- During the World Figure Skating Championships, for the first time, for the first time, you actually had to train alone, because all the coaches left?
- Yes, this has never happened before.
But Artyom Punin and Georgy Pokhilyuk stayed with us.
Everyone got attention, the classes were attended by specialists in sliding and jumping.
In principle, everyone trained as usual.
- They said that Polina Tsurskaya should have helped you ...
- Yes, but she worked with the third group.
There are very small children for a drive.
- Is training without coaches a pleasure or not?
- In fact, everything is the same.
The level of discipline does not depend on the coaches, but on ourselves.
We have to do the same amount of work regardless of which coaches stayed with us.
Everyone has their own individual plan.
- That is, when Eteri Georgievna is not there, there is no desire to cheat?
- No
(smiles)
.
- You don't even allow yourself to do indulgences?
- Well ... It happens, of course
(laughs)
.
But the point is that you don't need to allow them.
Then the result will be.
- Anna Shcherbakova made her debut at the World Cup in Stockholm, and you, Kamila Valieva and Maya Khromykh will not have a chance to prove themselves at a similar junior tournament. Isn't it offensive?
- There is a resentment, of course.
We really wanted to perform in China.
I saw, in social networks, they recalled the date of the last year's World Cup, and at that time we were in "Khrustalny", on the ice.
I confess, a strange feeling.
- What is the difference between classes in the active season and now? Obviously, the intensity is decreasing, but besides that, what are the differences?
- I would not say that the intensity decreases.
It's just that, for example, we don't skate the entire free program every day.
We have enough other work: on demonstrative numbers, long cascades, various bundles.
More emphasis is placed on jumping, learning new elements.
- Speaking of long cascades, tell us, what is the meaning of their development? They can't be performed in competitions anyway.
- This is variability, the ability to jump everything.
And it's morally easier.
If you made a cascade of four or five jumps, then you will definitely collect from two.
This develops twist, technique, and confidence in the element.
Relatively speaking, if you can add it fifth in a row, then you are guaranteed to do it first.
- The most unusual cascade you've ever done?
- Triple flip - oiler - triple flip - oiler - triple flip.
Somehow I got it.
Although I suffered over him for a long time ...
- Now you are preparing for the Eteri Tutberidze show. Will you perform in all cities?
- I don’t know yet.
As far as I know, I will definitely go to Kazan and skate in Moscow.
And then we'll see.
- Previously, you were often mistaken, and at the junior test skates in the fall you did not look too confident. And then suddenly everything changed. Where did stability come from?
- Last year I was insanely hurt because of my failures and mistakes.
I didn’t get tired - after the jump on which I was wrong, I did the next one well.
That is, these were some technical flaws.
At the junior skates, it seems to me, there was no proper physical readiness.
After a long break, it was necessary to restore everything, enter the normal mode, start rolling out new programs.
Learning two performances at once is not easy.
You need to feel them, roll, jump, work out a breath.
And then it all just came at once - I ran the programs, bundles many times every day, morning and evening.
There was experience and confidence.
In addition, I like performing in front of the audience, it inspires me, gives me strength, there is drive.
All of this together helped.
- You are often the last to perform. So you have a kind of personal stress resistance trainer?
- I noticed that even that year, starting from the second stage of the Junior Grand Prix, I began to skate last.
And at the championship of Russia, and at the "world".
Well, this year too.
In general, I even like to close the group of leaders, there is my pleasure in this.
Although in general, it is not so important which one to go out on the ice.
- Why? You've been waiting so long, it's kind of additional stress. Plus, you can't turn off and have to listen to competitors' assessments ...
- And I can hear everyone.
I can even watch someone's performance.
It does not bother me.
If I skate last, I take off my skates, I go and warm up.
On the contrary, it is an opportunity to relax, tune in, let everything through yourself.
Perform, so to speak, traditional rituals.
Going out last is a big responsibility.
And when you deal with her, the feelings are very cool.
- Rituals?
- Nothing supernatural.
It seems to me that all skaters have something that they do the same from start to start.
And they believe that this is what helps them.
This, of course, is not so, but it becomes a habit.
Of course, if I don’t do something, it doesn’t mean that nothing will work out.
I just need it, I need it.
But I can say that these are pretty common, banal things.
- Are you satisfied with your debut season at the adult level?
- It was cool, I liked it very much.
