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.

 

 

A: Of course, I do. Last year, too, I very much wanted to make the podium, but couldn’t do it because of my poor performance in the short program. This year I feel completely different. I’ve become much more self-confident, and the credit is due to my coach Nikolai Morozov. He helped me to believe in myself.

 

 

A: Competing in these tournaments has surely helped me. But I can’t say there is no emotional strain. Mainly it is because of the responsibility that I feel, knowing how much hope is being pinned on me. But I should try not to think about it and just skate for myself and the audience.    

 

Q: Still and all, what is your goal for these Europeans, making the podium or victory?    

 

A: I don’t know. I don’t like making plans. My mail goal has always been the same: to skate well. I live for the day. I’m sure that if I start working myself up and thinking about places, it may come to no good. That’s why first of all I try to concentrate on my skating. Of course, it would be great to make the top three.

 

 

A: Yes, I have. On the New Year’s holidays I went to St. Petersburg and had a rest, both physical and mental. My holidays lasted until the 4th of January, so now I’m feeling fine, everything’s OK, my leg doesn’t trouble me. Four days ago I began practicing in new skates, because my old ones had become shabby and soft, and I felt uncomfortable wearing them. It had always been a big problem for me to change skates, but this time I took it easy. My new skates are now almost worn in.  

 

Q: What are you paying the most attention to at practices?  

 

A: To skating my programs piece by piece, especially the free program, because the short one has more or less been mastered. As for the free program, now I skate well the first part, now the second and then the third. I want to combine these parts so that I can skate the whole program without any gross mistakes. We changed some jump entries so that it would be easier for me to do the jumps, not thinking whether I land it or not. We had to work on my Lutz, too, so that judges wouldn’t punish me for the wrong edge anymore.  

 

 

A: I recon Ksenia Makarova among my main rivals, too. She has been consistent for several competitions in a row, notably in the short program. But of course, Carolina Kostner skates fabulously well this season. Kiira Korpi is also able to prove herself. I think that the winner is going to be the one with the strongest nerves. I’m glad that this season my components score has become higher, which means that it will be easier for me to contend with Carolina. It’s very hard to win by the technical score. The main thing for me will be to skate both short and free programs clean. At any rate, I must not do any mistakes in the short program, because it usually puts the competitors into places which seldom change next day.