“They are kind of the last of the Mohicans”: Zueva about Tarasova and Morozov, Trankov’s contribution and features of work in the USA

- What did the European Championship in Graz give you in terms of observations?

- In general, I like to watch not only competitions, but also workouts with warm-ups. Everyone has different methods and habits, there is always something to pay attention to, you can make some unexpected observations. For example, she drew attention to the fact that Nikita Katsalapov and Vika Sinitsina all days trained simply brilliantly, without a single blot or some kind of malfunction, which I had not noticed before. I think this is part of the strategy. It seems to me that due to such trainings, they in the minds of the judges came even closer to Gabriela Papadakis and Guillaume Sizeron. We got up close to them. And, probably, it is not surprising that they beat them as soon as the French made a mistake.

- Oleg Vasiliev during the tournament said that there is no difference in how skaters skate before the competition. And he gave an example of training couples before a short program, where your wards Yevgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov skated impeccably, and Alexandra Boykova and Dmitry Kozlovsky ripped off almost all the elements.

- Before the free program, by the way, it was the same. Nevertheless: if we challenge athletes to win the Olympic Games, they should strive to not only perform at a high level, but also to practice. Especially if the training is open to the press, the public and judges. When you constantly make mistakes, even if you crack, but not a single judge will put the “tens” for the presentation - this is our sport.

- You stated that you did not consider the silver medals of Tarasova and Morozov a failure. Boykova and Kozlovsky your athletes lose for the fourth start in a row. You understand that such a protracted series of defeats cannot fail to hit the couple’s image, impression, second assessment ...

- Well, after all, judges cannot put high scores when athletes begin to tear down elements. This also applies to points for choreography. I know for sure: if Vova and Zhenya ride well, their result can turn out to be very high. That's all. Of course, the guys’ mistakes made me upset, it would be foolish to deny it. But it’s better to let these troubles happen now, rather than at the moment when nothing can be fixed. The main work has been done with us, and you, I hope, see this. The image of the couple changed, she found her face, went, rolled up. Moreover, I clearly note improvements from start to start.

- The amount of work done by you with Tarasova and Morozov is striking. And what is the collaboration with a pair of Nina Moser and Maxim Trankov? I ask, because it remains behind the scenes.

- The work is carried out by all specialists, there are results, just as long as they are not too visible - it is very difficult to put everything together in a short time. But it will gather. We are doing everything possible for this. I constantly explain to reporters: my work with the guys is not a revolution, not a revolution, not a desire to destroy everything to the ground and to build something new in this place. I just joined the process that went on for many years. Even now, I am never guided only by my opinion - I try to collect as many reviews as possible, especially at competitions. This helps to more fully see and appreciate the big picture.

- When you started working with Eugenia and Vladimir, didn’t you regret that your cooperation with these skaters began only now, and not after the Games in Sochi?

“I never thought about that.” What for? In this regard, I always live today. I like working with the guys, I have something to give them, I have an understanding of how to develop them further. I would even say that Tarasova and Morozov are kind of the last of the Mohicans: the last who look on the ice like a real couple, in the full sense of the term.

- After the Games in Sochi, it seemed that Tarasova and Morozov were not really needed either by their own coach or the figure skating federation. It seems to me that they still have a very great need to be loved, to mess with them ...

“Well, that’s exactly what I’m doing now.” We just need time. I am still in the process of selecting specialists for them: I need to work on jumps, and many others. Of course, I want to see the result faster. I hope that we will approach the world championship in Montreal in the best conditions and will perform there in a completely different way.

- Vladimir Morozov, commenting on the unsuccessful rental, noted that usually he and Zhenya try to arrive in advance for competitions requiring acclimatization, but this time they could not stay at home after the Russian championship, because you needed to quickly return to America.

