“I hope Alina will return”: Burned about a pause in Zagitova’s career, scandals in figure skating and age qualifications

- Female figure skating today and several years ago - two different planets?

- Yes, our sport is really developing very rapidly. Two years ago, few imagined that girls would be so easy to master the quadruple jumps, and almost click them like nuts. Although for me it was expected.

- Why?

- Because when I myself skated and went to the peak, I already saw that a new, very strong generation was approaching. Very young girls need to oppose something to more experienced athletes. And given their jumping technique, it is clear that some time ago the question arose of introducing an age qualification. While he is gone, many experts have already spoken out in his favor.

- What do you think about this?

- I would probably also vote in favor. Personally, I’m very close to female skating, and not just jumping. I would love to watch adult competitions.

- Whose speeches could you single out?

- For me, one of the most striking examples of women's skating is Carolina Costner. Well, in Russia we, of course, are experiencing an unprecedented upsurge. Hopefully there will be no recession after him.

“Is this possible?” After all, athletes today are constantly complicating the program.

- The history of figure skating develops in a sinusoid, followed by falls followed by falls. It is known that there are periods when many talented athletes are at once, and then they disappear. But so far, everything is really only being improved - both the technique and the approach to training.

- You have not yet announced the end of your career, but, like Alina Zagitova, you took a break. How long have you got used to the idea that life will change?

- Yes, I did not announce the end of my career. Such statements are generally very difficult to make. And I got used to a new life for a long time, I did not go out on ice for a year, I did not even know what I wanted to do. It is good that at this moment there was a family nearby. I also got married, and my husband also supported me very much. I just did not want anything, there was a desire to hide somewhere, and going out on the ice was even scary. I felt completely driven out.

- Everything turned out to be more serious than expected?

- I would say that I was experiencing psychological trauma, although many in Russia believe that these are far-fetched problems. When you have been in sports all your life, it’s not easy to take and leave. Moreover, I was already preparing for the Olympics. In such moments only relatives and time help. Some still turn to a psychologist, but personally it didn’t help me - I only drove even more.

- Do you think Alina is now going through the same thing as you?

- Hard to tell. The athlete at such moments as if falls into the void: here you rode, rode, and suddenly it was all over. I would not want to survive this again.

- But if you return to big sport, sooner or later you have to leave again, already completely?

- Yes, but the second time it will be much easier to do. Personally, I have matured a lot during this time, now I am more calm about everything. Athletes always experience a lot of pressure, but now it will be easier for me to deal with it.

- Few people believe that Alina will return. And you?

“But people do not know how to predict the future!” Let Alina make the decision herself. The main thing is that she continues to ride anyway. And I hope she comes back.

- Recently, in the context of women's figure skating, the word "old" often sounds. How to get used to the idea that at the age of 18-20 you can be considered an age, albeit by sports standards?

- You can only laugh at this. Nobody ever told me that in person. And yes, everyone understands that young girls are stepping on their heels, the sport is getting younger, but life certainly does not end there. The same Lisa Tuktamysheva continues to compete, performs a quadruple jump.

- What emotions did the last scandalous events with the participation of coaches cause for you?

- I was very surprised that from all this, such a story was fanned. It all started with a statement by Alina, but she is an Olympic champion. It is clear that many events always happen around famous people, including scandalous ones.

- Elizaveta Tuktamysheva also got into an unpleasant story. A video appeared on her YouTube channel with negative statements addressed to Tatyana Tarasova and Evgenia Medvedeva - thus, her former agent tried to revenge the skater. Do you think the scandal was also from scratch?

- I believe that the agent did not succeed in taking revenge, because Medvedev herself later confirmed that there was no conflict between the girls. He only managed to make a fuss.

- Tuktamysheva over the past year is not the first time is under the scrutiny of the press. Could this be a PR move?

- Everything can be. But I would not say that she often finds herself in the midst of some scandals, I do not agree with this.

- One of these stories was related to the indicative number in which the athlete undressed. You just shamed her then.

- Yes, then I remembered this story for a long time. Although the biggest indignation was still among the fans, not mine. However, some, on the contrary, supported me. But I really didn’t really like the performance, and I just expressed my opinion. I also tried different images on ice, but I wouldn’t have made such a number. And Lisa has the image of a fatal woman, we are already used to it.

- Her agent believes that figure skating in Russia is too academic and unattractive, and people continue to live in the 20th century, where social networks are evil and provocative numbers are provocation ...

“I would not say that.” It seems to me that no one lives with us in the 20th century and people are quite modern. But if you can’t take anything else, then yes, you can “cling” to provocation.

- Do you think it is worthwhile to hold the Russian figure skating championship next year at a large stadium - for example, at Gazprom Arena, given the overwhelming popularity of this sport?

- In my opinion, this will only make it harder for athletes, because the Russian championship is for everyone, first of all, selection. But the audience will certainly enjoy it. It will be a wow effect.