Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov

Snow63 said:

Welcome, Masha Post long and often.

Their relationships are obviously on/off, and this is their style of communication. I guess you can even call it their own kind of chemistry. Usually Ksyusha act's like a diva, yeaterday Fedor acted like a diva. They can say unpleasant things in a heat of a moment to each other, but always laughing at that after cooling off. And did you notice Moser's knowing smile after Fedia left K&C yesterday? She knew he was pissed off and probably even scared of Ksenia a little bit.

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I think that was payback for Europeans.

Love Them!!

borzaya said:

A bit of off-topic, but I've found an old photo of Ksenia's dog. What a cutie! https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/h...5/e15/1389915_747078831972547_925648517_n.jpg

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Cute little thing. I'm obsessed with my dog's (Westie) nose also.

MAKLEODBEJ said:

I think that was payback for Europeans.Love Them!!

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Welcome MAKLEODBEJ.

Post more often.

Well, as a team I generally like them, they have some spunk. So, I would be happy if they could get it together.

Guys, I'm a big fan of theirs and was disappointed they checked out of last season early, I'm convinced they would have medalled at worlds. But I found their new programs a bit ... uninspiring? I know this is a fan fest but I found the programs dull. They are still the same great team with the elegant lines and gorgeous technique, but maybe I was expecting too much? What did we all think?

icedinn said:

aww Fedor!
At least he was honest. Can I just say how annoying people can be? Saying that these two don't look happy on the ice anymore, communication issues, Ksenia is going to dump hin for a better partn. Leave them alone!!

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I think this is just how they work. I don't think that just because they're not happy all the time that they are ready to come to blows and split. In fact, this level of honesty in communication is often better than the forced smiles we sometimes see from competitors. I love that she breathes fire, that's a true competitor of steel.

anyanka said:

Guys, I'm a big fan of theirs and was disappointed they checked out of last season early, I'm convinced they would have medalled at worlds. But I found their new programs a bit ... uninspiring? I know this is a fan fest but I found the programs dull. They are still the same great team with the elegant lines and gorgeous technique, but maybe I was expecting too much? What did we all think?

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Well I love the long program. They need to work out kinks but all in all it has potential to be their masterpiece imo. They skate really well to Danny Elfman's music, this being the third time using him I think. I'm not into "I put a spell on you" simply because I just never cared for that song.
It's still early though so maybe I'll change my mind.

anyanka said:

I think this is just how they work. I don't think that just because they're not happy all the time that they are ready to come to blows and split. In fact, this level of honesty in communication is often better than the forced smiles we sometimes see from competitors. I love that she breathes fire, that's a true competitor of steel.

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I thought the same about the LP when I saw it first at the Russian test skate. It was a bit strange because I liked both the chore and the music but not the two together, if that makes sense. At Nepala though I started to like it a lot and I think like icedinn, I think it has potential to be their masterpiece. Their suited to modern choreography but they need the speed and attack they usually have in order for this program to work. That was missing in Nepala. Also, they said they are gonna polish, complete, the programs with Sergei Polunin and I couldn't be more happy about it. About the SP, I like it myself very much but then again I love Nina Simone so it depends. Overall, I think it has a lot to do with their physical form. A part from the mistakes, I think once they get in good shape the programs will look very different and way better.

There is a very interesting interview with Ksenia, or so it seems from google translation. It's a bit long though and google it's not ideal and a lot of things don't make sense. Can someone translate please?!

Alba said:

There is a very interesting interview with Ksenia, or so it seems from google translation. It's a bit long though and google it's not ideal and a lot of things don't make sense. Can someone translate please?!

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Thanks for the link.
This is a very long interview, I will translate it for you, but don't expect it very soon maybe tomorrow.

Snow63 said:

Thanks for the link.
This is a very long interview, I will translate it for you, but don't expect it very soon maybe tomorrow.

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Take all your time you need. No need to hurry at all. :yes: I'm just curious to read it properly because it sounded very interesting from what I could get with google. Thank you so much Snow. :yay:

Alba said:

Take all your time you need. No need to hurry at all. :yes: I'm just curious to read it properly because it sounded very interesting from what I could get with google. Thank you so much Snow. :yay:

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Don't thank me yet, you did not see my translation yet

And you're right, the interview is great! I enjoyed to read it very much

Snow63 said:

Don't thank me yet, you did not see my translation yet

And you're right, the interview is great! I enjoyed to read it very much

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Don't worry, it doesn't need to be perfect. Just make sense out of it and the real meaning of what she's saying.

