Various news about other skaters

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp...4&vkey=ice_news
By Laurie Nealin, special to icenetwork.com
07.05.2009.

Lambiel savors first Canadian Stars tour

Wednesday in Winnipeg, Canada, while touring mate Sasha Cohen was busy announcing -- unofficially -- her 2010 Olympic aspirations, Switzerland's Stéphane Lambiel told icenetwork.com he was definitely not contemplating his own return to competition.

"I'm really happy with the decision [to retire from competition]. I could really enjoy performing without the pressure. It's so different to skate when you don't have the competition in your mind. You just go to the practice and do your programs," said the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, whose intentions to compete last season were derailed by a groin injury.

"I couldn't do all the elements I had to for the competition because of the injury. I couldn't practice the Axel, because the take-off is on the left side and that was very painful. A lot of spins were also painful," the native French speaker explained in flawless English.

"The performance, for me, is really important. I enjoy it. I don't regret [my decision]," added Lambiel, the 2005 and '06 world champion.

Lambiel's decision to leave the amateur ranks came on the heels of 2008 world champion Jeffrey Buttle's own surprise retirement announcement last fall, but the Swiss said he has never discussed the topic with his fellow Stars on Ice performer.

"I'm very happy to be performing here in Canada. I'm very excited about the [Stars on Ice] show. I've been touring in Japan [last winter] with the cast, and I already know the skaters," said Lambiel, who made his Stars Canada debut Wednesday night, much to the delight of the Winnipeg audience.

"I was always dreaming of performing with Stars on Ice when I was a kid. It was, for me, one of the most famous skating tours. ... After doing the tour in Japan, I could see the atmosphere among the skaters was great," said Lambiel, who has guest-star status for the final five of 12 shows that Stars performs across Canada.

Lambiel, now 24, has fond memories of competing in Canada. He won both competitions he entered in Canada -- the post-Olympics world championships in 2006 in Calgary, where he will perform tonight, and Skate Canada International later that fall in Victoria.

"Both of my experiences in Canada were great, so I really wanted to come back here to perform in front of the Canadian crowd," recalled Lambiel, who cast a spell over the audience Wednesday with his masterful performance to Romeo and Juliet.

"It's one of my favorite programs. It's the program where I can really feel skating is my life," said Lambiel, who weaves movement with a single white rose into that routine.

Besides shows in Japan, Lambiel has also performed in Europe and Korea since announcing his retirement. In June, he heads back to Japan for two weeks of shows and expects to return to Korea in August for more performances.

Lambiel still wakes up with pain every day due to his injury. Massage, physiotherapy and strength training allow him to keep going while he works at strengthening his upper body to help heal the injury.

Planning ahead, in terms of his professional skating career, is not something Lambiel has done. In fact, he said, he is a spontaneous person who does not like to organize things.

"I enjoy my life. I'm really lucky to travel to skate, because it's my passion. I really love going on the ice to express myself, and I don't make plans for the future. I know one day I'll have to retire from skating, do something for my life, but, right now, I just take one show after another and do the best I can and share the emotions with the audience.

"Skating took so much time in my life and, you know, you don't count the hours you work when you have a passion like that. After that, you have to find a new passion. After a skating career, you can't do something you don't like 100 percent," he philosophized.

Lambiel considers winning the silver medal in Turin to be the highlight of his career -- "the best day of my life" -- and thinks the Vivaldi "Four Seasons" program that helped him onto the Olympic podium and to a second world title was probably his favorite. Although he expressed fondness for many of his routines, Lambiel conceded the zebra-like stripes on his "Four Seasons" costume, which earned him the nickname "Little Zebra," probably made that program the most memorable.

"If you remember something from my career, it is likely that costume. What I was thinking when I imagined this program was a story around this zebra who is looking at snow for the first time in his life. And he's kind of in another world, kind of lost and trying to find his way. It was kind of a fairytale," Lambiel explained.

