Ivan Shmurantko: “Adapting to the new realities of skating in Ukraine was challenging. Now the process is more clear for moving, not just surviving.”
Interview with Ivan Shmuratko.
original source: suspilne.media
In the interview with Suspilne, Ukrainian single skater Ivan Shmuratko spoke about preparation for the season, programs and changes in mental approach to trainings. Here’s a translation.
“Like in the 2023/24 season, Ivan Shmuratko continued his training in Ukraine. His main training locations remain the “Chalet” ice arena and the “Cosmo” mall rink in Kyiv, as well as “Lodogray” in Bohuslav.
The situation with the coaching staff also remains almost unchanged: Ivan predominantly trains alone or in tandem with former skater Mykhailo Leiba, with whom he mostly has to work online. Despite the absence of any mention of coach Olha Kurovska in his ISU profile, according to the athlete, their cooperation has not ceased.
“We are figuring out a convenient way to train,” explains the skater. “Currently, I put there [in the profile] how things are at the moment. We are on good terms, and she helps me with many organizational issues.”
An important element of the offseason, Shmuratko shares, was “getting acquainted with himself” and seeking “comfort in the soul.” “It makes things easier for me,” says Ivan. “Now I feel very good: perhaps the best I’ve ever been. The [preparation] process is constructed more clearly for moving the way I want to, not just surviving.”
Shmuratko describes the last season as a period of “adapting to the new realities of skating in Ukraine.” After suffering an injury in 2022, he returned to his native Kyiv from abroad and had a break in performances. Upon recovery, he faced a new challenge: finding steady access to ice and a new approach to training. The comeback and adaptation season ended for him with a 14th place at the Europeans and not qualifying for the free program at the World Championships.
“It was a challenging path. It affected the quality [of my skating] at least at the World Championships and what I showed at the European Championships and previous competitions. It wasn’t bad, but not good either. I felt completely not okay after the World Championships, and even before it really. It was a roller coaster. “It’s very important to adjust your mindset,” adds Shmuratko. “I’m increasingly trusting myself. And the more honest I am with myself and the environment, the better my ‘product’ is.”
Shmuratko worked with Leiba on the choreography for both of this season’s programs. For the short program, they chose the musical composition “White Flowers Take Their Bath,” and in the free program, they combined the Baroque “Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi with the funky “Get Up Offa That Thing” by James Brown. Ivan jokes that the idea came to them and Mykhailo when they were “bored with figure skating.”
“How can one in their right mind mix Vivaldi with James Brown? We were sitting having coffee, listening to music, and heard Vivaldi’s ‘Storm.’ Mykhailo says: ‘Let’s stand by the board and run!’ We just hummed along and started tossing around ideas. And it turned out what it turned out.”
They chorographed the free program first. They approached the short program similarly: just “going with the flow,” as Ivan says.
Shmuratko begins this performance just as he ended last season’s short program: lying on the ice. The new program is an extension of the previous one. But at the beginning, there is another distinguishing aspect of the program. His first element is a step sequence, a rather rare choice in figure skating, as performances often start with a jump or a jump combination.
“Now the mission is [to ensure] that not only is this an effect, but that this path is quality, level four,” notes the Ukrainian. The last time judges gave his step sequence the highest fourth level, was during the 2022 World Championships (in the short program).
“The way we see the world determines what the viewer will feel. And this is one of the most important aspects of what we do. I always throw my ideas at the closest people. Sometimes people don’t understand… 95% of the time,” laughs the skater. “But it’s important for me to hear from my girlfriend, parents, brother what they feel.”
“We see this world — and the world of figure skating — a bit differently, maybe not even a bit differently. We want to move our own way, make the program as we feel it, rather than considering that we need to do three hooks, two rockers, and two brackets. When we treat this pragmatically, we run out of time for ideas. So we have to choose. Ideally, we strive to combine them,” told Ivan.
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