Alena Kostornaia: “I believe that figure skating is about skating, not jumping. If I’m doing, hypothetically, four quadruples, but at the same time I’m just skating around scraping the ice on stroking, then why do them at all.”
Alena Kostornaia about difficult jumps in programs.
original source: Katok
Alena Kostornaia believes that complex jumps should not interfere with the performance. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“Q: Could you have broken through with your choreography back then, with a triple axel that was conventional for that time?
Alena Kostornaia: Considering my junior level… No, I would have been low. Very far behind.
Q: Is that fair?
Alena Kostornaia: I generally believe that figure skating is about skating, not jumping. So, if complex elements do not interfere with the program, if you are fully executing all the choreography, all the steps, all the turns, then yes, of course, jump and take advantage of it if you can.
But if all of that is negated… If I am doing, hypothetically, four quadruples, but at the same time I’m just skating around like this [spreads arms] for 40 circles scraping the ice on stroking, then why do them at all.”
Related topics: Alena Kostornaia
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