“There is a total test of our coaching capabilities”: Zueva about working with skaters remotely because of COVID-19

- I remember that I was very impressed by the story that Saturday at your club was always the day of detailed planning of the work of athletes and coaches for the next week, and that it took you several hours. Now the situation is such that it makes no sense to plan anything at least a day in advance. How quickly did you manage to sort out what was going on?

- When the first premonitions appeared that a pandemic could affect America, I began to think about what to do if the processes that occur in a number of other countries begin to occur: the ice rinks are closed, public events are canceled. And when this really happened, I was ready for all the scenarios, and totally ready.

I had a clear plan of action regarding myself. It consisted in the fact that I needed a vacation, because for two years I did not really really rest. For a very long time I could allow myself to carve out a maximum of one week a year. But in the past and the year before last, even this could not be done: I was preparing to relocate the school from Detroit to Miami, I started work, I did, in addition to training, many organizational things and told myself that when this process finally ends, I’m just forcibly send myself on vacation. So now I’m really relaxing - working on myself, running, doing all kinds of exercises, reading, listening to music ...

- What are your athletes doing?

- It was also decided to send the athletes on vacation. Firstly, it is necessary. Of course, it would be more convenient to start setting up programs first, as we usually do at the end of the season, but this can be done later. Of course, Zhenya and Vova (Tarasova and Morozova. - RT ) were not too pleased to return to Moscow and sit locked up in an apartment, but, in principle, it’s not so bad to just relax and do nothing, not to go anywhere during your vacation.

You just need to realize that vacation time is not a time of imprisonment, not some kind of punishment, but just rest from everything. There is nothing to think about, because you don’t know what the situation will be tomorrow, then you need to ensure yourself complete relaxation. You can dream, read, remember something, write something. Many of my friends are now even satisfied with forced isolation, because at last they had time to restore order in the house, to deal with things, with some kind of deferred business.

- This condition is more suitable for an ordinary person, not for a professional athlete ...

- For skaters, a three-week vacation in the spring is an ordinary story. Tarasova and Morozov left for Moscow two weeks ago, those athletes who stayed with me in the USA do not ride a week and a half, so that for another seven or ten days everyone can fully enjoy doing nothing. Here in Florida in April it’s actually really nice to have a vacation.

- Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov claimed this season the World Cup gold medal in pair skating. When it became known that the tournament in Montreal has been canceled, did you even allow yourself a little bit about it?

- In fact, from the very beginning I was sure that this championship should be canceled, because it is very dangerous to hold it in a pandemic. More precisely, it became clear to what extent it was dangerous when just all of Italy fell ill almost overnight, and people were dying, suffering terribly. The same thing happened in China, then it went all over Europe. Many athletes did not have the opportunity to fully train.

It's a shame, of course, to miss the World Cup. But what is more offensive: to miss one particular tournament, or to watch how millions of people start to get sick and die due to someone else's carelessness?

- For Eugene and Vladimir, canceling the main start was a strong blow? Still, the athlete's head is arranged a little differently than that of the coach.

- Everyone understood how great the danger, as it seems to me. This could be a terrible blow unless for those who have certain problems with logic, with understanding, with the ability to analyze the situation, and to compare the importance of phenomena. You always need to differentiate, which is the main thing in your life at the current stage. And to do what is really important.

- Plan “B” in case the skaters have a long vacation, do you have one?

- Sure. After my athletes rest for three weeks, everyone will begin to work according to individual plans. For each, a schedule of general physical and special training will be laid out in detail, and such work can be done remotely via Skype, especially since each has his own personal trainer. Some tasks can be performed with me. Eugene and Vova can work with Max Trankov in the same way, while remaining in Russia. That is, a total and, I would say, very detailed test of our coaching capabilities is already underway - how much we are ready to train our athletes from a distance. So let's see what we are worth.

- In the "peace" time, did your specialists in physical training and special training also work individually with each athlete?

- Yes. It is possible to work with children in a group where, thanks to this, there is a continuous selection of skaters. At the level at which I work, everyone has long been taken away, each with its own individual advantages and disadvantages, plus certain injuries. That is, it is no longer possible to equally load everyone, this is not even discussed. This applies to work in the hall, and work on ice, and all other activities.

- If a situation suddenly arises that your students will not be able to afford to pay for training in full, will you reduce the number of students, or lower the prices of specialist services?