- It is simply impossible to come to all competitions in advance, since the full acclimatization process takes at least ten days. And even so, athletes sometimes tear down elements. You won’t guess here. If Tarasova and Morozov had a clean ride in Graz, now everyone would write that acclimatization does not matter at all, do you agree?

- Are you somehow limited in the freedom of decision-making regarding this couple?

- Not. There are no contradictions in our coaching staff, we are constantly in touch. Maxim Trankov comes to us in Florida quite often.

- A year ago, commenting on his independent work with Tarasova and Morozov, Trankov sadly joked that now everyone saw what a poor coach he was. Since Maxim is still working in your team, does he still have strong coaching skills?

- Of course, where without them. He sees and very quickly evaluates any situation, feels the athletes, understands what needs to be done. In addition, Maxim has his own career behind him, and it is very long, and, accordingly, the understanding that the result does not come to the athlete immediately. You just need to have patience. If we talk about the technical side of the matter, after all, at different times Trankov studied with all the most outstanding trainers in the world, and this is also a tremendous experience. His knowledge of pair skating is truly limitless. The main thing is to use all this correctly.

- It seemed to me rather controversial the statement of Maxim that the main advantage of two-time world champions Sui Wenjing and Han Tsun over everyone else is that they put the program on them Canadian Lori Nicole. And that this choreographer doesn’t work with Russian couples in principle ...

- I do not think that this is the reason. To begin with, any successful program is primarily a performance. I used to work with a Chinese couple for four seasons, when they were just starting their junior career. Both athletes are amazingly danceable, especially the partner. They have excellent dance coordination, they feel the music in a very special way. That is why I immediately began to put programs for them in a dance style. Alan brought me the "rumba" himself. Well, tell me, which greenhouse itself will bring dance music to the choreographer? We had the same story with Russian Dance.

- I would now understand who Alan is ...

- We call Han Tsun so - in America it was more habitual for him to take a more “American” name. And I repeat again: outstanding choreography is, first of all, an outstanding performance.

- Have you ever tried to calculate how many productions per season a top director can do without losing quality?

- I do not think that this amount is somehow limited. I happened to put up to two hundred programs a year when I worked in Canada. This was considered part of my work, which was in no way connected with earnings, because I had a fixed contract.

- After the Games in Sochi, Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov trained for you, who were forced to return back to Russia for a number of disciplinary reasons ...

“I never said that.”

- Nevertheless, it is no secret to anyone that not all foreigners are able to behave correctly when they are in the American environment. I know that after last year’s World Cup, Rafael Harutyunyan was even forced to part with his Korean ward, Lim Eun-su. Tarasov and Morozov had to learn behavior?

- All athletes behave differently in training - in this regard, I would not particularly highlight Europeans or Russians. And everyone quarrels in training. Therefore, it is necessary to work in terms of psychology with everyone who rides in a group. These are in my case athletes from 11 countries. Everyone periodically manifests stress, partnerships do not always work out.

- Apparently, in Russia, are trainers more loyal to any kind of training conflict?

- This does not mean that Russian coaches do not have to work with athletes on psychology. What is really tough in America is a certain Safe Sport code, which lists in detail everything that under no circumstances should athletes and coaches do. And the list is really very long.

- When will a new production process begin with Tarasova and Morozov?

- In April. We decided to start the next season early. Last year they put programs in July, and it was, of course, a bit late. I love when you can see the finished version of the programs before the start of the season.

- Already have ideas for programs?

- Of course. Like music.

- How, by the way, do you explain the fact that elements of ultra-si have actually disappeared from pair skating?

- The requirements of the rules, according to which judges first of all pay attention to the quality of the elements. They want an interesting hitting, an interesting departure, so that the elements themselves are executed clearly and flawlessly. All this brings advantages, which are very difficult to obtain for the performance of quadruple twists or quadruple emissions.

- But you are already wondering in your mind what the programs of your wards should be in order to apply for Olympic gold in Beijing in two years?

- Of course. But can I not yet talk about our intentions to the whole world?