Evgenia Medvedeva: In current figure skating the war is rather informational than physical

Evgenia Medvedeva’s recent interview for national TV. Partly translated. About rivalry in figure skating, fears and autobiography.

text version by Maria Selenkova for sports.ru dd. 29th August 2020

They say, in ballet they can put broken glass into your pointe shoes. Does this happen in figure skating?

Evgenia Medvedeva: Probably the most terrible moment was when someone cut the laces of one girl. Perhaps they just burst.

I want to say that in modern sports, in modern figure skating, there is no such physical war. Probably, because now there is such a thing as Internet, which is more terrible – and the war is rather informational than physical.

Figure skating isn’t just physically exhausting. I’m talking about the recent story with Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya (the athlete committed suicide – ed). You knew each other, right?

Evgenia Medvedeva: I was so worried. I can’t say that we were close friends, but we knew each other, probably, from the very beginning – we started skating together. I saw how she went through difficulties, how she switched the country, how she changed the discipline from singles to pairs.

Of course, for me it was an absolute shock what happened. I made a big post on Instagram to remind people to think before speaking or writing something to a person. Because we do not know what is happening inside and what is happening in a person’s life. Perhaps we can say the wrong thing.

Well, probably, if we go on the ice at competitions, we look very calm, focused, but this does not mean at all that we are like that inside. Because we are people too, we also worry, get nervous. Sometimes it is very, very difficult for us.

Are there moments of terrible depression when you seem to be in some kind of dead end?

Evgenia Medvedeva: I won’t lie, of course it happened. If I say that I know perfectly well how to get out of all situations … No. When I am in this state, I keep reminding myself how many wonderful people I have around me: I was lucky with my family, I was lucky with my coach, I was lucky with my friends. And they keep me from falling into despair.

What are you afraid of more than anything else?

Evgenia Medvedeva: I can’t answer in short. I’m afraid of popping jumps – this is probably the shortest answer. I am terribly afraid of it.

Do you eat fast food?

Evgenia Medvedeva: Yes. Guilty.

What to do if the costumes breaks during the performance?

Evgenia Medvedeva: Don’t pay attention. And then just laugh at it.

Whom would you be If not a skater?

Evgenia Medvedeva: I can’t imagine my life without figure skating, but obviously it would be connected with creativity.

Do you have a boyfriend?

Evgenia Medvedeva: Personal is not public.

Which victory are you most proud of?

Evgenia Medvedeva: Each of them. All the victories that brought me medals, thanks to them I am now sitting here.

What act in your life are you most ashamed of?

Evgenia Medvedeva: There’s no such thing. There are awkward moments, but I’m not ashamed of anything. Because if maybe I hadn’t done something strange in the past, I wouldn’t have been who I am in the present.

The book that you plan to write after the end of your career, what is it gonna be about?

Evgenia Medvedeva: Perhaps I will disappoint a little now, but there are no plans to publish the book anytime soon, as I am in the process of recording all the interesting moments of my life now.

My life is quite eventful, even if you look at it superficially, but it contains a lot more details than many people think.

As for revelations: there may be something really interesting, but now the team and I are not in the process of writing to release it this year rather than next one.

Will there be any scandals in the book?

Evgenia Medvedeva: My goal is not to make any revelations or scandals. I just would like to tell you about the brightest moments of my life, what I experienced and felt. I would like to create a positive aura.

Related topics: Evgenia Medvedeva