NAVIGATION

Spring 2002 - The following interview was conducted by Marina and Irina Semenova, who visited St. Petersburg on April 7.  All photos are by Marina & Irina Semenova.

Special thanks to them, and to Andrei Simonenko for his help with translation.

A Russian version of this interview appears on Anna Kondakova's website.

"They skate very slowly". It's a sort of a stamp, which was invented by journalists after a couple of bad performances. And picked up by judges as an excuse for many cases of unfair judging. Maria PETROVA and Alexey TIKHONOV, European and World champions-2000, discuss this particular case and many other things in the interview, which was conducted in St Petersburg in April 2002.

A. - It was very long and very tough season. The season before was even tougher though, we were fighting with injuries, and the only tournament where we skated well was the Worlds in Vancouver. And I have to say that the season-2000/2001 was the reason for all our poor results and all judging unfairness in this season. In fact we skated well most of the tournaments but the judges were still looking into the last season results and giving the marks basing on those results, not on our skating. I can tell you how usually those things happen. For instance, when we perform at some particular tournament, some judges from St Petersburg ask us to bring protocols for them. So they will learn what marks everybody gets and then later at other tournaments they will use it as a main reference. Unfortunately, it's a common practice.

M. - We asked Alexander Lakernik (the judge from Russia), what is the reason for these low marks everywhere despite our good skating? He said that our skating is very slow. But it's not!

A. - I told him that the speed of our skating maybe not so high as Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze's speed but definitely as good as all other top pairs and, for instance, better than Ina-Zimmerman. Lakernik said: yes, maybe you are right, but it's a common opinion and a sort of cliche. Sometimes we are dreaming of fair judging system where judges will never consider all past results. Because now sometimes they put a skater who is the former champion higher than somebody else who skated better. I mean, for example, the situation with Alexander Abt at Europeans-2002 where he should be the champion. But, I'm afraid, this current system will live forever because all judges depend on their federation. To make them independent, it's necessary to pay them good money from independent sources.

- Let's talk about the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Did you watch any other figure skating events there?

M. - Yes, of course. We watched men's competition. During the free program there were so many people there so we couldn't find a place to sit! We didn't watch dances because we went skiing and later we went back to Russia.

- Did you go to any other sports?

A. - No, unfortunately. We wanted to attend some ice hockey match and speed skating but we didn't go. Maybe we were not in the right mood…

- Were you shocked by Sarah Hughes' victory?

M. - Yes, I think so. We watched it in St Petersburg. It was not a shock though. It was rather unexpected.

A. - I don't think it was a shock. Hughes skated clean. Of course we were cheering for Irina and we knew that she was desperate to win. She skated well but not great. I think if she would do 3-3 combination, she would win. But later we spoke with her coach Zhanna Gromova and she thinks that 3-3 wouldn't help, she was set to be second.

- The most popular question of this Olympics. What do you think about the second gold medal for Sale and Pelletier?

A. - I think it was nonsense. It's a terrible mistake for the whole Olympic movement. Yes, it was controversial decision to put Elena and Anton first, but it was completely wrong to change something after the event.


- Do you think Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze did the right thing when they agreed to participate in the second medal award ceremony? Chinese pair didn't go there…

A. - I think Elena and Anton had no choice. Russian olympic delegation decided that they should participate. If we were they, we would participate too. Because for Shen-Zhao it was absolutely indifferent to go or not. And for Elena and Anton it's was very important. So people opinion would be in their favor.

- Now there is a very important question for all other fans. Are you thinking of turning pro or you will continue to stay eligible?

M. - We are still thinking.

A. - I think we will make new programs and skate until the New Year. And then decide what to do. We will se how we will skate.

M. - And how good are going to be our new programs…

- Last season you had very good programs, don't you think so?

A. Yes. I think that we skated very well at the Olympics and if our federation would not sell us from the very beginning, we could be in medals.

- Now let's look in the past. Could you tell what would you do if you wouldn't go to figure skating?

M. - I think I would go to some other sport, maybe gymnastics, either artistic or rhythmic.

A. - I think it would be ice hockey, basketball, volleyball or soccer (football). But I'm very glad that I'm a figure skater.

- Do you remember how you started skating, names of your coaches?

M.  - I remember that I started skating on the hockey ring, when nobody played hockey there. The name of my first coach is Yuri Yakovlev. But I remember that I had the special dress, overalls, and it was very uncomfortable to make a sit spin in it. I started skating at the age of 7. My parents were not skaters. My mother was a cross-country skier, and she even participated in the national cross-country skiing championships.