It seems that quite recently I watched everyone at home on TV, admired, dreamed ... And now I have performed at Megasport several times in a row - and it is in the status that I dreamed of: “adult athlete”.
On the one hand, I can’t believe it to the end - at the international level, we still had to skate in juniors, we had admission only to Russian adult starts.
But this is a great experience, by the next season I will be ready for a new free program with "choreo" (according to ISU rules, free programs for adult athletes must contain an element of "choreographic sequence", it is absent in junior performances
-
RT
), for adult opponents.
- But you surely did not imagine him in such an entourage ...
- In fact, yes.
But in the end it turned out much better than I expected.
- Even so?
- Taking into account the fact that I managed to get on the podium and skate cleanly, and there were always a lot of spectators in the stands, everything turned out as great as possible and gave a powerful impetus.
It was incredibly pleasant, emotions just boiled, literally overwhelmed me.
- Both stages of the Russian Cup passed without sold-out, and if in the first arena was half full, then in the second the stands were empty. In this regard, did you manage to feel the atmosphere of adult starts?
- By the way, at the Moscow stage of the Cup, either because of the chess seating arrangement, or because there were more spectators than allowed, there were no restrictions at all.
At the same time, it was felt that people also missed the competition.
They shouted, waved banners, applauded.
And this drive was transmitted to us.
- And if we talk about behind the scenes, did the expectations coincide?
- Yes.
I got to know everyone, made friends with the dancers.
In principle, I have communicated with many before - especially since we all performed together at the Grand Prix finals in 2019.
There was already some kind of performance.
But this year I fully delved into the inner kitchen, I felt what it was like.
- Who are you best friends with?
- It was this year - with Tiffany Zagorski and Jonathan Gureiro.
We were still in "Novogorsk" together.
With our greenhouses, especially with Nastya Mishina.
Because you can fully get along only with someone from other disciplines.
- That is, it is difficult to be friends with single women, does the factor of rivalry repel?
- I can't say what repels.
Just everyday life and competition are different things.
In the group, the girls and I are good friends.
We show some videos to each other, we go to shopping centers together.
The relationship is very good.
But on the ice ... Let's just say, not up to them already, you are left to yourself, you are left alone with your thoughts.
Someone may not succeed or vice versa.
- That is, it is difficult to support rivals when they have problems?
- Yes.
Although, again, off the ice we communicate great.
I say this without any guile.
- Isn't that why you, Kamila and Maya asked not to use the abbreviation VUH
(Valieva, Usacheva, Khromykh. -
RT
)
?
- No.
After all, figure skating is an individual sport.
We do not perform in groups, but each one separately.
- But we are talking about something else. This acronym sounds like the brand or name of a rock band ...
- Personally, it does not irritate me and does not bother me in any way.
Sometimes I even like it, which cannot be said about Camille.
Well, VUH and VUH, let them write.
I really liked it when, at the Russian championship that year, Kamila and Sonya Akatieva and I were named WOW - that was cool (
laughs
).
- What is the most memorable tournament of the season?
- I would very much like to name the Russian championship, but still I will focus on the Channel One Cup.
- Why?
- This has never happened!
Crazy heat, support.
Moreover, the team included all those with whom we communicate well.
We were very worried about each other.
You know, after these competitions, I began to understand the coaches.
When one of yours is skating, you worry much more about him than about yourself.
You don't know what he will do.
You just wish him: “Breathe, breathe!
Don't get tired, come on! "
These three days were not even enough for me.
In the first, we were pretty tired.
The jump festival had to sit and support the participants.
We chose whom we would root for.
- Whom did you support?
- I was for girls.
We were very worried, shouted, jumped.
Then there was a rather long draw, staging of the number.
Everything dragged on until late, we were tired.
In principle, even skating was not as easy as at other starts.
Obviously, due to the fact that all emotions have left.
But when you go out on the ice and they support you so powerfully, strength, desire, and attitude reappear.
- In Chelyabinsk, you said that the Russian championship is something special for a little skater, he always looks at what is happening around him with surprised and dreaming eyes. Quote: “For me this tournament is just 'wow'.
- And for me he is "wow" even now.
Still, I made my debut there, got into the national team, skated cleanly.
By the way, I used to be calm when I was the last to leave, but in Chelyabinsk during the "arbitrariness" ... Everyone skated perfectly, after Anya there was something in general.
