Tamara Moskvina: Even if the Olympics won’t take place, it’s not a disaster
Tamara Moskvina talks about difficulties with the season calendar, sponsors in figure skating, off-season transfers and the threat of a pandemic.
by Dmitri Kuznetsov for sport-express.ru dd. 6th August 2020
Tamara Nikolaevna Moskvina – a person who, at 79, stays more positive than most young people shares her plans for the season, philosophical attitude to difficult circumstances, even to possible cancelation of the Olympics.
Tamara Nikolaevna, does the decision about the Grand Prix change the preparation of your pairs, what is your opinion about the usefulness of the season?
Tamara Moskvina: There is nothing to discuss about the Grand Prix yet. It’s good that we managed to keep the competitions. But first, the ISU must issue a communiqué on specific plans. Waste time thinking, worrying about what will happen if … It’s unproductive. The document appears – we are developing a plan. Because we have lots of options. We are working, looking for music, working on programs – no panic.
What are you preparing for? After all, if we talk about the Grand Prix, this is one stage at best.
Tamara Moskvina: We’re getting ready for the season. Russian Cup in particular. If all the newspapers are closed, will you work in a local one?
I will think of my economic education and will look for another profession.
Tamara Moskvina: Athletes have a slightly different situation, they cannot switch to roller skates. Therefore, this season the competition will probably be held according to the domestic Russian calendar, then maybe international competitions will be possible. We’re acting upon the given conditions. If you read the ISU decision carefully, it says that there will be an individual decision for each Grand Prix stage, taking into account the epidemiological situation and the possibility of movement for people. In such conditions, it is unrealistic to plan anything.
But will the current situation raise the prestige of our local competitions?
Tamara Moskvina: Yes, the federation is now finalizing the details of the competition procedure. It’s great if they eventually take place. This summer, we generally had a lot of things to do besides fortune-telling on the calendar: Alexandra Boikova was entering the university, Petr Gumennik also had state exams, Dmitri Kozlovski, Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov had exams, we were thinking about various activities to keep in shape.
Did the coronavirus have a big impact on preparation? What kind of activities?
Tamara Moskvina: I can’t say that it affected the training process, now everyone is returning to normal life. We took the methods of the Lesgaft University of Physical Education and Sports, exercises from acrobatics and gymnastics. Recalled something methods from athletes recovery from long-term injuries. As they say, legs hurt – work with your hands. Legs and arms hurt – work with your head, watch TV, masterpieces of theatrical art, ballet. Anything you can use to keep up.
Does current events affect the Olympic prospects? The results become unpredictable, and there’s no certainty that the Olympics will be held.
Tamara Moskvina: It does, so what? It’s no big deal. Who expected the appearance of telephones, satellites, Skype? But it happened, and we adapted. Even if the Olympics won’t take place, it’s not a disaster. There have been boycotts and cancellations of the Olympics. No one will die because of the cancellation itself. Let’s say 150 skaters are interested in the Olympics. And out of billions of people living on the planet, tens of millions will ask: “What is figure skating?” And the Olympics will continue to exist forever.
Boikova and Kozlovsky, for example, have not participated in the Olympics yet. Well, it means they will participate later, if the Olympics in Beijing are destined to be canceled or postponed. For the sports journalism industry it will probably be more difficult, there will be nothing to write about.
And for figure skating, won’t this be a hit? Don’t you believe that even the current scale of the pandemic is very disastrous for sports? Sponsors of major competitions leave, skaters follow them.
Tamara Moskvina: It is very difficult to predict. But we, for example, did not have personal sponsors before. Parents help their children, the Russian Figure Skating Federation also helps. But in general, Tamara Moskvina’s Sports Club of Figure Skating is self-sufficient.
But wouldn’t you like the best Russian pair to be approached by brands with promotional offers?
Tamara Moskvina: I would like to. But it’s better to ask them why they don’t offer. At the moment we have something to do, and such conversations only distract. We do not attach great importance to this topic, it is not the main determinant of success. We try to perform well even without such offers. Here I am 148 centimeters tall, but I would like to be 170 and has 90 – 60 – 90 figure. But somehow it doesn’t work out. Just why talk about what is not there anyway?
Sometimes such stories can be influential. The other day Alena Kostornaia left the group of Eteri Tutberidze, and it is quite possible that in her and Alexandra Trusova’s cases financial nuances played a role.
Tamara Moskvina: Determine the reasons for the transitions yourself, dear correspondent. And I need to work with high-level skaters, take care of my husband, honored coach Igor Borisovich Moskvin, who will soon turn 91, and not forget about my own health. I’m at risk, after all.
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