“Honestly, if I had kept Alena by the throat, we wouldn’t have made it through the first season together.” Sergei Roslyakov on working with Kostornaia and Kunitsa
Sergei Roslyakov: “Kostornaia and Kunitsa Haven’t Finished Telling Their Story”
original source: RT dd. October 4th by Elena Vaitsekhovskaya
Sergei Roslyakov, the coach of Alena Kostornaia and Georgi Kunitsa, shared insights into their work dynamic, their goals for a potential return to skating, and the challenges of managing a temporary partner for Kunitsa. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Q: Alena Kostornaia and Georgi Kunitsa, who recently became parents, are eager to return to figure skating. As their coach, are you looking forward to this?
Sergei Roslyakov: Very much. I feel incredibly lucky that life has given me the opportunity to work with athletes like them. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve never encountered an athlete as coordinated as Alena. She learns new elements so quickly that it took me a while to get used to it.
Of course, it’s impossible to predict the course of events – how quickly recovery will go or what the athletes themselves will want in the future. Their path could lead to sport, shows, or perhaps even coaching. However, I believe Alena and Georgi have unfinished business. I’m talking about programs that weren’t fully refined and about elements that we weren’t able to polish to perfection. It feels like our work remains unresolved – like being asked to leave the workshop in the middle of a creative process.
Q: In the season before last, Kostornaia and Kunitsa, despite their limited time skating together, showcased very challenging programs. Is it realistic for them to achieve even more complex content?
Sergei Roslyakov: Absolutely. They could go for a quad twist or explore innovative lifts. They have the potential to create truly unique, exceptional elements that could cement their legacy in pair skating. Why not choreograph a lift so iconic it becomes synonymous with “the Kostornaia-Kunitsa move”?
Q: Do you already have some ideas in this regard?
Sergei Roslyakov: The most important thing is that we have a strong foundation and an excellent team. This includes Andrei Maksimov, Betina Popova, and circus acrobat Yuri Tyukin. These aren’t just coaches working for a paycheck – they’re people deeply passionate about their craft, the results, and pair skating, just like I am. Tyukin works with our younger skaters on skills that no one else in the world has ever attempted in pair skating. Naturally, some of these innovations will make their way to the older skaters, including Alena and Georgi.
Q: One of your colleagues once said about Alena: “She’s incredibly talented, but you constantly have to hold her by the throat.” Do you agree?
Sergei Roslyakov: That’s an interesting question. Honestly, if I had been that authoritarian, we wouldn’t have made it through the first season together. Pair skating naturally requires more maturity and responsibility compared to singles, and the relationship between a coach and pair skaters is more collegial. While I might hold a higher position in the hierarchy and employ firmness when necessary, our dynamic is built on mutual respect and communication, especially now that Alena and Georgi are parents.
Q: You made an unconventional decision to pair Kunitsa with a temporary partner during Kostornaia’s hiatus. For any athlete, it must be difficult to accept such a role psychologically. How do you manage this?
Sergei Roslyakov: It depends on how you look at it. For Nastya Korobeinikova, skating with Georgi helps her achieve her personal goals. This is an opportunity for her to showcase herself as a pair skating partner. Recently, we didn’t have any male skaters at her level, so she spent a year training alone in our group without the chance to compete.
Now, partnering with Georgi provides her with the opportunity to participate in noteworthy competitions where she can be seen by audiences and experts. This visibility could lead to offers to continue her career with another partner. Additionally, it’s very important for a girl training in pair skating to feel like a true partner and not someone caught between disciplines who doesn’t quite belong in singles or pairs.”
Related topics: Alena Kostornaia, Georgi Kunitsa, Sergei Roslyakov
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