- Joined
- May 28, 2019
Alina Zagitova
- Thread starter The Finn
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
Thanks, very useful and nicely done map.
Raf brings him flowers and some toy he got from fans and put it in front of him and than clapped for him in support. It surprised me a lot cause Raf is not the most sensitive coach, but very pleasantly. Unexpected but very nice. Shoma should hire at least coach who will be with him at comps. He also worked with Stephan and Denis will be at next GP with him so I secretly hope Stephan will join him in K&C.I read that Raf did as well in the k&c. I hope Shoma got lots of support from everyone. His skate and then his tears just broke me. It killed me to see him like that and see him have to deal with it alone.
I know that none of us are thrilled with Alina's scores from this competition, but I am so grateful she is healthy (no tape on her knees to be seen). I'm thankful she has genuinely good relationships with her coaches and fellow skaters. Just seeing her in such a positive light is a gift. Most importantly she seems to be in a good place mentally.
Garrett (the guy who brought us Owlina!) was at the competition and the gala. He tweeted that he had never seen Alina looking so happy.
The rest of the season will unfold however it will unfold, but right now I'm just grateful for where Alina is in this moment.
Also grateful to get to share it here with all of you.
But back to Alina. Right? It’s amazing to see how comfortable and relaxed she is among other skaters now. New seniors are usually a bit on the side, but she was really lonely a lot. I still can see this little girl who was so grateful and touched when Tessa Virtue stopped by her at Olympic gala, gave her a small talk and hug her and then bring her among other Champs and introduced her to Scott. (https://twitter.com/fcpinoe/status/1018237654322810880?s=21).
And now? Despite she is not speaching English much or well, she os well welcomed and loved between the group. She is now always the girl who smiles the brightest. Dancing arround. She radiate happiness. You have to smile for yourself just seeing her. :luv17:
Btw I always thought she has so much common with Tessa. Both exceptional skaters, amazing dancers, absolutelly stunning women. Very kind, caring, with always good words to say, smiling personality. Succesful outside the rink. If you wanna be sentimental, you can say that by that hug, they made takeover and Alina become queen in competitions on her place. :sad4:
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
That's about Alyona
She said she has not completely given up on becoming a neurosurgeon, but for now re-oriented herself towards sports journalism.
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
Alina's interview to TASS:
Olympic champion of Pyeongchang, 17 year old Alina Zagitova started the Grand Prix series with a second place. The athlete still exudes charm and grace, however one cannot fail to note the appearance of one important feature - absolute external calmness. Both in training and during performances. After losing in Grenoble to a teammate, 16 year old Alyona Kostornaya, Zagitova maintained a serene smile and admitted that figure skating now simply brings her pleasure.
In a conversation with TASS correspondent, Zagitova spoke about what adrenaline in sports means to her, about her desire to jump with a parachute, about relationships with younger rivals in the Eteri Tutberidze group, and about her plans for quadruple jumps.
- Alina, the first stage of the series ended with a silver medal for you. And the first thing that was discussed on the sidelines after your speech was harsh refereeing. Judges lowered your score even for an arm dropped late at the end of the short program. Were you prepared for such a thorough analysis by the specialists?
- Serious refereeing was there, indeed. And yes, there were moments with which I did not agree. But basically it's all correct. These are the judges, and this is their opinion. Everything changes. Including the rules of figure skating. These are the conditions in which we have to exist. You have to be ready for everything.
- Figure skating experts have different opinions about the importance of the Grand Prix for athletes. Someone considers these competitions nothing more than a training start. Someone says that the athlete must correctly prioritize between the Grand Prix, the European and World Championships, the Olympic Games. Is getting into the finals really necessary for you?
- I don't think about the final. This past season, I thought about how to win the first stage of the series, then the second, then the Russian championship, I said to myself: “so, this is it, come on, you have to win,” then it was the same at the European Championship also. But at the World Championships in Saitama, I just went out to skate. And so then everything worked out. And now I have the same attitude.
- After the short and free programmes at the Grand Prix in Grenoble, you said that now you really enjoy performing. However, this is hard to believe in the face of competition with which you have to fight.