Asked about Russian Evgeni Plushenko's musings about returning to compete in the upcoming Olympic season after taking the gold in 2006, Lambiel said, "I think if he can come back, it is very good for him and very good for figure skating, because he has a very strong personality and he is a very good character for skating. I really hope he can practice as much as he needs to come back because it's not easy to make a comeback. I wish him all the best and good luck."

As for predictions about which men are most likely to succeed Plushenko, Buttle and himself as Olympic medalists next February, Lambiel said there are many possibilities. However, his top four picks would be Plushenko, if he does come back, Canadian Patrick Chan, Frenchman Brian Joubert and American Evan Lysacek, the reigning world champion.

As yet, Lambiel has no official role for the Vancouver Games, although he would love to be involved. He will get a taste of the Olympic city when Stars on Ice lands there for its final Canadian performance next Tuesday.

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/figure-skating/n...egins+work+quad
Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009
By Jennifer Lukas, CTVOlympics.ca

Chan begins work on the quad

With a second-straight national title, two Grand Prix wins, the Four Continents championship title and a silver world championship medal under his belt, 18-year-old Patrick Chan had one heck of a coming-out year.

And now, going into his last summer training season before what he hopes will be his first Olympic Games, the young figure skater says he is preparing to reach even higher.

"There is going to be a quad in the program," Chan said in a recent interview with CTVOlympics.ca. "I started practicing it a couple days ago. I haven't skated lately because of (media conferences), but I'm planning to start working on it after June. Or even now."

It's not the first time Chan's work - or lack of it - on the quadruple jump has made headlines. Days before competing at the Worlds in March, Chan made headlines with words directed toward Brian Joubert of France. The French competitor had made comments about the lack of quad jumps in men's skating. Chan fired back.

"I think Joubert is constantly, always complaining,'' Chan told reporters at the time, "because he never has anything else to say.''

Chan got a lot of heat for his comments at the time, but looking back, the teenager considers it a learning experience on the road to adulthood.

"I think that we all have to go through those. And at least it wasn't as bad as- as big of a deal. It wasn't something else like I did something worse than that," he said.

"Some people said it's good, some people said it was bad ... but I think it's something I had to get out. I think I kind of had to blow off some steam a little and let it out, but that was my bad experience with media."

Shortly after earning silver in the competition - Canada's second medal in as many world championships - Chan said he was considering the quad for 2010. Now, Chan seems ready to prove himself with more than just words. The quad is planned for his long program, he says, to be performed to music from Phantom of the Opera.

"We do have an emergency plan if it (the quad) doesn't work out," said Chan. "Probably, if you don't see it in the Grand Prix circuit (in the fall), it probably means I won't have it in the program at the Games because I don't want to be spontaneous and want to just put it at the Games because I need the experience and the mileage on it."

Chan has been working on the jump - along with his persistently troublesome triple-axel - using slow-motion computer software called Dartfish with a coach in Colorado Springs.

"We looked at the triple axel and the quad, mostly. And it really helped. It really, really helped. It gave me a different perspective about it and we changed some techniques that will hopefully help me so right now it's just a matter of doing it over and over and getting used to it."

So far, Chan says the practice on the jump is going well. "I feel better about it than the triple axel," he said. "I mean, the triple axel has still been driving me crazy. And I still worry about it every time I step into it. I don't have that confidence yet. So that's hopefully something I'll build toward the summer."

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_d...9060100631.html
[email protected] / Jun. 01, 2009

Kim Yu-na Looking to Continue Grand Prix Winning Streak

Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na, will meet her archrival Mao Asada of Japan in the first Grand Prix event of the new season. The International Skating Union (ISU) announced the schedule of the 2009-2010 ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Series on Sunday, with Kim invited to compete in the first and the fifth events. The first event, the Trophée Eric Bompard, will be held from Oct. 16 to 19 in Paris, and the fifth event, Skate America, will be held from Nov. 13 to 16 in Lake Placid, in New York. It will be Kim's first appearance in Paris since she made her senior debut in 2006.

