Alexandra Trusova: I can’t skate the same content all the time, I always want to do more

Interview with Alexandra Trusova. About the results of European Championships 2020.

by Anatoli Samokhvalov and Andrei Simonenko for rsport.ria.ru dd. 26th January 2020

Sasha, how was this European Championships for you?

– I think we had very little time here. We arrived late, then one training day, then a short and free program, then exhibitions. The championships was very fast, I would like to stay here longer.

Why?

– I love it when competitions are longer, we train longer, sometimes there is a day between short and free programs. I like it more.

Сould the mistakes that you had be related to this?

– Of course not. Just for some reason I couldn’t get focused for the performance.

At training before exhibitions, you jumped all quads.

– The coach joked: ok, let’s jump five quads. I did four. Salchow, toe loop, lutz and axel.

On a dare?

– No, just did it.

Because sometimes skaters jump on a dare.

– Aliona Kostornaia does so. Sometimes when a triple axel doesn’t turn out, she comes to us and says: “Let’s make a bet”! Moreover, it doesn’t matter what we are doing at this moment, we are answering something or not – she is sure that we made a bet. If she jumps, she brings us something.

And if she doesn’t jump, do you bring her something?

– No, because sometimes we don’t even hear that she makes a bet (laughs).

What does she bring?

– Always different, sometimes chocolates.

You said that a program with a large number of quadruple jumps is easier for you. Why?

– When they tell me to simplify the content, I think: well, I definitely have to skate it clean. And with a content as complicated as possible, I still think that I have the right to make a mistake. When it’s difficult, this makes it easier (smiles).

After a short program, where there was a small mistake on double axel, leaving the ice you said to the coaches that you should have jumped triple! This was heard in the broadcast. Do you remember this moment?

– Of course I remember. Because I want to jump triple axel and also skate a difficult short program.

But here, you still decided in advance not to jump it?

– I rarely jump triple axel now, after the New Year, I did not fully restore it.

Daniil Gleichengauz said that there’s no place in your free program for a triple axel.

– Yes, with five quads there’s nowhere to add it. But when I jump the triple axel as good as double, there will be a place for it. While it’s the most difficult jump for me.

And what if you add it into a program with three quadruples?

– I do not want a program with three!

Still, why is the triple axel so difficult?

– For some reason, it’s harder than the quads. Except salchow, I learned all quads quickly enough.

You said that you’re not in the best physical shape now.

– Yes, because on New Year’s I went on vacation, to lay on the beach. But it makes the mood better, the shape I’ll get.

Skaters performing at the junior level, strive to master quadruple jumps, and you are a role model for them. How do you motivate yourself for this?

– I always wanted to jump something that no one else is doing, and I can’t skate the same content all the time, I always want to do more.

You have a free program to the music from Game of Thrones.

– When Daniil Markovich did the program for me, he said that I look like Daenerys.

How much music helps you to skate, do you pay attention to it and how much do you hear it, given the whole set of super difficult jumps?

– It’s usually harder to skate with music. When the music turns on, you immediately begin to worry more, you want to do (all the elements) right now, so it’s easier without music.

Gleichengauz said that he was very pleased with you after the short program, that you improved in presentation of the program. What is the most difficult part in interpreting the image?

– It is difficult for me to combine artistic image, skating, spins with jumps. When I have to jump, I just want to jump and I am focused on jumps. It doesn’t turn out to show the artistic image those moments.

Do you feels that you are improving in this aspect?

– I am doing my best.

Can you train this? Maybe to fixate musical accents?

– Of course, we train this and now we started to pay more attention to these things, coaches constantly remind me not to forget about it during the jumps.

But at some point, your favorite quadruples are overwhelming?

– I just always focus on jumps and usually do not get distracted from them.

Are there times when you can let yourself go?

– Not now. Especially if you skate a program with five quads – the second-to-last element is a quadruple toe loop. And then triple, spin, step sequence, spin. Well, at the end, of course, you can focus on the artistic image.

When did you come up with the idea to add “Dracarys” at the end?

– We knew that this phrase would be there, but did not know where – in the middle or at the end. We decided that ending the program with this word would be spectacular.

Alena Kostornaia and Anya Shcherbakova already understand English. Do you learn this language?

– I learn and understand a lot, but I can’t speak. It doesn’t turn out to say something.

Sasha, children often say that they want to grow up, but there are those who want to remain children. Do you want to become an adult?

– Before I wanted to grow up. Well, I still do. But when I train a lot or have to go somewhere where I don’t want to go, I look at my five-year-old brother and I think that he’s fine, he’s at home all the time … At these moments, I want to stay small. By the way, at his age, I wanted to grow up – and he constantly says: why will I grow up soon … I don’t want to go to school … He’s so funny.

Related topics: Alexandra Trusova, European Championships