Tamara Moskvina: “At the Olympics our skaters will have to show the highest level, because the Chinese pair is strong and will have the support of the fans and judges on their side”
Tamara Moskvina told about what she expects from her pairs’ performances at the Russian Nationals, which will become a qualifier for the Beijing Olympics.
source: spbdnevnik.ru dd. 20th December 2021 by Mikhail Grigoriev
Tamara Nikolaevna, what will the Russian Nationals be for you, which will be held in the St. Petersburg Sports Palace “Yubileiny”?
Tamara Moskvina: The pre-Olympic championship always evokes special feelings. I myself was lucky enough to take part in one Olympics as an athlete, and in my coaching career it will be, if I am not mistaken, the tenth Olympic Games. The mood, one might say, is usual, as before every Olympics. However, this Russian Nationals will be held in St. Petersburg, my hometown. This adds a lot of additional trouble to me: a lot of people, both figure skating specialists and fans, want to attend the performances of athletes, see the pre-Olympic skates. It will be necessary to do everything so that this excitement does not affect the skaters, does not prevent them from showing their skills at the highest level.
In pairs competitions, spectators are waiting with great interest to see how two pairs you coach will fight for the gold medals. Anastasiia Mishina – Aleksandr Galliamov and Aleksandra Boikova – Dmitri Kozlovskii. Is it difficult for you to work in such a situation? How do you distribute your energy and attention between these pairs?
Tamara Moskvina: You know, I already have experience working with two very strong pairs at the same time. So it was when Elena Bechke – Denis Petrov and Natalia Mishkutenok – Artur Dmitriev trained with me, then the pairs Oksana Kazakova – Artur Dmitriev and Elena Berezhnaya – Anton Sikharulidze competed. It is very convenient for a coach when his athletes feel such close rivalry, it should be used. This makes the athletes stronger and creates a good climate. I would say that it is very useful for them, because competition is generally very important in sports. And not only in sports, but also in life. There are many examples of how competition is conducted in various fields. There is probably not a single institution where there is no competition. At the same factory, dishwashers can be produced, which are very similar to each other and only names differ. And you have to be ready for competition, you have to be able to withstand it. From the very beginning we teach our athletes that they do not live in a vacuum, that they will have to compete from an early age. And now my guys are not thinking about how their groupmates skate, but about how to defeat the Canadians, Americans and Chinese.
Will the programs which your skaters perform at the Russian Nationals remain for the Olympic Games?
Tamara Moskvina: Athletes perform their programs throughout the season and polish them from competitions to competitions, bring them to perfection. Therefore, viewers will see the programs that have already been performed at the Grand Prix. But in each case, the skaters slightly change their performance. And the fans cannot remember in such detail, up to the element of the program, so it will be very interesting for them.
You probably know that the choice of music (Georgy Sviridov “Time, Forward!”) for the program of Mishina – Galliamov caused a heated debate among figure skating fans.
Tamara Moskvina: This composition was used many times by skaters during the Soviet era. But in the first part of the program, Sviridov’s music from the movie “Blizzard” based on Pushkin’s story will also sound. We chose the music taking into account the interest in Russian culture on the part of the Chinese audience. But the music of our composers is loved not only in China, and if the Olympics had been held in Japan, then I would have also choose the music of Russian or Soviet composers. This music by Sviridov enables skaters to perform complex elements. In addition, we want to make a special impression on the audience. The audience is used to the fact that the skaters, after completing the first part of the program at a high pace, move slower and smoother towards the end of the program. And to the music “Time Forward!” they will spend the second part of the program very spectacular. As for the fact that some of the viewers negatively perceive the music “Time, Forward!” …It seems to me that this happened due to the fact that once this composition sounded every evening on the TV program “Time” (news program -ed), and someone got tired of it. But in foreign countries this music is not so well known.
Boikova – Kozlovskii will perform their short program to the music of the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky from the ballet Swan Lake, and the free program to the Olympic scale and passionate music Malaguena by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona.
Does such a strong interest of the audience affect your work?
Tamara Moskvina: No, I’m glad that people show such interest not only in women’s single skating or in men’s skating, but also in our pair skating, that they argue, discuss programs, costumes. This is good. At the Olympics our skaters will have to show the highest level in order to defeat competitors from China. Sui Wenjing and Han Cong are very strong athletes, they will have the support of the fans on their side in Beijing, and it’s no secret that the judges also show sympathy for the hosts of the Olympics. Therefore, our pairs need winning, passionate music to perform successfully.
In Beijing, our Olympians will have to compete without a flag and anthem due to the sanctions of international sports organizations. Can this affect the performance of athletes?
Tamara Moskvina: You see, the athlete has been preparing for the Olympic Games for four years. He knows that he will have to compete not in such a conditions in which Soviet and Russian athletes of previous generations won their victories. Yes, there will be no our flag, nor Russian anthem, but everyone knows which country the athlete is from, and the athlete understands that behind him is our great country, the support of our city. And he knows the best response to sanctions would be pushing himself to the limit. We must do everything to get ovation, give all our strength to win.
Related topics: Alexandra Boikova Dmitri Kozlovski, Anastasiia Mishina Alexander Galliamov, Tamara Moskvina
My goodness! Both pairs were the very best yesterday. I bow my head. Old, wise and smart Tamara, her Highness in pair scating, has just brought her pairs at the point at the peak. Personally, I like at the moment Boikowa,K. more with their programm and music. Very nice details come more and more. But it is a kind of subjective preference.Congratulation.
Tarassowa/m. were also good.