Alexander Samarin | Page 9 | Golden Skate

Alexander Samarin

RemyRose

YOLO
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2005
Country
United-States
Omg, that’s so nice of him :) about the toys for the young skaters in the club

Sasha is really nice. He gave one of his small silver medals to his coach from Euros last year! I think it was his way of saying thanks to her for believing in him :biggrin:
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
Aww, not the combo... but good on him putting together a combo out of nothing in the end. The guy’s a fighter.
 

thatbeatingheart

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Country
Germany
I have to admit I'm a little stressed over him competing in Tallinn. Does he want to prove he's the right choice to be sent to Worlds? Does he want to end the season on a positive note with a win here? I think I'd prefer the second option, the poor guy has so much pressure on him and could use a break. Someone calm me down. :laugh:

That said, I still enjoyed watching him at Euros very much. I found him quite impressive in person (even more so than on TV though I was already a fan), despite the technical troubles. Wishing him all the best at the Tallinnk Cup!
 

RemyRose

YOLO
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2005
Country
United-States
Alex will be on СТО К ОДНОМУ! this Saturday with 2 of his coaches! It's like the Russian version of Family Feud.
 

RemyRose

YOLO
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2005
Country
United-States

thatbeatingheart

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Country
Germany
Tallink Hotels Cup FP https://youtu.be/AWUrs8ecbrE
New music, 4loop attempt, 3 combos. Well if he had skated like that at Euros, who knows, he could be preparing for Worlds but such is life.

I'm SO confused. Same costume, basically same choreo, but different music? 4Lo instead of 4Lz? What the ..., Sasha. :laugh:
I kinda hope that it's not his next season's music, I can see myself having a hard time liking the program with the actual choreo because the first impression has already been spoiled. (At first I thought they we're playing the wrong music and he just rolled with it lol.) Anyway, I'm glad he did much better than at Euros. :thumbsup:
 

RemyRose

YOLO
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2005
Country
United-States
“I know that they call me "wooden ”

The silver medalist of the European Figure Skating Championship Alexander Samarin told Sportbox.ru about the preparations for the season, as well as about the hit and criticism addressed to him.

- June 15 is your birthday. How will you celebrate?

- For a long time this “red day of the calendar” falls at the time of training, so that everything will be as usual. True, if earlier we could at least go somewhere with partners and the coaching staff to note, now we are forbidden to leave the base in Kislovodsk. The main thing is that I will spend this day with people who have become my second family. Last birthday, for example, was also celebrated in Kislovodsk. He lay with a temperature, was sick. It was unusual, I hope this will not happen again.

- Why can not go out into the city?

- We spent a week in quarantine in their rooms. Passed tests that showed a negative result. Now it is important to maintain health, so we decided not to risk it from sin. No one complains.

- You, like other athletes, were locked up in the base rooms before passing the tests?

- A week I had to sit. He opened the door only to take food. It was not hard. We did not come here to rest. There is a goal to recover after a long break. I understand why everything is done, now is not the time to whine and complain about something. Moreover, every day we trained, ran, jumped by number. When I went out on ice for the first time, I was already breathing deeply. I missed the case, which I have been doing for 18 years.

- Is everything all right with coordination?

- At first everything hurt, cracked, broke. Although it kept in shape throughout the quarantine, it’s hard to pump muscles that work on ice on the floor. But on the first day I checked myself on a quadruple sheepskin coat. Even this element is not lost in two months. Now you need to gradually return to form, endurance. Since it is unclear what the calendar will be, for now it is necessary to gain form without fanaticism. Already doing all the elements, including the most complex. But before the combinations still work and work.

- It turns out that Dmitry Aliyev is not the only one who jumped the quadruple sheepskin coat on the first day?

- Dima before training decided that he should do it. Test your body. When I saw what he did, he also caught fire with this idea. I wanted to test myself weakly. Everything worked out.

- Why did you choose a base in Kislovodsk?

- Initially, they planned to hold a gathering here at about the same dates. Mountain air helps the lungs to work out. There are excellent conditions. A great place to improve stamina. In fact, the pandemic did not affect our preparations. They wanted to go to Kislovodsk as usual in Italy, but ...

- Now figure skating is becoming an extremely popular sport. You seem to be quite a closed, quiet person. Do you get extra pressure, do you get in the hype?

