Daniil Gleikhengauz: “If only Kostornaia’s gratitude was shown more in training process then on Instagram”
Interview with Daniil Gleikhengauz. Gleikhengauz honestly talked about how things are going with Anna Shcherbakova, Alena Kostornaia, Alexandra Trusova and Kamila Valieva. He also spoke about the “Ice Age”, where Alina Zagitova is the host, and Evgenia Medvedeva is the participant.
source: sport24.ru dd.8th Novamber, 2021 by Konstantin Lesik
“The season is underway, so there are moments that made us happy in Turin, there are moments that upset us, but which we need to work on. In general, all the current results are intermediate – as a stage of preparation for the Russian Nationals and the Olympics”, Gleikhengauz started by answering the question about Shcherbakova’s gold and Khromykh’s silver
Anya and Maya did great quads. Then what are you unhappy with?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Of course, with Anya’s short program. Her shape at these competitions was already better, and the way she trained here both on the first day and on the day of the short program did not portend such a mistake (she doubled a loop in combination – Sport24), so we had to figure it out.
Knowing her nature and the number of competitions she had at a higher level than the Grand Prix, I understand that she is unlikely to get nervous. We’ll figure it out. It is clear that the lutz – loop combination is different from any other combination, since there is no time for reflection (between jumps).
For example, when you jump a combination with a toe loop or with an euler and salchow, you can always align yourself after landing and even correct the situation with a second jump. It doesn’t work that way with a loop. You either pick it up right away, or you get such a hitch. Of course, I would like her to add a triple toe loop, not a double one (in case of an unsuccessful landing on the lutz).
Anya said that in the free program she wanted to jump a quadruple lutz in addition to flip, but the coaches dissuaded her.
Daniil Gleikhengauz: She showed Lutz here in training and in the warm-up, and it was very good. But we haven’t jumped lutz and flip together in free program, to a music yet.
So, I decided that it was not worth the risk, because it’s harder to do flip as the second quad than the first element. The second quad requires more strength, the percentage of successful execution could fall. If she had done the first quadruple lutz and failed the flip, then the rest of the program could have fall apart. I told Anya that I trust the flip more. It was necessary to do with a positive GOE and then skate the whole program. In these competitions, it was more important to do so.
How many quads can Anya do in optimal shape?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: You saw it yourself, here she trained two quads. We can never predict how the preparation between competitions will go, what will happen tomorrow. Now we are planning to try to show lutz and flip at the Grand Prix. How it will be, no one knows.
But for the Russian Nationals, probably, even the third quad is necessary?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Will see.
About Anya’s neck injury. What did her tape mean in Budapest?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: As you can see, there was no plaster (in Turin). Nothing worries her. Muscle injuries that athletes have in any part of the body are taped. Therefore, if we pay great attention to any tape, it will be possible to write that every athlete is injured every week.
Alexandra Trusova skips the Grand Prix in Japan due to a leg injury.
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Sasha’s leg hurts. Unfortunately, I haven’t been in Moscow for two weeks, so Sergei Viktorovich (Dudakov) can answer more accurately. We are in touch, but I can not say anything more specifically about her leg.
Can’t you specify it too? That she has a stress fracture, a fracture of something, or in general that everything is wrong?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: This should be the responsibility of a physician who can provide a professional assessment of the injury.
But does the doctor have to get approval for comment?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: This is also true. The last time I saw her on video from America, where she performed great and took first place. That’s all I can say about Sasha now.
Alena Kostornaia …
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Our favorite.
How do you assess her future prospects, judging by how she did the triple axel? What is she working on now?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: On all the other jumps (laughs).
Can you tell more specifically?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Alena posted a very kind, sincere post, where she thanked us for working with her. If only it was shown more in training process then in gratitude on Instagram… We do not need gratitude from her, our task is to help her reach her maximum. And when we succeed, she will show herself in all her glory. At the moment, this is not her maximum. I think everyone understands this.
What is wrong with Alena’s training process?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: The number of run-throughs does not correspond to the rest of the athletes in the group.
She doesn’t work hard enough? Why is this happening?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Let Alena herself answer this, I cannot get into her head.
But does she come to all workouts?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Thank God, yes. Almost.
So does Alena have problems with motivation?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: It’s hard to say that this is motivation. She needs to understand herself. People are all different, not all of us can do the same thing every day and turn off our emotions, work for repetition.
Doing the same thing – this is the complexity of our sport. To go to the competitions in a beautiful dress, please the audience and skate for it, this is a holiday for them. But doing it every day in training is the hardest part.
Is there a problem in contact between Alena and the coaching staff?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: No, there is no problem with contact. We are discussing this, she understands it perfectly. The question is how to help her with this, in this routine. So that she can squeeze the maximum out of herself every day. Because when she goes to competitions every day, she always does more than she shows in training.
Is the third result in Canada logical and natural?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: It is logical and natural, but that’s not what we want. Because we talked to her about the need to skate with two axels in a free program, and not rely on one.
