Tatiana Mishina: “In the current tense situation, our athletes need to show a strong spirit and character. Because Russian athletes can face prejudice.”

Interview with Tatiana Mishina about predictions for the World Championships.

source: sport-express.ru dd. 24th March 2021, by Dmitri Kuznetsov

Tatiana Nikolaevna, you stayed in St. Petersburg, but you probably follow the training sessions at the World Championships. What are the expectations, taking into account trainings results, run-through with with five quads from Trusova?

Tatiana Mishina: Expectations are such that in the current tense situation, our athletes need to show a strong spirit and character. Because still our athletes can face prejudice. I hope the girls will show their advantage, although no one will just turn on the green light for them. Kihira will compete and will be supported whenever possible.

And our will be underscored?

Tatiana Mishina: I think that with a clean skate and her jumping content, Liza will have a good attitude from the judges. Indeed, she’s an experienced athlete and performers such a content not at a young age. Now we have a trend that only the little ones are jumping. There is such an attitude of the foreign press, they say, now they are jumping all this, and tomorrow we’ll see. So I want everyone to jump everything. Of course, I am especially cheering for Liza. She made her way, won the opportunity to compete, now I want it to be worthy.

But if Trusova jumps everything, this will be some kind of fantastic level. Beyond understanding the capabilities of the female body. For many specialists, this is still a mystery – quads in the second half of the program and things like that. She’s clearly in good shape.

Do I understand correctly that you are assuming a different attitude of the judges to Tuktamysheva, Shcherbakova and Trusova?

Tatiana Mishina: I draw a conclusion from what I read. On the spot, no one speaks to anyone much, there are tough measures. It seems to me that it will be so. Still, Liza is a different story – not that a girl jumps at a young age, and then – unknown. As if they squeeze everything out of the athlete, and then it can affect health, in every way. Liza has gone through this period with dignity, got out of the situation. And declares “As long as I like it, I will skate.” Who can put pressure on her now, make her? It’s all fun, every workout. But I would like to wish all the girls and boys good luck.

What do you think of the other members of the national team?

Tatiana Mishina: We cheer for ours in ice dance, ours are definitely the most beautiful. But there everything is even more subjective, I do not presume to predict at all. Our pairs are also the best, but I haven’t seen the Chinese much this season. I wish everyone clean skates! After all, there was a big break, and at home even the walls help. It’s different to compete abroad and partly it’s a stressful situation. It will affect. Whoever turns out to be the most persistent will win.

It will be difficult for the men. The competition is very high. As for Zhenya [Semenenko], what place can he take … He just has to skate the way he can. It is very difficult to perform for the first time. The only way is to get together and do everything clean, that’s his task. And Misha [Kolyada] – his skating is always appreciated. If he gets together and shows good skating, as at the “Grand Prix”, or better, perfect skating, then he should be well appreciated. We are not talking about Chen and Hanyu, this is a very high level. But I think a good attitude will also be expressed in points – but in case of a high-quality skating. I would like him to be in the top three.

Do Trusova need to do five quads, that’s the question. So far, this approach has not ended very well.

Tatiana Mishina: It depends on her shape. In training, they still do it with pauses, not really giving all their best on the spins, step sequences. These are two different things. You can just make jumps to the music, and that’s it. And you can do everything at once and thereby stun everyone.

Related topics: Alexandra Trusova, mikhail kolyada, world championship