Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: This victory was more important for me

Interview with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva after Finlandia Trophy 2018.

Liza, it’s your second victory in the season. What do you think about your performance in Espoo?

– I think it was quite well, because I proved to myself that I can perform even not in the best condition, after an illness. It was easier in the short program, since I was more fresh. And short program is short, less elements need to be done. Since we skated the free program in a day after, fatigue had accumulated.

I was more worried about the free program, because I didn’t know whether I’m able to skate it through. So it seems to me that I have performed well here, despite my condition.

I think that this competition wasn’t worse than Lombardia Trophy, although the scores are lower here, but this competition is more important for me. We did a triple axel both in short and free programs. I was able to overcome myself. This is a good experience. I hope it will help me to skate well at the Grand Prix in Canada.

When did you decide to do a triple axel in a short program?

– We had this idea already at the test skates in Novogorsk. At the Lombardia Trophy, I thought that everything was too easy. Perhaps that is why I made a ridiculous mistake and fell on the combination. After the competitions, it became clear that triple axel is more or less consistent. I suggested doing it in the short program, because I felt that I could do it.

Here in trainings you jumped excellent axels.

– Thank you. Well, not excellent. But I try. In Canada, I would like to do it well. Figure skating progresses, and I want to show my maximum. This is more interesting. I get more pleasure from it. Yes, it’s exciting, but for me it’s like a game “with myself.” It’s cool!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoowMcRF1nm/?taken-by=liza_tuktik

In the free program you did a combination of 3 lutz – 3 toe loop, which you haven’t been jumping for a long time.

– Yes. I beat my records. But today I was in such a state, not completely focused.I did lutz-toe loop. Just went and did, not thinking about anything.

You said that you got sick on the eve of Finlandia Trophy. Caught a cold?

– I caught a virus. It’s because of my carelessness to health. I wanted to prepare well for the competition in Finland so much, that didn’t recover completely, stayed at home for two days and went on the ice. Then I realized that it was too early, that I didn’t fully recover, and came to bed again. Probably, I could have cured in four days, but because of my haste I missed a week. But I really wanted be on the ice. Also I haven’t been ill for a long time and forgot how is it to lie in bed and be treated.

That’s why, after illness you hadn’t enough strength.

– Yes, today I was saving a little strength to finish the program well, not to give everything in the middle of the program and finish it dimly. It is always important for me to finish the program on a bright note. That’s why I was saving some strength for the final step sequence. But this time the program wasn’t so bright anyway. But it was predictable. It was important for me to make the elements and prove to myself that I can do that even not in very good condition.

Good start of the season – what does this mean for you?

– It gives me confidence. The first competition in Bergamo at the Lombardia Trophy made me believe in myself. I received large score, not the maximum, but the judges scored my programs well. It gave a positive emotions that motivated me to achieve something more. So now I feel more confident.

Of course, I haven’t analyzed my performance in Finland, because I fell on the toe loop and my leg hurt, all thoughts are about this. (Laughs) But upon arrival in St. Petersburg, I will analyze and most likely I will have new emotions, as it was after Lombardia Trophy, so my team and I we did great!

What will you focus on before Canada?

– In the short program, everything is fine, just enough. I think that we won’t change anything in programs. We changed the step sequence a little and it was scored well. We will improve the spins and we will work on stability. We won’t change anything in jump content. We will train the toe loop and axel, will focus on jumps.

by Tatjana Flade for fsrussia.ru

Related topics: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Finlandia Trophy, interview