- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
http://ptichkafs.livejournal.com/26111.html
Fighting makes us run a lot
August 20, (№ 535)
Elena Yazeva
Correspondent of “Sports Games” department.
They are very different. Maria Mukhortova is refined, while Maxim Trankov loves hip hop. Nevertheless, they’ve been skating together for years. Together, they won World title among juniors, and have overcome the difficulties of transitioning to the adult sport.
Last year brought Mukhortova and Trankov more changes than others experience over their whole athletic careers – several coach changes, upsetting injuries leading to skipping of the Europeans despite being able to fight for medals. Other young athletes could throw their hands up in the air in a situation like that, but Maria and Maxim prefer to see things philosophically, and are continuing to work.
We had no choice but to go to Vasiliev
“Do you often remember last season?”
Maxim Trankov: We didn’t have a season, only two months of worthwhile training. The rest is was an emotional rollercoaster.
Maria Mukhortova: I don’t really want to recall that time. We worked so hard before Russian Nationals! We came, we won, and then the injury came… We had to skip Europeans. It was very upsetting.
M.T.: The most important even of last seasons is a switch to Oleg Vasiliev. We finally found a coach who can work with us. We are tired of everyone giving up on us. We are tired of hearing we are “untrainable”.
M.M.: We now know that all of our previous teachers just couldn’t handle us. If it weren’t for Oleg Vasiliev, we’d have probably quit the sport. Though when Tatiana Tarasova suggested we go to him, we agreed just out of desperation.
“Your temper is already an urban legend of figure skating. How does Oleg Kimovich handle you?”
M.T.: Indeed, we used to fight a lot. Now, we argue a lot less. Of course, at times we do squabble; that can’t be avoided when two creative people work together. However, Vasiliev introduced strict discipline into our work. We even have a system of punishments.
M.M.: Yesterday, we were late to practice, so we had to do 15 laps around the rink. I don’t want to be late anymore! When Maxim and I got into a shouting match at the Chicago camp, we had to run around the lake in the heat. So we got much more peaceful with each other.
“You don’t think such measures on the part of a coach are too harsh?”
M.T.: That’s the only way it works with us. Oleg Kimovich came up with this system some time ago. That’s the same way Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin worked. Vasiliev’s method develops character, while giving extra work for the body.
“Were you ever tempted to take it easy claiming you were too tired?”
M.T.: Such tricks won’t work with Vasiliev. When we just started working together, we agreed to do everything the boss tells us. Otherwise, we go our separate ways.
“How does his approach differ from Tamara Moskvina’s?”
M.T.: Their methods are similar; after all, Vasiliev is Tamara Nikolaevna’s student. However, Oleg Kimovich’s view of things is more modern. He understands all the nuances of the rapidly changing rules really well. He wants us to perform the difficult elements easily and without visible effort. Moskvina, on the other hand, stressed the more acrobatic programs. We didn’t like that.
In Chicago, we lived in the woods with the squirrels
“Where are you training?”
M.M.: We mostly train in Petersburg, but we recently went to Chicago. Oleg Vasiliev believes a chance of scenery is beneficial from time to time. He did the same with Totmianina and Marinin, so we’re following a trodden path here. We’ve never prepared for a season quite like that. Moskvina also had two-week camps, but we mainly worked on the ice with her, whereas here we do a lot of off-ice work. We had to get up at six in the morning, and get home around six in the evening. We were literally falling off our feet.
“Where did you live in Chicago?”
M.T.: We lived with a Russian immigrant family Vasiliev knows. They really helped us, even cooking for us when we had no strength left of culinary pursuits. The house we stayed at is in a very picturesque place – it’s surrounded by the woods, with rabbis and squirrels ring underneath the windows. You don’t get that in Peter.
“I’ve heard that when Vasiliev left for a seminar in France, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin managed you training in Chicago.”
M.M.: It was mainly Tatiana who worked with us. We are very grateful to her for all that work.
M.T.: We showed us a lot of new things. She suggested things and gave good advance. Though, of course, she didn’t take full responsibility for the training.
On the subject
Mukhortova and Trankov are not Oleg Vasiliev’s sole students. This year, he is also working with an international team – Russian Valeria Vorobieva and French Jerome Blanchard.
“Lera used to skate as a single with Alexei Urmanov. She then switched to Vasiliev. He searched for a partner for a long time. With Jerome, they really click. We also get along with them really well. Envy often gets in the way of positive work, but we don’t have that. Just a healthy rivalry”, assures us Maxim Trankov.
“I am teaching Jerome Russian. Somehow, he understands everything I tell him. Though he only speaks English to everyone else”, tells Maria Mukhortova to the “Sport”.
