YAKKING WITH YAGUDIN

Alexey Yagudin – I did not hide my relationship with Masha Savelieva.

Translation of an interview with Alexey Yagudin (AY) by Maria Remizova (MR) a correspondent of a Russian language publication “Komsomolskaya Pravda” printed on April 17, 2008.

The famous figure skater talked about his personal life and many other things.

Alexey Yagudin left the big sport, but he is still the center of attention as a famous persona and one of the most valuable bachelors of Russia. Not long ago, during his work at the Ice Period show, there were a lot of talks about his romance with singer Victoria Deineko. There were even rumors of a wedding, but Mendelssohn was quiet that time. Recently his autobiographical book “Stopping at Nothing” came out where he honestly talked about the behind the scene events in figure skating.

MR – Alexey, are you getting ready for the Olympics?

AY - Currently I am working at the show “Symphony on Ice” with Ilja Averbuch. We are performing a lot and I am in good form. We are working ourselves into the ground. In reality, I am not getting ready for the Olympics for some time now, because of my operation. Unfortunately the rehabilitation was not going as I expected. Now I am just supporting my form to make my spectators happy every day.

MR – Who do you consider to be the main competitor of yours in figure skating?

AY - I respect the work of practically everyone. For me the first place or the 25th place really makes no difference – everyone has their positive and negative sides. I am just observing other skaters and I am trying to use their positive qualities for my own development. I have a great choreographer – Alexander Zhulin. Prior to him I was working with Tatiana Tarasova with whom I still have very good and warm relations. She is forever my coach number one and the only coach who gave me everything that I have in this life.

MR – Do you often visit your mother? Does she spoil you with some tasty things?

AY – Of course she spoils me with homemade meat patties and other things. Lately I am staying in Moscow most of the time and very rarely go to St. Petersburg. My mother and grandmother are the main people in my life, and any time I visit with them, they try to stuff me with some tasty food. They are always telling me that I lost weight, but it is how all normal loving parents are.

AR – Do you observe a diet?

AY – I am watching my body and sometimes I go on a diet.

MR – Did you give any thoughts to what you would be doing after sports?

AY – I am considering two options while currently I am still skating. I also am considering investing in real estate. I have a transportation company in St. Petersburg. But I am doing it only for financial reasons. My main business is figure skating. The other areas that I like to develop are the movies and music or other creative sides of life. Currently I am involved in the production of a TV series under a working title – “Hot Ice”. It is my first try out as an actor. We have already taped 20 episodes. Of course I have other proposals and I like it very much. I just published a book, which was also some different activity from figure skating. Of course I did not write it myself, I was just dictating the text. Initially it came out in Japan and later in Russia.

MR – It came out as a very revealing book. Was anyone upset?

AY – I did not set a goal to upset anyone. I just wrote about the events as they were happening. I feel that the main thing in our life is to stay a human being, not to step over some lines.

MR – Many are talking about your competition with Evgeny Pluschenko. Do you maintain any relations with him?

AY – We never were close, even when we were skating in the same group. At this time we do not call each other or write to each other. We are moving in different circles, we have different friends. To be honest I am thankful to Evgeny that all these years we were practicing and competing together. This way we helped each other to fully develop. The level that we reached at the 2002 Olympics has not been reached since then by other skaters. I have respect for his achievements and contributions to the sports. We never had bad relations.

MR – Who did you consider as an echalon of woman’s beauty in your childhood?

AY – No one. For me each person has her beauty. I can not say that I like blonds more than brunettes. Each person has her best feature.

MR – Many people think that you are a Casanova.

AY – In my life I never created any image of myself, I just live. Life is unpredictable and thus it is interesting. One never knows what will be next. But that is interesting is the process. If we would know what is next, we would be bored. And what is related to me being a Casanova, I think that all men are like that.

MR – It had been said that you are now dating a soloist of the group “Fabrica” Dasha Savelieva. How did she conquer you?

AY – It is clear that I meet ladies based on their external beauty, but if there is nothing behind the beauty, we can not have relations. Sasha is a very open, nice person. The main thing is that I can trust her. She is a good friend, very devoted and I appreciate it very much.

