Alena Leonova and her coach Alla Piatova told championat.ru about the upcoming Olympic Games, recent Europeans, Alena’s programs and costumes and many other things.
It isn’t an easy job to find Alena Leonova in Moscow, for she visits Russia’s capital quite rarely in the first place, and when she does, or rather when she has to, she is, of course, very busy. I managed to catch her on the frosty Tuesday morning, when she was about to enter an underground station after receiving her Olympic outfit. I offered her and her coach Alla Piatova a lift to the Leningrad railway station. The offer was gladly accepted, and on the way to the Three Stations Square we had a talk.
Q: Alena, it was, of course, difficult to analyze anything immediately after the free skating, but have you and your coach discussed what the reason for your mistakes was, since? What did go wrong? How were you feeling at practices?
Leonova: I was feeling good, and every element was being done easily. At the competitions I came out to the ice feeling the same way. But after the first fall I started making mistakes.
Q: Alla Yakovlevna, would you like to add something?
Piatova: Of course, Alena feels good when she performs the most difficult jump in a program well. After that her high spirits let her do everything without a hitch. In such cases she has enough energy, strength and emotions. In Tallinn one spoiled element shouldn’t have thrown Alena off her stride, but, apparently, the heavy load of responsibility at an important event took its toll. And though she doesn’t acknowledge it, she was inwardly prepared to win or at least to make the podium. It’s true. And the thought of it fettered and tied her. It was the drawback that prevented her from coping with the situation. She could have skated very resolutely, and everybody expected such skating of her. She was ready for it, too. So, it means that we should work on this during the time left. We’ll aim our efforts at relieving her of doubts and will focus on her good mood and attitude. The thing is, from the technical point of view Alena is no worse than the world’s best skaters.
Q: Your result at Europeans wasn’t, of course, what you have expected, but still you surpassed all of your compatriots. Do you consider it an advantage, especially keeping in mind the outcome of Russian Nationals?
Leonova: Given that I wasn’t the leader of our team at the European Championships, because I’d placed only second at Nationals – yes, I’m happy that this time I placed higher than my teammates. What if I would have lost to both of them? Then I wouldn’t be so sure about my Olympic ticket.
Piatova: But if you’d have won the bronze, we would immediately settle the question of having three Russian ladies at the next year’s Europeans. So, we worsened the situation a bit. It’s our disadvantage. Now by all means we have to prove ourselves at other events. I mean the Olympic Games and, first of all, the World Championships, which is to decide how many skaters will represent their countries at Worlds next year.
Q: You were among the very few who resolved to do a 3+3 combination, both in the short and free programs. Naturally, the more difficult a jumps is, the more energy it takes away, and if it is performed with a mistake, its value lessens. Will you venture on this element at Olympics?
Leonova: Well, since I ventured on it at Europeans, I sure am going to do it at Olympics, both in my short and free programs. What else can I do? Without the combination the programs seem weak, plus all the girls will try to do it.
Q: Are you going to introduce any changes into your programs during the time left before Olympics?
Piatova: Alena, would you like to?
Leonova: No.
Piatova: I also think that any alterations would be pointless. There is only one thing needed: we must make Alena skate the last versions of the programs with utter confidence and self-reliance. It’s our sole ambition. Apart from this no changes should be made.
Q: You skated your short program wearing a new dress. Is it the final choice?
Leonova: I hope it is! (laughs) Maybe we will improve some tiny details, but the dress will stay. Everybody is OK with it.
Q: When will you leave for Canada?
Leonova: On the 11th of February.
Q: And what about the jet lag? Will you have enough time to overcome it?
Leonova: Yes, I will. Our competitions begin only on February, 23. Ten days are enough. I usually get accustomed quickly.
Q: It’s your first Olympics. What do they mean to you? What is your liveliest impression of the Games you watched on TV?
Leonova: First of all, Olympics are a festival. The first thing that comes to my mind is the opening ceremony, when all the athletes are in their parade uniforms and everything is vivid and beautiful.
Piatova: But we are most likely not going to see this parade. We won’t participate in it, anyway. But we’ll attend the closing ceremony instead.
Q: Why?
Piatova: The opening ceremony falls on the day when we’ll be just beginning our first practices at the training camp which is about 50 kilometers from Vancouver. We were glad to learn that the Olympic Torch relay will pass through the town where we’ll be staying. I hope we’ll have time to watch this show. As for the ceremony itself, we will watch it only on TV. But we’ll attend the closing ceremony. Hope it will be a worthy event, and we will be joyful because of Alena’s good performance and Russian athletes’ victories.
Q: But why will you be staying at a 50 kilometers’ distance from Vancouver?
Piatova: It had been planned beforehand, in May. We know what the conditions there will be. In fact, everything is very convenient, all the facilities are close to each other. Athletes will move to the Olympic village two or three days before their competitions. Or else there wouldn’t be enough room for everybody (laughs).
Q: What was your impression of Tallinn? Did you find a ready welcome? What could you say about the Estonian audience?
Piatova: The Estonians navigated the Championships most properly.
Leonova: I agree. Speaking of the organization of the competitions, it was one of the best I’ve seen lately.
Piatova: The Estonians are our neighbours. We’ve more than once visited the city of Tallinn, it has always been akin and familiar to us. We are acquainted with every member of the Estonian figure skating federation. Many of my colleagues and friends were among the 200 people or so who took part in organizing the tournament. They engaged everyone they could. So the Estonians did their job well. The ice palace is very decent. It is not very spacious, it’s true, but the stands were almost packed from the first to the last day of the competitions. The audience cheered for us, there were lots of flags, both Russian and other nations’. On the whole, everything was all right, the athletes’ spirits as well. In the hotel and in the ice palace everybody supported us, cheered for and sympathized with us.
Q: Alena, could you define the tournament in a few words? What it was for you?
Leonova: For me it was an unsuccessful event. Yes, let’s put it this way.
Q: Did you have the time to see Tallinn’s sights and places of interest?
Leonova: No, unfortunately we didn’t. It was very cold in Tallinn, so in order not to be taken ill, we never ventured on walking out of the hotel. I liked the ice palace, too. It’s quite cosy, even though the locker-rooms are so small that we almost had to sit in each other’s lap (laughs). But on the whole my impressions are very positive. If there are some other events held in Tallinn in future, I will go there gladly.
Q: What Olympic result surely won’t bring you down?
Leonova: I’m anxious to make the top six. Last year I placed 7th at Worlds, so I think it’s quite possible. The main thing is to enjoy my skating, so that the audience and Alla Yakovlevna like it. It’s my main goal at the Games, I suppose.
Piatova: I completely agree with Alena. The thing is, when a skater comes in contact with the audience and doesn’t jitter in spite of the responsibility – even if she spoils a jump – it’s seen with the naked eye. Especially if it’s an expert’s eye. When Alena is at ease, she is capable of impressing and pleasing both us, I mean specialists, and the audience. So if she succeeds in this, we will consider our mission accomplished.
Q: Is there enough time left before Olympics? Do you feel the agitation?
Leonova: No, I feel no agitation for the time being. Now I’m only eager to go to Canada. I’ve never been there!
Translated by Mikhail Sharov | 
