In-depth Anissina interview | Golden Skate

In-depth Anissina interview

Ptichka

Forum translator
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Joined
Jul 28, 2003
http://ptichkafs.livejournal.com/31223.html
Ice dancing: star show and a one’s fate
“Russian Reporter” #37/ February 28, 2008

Sonya Ray, “Russian Reporter”[/B][/SIZE]

Olympic ice dance champion Marina Anissina left Russia at 17. She could not build a career at home - as Ilya Averbukh, with whom she won Junior Worlds twice, chose to skate with his girlfriend Irina Lobacheva. Having found a “free” French ice dancer Gwendal Peizerat, Marina left her homeland for good. In a few years, she surpassed Averbukh in everything – she became European, World, and Olympic champion, and left the sport undefeated. In 2007, Anissina came back to Russia to take part in a TV ice show. Even though she failed to make it to the final, the skater decided to stay awhile on her homeland. She says the roots just don’t let go.

In France, one’s nationality is verified by their attitude toward the Eiffel Tower. The French, especially the Parisians, are convinced it defaces their capital, whereas the foreigners treat it with much respect. Do you like the Eiffel Tower?

People respect it because it’s a symbol of Paris. In reality it is indeed pretty ugly, no? In 2000, it was lit up really nicely at night, but that’s about it.

I guess you do think like a Frenchwoman! Or, are the differences between our peoples nor really that great?

I don’t think they’re great. It’s not for naught that many in Russia used to speak French. Both countries have a rich culture and history, and this unites us. There are, of course, differences, but it’s mainly in little things. For example, many French go to a café in the morning – to have breakfast and to read the paper. It’s not made up for the movies, it really is a lifestyle! Especially in Paris. If a Frenchman doesn’t go to a café in the morning, he’s sure to go buy fresh bread and a paper. They know how to enjoy life.

Was it hard to find a partner via correspondence?


It is, indeed, quite hard to find a partner with both the right look and the right skating level. Plus, it was mid-season. Actually, I was really hurt – Averbukh and I were deep in preparations, we had new programs, our costumes were ready, and suddenly they become a couple, she skates in my costume, and does my lifts… And I have to watch it every day!

It was a turning point in my life.

I did not expect it. At that time, my parents got divorced, and Ilya and I were two-time Junior World champions. Not only was figure skating a part of my life, I was already beginning to make money. When he left me for Irina Lobacheva, I was left with nothing.

My mom was terribly upset – not only is it difficult to find a new partner, it was rather unclear what to do at all.

Isn’t it a common practice for coaches to break up teams after they go from Juniors to Seniors?[/B]

Yes, it’s common. In fact, few skaters stay with one partner. However, our case was different! We had a good promising team; everybody talking about it, and predicted a bright future for us. Besides, I am still unsure as to who initiated the break-up of our team.

Why?

To begin with, I didn’t really investigate. Also, Ilya told me it was Linichuk’s decision, whereas Linichuk was sayting, “No-no-no! Ilya himself decided he wants to skate with his girlfriend Irina!”. I am not even sure I really want to know who the initiator really was. It’s all ancient history now. By the way, I’ve described this whole story in detail in my book “Dotting the i’s”, which has been on sale in Russia for a few months now.

It sounds like you were very honest in the book.


Why write a dishonest book? Of course, I tried to tell it all. I didn’t spend much time in Russia, and people knew little about me. I visit a lot more often now. I now have many projects tied specifically to this country; besides, this is where I was born! So, I decided to write this book to say it all, have some closure, and turn a page. I think everything that happened to happened for a reason. I believe in fate in general, but here it’s like I drew a lottery ticket.

Have you really never considered abandoning figure skating?

Never! I am a very obstinate person. I was humiliated and hurt, but I also have much willpower. That whole situation just gave me an energy boost, prompting me for more decisive actions. I was thinking about how no one has a right to direct my life, and I am sure I was right. No matter how difficult it all was for me, I don’t hold any grudges. Life put everything in its place anyway – I won the Olympics, not he. Besides, it things went differently, I’d never know the country whose culture and language I now love so much.

Do you remember your first impression of Gwendal Peizerat?