- I do not consider myself closed. Rather, less public than the other guys. Used to do more than seem. Work and not be distracted by extraneous moments. Perhaps that is why this impression is formed. But in life I am a very open person.

It's great that figure skating is becoming more popular every year. Previously, only parents came to some competitions, now wherever you come, everywhere are full halls. I enjoy the cool atmosphere in the arenas, I try to give more emotions to the audience. It is clear that the greater the hype, the greater the pressure. But I am more pleased that we have become interesting to people. Before, wherever you look - everywhere football and hockey. And now there is figure skating, which is no less spectacular. Our sport is full of intrigue, passions, emotions, surprises ... I advise everyone to go to competitions, because the TV “eats up” some moments. On the other hand, there has been more criticism. It is different. I try to selectively approach its interpretation. I’m not stopping at nothing.

- But now men's figure skating is constantly being compared with women's. As you know, reviews are not in your favor. It doesn’t hurt that men are already talked about as football players. Like, they still do not shine.

- This is not pleasant. Especially when we are compared with girls. This is silly. Firstly, there are always ups and downs in sports. Once upon a time, Russian men were in the lead, and the girls behind. Now the situation is different. But we are returning the position. The victory of Dima Aliyev at the European Championship - proves. We are already stepping on the heels of leaders.

- I still don’t understand why it’s stupid to compare women's and men's skating?

- Take at least physiology. Girls grow up earlier, go to their peak. Men need a little more time. In general, stop comparing us! We will take our soon.

- Has your program changed due to a pandemic?

- It's great that even before self-isolation we managed to build up the skeleton of the new season. We will follow the previously planned plan, but since the quarantine has made changes both in the calendar of the new season and in our preparations, at the moment we are focusing on restoring former conditions. Now the main thing is to return the sensations of ice, to bring the body to the correct state. Then gradually, without jerking, roll the program. Further everything will depend on which tournaments we will participate in. Something can be undone, something can be postponed.

- What can you tell about new programs?

- You heard music of free program. But in general, he also underwent changes, since the image needs to be changed. A short program will be more difficult than the previous one. At the moment, it is quite empty, although they have already managed to draw up a basic plan that needs to be worked out. I have long wanted to try myself in this style, to such music. This has not happened in my career yet. Honestly, I can’t recall that someone in the recent past has rolled something like that. Sorry, I can’t reveal secrets.

- That is, it will be something old-school?

“You are close to the truth.” We chose strong music. I'm ready for her. I feel it well, because it is something native.

- Girls are now trending for quadruples. Which direction is men's figure skating going to?

- Competition is growing every year. New guys come. This also spurs us. If for the foursome girls something unusual is for now, including for the viewer ... Although the girls are progressing with crazy steps. What they are already doing is a cosmic result. Men have long jumped quadruple. Now all work is on improving the quality of jumps and the number of ligaments. Unfortunately, from the new season, amended rules come in, with which many disagree.

- Why?

- Any innovations should develop sports. But current ideas, rather, on the contrary pull figure skating back. Under the new rules, the most difficult jump at the moment is that the quadruple Lutz is equated with a flip and rittberger. Axel has not yet been touched, since no one has dared to execute it yet. Lutz is really the most difficult to execute, as you jump from one arc and land on another, changing the flight path. Many tried to learn him, as before he gave more points. Last season, he was at the peak of popularity. Now all fours are equalizing, which means that development will stop again. Why learn something complicated if you can focus on the simple without the risk of losing value. There will be no progress.

“Do you understand why this is done?”


- To increase competition. For more people to claim leadership. Only artificial competition with indulgences to the weaker will never lead to development. This point of view is not limited to me.

- You can explain to amateurs what the quadruple jump means. And will men jump five?

- Sooner or later, someone will jump five. But this will require improved equipment. This is unlikely to happen in the near future, although progress in figure skating is spasmodic. Ten years ago, athletes were only trying to perform the quadruple, and even then they did it crookedly and obliquely. And the man who at least somehow jumped the quadruples was admired by everyone, without exception. Now quadruple in men's skating - for granted. Just one difference. If triplets all jump without preparation. Anytime, any day. You won’t make a quadruple from the bulldozer, you need to prepare for it.

- What do you say to people who believe that winning the European Championships is not an indicator of the level of world figure skating. Like, "this is a second-rate tournament" ...

