Maxim Kovtun: on first earned money I bought a fur coat for my mom

Translation of the interview with Maxim Kovtun. About preparation, new programs and his family.

Maxim, with what mood are you preparing for the new season, has your motivation changed?

– The training camp in Novogorsk is coming to an end. For me, summer preparation is one of the most important and difficult periods, because you are back to work after rest, after you have dumped all, morally rested. We had to start working on the programs on June 5, but started June 2nd.

Many thanks to “Novogorsk”, there are excellent facilities for preparation, there is everything necessary, we are always well received there. We have a good team. This is my coach Inna Germanovna (Goncharenko – ed.), choreographer Anna Bilibina. This time coach from Petersburg Mikhail Voinov helped with physical trainings.

Ilia Averbukh did both programs?

– Ilia did both programs together with Elena Stanislavovna Maslennikova. Misha Ge also helped us with the free program, and Sergey Verbillo with the short. We began to do the short before my vacation. But when I got back, Sergei could not join us right away, but we had to finish everything. On June 1, I came back from vacation, and June 2nd I was on the ice, because there was not much time left. We asked Misha Ge to help us, and I really enjoyed working with him. He is a very energetic person, he has many ideas. I think we will work with him again.

Did Averbukh suggested the music for the programs?

– I voiced out my ideas about new programs at the end of last season. I told that I would like a Spanish short program and the free program shouldn’t be classical, but something from rock, maybe blues. As a result, music for the short program is flamenco, and for the free program – Pink Floyd.

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Male single skating is experiencing a real jumping boom, leaders try 5-6 quads in one program. What task do you set yourself?

– The task remains the same – two quads in the short and three in the free program. If last season we had variants with two or three quads in the free program, now from the beginning we did the program that will have three quads. In the short program – two quads (toe-loop and salchow) and triple axel in the second half. In the free program – in addition to quads, two triple axels in the second half. So the programs are on maximum.

So, there are a lot of work. In addition to jumping elements, I want to have new transitions, interesting steps, more fulfilment in the programs, choreographing the programs we focused on this. It seems to me that the programs turned out more interesting and rich in terms of transitions.

The next season is Olympic, so everything should be done faster, ,you should work more. In early September, there will be control skates. And if to compare with last year, now, on the same dates, my level of preparation is higher. I already do quads, triple, combinations 4-3 at trainings … It is clear that practice is not competition, and I understand that in order to quickly get in shape, we need to work even harder.

Did you managed to go home during vacations?

– As soon as I have an opportunity I try to get home, to Yekaterinburg, at least for a couple of days. This summer my parents came to Moscow. More precisely, they visited my brother in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. My second elder brother also arrived there. The whole family, except me, got together, rested. All this time they were in touch with me. Then my parents came to visit me. They also stayed with me for a couple of days before the trip to my brother. I showed them everything. There are always places in Moscow where they have not been yet, and I want to show them everything, to feed them tasty in good restaurants.

Which role does your family play in your life, how important for you the support of your parents?

– This is very important for me. I know that parents will always support me. We do not have such that they tell me what to do me or insisted that I should do something. It’s different in our family. In any situation, I can call home, ask: “Dad, there are such things, what can you advise me?” And he starts by saying that I, of course, listen to what I he, but should decide for myself. Always like that. Often, when complicated moments arise, I ask their advice and they prompt the right decisions. They are the only people to whom I can come and fall, feel the warmth. I know that this is my home, that I can breathe freely there. For me the trip home is like a breath of fresh air.

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Is it true that from the first earned money you bought a fur coat for your mother?

– Not from the very first, but you can say so. Then I actually wasn’t earning money. I guess, I was giveb a prize money for Spartakiada Games, saved up some money and spent all on the fur coat for my mother. I wanted to show her that I’m a man, and I can and will sustain her and dad in the future. They never lived for themselves. Three children. I have two older brothers. We wasn’t rich, you can even say we lived poor. The older brothers, of course, also help the parents, but in other things. Financially they do not have such an opportunity, because they have their own families. So I’m trying to fill the gap. I want to give my parents the opportunity to enjoy life. To celebrate mother’s birthday so that she can invite friends and celebrate. Or send them on vacations.

I bought a car for them. It was my dream – to buy a car for my father. But at first it was necessary to persuade him, because he resisted, he was afraid to crush the car and not pay off afterwards, and I explained that there’s insurance for such cases and that he shouldn’t think about it at all. Began to teach him how to drive. When my father came to Moscow we drove circles in CSKA. Over time, I noticed that his fear began to gradually disappear and he already drives confidently. Then father got a driving licence and drives perfectly now.

After coming to Moscow yoou setted up the household very quickly. Hasn’t it moved your goals in sport to the second plan?

– Not at all. Apartment, car, I needed it to breathe freely and not think about usual life. As soon as I arrived in Moscow, I realized that all these issues must be solved in order not to depend on anything. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, because sport is just a period in life.

Now there is everything for me to be not distracted from trainings. And the Olympics are the goal of every athlete. It is my goal. It was and remains. I will not say much, give any promises. My task is to do what I can. To skate cleanly and confidently my program at each competitions.

by Olga Ermolina for fsrussia.ru

Related topics: interview, Maxim Kovtun, men, Team Russia