This Grand Prix series is especially important because skaters will have their new programs evaluated ahead of the Olympic Games. The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver.

In the Trophée Eric Bompard, Kim will face 2008 World Champion and Grand Prix Final Champion Asada, 2008 World silver medalist Carolina Kostner of Italy, 2009 World Junior silver medalist Caroline Zhang of the United States, and 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen of the United States, who is returning to the ice after a three-year break. Kim, currently training in Toronto, said through her management agency, "I will prepare a lot for the first event, as there are so many strong skaters competing."

The ISU holds a total of six Grand Prix events in a season, inviting the world's top skaters to compete. Twelve single skaters and six pairs and ice dancing teams compete. Each participant can compete in a maximum of two events, with the top six skaters qualifying for the Grand Prix Final to be held in Tokyo from Dec. 3 to 6 this year. Kim has finished on the podium in every Grand Prix competition she has entered so far. Kim has had five first-place finishes and one third-place finish in the Grand Prix series, as well as winning the Grand Prix Final twice, and finishing second once.

Google "awful" Translation


Carolina, new coach - It is separate from the German Michael Huth
Marco Marangoni
http://espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio-lo...o-coach/2100649

BOLZANO. There is an air of change in technical staff of Carolina Kostner. The Gardena emerge from a couple of days is in Toronto to develop new choreography to match the music of the two race programs (short and long) the next season.
Around the magic and golden world of Carolina's something more delicious. There are currently no official confirmation but could soon be the name of his new coach. The only sure thing is that the coach will accompany the champion of Ortisei the Olympic Games in Vancouver will no longer be German Michael Huth (? The new name will be announced to all to return to Carolina in a press conference. Yet nothing has been decided? state entries near the athlete). Mouths sewn or perhaps alien to each other at home Federghiaccio. The? Ice Princess? remain in the Canadian metropolis for the entire month of June and will be followed by its choreographer Lori Nichols.

The Kostner few weeks after the World Cup in Los Angeles expressed a desire to "Want to change something". About a month ago has been seen skating for two days in Aosta in conjunction with a training course held by Olympic champion in Lillehammer 94 and European gold 97, Russian Alexei Urmanov. The former skater from St. Petersburg, 36 years on 17 November, was a student of great Alexei Mishin (though it recently came into conflict) and now Sergei Voronov follows that the next season must come to terms with the Tsar who Evgeni Plushenko decided to return to competition.

Kostner was sorry not to even the Canadian Brian Orser (silver in the Games of 1984 and 1988) that training in that of Toronto. Of course one month in June will be crucial for the European champion twice (2007 and 2008) that, according to rumors of a corridor after the World Cup in Turin in March 2010 could even hang the skates to the nail.
In the meantime Isu has made public the names of athletes who will take part in individual tests of the Grand Prix 2009/2010. The season of Carolina will begin in mid-October (15-18) and attended the first leg of the world circuit, the prestigious? Trophe'e Eric Bompard? in Paris. Just waiting to be opponents of the first order as the Japanese Mao Asada and Yukari Nakano, the South Korean Yu - Na Kim, the Finnish Kiire korpi U.S. and Cohen and Zhang. In late October, the Gardena will fly to Beijing for? Cup of China? where he will meet Rochette and Suguri. Participate in the final objective in Tokyo in December but the condition is included in the first six.
-----

Carolina, good luck!

BTW what does this part mean? "Competition among their pupils" ? Or "Urmanov vs Mishin" ??
> Urmanov was a student of great Alexei Mishin (though it recently came into conflict)

I think that Evgeny in the article has been named for making it most interesting matter.
The author of the article perhaps wants to still create the competition Yagudi Tarasova Vs Plushenho - Mishin...
But I think that It is so distant from that levels..
Plushenko and Mishin have been named only for enriching the article on Carolina Kostner and stop (for me)nothing important....

