Vladimir Samoilov: “Those who call changing citizenship a treason don’t think from the athlete’s perspective. No one knows the other side — injuries, tears, experiences. The career is very short.”
Translation of the interview with Polish single skater Vladimir Samoilov about switching to represent Poland, trainings in Italy, last season’s Europeans and goals.
original source: MatchTV dd. 9th January 2024 by Maksim Khorenkov
Here’s a translation of the interview with Vladimir Samoilov made for Russian media.
In the spring of 2021, the skater joined the Polish national team and is now training in Italy with coach Angelina Turenko. He is a two-time Polish national champion, and this season he won gold at the Volvo Open Cup challenger in Riga.
Q: Tell us about the differences in the training process between Russia and Italy.
Vladimir Samoilov: There aren’t many differences, I work with Russian specialists from St. Petersburg, and they have their own approach. When I talk about the approach, I mean psychology — they communicate with me more, compared to my past training in Russia. We discuss training details based on my condition, and they are always in touch. Perhaps it’s because of my age, well I’m no longer 15 years old.
Q: How does you your ordinary day go now?
Vladimir Samoilov: I rarely go outside. Training, home. I work part-time, assisting coaches. For a little less than two years, we trained in Egna, a small town with a population of about 5,000 people, and there’s nowhere to go.
Recently, literally in September, we moved to Milan. I know many admire the football club “Milan” and want to attend their matches, but I haven’t had the chance yet, and I’m not particularly interested in this sport.
Q: How do people in Italy differ from those in Russia?
Vladimir Samoilov: In Italy, no one is in a hurry anywhere; everything is calm, relaxed. They have a different mentality. They work very little. In Moscow, lunch breaks are 20-30 minutes, in Egna — two hours. All the shops were open until 7:00 PM, and it’s hard to get used to. If you need to do some paperwork, the processes will take a long time. In Moscow, there’s always some hustle and bustle; everyone is rushing somewhere. I’m used to the movement.
Q: Is the relaxed schedule uncomfortable for you?
Vladimir Samoilov: Well, I’m used to something else. But there’s not much time or financial opportunity for an active pastime. However, you have to distract yourself; otherwise, you’ll go crazy.
Q: You probably felt lonely at first. Is it easier now?
Vladimir Samoilov: Yes, I made friends with the guys from the group. Overall, very few Italians speak English. I’ve been in this country for two years, and I only know basic greetings like “hello,” “goodbye,” “thank you.” Sometimes I can understand the general meaning of a conversation, but no more. I wanted to start learning the language, but I’m more focused on Polish. It’s somewhat similar to Russian; many words sound alike, but the meanings are completely different.
Q: Is learning Polish your personal initiative or the federation’s?
Vladimir Samoilov: I want to understand and communicate with fans, the Polish press in their language.
Q: You mentioned helping coaches. Whom do you assist?
Vladimir Samoilov: Sometimes I help with the little kids from our group. They pay me a bit for it; I didn’t ask for it myself, they asked me, and I worked. Money is not particularly important.
Most of the guys speak Russian; we communicate in our native language, with a couple of guys — in English. This experience helps; I started thinking a bit differently and understanding coaches better. When you’re skating, you don’t really realize how tough it is for the coach.
Q: Do you plan to engage in professional coaching in the future?
Vladimir Samoilov: I like it. I want, possibly, to work with my coach, Angelina Turenko, in the future. But I haven’t delved into it yet, I don’t know how everything will turn out. Right now, it’s a way to earn extra money and gain experience.
Q: Maria Talalaikina tried herself in Italy but returned due to several issues, including financial ones. How independent are you from your parents in this regard?
Vladimir Samoilov: The Polish federation helps me a lot. I have a scholarship; they cover training and competitions. And my parents still help me now.
Q: For the Russian audience, the transition to Poland seems somewhat surreal. Were you not scared when making this decision?
Vladimir Samoilov: Initially, people treated me very well, they were friendly, and there were no problems. I had been in touch with Poland since 2020; I spent a year in “quarantine.”
I heard that transfers have become more challenging now. Honestly, I feel sorry and upset for the guys who can’t compete internationally. They dedicated their entire lives to sports, and now they can’t participate.
Q: Some call those who change citizenship traitors. What can you say to them?
Vladimir Samoilov: You can partly understand them, but they don’t think from the athlete’s perspective. No one knows the other side — injuries, tears, experiences. You want to move forward, compete with the best. I understand the guys who leave. The career is very short.
Q: Have you ever regretted your decision to change sports citizenship?
Vladimir Samoilov: I had a difficult period. They told me that skating for Poland I could only train abroad. I didn’t fully think about the situation; I immediately said, “Yes, let’s go.” We met with a friend at the airport, and only there did I realize where and why I was flying.
