Aleksandr Galliamov: “I still didn’t get Olympic team bronze medal, they told us they couldn’t send it, and that’s it, complete silence since then.”
Big Interview with Aleksandr Galliamov.
original source: fontanka.ru dd. 21st October by Artem Kuzmin
In the interview with Fontanka, Aleksandr Galliamov spoke about the crisis in figure skating, motivation and friendship and rivalry with Dmitri Kozlovskii and Aleksandra Boikova. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Q: An article recently appeared on Sports.ru about the world figure skating being in a crisis. You posted on your telegram channel that it is “an interesting viewpoint.” Did I get it right or do you really disagree?
Aleksandr Galliamov: If someone thinks that figure skating is not developing, they are absolutely wrong. In Russia, considering that we have not competed internationally for the third season, they are constantly coming up with something new. Many new and interesting competitions have appeared which draw a lot of spectators. Take, for example, the Russian jumping championship. When it was held for the first time in 2022, it caused quite a stir. It was even discussed in Europe because there was nothing similar abroad and there still isn’t. However, this statement itself is incorrect.
Q: You understand that these competitions were created out of necessity, due to the lack of international starts?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, to add competitive practice for athletes. But one does not interfere with the other. It turned out that it’s also a step forward. The same can be said about the “Russian Challenge”. It seems like a show-competition, but no one had done that before, and all skaters prepare for it very seriously: they come up with special programs, lifts, so that it all looks beautiful and organic. Then, they can continue to perform these routines to continue delighting fans. It’s not “out of desperation”, it’s a necessity and response to internal challenges.
Q: You still managed to compete abroad a bit.
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, right before the closure. Of course, I miss international competitions. I would like to return to international arena as soon as possible. But for now, I can only watch on TV and nostalgically remember how we used to compete there as well.
Q: There’s an opinion that the crisis in figure skating happened also because of the suspension of Russian athletes, in whose absence the competition has greatly diminished.
Aleksandr Galliamov: It’s hard to say. Although in the first season without Russia, it was very noticeable that the Russians were missing. Then, it became apparent that foreign athletes still work and improve in their skills. I think Russian skaters would definitely be able to provide good competition. At least, the difference is noticeable in the scores.
Q: At show competitions, you often crossed paths with Alina Zagitova, who now acts as a host. How do you find her in this role?
Aleksandr Galliamov: I’ll put it this way: Alina brings a special flair to any event she is at. Alina is a figure skating treasure.
Q: Would you be interested in participating in “Ice Age”?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, it would be really cool, because I’m a pair skater and can do one-arm lifts. It immediately reminds me of Alexander Enbert with Olga Kuzmina. They had an amazing anthropometric ratio, which made them look very good together; they performed even twizzles and lifts. No wonder they won.
Q: Top-3 show-business stars with whom you would like to pair up on “Ice Age”?
Aleksandr Galliamov: They are not exactly from show-business, but it would be interesting to skate with someone from the Averina sisters (rhythmic gymnasts – ed.).
Q: Will you be able to lift two at once?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, I’ve actually done that before. At the World Team Championship in 2021, in the kiss and cry zone, we had to do funny things while a teammate waited for their scores. I lifted Nastya and Anya Shcherbakova.
Q: In February you said, “I no longer look for motivation. I wake up in the morning, go to training, and do my job. I just want to do it well.” It sounds like you’re not hoping for anything and are just going with the flow.
Aleksandr Galliamov: I never just go with the flow and try not to be the convenient guy. As for motivation, I probably misspoke. We are still learning new elements, and that also adds some excitement. There’s never a dull moment in figure skating. Motivation is always there, otherwise, it’s impossible to achieve high results. And for that, you need to always work at maximum capacity.
Q: In February 2023 you mentioned that your next big goal is the 2026 Olympics. Do you still believe that you’ll have a chance?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, why shouldn’t I believe? We are working and preparing, and we’ll see how it turns out. If we had given up, we would continue to perform old programs that brought us success, but we are not standing still and always inventing something new. We have two new programs, and it’s quite challenging to have two new programs in a new season. New programs mean different approaches, different dances, and everything is new.
Q: Currently, you’re not participating in international competitions. There are no qualifying events for you, and no chance to compete in the Olympics, even if you were to receive neutral status.
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, the recent ISU congress really didn’t let us in, but there will be other meetings ahead where the admission of Russians will be discussed.
Q: Suppose they still don’t allow you. And you miss the Olympics. How long will you continue to skate in that case?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Let’s not dwell on unnecessary thoughts. But to answer your question, in that case, I hope there will be a replacement for the Olympic Games. For example, there were recently BRICS Games, and I’ve heard that Friendship Games are likely to happen. In any case, I will skate as long as my health allows. Now, more and more attention needs to be paid to recovery, to not exacerbate any minor illnesses. We try to do everything very carefully. We have an extensive warm-up before training to avoid micro-injuries. I don’t know what the future holds, but for now, I can’t imagine my life without regular training and competitions. I was sick and stayed home for five days, not going anywhere. The first two days I completely rested from everything, but then I was restless: I wanted to return to the ice as soon as possible. I realized that I can’t live without figure skating.