- You opened the season with a win at "Memorial Ondrej Nepela" trophy. What emotions the first start in Bratislava left in you?
- Very mixed feelings, to be honest: we did not show everything we planned there, but in the morning practices everyone saw that we can execute technical elements cleanly. On the other hand, there are positive aspects: many experts positively evaluated our new programs and change of style. Generally tournament in Bratislava is very nice, very homelike, you might say. At this stage, we did all our work tasks - started the season with the first gold medal, checked our elements in front of the judges and the public. Now it’s time to work on our mistakes before the Grand Prix Series

- Have you already analyzed your mistakes in the free program? What was the cause of them? And are you becoming too upset when they happens?
- I would say that for the first start of the season we made typical mistakes: excitement and desire, as we say, we tried "to jump out of your pants", that is, to show all that we can, what we learned over the summer. And, of course, all mistakes upset me. I can not keep everything in myself, I definitely need to throw the emotions out, that’s just the person I am!

- Can we say that the mistakes were due to the fact that you are still in the process of "adaptation" to the entirely new programs?
- We adapted to our new programs very fast, we immediately felt that they’re perfect for us. In the form you’ve seen them, we finished them long time ago and he have no problems with new choreography at all. On the contrary, we really want to delve into that style and find new nuances. I hope we will fill them more and more with each competition, and at the biggest competitions they will spark like two big pearls: grey and black (laughts)

- Before the start of the new season your coach Nina Moser announced: "This is not the Ksenia and Fedor they were before." What was your reaction when it became clear that you have to completely change your style?
- The decision on the change in the first place comes from ourselves. I wanted to quickly move away from the image and style that we have emerged even before the Olympics in Sochi, all people know us for. Not because we don’t like it anymore, we just want to move on and do not stand still, we want to constantly change and try new directions. Our coaching staff has fully supported our decision.

- "The new programs of Stolbova and Klimov is one hundred percent hit," - another quote of Moser. Katarina Gerboldt after your skate in Sochi said that you skate very confident and powerful. Alexander Smirnov said that Stolbova and Klimov created their own unique style. You feel that the new style is what you are looking for?
- Many thanks to Katia and Sasha for such nice feedback to our programs and our skates in Sochi. To hear praise from colleagues and competitors - it is really means a lot. I can only say that we agree with Alexander, we are skating with exactly the style both I and Fedia are wanting.

- Why you, the couple who skated to soundtracks and classics with avant-garde arrangement, have chosen the blues for the short program, and "contemporary" for the free?
- Because in these styles the change in the plastic and choreographic possibilities of athletes are very visible. We dreamed about modern and contemporary approach for a long time, since our first Senior season. Then we had an avant-garde "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel in the short program. We also wanted to show some unusual plastic style in the free program, but the coaches decided to follow the path of traditional contrast. As a result, one program was modern, and the other - a classic. But we knew that sooner or later we’ll return to modern. And now his time has come.

- When talking about the new programs you once mentioned the names of the ballet artists Sergei Polunin and Igor Zelensky. But still there is nothing from classical ballet in the new programs. So what exectly this ballet artist helped you with?
- Skaters work with ballet artists and choreographers not only when they want to show something from ballet spectacle on the ice. Russian ballet is one of the best in the world, that’s why we want to make our skating richier, to take advantage of all the achievements of contemporary choreography. Even when you are just dealing with choreographers and actors, you always take from them some ‘alive’ dance piece and perfect movement. It is always passes to you!
Sergey [Polunin] is a worldwide star of modern ballet. When the video of his dance to the song ‘Take me to church’ appeared on the internet, I immediately decided that we should work with him for sure. And Igor Anatolievich [Zelenski] is a living legend of world ballet. When we completely finished our programs, I showed the videos from our practice to them, and they immediately agreed to work together with us. But unfortunately, we didn’t have chance to work in a close contact yet because it’s very hard to superpose our busy schedules.

