Interview w/ Adian Pitkeev

Adian, for a long time there has not been any news from you, no interviews. Last summer, however, there was information about your changing men's singles for ice dancing. Could you tell me how it all happened?

For about a year and a half, Elena Vodorezova (Elena Germanovna Vodorezova; married name: Buianova) and I tried to get my back to the condition which would allow me to train well even through the pain – it did not matter for me. But during all that time nothing happened. I mean we got the condition but then I started jumping, advancing, adding complicated types of entries to elements, body working, in short, everything, and it all started from the very beginning. The triple Axel was my "ceiling", I could do nothing more. It was difficult for me to walk, to lie, my back did not stop troubling me.

Did it trouble you not only during your practices but permanently?

Yes. But Elena Germanovna did everything she could and even what she could not for me. Unfortunately, nothing worked out.

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Elena Germanovna said that you had been to Germany and the United States for treatment. You had also undergone treatment here, in Russia.

Yes. I can say that I have been everywhere where Elena Germanovna has been able to send me. We tried to do everything we could. Now I can say that, as a result of what I have gone through, I have learned that the problem with my spine is actually inborn, I was born with it. And the fact that the injury was to happen was just a matter of time. It might have happened earlier, it might have happened later. I was told that my spine was a bit deformed congenitally.

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Will you tell about your switching to ice dancing? How did it happen?

Before I retired from men's singles I had given it up and restarted it six or seven times: I recovered and trained and then again didn't appear on ice because I couldn't sleep or walk or do anything more. It had been very difficult.

Did you discuss your probable switch to ice dancing with Elena Germanovna? Was it Elena Germanovna who suggested the idea?

No, it was a spontaneous decision. Elena Ilinykh called me, we met. I had already retired from the men's singles. She suggested that I should try ice dancing. She still wanted to train me.

And did you decide to try?

Yes. First, I was skeptical about the idea but we started working and there was some progress. Then Elena found a partner. I called Ekaterina Borisovna Rubleva (Ekaterina Rubleva - Russian former competitive ice dancer, a four-time Russian national medalist; coach). She is a good person. I have been told a lot of times about that and I make sure of it every day. I was examined and told that everything wasn't that bad. I was taken.

Now, you are trying to dance with a new partner. Is she an ice dancer?

Yes, she is.

You cannot tell me anything about it yet, can you?

I never tell anything until everything is clear. I hardly ever tell anything. That's why there hasn't been any news from me. They just ask me and I answered: I don't know, nothing is clear, I will not say anything. What is the point in saying anything if I myself don't know what will happen and what will not.

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lyverbird1 said:

Is he still training with Alisa Lozko or is the reference to "new partner" meaning he's changed to someone else now? I really admired her spins as a singles skater...

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