Q: When will we see a quad throw from your pair?
Aleksandr Galliamov: It’s a work in process; we are working on it. We want to add to our program and perform in competitions only those elements we are at least 90% confident in.
Q: Why do you need it? You are winning even without it.
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, it doesn’t add much, but it’s interesting. It’s about motivation. You come to training and know that today you’ll do a quad throw, and it’s awesome! The training session is more interesting when we learn something new. Therefore, we don’t want to rush things, but we are working on it.
Q: What else can be invented in pairs skating to astound everyone?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Besides quad throws? Probably refining the choreography and creating more interesting lifts.
Q: You’re talking about the nuances that only a professional will notice. What about something that every viewer will understand?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Well, I don’t know… maybe a lutz-loop-loop 3-3-3? But no pair can pull that off. It’s unrealistic.
Q: Maybe a side by side backflip in Malinin’s style?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Actually, it’s possible. Backflips are not forbidden. That might be interesting. We’ll definitely think about it!
Q: Your rivalry with Boikova and Kozlovskii is currently the most interesting thing in Russian figure skating. Throughout history, such rivalries have pushed sports, and any industry forward: Ronaldo – Messi, Federer – Nadal, Plushenko – Yagudin, if we talk about figure skating. You are currently ahead in this rivalry, but are you not afraid of making a mistake?
Aleksandr Galliamov: We are not afraid because this is sports, and anything can happen. At the Panin-Kolomenkin competition after the short program, we were in second place. And after the Olympic season, we lost the gold both at the Russian Nationals and at the Grand Prix Final. Yes, there is rivalry between our pairs. It helps us grow both professionally and in terms of media presence. For instance, Plushenko and Yagudin became quite popular partly because of their rivalry.
Q: Seriously though, how much does your rivalry with Boikova and Kozlovskii motivate you in sports terms? Or is it all just in the minds of fans and journalists?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Mostly, it’s for the fans and journalists. We are more relaxed about these things. We have good relations with each other.
Q: You’ve known them since childhood. And if we continue to spin this story, it sounds like a good basis for a movie where you’re friends in childhood and then become fierce rivals in adulthood.
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, I’d watch that movie. Seriously, when we meet somewhere, we can always have a normal conversation, discuss various topics. For example, Dima and I can talk about football or music quite easily.
Q: Nevertheless, there have been various situations between you. At one point, they even unfollowed you on social media. Have they followed you back yet?
Aleksandr Galliamov: No, no changes there.
Q: What do you think is the reason?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Maybe they don’t like my content.
Q: What then does your post after winning the Panin-Kolomenkin competition mean, with just one word: “Here”?
Aleksandr Galliamov: It’s just that we performed second to last, and it’s more in the sense of “first place, here.” So there really is no hidden meaning.
Q: Well, I read the comments from your followers. They are convinced there is some hidden meaning.
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, I read that, but everyone is free to think what they want. Personally, I don’t stoop to that. It’s just low.
Q: Let’s rewind a bit. What was the main idea behind the switch from Lyudmila Velikova to Tamara Moskvina in 2020?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Honestly, we could have switched even earlier, but decided to wait for the World Championships. We placed fourth at the Russian Nationals and were the first alternates, but were told that we were likely to get to perform. So, we chose to wait. Then the holding of the World Championships was in question due to the epidemic. As soon as it got canceled, we made the switch immediately.
Q: Who reached out first?
Aleksandr Galliamov: We did… We contacted Tamara Nikolaevna and discussed all the nuances. We hit it off right away. I remember when we came to her for the first training session, we started working at breakneck speed, which was quite unusual for us at the time. We had to adapt quickly. We had no time to ease into it, to get used to it; we needed to improve drastically and fast.
Q: Did you understand that you were joining a group where there was a pair that was stronger than you at that time?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, but at the same time, we understood that we would all be in equal conditions and that everything would ultimately depend only on us. And we had a huge desire to win.
Q: Besides Moskvina, did you consider any other options?
Aleksandr Galliamov: No. There were last-minute offers, but by then we already clearly understood that we were going to Tamara Nikolaevna. We had already agreed on everything, and those people were just too late.
Q: Velikova was seriously upset with you.
Aleksandr Galliamov: And? She had Stolbova and Klimov, who also left her. She has raised many fabulous athletes. We simply wanted to move forward, to grow at the senior level, because at that time we had moved out of juniors but didn’t feel any progress.
Q: Specifically, what helped you reach a new level after moving to Moskvina? What did she bring out in you?
Aleksandr Galliamov: What? Just look at our performances in 2019 and 2021. There are actually a lot of nuances. In pair skating, it’s precisely these nuances and intricacies that you need to grasp. And that’s what she started teaching us, explaining how to do it. And we all listened and absorbed it. From the perspective of choreography, our programs also became more interesting, in my opinion. We developed many new features. Plus, we had a lot of different ideas, and Tamara Nikolaevna managed to find applications for them. We still use some of these ideas. They have become like our thing. That’s the greatness of Tamara Nikolaevna! There is no one else like her.