Yes, he was a lot fun, and I thought too fickle. I came there to work and to get results, whereas Gwendal lived a very French life. He was a spoiled child whom everyone always paid attention to. It was a very easy life, and he enjoyed it. He did not have the problems of those who where like me. All athletes in our country had to fight for survival, even though I wasn’t exactly born into an average family, and my conditions were better than most.

Did your family help you a lot when you started skating?


Not quite. My parents didn’t want that life for me. My mom and dad are both athletes. My dad, Vyacheslav Anissin, is a hockey player, and has been a world champion. My mom, Irina Chernyaeva, is a sports master of international acclaim; she was the first student of Tatiana Anatolyevna Tarasova. I was born to an athletic “ice” family. Since my parents knew that the big sport does not help one’s health but rather hinders it, they did not want me to choose that route. They wanted me to go to school, learn different languages, and find a nice career; in a word, to have a normal life.

How, then, did you end up on that “slippery” path?

I really wanted it. I started skating early, because Granny got sick and couldn’t stay home with me. Mom was working at the rink then, and Dad was always away. Mom had to take me along. At first, I’d just sit in the changing room, until people started telling Mom, “Why do you keep the girl in the changing room? Let her skate – maybe she’ll like it”. That’s how it all began. I liked it right away, and later you couldn’t drag me from the ice.

Were you really not bothered by the long practices, you didn’t want to hang out and climb trees?

I liked it! I dreamt of becoming Olympic champion since I as little. I liked both skating and watching figure skating. I liked going through my parents’ medals and scrapbooks, and I wanted to achieve more that they did. I never dreamt of being the champion of Europe or World – I wanted that Olympic medal! I didn’t just want to climb trees. I was, though, always the first to lace up my skates before a lesson, waiting impatiently at the boards for the Zamboni to finish up to be the first one to get onto that ice! I guess I owe this attitude to Granny.

She always told me – “You can’t shame your parents!” Granny was tough with me.

She also probably wanted you to surpass your parents.


It was important for her that I be better than others. I spent a lot of time with Granny, even after I got serious about figure skating. Secretly from Mom, she started taking me to some extra skating classes. I was the coach’s daughter – god forbid I would be worse than others! When mom found out we were secretly going to some open-air rink, she was truly shocked!

What did the parents of Gwendal Peizerat think of you teaming up?


His parents always want him to skate! I don’t even know if anything would’ve panned out if it weren’t for them. He told me once that he would’ve dropped figure skating had he not gotten my letter.

What did he want to be?

He has a higher education in business and marketing; he always studied in parallel with the sport. He now has his own business, just as he planned. Of course, the sport took up much of his time, but teachers were always willing to meet him halfway.

Did you study as well?

Yes, I have a coaching diploma from the Physical Culture Institute. Also, when I just came to France, I attended language lectures at the University, but that was for a short time.

Did you learn it quickly?


No, it was a bit different… When I came to France, I moved in with Gwendal; he gave me a separate little room. We spoke French – Gwendal knew it expertly, and while I wasn’t as good, I could still speak it. So, I stupidly slowed down the process of learning the new language. If my mom were nearby, she’d have set me straight, but I was alone, and just wouldn’t budge. I could hardly understand Gwendal’s parents, who actually helped me a lot. I only saw the goal, I was always tired, and I really missed Russia, my friends and my parents. I could have learned the language much faster if I weren’t so stubborn. It was a tough time; after all I was only 17. I became wiser with time.

Has Gwendal learned Russian?

He understands it well. He can speak it a little, but he hardly ever gets to practice. But he already has a Russian girlfriend! Knowing this language comes in handy, as there are always many Russians on tours.
Backstage scandals

By the way, did Russian athletes start treating you differently when you started skating for France?


The friends I still keep in touch with did not change, and I did not notice any difference. Yet it was hard at first – I was a foreigner in France, yet I was also seen as an opponent in Russia. It’s a well known plot - Friend Among Strangers, Stranger Among Friends. As long as I did not understand their language or their humor, I couldn’t be “theirs” a hundred percent. I was treated well, but the language barrier was taking its toll. Of course, there was also some competition, especially at the French Nationals.

How true are the horror stories about competitors – broken glass in skates, dulling the edges, etc.?