I arrive in another country alone, not knowing the language. Like getting lost. It’s like starting life anew or playing in hard mode in another language. No friends, no acquaintances, no connections. There was a moment when, after two months, I started looking at return tickets. There was tension in the group. But I overcame myself.
Q: How do the guys in the group treat you?
Vladimir Samoilov: At first, I was afraid, felt out of place, and reflected. But in my circle, there’s no negativity; the guys don’t care where I’m from. They were the first to make contact, disregarding everything that’s happening.
Q: How did your parents react to your move?
Vladimir Samoilov: They always wanted me to come back. They missed me a lot and still do.
But they respected my choice. It’s my first adult step. When they first suggested training in another country, my parents immediately said the decision was mine.
Q: What happened at the European Championships 2023? 17th place is not the most pleasant result.
Vladimir Samoilov: Last season was tough. My back let me down before the free program at the European Championships. When I went out for the short program, I already felt pain but thought everything was okay. Pain intensified before the free program, and I hoped until the last minute that everything would pass.
In the end, I only told the coaches about the problem at the end of the warm-up. And then I went to the World Championships with a leg injury.
Q: How are things with your back now?
Vladimir Samoilov: It’s somewhat better. Ideally, I should have surgery when I finish with sports. It’s more logical because even after surgery, the pain will come back. That’s why I work a lot on my back, do exercises to support it.
Q: When did health problems arise? And who is to blame for this?
Vladimir Samoilov: I don’t remember when hernias appeared, but back pain started a long time ago — I had protrusions already at the age of 15.
I don’t blame anyone for this. I think there are no people in sports for whom nothing hurts. Almost everyone has their problems. I “won” the back “lottery.”
Q: What are the issues with the free program, besides not having time to work on it?
Vladimir Samoilov: We made some changes to the program. I haven’t had time to skate it all, mentally adjust to performing with a large number of quadruples. I need to gather my thoughts.
I overthink too much with age. I would like to go back to my 15-year-old self — then I didn’t reflect at all. I went out happy, took a bow, and left. Now I start to spin myself up, and it’s hard to deal with.
Q: What exactly are you thinking about?
Vladimir Samoilov: It’s a mess in my head. Partly some self-doubt.
Q: Are there sports psychologists on the national team? Have you consulted with them?
Vladimir Samoilov: I don’t think they will help me much. I need to work on myself. Now, it’s easier in terms of reflection, somewhere the coach helps.
Q: What jumps are currently in your arsenal? Are you planning to add new quads to your programs?
Vladimir Samoilov: Last season was tough; I focused only on the quad salchow and axel. This season, before the Volvo Open Cup in Riga, we talked with the coaches and decided to revisit other quads. A week before the Warsaw Cup, I landed all the quad jumps, which made me very happy, but there’s only video evidence of the quad flip. This week, I decided to recall my legendary combination of quad salchow, euler, and quad salchow.
We won’t add anything to the program for now because we’re working on it with a jumping content: quad lutz, two quad salchows, and a triple axel. For now, this is enough, and we need to make it consistent. The last time I competed with this set of jumps was in 2019-20 when I still skated for Russia.
When I started competing for Poland, there were health problems, and I didn’t train much. There were times when I performed a program with just one quad and a triple axel.
Q: How actively is figure skating developing abroad? Are there many spectators at international competitions?
Vladimir Samoilov: It’s hard for me to say because I started performing when this whole situation in the world began. But at the World and European Championships, everything is fine —there are a lot of people, and everyone is well supported. There are very few people at the Challenger events, at least where I was. There’s no tension there; it feels like you’re training. There’s no feeling of competition at all.
Q: How do fans treat you?
Vladimir Samoilov: Last year, I attended competitions, watched the Polish skaters, and felt that they were treated like their own. It seems they treet me well too, but maybe a little different. Perhaps because I’m new. Overall, everything is good.
Q: Are you familiar with Polish figure skaters? Is there competition within the national team?
Vladimir Samoilov: I don’t know everyone. There are the Vitkovski brothers. There’s a guy from Ukraine, Matvei Efimenko, who competes in juniors, as well as Jakub Lofek.
The guys are good; they will learn jumps. For now, I am number one, but it’s quite possible that one of them can surpass me if I start slacking off. Figure skating is a lottery.
Q: Which competitions can we expect to see you in?
Vladimir Samoilov: At the Polish Championships. And then, if I qualify, at the European and World Championships.
Q: What is your goal?
Vladimir Samoilov: I’m not very fond of setting goals for myself. I want to show the world and myself what I am capable of. If I feel that I have shown my maximum, no matter whether it results in a top-3 at the World Championships or top-10, then it won’t matter to me because I will know that I did my maximum.
Q: If there is no goal, what is the dream?
Vladimir Samoilov: I’d rather not say; it’s personal.
Related topics: Vladimir Samoilov
I’ve seen him in Kaunas. His free program was breathtaking. I’m so glad that Vladimir represents Poland – my country.