- I’ve heard that it was you who have picked the music for free program. Why does it attracted you? Can you say that it completely in line with your mood?
- We picked the music together. We already decided that we will be different this season: new and moders, so we searched with this tasks in mind. But in the end it coincidentally (haha!!) happened that the music was offered by me. In our short program we skate to cover version of the blues ‘I put a spell on you’ by British singer Annie Lennox, it’s from collection of songs for the film "50 shades of gray". But we don’t skate the movie’s plot, we just skate the blues in all the shades of gray (game of words here, it sounds cool in Russian, not so sure about English): from glossy satin to dense cozy jersey, and with a touch of British chic. That’s my associations with Lennox’ voice.
For the free program we have chosen some cuts from the soundtrack to "The Unknown Known". There’s no connection to the plot of the movie too. With the help of this music we want to show the plasticity of modern and to transmit tension of complex relationships.

- If we are talking about "50 shades of gray," it is impossible not to wonder whether you watched the movie? What impression did you have?
- Of course I watched the movie. And I’ve read the books too, when they became a bestseller. I’m not going to say I love this genre, but it was interesting to observe the reactions and feelings of modern women. As for the movie, it seems to me only lazy did not watch it (russian saying here). And only lazy did not criticize it. I decided to see it out of curiosity. Firstly, it was interesting how they will "adapt" the book to the screen, and secondly, the advertising campaign of the film has been so noisy that it was simply impossible to ignore this movie.
I will not say what exactly I did not like in the movie and why, I’ll just say that it has a ‘trick’ which touches you, beautifully, I would even say romantic, the grey color of high-tech metropolis was shown. And, of course, there’s absolutely gorgeous soundtrack. When I heard familiar songs in the new versions, it was clear for me that there’s good material for new programs. I only was worried that soundtrack would be used a lot, and everyone will be skating to ‘Crazy in love’ and other hits. But so far there’s not too many of us (laughts).

- The Olympics at Sochi is, of course, a bright milestone in your career. Do you think if your skating in terms of emotions, understanding yourself and your programs changed since then? If so, how do you feel it?
- Of course we changed very much! As for me, I became more adult, more responsible, serious and independent. I don’t know how much of it you can see in the programs, but we started to skate more freely and take more joн out of it. The most difficult test after the Olympics is to pass so called ‘copper pipes’, when you got a lot of attention from the press and fans (Russian saying, I don’t know how to explain it well, it basically means the test by fame and glory, how they change the person, if you can work even harder after the biggest achievement in your life, something like that). I think we coped with it fine. Do I feel the harmony now? I think now I have everything – my favorite job, a healthy happy family and good friends.

- Before the start of the new season there were a lot of talks about including quadruple throw in your programs. How the process is going? Do you land it at practices?
- At this point we stopped to work on quad throw for some time. Unfortunately, my chronic foot injury does not allow us to train it in daily basis. When we practice often and hard it (her foot) just can’t take it and fails me, we have to take a break for a couple of weeks after that, but we don’t have this time to waste, and we also lost a lot of time to change my boots. So we’re planning to compete in GP series with new jumping content, get used to it, and then we’ll see if we need to add quad throw in our program.

- What are your feelings on working on this element? And most importantly, aren’t you afraid to do it?
- I have different feelings. Of course, I can’t say that it’s easy, simple and fun. Yes, it’s hard and painful, how else? If you’re afraid of difficult elements, you will never win. It doesn’t matter how wonderful and harmonic you are with your second mark (PCS), someone will appear and land two quads and will surpass you because of the technical score (TES). Therefore, only those skaters will win, who will be good in all aspects.

- And what is your overall thoughts about complicating programs? Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov plan to execute two quad throws, same for Canadian pair. Is it real to win without quad throw today?
- In my opinion, it’s necessary to develop the technical capabilities of our sport, to move forward in all areas that are available. I think that in the near future it would be extremely difficult to fight for the first place without a quad throw. So my position is that if you can complicate the program - do it. Yes, there is a risk, we got injured, mess up our schedules (because of that), but it is a sport, it has its rules.

- What positions are you aiming for this season? And what do you think about your competition – Volosozhar/Trankov and Kavaguti/Smirnov?
- We aim for clean and quality skating, in the first place; to show everything we’re capable of, everything we had time to learn. We’re glad to have all the competitors and rivals, I swear! The more pairs will be competing at highest level, the better it will be for us and for the sport overall.

- You have changed not only your programs, but also your appearance, and it’s very different now from what we’ve seen and remembered from the Olympics. Do you change your appearance depending on your programs, or just do as you wish and feel yourself?
- I wanted to change it because of the programs. I wanted to do something no one expect, to look different. I have not radically changed like this before, that’s why I feel great in my new image.

