Warning, my complete interpretation of this blog contains not only Russian female skating topics but I'll include them for completeness and integrity of the source material.
Vasilisa Davankova: “Now it’s just a personality cult of Tutberidze”
Yekaterina Bespalov This popular video blogger visited SE and talked about why Lipnitskaya and Sotnikova left on time, the phenomenon of Tutberidze's social networks and the injustice of attacks on Medvyedeva and Zagitova
Vasilisa Davankova, born May 2, 1998 in Moscow
She performed in pair skating, then went on to ice dance
Bronze medalist of the 2012 Junior World Championship (with Andrey Deputat)
In 2017, finished her career
At the end of her sports career, she became a popular blogger.
Vasilisa’s YouTube channel, where the ex-skater shows various tricks, has than a million subscribers, she recently received a “golden button” for this from the video portal. Having visited “SE”, Davankova spoke about the main stars of our figure skating, spoke about the consequences of strict diets and the secret to the success of a professional blogger.
With growth, oedema appeared, each training was a struggle
Q: In the past you tried everything: single skating, couples, dances. Why did such changes occur - due to the unrealistic technical level of competitors?
A: Speaking of my transition to pairs, back then the girls didn’t have such a boom as they are having now, back then the men were more likely to win. I just didn't succeed in jumping, I only did only a double Axel. So they said: "Small, thin - go to pairs."
Q: And you immediately became the bronze medalist of the junior world championship.
A: What turned out to be the biggest achievement in our career, as we know now. (laughs) It was almost our debut. Third place was unexpected. But we removed tour medals, went on skating. And then I started to grow.
Q: What difficulties arise with growth?
A: There was more than this. There was no fierce competition, and we relaxed. I decided I should keeping do everything the same way, and not aspire for more. Due to growth, my jumps began to stray. I already jumped mainly due to twisting. There were also small problems with my weight, and my partner was not Hercules.
Q: Can you do something about these problems?
A: You can train, not eat ... But each training then was like overstepping yourself. I got a swelling, I could eat three cookies in a day, and my stomach problems started.
Q: What did your parents say?
A: My parents didn't know. Training, school, training again, and when you come home and tell: "After six I don’t eat". You grow thin, of course, but it was in vain. Then the real problems began in when I was 16-17, when it became scary to do throwing elements. I left just because of that.
Q: And how to deal with this? Psychologists, meditation?
A: I skated with Dobroskokov, then with Moser. The first did not have psychologists by principle. Nina Mikhailovna had them, but then our work went completely awry, and I found out that she wanted to put Sasha Enbert with Natasha Zabiyako. It was easier to move away. And I do not regret it.
I don't see the point in skating for the sake of moving around
Q: Then there was ice dancing.
A: Dancing is a completely different thing. The actual dancing isn't that much different from pairs. Kolya Morozov pulled out everything he could, due to the right steps, costumes, cool music. It makes no sense to switch from pairs to dancing at that age, you will not succeed.
Q: And how many years does it take, for example, to get into the national team?
A: It could take a couple of years before the national team was reached, but what's the point? Just ride? The only progress is that someone pulled out or fell, and you are in third place. I didn't want this, so I left the sport. You need to evaluate yourself objectively. If we take our juniors and those who went into seniors skating this year, they cannot be allowed to quit. They are all unique, with elements, lots of effort. Some are just more lucky in the end. We had athletes who didn't held out. I’m in skating for the sake of skating, without any result, I don’t see the point.
Q: And where is this line when you can leave? After all, many children are led to figure skating from under a stick.
A: I have a personal example, but I came to skating through my brother. He said for a long time: "I want to go into hockey." For some reason, our parents resisted, but in the end, my brother just went - and he played well in the end. Children need to listen. Often because of fatigue, you come home and say: “No more foot on the ice!” If this happens every day, it makes sense to let go. I didn’t have this, I didn’t think to quit until the very end of my career.
And I will send my children to professional sports, because of this is unrealistic self-discipline. This also helps me on YouTube. Many bloggers say they are bored with making new videos, but in principle people are often lazy. For me, this is work, and in this sense, athletes function in a different way compared to other people.
A: What about the stories that sport at the highest achievements is injuries, emaciation of the body? We have had many skaters finish early - Lipnitskaya, Sotnikova.
Q: This is different. Leaving after victories is often the right option. Yuylia and Adelina could continue skating - and start losing. I think leaving was better for them. Yuliya has her whole life ahead, thanks to her victories, and can realise herself in other areas. Just Yuliya is a different person. Not everyone can be Tat'yana Anatolyevna Tarasova, a star.
