I was (carefully) browsing the Figure Skating Universe forum and a user there posted a link to this big long article from Marina about T/M!
https://m.sport.business-gazeta.ru/article/248299/
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11/27/2019
FIGURE SKATING
Tarasova and Morozov with the new coach have three defeats. But do not rush to conclusions
The couple misses the Grand Prix finals, but its progress is obvious.
Russian couple Evgeny Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov changed their lives dramatically this offseason: they moved to the USA to Marina Zueva , changed the style of their programs and decided to restart their careers.
However, for the first time in three years , skaters will miss the Grand Prix finals . Tarasova and Morozov became the third at the stage in Canada and the second in Russia - they did not have one point to get to Turin, where the final will be held.
At the same time, neither Zueva, nor Vladimir with Eugenia see the tragedy in the unsuccessful start of the season. As a coach told BUSINESS Online after the Grand Prix stage in Moscow, Tarasova and Morozova have long-term plans for cooperation - with the Olympics as their ultimate goal.
Restructuring is a complex and lengthy process. Falling results are an inevitable step in this process.
CHANGE OF COACH OF TARASOVA AND MOROZOV - NEED
For the first time, Tarasov and Morozov thought about changing their coach after a failure at the Olympics in Pyeongchang. They claimed victory, but failed the free program and remained fourth. The need to look for a coach did not even arise on their initiative: Nina Moser , with whom the couple worked throughout her career, decided to leave the coaching practice and switched to administrative work .
The new coach for Vladimir and Eugenia was Maxim Trankov , who only two years ago spoke at the World Cup and for whom coaching was not a priority, Maxim directly said in an interview that he was much more interested in shows and television projects financially.
All the main starts of the season - the Grand Prix finals, the European and World Championships - the couple lost. In order not to finally slide down, Vladimir and Eugene began to look for a new coach. We stopped at Zueva. A promising option, but unexpected. Zueva is an excellent specialist who trained a dozen Olympic champions, but for the past 20 years she has focused on working with dance duets. The last successful sports pair Zueva Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergey Grinkov performed in the days of the USSR.
Another difficulty is the change of residence. Zueva works in Florida. Moving Tarasova and Morozov to the USA is a rare and interesting move for Russian skaters. In addition to Vladimir and Eugenia, only the junior couple in ice dancing Diana Davis with Gleb Smolkin and the loner Yevgenia Medvedeva train abroad .
The careers of Tarasova and Morozov in the media are often compared with the career of Medvedeva. They all have similar goals: restarting a career and showing a new version of themselves. Medvedeva's trainer Brian Orser has repeatedly noted that the path chosen by his student is difficult and long. The first successes should be expected at least in a year and a half. This time is needed to adapt to new conditions.
“Tarasova and Morozova are easier than Medvedeva because the former coaches Maxim Trankov and Nina Moser remained with them in the team ,” Zueva said in an interview with “BUSINESS Online” in early October. - They have not changed the group, it expanded, intensified. Of course, you need to get used to it. Before, most of the time they worked with one coach, now with them a whole team. But these are changes for the better. ”
The beginning of the season for Eugene and Vladimir is like a cold shower: a failed start in the USA, where the couple completely fell apart in the free program, an unsuccessful Grand Prix stage in Canada, when the skaters missed one of the necessary elements, and finally a rough performance in Moscow - Tarasova and Morozov managed get negative ratings even on rotations.
As a result, not a single victory in three months. At the last stage in Japan, the fate of a ticket to the finals no longer depended on Eugene and Vladimir, but on the Canadian couple Kristen Moore Towers and Michael Marinaro . They took second place and reached the final. And Tarasova and Morozov will miss him for the first time since 2016. A depressing result for the nominally first pair of the country.
COMPETITION SHARPLY INCREASED IN COUPLE SKATING
“ Of course, we have tournament tasks. And we didn’t fulfill them , ”said Zueva after the couple’s performance in the free program at the Russian Grand Prix. Skaters tore off several elements and took second place, having almost lost the chance to reach the final.
Skipping the finals by Tarasova and Morozov seems to be a serious problem if we evaluate the performance of Vladimir and Eugenia in comparison with other Russian couples. This season young couples show excellent results: yesterday's juniors win stages one after another and are constantly progressing.
The growth rate and the number of bright young couples are menacing: Tarasova and Morozov, if they do not recover, may lose their place in the team. Previously, at the domestic level, they competed with themselves, but now the situation has changed dramatically.
The leaders of the season are Alexandra Boykova and Dmitry Kozlovsky . Boykova and Kozlovsky have two unexpected victories and a direct ticket to the finals. Last year, St. Petersburg athletes were hopelessly inferior to adult couples, were unstable and did not receive high scores from judges. But they began their second season at the adult level with a series of four victories in a row. They have all the components of success: the complex technical part of the program, excellent choreography, vibrant programs and stability .