Kiss Emiliana

Got it! Mishin and Urmanov didn't quarrel. I'm relieved to read that. Thanks, grazie!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=4231345

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Johnny Weir could be coming to a theater near you

"Pop Star on Ice," a documentary that gives an inside look at what it takes to be an Olympic-caliber figure skater, will be shown in New York on Thursday at the Newfest Film Festival. The film opened last month in Seattle, and is scheduled to be shown later this month in Provincetown, Mass.; Silver Spring, Md.; and San Francisco.

"I want people to have a general impression that my life isn't all diva and fancy and blabbing about Louis Vuitton bags," said Weir, whose colorful quotes and eccentric costumes have made him one of skating's biggest personalities. "I want them to see I actually work, I actually sweat, I actually cry -- almost every day -- I bleed. I do all the things every athlete does but nobody expects Johnny Weir to do.

"Of course there's a bit of shopping in there," Weir said, laughing. "But it's very much outweighed by the trials and tribulations of being an athlete."

The film includes Weir's decision to split with longtime coach Priscilla Hill, his move to the New York area to train with Galina Zmievskaya and his off-ice time with family and friends.

If the documentary is successful, Weir hopes to follow it with a reality TV series chronicling his attempts to make the U.S. team for the Vancouver Olympics.

Johnny worked with David "Diva" Wilson for his new LP
My dream (Evgeni skate Olympics program which was choreographed by DW) was shattered

i dreamed a dream in time gone by
when hope was high
and life worth living lalala~..

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp...6&vkey=ice_news
By Lynn Rutherford, special to icenetwork.com (06/05/2009)

Wilson choreographing Weir's new programs
Three-time champ changes mind on only working with Russians


Johnny Weir and David Wilson take a coffee break earlier this year at Festa on Ice in Korea

Johnny Weir has learned the truth of the old adage, "Never say never."

After working with Russian-born choreographers for years -- including Tatiana Tarasova, Nina Petrenko, Denis Petukhov and Marina Anissina -- the three-time U.S. champion is turning to Canadian David Wilson for programs this Olympic season. But as he told icenetwork.com, that doesn't mean he's playing it safe.

Icenetwork: Why David Wilson, and why now?

Johnny Weir: Well, I've been impressed with his work for a long time, but [before] he was working with Jeff Buttle and I didn't want to mix myself with one of my top international competitors. That always put me off working with David.

So, first and foremost, I went to David because I admire what he does and he's very creative. He's one of the only people I know as crazy and colorful in the head as I am, and, if you mix the two of us, we can come up with something fantastic.

Second, like everyone else, I've seen his results. Yu-Na [Kim] had scores as high as a lot of the men at worlds. Buttle was world champion. Joannie Rochette is doing very well. Obviously, he's very good at putting together programs under [the International Judging System]. I need that input. I've been lacking as far as transitions are concerned. As much as I sometimes hate it, I have to play by the rules.

Icenetwork: In the past, you've said you will only use Russian choreographers?

Weir: When you hear something consistently, you need to buckle down. I've taken flack for only using Russian [choreography]. Previously, Russians were not necessarily choreographing for the system, because they were already the best -- and why change?

This was particularly true of Tatiana Tarasova and others from the Soviet-era generation. They were already the best; they were already successful.

But, when you're an athlete, you want to win. You have to play the game to some extent. At the end of the day, I'm still headstrong. I still have my own ideas, but I'm tapering that a little bit.

One person this year in particular called me to discuss what my ideas were. This person said, "We really want to see big fireworks at the end of a program, like Evan Lysacek does."

Now I didn't want to hear that, but telling me to look at how someone else did things brought it home to me that yes, at the end of his music, he goes huge, and maybe there's something to that. That last footwork sequence gets people clapping.

Icenetwork: David Wilson is a busy guy. How did you set things up with him?