Stolbova's return will be successful
Q: In figure skating, resonant transitions periodically occur, you also moved from Dobroskokov to Moser. Is this a difficult moment in one's career?
A: It was like that with me - Andrey Deputat went to Vera Bazarova, and at that moment Sasha Enbert appeared. And Sasha didn’t really want to change coaches, so I had to leave. Of course, we discussed the situation. With my mom went to the coach, bringing a gift. But Sergey Vladimirovich reacted a little inadequately. I understand him, he led me from childhood, we have experienced a lot. Now everything is ok. In general, this is a very individual thing. People are different, some of the coaches are jealous of competitors, others are not.
Q: You follow Alexander and his partner Natal'ya Zabiyako? Can they, after bronze at the last World Championship, go to the fight for Gold?
A: Wait, now Stolbova will come! And it will not be clear who is fighting for what. Often the federation throws back the third adult pair, but it is not clear who this pair will be, we still have Tarasov / Morozov.
Q: That is, believe that the return of Stolbova will be successful?
A: I'm sure. I know her, Kolya Morozov. Andrey Novosyolov has nowhere to go when there are two such people next to you.
When current athletes do not have social networks - this is normal
Q: You are a figure skating personality who has a lot of subscribers. Let's analyse together the social network accounts of our skaters. Who is your example?
A: I wouldn't take active athletes, because social networking takes a lot of time. Those who train every day lack this. In a normal situation, you don’t moderate them at all. Although Lisa Tuktamysheva has enough time. But I would single out Lesha Yagudin. He posts regularly, shows where he is doing what. This helps him in his work. Advertising brands follow active people. Yes, Yagudin is an Olympic champion, but there are many of them. And Alex with the help of social networks shows: here I am, guys.
Q: And what about Plyushchenko then?
A: I am not subscribed to him.
Q: And to Gnome Gnomich?
A: No. (laughs) I don’t subscribe to children at all, it’s somehow mega strange, in my opinion. But it’s useful and correct from the perspective of his mother (Yana Rudkovskaya). He already has an audience. There is someone to sell themselves as a brand. I just don’t know how he feels about it. But if you take it wider - the children have long left Insta, are now on TikTok. Short videos to the music. This platform needs attention.
Medvedeva needs advertising contracts
Q: If athletes do not have social networks, how to popularise sports? And isn’t, for example, Yevgeniya Medvyedeva active on social networks?
A: How it should be: posting twidc a day.” And preferably a useful, informative, conventional post - how to distinguish a Flip from a Lutz. And 10-15 stories a day. Zhenya may not upload anything for a week when she practices. This is not called 'active use of social networks'.
Q: Coach Eteri Tutberidze also rarely posts, but there is some resonance.
A: Now it’s just a personality cult of Tutberidze. Everyone watches her, everyone fans her. Tutberidze in this case is already like a star, actor, singer.
Q: Is it worth it to be more active? Maybe not for her personally, but for the Sambo-70 school, which could promote its brand?
A: The question is why. With the involvement of people, they are doing well. Monetization? If they want to sell something or someone - then it is necessary, but in our sport this is not, we aren't soccer.
Q: Do not you think that now is the time to try to attract private sponsors? Figure skating is growing, but it is not visible that the federation, and most athletes, will take advantage of this.
A: It depends on the managers of the skaters. As far as I know, sponsors go more actively to the athlete. But as a rule, no one has the time, people do not understand that this is necessary. There is money from the federation, why is there something else? So Medvyedeva got a manager, so everyone ate her right away. Although for an Olympic medalist the presence of a manager is normal. Moreover, as far as I know, she pays for accommodation and skating in Canada herself. She needs advertising contracts. And people in the comments think this is bad.
Q: It was similar to Anastasia Tarakanova. She wrote that she needed a sponsor, and tons of a h@te arrived. Or Zagitova, for example, was criticised for mistakes in her posts and the mismatch of her social network status with champion status.
A: Listen, the girl is engaged in figure skating, and she is excellent. God forbid she even finds time to read books! Still, she is still a child. It's no secret that athletes neglect education. It is impossible to go to every training and do some computer programming. H@ting her is in vain. She develops sports, she is the pride of the nation.
Rising to the level of Ivleyeva for real
Q: Do you think there are any blogging formats possible for a figure skater at national team level?
