Artur: "It is necessary to do a lot of hard work to get closer and closer to your dream."
-Artur, how did your meeting happen? Figure skating?
I don't really remember it because I was three and a half years old. A new good ice rink was built in Volgograd in 2007. My mother and I were walking around one day, and we decided to go and see. As a result, I was put in a section, and I started to skate. However, almost immediately broke my hand, so returned to the ice only six months later. According to home stories, I seemed to have asked for it. My first coach was Lyudmila Leonidovna Puchkova, from whom I skated for six years. She gave me the technique of jumping, spinning, steps, and then she handed me over to another coach - Ekaterina Zharinova. I've been at her place for three seasons. She gave me all the triples. And then she told my parents that I should continue to develop and think about moving to Moscow or St. Petersburg to a coach who knows what to do next. There were options, but I decided that I wanted to see Elena Germanovna. I watched a lot of different videos, how she trains Adelina Sotnikova, Maxim Kovtun, and I liked it. I told my mom we should try to get to her.
-She took you into the group right away?
I went to the training camp for Victor Kudryavtsev in Novogorsk. One day left from training and went to CSKA. I've shown everything I can do. Basically triple jumps, spins, as I had, steps. She shook my hand and said, "See you in June at the Kislovodsk training camp." I came home, told my parents, they were happy, congratulated me. And they started discussing the move. I don't know how my parents made up their minds. Apparently, they saw this as a prospect. If you don't try, you won't know.
-Have you moved as a family?
Yes, they wouldn't let me go alone. Dad still goes back and forth, the others are here. In general, everything turned out perfectly: my older brother in 2016 graduated from school and immediately entered Moscow University. My older sister transferred and continued to study here.
-Someone else in your family plays sports?
No, I don't think so. I'm probably the only one who seriously and purposefully became engaged in sports. My sister and brother went to different sections from karate to tennis, but studying outweighed everything.
-At what point did you realize that figure skating is an area where can you maximize success?
Probably, when I was still in the third youthful category.
-So early? You must have been six years old, weren't you?
I just imagined even then how great it would be to go to the World Championships, to the Olympic Games. Then at the age of 11-12, I started to be much more interested in figure skating. I got everyone at home with my enthusiasm: I could jump all day on the floor, on the drive to rotate. Everyone asked, "Yes, calm down!" As I got older, I began to realize that it was necessary to work hard to get closer and closer to my dream.
- Did you already think that the 2022 Olympics could be your first Olympics?
No, I don't think so far ahead. So far, I've got junior starts. I've got to deal with my rivals and myself so I can go into seniors completely confident, ready to fire. If all the plans work out well, then you can think about 2022.
-What brings you to training every day? Why are you doing this?
First of all, my parents did so much to get me here. They literally left home, friends, work and moved here for me. This is only the first thing that makes me work hard. Second, because that's what I want. I understand that my entire future life will be connected with figure skating. Thirdly, the coaches invest so much in me. In three years we've been through so much - injuries, problems - and they're still with me, they're still investing, believing in me. I've also loved performing since I was a kid. I love it when the public supports, claps.
-And if the empty stands, as, for example, it was in Zagreb?
There is still an Internet where people write their opinions. When people write warm words, congratulate, wish good luck - it is very stimulating. I read it all good and bad.
-Have you thought about what you would like to achieve, as much as possible?
I want to be a titled athlete. I want to take from each competition the maximum, so that in my list of honor shall be with a medal and with good memories of my performance. I somehow realized that junior starts will end one day, and suddenly I will not take some medal. One more chance may not fall out, so I have to skate every time so that I get what I want.
-You now had a high chance to reach the final of the Junior Grand Prix. Why didn't you manage to use it?
Yes, twice was second at my stages, and did not qualify for the final. That's my mistake. Absolutely gave everything.
-The most insulting thing is probably the quadruple salchow in Zagreb?
It's more insulting for the spins and steps in Chelyabinsk. It's twenty-hundredths, and I got minuses and it turns out that I lost. And if I were first and second... Everywhere you need to do the most that depends on you.
