Julia LIPNITSKAIA (RUS)

Yulia came to the interview with a cute little doggie, and, unlike what we expected, with a very positive mood. We began with the positive memories.

Q: Yulia, a couple of days ago you participated a show in Sochi dedicated to a year since the Olympics. How did it go?
YL: I was nostalgic. The celebration was great though and the show was well made. Just that we really lacked sleep.

Q: Because of the rehearsals?
YL: Yes. We woke up early and went to sleep late. There were a lot of rehearsals. But then I came there well rested.

Q: Were you skating your `Schinlder's list' programme there?
YL: No, we didn't have time for that. We had a number together to `They not gonna get us' and we had to do something in 30 seconds. The only one who got to jump was Pluschenko, I did a spiral with a spin, after all I didn't skate for a month, it was useless even attempting a jump.

Q: Why didn't you skate for a month?
YL: Vacation. And I needed it. I recovered and did some job. Now we go back to training slowly. We'll work on the gliding, come up with new spinning positions, we'll start working on the jumping technique from the singles and doubles. Especially as now we have a cameraman who will be taping it all and we'll be able to see the technical mistakes on the slow mo. We started from the scratch.

Q: What went so wrong that you have to build your technique from the scratch?
YL: I have changed. I grew up. My technique was not ideal to begin with, hence once something changed I had to adjust. It was not universal. Hence now I have to learn something more fundamental.

Q: Since we are talking about a year from the Olympics - let's recall how was it. What were your emotions going to Sochi?
YL: I do remember coming to the airport. The first thing that surprised me was a bonsai tree. In the middle of the airport. I thought I would like to dig it out and take it home. In general I was overwhelmed. I haven't really been to Sochi.

Q: But there were test skates, the Russian cup, the Federation cup...
YL: Right, but when we came to the skates it was still in the building. There was nothing in the Olympic park except for the ice rink and we had to jump from one stone to the other -everything was covered with industrial dirt. We didn't believe they'll finish the construction on time.

Q: So coming to the Olympics was like going to a new country?
YL: OF course, I couldn't believe my eyes how cool and great everything came out in the end. It was such a huge work! I was walking around trying to see things and get used to them, it felt like the first time there.

Q: Did you have a feeling being home?
YL: Not at all. I.e. there were familiar faces and the language of course. You could spot the foreigners from a mile. Otherwise it was very unusual and very different from the places I've been to in Russia.

Q: Did you come to Sochi right before the competition?
YL: As always. I had one training day and a competition. There were training camps before but I never attended.

Q: Was it hard to adjust to the Sochi ice?
YL: Quite. The ice there is different. Previously the Japanese ice was weird for me - it's nothing like the others. The ice in Sochi was even more different. Even now I had to get adjusted.

Q: What are your emotions of the Olympic village?
YL: I remember we were warned they would be checking us and the suitcases all the time, but it never happened. It was scanned in the machine, but that was it.

Q: No emotions even from meeting Ovechkin? Or you dont' care much about hockey?
YL: I saw Ovechkin just once - before the individual LP. Right after their unsuccessful game. Oh, and in a place where we all had dinners. But it never crossed my mind to ask for an autograph. Though later I thought may be I should have asked to take a photo together, but it was too late anyway.

Q: Many said they didn't have a chance to have fun with the Olympic atmosphere - they were too concentrated on their competitions...
YL: Actually once the Olympics were over we stayed for a bit longer. Just a couple of days. That's when I felt it. I went to the mountains to see biathlon just when our guys won.

Q: Was that the only thing you've seen?
YL: I watched some on the TV. We had it streaming, so I could be applying the make up and watching the competitions.

Q: Trankov said when he was watching Pluschenko skating in the team event he was shaking.
YL: I knew I was not allowed to make a mistake. At all. It happened that all my emotions which I gathered my whole life to my Olympic dream helped me in the team event. I had nothing left for the individual. So those were two different Olympics. The first one, to which I was preparing my whole life - I won.

Q: Why werent' you able to win the 2nd? Not enough time to reet?
YL: I didn't have enough time to rest and recover. I was on my peak form the whole season - for every competition. First I felt tired during Moscow GP event. I failed my LP then. The same happened in the individual event. It was just bad all around.

Q: You mentioned you never had such a tough competition as one to make it to the Olympic team.
YL: That's right. I don't even understand now how did I make it. I was disconnected from everything, I didn't think about anything else besides `to make it to the team'

Q: What were you thinking going out and skating?
YL: I remember just one thought `Wow, it's the Olympics! Imagine?'. I didn't have time for anything else. Landed my first jump and continued just like in the practice. During the team event I wasn't nervious at all. I remember all the clapping during the steps but I was fine. And then during the individual - I did the first part of the programme and began the steps and it was dead silent. I was skating and trying to make some noise louder than the music - to step on the toes or something. I had to control my moves as if it was the first time I was skating the programme. It was scary.

