Liza Tuktamysheva: 'It is not easy to cope with success'

Interview with Liza from the summer camp in Turkey:

http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/827259

''-What do you expect from this season so you could say that the dream come true?

- I’d like to skate on the same level as in the last season, and if I manage to interpret my programs the way they are created it will be very cool. I want my skating look strong and of good quality then I will really enjoy it, not even consistency wise but energy wise. If the audience feels it [energy]I will consider my goal achieved.

-Apart from figure skating anything else goes on in your life?

-Nothing, nothing else is happening. I don’t want anything else. All my desires, all my energy is focused on fs, I give it everything. Only when I’ll see that I have done all I could then maybe something else will come

- Last year you were asked how did you get through tough times but this year it is more appropriate to ask how have you coped with the success?
- Yes success is not easy for two reasons: 1) you achieved all you ever wanted and you have no new goal. 2) A fear that you will be unable to repeat your success.
Fortunately, I have an amazing coach, Aleksei Mishin on my side. I will never tire of repeating this. It is enough just to look at him and see that he is absolutely calm and to charge myself from his calmness. I quite realise that after such 'up', a 'down' can follow. But it is ok, it all can be restored. So far I do not feel that anything going wrong.''

Summary of the rest:
Liza excited about her new programs, she skated these at summer camp and got a very good feedback from all who have seen it. They only worked on the short for a week but it’s already very good, music chosen by Liza from a few suggestions by Mishin. Liza says it is a ‘masculine’ music but that they chose more feminine interpretation of it and that music has a great energy.

Re 3As
To do a 3A in the short and two 3As in the long is a dream and ultimate goal but in reality it will be difficult to achieve in the near future. Too early to say anything as she hasn’t got back a 3A yet, so it is a process of regaining the form now

Re Work with Stephane Lambiel – it was interesting but more difficult than the first time (when Liza was 13). She thinks that Lambiel brought some softness out in her but most important that Mishin was happy with their work.

Thanks for posting! The line of her not regaining her 3A back worries me. Does anyone know if Mao went through this too? I don't doubt she can regain it (did she not after first landing it as a young teen? ), I am just concerned if this will have an effect on her being able to stabilize it enough to execute 3 3As in one competition

I really have a lot of respect for Liza. I hope She's able to enjoy her success at some point in the future. Right now, I'm sure She's feeling the pressure to repeat her performances from last year which will be difficult. I remember dreaming of being at the top when my groups competed and once it happened. It was definitely stressful trying to figure out how to repeat our previous success. Eventually, you figure it out but, I can honestly say that our worst season ever, was the season after our first grand championship. It sucked.........

I'm going through a hard time for personal reasons. I'm going to write this post as if personally addressed to Liza.

I can understand how success can be stressful. How do you repeat it? Is there a formula?

Maybe you don't try to repeat success. You might take it as it is, enjoy the fruits of your hard work, and continue regardless of the results. Do your best. What you did before exists separately from what you're doing now and what you've set your goals to. You don't need to replicate winning. That's out of your control. All you can do is give it your best.

And if you give it your best but it's flawed, isn't enough for some reason, somebody else is better when you go head to head, you try but you completely fail, or something honestly prevents you from giving your best, that's ok too.

Success is not a good motivator. It's external. An intangible object.

But if you have something to contribute, something worth sharing, and you find it personally fulfilling to do it (and it isn't making you go crazy or starve or poisoning your relationships with other people) then give it your all and do it. You will not regret. You have to have faith that most of the time things will be fair, and that when you deserve it, you will be recognized and rewarded for your talents.

And for those times that things are unfair and others come out ahead, it's ok too because people remember passion and talent. You can't win every single time. That's just how the world works. But you can create moments where you reach people and inspire them, and really it counts for a lot, and that's how one might define him or herself as a champion, because being a champion isn't only about winning titles, but about carrying yourself with dignity, earning respect, and winning peoples' hearts along the way.

Well, she at least doesn't have to worry about being a one-hit wonder. She was a rising star back in the day before Sochi, went through a rough period then came back strong all last season and won that World Title. She's got all the tough mentality she needs to be a repeat champion if she wants it. The biggest hurdle is always motivation.