- So far this has not happened, and, therefore, there is nothing to talk about. Therefore, as a leader, my head is occupied by another. Each athlete has something to work on at home: whoever is doing stretching, who is doing plastic surgery, who is taking classes on the Internet - the same hip-hop. Now you can do anything on the Internet. In this mode, we will work until we begin to ride. Well, then we'll see. We will solve financial problems as they become available.

- Have you also recommended the practice of working on the Internet to students?

- No. They spent a lot of time on and off the ice with the teachers - in ballroom dancing, in the modern class, in classical ballet, plus - stretching, plus - physical training. All this takes a very long time, and there were specific people who did this. Other circumstances have appeared - you need to look for another form of work. On April 5, just in time for the start of work, Massimo Scali should have arrived from Italy, but now everything is being postponed. Oleg Epstein, too, cannot yet join the coaching team - we communicate by phone and support each other.

- How do you plan to set up programs for Tarasova and Morozova if the quarantine period in Russia is delayed? On the internet?

- This, by the way, has always been a very personal moment.

Many people think that there is no problem in installing any program remotely by first doing it simply on the floor. Of course, this is feasible, but a good program that will affect some strings in the spectators and judges will enable athletes to win, you still need to do it personally, using the emotions that arise from inspiration, from the communication of the performers with the choreographer.

In any case, for me, these three components have always been important: music, choreographer, performer. Plus the atmosphere in which the program is created.

“And a little more ice, isn't it?”

- Here already what will be, it will be, just need to be mentally prepared for any development of events. For us immigrants from Soviet Russia, I think it’s much easier to solve problems of this kind.

“Because we still remember how to wrap a leaking sewer or water pipe with old tights?”

- Including therefore. We at one time experienced many changes and are mentally prepared for any cataclysm. In Western Europe and America, there really hasn’t been much change. And in this case, you are not ready to make decisions if force majeure happens.

- How much time is required to fully transfer the program to ice, if it is ready on the floor? Or did you have no such practice?

- Why, it was. While working with Tessa Virtu and Scott Moir, when Tessa could not ride due to injured legs, we did a lot on the floor. In the same way, I worked with Katya Gordeeva and Seryozha Grinkov when Katya had a leg injury. So such experience is also available.

- How big is the depression of Americans living in Florida over forced isolation? Is she feeling?

- No. We are allowed to go out, since it is already not the season, all vacationers have almost left. The most important thing with coronavirus is to maintain distance with other people and not touch your face with your hands. Well, and disinfection, personal hygiene and hygiene in the house. Compliance with these three requirements gives a real guarantee that a person will not get sick, even if he has a weakened immune system. The American Figure Skating Federation constantly provides all of us with video recommendations on how to protect ourselves from the virus and not get sick. On the street, too, everything is calm. If someone comes a little closer than the recommended distance, they immediately remind him: "Keep the distance, please." In Florida, there are many elderly people for whom the virus is most dangerous, so everyone understands the importance of the measures taken.

- In Russia, on the contrary, there are enough people who, in response to the recommendations, turned on the denial: “Why am I being banned? Why can't I do what I want? ”

- It seems to me that such a reaction comes from fear, and not from the mind. I think it’s wiser to take precautions than saying that this is all nonsense. It is wiser to order delivery, rather than go shopping - we do it. In addition, I have a lot of athletes here who always ask when they go to the store themselves, what needs to be bought for me so that I do not leave home again. Unload all the gloves, in the distance. It is necessary to protect each other in this situation. Just protect - and that’s it.

- How realistic, in your opinion, is the prospect of transferring the championship to the fall?

- I do not know. Now I don’t think about the championship at all, I think about the next season, which will be. Perhaps some dates will shift, the audience will decrease. People will probably be afraid for a long time to come to big events so as not to get together. That is, it will also be a certain test that will affect, as it seems to me, the whole entertainment, all the performances, not only figure skating and not only sport.

- According to sports agent Ari Zakaryan, the Canadian Figure Skating Federation intends to launch a flash mob online so that the ISU Skating Awards ice skaters nominated for the ice skates upload their outfits in which they are going to attend the ceremony. Regarding the nominations themselves: who would you personally call the best athlete of the season?

- Can I not think about what is already gone? In the end, I'm still on vacation!