Rafael Arutyunyan: “I’m very happy for Samodelkina. Things have been tough for her, but she proved herself to be a fighter. Of course, there is still a lot of work ahead. She needs to grow in her own eyes, to develop self-respect.”
Rafael Arutyunyan: Sofia Samodelkina Proved Herself a Fighter at the Grand Prix of Japan
original source: Maya Bagriantseva’s Telegram Channel “Vsem lutz”
Coach Rafael Arutyunyan praised Kazakh skater Sofisa Samodelkina’s fighting spirit and progress after her silver medal at the Grand Prix of Japan, while emphasizing the importance of continued growth both technically and personally. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Maya Bagriantseva’s Telegram Channel “Vsem lutz.”
“I am very happy for Sofa. Things have been tough for her, but she proved herself to be a fighter. In my opinion, she has improved and changed something in her skating – first and foremost in her program presentation. She looks more confident on the ice and performs everything with real understanding. She listens to the music well and interprets it beautifully.
Of course, there is still a lot of work ahead. She didn’t take first place.
I see it as a good sign that she’s no longer being penalized for an incorrect edge on the lutz; now her jumps are clean. She delivered solid performances, especially considering she was injured and hadn’t trained for almost a month.
We worked on the triple axel – she has already landed it successfully more than once. She was in good shape, but then her leg started hurting, so we had to stop. The problem is that the triple axel puts a lot of strain on the knees, so you need to be in top condition. It was the right decision to stop before it became a serious injury and to take time to recover.
For her, this is just the beginning. We’ll see how she changes now that she’s starting to achieve significant results. If she starts behaving inappropriately, I won’t let her success go to her head – I’ll tell her directly and won’t let her go down the wrong path. I’ll keep her grounded.
After the short program, she texted me ‘thank you.’ I replied that it’s me who should thank her. It’s important to me that she hears that, too. She needs to grow in her own eyes, to develop self-respect – then her reactions will become more right.
It’s not just about working on the axel or the lutz – anyone can jump those. It’s about developing as a person, too. She needs to understand her own worth – not become arrogant, but know her value. I want her to become an athlete with a sense of dignity.
I want everyone to know: if Sofa comes to a competition, she won’t give up what’s hers,” said Arutyunyan.
Related topics: NHK Trophy, Rafael Arutyunyan, Sofia Samodelkina
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