- That's the adrenaline. You know, I talked with famous and experienced athletes. So many of them told me how they lacked just this, all of them need the adrenaline that the sport once gave them. And for this reason, after the peak of their careers, they are specifically looking for something like that - right up to parachuting or bungee jumping. So now I just enjoy this moment, it's really a pleasure. Now I sometimes review my past skates and think - wow! It’s not that I want to go through all this again, but I really appreciate what is happening to me now.
- I suppose you haven't jumped with a parachute yet. Given the increased attention to you, we would have known about this long ago.
- Not yet, but I would really like to, to be honest. Maybe I’ll jump. By the way, somewhere in China there is such an amusement park with the parachute jumping facility, the highest in the world.
- I feel that if you jump, it will be the news of the day.
- I can imagine the screaming headlines (laughs).
- Continuing the theme of adrenaline, I’m simply obliged to ask whether we should expect any heart-stopping quadruple jumps from you next season?
- I'm the kind of person that prefers to do it first, then talk about it later. That’s why now I won’t claim anything for sure. To begin with, I need to do a lot of things for this, to prepare both physically and mentally. And lose at least three kilograms, this is mandatory. If not more.
- Is there any extra weight to lose?
- There is. The risk of injury must be minimized.
- And what is your height now?
- Now it's 160; by the way, I have not grown since last season.
- How do you communicate with the girls in the Eteri Tutberidze group? After all, they are your main competition today.
- As for competition, I already said - I just go out for a skate, I have no goal to compete with any of them. Yes, of course, I want to stand on a podium, but even more I just want to skate. As for the girls, they are still a little bit childish about this, and I understand them like no one else. After all, I myself was recently the same. It's just that now I am already more balanced in my attitude towards everything. And we do communicate every day on completely different topics, even sometimes just some crazy ones (laughs).
- Like applying green lipstick for an exhibition programme?
- Various different topics, really.
- After your performance here in Grenoble, your choreographer Daniil Gleichengauz said that you have reached such a level of mastery that now your every movement can bring delight to the audience. Do you feel it yourself? Do you as a dancer feel contact with the audience?
- I think the main point is that you should like it yourself. And if you start to feel it, then this energy emanates that is transmitted to the spectators. But if you basically feel that you just keep enduring, as I often had last season, it will not bring people any joy or aesthetic pleasure. I hope I manage to bring joy to the spectators.
Olympic champion of Pyeongchang, 17 year old Alina Zagitova started the Grand Prix series with a second place. The athlete still exudes charm and grace, however one cannot fail to note the appearance of one important feature - absolute external calmness. Both in training and during performances. After losing in Grenoble to a teammate, 16 year old Alyona Kostornaya, Zagitova maintained a serene smile and admitted that figure skating now simply brings her pleasure.
In a conversation with TASS correspondent, Zagitova spoke about what adrenaline in sports means to her, about her desire to jump with a parachute, about relationships with younger rivals in the Eteri Tutberidze group, and about her plans for quadruple jumps.
- Alina, the first stage of the series ended with a silver medal for you. And the first thing that was discussed on the sidelines after your speech was harsh refereeing. Judges lowered your score even for an arm dropped late at the end of the short program. Were you prepared for such a thorough analysis by the specialists?
- Serious refereeing was there, indeed. And yes, there were moments with which I did not agree. But basically it's all correct. These are the judges, and this is their opinion. Everything changes. Including the rules of figure skating. These are the conditions in which we have to exist. You have to be ready for everything.
- Figure skating experts have different opinions about the importance of the Grand Prix for athletes. Someone considers these competitions nothing more than a training start. Someone says that the athlete must correctly prioritize between the Grand Prix, the European and World Championships, the Olympic Games. Is getting into the finals really necessary for you?
- I don't think about the final. This past season, I thought about how to win the first stage of the series, then the second, then the Russian championship, I said to myself: “so, this is it, come on, you have to win,” then it was the same at the European Championship also. But at the World Championships in Saitama, I just went out to skate. And so then everything worked out. And now I have the same attitude.