- I will answer that they are wrong. At a minimum, this is an indicator that Russian men's figure skating is again approaching the top level. It is clear that there are two people in men's skating who are difficult to reach. But we try to reach out for Chen and Hanyu. And we are ready and should take the third line at the World Cup.

- Does male skating know what gossip and internal intrigue are?

- Of course. Although I try to ignore these things. The less you know the better you sleep. Probably, different rumors are also circulating about me. But I learned to filter this information. I believe in myself and know what I really want. As elsewhere, in men's figure skating there are fans who sympathize with one athlete and conditionally hate another. Hates, dissolving and discussing rumors are all present. To make it clear to everyone, football is a prime example - Messi and Ronaldo.

- You and Aliyev, like Messi and Ronaldo?


- In general terms, yes. Someone sympathizes with me, someone is rooting for Dima. I would like to wish through you a large army of figure skating fans not to speculate, but to support all Russians. We are all fighting for the country.

- You are now undergoing training with Dmitry Aliyev in Kislovodsk. Betting?

- Dima is my good friend. It's great that we train together. Although there is fierce competition on ice. A competitive moment is present in all training sessions. We can cut into a chocolate bar or desire. Just the other day they were arguing who would make the quadruple sheepskin coat cleaner. They argued without any prize, they just wanted to check themselves. Friendship won.

- You had high hopes in the past season. You did not justify them. Does it crush?

- Who said that he did not live up to expectations? Typically, such remarks refer to people who have completed a career, but they won nothing. Everything is still ahead of me. Its a thorny path. Everyone has ups and downs. I hope that in the future there will be more positive emotions.

- After the end of the season is "zeroing"?

- Globally, yes. It all starts with a clean slate for every athlete. On the other hand, every season is an experience, it does not matter whether it is good or bad. We discuss with the coaching staff almost on a daily basis what was done wrong, where to add, and what to leave as is. With this store of knowledge, you are coming to the new season.

- Some of my colleagues believe that each time you complicate the content of your program, but do not correctly calculate the forces. Perhaps it is better to do what you are 100% sure of?

- I can only say that there are journalists who understand figure skating, and there are such ones ... who would just throw a stone at someone. I doubt that these people were at least somehow connected with big sports. I know what I am capable of. Sure, and my rocket will take off soon.

- The second opinion. You do most jumps at the expense of good physical data, thereby leveling the gaps in technology. Thus, if your functional state is not at its peak, you cannot execute the program ...

- I look at things objectively and understand that I do not have the softness that, for example, Dima Aliyev has. I know that they call me “wooden”. Each athlete has its pros and cons. I have really strong legs. But we are working to improve my pros and cons. At the moment, we have not yet reached what we would like, but there is already a decent step forward. This makes me happy.

- And yet, if your form is not optimal, are you able to execute the program cleanly?

- Any athlete approaches the competition at the peak. I am already quite an experienced skater. I can do many elements against the background of fatigue, and in uncomfortable conditions for me. Do not forget that there is a jerk at the tournament, adrenaline spills out, its own energy. We are also working to cope with all the external factors that are present in any tournament.

“What are you getting ready for now?”

- They gave us ice, and thank God. Glad at least this fact. As I said, the main task is to recover after a pause. And then ... It is not clear what will happen tomorrow. The virus has not passed yet. Who knows what competitions will be canceled yet. The season should start as usual in September. But nobody will know how it will actually be. I would like to understand at least the calendar of the first half of the season.

- How long have you been at the training camp?

- The first will be held until June 30, as planned earlier. Then there will hardly be any break. We had so much rest. All work will go down the drain if we decide again to get dirty. Now any pause is wasted time. Work should be carried out around the clock.

- Any transition from the coach is discussed by the public. Nowhere did you find the reasons for your departure from Goncharenko to Sokolovskaya?

- Because I did not particularly voice them. In short, I had to go further, look for something new. Previously, the other guys learned the elements. As a result, the rest followed me, and at that moment I stood still and waited. It was necessary to change something. But I am very grateful to Inna Germanovna, as well as my first coach Lyubov Anatolyevna. Each mentor gave me part of himself.
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
Props to Samarin for choosing a Russian song to skate short to, and good luck in the new season
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
I keep catching myself today humming to his SP song! Wasn't familiar with it before test skates, but I find the tune really catchy (as expected for a patriotic song, just like some countries' national anthems)... Good way for Samarin to stick in people's minds :biggrin:
 
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