Q: Many skaters mentioned the crowd being different. They were rooting for the country and not figure skating, clapping at the wrong moments. We remember you getting the most ovations during your spins.
YL: Well, it was the end of the programme. Though indeed thye were clapping all the time if you were not falling. If you were falling they were clapping even louder.

Q: Did it bother?
YL: I was panicking so badly it didn't matter anymore. But yes, it bothered, of course.

Q: If it wasn't for the team event would you have won the individual?
YL: I would certainly peak then. When I analyze what happened I understand I did reach my most important goal. Just that I wasn't planning competing at two Olympics in two weeks. So my 5th place is not so bad.

Q: Was there a chance to skate well in the individual given a different preparation or different mood?
YL: Many say I should had stayed in Sochi between. But I don't know what I would be able to do with 40 minutes a day practice.

Q: Do you remember what went on after the team event?
YL: A nightmare. It took me 2.5 hours to cover 100 meters from the rink to the bus. It was cold, in the night, I was so tired. The Olympics were 2 weeks away and I didn't have a second - I had to attend places, everyone wanted me somewhere, were dragging me to places, asking to take photos.. I had some rest in the flight on the way home but then in the airport we had a greeting with an orchestra, flags and kids.

Q: I.e. you had a feeling it was over?
YL: Right. I wanted to say `what are you doing? The Olympics are still ahead of me!' I was trying to rest, but there were cameras and journalists everywhere and I had to keep a straight face. What was going on on the rink... People were offered money to film my practices. The guys from Sambo70 (Lipnitksya's school) found recording monitors in the dressing room right when I was there. We had to move to a different flat. Everyone knew where I lived and people were there all the time - some men I've never met, the journalists. The new flat we moved into had bedbugs. Apparently I'm allergic. I went to the individual event covered with bites. My dress is transparent, I was afraid it would be visible. Fortunately it wasn't as I recovered slightly. Still, going to that flat.. imagine that instead of walking 100 metres from the rink home I had to cover half a city! And there was always someone following us to learn where do we live.

Q: Perhaps you should had stayed overnight on the rink?
YL: That happened as well. This is how I was preparing for the individual event.

Q: Adelina Sotnikova said she had a feeling she was watched all the time.
YL: I was told she had a stalker who was writing threats to her. I was warned it might happen to me.

Q: Were you afraid?
YL: I don't care what they write on the internet. And I have someone to defend me in real life.

Q: Did it all go down after the individual event?
YL: I thought it would and the others would become the focus of interest. But still there was so much attention. I had to fly back in the uniform. Of course everyone recognized me in the airport and came over. I went on board and thought I'll have some rest. As if! They announced `We have the Olympic champion Yulia Lipnitskaya on the board, we ask her to move to the business class to the first row'. In the end I was sitting there the whole flight but instead of sleeping I was signing the autographs and being photographed with a queue waiting for me.

Q: Is it true you received about 10K friend requests a day in one of the popular social networks?
YL: They started sending requests after the Europeans, before the Olympics. At some point indeed I had about 10K requests. After the Olympics there were thousands a day.

Q: Have anything positive come out from the fans love? The dog?
YL: Yes, the last day we were in the rented flat someone rang the bell. We opened - there is a young guy. He had flowers and some bags. Oh well, flowers were probably for mom and I, but the bags? Is he moving or something? But it turned out he had a puppy there and it was also for me.

Q: Who was that guy?
YL: Well, he left his number and the number where the puppy came from. But I really have no idea. Thank you, guy, the dog is great!

Q: You also have a cat
YL: Right, I found her in the store where I was checking the skates. There were many people and they took me to a storage room to wait. There was a box with two kittens. So I start toying with them. One kitten escaped while the others tarted climbing on me. So they just gave me the kitten. They said it was male, so I called it a little devil (`Chertik') because of the way it bent it's back when saw a dog. But it turned out it's a girl, so we renamed it into Chopa.

Q: You mentioned an Olympic dream. When have you started dreaming?
YL: There were a lot of Olympic related associations since I was a kid. For example when I was little I couldn't pronounce my last name. I was asked what is your name and I would reply `Yulia Olimpiiskaya'. Though I didn't yet understand what is the Olympics, nor what the Olympic meant. I recall a choreographer in Ekaterinburg was teaching me the basics. He said once `point the toe!'. I did. `There, you will be an Olympic champion'. So it was just going that way. When I learned what was the Olympics I would tell myself when going on the ice `I will be an Olympic champion'.

Q: You mentioned sitting in your room with a flag and singing the anthem as if at the Olympics.
YL: Like all the kids I had my own town and my own world in my room.. So when something would work at the practice I would go home and imagine I won the Olympics. I didn't have a flag, I would put my arms as if I did. I remember when it was not yet decided which country would host the Olympics I made a bet with one coach that if it's Sochi I'll make it there.

Q: How old were you?
YL: Probably 6 or 7. When Sochi won the bid my mom and I came to that coach and said `wait for two medals. Mine and Kovtun's'.

Q: Ekaterinburg city would be thrilled.
YL: I think if it wasn't for the unfortunate circumstances Max had a chance to win the Olympics. Taking how Yudzuru Hanyu and Patrick Chan skated. Hence it's a shame he didn't get a chance.

Q: Did you know Kovtun back in Ekaterinburg?
YL: I was first skating in Elena Levkovets' group. I later switched to Marina Voytsekhovskaya, who was coaching some older guys. Kovtun included. So I met him there. Later I remember he went to Mishin and when he was coming back he would do things completely different. I went once to Novogorsk where kids from the regions were invited. There was a training camp with Tarasova. I remember skating with the other kids and she shouted something at me. I was so thrilled - Tatiana Anatolievna said something to me!

Q: Did you have time for anything except for figure skating and imaginary worlds?
YL: Not really. I only had one day off a week and it was school and practicing otherwise. When I became older I learned to do nails, braids and hair.

Q: The braids you had at the competition - your mother's work?
YL: Yes. I taught her. When I was learned mom bought me a head with hear. But I was little so I just gave it a haircut being sure the hair would grow back.

Q: Did you have any friends?
YL: I knew some kids at school who I played with. I would go to my grandmother and would be with my younger sister and brother there.

Q: Did you have your horses back then?
YL: No, the horses came later, when we moved to Moscow. Back then we had a cat. And lots of acquaintances with dogs. I would even give them shots.

Q: Real ones?
YL: Well, yes, what's the big deal?

Q: Did you ever think becoming a vet?
YL: In our school book with the photos from our 1st grade it's written I wanted to be an Olympic champion and a vet. Or, rather, an animals barber. Just that my cat's fur needed to be cut often and I would turn it into a lion.

Q: Do you cut your dog's fur yourself?
YL: Yes.

Q: Do you remember moving to Moscow?
YL: Sure. We dropped the cat with friends, got into the car and drove. We would stay in the hotels on the way. I remember it all.

Q: Did you have a feeling it's a bit turn in your life?
YL: I knew I could always come back. We did, but only to collect the rest of our stuff that we left the first time.

Q: What did Moscow look like the first time?
YL: I remember driving on Profsouz str where we rented a room for the tryouts time. I was thinking `one street here is bigger then our whole town!'. I got used to the narrow streets, small houses, a river and that's it.

Q: Were you comfortable? For instance people from St. Petersburg can't get used to Moscow.
YL: I can't get used to St. Petersburg. No, Moscow was an eye opener for me. Now when going on Profsouz stre I feel how my perception have changed.

Q: Did you go to the red square immediately?
YL: No, only during the first holidays. I started working straight away. But we changed a lot of places.

Q: Were the practices in Moscow very different from Ekaterinburg?
YL: First I was shocked the usual practice in Moscow lasted for 2 hours and the Sunday almost 2.5 hours. I never skated for more than an hour. I had to do all those jumps 2-2-2, the lutz, the flip... Because I was doing it all without thinking I learned the wrong edge on the flip, hence we are working a lot on my basics now to fix it.

Q: There is a feeling your career was kind of `came, saw, won'. The move to Moscow, the junior GP events, the JGPF, and so on till the 2012/2013 season when you were injured for the first time...
YL: I actually had 7 or 8 injures that season. I was breaking my legs all the time - right, left, ankles. Then I went to a professional who works with Nina Mozer's group and he said I had a flatfoot and wrongly turned feet. That till I start working on my muscles and use the right insoles I'll keep breaking my legs. When I started using the insoles it was so painful. But it helped. That season, however, I had to have 3 injections in my ankle. After the first I started walking more or less ok. After the second- not quite clear. After the third I got up and fell. I couldn't step on my foot it was too painful. I was wheeled out from the hospital, sat for 3 days and had no idea what next.

Q: Was it right before the GP?
YL: Yes. I participated the GP and then had that concussion. I remember skating the LP in the practice, doing my last camel spin and don't know whether it was the lack of concentration or tiredness but I hit my chin on the ice. I couldn't get up.

Q: Were you afraid?
YL: Don't remember. I remember when I was taken to the hospital I was nauseous all the way.

Q: It was not clear how long it would take you to recover.
YL: I missed Russian nationals but knew I had to make it to the juniors team. Otherwise I wouldn't get any GP events the next season. I started preparing. I remember doing a 3loop and feeling I can't bend nor unbend. A nerve got stuck. There were just a couple of days left before the nationals. Again, doctors, xrays, doctors... one said I had to retire with all those injuries, the other said the same. We did some more injections but they influenced my coordination. And in an addition to that I got a food poisoning. There I was at the competition, 2kg lighter and trying to make it to the team. By miracle I made it and was more or less ready for the worlds.

Q: Was that season the worst in understanding how cruel the sport is?
YL: I don't even know. I just didn't want anything back then. AT some point I didn't even think the Olympics were next season. But I understood I couldn't give up then after all I went though.

Q: Was it worth it?
YL: Well, I did recover and skate again. So no, I wasn't considering retiring. Before the Olympics season both my mother and my coach helped me a lot, dragged me into that season.

Q: Your mother never said `enough, stop'?
YL: No. We only spoke once about retiring - before moving to Moscow. She said then `either we go to Moscow or you go back to school and actually study'. I said lets go to Moscow. And then thought `dear god, why did I say that?'

Q: Yulia, we understand things are getting better now - your mood, your perspective. But what do you think - was it possible to avoid all the negative emotions of the first part of the post olympic season?
YL: It's hard to say. I can't even promise I'll be in a good shape next season. Fixing the technique is not easy, I will have to learn again performing all we are working on now in the competitions.

Q: Did this season give you any positive experience?
YL: You can't go to a competition when not ready. You expect a miracle and it doesn't happen. I.e. I was ready to skate my SP. I wasn't quite ready on my first GP event, and a small miracle did happen there, the SP was fine there. But the LP - no.

Q: How did the fans take your failures?
YL: They support me and say things will be better. It's important for me. I look at all the things sent to me and think how many talented people are out there- the paintings, the poetry... When I rewatch the Olympics I see all the banners and understand how people were rooting for me. I haven't even noticed! So I'd like to thank them all. With such a support I feel I can move mountains.

Q: You had a dream to go to the Olympics and win it. What is your dream now?
YL: I'm so empty right now, I don't understand... I guess I have to get ready, compete, perform. But I set a goal to skate till the next Olympics and try to make it to the team. I just have to live through puberty.

Q: The experience shows while the skaters are struggling with puberty the younger ones come around and it's hard to compete against them.
YL: Let them become 17 and let's see what happens. You know, I read my old interviews and I can't believe what I said there. `I can eat whatever, as much as I like and I don't gain weight'. I can't believe it was true...

Su ciò che dici dei metodi gli anni '70 sono in vigore in modo simile in Cina, dove sì per sfuggire alla povertà i bambini vengono dati alle scuole di ginnastica artistica e allevati (non dalla famiglia) in dormitori comuni. La retta da pagare è alta ma mi sento di dire che è meglio così piuttosto che esser abbandonate per strada.
Sul fatto di "uscire dalla Russia" hai ancora ragione se guardiamo agli anni della Guerra Fredda (anche i giudici di pattinaggio si sentivano privilegiati a poter viaggiare all'estero in occasioni dei grandi eventi), mentre adesso il visto viene dato con più facilità a tutti i cittadini che ne fanno richiesta.

Non ho però notizie di simili scuole presenti nel pattinaggio, e secondo me impossibili da strutturare a causa degli altissimi costi dello sport che rimane d'elitè. In una palestra di artistica-ritmica puoi allenare anche 30-50 bambini assieme, mentre per allenarli in modo adeguato in una pista di pattinaggio, il numero deve essere di molto inferiore, e la cifra che la famiglia deve comunque accollarsi all'inizio è più ingente (fra pattini e lezioni private). Ovvero: puoi avere un esercito di ginnasti, ma per questioni di spazio, non puoi avere un esercito di pattinatori in una sola struttura.

Riguardo alla durezza dei metodi... l'ultima allenatrice che ha seriamente forzato un'atleta a fare qualcosa è stato per un caso di anoressia... che puoi leggere qui, in cui la pattinatrice in questione, per continuare a fare pattinaggio di coppia ha disimparato a mangiare, esortata dai consigli dell'allenatrice.