- After the short and free programmes at the Grand Prix in Grenoble, you said that now you really enjoy performing. However, this is hard to believe in the face of competition with which you have to fight.
- That's the adrenaline. You know, I talked with famous and experienced athletes. So many of them told me how they lacked just this, all of them need the adrenaline that the sport once gave them. And for this reason, after the peak of their careers, they are specifically looking for something like that - right up to parachuting or bungee jumping. So now I just enjoy this moment, it's really a pleasure. Now I sometimes review my past skates and think - wow! It’s not that I want to go through all this again, but I really appreciate what is happening to me now.
- I suppose you haven't jumped with a parachute yet. Given the increased attention to you, we would have known about this long ago.
- Not yet, but I would really like to, to be honest. Maybe I’ll jump. By the way, somewhere in China there is such an amusement park with the parachute jumping facility, the highest in the world.
- I feel that if you jump, it will be the news of the day.
- I can imagine the screaming headlines (laughs).
- Continuing the theme of adrenaline, I’m simply obliged to ask whether we should expect any heart-stopping quadruple jumps from you next season?
- I'm the kind of person that prefers to do it first, then talk about it later. That’s why now I won’t claim anything for sure. To begin with, I need to do a lot of things for this, to prepare both physically and mentally. And lose at least three kilograms, this is mandatory. If not more.
- Is there any extra weight to lose?
- There is. The risk of injury must be minimized.
- And what is your height now?
- Now it's 160; by the way, I have not grown since last season.
- How do you communicate with the girls in the Eteri Tutberidze group? After all, they are your main competition today.
- As for competition, I already said - I just go out for a skate, I have no goal to compete with any of them. Yes, of course, I want to stand on a podium, but even more I just want to skate. As for the girls, they are still a little bit childish about this, and I understand them like no one else. After all, I myself was recently the same. It's just that now I am already more balanced in my attitude towards everything. And we do communicate every day on completely different topics, even sometimes just some crazy ones (laughs).
- Like applying green lipstick for an exhibition programme?
- Various different topics, really.
- After your performance here in Grenoble, your choreographer Daniil Gleichengauz said that you have reached such a level of mastery that now your every movement can bring delight to the audience. Do you feel it yourself? Do you as a dancer feel contact with the audience?
- I think the main point is that you should like it yourself. And if you start to feel it, then this energy emanates that is transmitted to the spectators. But if you basically feel that you just keep enduring, as I often had last season, it will not bring people any joy or aesthetic pleasure. I hope I manage to bring joy to the spectators.
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
Thanks
Alina is a jewel, those were lovely and honest answers.
Balancing weight, didn't she say in another interview she is too light for bungee jumping and parachuting?
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2019
But back to Alina. Right? It’s amazing to see how comfortable and relaxed she is among other skaters now. New seniors are usually a bit on the side, but she was really lonely a lot. I still can see this little girl who was so grateful and touched when Tessa Virtue stopped by her at Olympic gala, gave her a small talk and hug her and then bring her among other Champs and introduced her to Scott. (https://twitter.com/fcpinoe/status/1018237654322810880?s=21).
And now? Despite she is not speaching English much or well, she os well welcomed and loved between the group. She is now always the girl who smiles the brightest. Dancing arround. She radiate happiness. You have to smile for yourself just seeing her. :luv17:
Btw I always thought she has so much common with Tessa. Both exceptional skaters, amazing dancers, absolutelly stunning women. Very kind, caring, with always good words to say, smiling personality. Succesful outside the rink. If you wanna be sentimental, you can say that by that hug, they made takeover and Alina become queen in competitions on her place. :sad4:
the way Alina was treated by her own teammates after winning olympics used to bother me so much. I felt like she's a shy and reserved girl in general, not very extraverted, and I always feel for kids like that whenever I see them. I wanted someone to take care of this little baby, and I'm glad that Tessa, Scott and Yuzuru were there for her, it was so nice of them.
On the other hand, I feel like all of the things that happened to her made Alina stronger and tougher.
A class act.
I think Alina is an amazing role model for younger skaters.
