"Psychologically, all this, naturally, crushes": Trankov on the experience of working in the "bubble", Chinese duets and the Moser-team

- Your wards Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov qualified for the World Championship in December at the Russian Championship, and in February they refused to participate in the Russian Cup final, but went to a minor tournament in the Netherlands.

Why was this start necessary?

- We needed, first, to try to be in a “bubble”, to understand what it is.

Let's just say, hold a rehearsal before the World Championships.

Secondly, to speak in the international arena, to appear to foreign judges, to listen to wishes.

- How did the international experts receive you?

- On the whole, good.

Both impressions and reviews.

So the trip was rewarding.

- Can you describe the sensations - what is it like to spend several days in a "bubble"?

- It's hard.

Throughout the entire day of the competition, you are alone with yourself, alone within four walls.

And so the whole week.

Food was brought to us three times a day directly to the room, from which it was possible only for training.

Now in Stockholm everything will also be extremely harsh: in the same restaurant, the time intervals when you can come for breakfast, lunch or dinner are clearly regulated, as well as the number of seats at the tables.

That is, you need to eat quickly and empty the table for the next one.

Psychologically, all this, of course, crushes.

You begin to understand what happiness it is to go out somewhere once again.

- For example, to the skating rink?

- There, too, you have to constantly remember a lot of things.

For example, about keeping your distance.

- The organizers of all sports competitions, without exception, prescribe in the rules that the number of people at the event should be minimized, and Stockholm is no exception in this regard.

Did your team have to sacrifice someone?

- We don't have such a big team.

We did our best for Sergei Voronov to go to the World Championship with us, and it worked out.

Well, yes, some problems, of course, had to be solved.

With accreditation, transport, accommodation.

- Are you satisfied with the condition in which your athletes approached the main start?

- I had to force a little, or rather, adjust the training due to the fact that Morozov had minor health problems - he caught enterovirus somewhere and missed several workouts.

But at the moment, both Vova and Zhenya are in the form in which, in principle, they should be.

- I was surprised to learn that the Chinese are coming to the World Cup.

Biathletes and skiers of this country are still rigidly isolated from the rest of the world.

- Perhaps the fact is that pair skating for China is the most real Olympic medal at the Games in Beijing.

I know that very high hopes are pinned on this.

- Do you think that is why they were given the opportunity to go to Stockholm?

- I can only guess it.

Nobody saw the Chinese this year, but everyone knows very well how they know how to cook and train in this country.

I remember that in 2016, before the World Championships in Boston, they also did not appear anywhere for a very long time, but when they arrived, it turned out that all the couples were in amazing shape.

True, at the competitions they did not succeed then.

- In the first joint season with Tarasova and Morozov, it was not very successful to bring them in the right shape to the competition - it was even necessary to urgently involve Nina Moser in the preparation.

What have you learned in this regard during your time as a coach?

- A certain experience came, the understanding of the guys.

First of all, I learned to trust myself.

Listening less to others, relying more on what I do myself.

When I just started working with Zhenya and Vova and did it alone, everyone gave me advice without a break, I listened to everyone and tried to learn everything at once.

Now, of course, I use some things, but some advice, I think, did not quite help us.

When Nina Mikhailovna joined the work, it became easier for all of us in a certain sense.

Especially Zhenya and Volodya - for them at that stage it was very important from the point of view of psychology and, accordingly, inner confidence.

Another question is that ten days or even a couple of weeks is not the period for which you can really work out something significant in terms of technique or stability.

- On the eve of the World Cup, there were several interviews with Moser that she was returning to pair skating.

Did you discuss the topic of resuming cooperation with her?

- Did Nina Mikhailovna go somewhere?

In my opinion, no.

She coached the US national team.

Yes, and we have not had any serious joint cooperation since the time when Tanya Volosozhar and I ended our careers.

As a coach, I have never worked in Nina Mikhailovna's team and I don't even know what the Moser-team is doing now.

Sergei Voronov and I are not even listed as coaches at the Vorobyovy Gory Olympic Reserve School.

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Publication from Maxim Trankov (@xam_trankov)

- By the way, in one of the interviews Moser said about Voronov that, in her opinion, he is very similar in character to Evgenia Tarasova and should work very well with her.

Do you share this point of view?

- Sergey, in general, has joined our team very well and works great.

Together we are discussing preparation plans, the amount of workload, and all current issues.

This is an absolutely full-fledged member of our team, where there is no division, who works with Tarasova, who works with Morozov, who does jumping, and who does something else.

But if Nina Mikhailovna made such a compliment, it's very nice.

I also learned a lot from her.

- For instance?

- For example, how to type a team.