A. - My mother was also a skier and she also played volleyball. And my father was a bodybuilder. By the way, my brother also likes bodybuilding. The name of my first coach is Vera Birbrayer. I started skating in Samara and my coach skated with Velikov's, Belousova-Protopopov… I was lucky that she told me how to skate. In Samara it was a different style and I learned from her the classic, St Petersburg style. I remember we watched skating movies before training and I liked it. We skated outdoors, it was great. When I was 13, I decided that figure skating is my life.

- Were you restricted from doing other sports?

A. - Well, yes. Sometimes I wanted to play football or basketball with friends instead of going to training. Sometimes it was exactly what I did. Later I understood that I need to be more serious. But I have to say that I learned everything very easy and my football or basketball was not a big problem.

- How did you do in school?

A. - I did well in school.

M. - I did well too.

A. - I can tell you that I was very popular in my school. All other guys always asked me about my impressions from my trips to tournaments, other places. I always had to tell them something interesting. I think that sportsmen don't have something what normal people have, but vice versa, sometimes sportsmen have more interesting life than other people.

- Are there any difficult elements for you in figure skating?

M. - Throw spin.

A. - Masha still doesn't like it. I think it's an easy element but sometimes we have difficulties with it.

- Let's recollect your first season together. Which idea was to make program for Vivaldi's "4 seasons"?

A. - Masha skated for this music with her previous partner and our coaches decided not to change it. But when we started skating, the program changed. The music was old, the program was new.

- Alexey, for some time you represented Japan and lived there too. Was it tough for you?

M. - Alexey likes Japan.

A. - It was tough for the first year. New culture, new life, I was alone… But then I liked it and now when I come to Japan I feel myself home there.

- Why did you decide to skate in Tarasova's Ice Theatre?

A. - I wanted to try something new. But in fact, I always had a feeling that I can do more in the competitions. Maybe it's the reason for my comeback.

- What do you think about pairs skating in the next Olympic cycle?

A. - It's a difficult question. I see Totmyanina-Marinin as leaders and Obertas-Sokolov as a very promising pair. The next season will be very difficult for them but I believe they will be OK.

- Can you tell us something from the backstage of World Championships in Nagano?

A. - Everybody felt sorry for us. Everybody told us that. We skated very well there. Obraztsov (russian judge who was in the pair skating panel) told us that none of the judges who put us 4th - nobody was asked to write an explanatory. Polish judge put us 2nd in the short program and then 5th in the free - looks like she was intimidated.

M. - Valentin Piseev (the president or Russian figure skating federation) met us at the cafe and said: guys, I like you so much, you are skating great and never write any petitions or protests.

A. - I asked him: don't you think that we should write a petition? He said, no, it's useless. But I think that this situation is only federation's fault. We try to take it easy. But it's painful, of course.

- In which Grand Prix tournaments would you like to participate next season?

A. - We wouldn't like to travel a lot. Our preferences - Germany, Russia, France. Or Japan - because we like to be there.

- Could you name any skaters as your friends?

M., A. - Alexey Urmanov, Sasha Abt.

A. - Many girls are my friends. Evgeny Plushenko. I always stay in the same hotel room with him. With many skaters I have good relationship, but they are not friends.

- How do you spend your free time?

A. - Like ordinary people. We go to theatres, to movie theatres, visit our friends, go to bath-house, we like inline skating. Sometimes we go to play billiards or bowling.

- What was the last movie you watched?

M., A. - "Count Monte-Christo".  And the "Corporation of Monsters", it was great.

A. Recently I watched Harry Potter. First I've read all three books and then I watched movie. I think the movie is not as good as the book. But it's better than The Lord of the Rings.

- Do you like that you are so popular and have a lot of supporters?

A. - Yes, it's great. We thank all the people who supports us. It's very important for us and it really helps.

- You get a lot of toys from your supporters. How do you share them?

A. - We are not sharing them. I give everything to Masha.

M. - There are so many toys so it's simply impossible to keep them all at home. Sometimes we give some toys as a presents to our friends. And I also would like to thank all our supporters.
- Could you tell a little bit about your costumes? Where do you make them? How do you invent them?

M. - Usually we tell our preferences to the woman who makes several sketches. She also listens to music. Then we choose the sketches we like. And the studio where we make our costumes is "Art-Dress" in St Petersburg.

- Are there any people that advice your coaches?

M., A. - No. Sometimes our friends give us ideas what music to choose. For instance, Andrey Bushkov offered us "The Chess" music and it was very good choice.

- And the last question. Would you like your children to be figure skaters?

A. - I don't know. Of course, if they could repeat our achievements, be the World champions, it would be great. But I wonder whether they would be able to do it because it's really tough. I think my children will be in sports, but which sport - it's a question.

M. - We'll see what happens.