Daniil Gleikhengauz: “The absence of international competitions morally puts pressure. Of course, we want to return, so that the whole world can see and respect us for our work.”

Daniil Gleikhengauz about the absence of international competitions.

source: sports.ru

Can you summarize the season for us? What are you satisfied with and what was lacking?

Daniil Gleikhengauz: The season was certainly challenging, there’s no denying that. None of us had ever been in this situation before. The absence of international competitions morally puts pressure. Our goal was not to let our level drop and not to fall below our standards.

We made a point of not letting ourselves relax just because there were no international competitions. We knew we couldn’t afford to do that. So, we approached our training and performances just as we would in any other season. Perhaps we gave slightly less load than last year during the Olympic season, when everything was geared towards maximum performance.

There were many competitions, and the prize money was good, which motivated athletes who lacked motivation. We made it through the year, and I can’t say that anyone lost shape, or that our competitions lost any of their entertainment or skill level.

We could see clearly that at all the Russian competitions in women’s singles we were performing at a higher level than in any international competitions, be it the Grand Prix, European or World Championships. At the moment, we remain the strongest federation and country in women’s singles skating, as well as in pairs.

Did the men catch up? I thought so too, but after watching the men at the World Championships, I realized that there is still room for growth and work. The level in the world is still very high.

Do you have any ideas on how to get out of this situation?

Daniil Gleikhengauz: I don’t want to make any promises or name any names. When I was younger, I was already sure that I would name the future Olympic champion, but things didn’t turn out that simple. So, we will work as we always have, and I hope that we will reach the highest level and provide competition for those guys who are currently winning world championships.

As for what comes next… It’s a difficult question. We haven’t received any information on when we’ll be back or allowed to compete. And that’s weighing heavily on us. When you’ve known all your life that you have the main competition – the World Championships – and the Olympics every four years. And pretending that everything is okay without it is difficult.

You get used to a certain routine, so of course, we want to return to the international arena as soon as possible, to show our level, our programs, so that the whole world can see and respect us for our work.

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