Zhulin and Soloviev: we believe that everything will be ok

Recently the good news have come. ISU canceled the suspension of Ekaterina Bobrova caused by her positive doping test on meldonium. Ekaterina shared this good news with fans on her Instagram account, but she hasn’t gave any official comments yet. However, her partner Dmitri Soloviev and coach Alexander Zhulin commented this happy news.

Dmitri: Actually, I have already knew it last week that the ISU will cancel Katya’s suspension. But just today she told that the letter has come. Of course, we are very glad that justice prevailed. But while we rejoice carefully, because there hadn’t been an official announcement yet. Now at least we know that soon we will be able to resume performing. We’re creating a new free program – very unusual and interesting. We already have the theme,  dance and music. But they haven’t been approved yet, so we won’t disclose all the secrets.

Is it true that Katya was really depressed – to such extent that she has lost an interest for training?

Dmitri: Yes, Katya wondered to continue or not. Firstly it was too hard to wait until I have recovered from the injury, and now we had to miss the World Championships. After all, the whole season we were going to the main start – and everything went quite well. And suddenly we’re caught on some meldonium, which has no effect on the body. It was so sad that we were thinking: to continue skating or not. There were proposals to go into show business, to earn good money. But how we could finish our career on such note? We still want to show ourselves at the Olympics. And we are very grateful to the people who have done a great job to protect us. And while we’re waiting for the final official verdict to be happy in full force.

Who offered you an alternative to sport?

Dmitri: Evgeni Plushenko, and there also were other options. But we waited because we wanted to stay in the sport arena. Now, we’ll show ourselves at Grand-prix, European Championships and Olympics. To finish the career with scandal or injury it’s not about us. I think, if God gives us such tests, and such chance – then prepares something special for us.

If the case finally ends in your favor to which competition you will prepare?

Dmitri: Will see the nearest competitions of the next season and decide. I hope, will be able to take part in Grand Prix. We haven’t seen the schedule yet, will choose so it’ll be comfortable to prepare and recover.

Have you faced with the reprehension from foreign and our skaters?

Dmitri: No, no one said: we won’t shake hands with them. On the contrary, supported – even foreigners.

the source: team-russia2014.ru

And a comment from Alexander Zhulin.

Alexander, is it true that ISU canceled Ekaterina’s suspension?

A.Z.: There were some conversation, but we don’t have final information whether they just canceled the suspension or completely dismissed an action. I don’t want my words then turned untrue. When the official announcement come then I’ll be able to say something. They have announced about Kulizhnikov, Elistratov and Konstantinov, but nothing about my student. Although, as I understand it, by the concentration of meldonium, all these situations are very similar.

What are you doing now while you’re waiting for the final verdict?

A.Z.: Working, creating new programs. We are more than sure that everything should have been well. As it turned out, this drug keeps in body for insanely long time – up to six months, and maybe more. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) got it very fast. Knowing that all Russian athletes take it and that it keeps for a long time, quickly called it a doping and putted in the fourth group. The standard suspension for the preparations of the group – four years. Thus, they could have buried almost the entire Russian sports. This is an omission of our officials – they haven’t reacted quickly, didn’t prove that it is not a doping and it’s impossible to put it in a heavy group. It is our great mistake. I hope that now it will be corrected.

But, apparently, for Bobrova they will take exactly the same decision as for Kulizhnikov and Elistratov?

A.Z.: I hope so. Because if the drug keeps for six months, whenever she has ended to take it – for example, in October, still a nanogram of meldonium will remain. This drug is very dangerous. This is unproven, but I’ve heard that our or even American scientists have found that in conjunction with L-carnitine meldonium can keeps in a body for all life. Can you imagine what would happen to the people who took meldonium in conjunction with L-carnitine? This is a terrible trap! Therefore, if now someone will offer any drugs to my students, even completely verified … I will insist that they take nothing but green tea. Because your career, your life, the fate of the coach, all professionals who work with you can be put in danger. We have missed the World Championships, where they could perform well, have lost ranking points. Thank God, if we will rehabilitated, we won’t lose medals from the European Championships, where  guys skated beautifully. Keep our fingers crossed, hoping that everything will end well.

How far have you got in creation of new programs?

A.Z.: To be honest, it was very difficult to persuade them to work. Both Katya and Dima was in a terrible mood. Plus, when a person is under such pressure, in limbo, he starts to think of another life. Starts to enter some universities, tries to act in movies, plans to get married, have children. Thoughts are going in a different direction. Even when recently passed the information that most likely everything will be fine, Kate was in a terrible mood and thought whether to continue to quit. But now, I hope, everything will fall into place.

the source: team-russia2014.ru

Also read recent interview with Ekaterina Bobrova.

Related topics: Alexander Zhulin, Ekaterina Bobrova Dmitri Soloviev, ice dance, Team Russia