Evgenia Medvedeva: “I work at a maximum every workout”
(the continue)
- Did you set the big purposes before yourself since the childhood too?
- I simply has been worked, I never proved anything to anybody, and now I don't prove. I come to ice and I work for myself and for the country. And at first there was a desire to learn to move beautifully on ice. In general I aspire to it now too. I very much love the aesthetics. It isn't pleasant when any figure skater has a heap in movings, in suit details. I like the discreet, sophisticated image, like a porcelain statuette. I look, how beautiful, gently the female partner moves in ice dances and a thought flashes: what if I link their steps, sliding with jumps and spins? At me the aspiration to beauty is shown in everything: I look after myself all the time. A manicure, a make-up - every day. Even on training. I have to be beautiful always! The same in clothes: I try to put on stylishly. I love branded things, just now I indulged myself with a sweater from "Dolche&Gabbana" You don't think, I have no such: "Here I am a star and I can do all what I want. The internal filter is present. I just work much and I consider that now I can afford it, I deserved (smiles). I select clothes for workouts carefully every time too. If I see - ankles too lean, I put on gaiters or a skirt to smooth it a little bit. Gloves, for example, only with cut-off fingers that the manicure was visible
- Are you the only such person in the group?
- All our girls, even the smallest, try to look after themselves. Eteri Georgievna encourages it in every possible way. I remember when I was still absolutely a child - she constantly reminded us: "A hairdress done somehow or a negligence in clothes are inadmissible for you. Everything has to be accurate. You are public people to some extent, they look at you all the time” She still can tell if it isn't pleasant for her: "My God, Zhenya, what is it?! Take it off immediately!" Of course, I obey. I consider, my coach has very good taste, she puts on very stylishly, so I try not to contradict
- Also regarding the training process, the coach’s word is the law for you?
- Differently. A compromise can be reached as usual. But more often when the coach makes me remark - I don't argue. I go and do. And it isn't important, whether it contradicts to my condition or not. If you come to ice that you have to work. I had no problems with Eteri Georgievna so far. Though it happens: how is it, I am a world champion after all! Also I start sniffing at her. But the internal barrier is triggered immediately. This person taught me to everything, gave me everything that I have now. Without this coach I would be nobody. I remember it and at once I calm down. Eteri abuses me when it is necessary. it is impossible to be like a steadfast tin soldier all the time though I try. Sometimes I need to be brought round too. And I am a very quick-tempered person even if they approach me with good intentions, I can snap in the heat of the moment. At such moments I just can't control myself. Then, of course, I always apologize
- You said in the conversation that sometimes you speak to yourself: “stop, you play so much!” What do you mean?
- I give in to emotions too strongly. My mood can change several times in a day. By the way, my free skating just about it. And if I am fond of something strongly, I just become am fan. Sometimes it is necessary to stop myself literally. Take, for example, the series. If it is pleasant — so I will see each detail in it, I will sit in groups [dedicated to it], will buy any different thematic toys. Now on me a sweater with the hero from my favourite animated cartoon. And I have a cap, a bag, an undershirt … that is only not present there. I think, that the manicure and the pedicure for every day — just the same.
- And your performances at competitions so with the broken hand, so with the broken finger — unless not a fanaticism? Perhaps sometimes it is worth regretting himself?
- So it is my duty — to act. If I didn't come for start on the Russian JrNats, I wouldn't get to the national team, wouldn't declare myself. I would remain at the same level, even below. And for me it was more important to show that I can a lot of things that there are no barriers for me. Some looked at me as on the idiot when they saw that I skate with a plaster on my hand. But many people also didn't suspect that the plaster is up to the elbow and the hand even is outside curved slightly. I skated a waltz, jumped and all made purely. And in the locker room when I took off my dress, all gasped: "Zhenya, what is it?" I still was surprised how it was possible not to see such "a crutch".
- But Eteri Georgiyevna didn't try to dissuade you?
- On the contrary, she motivated me. She considers that if even in such situation there is a chance to compete, it is necessary to use it. If ya won't come to ice —it will be much worse for you. And my mother didn't dissuade me, all understood: if I will remain to stay at home, I will only even more be dug in the injury. And it is very important for me in general — to overcome myself.
- Today there are some strong figure skaters in your group. Does such competition motivate or it would be more comfortable to practice alone?
- It makes no difference to me. I compete with myself. Also I practice with myself. I don't pay any attention to anybody. If something new climbed up in my head — I go and I try. I never repeat that others do, I try to be an identity. Frankly speaking, I don't understand people what work by the principle: "Oh, she made better than I. I will go, I will be killed, but I will make it too!" It doesn't mean that I don't want to study anything at others. I have no ideal of the figure skater, but I look: Carolina Costner looks very nobly on ice, Yuna Kim has good jumps, Mao Asada is a very fighting girl… That is by this I try to put on myself it everything at once.
