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Pre-Nationals interview with Andrei Griazev
What goals did you set for yourself for this season?
The season didn’t start too well, I had to battle injuries. They were not too severe, but they still were distracting. When I worked on the jumps with multiple rotations in practice, I got injured right away. The first one happened already in July when I went to a summer training camp. I sprained my ankle, maybe I even injured ligaments. After the training camp it was ok, and I started the season, but before the first competition, when we increased the workload and I started practicing the quad, I sprained my ankle again rather seriously on one attempt. The ligaments were injured and pulled, the full program. This happened in September, right before Oberstdorf (Nebelhorn Trophy), where I wanted to go. It took me a long time to recover, almost a month. I was off the ice and I couldn’t do anything. When I was recovered after a month, the September had passed, I didn’t go to Oberstdorf, I just was fine, when it happened again. It was the same injury, apparently it wasn’t completely healed. But for now, everything is back to normal, thank God. Nothing is disturbing me now.
How difficult is it to come back again and again from an injury?
Of course it is difficult when injuries keep happening, but I try not to dwell on that, because I think that there is no professional sport without injuries.
Who is supporting you in difficult times?
My coaches Tatiana Anatolievna (Tarasova) and Elena Germanovna Vodorezova (Buianova) are supporting me. I want to thank her (Vodorezova) that she is always there for me when I need her and she never gives up on me, and she always is helping me.
What are your plans after the Grand Prix now, for Russian Nationals?
Yes, we’ll have Russian Nationals after New Year, and hopefully everything will be fine there like it was last year and I can go to Europeans and Worlds.
You have two new programs, what can you tell us about them?
For the short program, Alexander Zhulin has helped me. “Space” is a disc from the 80s. Alexander Zhulin found this music. The decision for the long program was made only at the latest moment. I had another long program to a Tango first, a more classical choice, it was a selection of different music, and the program came along quite well, but we were looking at it again together with Tatiana Anatolievna (Tarasova), and there was something we didn’t like about it, and Tatiana Anatolievna found this music (“The Godfather”) that we all liked right away, and we decided to try to make a program to it. I think it’s not bad at all, and this music is quite strong. I think I can express the emotions in this program, and I can do the jumps, the spins and the steps.
Many skaters have used this music before, so what new aspects do you want to show?
Basically, I think I didn’t bring anything new into this program, but I think the emotions and gestures I am showing are not bad, and the people like it. The music is nice, and the program is also nice.
What has changed compared to last season?
In my opinion, there are big changes. I feel new strength compared to last season. The long program feels much easier to skate. We added new steps, rather difficult ones. Instead of a circular step sequence a serpentine has been included, which needs the double of time of music and more strength. I am trying to pull off a level three on that. This program is quite difficult if I do all the steps and spins on the third level, and it’s difficult to show all this. I think it will come with time, and it will be easier to skate. So the difference between this season and last season is very big.
Will you try to get the quad back?
Yes, I want it back and I’m thinking about practicing it again after coming back from Japan (NHK Trophy). The foot it not bothering me, and it’s time. I have to try it and I have to do it, that’s all.
You skated well at the Cup of Russia, finishing third, but what went wrong at NHK Trophy? What was different there?
I made a huge mistake in the short program, which decided about the Final and the rest of the competition. It was hard to focus again after this mistake. Well, I didn’t make it to the Final, but I never was there before. You learn from your mistakes, and I got some experience. I understand the whole situation very well. To miss my favourite jump (the triple Axel) that I did ten times out of ten, was really a big shock for me. That is upsetting.
It really is. You have a great triple Axel.
Yes, a great triple Axel, and I couldn’t do it.
Why?
I could say a lot of things, that I caught a tracing on the ice, that there was something, but this is not necessary, I just couldn’t do it, that’s it. It was my mistake, not the mistake of the coach or someone else. If I had at least done a double Axel, I would have been much closer and it would have been much easier to skate the free program.
How you are preparing for the Russian Championships in January?
Right now I need to rest a little bit as I had three competitions in a row with a break of two days maximum in between. The third event (NHK Trophy) didn’t go so well and so easy. Maybe I didn’t have enough strength. I had practice at 8 am this morning but I felt ok when I went out to skate my long program, but maybe I didn’t have enough energy left for the free program. However, I don’t think that I would have placed third in the long program anyway as I was quite far behind. I tried my best and did what I can do.
You go into Nationals as the reigning Champion. How much pressure does this mean?
You know, you feel pressure when people are demanding something from you. They demanded that I qualify for the Final, and this is quite a lot. You are relaxed when people don’t expect anything from you. Then you just go out and skate your short and your long program. I skated quite well in both programs in my first Grand Prix, it was a sort of surprise, nobody expected that from me after I didn’t compete for like half a year. But then suddenly they told me, “Griazev, you have to go to the Grand Prix Final”. Well, yes, I should, and I tried my best. I really wanted to go to the Final. I did jumps like I never did them before. The triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination in the short proram is for me harder to do than the triple Axel. I did the triple Lutz-triple toe (in the short program) and I thought, that’s it, you did your job. Maybe I relaxed too much.