“Young Russian couples perform very well and this gives us an incentive to develop,” Tarasova said about Boykov and Kozlovsky. Tarasova and Morozov twice lost to this pair this season. Few expected yesterday's teenagers Alexander and Dmitry to impose a serious struggle on the first pair of the country, but Tamara Moskvina’s students are more confident with each start.
In addition to Boykova and Kozlovsky, Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Gallyamov reached the finals , while they spend the first adult season. In junior sports, Anastasia and Alexander won almost everything. With two victories, they began their careers at an adult level. Mishina and Gallyamov perform a parallel triple lutz: in pair skating this jump is equated to ultra-si and is performed by a few athletes.
Another finalists - Daria Pavlyuchenko and Denis Khodykin - they were fourth at last year’s Russian championship, and now they have solved the stability problem and beat the winners of the World Cup. Pavlyuchenko and Khodykin, in terms of technology, are also cooler than more experienced partners in the national team: they own a parallel triple flip and a four twist.
In such a situation, Tarasova and Morozov need to look for their trump cards. The most important advantage is experience. Eugene and Vladimir have been performing together for eight seasons and they have excellent interaction with each other. “Once Zhenya thinks about something, I already know what she wants,” says Morozov.
Competition has increased at the global level. This season, pairs from Canada and the USA show good results , Chinese couples are consistently good. Therefore, even the level of last year no longer allows Eugenia and Vladimir to compete for prizes in major competitions. A qualitative leap forward is needed.
PAIR CHANGED WORKOUT PLAN AND PASSES ADAPTATION
Before the start of the Grand Prix series, Zueva said that the first season for the couple will be difficult and familiarizing. Marina Olegovna confirmed this idea even after the stage in Moscow. “Right now, you should not wait for the results. The guys get used to new conditions, new skating. And it takes time, ”she explains the reasons for the failures.
At the same time, Zueva admits that in the first half of the season, her skaters could not perform as required from them. “As athletes, they must decide the goals set for the season. The performance at the Grand Prix was unsuccessful, ”said Zueva, when the couple still retained the theoretical chances of reaching the final. “I understood that this could happen.” Their mistakes are also my mistakes. Together we overcome this path. But now they need to go further, even though through local failures, but to become stronger in the end. ”
According to Zueva, the main reason for the unsuccessful results at the start of the season is a change in the training plan . This year, Tarasova and Morozov’s programs of a completely different property and quality, they have a lot of new approaches, transitions and complex interactions. And to run these programs without errors takes time.
An example is a new approach to rotation. “We have chosen very complex and unusual rotations. Both judges and spectators will appreciate them, but the performance should be perfect and synchronized. Such rotations require no less concentration than surges or jumps, ”said Zueva. It was the complicated approaches to the rotations that led to the error on them in the short program at the Russian Grand Prix . Athletes for the first time in their careers try jumping approaches to an element, and during rotation they change their position several times, move from one skate to another. This is very appreciated by the judges, but at times increases the risk of mistakes.
Work on rotations, the search for new approaches, departures and other small choreographic elements is part of Zueva’s general concept of changing the image of a couple. The coach wants to fully realize the potential of the athletes and re-introduce them to the public. For this, she chose two bright and unlike each other programs. The directors were ex-students of Zueva.
Moris Ravel, a short program under the modern arrangement of the Bolero , was put to them by the prize-winner of the European Championship in ice dancing, Italian Massimo Scali , arbitrary to the music of Antonio Tozzi, Olympic champion Charlie White .
Previously, the couple had the image of technical skaters, scoring on the choreography, which affected the low ratings for the components. Now Tarasova and Morozov are gaining a high second rating even when they tear down the elements.
The progress of the couple in choreography and staging is recognized by most experts. “The couple has changed a lot,” World Cup medalist Alexander Smirnov expressed his opinion in a conversation with “BUSINESS Online” . - I was very happy when I found out that they had moved to Zueva. It was now interesting to watch them. There were programs that were holistic, well thought out, and not diving from jump to jump . ”
After Pyeongchang in pair skating, they focused on working with choreography and the cleanliness of the elements. Fourth emissions and twists in order to care for the health of athletes have made unfavorable for execution. Better chances are now for couples with catchy looks. Tarasova and Morozov before this season could not boast of such.
