Anastasia Mishina and Alexandr Galliamov: The russian pair team that take the lead

Interview with Anastasia Mishina and Alexandr Galliamov about their season and goals for this year.

kindly provided by Sarah Barreiros

also published here: podcastjournal.net

Anastasia last year you won the JGP Final, the Junior World, this year in senior you made an incredible entrance in senior, you’ve been in the podium at each grand prix and you arrived third at the grand prix final, which is the hardest competition in the world that featured the best skater in the world, how do you feel about it and do you realize how incredible it is to have those results first year senior?

– I don’t think, that we need to realize this. We do our work and we try to skate better on every competition. We never thought about results. Our main task is always improve, to do better than last time. Of course we were really happy to be on the podium. Now we have even more motivation to work hard. We understood, that for us it’s possible to be in the top of pairs in the world.

Your career is already amazing, what are your goal toward the Olympics concerning your progression? Which area do you want to improve?

– First one is skating. It suppose to be smoother. Also we want to do our programs more interesting. We need to work more with choreography and emotions. In Russia we have really high concentration in pairs now. So, it’s not enough to do only clean elements.

You have huge and amazing twist and throws, do you consider of working on quadruple and maybe triple axel throw?

– We thought about quad jump through. We didn’t try it on ice, but maybe in the future we’ll do it. 

Can you describe your basic day of practice, what kind of mood do you have during practice with your partner?

– Usually in the middle of the season we have hard trainings. So sometimes we even don’t speak to much. We are both really focused on elements and programs and only after main part of the practice we can be more relaxed.

What is your mind set during each competition and just before starting your program? Do you communicate a lot during those competition day with your partner or you have together different way of focusing?

– We communicate like usual before and after practice, but just before competitions we let each other to focus how he want. I guess, that almost everybody do the same.

What do you like the most about your partner and what does he like the most about you, on ice and off ice?

– I like that I can trust my partner. It’s really important in pairs. When I we do lifts, I don’t need to worry. Sasha likes my character. We never go out from ice if we didn’t do element clean.

What is you biggest quality as a team and how do you keep your relationship going so well?

– We both understand that we can do nothing without each other. And also we understand that it’s hard to work, when you’re grumpy. We try to save calm atmosphere.

How do you support each other during competition?

– We’re both strong people. So, we didn’t have situations, that one of us worried to much. If something is going not good, it’s enough to say some words of support and repeat this element.

Who are your favourite pair skater of all time and why?

– My favorite pair skater is Irina Rodnina. She won 3 times on Olympic Games (with different parents). And she even found time to give birth to child between two Olympics. 

What do you thing of the evolution of figure skating in pair and in general?

– Figure skating is going forward really fast. 4 years ago nobody could imagine little girl with quads. I can’t imagine what they will do in next 4 years. Pair will start to do quads too, I think . Maybe not jump, but who knows.

What do you love the most about being on the ice and about doing pair skating.

– I always liked to skate. My parents never forced me to do this. I like speed and extreme, and also I like to “dance on ice”. Pair skating has everything.

Related topics: Anastasia Mishina Alexandr Galliamov