-What do you experience brighter: defeats or victories?
Emotionally, i guess, defeat. Because if I win and I'm on the podium, then I did everything right, and got what I should have gotten. And if I lose, especially some tenth or 100th of points, I really scold myself. Although I know that you have to react calmly, otherwise you can go crazy. It is necessary not to gnaw oneself, but to analyze the causes and not to make such mistakes. At the Grand Prix in Chelyabinsk I had a reserve after the short 10 points. With a good skate it was possible to keep this leadership, but I somehow drove all sorts, and given that I'm without a quadruple, then... stupidly lost. After Chelyabinsk I gave myself the installation that in Zagreb I should not make mistakes. So when I popped the quadruple salchow, I knew that there is no more margin for error. And there I skated cleanly.
-Apart from the quadruple salchow, what other quadruple do you intend to insert into the program?
I still have to cope with the Salchow in competitions. Some barrier to overcome, because in the warm-up I make it easy and think every time: now I will go out and finally show it. And at every start a butterfly. But I don't know what's going on. Now in Kazakhstan at the competitions of the memory of Denis Ten I fell from it, but finally twisted it. When I stopped at the jump, I thought, "Whatever you want, but do it!" That it is no longer funny and ugly and generally incomprehensible. You seem to have a jump, but you don't seem to have it. I hope one day this day will come. But now I want to stabilize the Salchow and think about the next quadruple, because without it there is no way. I think I'm a little behind my peers.
-What's the next jump you'd like to show?
I want a lutz. Then you can try the flip. In principle, everything can be tried, it depends on the sensations. I feel like I'm running around: every day, different jumps are made. The only problem is with the toeloop because I haven't had it since I was a kid. When I was younger, I told my mom that when I grow up, I'd rule out this jump not only from all my programs, but in general from figure skating. Something's wrong with it because I cannot push out of it. And in combinations I make it, but solo - not so much. Now we've started working on it. If I catch him, I think the toeloop will be next.
-Have you ever had moments when you had to show character?
At every start I try to show because I show the judges and the audience the work that's done not by one person, but by a whole team. I don't want to go back and read about myself. There are people who are behind you. Any mistake will be poured with dirt. No matter they know what's going on or not. They just have to speak out. And when you show a clean skate, the coaches will praise, and people will like.
-What's behind your words "to show character"?
It means doing as planned, don't back down, hold the whole program to the end. I do every step that has been worked out with the coach, concentrating on doing it well, not throwing it out of the program altogether, because I'm tired. For example, at the end of the step sequence I can throw steps out of it, because I already made all the blocks, that are needed for the level, and the rest of the steps - they are just for beauty to look complete. In principle, I can throw them away. But it is not to respect myself: the coaches worked out all this for so long, invested, and I took and threw it away? It happens that you can be a little late in the music somewhere to speed up, add emotions to make the program look whole, or at the end of the program do to make the necessary level, and my feet are already hooked and there is no desire to strain. I do not allow myself to even think about it, I definitely finish everything. I'm showing character. Male.
- Artur, you have a season best for both programs this season 223 points, and Gumennik - 232, Mozalev - 236, Samsonov - 250. Such a difference in scores due to quadruple jumping?
I do not think that these are only quadruples. I didn’t get the little things on different errors, and that’s the backlog. If you skate cleanly, then I can easily dial the amount of 240 points because of the components in which the judges don’t offend me. It remains only to do and show all that I can.
-What are the goals for the season?
To qualify for the World Junior Championships. Show clean skating and gnaw your place in team.
- Are you still preparing for the final of the Junior Grand Prix series? Considering you're the first backup, everything could be.
Given that I am the first reserve, I am definitely preparing. Of course, I wish everyone health, and that all, who qualified for the final, performed, but purely psychologically prepare myself for the fact that this in principle can happen. True, now I had to change my shoes because mine broke, but I will try to roll out in the new ones as quickly as possible and without any foot problems. If all goes well, I plan to start at the Russian Cup to qualify for the Russian Championship.