Weir: I got him right off the airplane in Korea, where we were doing Festa on Ice. I said, "David, I'm really sorry to ask you just as you're getting off the plane, but you're booking up so fast." And he stood up with a big smile and said, "Yes, of course, I've been waiting for this. We'll have so much fun."

Icenetwork: Is he doing both of your programs?

Weir: Yes. I go right up [to Toronto] for a week to do the short, then I leave to go to Japan for the 2009 Ice Jewelry shows in Kanazawa, then I'm back a day, and then I go back up to Toronto to work on the long program for a week.

The short program music is pretty much decided. It's different for me. I don't know the name of the music; it's in Spanish. David was inspired by my "Feeling Good" [exhibition] program. He said, "You always play it kind of safe -- use classical-type music, show off your line and do pretty things. Let's do something different; after all, you can dance."

Icenetwork: How about the long?

Weir: I thought, "What's going on with my life that I can put on the ice?" I came up with a theme of being a fallen angel, kind of the same [theme] I did with Melissa [Gregory] and Denis [Petukhov]. We've chosen one piece of music for the slow middle section; we're still looking for pieces to put around it to frame it and make it a continuous theme.

In the 07-08 season, very little bad was said about me; I was on the comeback trail. This year it all flipped; I fell. I wanted a program that would show my character and the way I feel.

Icenetwork: Seems you considered people's feedback this time around.

Weir: Judges have been telling me I need more transitions and a more coherent look. I asked David what his take was, and he said, "Johnny, with you, we can do [an IJS-friendly] program, but I want to see the way you move naturally first. I don't want to just put some choreography on you. We can see what you do and turn it into a rocker, twizzle or whatever."

David said he'll have me go out there, do some things and then turn them into something different and difficult, and I won't even know it at first. I hope that's how it goes. If I think counter and rocker, three-turn, jump, spin, and I'm a robot, then it's not a piece of art. I don't like that kind of choppy idea of what figure skating has become. I want [my program] to be an epic.

Icenetwork: Are you also working on the placement of your combinations?

Weir: It's definitely been on my mind. I've lost two big competitions [2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and 2008 Skate America] because of leaving out a double toe. But honestly, if you're three minutes, 30 seconds into your free and your [first] jump is a bit off, you're thinking, "Oh my gosh, if I try the double toe, am I going to be safe?"

When I'm on the ice, I just go, I emote, and a double toe is the last thing on my mind. I have to change that in my head. I need to be aware of it."

Icenetwork: You're the centerpiece of a documentary, Pop Star on Ice, that's premiering in New York next week, and there's also been talk of a documentary series. Some might say you've got to be a little more single-minded about your focus in the Olympic year.

Weir: I am going to one of the premieres of the movie, in New York City, about 15 minutes away [from my home in New Jersey]. I'm not missing any skating for it. It's something special and something fun in my life. I think I deserve that. I'm always working and training very hard. Even when a camera crew is at my ice rink, I'm still working hard and Galina is in charge. It's not distracting.

The only day off I have is Sunday, and then I'm usually using Windex and vacuuming my apartment. I do very little extra -- weekends are for resting. Believe me, if I didn't rest, Galina would yell at me, and I'm a 25-year-old man and I don't need that. I've said this before -- check me on a Saturday night, and I'm usually home watching a DVD.

----------------------------------------------

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp...0&vkey=ice_news
By Lynn Rutherford, special to icenetwork.com (06/04/2009)

Carolina Kostner leaves coach Michael Huth
Two-time European champ looking for new training situation

Two-time European champion Carolina Kostner has left her long-time coach Michael Huth and is searching for a new training situation.

The 22-year-old Kostner, who won world silver in 2008, placed 12th at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles after a disastrous free program that saw her inexplicably singling many intended triple and double jumps. The event was the nadir of a disappointing season; Kostner also lost her European title to Finland's Laura Lepistö in part due to repeating a spin and gaining no points for her final element.

