Kostornaya: “When I communicate with Tuktamysheva, I don’t perceive her as an adult”
Russian skater Alyona Kostornaya commented on her performance in the short program at the Finlandia Trophy tournament. The pupil of Eteri Tutberidze skated without errors and scored 77.25 points.
Q: How do you rate your skating run?
A: There is always room for improvement. But overall I am satisfied.
Q: Which way to improve?
A: Raise it to the arbitrary level. I'll have to change my short program a little. Today I could've done better sequences and spins.
Q: We saw in training how you perform a triple Axel perfectly. Will it be in your free program and why wasn't it in the short?
A: It will be. In my short, no, because I started training this element only after the Open Test Skates. It began to turn out well only in the last two weeks. For me, the main thing is that I go out and understand that I’ll jump the triksel. And not like this - I’ll get it or not. So far we have decided not to risk it.
Q: In your free program you will jump two triple Axels or one?
A: In training now I perform it twice. But along the way, the program may change.
Q: Today you performed first. What did you feel when you pulled out this number?
A: First thought: “Damn, I'm the first.” But then I realised that this is a huge advantage. After a six-minute warm-up, I went out and skated, freed myself before everyone else and now I have more time to relax.
Q: This is your first senior start. Very worried?
A: There wasn’t much excitement. I always do the same routine in training. Why should I go out in competition and not do the same? It's like how to ride a bike - once learned, you never forget.
Q: The tournament is held almost in the home atmosphere. Is this important to you?
A: Not very important. This does not really change the situation.
Q: Why did you keep last year's short?
A: I actually performed it only once at a major tournament. It was at the Grand Prix finals. And many judges did not see it, and it is actually very good.
Q: Do you like this short program?
A: Yes. I can’t say why I specifically love it, but I really enjoy skating it. The feeling of lightness from this skating as a whole.
Q: More than a month has passed after the Open Test Skates, and your first tournament is just now. The reason for this delay was working on the triple Axel?
A: No, this tournament was originally planned, there were no others. Why this one, I don’t know.
Q: So you weren't asked where you'd like to perform?
A: The coaches and the federation decide. I wasn't asked where to go in particular. But for me, any competition is a joy. It does not matter, after a month or a half, this does not play a special role.
Q: Do you feel the difference between junior competitions and senior competitions?
A: The team is changing, I performed with my peers in juniors, here many girls are much older than me. Experienced, adult athletes. I am trying to join this team. When I talk with Lisa Tuktamysheva, I don’t really perceive her as an adult. I’m thinking the senior teammates of 23-24 seem to have eight years of difference, but you can still find something in common. She seems to be my age.
Q: You were the last in your group to make your senior debut. Trusova and Shcherbakova gave some advice on how to overcome the excitement?
A: No, we do not give each other advice. We just talked, they talked about the competitions, where they went, what they saw. Sasha talked a lot about Japan. Not about the tournament, but how she spent her time there.
Konstantin Lesik
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From:
https://sport24.ru/news/other/2019-...-ne-vosprinimayu-yeye-kak-vzroslogo-cheloveka
Maybe she kept circling around? Like doing the entrance but then not jumping, circling back to try again?