Yeah I was so glad Tessa noticed it and takes her in. She’s an angel, just like Alina.
I’m looking forward to next NHK because there is Christina Carreira. :luv17: She’s so friendly with Alina. Also Sasha and Ivan are there. She even seems friendly with Rika. I’m looking forward to those cute photos.
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
Interview to Anatoly Samokhvalov from R-Sport:
2018 Olympic figure skating champion Alina Zagitova won silver at the Grand Prix stage in Grenoble, and later talked to RIA Novosti on why she looks happier than ever, how her relationship with the coaches of the group Eteri Tutberidze has changed and why she wants to attend the summer Olympics in Tokyo.
- Alina, I have never seen you so happy before.
- I re-examined everything, plus for almost the whole of summer I performed at different shows where I talked with older athletes who shared their experiences with me. I listened carefully to them and it became easier for me.
- Whom did you talk to?
- With Alyona Savchenko, Tanya Volosozhar. With some foreign skaters. I understood some stuff myself, in other cases somebody helped with the translation. In general, I thought a lot about last season. To be honest, I did not want to go to the competitions. There was a kind of feeling... Fear... Not even fear, but a feeling when you simply do not want to do something. You know, after the Olympics, I was tired, but I forced myself to train. Now I do not do this, and my coaches do not force me. They say: "If you want to, do it then." And that’s it. And when no one forces me, it’s easier for me. That's how my brain works.
- Was it Eteri Tutberidze that changed the approach in working with you?
- Eteri Georgievna and all the coaches became more relaxed in this situation and I began to take everything more calmly, stopped worrying and overthinking everything. Now I skate for my own pleasure and, most importantly, I understand this.
- So earlier you had to be disciplined, but now you have been given a choice?
- Yes, there is a choice, but I was raised so that I always need a training plan that I must adhere to. I even have a humorous expression to describe my approach - "a warm up before a warm up." It may sound funny, but it is what discipline is.
- The feeling that you have already proved everything to everyone in sports, did it help to be morally free this season?
- Yes. After the World Cup, I realized that from now on I will skate just for fun.
- You will participate in the show of Tatyana Navka.
- Right.
- At first, it was not clear how you'd fit the Russian championship in this schedule.
- I’ll go to the Russian championship, but right after it I’ll go to Tatyana Navka’s show, I will start participating in it before the New Year. I am very glad that Tatyana invited me, it will be a great show and my first experience of this kind. I have not performed at such a large-scale level event in Russia yet. I recommend everyone to come and see the show. It will be really interesting.
- Won't you be tired after the Russian championship? Also, there is the preparation for the European Championship too to bear in mind.
- As practice has shown, the shows only help.
- Will you participate in any other tournaments before the Russian championship, apart from the Grand Prix?
- No, I will calmly prepare for the national championship. And my next stage of the Grand Prix is very soon.
- It was somewhat surprising that you were able to immediately appear in solid shape without participating in any full-fledged competitions prior to the Grand Prix. Both at the test skates, and at the Japan Open, where you showed your free program.
- The reason is the same: the frame of mind, to skate for my own pleasure. I used to go out on the ice with the desire to just survive this training, now I can skate around the rink and suddenly catch myself thinking: "What, is the training over already?" I had this feeling in the Olympic season too, and now I have it again, and I really like it. Time flies by this way.
- You said you would never skate like Carolina Costner. Why?
- Because everyone has their own style.
- Who can you name as your reference model in women's skating now?
- There's something in every skater that I might imbibe. Things that I like. There is no such skater now that I would like to emulate completely. And I'd rather not name any names.
- Do you follow other sports? Maybe follow the Russian national football team, watch Artyom Dziuba, follow Khabib Nurmagomedov or Conor McGregor?
- I watch rhythmic gymnastics and I want to go cheer for our team at the Tokyo Olympics. Let's see if I manage to do it, but I would certainly like to. I followed the world gymnastics championship that was held recently, where our team showed a good result, and the boys won the team tournament for the first time. I watch hockey because my dad is a hockey player. Hockey - that's from childhood.
