After finishing her free skating the 2011 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist Alena Leonova gripped hands on her knee and couldn't even make a proper bow, as she was unable to bend her leg and stand on it firmly. Leonova appeared before reporters with ice bound to her knee.
Alena Leonova is sure that the winner of Europeans is going to be the most imperturbable girl.
Preparations for Europeans are in full swing in Novogorsk. Practices have been moved to late evening, so that skaters could get accustomed to the four-hour time lag. Though Alena Leonova willingly accepts all the experiments, she thinks that she will all the same have to accustom to the new location anew.
European Figure Skating Championships will be held on January 23-29 in Sheffield, Great Britain. In ladies field Russia will be represented by Alena Leonova, Ksenia Makarova and Polina Korobeynikova. Alena Leonova, the leader of Russian national team, told TEAM RUSSIA-2014 about preparations for Europeans and her goals for the tournament.
Alena’s fans living in St. Petersburg are missing her so much now that she has moved to Moscow: we can’t attend her practices or meet her in the Figure Skating Academy anymore. Even in Moscow during the Cup of Russia Alena was beset by reporters. Our conversation took place a few days later.
‘Preparing for the Final, I was surely wishing for a medal, but still the success came as a pleasant surprise to me’, Alena Leonova said. ‘I hadn’t expected that I could skate so well after the three GP events. Frankly speaking, I came to Canada feeling rather tired. That’s why I am so glad I’ve come in 3rd! It was only the second time in my career so far that I took part in the GP Final. I made two mistakes in the free skating: fell on one jump and doubled another. Otherwise I think I could have won silver.
Winning her silver medal at the Rostelecom Cup in late November, Alena Leonova secured her place in the Grand Prix Final which takes place this weekend. I caught up with Alena right after her free program in Moscow and asked her about training with a new coach, her goals for the remainder of the season and much more.
In the second part Alena talks about the process of creating the new season’s programs, working on elements and the role that her hair-do plays in her performance.
Alena Leonova has always stood out among other female skaters, both in the national team and on the international level. The reasons are her original style of skating, picturesque programs and, most importantly, the air of happiness of being on the ice, which she radiates. The Grand Prix series has been a good beginning of the season for her. Alena has already won bronze and silver, and it’s hoped that by the end of the season she will have added a gold medal to her collection.
