- Joined
- May 28, 2019
not just 'school time', it's exam time...
Alina Zagitova
- Thread starter The Finn
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2014
Alina's interview in the "Golden Ice of Russia"
from the intro: "...while we (Alina, Daniil and I) were on our way to the Olympic press-centre, I decided not to waste time and thought I could get an interview with Alina for the "World of Figure Skating" magazine; but she was a bit shy so we ended just talking about different topics, for instance, about a gift she'd like to get. I reminded her about the fairy tale about the gold fish that granted wishes, and she immediately said: "A dog. Akita Inu. Saw it in a magazine while we were training in Japan." I was surprised: "But they are quite big, and you and your grandma live in a small rented flat in Moscow..." And Alina quietly said: "I need a friend."... So any other arguments and reasoning were meaningless. We agreed that I would write about the dog in the interview article, and maybe the parents or someone else would give her the Akita Inu puppy. That's how the Masaru story started, but that would be later...And then, after arrival, we found a cozy place for ourselves and talked about the Olympics, her victory, and how it all went."
This just made me cry.
I remember reading something someone wrote, maybe on FSO or in a comment on Sports.ru, that Alina only wanting a dog after her Olympic victory was like Beauty, in the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, only asking for a single rose and from that humble wish she got the world.
I remember an interview right after the Olympics with Alina, Eteri and Zhenya when a reporter asked where they liked to spend their vacations, the beach or the mountains. Alina answered Izhevsk with her family.
I still remember Alina's periscope from before the Olympics when she was alone in a park on her day off. I remember her saying that friends sometimes weren't sincere.
I can't even imagine how much she must have missed her mother and sister (and dad).
I fell in love with Alina watching her win gold with nothing but a stuffed doll to celebrate with. Watching Olympic winning moments from years past (Tara, Sarah, Shizuka....) I never saw a skater be alone in that moment. I know the 'waiting room' was a new thing but I had just watched Aljona Savchenko getting support from Meagan Duhamel while holding on to Bruno. It made Alina appear that much more alone.
And after she won - "the wrong girl won" "no-one was rooting for her" "don't call her Olympic Champion" from her coach, Maks and TAT. Not in that order.
When Alina was getting so much hate from the media and anti-fans, for everything from being fat, lazy and boring to her test scores when she entered the university, a reporter asked for a statement from Alexander Kogan, director general of the Russian Figure Skating Federation. His response (I'm paraphrasing here) - 'It's part of being an athlete. You just have to deal with it.'
Seriously? A teenager should just deal with it? Because she's an athlete who won a gold medal for your country and your federation but she is of no further use to you so too bad for her?
It would seem that learning has occurred, because Mr. Kogan is singing quite a different tune now that other skaters are being unfairly criticized. Here's to Mr. Kogan's continued personal growth!
Knowing now that Alina was training 12 hours a day while other skaters were training 5 makes her low/average test scores seem like an achievement.
All of this is past. She is with her family. In her own home. With her own room. She has 3 dogs. She is in her second year of university. She has her own car, her own sources of income and the ability to continue making a living and a life for herself. Long term financial independence is as valuable as gold.
As for the negative, it made her who she is. If one thing is different then everything is different. I wouldn't wish any of it away. Not even the hate. I hope Alina never becomes anything like any of the people that I won't name here who treated her with less than kindness after her victory. They have given her a wonderful example of who not to become. If she has learned that some people are not to be trusted then its all for the best. She needs to be able to protect herself.
And because it cannot be said enough - thank you to Japan for appreciating her when own country did not. (Who wins the Olympics and doesn't even have a radio interview in their own country?) Something tells me the next Olympic women's FS Gold Medalist from Russia will be treated quite differently. I hope so anyway. No one should have their dream come true and then have it ruined by the very people you look up to and most want to please.
Eternal gratitude to Team Zagitova for being so wonderful and incredibly classy in the midst of some of the worst moments. They never engaged with negativity. They never allowed anything like that on their platform. Best fanbase ever.
Alina deserves all of her wings.
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- Joined
- May 28, 2019
"At the birthday party of @nastia_rizik and @levsky__
⠀
Guys, I wish you success in your creative activities, more smiles and all the brightest!
⠀
I spent this evening in a friendly and positive company of the @dream_team_house, met new wonderful people and I can say that I haven’t had such a good time for a long time!
⠀
Thanks for the invitation, it was insanely cool
"
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- Joined
- Feb 19, 2014
"At the birthday party of @nastia_rizik and @levsky__
⠀
Guys, I wish you success in your creative activities, more smiles and all the brightest!
⠀
I spent this evening in a friendly and positive company of the @dream_team_house, met new wonderful people and I can say that I haven’t had such a good time for a long time!
⠀
Thanks for the invitation, it was insanely cool
I love so much that Alina is finally getting to be a teenager and have fun. And a life.
Taking another stroll down Memory Lane - the interview she gave at 16 (during hell year after the Olympics before Saitama Redemption!) when she said the best part of her of day was her afternoon nap with Iriska sleeping on her chest and Masaru sleeping next to them and her grandmother watching over their 'kingdom of sleepiness'.
Reading that was sweet but also a little sad. It's also a priceless memory. Her words stayed with me because of how important my own grandmother was to me growing up.
Good memories.
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
Alina should be on the cover of Art of Noise's re-release of "Legs!" 
coub.com
Alina & Art of Noise - "Legs!" - Coub
Created by JazzUp. Open and watch this coub with all the loops!
"
- Joined
- May 28, 2019
"azagitova: I have great news for you! Read the post until the end, you will find a pleasant surprise
⠀
Surely many have noticed that I have a new hobby - soap making!
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You were very interested in my work, wrote a lot about it) Therefore, I want to delight you
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We will give away 3 boxes! These will be special gifts made by me personally
⠀
The conditions are:
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1⃣ Follow me
2⃣ Repost your favourite post from my page to the story and write why you are following me
3⃣ Keep your page open for the duration of the draw
Write in the comments "Done"⠀
To be as honest as possible, the winners will be selected randomly, and a special program will check all the conditions for participation
⠀
The results of the draw will be declared in a week!"
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