How does Tatiana Anatolievna (Tarasova) help you?
Tatiana Anatolievna helps me as much as her schedule allows it. She visits my practice, when she has time. Maybe I am her last student that got anywhere. I do my job, and she is helping me. She doesn’t abandon me.
There was a time when also Alexei Yagudin helped you. Is he still helping you?
Alexei Yagudin helped me when I was still competing at the junior level. He helped me when he had time in between the tours, in America the interest in figure skating just was going down, and it was not a bad time for a coaching career. He actually helped me a lot, mentally and physically. He helped me for example getting home. I had to walk for about an hour or to run for half an hour to get home, and he was teasing me, when I don’t skate well, then I’ll have to run home. He forced me to work hard, and I think that is good, because he tried to push me forward. I think he did a very good job. He is in Moscow now as well, but his schedule is so busy with all the shows. Right now he doesn’t have time. I am not blaming him for that, I am just grateful for the time he gave to me.
Right now you are mostly working with your coach Elena Germanovna (Vodorezova).
Yes. She is supporting me a lot, in each situation, even when I was injured and when I had knee surgery last year. The surgery went well, but the recovery took about two, three months. It is difficult to come back after this, there are a lot of feelings, and I am a very sensitive person. I think she is a great person, she loves figure skating. Another person would have just dismissed me and said, just go home, but she never gives up on me, and even when I had problems, when I finished only 9 th at (2006) Nationals, she still calls me and says, “come back”, even if I never call her.
I saw that you were helping the Polish couple Dominika Piatkowska/Dmitri Khromin at NHK Trophy, whose coach hadn’t come.
This person (Khromin) is important to me. When I first moved to St. Petersburg , I went to many competitions without a coach. He has always supported me, and I don’t see anything bad in helping him, and if it’s just to be there and to hold his jacket as he had asked me to. I am not his coach, but of course I noticed some mistakes and I told him and his partner. I did work with an American girl for half a year, but to be honest I never had anything to do with pair skating. But when he asked me to stand for them at the boards as a friend I did it. I think the Russian Federation has no reason to blame me for standing with an athlete from the Polish Federation. I think I just helped him as a friend. He asked me, and I helped him. I know that it was very hard for him.
Thank you very much for the interview!
© Figure Skating Online, December 2007 [the original version]
What goals did you set for yourself for this season?
The season didn’t start too well, I had to battle injuries. They were not too severe, but they still were distracting. When I worked on the jumps with multiple rotations in practice, I got injured right away. The first one happened already in July when I went to a summer training camp. I sprained my ankle, maybe I even injured ligaments. After the training camp it was ok, and I started the season, but before the first competition, when we increased the workload and I started practicing the quad, I sprained my ankle again rather seriously on one attempt. The ligaments were injured and pulled, the full program. This happened in September, right before Oberstdorf (Nebelhorn Trophy), where I wanted to go. It took me a long time to recover, almost a month. I was off the ice and I couldn’t do anything. When I was recovered after a month, the September had passed, I didn’t go to Oberstdorf, I just was fine, when it happened again. It was the same injury, apparently it wasn’t completely healed. But for now, everything is back to normal, thank God. Nothing is disturbing me now.
How difficult is it to come back again and again from an injury?
Of course it is difficult when injuries keep happening, but I try not to dwell on that, because I think that there is no professional sport without injuries.
Who is supporting you in difficult times?
My coaches Tatiana Anatolievna (Tarasova) and Elena Germanovna Vodorezova (Buianova) are supporting me. I want to thank her (Vodorezova) that she is always there for me when I need her and she never gives up on me, and she always is helping me.
What are your plans after the Grand Prix now, for Russian Nationals?
Yes, we’ll have Russian Nationals after New Year, and hopefully everything will be fine there like it was last year and I can go to Europeans and Worlds.
You have two new programs, what can you tell us about them?
For the short program, Alexander Zhulin has helped me. “Space” is a disc from the 80s. Alexander Zhulin found this music. The decision for the long program was made only at the latest moment. I had another long program to a Tango first, a more classical choice, it was a selection of different music, and the program came along quite well, but we were looking at it again together with Tatiana Anatolievna (Tarasova), and there was something we didn’t like about it, and Tatiana Anatolievna found this music (“The Godfather”) that we all liked right away, and we decided to try to make a program to it. I think it’s not bad at all, and this music is quite strong. I think I can express the emotions in this program, and I can do the jumps, the spins and the steps.
Many skaters have used this music before, so what new aspects do you want to show?
Basically, I think I didn’t bring anything new into this program, but I think the emotions and gestures I am showing are not bad, and the people like it. The music is nice, and the program is also nice.
What has changed compared to last season?
