Alexandra Trusova: I’d like to compete with boys

Tatjana Flade’s interview with Junior World Champion and World recordsetter Alexandra Trusova.

Sasha what do you feel now?

– I am very happy that I won the junior world championship. I’m happy that I did two quads in the program. I was preparing and I did it. But I still did not fully realize what had happened. Too little time has passed. I still can’t believe!

During the awards ceremony with your hair down you amazed everyone.

– I haven’t cut my hair since birth, only the ends. Then I saw a cartoon about Rapunzel, and in my childhood I wanted to be like her.

Can you tell us about your feelings during the short and free programs?

– I just wanted to skate cleanly, to show everything I can, seems it turned out.

What did you feel when in the free arbitrary program you jumped first the quadruple salchow, then  quadruple toe loop?

–  I was happy that the quads were successful. But I knew that I had two more difficult combinations, the whole program was ahead, so I focused and did everything I needed.

Everyone talks about your quads, video of your program is all over the the Internet. But you look absolutely calm.

–  Yes. I tried hard at training. In training, jumps turned out cleanly and even better. But this’s competition, so at the World Championships quads were not as good as I would like.

Quad salchow was gorgeous!

– It also could have been better. Salchow – yes, but toe loop definitely could have been better.

When did you start to learn quad jumps?

– I started to learn triple axel. The first time I tried it long ago, when I was 10 years old, with another coach. But then the axel did not work out. Then I moved to Eteri Georgievna Tutberidze. Have skated there six months and we tried  triple axel again. It did not go. Then we switched to quadruple salchow. I jumped it last year in April. Quad toe loop I learned after the junior Grand Prix final, in December.

Did the coaches offered you to try a quadruple salchow?

– Yes, because I thought that first you need to learn the triple axel, then the quadruple salchow … In turn. And they said that I can try salchow, because my triple salchow is very high.

Did you first jump using training harness?

– Axel I jumped using harness, salchow not often. First I tried the quadruple salchow several times using harness, then decided to do without it. It turned out okay. Just jumped, jumped. I wore special pants, so that it wasn’t painful to fall. I jumped – first time turned out, the second ….

It seems that everything is so easy and simple.

– No, it took a lot of time. Competitions end and you start learning new jumps at the end of the season. You don’t prepare new program yet and there is an opportunity to learn something new. Even before the New Year there is time when you can do it.

At the Grand Prix final, you said that you want to learn another quadruple. You said and you did. Was it easier to learn a toe loop?

– Salchow and toe loop are similar. You just jump salchow from the enge and toe loop from toe picks. Salchow is more convenient for me. But Daniel Markovich (Gleyhengauz) says that my toe loop is better.

Do you do some special exercises for rotation to have such a high jumps or is it from nature?

– Actually I don’t rotate very fast. My bent is from the height of the jump. I jump so high probably from nature. But if you train jumps every day, then everyone will succeed. You just need to go and do and not be afraid. I just really wanted to do it. And I was not afraid to try. If you really want something, then everything can be achieved.

The process of learning a quad is probably the same as learning triple jumps. But when you fall from the quad, it’s probably more painful?

– Quad has one more rotation you jump higher. And if you fall from such a height, and I have high jumps, then, of course, it is unpleasant. When I fall everyone around turn away … But in fact, it hurts only when you fall on hips. For example, how I fell at the Grand Prix final, then it did not hurt very much. Everyone said: “Horror”, but it wasn’t painful.

You say that you also want to learn other quads.

– Yes. Of course, I would need to learn a triple axel. A quadruplea without a triple axel it is not quite right. But we’ll see. We have been wanting to try a quad lutz for a long time. Now if there are no more competitions, we’ll try. First it is necessary to try lutz using harness, but without raised arms. I’m already jumping with my arms up. Has got used.

You said that you always wanted to do what no one else does. Why?

– To be the first in the world.

Wasn’t you scary to try such difficult jumps?

– No. A quadruple is one more rotation. You rotate until you stop, until you fall. And then again. I jumped, fell, fell. And then it seemed that I can land it. Did it more and more and it worked out.

What did your mother say when you decided to try a quadruple? Was she scared?

– She did not tell me about it. She only said: “Well, ok try it.” And what can my mother say if I decided? She agrees with me. She’s happy when I jump, when it turns out. If I say that I want, then I do. Mom does not interfere in our trainings.

What did the boys or other athletes say to you after the free program?

– Lesha Erokhov, Roma Savosin, Yasha – a boy from Belarus congratulated me. Lesha always tells me how to do a quad. He also does this jumps. He has three quads, two triple axels in the program. And when the coaches are busy, and we have a lot of people, especially when one coach stays, Lesha helps me, he says what is necessary to do.

And boys who do not jump quad yet?

– Sometimes they clap and sometimes they watch, maybe, they envy. I do not know how to say this correctly.

Your technical score in the free program at this championships was higher than technical score of the girls who performed at the Olympic Games. And if you had participated in the Olympics in Korea, then, perhaps, would have been  third. But there are age limits. What do you think about this?

– Of course, I would like to have no age restrictions. But, on the other hand, they should be. The Olympic Games are held every four years, and it is necessary that there win as many different athletes as possible. Of course, it’s a pity that due to age restrictions I will not be able to compete at the Russian National Championships next year. And I would really like to.

Would it be interesting for you to compete with boys?

–  Yes. But this is impossible.

Theoretically you could win.

–  I think that Lesha Erokhov would not forgive me this.

Apart from quads, there are two difficult combinations in your programs: flip – loop and lutz – loop. When did you start jumping them?

– Lutz – loop I learned last year. At the junios championship of Russia, I was third, second, losing to older girls. But they jumped did a combinations with toe loop, so I decided to learn with a loop. At that time Alina Zagitova also performed on juniors, she jumped such a combination, and I decided to learn it too. Learned, learned and when it turned out asked the coaches whether I can put it in the program. But right before the competition, Eteri Georgievna checked me. I was spinning and she turned on my music, I had to skate the program with lutz – loop. Before the championship of Russia it turned out.

Figure skating is not just about jumps.

– It’s a pity.

You like jumps.

– Most of all I love jumps. But if there hadn’t been other things, it would have been easy.

And what about other elements, choreography, skating skills … Do you like it?

– We always have a warm up before practice, at the end of practice we do spins, step sequences … It’s interesting when we choreograph programs. I don’t look for music for programs myself. This is the choice of coaches. I listen to different music, but I would not want to skate to it. I do not know why. Probably to separate personal life and figure skating.

Is figure skating  a work or a hobby for you?

– Now, when I started to perform at world championships, Grand Prix, probably it’s work. But it always seemed to me that work is something where you don’t want to go. Come and sit in the office … Boring. I like figure skating. And I always train with pleasure.

What are your plans now?

– Come home, come to the training, then we’ll see.

And what about vacations?

–  I would like to go to the sea. To Italy, Spain. There I could take Tina (doggie). In Europe, many people travel with dogs. There are many pet stores. And I love to dress Tina. She does not like it, but I buy her dresses, collars. She’s like a Princess.

by Tatjana Flade for fsrussia.ru

Related topics: Alexandra Trusova, interview, World Junior Championships