- And have you a desire to answer on Liza Tuktamysheva’s triple Axel?
- If there is a strong competition and I will understand that it will be impossible to do without this jump any more — this one case. But just to repeat stupidly after everybody – no, I won’t. To copy and to compete — these are different things. Oh, what a pathos interview turns out at me…
- You just should endure the reorganization of the organism connected with the awkward age. Don't you frighten such difficulties?
- I think that it isn't so difficult. It happens with me just now too: I can gain weight very strongly, but I am also able to limit myself. Yes, I love sweet, I like to eat nourishingly but when you understand that it disturbs your career … No, to change what I aspired since the childhood on food I am not ready. I'd rather cancel a dinner for an evening or two and I will continue to pursue the goal. And I have just one goal - to become an Olympic champion.
If it is honest, I consider all competitions, except the Olympic Games, as passing. The Olympic Games is a top. At all other competitions you just show how you can skate, what's your level, what else you can make. And at the Olympic Games you go and you just confirm it. It seems to me that the Olympic Games is a usual competitions, anything special. The same people around. Only there is more the toughness in it, the audience…
- And to be among those who didn't manage to win a title of the Olympic champion, but all people know them, love and remember, maybe, even more than Olympic medallists — it is not for you?
- I would like both. If I don't make something, I will keep thinking of it. I will try. I won't calm down. When I make mistakes, when I lose, I gnaw myself very strongly, but I am never engaged in it for a long time. I had last season the 3rd place in the JGPF and the same in the JrWorlds. I just solved for myself: that’s all! I will go and work at a maximum every workout. I simply know that I can.
Eteri Tutberidze: "Diligence is just the most important talent"
- Eteri Georgiyevna, they say that Zhenya's strength in her character.
- Zhenya is a hardworking person, she differed in it when she was still a child. I remember, it never needed to give her a task, she just knew what to do. But a character is more. By now those results which are reached is just a result of the done huge work.
- Probably, it was always easy to work with her?
- To some extent I has managed to bring up Zhenya under myself, I coach her since the childhood after all. In any case, sometimes I have such feeling. We understand each other, we have identical purposes, an identical attitude to work, to coaching, even our humour is identical. So far it wasn't heavy to work with her.
- Athletes grow as all children, start showing their nature…
- Yes, and I treat it normally. It is life. But, as a rule, any difficulties arise when both the athlete and the coach have different purposes. Then here it is really difficult to bring the student to the result that he is able to approach. And when their living positions are similar, the education which goes from a family, when there are the same tasks between the coach and the student, to find a common ground between them is much more simply. We have, for example, an absolute mutual understanding also with Zhenya’s mother, we are on one wave with her. She is the former figure skater and she has been skated at the same coach — Eduard Pliner, as I has. This all brings us together
- Mothers in figure skating is a separate subject.
- No, as for Zhenya Medvedeva’s mother, she is invisible in the process, she never she never messes with it. If she comes on the skating rink and sees that Zhenya is in the sorted state, it doesn't arise any contradictions between us – what and how to do. We see the reason of it equally. We know that it is necessary to look for it first of all in ourself, then it is for a 90% solution
- Zhenya was not going everything smoothly last year. The injuries tormented …
- We had both positive competitions and negative. There were also such competitions where we didn't understand in general, what position we will take. Last year we went to the JGPF being in so sorted state that the main our objective was a participation. And when Zhenya became the third, it was the perfection top at that time. It is possible to remember how two years ago in the Russian SrNats she skated with a plaster on the hand. Or last year's SrNats when she executed her free skating riding in new boots for only the fourth day, and anybody didn't know it. The boots broke on the eve of our departure, it was necessary to solve — we go or we withdraw from competitions. Zhenya told: "We go".
- She told it by herself or under your pressing?
- In my group even the most global decisions are always made by the athlete first of all. And I follow it even if it is about withdrawing from competitions which we prepared a half-season. Just the athlete need to skate in any case. The fourth day in new boots — it is necessary to possess a character to make such decision.
- And what character has Medvedeva: heavy, easy?
- I don't divide it: heavy or easy. A character just happens different. It is the most important for her now — to keep this ability to work. Sometimes diligence is just the most important talent because without it will be nothing. I am sure: it is possible to teach, to bring to the highest level anyone. The main thing that the child could work and I would be with him on the same wave. She is the good girl and with good sense of humour, it is very important too. Recently we had such case. She went to a jump, hardly. And I shouted to her after: "Come on, Zhenya, what do you creep as a cow!" To which she turned and she lowed such lingeringly. That’s all! She didn't take offense, didn't begin to sniff but has discharged a situation. She started to laugh and went further. I just started to laugh too. It is easy for me to work with her
© The Moscow Figurist, by Oksana Tonkacheeva
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