I have never encountered this, and never saw it! Perhaps it was true earlier, because there are many stories like that. Then again, I am not a confrontational person, and always kept to myself at competitions. I need to concentrate, and I can’t disperse myself, chat with everybody, and leave my skates wherever. I always tried to be near friends at championships, and not to upset anyone. Besides, I always worked hard, and was sure of myself and my strength. I never came to a competition unprepared. I can’t even get such “tactics” into my head.

Which championships were the most intense for you?

The Olympics and the World championships in Nice in 2000 when we won. Of course, any competition is intense. I am an athlete in nature – I like to compete, I enjoy the adrenaline and contest; I miss it all now. Nice championships were very stressful; after all, it took place in France. Home field tension was in. I, at least, wasn’t born there, but Gwendal worried a lot.

There was also considerable pressure at the Salt Lake City Olympics, but you handled it perfectly. Many especially remembered your original dance – the flamenco that you danced in an unusually long skirt.

Yes, that dance is always well received. We made it into a show number, and often perform it on request. We were very serious about its creation, even going to Spain for it. It was the first time flamenco was introduced into figure skating; as it’s skated exclusively in a long skirt, many doubted it was possible to perform it on the ice. We decided to try, and I trained in a skirt through the summer. Some said it could hide some faults, but that’s not so. It was far more difficult to skate that way. The skirt was heavy, uncomfortable, and odd on the turns; it took time to get used to it.

Have you ever drawn costume sketches yourself?


I had to think of the free dance costume for our Olympic program myself, because I didn’t like anything we were offered.

It had to hurt you a lot when the whole scandal with Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov erupted; the “Taiwanese” purportedly bribed the judges to award the gold medals to you and Gwendal and to Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikhuralidze.

It was so hurtful and unfair! Some people needed a scandal, and I was the scapegoat. For some reason, everything was mixed together, the pair skating scandal and us. However, no one had any doubt about our medals. Conspiracy theories were based on the theory that the Russian judges put Gwendal and me in first to get the gold for Berezhnaya and Sikhuralidze. That’s not true, as the Russian judge never put us in first! You can’t effect the results of the Olympic Games when the whole planet is watching.

What about the pair skating scandal? Who should have been first – the Russians or the Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier?


I think it was wrong to award two medals. The Russians skated the new program with a mistake, whereas the Canadians skated last year’s program faultlessly. I think some of the judges were marking the specific skate, whereas others were considered the skating level. Many arbiters have judges for many years, and know that the level of the Berezhnaya/ Sikhuralidze is above the Canadians’. In my opinion, the Russians were more deserving of the gold. On the other hand, I can also understand the Canadians. I remember the Worlds in Vancouver a year before the Olympics, when they were unfairly judged into the first place. We, meanwhile, lost to the Italians Barbara Fussar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio. The Canadians would stop us on the street and say – “You were supposed to win!” I hurt even more – everyone has eyes, everyone sees everything, yet you’re judged lower than you deserve.

Who came up with your famous lift, when the woman is holding the man?


When we were working on our 1998 Olympic program “Romeo and Juliet”, our choreographer Shanti Rhuspaul suggested this lift. I know the Italians now perform it as well.

Would you like to see it a required element in ice dance?

That’s impossible, because it’s not available to all. If I skated with Zhenya Platov, I simply couldn’t lift him. It depends on the partner’s flexibility, height, and weight. I am no Hercules after all.

Love the Russian style


In your opinion, who should be the head of the dancing team – a man or a woman?

It’s important to have a team. Though, of course, the male partner is considered good when he can well present his lady, not when he is just showing off himself. That’s how he expresses his masculinity.

Is that how the relationships between men and women be in real life?


I don’t think perfect relationships exist. Everyone is different, and everyone has their own tensions, conflicts, and differences; it’s normal. Especially in a work environment, when you’re always undress stress, with fatigue and incredible load to boot.

Was it hard to spend all your time with one person?


Yes, it was. Gwendal and I were never romantically involved, but I lived in his parents’ home for a long time. It was like being married without the bed. If we were also a couple in life, I’d have gone insane.

Many skaters marry…

And many get divorced. Take Averbukh and Lobacheva. They had a common goal that united them. When that’s over, the relationship is over as well, that’s how I see it. Without common interests, nothing can really happen.

Yet you fell into that same trap with your “Dances on Ices. Velvet Season” partner actor Nikita Dzhigurda. So much was said about your affair, engagement, and wedding! Is there any truth to it?