MR – Why did you keep your relationship with her a secret for so long?

AY – We did not really kept it a secret. We did not want to have outsiders get involved in our relations; it is usually not a good idea. Our private lives are fine, we are dating.

MR – Do you seek advice on your private matters from your mother?

AY – I am an adult and can make my own decisions.

MR – Are you planning to settle down and to start a family?

AY – I like the way I live now.

MR – So, you are not planning to get married?

AY – I was not planning to go to Germany for exhibition performances, but all of a sudden I got an invitation. I do not plan things, I just live my live and whatever happens, happens!

MR – Would you like to have many children in the future?

AY – Maybe. I am a man who often changes his mind. My views and tastes are constantly changing. Considering children, one must be an idiot not to want children in the future. Regarding the number of kids – life will tell.

MR – Did you have an event in your life that you feel sorry that it happened?

AY – Absolutely not! All actions that I took were parts of my life. We all make mistakes. One just has to draw conclusions from these mistakes. It is easy to say that one has to learn on someone else’s mistakes. But it rarely happens. Usually we make our own mistakes. It is especially true for the Russians.

MR – What is missing in your life now as to make you happy?

AY – Honestly I am happy now. I have everything that I need now. I have a job that I love; people that I love are around me. I have devoted friends and I am calm and happy.

SLUTSKAYA ON STAGE

Irina Slutskaya became an actress.

Translation of an article by Anastasia Pleshakova printed in a Russian Language publication Komsomolskaya Pravda on April 9, 2008

Former figure skater played a leading role on the theatrical stage.

The tragedy of Sophocles about the daughter of Oedipus named Antigone is one that many people read in their youth. That was the reason why for many spectators who came to the theater, the intrigue was not in the plot of the performance. The main attraction was the fact that a famous figure skater, many times Champion of Europe and the World, Ms. Irina Slutskaya debuted as a leading lady in the performance.

When choosing the leading lady for the role of Antigone, the director – Ms. Nika Kosenkova, was using simple logic – who would be better than Irina, with her temperament and her strong character to play Antigone, a woman who was not afraid to stand up to her uncle, the tsar. It did not matter that Irina did not have theatrical experience, and that she felt much more confident on ice than in an antique drama.

It was said that when Irina was offered the project she was at first puzzled, but then took it very seriously as a true sportsperson. She was working very hard at rehearsals. But she got pregnant at that time. The show was supposed to start running in November of last year, but at that time Irina had her son and opening night was postponed. There is even a joke among the troupe – Irina’s son is a result of the project.

Incidentally there are other amateurs participating in the performance – a publisher of a business magazine and an architect. One of the professional actors, Georgy Melsky, who played the role of the tsar, Kreont, was proud to announce that in his youth he was also a sportsman – master of sports in boxing.

Before opening in Moscow, the show opened in the city of Orel. There is an old theatrical tradition in Russia – to test a nontraditional performance in the provinces before taking them to the capital. The citizens of Oreal were known to be tough spectators who could even throw rotten tomatoes at the stage and express their dissatisfaction with loud whistling if they did not like the show even if it was performed by professional actors. They did like the show very much and Irina had an ovation and several curtain calls.

PLUSHENKO PRESS

Official press release of the Russian Federation of Figure Skating.

Olympic Champion of Turin, Evgeny Pluschenko, and his coach, Alexey Mishin, on April 4, 2008 submitted to the Russian Federation of Figure Skating a detailed official plan for preparation of Evgeny for the 2008-09 skating season.

The plan described all of the goals and milestones for each step of the preparation, defined the due dates for selecting the music, dates for developing the short and free programs, making of the costumes, participation in obligatory skating events, sport camps, competitions and exhibition shows.

“After I received the official plan for the preparation of the 2008-09 season, I truly understood the seriousness of intentions of Evgeny Pluschenko to come back to amateur sports and I am very happy to support his decision” – stated the President of the Russian Figure Skating Federation Mr. Valentin Piseev.

PIZZA PLUSHENKO

Figure skater Evgeny Pluschenko was denied entry to Croatia.

