by the end of 2005 to be eligible for 2006.
 
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