Maxim Nikitin: we’re hungry for high results

This season wasn’t successful for Alexandra Nazarova and Maxim Nikitin. They took part in Grand-prix in USA and senior B event in Estonia but then Alexandra got injured, missed the Ukrainian Nationals and European Championships. And their participation in World Championships is also under question.

I like this pair, I think they have a potential, they’re young but already has their style and signature elements. Here’s a translation of short interview with Maxim Nikitin. Probably it can give some answers about their plans for the rest of the season.

Maxim: Sasha (Alexandra Nazarova) already fully walks, fully skates, fully trains. Although, we try no to overload her a lot. Still, the injury could have healed, but psychologically it’s not so easy to recover.

Did this pause somehow affect your trainings, probably, it is necessary to recollect everything from the beginning?

Maxim: In terms of run-throughs nothing has been forgotten a lot, but of course we need to gain physical shape. During the pause, we tried not to relax much. Sasha worked on the press, strengthened her back. I went to the gym. Of course, it is a bit unusual training regimen for us, but now we’re trying to catch up rapidly.

Did you have a chance to watch European Championships? Noted something for yourselves?

Maxim: Of course, we were sitting in my house watching the European Championships, so that it didn’t pass by us. Most of all we were amazed by the free dance of the French team – Papadakis and Cizeron. So, there is a living example of how you can rise from the bottom immediately to the top. The case is really unique. Well done! We also noted German pair Lorenz – Polizoakis, who became fourteenth, but have been skating together nor for a long. Partner generally just has come from singles and for the first performance at such level they showed very good results. I also would like to mention our compatriot Maxim Spodyriev, who skate with Natalia Kaliszek for Poland. We really liked them, they improved solidly in their programs, it was a pleasure to watch them. 

They took almost the same places as you did a year ago. Rivals for a place in the top ten?

Maxim: We all athletes no matter what place we take and how we skate, to some extent we are all competitors. Yes, we’ll have to fight with them for almost for the same place, we are approximately on the same level.

Is the season is already ended for you or there is still a chance  that you will take part in the World Championships in Boston?

Maxim: Of course, we are preparing for the World Championships, after all, we are determined to get there. However, first of all Sasha needs to recover. It is not our goal just to come to Boston. Our goal at the World Championships is to perform with dignity and to show a good result. This season it wasn’t our best skates, so we would like to prove to ourselves and to others that we can skate better. After a long break, we became really hungry and greedy for high results. We hope that for the World we will be able to return our former shape, there’s still a time for this.

the source: ufsf.org

I like that Maxim seems to be realistic about their level. I think it’s very important to understand where you’re now to make a step higher. I also like that guys pay attention to what’s going on in the world of ice dance, watch competitions, watch other duos, not just being too concentrate on themselves. Hope that we’ll see them at Worlds. I only regret that there’s no information about their coach….because there were some rumours that Nazarova and Nikitin can also change a coach as their Turkish colleagues. …but if there’s no info from Maxim himself, then I think they stayed with Zhulin.

I think that Nazarova and Nikitin are totally Zhulin’s pair, pair in his style, the same thing with Tiffany Zahorski and Jonathan Guerreiro, I’m really interested how he will work with this two duos next season. Here you can watch video of Tiffany and Jonathan winning the Russian Cup Final 2016.

Related topics: Alexandra Nazarova Maksim Nikitin, Alexandra Nazarova Maxim Nikitin, Gabriella Papadakis Guillaume Cizeron, ice dance, interview, Kavita Lorenz Panagiotis Polizoakis, Natalia Kaliszek Maksym Spodyriev, world championship