I wanted to clap her, cry with everyone.
It really was a well-deserved victory, she overcame herself that way.
The stands heard nothing and no one, everyone was in shock.
The coaches were crying, all the ice was strewn with toys.
And I stood alone and did not understand what to do, where to go!
I rolled alone, trying to tune in.
She got into a pose, turned on the music, and drove off.
Excitement was present at the box office, of course.
Not fear, but excitement.
She said to herself: "Hold on, come on!"
Then she jumped away everything.
I almost got it off the spin.
I made a path.
And it was all over.
- It's hard to imagine what kind of pressure you fell under then ...
- It was psychologically difficult.
This is my first time.
Moreover, during the main start of the season.
- Was it a shame that you go out to the already burnt-out audience?
- It didn't seem to me that the audience left emotions.
I hear and see everything - at first there was a feeling that the fans were devastated after Sasha's skating, then after Kamila.
Even more - after Ani.
But still, the last performance ... The most memorable, perhaps.
Of course, after such a rental, no one would have surpassed Anya.
But, it seems to me, the audience was interested in whether I can handle it.
Maybe the hall, on the contrary, is more wound up than cold.
I don't remember right away if it ever happened that the whole strongest warm-up skated so well.
- Your grades are growing. Does your attitude towards yourself change with them?
- Yes.
It's not easy to describe, but I'll try.
There was a feeling that ... I can.
If I strain it, it will be even better.
I realized that I have a chance.
I think the judges are always fair.
To be honest, I didn't expect such high marks.
At the Junior World Cup in the free program, she did not reach 140 points, and this season there is already a mark of 150.
It is very pleasant, adds confidence and motivates to work further.
When I was little, I looked at Zhenya Medvedeva and Alina Zagitova - they received 156 points each, equipment with components 72 and higher.
I thought: “How is this even possible?
The same does not happen! ".
- And now you go out and gain almost the same ...
- Yes.
This is both shocking and helps to understand that nothing is impossible.
I take a printout and understand why they put it that way.
- You said you can now. And before, it turns out, "could not"?
- No, I could, of course.
It's more about motivation - it has become noticeably more.
- But didn't you expect high marks anyway?
- At the first start - yes.
Then I still felt where I jumped better or worse, where I underexposed the rotation.
And the assessments coincided with the sensations.
Somewhere it was 155, somewhere 150.
- But you probably saw the discussion of your points in the press and among the fans.
- I saw, of course.
How can you not see them.
Everyone has an opinion on this or that score, their favorites.
There are some fans who stand up for their favorites, just like parents.
This is normal.
- We have such a majority.
- Yes.
No matter how I look, some kind of wars are already starting on social networks.
It surprises me - can this really be?
- Are you ready for the fact that they will soon start fighting for you? Well, or against ...
- (
with a sigh
) Yes, ready for internet wars.
This year I have already heard a lot of new things, both about myself and about others.
- Did you hear?
- Yes, in "Megasport" rushed from the stands.
- That is, it all reaches the ice?
- When you roll in silence before the start of the performance, you can hear everything.
At the second stage of the Russian Cup, in Moscow, I heard: "Judges, judge honestly."
Someone at the exit of Camila even shouted: "Fall down."
This is too much, you can't.
- What would you say to such fans?
- You shouldn't wish bad things on anyone.
I think there is a boomerang in life, so all this can then return.
Let the strongest win and demonstrate what he is capable of.
And wanting to fall is just awful.
Anyway, no one will fall from your scream.
- What have you really learned this season?
- Manage your emotions.
To tune myself, to instill that there is nothing terrible here, I can jump everything, and cleanly.
That it’s not that difficult.
The main thing is to believe.
I can say that it helped me.
- Many, following the results of the competitions in which you took part, noticed: such and such won, but Usacheva is the first among those who did not perform ultra-si elements.
- Yes, I also noticed.
- Does it irritate you that you are being pushed to join the "arms race"?
- On the contrary - it's nice that people believe.
Now every day, every workout, I pay attention to complex elements.
Shifts started - not well enough, but we already had them on the road.
This is exactly what we talked about at the beginning - during the season I concentrated on skating, and I could learn something only in the remaining time.
Now, on the contrary, all the time and concentration are spent on these jumps.
- On a triple axel and a quadruple salchow?
- Yes.
- Do you train both at once?
- Now - Axel.