In my opinion, there are big changes. I feel new strength compared to last season. The long program feels much easier to skate. We added new steps, rather difficult ones. Instead of a circular step sequence a serpentine has been included, which needs the double of time of music and more strength. I am trying to pull off a level three on that. This program is quite difficult if I do all the steps and spins on the third level, and it’s difficult to show all this. I think it will come with time, and it will be easier to skate. So the difference between this season and last season is very big.
Will you try to get the quad back?
Yes, I want it back and I’m thinking about practicing it again after coming back from Japan (NHK Trophy). The foot it not bothering me, and it’s time. I have to try it and I have to do it, that’s all.
You skated well at the Cup of Russia, finishing third, but what went wrong at NHK Trophy? What was different there?
I made a huge mistake in the short program, which decided about the Final and the rest of the competition. It was hard to focus again after this mistake. Well, I didn’t make it to the Final, but I never was there before. You learn from your mistakes, and I got some experience. I understand the whole situation very well. To miss my favourite jump (the triple Axel) that I did ten times out of ten, was really a big shock for me. That is upsetting.
It really is. You have a great triple Axel.
Yes, a great triple Axel, and I couldn’t do it.
Why?
I could say a lot of things, that I caught a tracing on the ice, that there was something, but this is not necessary, I just couldn’t do it, that’s it. It was my mistake, not the mistake of the coach or someone else. If I had at least done a double Axel, I would have been much closer and it would have been much easier to skate the free program.
How you are preparing for the Russian Championships in January?
Right now I need to rest a little bit as I had three competitions in a row with a break of two days maximum in between. The third event (NHK Trophy) didn’t go so well and so easy. Maybe I didn’t have enough strength. I had practice at 8 am this morning but I felt ok when I went out to skate my long program, but maybe I didn’t have enough energy left for the free program. However, I don’t think that I would have placed third in the long program anyway as I was quite far behind. I tried my best and did what I can do.
You go into Nationals as the reigning Champion. How much pressure does this mean?
You know, you feel pressure when people are demanding something from you. They demanded that I qualify for the Final, and this is quite a lot. You are relaxed when people don’t expect anything from you. Then you just go out and skate your short and your long program. I skated quite well in both programs in my first Grand Prix, it was a sort of surprise, nobody expected that from me after I didn’t compete for like half a year. But then suddenly they told me, “Griazev, you have to go to the Grand Prix Final”. Well, yes, I should, and I tried my best. I really wanted to go to the Final. I did jumps like I never did them before. The triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination in the short proram is for me harder to do than the triple Axel. I did the triple Lutz-triple toe (in the short program) and I thought, that’s it, you did your job. Maybe I relaxed too much.
How does Tatiana Anatolievna (Tarasova) help you?
Tatiana Anatolievna helps me as much as her schedule allows it. She visits my practice, when she has time. Maybe I am her last student that got anywhere. I do my job, and she is helping me. She doesn’t abandon me.
There was a time when also Alexei Yagudin helped you. Is he still helping you?
Alexei Yagudin helped me when I was still competing at the junior level. He helped me when he had time in between the tours, in America the interest in figure skating just was going down, and it was not a bad time for a coaching career. He actually helped me a lot, mentally and physically. He helped me for example getting home. I had to walk for about an hour or to run for half an hour to get home, and he was teasing me, when I don’t skate well, then I’ll have to run home. He forced me to work hard, and I think that is good, because he tried to push me forward. I think he did a very good job. He is in Moscow now as well, but his schedule is so busy with all the shows. Right now he doesn’t have time. I am not blaming him for that, I am just grateful for the time he gave to me.
Right now you are mostly working with your coach Elena Germanovna (Vodorezova).
Yes. She is supporting me a lot, in each situation, even when I was injured and when I had knee surgery last year. The surgery went well, but the recovery took about two, three months. It is difficult to come back after this, there are a lot of feelings, and I am a very sensitive person. I think she is a great person, she loves figure skating. Another person would have just dismissed me and said, just go home, but she never gives up on me, and even when I had problems, when I finished only 9 th at (2006) Nationals, she still calls me and says, “come back”, even if I never call her.
I saw that you were helping the Polish couple Dominika Piatkowska/Dmitri Khromin at NHK Trophy, whose coach hadn’t come.
This person (Khromin) is important to me. When I first moved to St. Petersburg , I went to many competitions without a coach. He has always supported me, and I don’t see anything bad in helping him, and if it’s just to be there and to hold his jacket as he had asked me to. I am not his coach, but of course I noticed some mistakes and I told him and his partner. I did work with an American girl for half a year, but to be honest I never had anything to do with pair skating. But when he asked me to stand for them at the boards as a friend I did it. I think the Russian Federation has no reason to blame me for standing with an athlete from the Polish Federation. I think I just helped him as a friend. He asked me, and I helped him. I know that it was very hard for him.
Thank you very much for the interview!
© Figure Skating Online, December 2007 [the original version]
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© , 2005-2010 The website owner is not affiliated with Andrei Griazev in any way and doesn't have any connection with him.
The site is intended for private non-commercial use only. All the rights to the images and text used on this website belong to their respective owners.
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