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 I'm
a funny guy
By:Magdalena
Osborne
From:http://www.europeonice.com/ http://www.absoluteskating.com/
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Photo © Magdalena
Osborne |
It's two weeks before Christmas, but there's no
snow in Malm. Arriving for the Junior Grand Prix
Final (Dec 12 - 14 2003) is Andrei Griazev of
Russia with his coach, Olympic champion Alexei
Yagudin. Andrei has already won two Grand Prix
events during the fall and qualified for the
final with maximum 30 points. After the gala on
Sunday afternoon I catch up with Andrei. At
first he's worried about being interviewed in
English but I assure him we'll be all right and
apart from a few moments of confusion we are.
Q. You won silver after a fantastic free skate.
And you had the audience with you more than any
other skater, how did that feel?
A. It was great. The audience clapping and
cheering gave me energy!
Q. All that screaming doesn't make you nervous?
A. No, I love it! The audience really helped! It
was a good competition! I wasn't so happy with
my short program, but I had a very good free
skate!
Q. You sure did! But Evan Lysacek was good too
and he won. Was it fair?
A. Yes, Evan was better so it was fair. |
Q. You are
leaving tomorrow, where will you go from here?
A. Back to the States for a little while and then to
Russia for the Russian Nationals.
Q. And then the European championship?
A. I hope so, the federation will tell me, they decide.
I want to go, it's in Budapest.
Q. And what about Worlds in Dortmund?
A. Same, the federation will decide. But I will compete
in Junior Worlds.
Q. And there you will go up against Evan again...
A. Yes, but this time I will win! That is my goal, to
win Junior Worlds!
Q. How much do you skate in a week?
A. I skate 3 hours a day, in two sessions.
Q. You have a beautiful triple axel; do you also have a
quad?
A. Yes, since summer. I hope to put it in my long
program soon, maybe for Russian Nationals, we will see.
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Q. Besides adding
the quad, what are you working on the most?
A. I want more foot work, I work hard on that. With
the new judging system figure skating is not only
jumps, foot work is important.
Q. A year ago you were being compared to Kulik...
A. Kulik, Plushenko, Urmanov...
Q. But now people say you are all Yagudin!
A. (Laughs) Yeah!
(I think he means that's not such a bad thing!)
Q. You were a Mishin
student...
A. Yes, I came to Mishin when I was 11 years old and
stayed until I was 17.
Q. And now you train with Tarasova in the USA
(Simsbury, CT,)
A. I stay at her house, she has a really huge house,
you know!
Q. Mishin and Tarasova, tell me what they have done
for your skating?
A. Mishin taught me to jump, I got a great double
axel. When I was 14 years old I learned the triple
axel and just after that I put it in a program and
won a competition! But I also learned much from my
first
coach Kislukhin.
Q. And what has
Tarasova added to this?
A. She gives me good choreography, she did my
programs. We work on everything, presentation... She
will go with me to St. Petersburg for the Russian
Nationals.
Q. Because her
assistant coach Alexei Yagudin will be touring with
Stars On Ice?
A. Yes, he is a very, very busy man!
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Photo
© Cristian Hillbom
www.dansportalen.se
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Q. Who is
your figure skating role model?
A. Alexei Urmanov. He is a great skater and
helps me a lot.
Q. Do you have a favorite lady skater?
A. (Thinks hard.) No.
Q. In the ISU profile you are listed as a
student. Do you go to school?
A. Not right now. But I will later, I plan to
study per correspondence.
Q. Are you learning English?
A. No, I take no classes. I listen and read a
little but it's hard. My coaches are Russian and
I don't have to use much English. Only like
"thank you" when we go places! But I should
learn more...
Q. Figure skating is an expensive sport. How do
you finance your training?
A. Tatiana and Alexei help me, and I help with
teaching little kids.
Q. So you do some coaching?
A. Yes, but only with children.
Q. You're very young, 18 years old, and you're a
long way away from your family. That must be
hard!
A. Sometimes it is very hard. But you know I
have been away 7 years from them. I'm from a
town you haven't heard of and I was in St.
Petersburg to train with Mishin from 11 years
old. But I will go to Russia soon and see my
parents and my brother...it'll be good!
Q. What do you like to do when you're not
skating?
A. I like computers...
Q. Games?
A. Yes and to surf. And I like to watch movies
and DVDs. I also like to read books, I have many
books.
Q. In English?
A. No, I can't read much English, it's too hard,
my books are in Russian.
Q. If you were to describe yourself, what would
you say? You're a skater and...?
A. Yes, I'm a skater. And a funny guy!
His remark makes me smile. After having watched
him in practice and competition and off the ice
for several days I have to agree; he is a funny
guy! He also appears a little shy which I think
mainly comes from not always understanding what
people are saying and possibly for still mostly
standing in the shadow of his famous and
attention-stealing coach. But he's charming and
ready to take on the role as the new star and
heartthrob of figure skating. He has my vote
already!
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Photo
©Cristian Hillbom
www.dansportalen.se
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