The multi-lingual skater, who is fluent in Italian, German and English as well as her native tongue of Ladin, would be comfortable training in many different countries. Born in a village in the mountains of South Tyrol in Northern Italy, she left home at age 12 when her rink in Ortisei was destroyed by a heavy mud slide. She began training full time in Oberstdorf, Germany, site of the annual Nebelhorn Trophy, under Huth's tutelage.

In Oberstdorf, the Italian champion often shared the ice with 2008 European champion Tomas Verner, as well as other top European ladies, including former German champion Annette Dytrt and two-time European silver medalist Sarah Meier, who has trained at the national center there during the summer months.

Under heavy media coverage during the 2006 Turin Olympics held in her home country, Kostner served as flag bearer for the Italian team and placed ninth. There will also be added pressure on her to perform well next season: the 2010 World Championships, held after the Vancouver Olympics, will take place in Turin.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20090607it.html
By JACK GALLAGHER - 7.6.2009.

Grand Prix assignments signal start of Olympic season

The ice on the blades had barely melted from the World Team Trophy in Tokyo, just seven weeks ago, when the moves that precede the Olympic season began kicking into gear.

First came a flurry of coaching changes, with the likes of 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu (from Charlene Wong to Frank Carroll), two-time U.S. pairs champions Rena Inoue and John Baldwin (from Phillip Mills to Jenni Meno and Todd Sand) and reigning U.S. title holder Jeremy Abbott (Tom Zakrajsek to Yuka Sato) all making moves.

Then 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen announced her return to competition, while speculation continued that five-time world champion Michelle Kwan may take one more shot at the Olympics.

The campaign for the 2010 Winter Games then began in earnest with the announcement of the Grand Prix assignments on May 30 by the International Skating Union.

The lineup will present some compelling matchups as the anticipation builds for Vancouver. With the schedule adjusted this season because Tokyo will host the Grand Prix Final (Dec. 3-6), the traditionally season-ending NHK Trophy (Nov. 5-8 in Nagano) will be held fourth in the six-circuit competition.

The GP season will commence with the Trophee Eric Bompard (Oct. 15-18) in Paris, and the field looks fantastic. Reigning world champion Kim Yu Na and 2008 world title holder Mao Asada headline a roster that includes Cohen, Yukari Nakano and Italy's Carolina Kostner.

Mao will have an early chance to go head-to-head with Kim, who will be looking to continue the sublime skating that resulted in her first world title in March. Mao, who finished a disappointing fourth at the worlds, will be the hunter instead of the hunted this time around, and could score an early psychological victory with a win.

With the Cup of Russia (Oct. 22-25) being held the very next weekend, Mao, in a highly unusual move, will skate in Moscow where coach Tatiana Tarasova can monitor the fruits of their offseason work.

While that maybe convenient, one has to wonder about the wisdom of the nearly six-week layoff that will follow. Barring a change to the schedule, Mao won't compete again until the GP Final in early December.

Skaters usually have at least one week off between events, but Mao is one of only two female skaters (along with Sweden's Joshi Helgesson) in the upcoming GP series who will take the ice in consecutive weeks.

The Japan Skating Federation's Tatsuro Matsumura told Ice Time that the decision was made by Mao's camp.

"We asked whether she minded to take on Kim and she was brave enough to say, 'I'm not reluctant to compete with anyone.' "

Matsumura said Mao wanted to skate in the Cup of Russia and that "in talks with her people, they said it would be easier for her to move from France to Russia, and it would also give her time to tune up for the GP Final."

Miki Ando, the 2007 world champion, will make her season debut in Moscow, and will be looking to build on the bronze medal she won at the worlds.

Fumie Suguri and Akiko Suzuki will represent Japan at the Cup of China (Oct. 29-Nov. 1) in Beijing, where they will go up against Nagasu and world silver medalist Joannie Rochette of Canada.

The NHK Trophy is up next with Ando and Nakano slotted as two of Japan's three entrants, with the final spot to be confirmed later.