“The requirements after the Olympics have changed,” explains Zueva. - Now a couple needs a composition, a dialogue between a man and a woman. We need images, theatrical work. ”
Tarasova and Morozov note that it is not easy for them to change the usual work plan and change the style of skiing in an already mature age. But they like the result of training with Zueva. “I hope this is visible to both the audience and the judges that everything has changed in our skating,” Tarasova said. - We train in a group where there are more dance duets, and now we are trying to pay great attention to gliding, approaches and ligaments. I think the transition to Marina Olegovna will help us take a fresh look at ourselves. ”
Zueva sees great progress in the choreography of the couple. But the process is not completed. “I really like the way they perform Bolero, they like their costumes. It’s just that you still need to work - the couple will be great, ”said the specialist. This year, the couple decided not to take risks and chose the usual lyrical image. But in the next seasons, the coach plans to put programs in other styles .
PSYCHOLOGY DOESN'T PROBLEMS IN THE COUPLE
Mistakes of the same type on simple elements suggest that the couple has mood problems. Another coach of the pair, Trankov, also hinted at the psychological reasons for the unsuccessful performances.
“ When people completely change their way of life, their training system, it would be foolish to expect quick success from them ,” TASS quoted Trankova as saying . - So far, Zhenya and Volodya are tearing down the elements and losing, but I don’t think this is a big problem - many athletes regard the Grand Prix more as a training session.
According to Trankov, it is a change of scenery that is the cause of errors in emissions and jumps. Zueva thinks otherwise. In her opinion, the guys, on the contrary, mentally became much stronger and no longer felled elements due to unnecessary excitement.
Tarasova and Morozov are training in the coastal city of Neilps in Florida. As Morozov told BUSINESS Online, at the request of Zueva, Evgenia and Vladimir go to the beach almost every day. On the skaters' Instagram there are a lot of photos by the sea and from the side it seemed that the athletes were not in training, but on vacation. But Zueva says the guys keep their concentration.
“I'm on the rink, watching them,” she replies jokingly. The guys have a fully working atmosphere. The only difference is that after work they are met by the sea breeze and the bright sun. I believe that nature should help health. The idea of opening a training center in Florida came to me when I analyzed the work of coaches of other sports. ”
Of the problems that Zueva noted was the loss of riding speed . The coach requires from Tarasova and Morozov wide, but fast skiing. So far, such rentals they succeed only in training.
“Lack of speed breaks the program. When such a competition - you need to ride brighter, - Zueva scolded her athletes. - But in Florida, everything works out for them and when compared with past starts, the speed increased. Work is visible. ”
PURPOSE OF WORK WITH ZUEVA - OLYMPIC GAMES
A funny moment occurred at a press conference following the results of the stage in Moscow. Once again, Tarasova and Morozova were reminded of the words of Orser that after changing the coach, adaptation in the new conditions takes at least a year and a half, and asked how long they were ready to wait for success. “We are ready not to wait, this is an incorrect word, but to work. There are still two years before the Olympic Games, ”said Morozov.
At this time, Zueva took a microphone from a journalist and said from the audience: “Vova, we have six years.” The coach hinted that Eugene and Vladimir can speak not only at the Beijing Olympics, but also in Italy in 2026. “ Wait six years?” No, I’m so afraid, I won’t wait. By this time I will turn gray, ”Morozov joked.
When the jokes stopped, Zueva added that next season the couple will be competitive and will be able to fight for victory at the World Cup. But the main goal is the Olympic Games.
According to Zueva, in the first year you should not wait for the results, but you can see the progress: “Already, it makes sense to wait for a new one in skating. Wait for improvement, work on yourself. The guys decided on a very serious step and much has changed in their career. This increases the responsibility of both them and me. ”
Zuev deviates from specific forecasts on the time when and how the adaptation will take place: “There is a preparation plan, but how it will be implemented, I can only say after this season. There is no magic word or gesture that you can tell the skater, and he stops making mistakes. There is the magic of time, patience and efficiency. ”
“Still, skipping the finale is not a tragedy,” the specialist noted. - I do not think that the results of this season are decisive . We will prepare for the championship of Russia - now more time for preparation. We do not plan to go to other tournaments. ”
In this regard, Zueva is right. Previously, Eugene and Vladimir successfully performed at the stages of the Grand Prix, won at challengers and other tournaments of the third grade. But at the most important starts they constantly lacked the strength and skill to take first place. Now they have a different tactic: to concentrate on preparing for the World Cup and the Olympics.
In terms of sports results, Tarasova and Morozov failed. Skipping the Grand Prix finals is a serious reputation loss and a signal for the judges that they can be deleted from the world top.
But if you look at the future, then Tarasova and Morozova do not need local victories. They have all the titles except victory at the World Cup and OI. Initially, it was clear that a trip to Zueva was a big risk. The guys had two options: take a chance and try to become the best in the world or continue to stagnate and stand still. They chose a more difficult but interesting way .
RUSTAM IMAMOV
for posting the translation of that article, anonymoose. 
