Here is the first part of the article I have promised to translate. Second part will be here in an hour, or two. Sorry for spelling or any other mistakes, my translation skills are not perfect but I hope the meaning is kept and the article will be understandable.
Life on ice with Mozart
They are teenagers but their life is scheduled to minutes. Anna Dušková and Martin Bidař: two talents, the Czech figure skating haven’t had for a long time. Leaders among juniors are now coming to the world of adults (competitors).
It’s just 7 minutes. All the hard-work from the practice will be shown during those 7 minutes at the European or World Championships. Two and half minutes of the short program, four and half minutes of the long.
Next week, in Helsinki, the moment will come. Even in the situation we wouldn’t like skating anymore, we’ve put so much effort, time and money, we could not give up, says 17-years-old Anna, the partner of 18-years-old Martin. But fortunately, they still like it. This sport is in their heart.
When they started skated together, as 12-years-old, their coach, Eva Horklová, sent them to doctors in Brno, to have their adult heights predicted. Martin was predicted to be 182 cm tall, while Anna 159 cm. „It’s good“ coach told herself. They could continue together. Appropriate height difference is important for pair skaters.
Five years later they are world junior champions and their season cost them 60 000 dollars (1,5 million Czech crowns). Choreography for each program costs 2000 dollars (50 000 Czech crowns), one costume 800 dollars (20 000 Czech crowns). And for a 2-week stay in Canada they spend 2000 dollars on practices. They spend 13 or even more hours together on the ice during one week. But it is not just about the ice. Their daily schedule is adjusted to sport. How is the life of elite figure skaters, who still attend school?
5.30 – Time to get up!
They get up at 5.30 every morning. Dušková’s mom, a dentist by the profession, wakes up even earlier, at 5 o’clock. In Lysá nad Labem, where, together with Dušková’s family, lives Martin as well (originally from České Budějovice), she (the mom) prepares a breakfast and a snack for both of them. “To Prague we go by car with my dad or my older brother” describes Anna. They wouldn’t make the train at 5.40. At 7 o’clock they have to be at the rink. They change their clothes, warm up and have a practice on ice. With knowing, it will be cold. Outside, the spring is coming and thermometer says it is +10°C, but inside the temperature is down to 0. “Over the night they try to keep the ice freezing, so it’s really cold here all the time” explains the coach. (I didn’t know how to translate this, they just try to keep the ice cold enough for skating so it won’t melt…) Don’t they have a heating on the rink? “You can hear its buzzing, but that’s all it does”. No it’s not a joke. “Injuries are more likely to happen in such a cold surrounding” reminds Martin. He has had an experience with it recently. In February he injured his leg tendons on 3T landing. He did not skate for three weeks, the start at World Championships was in danger. In January, their assistant coach, Richard Gauthier, the Canadian coach of the world champions Duhamel/Radford came to look at them and was a bit frightened by the conditions. Then he said to Horklová: “I admire you, for preparing here”.
Mozart and tango 600 times
After warm-up on the ice, the SP music starts playing. During the season they’ve already listened to it at least 600 times. “It is Mozart, verging to tango” describes the coach. Choosing the music, suitable for the couple is really difficult. “If I don’t have a clear idea, it can take me 2 months”. But her students have so far agreed with her opinions. SP choreographer is Italian expert Maurizio Margaglio, former elite skater. He saw Czech teenagers, skating to silver medal, at the last year’s Youth Olympics in Lillehammer. “We asked him to choreograph for us there and he agreed enthusiastically. The reactions like this was important for me. If you want to find a good choreographer, you have to feel his interest, not just politeness” says Horklová. Before the start of the season, Margaglio travelled to Prague, stayed in the hotel at the rink, and worked with Anna and Martin for two days before finishing the program. Talkative Anna liked him from the start: “He is really charismatic, he has Italian temperament and he explained everything in the details to us”.
As I said I will try to do it in the evening.
It's funny that Martin is the one in trouble keeping right wieght. Though I'm beliwdered they eat dinner so late... I always thought it's healthier and easier to burn when you eat bigger meal earlier, and only light snack in the evening... Eating dinner before sleep is not necessarily best to keep in shape.
I kind of thought Czech Republic is similiar.. But I see that not neccesarily 
I can't wait to see them at Worlds!