Skate America (Nov. 12-15 in Lake Placid, N.Y.) is fifth in the rotation this season, and will feature Cohen in her first competition on home ice since 2006. She will be joined by Kim and Suguri.

It is worth noting that the U.S. has not yet named its third entrant for Skate America. One has to wonder if the spot is being held open in case Kwan jumps back into the fray.

Skate Canada (Nov. 19-22) rounds out the GP slate and will include Rochette, Suzuki and Nagasu.

On the men's side, former world No. 1 Daisuke Takahashi, who is coming off major knee surgery, is penciled in for the NHK Trophy and Skate Canada.

Takahiko Kozuka, who scored his first GP win at Skate America last season, will pull the boots on for the Cup of Russia and NHK Trophy.

Kozuka will be up against 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko, who is also making a comeback, in Moscow.

Nobunari Oda will skate at the Trophee Bompard and Cup of China. Oda will go up against world champion Evan Lysacek of the U.S. in Beijing.

An interesting interview to the Russian newspaper, the young Denis Ten, skater from Kazakhstan - "discovery" of the World Championships ... many compared him with the "young" Plushy, as Denis also performs famous Biellmann spin (while is from Denis, in fact, the idol - Yags )
-----------------------------------------------

http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=28311
10.06.2009.

Denis Ten: I want to be worthy of my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather - a famous general of Korean's Empire Min Geun-Ho

A key finding in the world figure skating in the pre-Olympic season, perhaps is 15-year-old Denis Ten of Kazakhstan. At the world championship debut, he took eighth place, but in an long program is the sixth, ahead of estimates for technique with World and European champion Brian Joubert from France. Dennis told to Agency «All sports», how to keep the desired high bar.

- Denis, after the world championship hanging from journalists is not it?
- Yes, no... (smiling). I read a few articles about me, but personally almost with none of them I not spoke. And here at the world championships in Los Angeles after an long program from mix area and I am very slow to let go, I have not felt the legs (laughs).

- At the world championship you have made a sensation. To be honest, expecting such a result?
- Plans for Los Angeles were quite modest - selected to the Olympic Games. We thought that this would be sufficient to take place no less than 24, but already at the scene found that a quota reduced to 17-and. So after the short program, where I took just 17th place, all thoughts were only about how to keep the position. Coaches complained to the low evaluation, but I do not think about it, just switched to tomorrow - in an long program. I remember his for life. Never before did not go!

- Already have personal fans?
- Yes, even after the final Grand Prix in Korea. It was very unexpected. I started receiving letters, parcels with presents. And in Los Angeles went to warmup - and saw a huge banner with my picture. This is just incredible!

- What for you has changed since the World Championship?
- First of all, the soccer world has shown me how much remains to be done, what a long road ahead. For the first time I clearly felt it at the final Grand Prix, which this year took place at the same time for juniors and adults. Very well remember how we sat in the stands with Benaiah Bariev, watched speech of men in short program, pereglyanulis each other and said: «How much do we still need to learn, work, fight!...»

- But now done. Tell me how you began figure skating?
- My mother wanted to give me in sports, which could combine with the school. I started in the group health, and then prolonged (smiles). In parallel was in music school - sang in the choir. Takes very seriously, in 2002, we even won a silver medal at the Choir Olympics in Busan (Korea). But then arose a choice: music or figure skating. I chose the latter. Frankly speaking, the conditions for training in Kazakhstan were not so. In summer, our ice-skating rink was closed, had to go to shopping malls. The first coach was Aigul Kuanysheva, I obliged her very much! And in 2002 or 2003 for «Crystal skates» Helena Vodorezova noticed and invited me.

- How to Moscow met?
- The first time was very hard. All financial matters, we are solved - lodging, costumes, travel to competitions and so on. But after the first victory in international competitions - junior stage of the Grand Prix - Kazakhstan has been actively helping me. For this, of course, thank you very much!