Translation of an article by Roman Grigoriev, printed in the Russian Language publication Pravda.ru on April 21, 2008

The MTV channel is working on a reality show – “Live with Pluschenko." The leading personality of the unique show will be the Olympic Champion Evgeny Pluschenko himself. For the first time, spectators will learn everything about the life of a famous figure skater. (Ed. Note: A concept I explored in the book, Death Drop.)

“Live with Pluschenko” is a continuation of a series of reality show projects with famous people where the TV crew is traveling with the stars all over the world. The heroes are telling themselves of all of the events of their lives on the tours.

In the first segment of the show the group goes to Japan, where Plushenko is literally followed by his fans. The spectators will see the fragments of the show on ice in Japan and even some scenes from a real Japanese steam room.

But if in Japan Plushchenko is adored, he was not able to enter Croatia at all. He was stopped at the border as he did not have an entrance visa, a condition that was introduced by the Croats recently for Russian nationals. The Border guard would not give in to Evgeny’s fame and would not let him in the country.

Another “situation” occurred at the famous resort in St. Moritz. A few minutes before the show, Evgeny remembered that he forgot his costume at the hotel. Evgeny found the solution by doing his number in the pants that he used for practice and the spectators, who paid several thousand Euros for the tickets, appreciated his resourcefulness and were very supportive of him.

In Italy, Evgeny decided to make pizza by himself for the first time. He decided to surprise his friend, the violinist Edvin Marton, and during dinner at a restaurant, he went to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the cook did not speak English and Evgeny did not speak Italian. The result of his efforts was a nice looking but inedible pizza that was appreciated only by the dog of the owner of the restaurant.

MARRIAGE MISS

Anton Sikharulidze canceled his wedding

Translation of an article by Maria Remizova printed in a Russian Language publication Komsomolskaya Pravda on April 8, 2008.

Friends of the Olympic Champion are hoping that the lovers will reconcile.

Famous figure skater and Chairman of the Committee of the Russian Parliament for Physical Education and Sports, 31 year old Anton Sikharulidze, can not say good bye to his bachelor life. Last winter, he told the press that he was getting married in the summer. His bride was a 21 year old girl with auburn hair named Nadezda.

This beauty is a graduate of the Moscow State University, Institute of Journalism.

His relationship with Nadezda has not always been worry free. During Anton’s performance in the "Ice Period" show, Nadezda was very jealous of Anton’s skating partners – the singer Sasha Saveljeva, and the dancer Nastia Volochkova, with whom he was very friendly. It almost came to a break up between Anton and Nadezda, but finally they resolved their problems and the date of the wedding was set for July 5.

More than 300 hundred guests were invited to the wedding, but last week the bride called her friends and told them that the wedding was off. The friends are hoping that they will make up again since they look so nice together.

It has been observed that Anton moved out from the place where he lived together with Nadezda and now lives alone in a Moscow Marriott Hotel.

TCHAIKOVSKAYA: THEY ALL SUCK

Elena Tchaikovskya: We may be too late for Sochi.

Translation of an interview by Sergey Dadigin (SD) a correspondent of a Russian language publication “Express Gazeta”, printed on April 1, 2008
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Elena Tchaikovskya (ET) a famous figure skating coach who brought up a number of wonderful skaters, feels that Russia is in a crisis in woman’s single skating.

SD – Elena, aren’t you a little too negative?

ET – No, not at all. If our best skater, Ksenia Doronina, takes 17th place and some people consider it a good result, I want to scream how low we've dropped. Yes, Ksenia is making her debut, but I remember that my student Julia Soldatova won the silver at European and bronze at the World Championships her first year. That was what we were supposed to reach for! Now our women do not demonstrate figure skating, but rather figure standing! It is stagnant. Many girls just know only one thing- speed up and jump! And that is all of their program!

SD – Maybe it was not worth it for Elena Sokolova to leave the sport? She could have gotten a medal at the European competitions.

ET - Maybe Elena got tired. She was competing at the highest level for the last eight years.

SD – Elena stated in one of the interviews that she was forced to leave the sport by the President of the Russian Figure Skating Federation and that she may come back next year.