Q: Let’s rewind further. At 14 you had knee problems due to loads and your height. Eventually, you and your parents decided to try pair skating. How difficult was that decision?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, I had a loss of coordination, lost all my jumps. I was even falling from double jumps. So, I went into pair skating. At 14, I didn’t even have a constant partner. So, at first, I learned to do lifts with different partners. I remember their partners glancing at me sideways, saying, “Hey, what are you doing? That’s my partner!”
Q: At that moment, when you realized that single skating wasn’t an option anymore, was there any disappointment or depression?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Honestly, I didn’t even know if I would stay in figure skating at all. So, as a last resort, I decided to try pairs, since I could still jump. Actually, it all happened so fast, and I didn’t really have time to dwell on it. An opportunity came up, I took it – and that was it. It would have been much scarier just to quit figure skating altogether.
Q: How does the process of choosing a partner go?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Sometimes the coach finds a partner for a skater. And sometimes the skater finds one themselves. They could even be in another city or even another country. This used to be a common practice. You just look at what options are available that match in height. Then you meet, get on the ice, and over the course of a week, you see the results: if it goes well, you continue skating together, and then programs are done for you. Anastasia and I understood we matched within three days. And from there, everything got better and better.
Q: What drew you to Anastasia?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Her character. It was clear that she was ready and eager to push forward. And, of course, her skill. When Anastasia and I teamed up, she had already won junior titles, which was also very exciting for me, to start skating with such a partner.
Q: In your pair, does someone drag the other forward?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Definitely not. We can always support each other, striving to move forward together, and there’s no pulling the blanket over oneself.
Q: Before figure skating, you spent six months in a choreography studio in Yekaterinburg. About that experience you said: “I didn’t have the spark in my eyes. On the ice, I felt a completely different chemistry.” What did you find for yourself on the ice?
Aleksandr Galliamov: In ballet, I literally fell asleep during classes, but when I went to my first figure skating training, I didn’t even notice how an hour flew by. And I remember telling the coach, “Let’s skate some more.” But they told me to come back tomorrow. I was almost six years old then. By today’s standards, that’s quite late. My parents also realized that I enjoyed skating more.
Q: Another quote from you: “Even my grandmother prepares dietary food for me.”
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, no pastries. I try to eat flour-based food minimally. Mostly, it’s boiled chicken, buckwheat, steamed vegetables, things like that. At 18, I could eat just about anything, but now I have to think about my diet. Initially, it was very difficult to eat this way, but now it has become a habit. Of course, I don’t eat like this seven days a week. I allow myself some treats occasionally, but I still try to stick to the diet.
Q: Do you weigh yourself often?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Very rarely. Sometimes I might gain a couple of kilograms. There are certain nuances and reasons, but I can also easily lose 2.5 kilograms.
Q: Zenit football player Glushenkov recently said that a beer after a match is almost sacred. Can figure skaters allow themselves beer?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Some might allow themselves, but I personally don’t like beer because it’s bitter. Only on a holiday, like New Year or a birthday, might I allow myself a glass of champagne. And I definitely won’t post any photos with an alcoholic drink anywhere.
Q: Your mom is a former ballerina. She played a big role in your career. Tell us more about her.
Aleksandr Galliamov: Yes, mom took me to the rink, and even when we moved here from Yekaterinburg, she always stayed with me. She devoted 14 years to ballet, which might explain why I have such smooth arms, because even after the initial training sessions, we would come home and do more choreography. Mom said she envisioned me in a theater or ballet. She said she would attend all my performances. I think she finds figure skating very interesting now too. My dad also always helped a lot and readily agreed to move to Saint Petersburg. I think not every parent is ready to give up everything for their child’s career.
Q: And about footballers. Lately, they are often asked how much money they need to live a month. For example, Zenit’s goalkeeper Evgeny Latyshonok needs 30,000 rubles, while his teammate Maxim Glushenkov needs 500,000. How much would be enough for you?
Aleksandr Galliamov: It’s hard to say. But I’m not a big spender. Life has taught me to be careful with everything. When we moved to Saint Petersburg, we rented an apartment, bought skates, paid for additional practice sessions, had costumes made – all of that was very expensive. So, at 14, I started working as a promoter. I remember standing near the Academy, handing out flyers, while some skaters, including those who still skate now, walked by, filmed me, and laughed. The money I earned was spent on lunches, so I literally worked to eat, as strange as that might sound. My parents and I haven’t gone on vacation for many years. So, I know the value of money.
Q: Can you consider yourself a successful person?
Aleksandr Galliamov: Probably not yet. I’m only 25 and still exploring where I can grow further. I often still seek advice from my parents about various matters. I think that’s normal.
Q: And finally, haven’t they sent you the Olympic bronze medal yet?
Aleksandr Galliamov: No. Honestly, it’s unclear what’s happening. At some point, they told us they couldn’t send it, and that’s it, complete silence since then.”
Related topics: Anastasia Mishina Alexandr Galliamov
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