I know that before the Games in Sochi you postponed an attempt to get a university education several times, you did not see any opportunity to combine study and training. Do you think that Nathan Chen, who entered Yale University in the summer, will succeed?
– Nathan is an incredibly talented guy, and I don’t mean physical features. He has great head. I talked with his parents, with him, questioned him about his brothers and sisters, and concluded that they all are bright personalities. Myself I’m a big realist in terms of my abilities, so I quickly realized that I won’t be able to combine study and sports. It’s beyond my abilities. Perhaps that is why it’s so interesting for me to watch him. He is really amazing, as an athlete Chen is absolutely great, but it is very easy to talk with him and he also has both feet firmly on the ground. In general, not many people, I think, can imagine what it means to be number one in the US team and at the same time study at Yale University.
Has any of the skaters tried to combine such?
– If I’m not mistaken, only Sarah Hughes. She entered Yale after the Games in Salt Lake City, but as far as I remember, took a break from studying.
Now Harutyunyan worries that work has become less fulfilling. You have changed more than a dozen coaches in your life. In your opinion how big is the role of coach, if we are talking about a top-level athlete?
– I think that at this level the coach becomes more like a manager of his student rather than a teacher. He cares not so much about the technical aspects of skating, but about proper nutrition, rest, so that nothing bothers his athlete in training. Of course coaches can advise something, correct, but nevertheless, athletes like Chen, like Yuzuru Hanyu, do not require every minute custody. Even when they are coached by such great specialists as Harutyunyan or Brian Orser.
, so send me a PM if you'd like a temporary download link for the GPF Gala.
:luv17:
