20 year old figure skater Andrey Mozalev The Russian Grand Prix series is not entirely successful. The world junior champion and participant in the Beijing Olympics came third in Ufa and fourth in Samara. Despite this, Kirill Davydenko’s student does not lose optimism and is calmly preparing for the Russian Championship.
Sport24 correspondent Konstantin Lesik talked with Andrey after his performance in Samara. We discussed the figure skater’s work on the second grade, the sensational phrase about “happy life,” friendship with Alexander Gallyamov, pair skating and the Beijing Olympics.
— Your words after the short program “I want a happy, joyful life, and not all this” excited the fans. What did you mean?
– I meant that “I want a happy life” so as not to pay attention anymore, not to get hung up on some things, my own failures. All the same, even if something so unpleasant happened, you need a good mood, a good attitude, life still goes on – you need to live and work on.
— Okay, then what can you say about the Grand Prix in Samara?
– Obviously unhappy with the short one. To perform without two jumps was very bad and, of course, affected the place… In the end I became fourth – this, of course, is a shame, but the main start is still ahead, there is still time to prepare mentally and physically.
The free program obviously turned out better. But I made a small mistake – an axel into a step-out. In principle, I’m happy with everything else, although I can, of course, add more – speed in the track, doing everything more clearly, and speed in the rotations. I’m working on it, but I’ll work even harder!
— A year ago, you also performed at the Grand Prix in Samara, and then you had problems with your skates right during the performance – you interrupted your skate due to a loose lace. Did that incident change you in any way?
“I started keeping a closer eye on my inventory. I started paying attention to how I tied my shoelaces. And he started wrapping tape around his shoes again. God forbid the lace suddenly breaks or falls off the hook, the tape will hold it in place and you can safely roll it out. Many people use this, some wrap it with electrical tape.
— The strength of men’s skating is usually measured in the number of quadruples. But this season you’ve moved away from that and are working more on the second grade. Difficult?
– Actually, yes. Especially if you add everything together with jumping. It’s one thing to skate beautifully without jumps, and another thing to skate beautifully with jumps. You’d better not do something extra to save your strength for the jump, but I personally try to do everything at full strength – from the beginning to the end of the program.
— Do you plan to return to working on the quadruple flip this season?
– Yes, I’ll refrain from working on it for now.
— At the first stage in Ufa you were with Denis Lunin, here you are with Kirill Davydenko. What does it all depend on, what specialist are you going with, who is easier for you to perform with?
— There was an agreement that Denis Lunin would go to one stage, and Kirill Anatolyevich to the second. I chose that I would rather go to Ufa with Denis, and to Samara with Kirill Anatolyevich.
I’m probably more pleased with this stage, despite the final fourth place (I got bronze in Ufa). I had a very good feeling from the free program. It was the other way around – good short, bad free. You always remember the last thing.
— Is rental still more important than location?
– In this case – yes. Because this start is more passing, the most important point in the season is the Russian Championship. This is where the location will have an impact too.
— You spend a lot of time with partner skater Alexander Gallyamov. How long have you been friends?
– Yes, when I moved to Kirill Anatolyevich, we met him – Sasha was already studying in a group then. We didn’t communicate so well then, but a little later we started to communicate more closely. And when he switched to pairs, he and I began to become truly friends and communicate, more than before.
— What words would you use to describe Alexander?
— I already had a similar question once, and Sanya, by the way, didn’t really like my answer, haha. I don’t remember my answer verbatim, but I said that he loved himself very much. And “lazy”. (Laughs). In general, it’s okay to love yourself, I love myself too!
— Would you like to try yourself in pair skating, following the example of a friend? At least in the show?
– Yes, sure! It would be interesting, a new experience, a feeling. In the show – why not? I don’t mind!
— In one of your interviews, you said that the Olympics in Beijing are far in the past for you. Do you remember that trip to the Games?
— I probably don’t want to remember my skate there anymore. I remember the very feeling of the Olympics well, and I really liked everything there. But the rental itself… I try not to think about it. Was and was.
Other “figured” interviews on Sport24
-