- Did you say "to gnaw a place in the national team", that is, there is competition in the junior team?
The competition has already decently gained, the boys have progressed markedly. I'm a little behind them because of a back injury. I started to grow sharply, my muscles didn't have time. In general, it was difficult to keep in shape. After the starts, the coaches give me some time to rest, I immediately started to grow. In less than a year grown somewhere 14 cm and then gained weight, almost a kilogram on every inch. We at this time have already begun actively learning quadruple jumps. To be honest, at the beginning of this season was generally thinking of quitting skating.
-Why?
Things didn't go well, including health. I thought it was time to wrap up. Shared it at home, my mother said that there is no need to hurry. I thought it was wrong. And she was right.
-Do you have a sporting character?
I'm working on it. Someone has been given this since birth, and someone needs to work on it.
-How do you do that?
When you continue, no matter what. Fighting for each element and every step in the program. When failure, and you do not give up and continue in two times more work. When you don’t feel like it, you need to.
-To cope with loads, problems, probably, easier when there is success?
You don't have to. When success comes, you can relax, and when it is not, but has already passed so much, then I want to achieve it by any means. Anyway, it's all good now, I'm working and I'm not going to stop skating.
-How do you feel about figure skating at home? Discuss?
No, I don't think so. At home I try not to discuss anything from figure skating. They will congratulate if I win, they will support if I lose. My mom can still scold me for losing, but usually asks what is the reason so she can help.
-Who is the biggest fan in the family?
Mom, of course. Dad, too, but he's only recently started to get interested in everything. After each start calls, gives advice.
-Which ones, for example?
He says I need to work more on my free program. I know it. The Gladiator program was designed specifically to wake up a different image. Irina Anvarovna has worked a lot with me over it. Sharp, strong-willed movements, stern look, wide skating. But I'm not doing very well yet. I forget to keep my face and immediately "brows the house" during the skate. I don't do it on purpose, just face muscles themselves are so tense and the face turns out a little surprised. The look is not a killer, but a dog of some kind. To me I want to skate programs like Sergey Voronov so that the audience gets goosebumps during my skate. Apparently, when the first jump in the program goes, then the whole Gladiator will sound different. In the meantime, somehow it looks dull.
-What do you associate it with? Lack of functional training?
No, everything's all right with that. We skate the program many times and I'm enough for the first half, for sure, and then the triple jumps stand, which I can even cleanly do just on moral will. I think I'm still emotionally not enough. I don't know what it's connected with. Emotionally, the short program "Don Juan" is even better. Maybe I’m giving myself away in the short and I can’t switch to the free...until I can switch from emotionally joyful short to emotionally harsh free. "Gladiator" should be rolled with such pressure, as if in an attack. You're fighting for your family. We have to work on it for the next starts.
-Do you like Gladiator?
Of course! I enjoyed watching the film and watched Yagudin's program to this music. I basically watch a lot of figure skating. I can sit down tonight and watch the 2015 Russian championships.
-Not every skater does that.
Some people don't even know which programs and what content other skaters are currently skating to.
-Whose skating does you like?
Everyone has something I like. Dima Aliyev beautiful flowing slide, Sasha Samarin - the ability to fight, Misha Kolyada - his high springboard jumping. Seryozha Voronov this year won me over with his sporting attitude. On rentals, only from his skating felt goosebumps. From the world Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen especially if they're going to have modern music. I've always liked Javier Fernandez skating, and jumping, and program delivery.
-How do you relax from figure skating? Is there any hobbies besides him?
Mostly studying. But if there's time I like to draw. I have a sister who's a designer by training, she has been very good at drawing since childhood. Me too, if I want to relax, usually I sit down to draw.
The choice of photo though
his face at pulling #1 https://d.radikal.ru/d09/1912/c0/80a196b2ff0e.jpg
It's a work day 