There have been very close attempts.
I really want to finish him off as soon as possible and go to Salchow.
- That is, changes in programs are foreseen?
- I would really like that.
- At the final of the Russian Cup, you said that it is more convenient for you to perform the quadruple salchow than the triple axel. And I kept looking at your snipe (double axel -
RT
) and did not understand why?
- I realized not so long ago what the problem was.
The thought was in my head that the triple axel was another jump.
Not like a great snipe.
And I jumped it differently.
And that was a mistake.
Therefore, technically it turned out even worse - the flight is lower, the landing is sharper, etc.
Now, through trial and error, I still felt it.
- How long ago?
- Yes, literally the other day.
- That is, by the next season you will have time to acquire ultra-si elements?
- I think yes.
- Your situation is somewhat similar to the one in which Alena Kostornaya found herself before the start of the 2019/20 season. She was given decent points, but without a triple axel it was difficult to fight for gold. Alena admitted that talking about this angered her in sports terms, prompted her to study the jump. Maybe you need a similar motivation?
- Oh, I already had a lot of these motivators (
laughs
).
And they help me.
I go out to every training session like to a competition - to a battle, all ready.
There are many forces.
When you feel that today you don’t need to skate free, you can put all your energy into new jumps.
It's easier.
- In the absence of the main coaches, who controlled how you trained the ultra-si?
- Artyom Punin.
He is a very good jumping specialist.
I learned all the triples and the "three plus three" cascades with him.
And if you need to show what we have learned, they film it and send it to the coaches so that they can see that everything is fine with us.
- That is, they even remotely controlled?
- They control everything everywhere and always (
laughs
).
- Don't you get tired of this control morally?
- No.
It seems to me that it is impossible to get tired of this.
If you are being looked after, on the contrary, it is good.
- Next season you will officially become an adult figure skater. Don't you feel that time flies very quickly?
- There is.
We have a third group, kids.
For them, we are already adults.
When you pass in "Khrustalny", you hear: "Look, Dasha Usacheva!"
I am very pleased, of course, but it's hard to get used to it yet.
Okay, when they react to Alina and Zhenya like that, but we, it seems, are not yet so popular.
Honestly, I'm embarrassed.
- Are there big ambitions for the Olympic season?
- They are the same for any ambitious athlete.
But I'm still thinking about the present.
Now is the most important time for me - I can finish my studies, finish everything.
I have about two months for this.
- Wait two months. In April - the
show of Eteri Tutberidze, in May - training.
And when to rest?
- We don't take May into account - from about the 10th we have a rest.
From the moment of the end of the final of the Cup of Russia and to the vacation it will be just about two months.
And the tour, I think, will not hurt me - there is one day of performances, and then immediately training.
On the contrary, this is an opportunity to "breathe out", to roll back programs once again.
Well, in general, the show is great.
- Do you already have ideas for new programs?
- We haven't discussed it yet.
The coaches had other concerns.
- From season to season, you adhere to approximately the same dramatic line in both programs. Would you like to radically change the image? Or is it better not to take risks in such a crucial season?
- In any case, there are two programs.
You can embody two different images.
But in general, every time I think about the performances, I have never told myself that, they say, this is definitely not.
It seems to me that, in principle, I can convey any image.
Although it probably sounds a little cocky (
laughs
).
- Rather sincerely ...
- (
laughs
) Then the coaches will analyze.
They see who has what character, who is closer to what.
I look at the programs of the girls in our group from the outside and understand - yes, they really fit.
-
Where did your passion for lyrics come from?
You embody rather heavy images - and not only for your age.
- Yes, I have come across this opinion more than once.
Last year, people said the Je Suis Malade number was too old.
But at the same time, many people liked how I roll it.
However, I understood the story that I was embodying on the ice.
Each production has a storyline.
In our group - for sure.
I approached all the images in detail, studied.
I watched films on "Romeo and Juliet", read a lot.
The Moulin Rouge looked.
To get a feel for Je Suis Malade included recordings of Lara Fabian concerts.
- Does it help somehow?
- I watched the expression during the performance.
Authors and performers put their meaning in the compositions and try to convey them exactly as they intended.
And it can be seen.
This makes the music feel better.
In general, this topic is not that close to me - I think it would be strange to say that at the age of 14 - but I understand it.
It is easy for me, pleasant.