- You’ve even changed your hair color in the summer, became a blonde, and it wasn’t unnoticed by your fans. Did this happen because of some special events?
- When there are no competitions, it’s possible to expirement, to try on myself the latest trends. That’s why I was blonde in the summer. But I knew, that to the start of the season I’ll be back to my usual hair color and will be brunette again. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the fans who was impressed by the change of my hairstyle. I certainly did not expect this flurry of attention. (haha!!) To whom I was compared to after my image change! I don’t even know these characters, except for Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina (laughts). And despite the fact that the fans do not always react kindly to such details, I still want to thank them because they interested in me so much, don’t leave them indifferent, even if I evoke such polar emotions. It always keeps me in tonus, and it's nice. It would be worse if it was completely unnoticed.

- Speaking about your appearance , it’s impossible not to mention your beautiful dresses, which you wear at competitions. Are you involved in the selection of dresses yourself, clearly realize what exactly you need? Or do you fully trust the choice of designers?
- Thank you for noticing our costumes. We’re working on the dresses with the same system now, which we began to follow after leaving costume studio, where skaters usually create costumes. Now, the process of creating the costumes is different: I tell the designers my ideas, I already have some guidance: the dress color, style, cut or trim, I also give them to listen to our music and show them the fragments of the programs, if we already have any. Then the designers create sketches, and after final approval create our costumes. (VERY interesting info, if you ask me!).

- Do you have favorite costumes?
- There are probably several. But most favorite are a red dress from "The Addams Family" and the lace dress for the "Notre Dame de Paris."

- Is it true that you were asked to sell the Morticia Addams red dress in which you were at the Olympics? And what you usually are doing with your costumes?
- All my dresses for me now are as a memory, as my family jewels that I will pass by inheritance or will send to a museum. I’m not selling my costumes, I can sometimes give them to someone to wear for some time, or even give my old dressed I outgrew to the juniors in our group. But I prefer not to part with my costumes, they are as important as medals for me.

- After a recent interview with Yuko Kuvaguti in figure skating world appeared a new topic for discussion – how important it is for two athletes who skate together as a couple to communicate (spend time) with each other outside of the ice. Kavaguti admitted that she spends a little time with Alexander Smirnov. I understand that it’s the same for you and Fedor. Do you think it’s necessary for a pair to communicate off the ice?
- Firstly, I think, it’s a private matter of the athletes how to spend free time after practice. Secondly, we know each other for so long; we spend a great amount of time together on the ice and in the gym, so after practice you just want to rest some time. So there is nothing wrong that Yuko and Sasha, or I and Fedor do not spend a lot of time together after our practices. But at the same time, if there’s any question at home or we just need support, we can always call and come to each other's aid.

- You said that you have a very temperamental and explosive character. Fedor even admitted that he is a little afraid of you for that, although he tries, how he said, ‘to extinguish the fire’. Have your character changed somehow after such successful Olympic Games?
- My temper is still here, and my character is still as explosive. And Fedor is not afraid anymore for a long time, he doesn’t have to extinguish the "fire" now. Yes, we are very different not only in temperament, but also in movement, in skating, or hearing music. But at the same time we have the same goal, we move to it together. After the Games, we have changed in the sense that we understand what is the work for a results, and what is skating for plesure.

- You and Fedor even prefer to spend holidays differently. According his social media, he likes to spend time around the sea, and you – anywhere in Europe. You even said once that you’d like to move to Barcelona in the future. Is this idea still alive?
- Fedor loves active holidays with his friends, and I, as you rightly pointed out, like Europe. I like snowboarding in winter, but in spring and summer I prefer to walk around in different corners in Europe. And I still love Barcelona. I fell in love with it at first sight, and wait for new trips there. That's exactly my city.

- How often do you remember the Olympics? After them you’ve became very popular.
- It’s not possible not to think about the Olympics, a lot of things remind me about them. The auto, which was given to all the champions and medalists, I always drive it with great pleasure when I’m in Moscow. There is a lot of different things and gifts, and the most important is the feeling of celebration, an atmosphere of friendship that prevailed at the Olympics, happy faces, the emotions of people who, by the way, still recognize us on the streets and in airports. In short, only good memories left, which to some extent provide even more motivation to go through all this again.
Olympic hype died down pretty quickly, but it was very interesting for us, both rich and heavy at the same time. And now it’s like nothing of that happened at all. How Nina Mikhailovna (Moser) says: ‘have a look at your small medals, put them back in the boxes, and go to work again from the scratch’. That’s how we live.