ET – May come back! Absence from the ice for a year will not pass unnoticed. We will see what will come out of it. As I see it, now we need to put all of our resources in bringing up women’s single skating. I do not think that we will correct the situation before the Vancouver Olympics, but if we will be slow, we will miss out at the Sochi Olympics too.

SD – Do you have any beef with the judges?

ET – The new system of judgment is worse that the old one. Now there are two technical controllers who can do whatever they want. They can assign to an element the second level instead of the third, and the marks will automatically go down. In Geteborg, the judges sometimes discounted clean jumps, while they closed their eyes at the real deficiencies.

SD – Do you think that Maxim Shabalin was correct to compete in the European Championship with a not completely healed trauma? In the end, they won the European Championship, but did not go to the Worlds.

ET - I am not sure what recommendations the doctors gave to Maxim. In this situation the coach is the one who makes a decision. I remember that many years ago, I took Alexander Gorshkov, who had a part of his lung removed in an operation, to the World Championship in the USA. Colorado Springs, where the competition took place, was located high above sea level and the air was very thin there. It was hard to breathe with normal lungs. Some people told me that Gorshkov would die there. But I consulted with the doctors in advance, and nothing bad happened.

Shabalin had a simple meniscus operation. In principal, it is not a complex operation and doctors know how to do it well. I remember that my student Vladimir Kovalev, after a similar operation, won the gold medal for the second time at the Worlds. It is more difficult for the single skaters, who jump and have to land on the injured leg, than for the dancers to perform after a meniscus operation.

Despite her age, Ms. Tchaikovskay is in a very good sports form. Recently she demonstrated her abilities in the show “Dances on Ice”.

SD – Millions of TV viewers were delighted when during the Gala Concert you came out on the ice with another coach – Alexey Mishin. Did you practice a long time for that number?

ET – No, not at all. It was not difficult. I am conducting my coaching lessons on the skates. Of course I can not risk jumping, but I can skate for some time.

SD – Will this year the TV show “Dances on Ice” be shown again on the Russia channel?

ET – Certainly, but I will not tell you which surprises we are preparing this year.

VASILIEV THE CYNIC

Oleg Vasiliev: Pluschenko will never come back!

Translation of an article by Sergey Latinin printed in the Russian language publication Express Gazeta on April 1, 2008.

After the completion of the World Championship in Geteborg, discussion centered on whether the famous Russian figure skater Evgeny Pluschenko would come back onto the ice. In the opinion of many experts, the new World Champion, Canadian Jeffrey Buttle, and the French skater Brian Joubert, showed the highest level of figure skating, and that Pluschenko, who has not skated for two years and lost his form, would not be able to compete with them.

Evgeny himself is very optimistic. He said that he has won competitions against both Joubert and Buttle and he does not have any inferiority complex toward them. He did not change his mind about coming back. He also said that he met with the management of the Russian Figure Skating Federation and made arrangements that the Federation will pay for his practices, for his costumes and other things. He will not ask for any direct payments from the Federation to him for his return.

In regards to the operation on his meniscus, which was performed last year in Germany, it went well. The athlete is only concerned that he started to put the load on his leg too early and as a result he had some problems. That was why he lost this season.

But not all believe that Evgeny is sincerely planning to come back. The famous coach Oleg Vasiliev, whose students Tatiana Totmjanina and Maxim Marinin initially also announced that they were coming back to amateur sports but later changed their minds, was frank and said that he thought that Pluschenko would not come back to amateur sport.

According to Vasilliev, all of Plushenko's statements that he was coming back were just pure PR. After the Turin Olympics Evgeny tasted "la dolce vita” – parties, restaurants, presentations… He is used now to commercial shows, while in sports one has to work hard.

Incidentally, Evgeny did not behave right. He quarreled not only with Averbuch, but with other producers. As a result, his show – “The Golden Ice of Stradivarius” was not very successful and many people in show business turned away from him.

Vassiliev believes that at the beginning of the next season there will be the same song, Plushenko will say that he is ready to start practicing, but something will interfere. Oleg Vasiliev thinks that the other ex-world Champion – Alexey Yagudin will not become again an amateur as well.