Fighting makes us run a lot
August 20, (№ 535)
Elena Yazeva
Correspondent of “Sports Games” department.
They are very different. Maria Mukhortova is refined, while Maxim Trankov loves hip hop. Nevertheless, they’ve been skating together for years. Together, they won World title among juniors, and have overcome the difficulties of transitioning to the adult sport.
Last year brought Mukhortova and Trankov more changes than others experience over their whole athletic careers – several coach changes, upsetting injuries leading to skipping of the Europeans despite being able to fight for medals. Other young athletes could throw their hands up in the air in a situation like that, but Maria and Maxim prefer to see things philosophically, and are continuing to work.
We had no choice but to go to Vasiliev
“Do you often remember last season?”
Maxim Trankov: We didn’t have a season, only two months of worthwhile training. The rest is was an emotional rollercoaster.
Maria Mukhortova: I don’t really want to recall that time. We worked so hard before Russian Nationals! We came, we won, and then the injury came… We had to skip Europeans. It was very upsetting.
M.T.: The most important even of last seasons is a switch to Oleg Vasiliev. We finally found a coach who can work with us. We are tired of everyone giving up on us. We are tired of hearing we are “untrainable”.
M.M.: We now know that all of our previous teachers just couldn’t handle us. If it weren’t for Oleg Vasiliev, we’d have probably quit the sport. Though when Tatiana Tarasova suggested we go to him, we agreed just out of desperation.
“Your temper is already an urban legend of figure skating. How does Oleg Kimovich handle you?”
M.T.: Indeed, we used to fight a lot. Now, we argue a lot less. Of course, at times we do squabble; that can’t be avoided when two creative people work together. However, Vasiliev introduced strict discipline into our work. We even have a system of punishments.
M.M.: Yesterday, we were late to practice, so we had to do 15 laps around the rink. I don’t want to be late anymore! When Maxim and I got into a shouting match at the Chicago camp, we had to run around the lake in the heat. So we got much more peaceful with each other.
“You don’t think such measures on the part of a coach are too harsh?”
M.T.: That’s the only way it works with us. Oleg Kimovich came up with this system some time ago. That’s the same way Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin worked. Vasiliev’s method develops character, while giving extra work for the body.
“Were you ever tempted to take it easy claiming you were too tired?”
M.T.: Such tricks won’t work with Vasiliev. When we just started working together, we agreed to do everything the boss tells us. Otherwise, we go our separate ways.
“How does his approach differ from Tamara Moskvina’s?”
M.T.: Their methods are similar; after all, Vasiliev is Tamara Nikolaevna’s student. However, Oleg Kimovich’s view of things is more modern. He understands all the nuances of the rapidly changing rules really well. He wants us to perform the difficult elements easily and without visible effort. Moskvina, on the other hand, stressed the more acrobatic programs. We didn’t like that.
In Chicago, we lived in the woods with the squirrels
“Where are you training?”
M.M.: We mostly train in Petersburg, but we recently went to Chicago. Oleg Vasiliev believes a chance of scenery is beneficial from time to time. He did the same with Totmianina and Marinin, so we’re following a trodden path here. We’ve never prepared for a season quite like that. Moskvina also had two-week camps, but we mainly worked on the ice with her, whereas here we do a lot of off-ice work. We had to get up at six in the morning, and get home around six in the evening. We were literally falling off our feet.
“Where did you live in Chicago?”
M.T.: We lived with a Russian immigrant family Vasiliev knows. They really helped us, even cooking for us when we had no strength left of culinary pursuits. The house we stayed at is in a very picturesque place – it’s surrounded by the woods, with rabbis and squirrels ring underneath the windows. You don’t get that in Peter.
“I’ve heard that when Vasiliev left for a seminar in France, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin managed you training in Chicago.”
M.M.: It was mainly Tatiana who worked with us. We are very grateful to her for all that work.
M.T.: We showed us a lot of new things. She suggested things and gave good advance. Though, of course, she didn’t take full responsibility for the training.
On the subject
Mukhortova and Trankov are not Oleg Vasiliev’s sole students. This year, he is also working with an international team – Russian Valeria Vorobieva and French Jerome Blanchard.
“Lera used to skate as a single with Alexei Urmanov. She then switched to Vasiliev. He searched for a partner for a long time. With Jerome, they really click. We also get along with them really well. Envy often gets in the way of positive work, but we don’t have that. Just a healthy rivalry”, assures us Maxim Trankov.
“I am teaching Jerome Russian. Somehow, he understands everything I tell him. Though he only speaks English to everyone else”, tells Maria Mukhortova to the “Sport”.
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