- You have a lot of interests. How do you usually spend your weekends?
- I love books, movies, music. At the weekend I either sleep after hard trainings, and then in the evening I go to a fitness club, or just travel to the St. Petersburg. So often I have to spend the weekends in airplanes and trains.

- We talked a little earlier about the movie "50 shades of gray." What place in your life takes cinema? If a movie will be a part of your date will you say, "What a banality!" Or, on the contrary, will accept such a proposal?
- I like movies, but they go after books and music for me. I watch different kind of movies, maybe horrors or ‘male’ action movies are not quite interesting to me. I’m getting the most bright emotions from movies. So I would accept a proposal to go to cinema, although it depends on with whom to go and what movie it will be

- People call you one of the most spectacular women from the world of figure skating. Is this kind of attention is nice? Or is it weigh on you?
- Well, of course it’s nice! However, I can not say that this is the widespread attention. Single ladies skaters are more accustomed to have the ‘title’ like the brightest or most spectacular figure skater, because single figure skating is more popular. But actually there are more than enough of beautiful girls in our national team and in others!

- Many different athletes promoting their name different ways. For example, Maria Sharapova launched her own candy brand and perfume. Do you plan to do something like this in the future? Maybe to release your own clothing line?
- Maybe later I'll do something similar. In the meantime, I do not think about it. In sports, the best promotion of your name is the successful competitions and the results. And how to use your popularity after that everyone decides for himself. I have some ideas - I have a great desire to go to acting school, to release my own line of sportswear, open a beauty salon. I hope that soon all this will be possible.

- How do you like to live in Moscow? Got used to it after two years? Or something still pulls you to Petersburg?
- I have been accustomed to Moscow a long time ago, but I still live in two cities. I agree with the aphorism of Felicity Martin: "Home is where your Mom. Where's your Mom - it's your home." (I don’t know the real translation, you can google it). It may sound sentimental, but it is true. My family, close friends and two cute furry four-legged friends: Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Dani and chihuahua Sultan are all living there.

- Do you have a favorite place in St. Petersburg, where do you feel particularly good and love to visit?
- Like probably everyone else I love the historic city center. I am pleased to walk there when I come to St. Petersburg for the weekend. And I miss the north part, it’s a very pleasant area of the city that grew up on the site of the former Commandant airport where I lived and where the Academy of figure skating is. And where is now my mother's new apartment that I bought for her.

- And the final question: tell us what do you dream about now? What do you want especially strongly now?
- I dream to achieve all my goals in the near future. And that all my beloved and close people will be healthy, it’s most important. Everything else I can achieve myself.

The translation done specially for Alba, and for other people who's interested and not very demanding to the quality. It's not word-to-word exactly, I tried to save the meaning of Ksenia's words in English.
I'm sorry in advance about mistakes, I'm sure there are a lot of them. I just didn't have much time to correct them, I'm not even sure I know where most of them are anyway
I hope it's understandable, if you have any questions about the translation you know where you can find me

Thank you so much for translating this interview!

Wow! Thanks Snow for translating, as Alba said, it is very interesting

Thanks snow.

Great translation! Thank you!

Snow63 said:

The translation done specially for Alba, and for other people who's interested and not very demanding to the quality. It's not word-to-word exactly, I tried to save the meaning of Ksenia's words in English.
I'm sorry in advance about mistakes, I'm sure there are a lot of them. I just didn't have much time to correct them, I'm not even sure I know where most of them are anyway

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Thank you sooooooooo much Snow. That is absolutely perfect.
I LOVE THIS WOMAN! I really do! :yay: She's smart, she's very down to earth and very approachable, contrary to "popular" belief. I'm really sorry to hear that they haven't start working yet with Sergei Polunin and Igor Zelensky. I was really looking forward for Polunin's touch in particular. He's so good. I do hope they will be able to do that during the season and before the GPF or Euros.

My friends met Ksenia in a training camp and they said she's a very friendly girl in reality, easy to talk to. She might look like a diva, but she is not a diva in the bad meaning.