Coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya spoke about when the Russian figure skater Alexander Samarin could end his sporting career.
Samarin has been training at CSKA under Sokolovskaya since March 2014.
– I was told he would never jump a quadruple, but I saw his diligence. I thought, well, it’s going to blow or not, but you can try. Probably, this is my first athlete in whom I started to believe like this. I thought I could try with one that no one believes in. Well, if it works – wow, it doesn’t – at least I gave it and myself a chance. We had a one in two chance.
There was a moment when he could finish. He came to me and said: “Svetlana Vladimirovna, I can’t, it doesn’t work, I’m tired.” I answer: “OK, but know only one thing, if you want to try somewhere else, try it. Don’t be afraid to offend me. You have a life in sport and you have to try it. A week later, he comes to see me with a bouquet of flowers and champagne. I was already seized with a fever, because I realized that he hadn’t finished. He hugs me and I’m already crying, not knowing what he’s going to tell me. He says: “I thought for a very long time. I will never leave you anywhere – let’s try again,” Sokolovskaya said in an episode of the documentary series One-on-One in PREMIER online cinema.
Samarin, 25, is the European Championship silver medalist (2019) in individual skating, as well as the World Championship team bronze medalist (2019).
Source : MatchTV

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