Much was written about it, especially in the yellow press; it distorted the facts, rephrasing the truth, and adding what he never said. Has Russia ever had engagements? We don’t have that tradition, so you can think of it as you like. I actually never talked about my personal life – that’s not my style, and I don’t like doing it. Had the press not distorted the facts and making such a mess of things, I wouldn’t even answer that question. I won’t deny our relationship. He is an emotional and extraordinary person. After all, could I just fall in love?!

Are you now tying your whole life to Russia?

To both countries. I was born in Russia, and always missed it. It’s neat to be able to do something here. However, I don’t intend to leave France either – my mom, my home, and my show are there. I am the adopted child of that country.
French pastry

I heard you wanted to open a French patisserie in Russia?


I wanted to, but it didn’t work out. Everyone should do what they’re good at. I haven’t been to Russia in a while, and overestimated my abilities. Though good pastries will always be in demand!

Do you like pastries yourself?

Love it! I love sweets, but since I always had to restrain myself, I don’t eat much – it’s a habit by now. Even now, when I go to a restaurant, I prefer fish and salad. That’s because I know what the consequences can be. Diets are not as difficult as it seems. Some can just become a lifestyle; you don’t even have to limit yourself. For example, I learned to drink tea and coffee without milk or sugar. Now I don’t even like it, though I used to.

How often do you indulge yourself in sweets?

Rather rarely. It’s interesting – before, when I skated competitively and had exhausting daily practices, I always needed to lose weight. Even when my weight was stable and did not increase, I’d get paranoid and decrease my portions. However, I couldn’t live a day without a piece of chocolate! It was a part of my diet, my body simply demanded it.

Despite the failure of the pastry idea, you nonetheless returned to Russia to take part in the “Dances on Ice. Velvet Season”. What were your impressions?

Really cool! When I came there, I thought it would be a piece of cake – the ice is small, the practices aren’t daily… I was very surprised to learn it wasn’t like that. There is competition, there is a drive, and there is stress! It was all-consuming.

Were you upset to be “out”?

You can’t imagine! It wasn’t even deserved! I totally did not think it would be like that. My partner did not skate worse than others. Sure, he is rather temperamental, but the producers themselves were saying we had to put on a show. So, we put it on, everyone in their own way. How can you demand that those who’ve never skated adhere to all the criteria of the real competitions? It’s unrealistic.

I know that France had such a show as well?

It didn’t stick there. It was shown once, and the people started saying – “Oh, any idiot can skate!” But that’s not true. You have to give the celebrities their dues as they do train hard, but it bears no comparison to real sport. We have a big rink, versus the small one here. It’s just impossible to learn to skate at such a high level in a short time. We learn it from childhood.

By the way, what do you think of the current level of figure skating in Russia? Everyone talks of a crisis.

That’s true. It happened because many of the specialists went elsewhere to other countries, whereas the athletes didn’t get the support of the country or the federation. You can’t click your fingers to get things back on tracks, but it should eventually go back to normal. I think the Sochi Olympics should help a lot.

How do you find our ice dance teams?

In my opinion, Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin have a lot of potential; I like than better that the French Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder, and I am rather objective. I am fond of Yana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitksi. I think they have a bright future ahead, though naturally this depends on the talent, the work, and the circumstances. Also, it’s important to stay healthy in the Olympic season. Though if an athlete is not in pain, it’s almost abnormal.

Are there more heights left for you to conquer?

It’s a tough question. Like any other woman, I am concerned about my personal life. I think about having my family and children. Professionally, it’s more complicated; is there anything cooler than an Olympic medal? Then again, you never know.

I can’t go into details yet, but I also have some interesting projects and ideas for theater and movies.
 

jennylovskt

Medalist
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
There are many things about Marina that I didn't know before. I really enjoy reading it. Thank you so much, Ptichka!
 

Michelle'sFan

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Thanks for posting this! I loved Marina and Gwendal! Have they split their team? I think I missed something. :confused:
 

andy12

Spectator
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Thank you for the interview, Ptichka!:bow:


I loved Marina and Gwendal! Have they split their team? I think I missed something. :confused:

No, they are still skating together. Actually, right now they are doing the French tour (Les Etoiles de la Glace). :rock:
 
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