Alena’s components scores become lower. What is the reason?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Her component scores became lower because she does not do the choreography and transitions completely. She does not do all this in full strength, because she understands that she cannot spend more energy on it in order to reach the end of the program and make all the jumps.
How does Kamila Valieva feel? Doesn’t she have a feeling that if she does everything, she will become the best everywhere and always?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: I hope no. We arrived from Canada in a good mood. As soon as the luggage with skates returned, we immediately went on the ice and trained. She skates the programs, prepares for the next Grand Prix in Sochi.
Did you wait three days for your luggage?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: My luggage arrived here (to Turin) two days later – on a short programs day, half an hour before the start. I finally changed. The girls, it seems, got it the next day. I just flew away, I didn’t need luggage in Moscow, so I asked to send it here. As a result, my suitcase flew from Vancouver to Toronto, from Toronto to Paris, from Paris to Moscow, from Moscow for some reason to Milan, from Milan to Frankfurt, and already from Frankfurt to Turin, it was brought directly to the rink. The suitcase travels more than me.
Kamila quite rightly gets 10th for components, although many critics disagree. What do you think?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: I spoke with those professionals with whom we intersect at competitions, and not with those who are giving interviews somewhere. Everyone always comes up and congratulates our girls. When girls perform well, they say it was a great performance. Just like it happened with Kamila in Canada. It was a great program, a great performance, so the scores she got are absolutely logical.
There is still plenty of time before the Olympic Games, but the training plan is usually scheduled until February. Are there any training camps planned outside of Moscow, or will all the work be at Khrustalny?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: The entire national team, which will be selected for the Olympics, will have training camps. Until this moment, nothing more is planned, we will work at our rink.
One of your skaters, Evgenia Medvedeva, performs in the Ice Age show. Do you manage to watch her performances in your free time?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: I only see photos, small pieces of performances. Both Zhenya and Alina. Now the schedule is so tight with programs, program changes, programs for gala that there is not enough time for this. I wish Zhenya to win in the “Ice Age”. Alina has already won everything, she’s hosting the show, you cannot win there. Well maybe over Yagudin (laughs). (Yagudin is Alina’s co-host in the Ace Age)
Related topics: Alena Kostornaia, Alexandra Trusova, Alina Zagitova, Anna Shcherbakova, Daniil Gleichengauz, Evgenia Medvedeva, Kamila Valieva
Danill, you said, “she thanked us for working with her. If only it was shown more in training process then in gratitude on Instagram… We do not need gratitude from her…” in a public setting.
Doing so is a grave error. You just announced to everyone, including your skaters, that you have no reservations about condemning a young, powerful and accomplished, world renowned skater. She is 16 or 17 years old. She was ill with Covid. She’ a child.
You’ve condened her. If you were hoping to motivate her by publically humiliating her, I think you will be disappointed. I think you have harmed her, your team, and your future as a skating coach. Nothing good will come from this cruel statement.
The irony of an adult coach giving an interview in which he berates his student’s “character”. Either coach Alena and be professional, or stop coaching her. This in between bullshit where he slanders her all over the place, but still keeps her as his skater is disgusting. She deserves better. I love how Kostornaia is the protagonist in every single thing that happens in this sport, but it’s so sad to see how she gets trashed all the time by russian media and her coaches, give that poor girl a break please!
Of course one man can do several amazing programms and that’s what Daniil is doing.
This article is very consistant with what people who follows regularly the team could guess.
It’s obvious that Alena need 2 jumps 3A and more finition in her programm to secure her rank.
Those who become champion are not only high skilled, they train hard as well. That would be too easy to put all on the choreographer. I hope she will take into account the advices, she is a great skater.
Anna in the Free was great, because she lived the musich- with body and soul. Personally i was anxious about the end with the funeral music “lacrimosa”. I would be a little superstitious…death in the end……but all was great. A third quad would ruin the whole package. She has great other abilities- it would be minimized. ….Her short – not the fault- is a problem. It is not memorable….she did what she can…..but she cannot live the music. The short of last year….the music..she was in it….it was touchingly……but this year…the music is not the optimum for her. Last year it went to heart….this special music. This year not. She can do what she wants. It fits not perfectly well. DG- you must see this, fell this. I’ m sure…..Kostirnaha does not have brilliant programms. And she struggles a little. She cannot reach her original expression level this year. Better musich choice…a better memorable choreography…..One man cannot do different brilliant programms. Trussiwa has a great package this year. Really Sherbakowas Free is quiet good- she makes it brilliant. Majas short is good, but the others. Valiewas short is good. I don’t like her Bolero. But she can make the best with it. It is enough….the short for Anna….last year!!!
I’m also surprised with such a music choice for Anna. Not only lacrimosa, she also skates to “Master and Margarita” OST and actors/directors believe that this play brings misfortune. So I’d be really careful choosing such a music, especially for the Olympic season.