A: Combined with professional sports it will definitely not work. On my channel you can watch a 10-minute video, and behind it are 10 hours of work: an idea, assembly of structures, shooting, editing. Plus, it’s difficult to promote a singular profile channel, a figure skating blog will only be watched by the corresponding audience and only Russians. It will turn out not very many viewers.
Q: At the beginning of your blogging journey, your godfather helped, right?
A: A friend opened a startup, not very thought out, but with money. At first I wanted to shoot about fashion and beautiful clothing, but I didn’t stop there. I began to make life hacks for TikTok, they began to collect half a million views. And on Youtube there are bloggers who stubbornly continue to shoot something that does not 'hit'. This is definitely not worth doing, you need to try and look. Plus, in six months the popularity of even the most popular content begins to decline, so you need to be prepared for change.
Q: Is it possible now to rise to the top level as Nastya Ivleyeva from scratch and with a minimum of funds t?
A: Sure. Now there are several bloggers who add 10-20 thousand subscribers a day every day, although they just shoot something at home and make fun of it. What is the secret to the success of a blogger? There are simply people who I want to look at, it’s both luck and the ability to interest oneself, and not always with highly intellectual content.
Adults h@te on young skaters
Q: How do you like the fan rush around figure skating now?
A: Everyone considers it his duty to write in disgust about someone he doesn’t like, and why not write well about someone he likes?
Q: And what to do with this, close the comments?
A: I didn’t care at the age of 13, now. But there are vulnerable people who will think: why did they write so about me, I tried so hard? It is necessary to grow a very thick skin. The important thing is how you work and perform, comments should never affect your skating. It’s not the fans who judge your performances, but the judges.
Q: How are you with ill-wishers?
A: I have a very loyal audience, although not everything works out. But if you read the comments under my videos, a rainbow will shine over you, and the tears of a unicorn will run down your cheeks. Everyone writes that they love or something like "I was in a bad mood, but looked at you and smiled." It is very nice, it turns out, I bring people happiness. In theory, from the routines of skaters, there should be the same effect, but it carries everyone in the wrong direction.
Q: Maybe the whole point is that you have no principal rival in blogging?
A: We do not have competition, we do not select subscribers from each other. In sports, there is only one Gold medal, and we have gold Youtube buttons as much as you want. There will be enough audiences for everyone. Also in figure skating: someone loves Medvyedeva, someone Zagitova, but just writing “How I love Zhenya is cool” or vice versa is not enough. Maybe for fans this is an outburst of emotions like smashing a plate against a wall or going to fire off.
It is bad that girls who bring medals to the country and are its pride suffer from this.
Q: According to your observations, h@ters of skaters - who are they?
A: They are definitely adults. The age of the audience is easy to understand from the text of the comments. Often the latter are written with a bunch of errors, not because of illiteracy, but because they were written by 10-year-old children. And when you see a detailed commentary with all the punctuation marks, which also develops into an integral thought, then it is from an adult.
Forever "bad" Medvyedeva
Q: Can audience loyalty be somehow obtained?”
A: It takes a lot of time for a blogger to communicate with subscribers - read thousands of comments, crawl through threads, hold fan meetings and sign autographs. But a skater doesn't have to like everyone, he must show himself on the ice. You can also give toys thrown onto the ice to orphanages. But even if Alina or Zhenya hold a meeting with subscribers, none of their ill-wishers on the network will come forward and say in person: "You are a bad skater."
Q: But Medvyedeva still became a big irritant for fans ...
A: Due to the fact that se moved to Canada, but kept skating for Russia and is training at my own expense. What else does anyone need from her? She went to the world championship last season instead of Tuktamysheva? In sports, there is always an element of injustice. Zhenya went and brought back a medal. But this is also bad, no matter what she does now - everything is bad.
Q: Share a life hack from a blogger with a million subscribers?
A: To have an idea: challenges, pranks, life hacks - just off the top of your head, but you need to distinguish something from your general trend. To be a blogger on a 5/2 schedule? If you shoot reviews, it’s possible, but editing will still take a lot of time. I came to self-sufficiency only after a year and a half, although at the same time I studied at Moscow State University.
Q: If one of the skaters asked to appear in your videos, would they take it?
A: No. The second person must also be a media person in order to exchange audiences. Just taking someone is ineffective. Yagudin? My audience of children does not know him; he is like a historic figure for figure skating fans.
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From:
https://www.sport-express.ru/figure...rit-o-glavnyh-zvezdah-sbornoy-rossii-1590573/