Mikhail Kolyada

[Tutto]

^yeah i cant remember any photos of whole family either. Glad Mika is ok, hope there will be some interview soon! @Heleng, i've come across that version too that Valentina spotted him in a public rink, but Mika always said that it was his Mum who brought him to a Fs group. Do you know that a dancer Alexandra Stepanova was also in that first group Valentina took on and Mika were in same kindergarden with Alexandra. Do they still keep in touch i wonder

 

[vorravorra]

There are some old ones of her on their father’s VK profile. Maybe she works/studies in another city.

I knew Valentina had been with Misha since he was 5, but I didn’t know that was her first group. So I guess they really are learning everything together. Does she continue to work with kids, or is her focus mainly on Misha and Stasya?

I don't think it was literally the first group, just the first after the timeout she took.

 

[vorravorra]

Right, but it would have been after the entire scoring system was revamped. Did she have success in the pre-IJS era?

There is a long interview somewhere where she talks about her career but it was a while ago and I do not remember details.

 

[Tutto]

I remember that interview, she was kind of vague on that period of time between graduating and returning to coaching, she mentioned i think that her son had asthma and she had to stay at home to look after him. I wouldnt mind to look at his photos as a child again, i remember that though he looked like a little angel there was that michievious air about him, just like he said in one interview: whenever there was a trouble brewing on, i was rigit in it!

 

[Heleng]

Btw, has anyone ever seen what Misha's other sister looks like? Going by the posted photos you'd think the family only had three kids.

(Randomly came across this in post #101)

https://goo.gl/images/hGBxR9

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Oh, he looks so much like his mother!

Off topic: Santa has brought me a "Worry Eater", he is named by the producer: Mika
https://www.amazon.de/Schmidt-Spiele-Sorgenfresser-42355-Pl%C3%BCsch/dp/B01HRYCVS0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1545898450&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sorgenfresser+mika&psc=1

Now i really wish someone would throw him a Mika-plushie at Euro

 

[Tutto]

Ha ha our own FF branded name gone to a wider world!

 

[rachno2]

Some New Year’s messages from Misha
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsDis8clGHE/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=9tgei6bjisz8
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br0QR7Uh0nq/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=11626zl6nriq2

^^Now I want somebody to draw a picture of Yuzuru and Misha with Pooh and Soviet Pooh

ETA and a new (and informative) article from Tanja Flade:

https://goldenskate.com/2018/12/mikhail-kolyada-i-opened-up-some-reserves/

 

[Tutto]

The link wont open for me, have to wait till later as internet is very slow now, cant wait to read the interview. Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all! Mika, wishing you lots of good health, more adventures, victories and best of luck in 2019!

 

[Metis]

Now I want somebody to draw a picture of Yuzuru and Misha with Pooh and Soviet Pooh

Better: how about an EX skate to this?
https://youtu.be/hWTFG3J1CP8

 

[vorravorra]

https://goldenskate.com/2018/12/mikhail-kolyada-i-opened-up-some-reserves/

“It is like a snowball,” he described. “At first a little bit, it is still okay, tolerable. Then, it becomes more and more. You realize that it is hard for you, but you still manage somehow. You forget about it ‘oh, it’s working, great.’ Then, when this snowball presses you down and you realize ‘that’s it,’ you can’t get out, then you take the shovel and start digging.”

I love this as a description of how the season felt for Misha re: his health. It's a pity you only take a shovel and start digging when the snowball finally crushes you.

 

[rachno2]

https://goldenskate.com/2018/12/mikhail-kolyada-i-opened-up-some-reserves/


I love this as a description of how the season felt for Misha re: his health. It's a pity you only take a shovel and start digging when the snowball finally crushes you.

I do, too. I just hope he clears away all the snow, so to speak Back on ice on January 2nd, planning a 3-quad FS for Europeans.....I trust him, but I hope he fully recovers from the surgery, and does everything with his doctors’ consultation from here on out.