- Many Russian fans during the broadcast to the world championship gnawed elbows and thought: «Well, why did he not Russian?!» Do not you have thought about changing citizenship?
- No specific proposals were, therefore, was not intended. When I was a kid, did not even notice, under which the flag I stand. I do not think about the results, medals, competition - just enjoy.

- Now do not think about the results, continue to skate for himself?
- Perhaps not. Everything changed when I was 10 or 11 years. Then I decided for themselves: once started, this case should be treated with seriousness. And thoughts turned to another level to the sport. I like to workout, I love competition, love to communicate with more senior and experienced figure skater. At the World Championships in Los Angeles came in advance, to ride in a group with most strong skaters - Evan Lysachek, Kevin van der Perren, Tomas Verner. This is a tremendous feeling - to be close to such masters! Internally as soon as the draw, going to, want to rise to this level. In such moments you know, what did go.

- What skater's you like the most?
- My idol - Alexei Yagudin. It is a unique figure skater, who owns not only superjumps, impenetrable nature, but also the incredible, exciting, emotional skating. Ilia Kulik - an athlete who has made a huge impression on me! 11 years ago, he finished his career as an amateur, but still supported himself in excellent shape. It should take an example (laughs). I found it and watched many recordings of speeches Kulik - that amazing! Like Evan Lysachek, especially since last season - he's changed greatly added. The main trump card - steel nerves. Joubert? With Brian, I do sign, I can say to children (laughs). I remember I saw it on «Nice Cup» - and lost his speech: it is itself Jouber!t With open mouth and big eyes came up, photographed and took the autograph ... A World Championship in Los Angeles after an long program, he came up and congratulated to me, and said that he would remember that our meeting.

- Specialists in one voice previse you a great future.
- Of course, I realize that I had high hopes of my country, my coaches. I saw my record any program on YouTube, people write in comments: «This is a future Olympic champion». When I read, laughed, but the jokes are jokes ... usually c start last season, relax, relax, and I am now inside all boils. Do not go stress - quickly begin preparations for the new season, learn new elements, improve, move forward. So much needs to be done just as well being a purse! Planck did not want to let down. Moreover, it is necessary to represent their country and their families. My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather - Min Geun-Ho - a famous general of Korean's Empire. My grandmother told that in Korea, his biography, children learn from first class. I very much want to be worthy of his great ancestor.

- What is your secret of success?
- I'm a fan of my work - that's the whole secret. I like to workout, to put all of its 150 per cent. And I salute the hard work of Mao Asada. I saw how it works: trains seven days a week. I even once ashamed and uncomfortable stay close to it - it seems that I do not work and do nothing in practice, little ride, not doing. Lifting caps on its hard work and dedication, and try to take an example.

Yags, Kulik, Evan, Joubert, Asada, his coach (Vodorezova) ..
All, Tarasova's following

Oh, the most shining male skater at the last world championships! His extraordinary talent was spotted when he came to 2008 GPF in Korea. I remember our forum was heated with much excitement and awe at Ten's Free Skate performance at the Worlds. Everyone exclaimed he was like Plushy junior or Little Yagudin. Actually, his jumps remind me of Plushy while his general image on ice I think resembles that of Yags a lot, especially when he kissed the ice after the breathtaking performance.


I look foward to Ten's appearance in coming Olympics.


cekoni, thanks for the article. I will translate this for Denis Ten fan club in the Fevers.

Hmm... Such a comparison is not good for 26-years-old Zhenya. It reminds judges of "alternation of generations."

Of course this is only a caution, but... Ten is not just a kid. He's one of potential rivals of Zhenya. For next season, I'm cautious about his growth and possibility. And his big success is likely.

Here is a Trailer!!!

Official Site http://www.popstaronice.com/
Article http://www.homo-neurotic.com/2009/06/12/jo...es-and-glitter/

I wanna see this film but this is not shown at this year's Japan LGBT film festival!!! So I wait for next year's fest