2018 Olympic figure skating champion Alina Zagitova won silver at the Grand Prix stage in Grenoble, and later talked to RIA Novosti on why she looks happier than ever, how her relationship with the coaches of the group Eteri Tutberidze has changed and why she wants to attend the summer Olympics in Tokyo.
- Alina, I have never seen you so happy before.
- I re-examined everything, plus for almost the whole of summer I performed at different shows where I talked with older athletes who shared their experiences with me. I listened carefully to them and it became easier for me.
- Whom did you talk to?
- With Alyona Savchenko, Tanya Volosozhar. With some foreign skaters. I understood some stuff myself, in other cases somebody helped with the translation. In general, I thought a lot about last season. To be honest, I did not want to go to the competitions. There was a kind of feeling... Fear... Not even fear, but a feeling when you simply do not want to do something. You know, after the Olympics, I was tired, but I forced myself to train. Now I do not do this, and my coaches do not force me. They say: "If you want to, do it then." And that’s it. And when no one forces me, it’s easier for me. That's how my brain works.
- Was it Eteri Tutberidze that changed the approach in working with you?
- Eteri Georgievna and all the coaches became more relaxed in this situation and I began to take everything more calmly, stopped worrying and overthinking everything. Now I skate for my own pleasure and, most importantly, I understand this.
- So earlier you had to be disciplined, but now you have been given a choice?
- Yes, there is a choice, but I was raised so that I always need a training plan that I must adhere to. I even have a humorous expression to describe my approach - "a warm up before a warm up." It may sound funny, but it is what discipline is.
- The feeling that you have already proved everything to everyone in sports, did it help to be morally free this season?
- Yes. After the World Cup, I realized that from now on I will skate just for fun.
- You will participate in the show of Tatyana Navka.
- Right.
- At first, it was not clear how you'd fit the Russian championship in this schedule.
- I’ll go to the Russian championship, but right after it I’ll go to Tatyana Navka’s show, I will start participating in it before the New Year. I am very glad that Tatyana invited me, it will be a great show and my first experience of this kind. I have not performed at such a large-scale level event in Russia yet. I recommend everyone to come and see the show. It will be really interesting.
- Won't you be tired after the Russian championship? Also, there is the preparation for the European Championship too to bear in mind.
- As practice has shown, the shows only help.
- Will you participate in any other tournaments before the Russian championship, apart from the Grand Prix?
- No, I will calmly prepare for the national championship. And my next stage of the Grand Prix is very soon.
- It was somewhat surprising that you were able to immediately appear in solid shape without participating in any full-fledged competitions prior to the Grand Prix. Both at the test skates, and at the Japan Open, where you showed your free program.
- The reason is the same: the frame of mind, to skate for my own pleasure. I used to go out on the ice with the desire to just survive this training, now I can skate around the rink and suddenly catch myself thinking: "What, is the training over already?" I had this feeling in the Olympic season too, and now I have it again, and I really like it. Time flies by this way.
- You said you would never skate like Carolina Costner. Why?
- Because everyone has their own style.
- Who can you name as your reference model in women's skating now?
- There's something in every skater that I might imbibe. Things that I like. There is no such skater now that I would like to emulate completely. And I'd rather not name any names.
- Do you follow other sports? Maybe follow the Russian national football team, watch Artyom Dziuba, follow Khabib Nurmagomedov or Conor McGregor?
- I watch rhythmic gymnastics and I want to go cheer for our team at the Tokyo Olympics. Let's see if I manage to do it, but I would certainly like to. I followed the world gymnastics championship that was held recently, where our team showed a good result, and the boys won the team tournament for the first time. I watch hockey because my dad is a hockey player. Hockey - that's from childhood.
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
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- Feb 19, 2014
I really hope she can attend the Tokyo Olympics! That would be a wonderful experience for her!
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
Thank you, Jazz Up! My kingdom is yours.
Nah, thanks, mine's enough for me. A pint or three of Guinness, on the other hand...
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
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- May 28, 2019
See the OlMpic from th other side might be totally mesmerising expericence. Fpr her more than for any regular visitor!! I wish she can make it.
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- May 28, 2019
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