Plus female vocals ... I like these feelings.
- Is it possible to learn to feel music like Daria Usacheva?
- It seems to me that you can learn to hear music.
And to feel is already something inside a person.
Body and soul reaction.
Everyone, probably, has it - just at a different level and on some specific topic.
- How do you immerse yourself in images?
- At the performances in Novogorsk, they play music for us.
At first she just starts to like her, and then ... Actually, I don’t know if everyone has it or if I’m just a person like that.
But I listen to music and on some favorite songs I can plunge into myself and imagine how I come up with a program and implement it on ice.
I have such skates in my head all the time.
This is probably the feeling of music.
For example, a girl sings, and at this moment I begin to guess what is the approximate plot of the song.
Play him in your head.
Then I look at the literal translation and understand that it is similar to what I imagined.
I feel what element, what kind of movement could be in a particular moment.
This is both weird and fun.
When I grow up, I dream either to someone, or to myself, even to put something.
- Which of the last songs made you imagine a program?
- I have a new song every month.
If I find something, it can sit in my head for a long time, but then a new one appears - and the previous one fades into the background.
I have a lot of songs in my playlist, but the last three or four are my favorites at the moment.
- How long would you like to ride?
- I think everyone would like to perform for a long time.
The question is whether health will allow.
It seems, only 14 years old, but I already have sores that do not go away for a long time.
Will I be able to keep at this level further ... The older you get, the harder it is.
So I will look at the situation.
For those who have reached a more or less high level, figure skating is not just a hobby - a whole life.
I would really like it to last as long as possible.
And after the end of your career, stay in this world.
- That is, to become a coach or stage director, and not to change your occupation?
- Probably yes.
I want to somehow stay connected with figure skating - directly or indirectly.
I do not consider the option “leave and forget”.
Even if it will be an outside activity, then at least somehow it should be connected with figure skating.
The same journalism, which Alina has now gone to study.
She also comes into contact with sports.
There are many activities in which this connection can be maintained.
- What legacy would you like to leave behind in sports?
- I always want to show my maximum, it's natural.
But in general ... I want to skate so as to remain in people's memory.
Such as Zhenya or Alina: I don't think they will ever be forgotten.
The same can be said about Alena Savchenko, Javier Fernandez and Yuzuru Khania, although he still skates.
That is, to be talked about, but only in a good way.
- But all the skaters you listed were world or Olympic champions. This is also why they are remembered ...
- Of course, I would also like to win titles.
This is, without a doubt, in the first place.
But there are a lot of skaters who did not reach incredible heights, but skated in such a way that people really liked it.
I would like to leave a similar mark.
- Very soon you will have the opportunity to join the race for the titles. Looking forward to the Olympic season?
- Yes, there is already a feeling of his closeness.
And it gives me strength and energy to work hard on myself in the next two months.
- Explain to people who will never experience anything like this how it is from a physical and moral point of view.
- In my case, when there is still a time when you can finish learning complex elements, this is both anxiety and euphoria.
A whole mix of emotions.
It is nevertheless necessary to somehow be distracted from this during non-working hours.
Because I used to bother myself too much with it.
- How do you manage to switch consciousness?
- After the competition, the girls and I go for a walk.
Now on weekends I spend time with my mother, I fiddle with the dog.
- You already have some kind of dog boom in "Khrustalny" - everyone has at least one dog.
- Not everyone.
Sonya Akatieva does not.
She has fish (
laughs
).
- Well, everything is ahead.
- As far as I remember, Sonya's mom is allergic, so there is no way to start.
But in general there are also hypoallergenic dogs - Yorkies, Maltipu.
Alyona and Alina have now brought the latter.
Insanely cute creatures.
In general, yes, in the senior group we all have dogs - Dani Samsonov, Diana Davis with Gleb Smolkin, Kamila, Maya ... Eteri Georgievna, of course, too.
This is our dog club.
- And apart from dogs, what are you interested in outside the ice?
- I think I'm still a creative person.
Maurice Kvitelashvili and Nika Egadze presented us with different things on March 8 - some with coloring by numbers, some with a diamond mosaic, some with wool felting.
I got the coloring - I have already finished it.
Plus Sonya and I are now getting carried away - we draw with alcohol markers.
They are mixed and made like watercolor.
It happens that free time is given out - you turn on something for yourself, you immerse yourself.
And you forget about everything in the world.