Happy New Year to all!

 

[Tatjana]

https://goldenskate.com/2018/12/mikhail-kolyada-i-opened-up-some-reserves/


I love this as a description of how the season felt for Misha re: his health. It's a pity you only take a shovel and start digging when the snowball finally crushes you.

I also thought that Misha's description of the situation was very accurate. It was like a snowball that became bigger and bigger until it rolled over him. Obviously, he thought he'll push through, he felt better in between, practices were going well etc etc. And his coaches apparently thought the same. Plus of course he didn't want to miss competitions, set himself up as a contender in the post-Olympic year. There are a lot expectations after you win a World medal. You are always smarter later, as we say in German.
Unfortunately, this certain unreasonableness seems common for many athletes. Look at Yuzuru Hanyu, who at NHK Trophy 2017 practiced the 4Lz and got injured severely and then again competed at Rostelecom Cup 2018 in spite of re-injuring his ankle.

Ending up in hospital just before Nationals and competing in this condition was a tough experience but I think it can help Misha a lot eventually. I think he earned respect from people that didn't believe in him before and he also learned about himself that he is capable of more than he maybe thought. It looks like he learned to take health problems more seriously. He also said "there are many competitions but just one health".

Happy New Year to you all!

 

[vorravorra]

I do, too. I just hope he clears away all the snow, so to speak Back on ice on January 2nd, planning a 3-quad FS for Europeans.....I trust him, but I hope he fully recovers from the surgery, and does everything with his doctors’ consultation from here on out.

Happy New Year to all!

Having to skate with full-on acute sinusitis has to teach you some lasting lessons. I don't think he'd like a repeat.

 

[rachno2]

Here’s an article on Misha by Tanja Flade for the December issue of International Figure Skating.

It mainly consists of quotes from previous interviews. This part was new:

Last season was a huge learning experience. I definitely grew up a lot. There are some things that I look at — at competitions — in a completely different way now. I just started to feel differently inside. There is a moment for everyone when they realize that their youth has ended and adult life has started. At the same time, you still feel young and without pressure and that feeling doesn’t leave you. I think that is the most important thing.

This past summer, in the half year since the Olympics, my consciousness changed. I still like to fool around, hang out and chat with my friends — that is still the same — but my perception of certain things is different.

And he posted some New Year’s IG stories. His fan group gave him the Christmas sweater

 

[Heleng]

I’m so appreciative of all of Tatjana’s insightful articles on/interviews of Misha (and other skaters as well), thank you, and thanks, rachno2, for posting the latest one!

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

And he posted some New Year’s IG stories. His fan group gave him the Christmas sweater

Heh, lovely sweater (me wants also one, the heating in my house has broken over the Christmas). What is written in Russian on the other pic with "Breath baby"?
I love his joking nature.

I also love how constructive the interviews of Tatjana Flade are, regardless which figure skater is asked. Naturally the interviews with Mika i love the most. He seems to be a very smart young man. I think his art to think will make him one day a great coach, if this will be the way he will choose to go. For a business man he is too honest and fair.

 

[rachno2]

What is written in Russian on the other pic with "Breathe baby"?
I love his joking nature.

“Happy new breath”

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

Awww, this is cute (and looks like his health gets better).
Also, it is true that his spirit animal is a cat. This is why he needs to get on roofs in winter.

 

[Tatjana]

I’m so appreciative of all of Tatjana’s insightful articles on/interviews of Misha (and other skaters as well), thank you, and thanks, rachno2, for posting the latest one!

Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you enjoy the interviews/articles. The story on Misha in IFS was actually written before the Grand Prix series, it is just that IFS has a very early deadline. The magazine was published in November, I guess. My latest story on Misha was this one on Golden Skate and it is based on an exclusive interview. The Russian media in Saransk was mainly interested in Maxim Kovtun as he had won and had a nice comeback story, and basically they were mostly after the ladies anyway. So I had no competition, really.