“I have always supported Alina Zagitova, I love absolutely everything about her.” Butsaeva’s student became a discovery of the young Chechen Republic

15-year-old figure skater from Nizhny Novgorod Ekaterina Tsipukhina became one of the discoveries of the Russian junior championship in Saransk. In the free program, the girl performed a quadruple Salchow, which amazed many, and at the end of the tournament she took fourth place, thus ensuring her entry into the Russian national team.

In an interview with , Tsipukhina talked about preparing for the national championship, working with Victoria Butsaeva, studying quadruple jumps, idols among Russian figure skaters and the desire to perform on the international stage .

“Butsayeva really likes her job and works a lot. He can scold you and cheer you up if necessary.

— How did you get into figure skating? The parents’ decision?

“I wanted to ride myself, my parents supported me and still do. They treated me well, my mother now tries to accompany me to all competitions, helps me.

— You played very confidently at the Russian junior championship. How was the preparation process?

— For us, the Russian Junior Championship is the main start of the year. We prepared gradually – from start to start. I tried to actively develop programs and improve myself. We have thought about all the executable elements in detail. The goal was to get into the top six. Honestly, I was nervous, but the coaches knew how to find the right words and set me up very well. Many thanks to Victoria Evgenievna [Буцаевой]Galina Vladimirovna [Ищенко]Evgeny Ilyich [Власову]they believe in me, support me.

— How will you celebrate a successful debut for yourself?

— I will go to Nizhny Novgorod and see my family. The greatest gift for me would be to meet my loved ones. Maybe we can sit down and celebrate my inclusion in the national team. I won’t ask anything from my parents for a good performance (laughs), I have everything I need.

— How did you and Butsayeva meet?

“I came to see her at the end of August, we gradually started to work, to learn the quadruple Salchow, to find contacts, common subjects.

Now I am training in Moscow, I plan to fully settle in the capital.

— How can you describe this coach?

— He really likes his job, he works a lot. He can scold, cheer up if necessary, praise or joke. Understanding. I have nothing but good things to say about her. She gave me a lot of advice and guidance that helped me improve, but that will remain between us.

— How did your Nizhny Novgorod coaches react to the move to Victoria Evgenievna?

– We have a good relationship. I keep in touch with my coach from the Volga region. She helps me too.

“Malinin is a phenomenon in figure skating. I don’t quite understand how he does it.

— Today, very little girls are already doing quadruple jumps. You started a little later, is that a problem?

– Yes, it’s true. But that doesn’t bother you, the main thing is to get started. Not everything is perfect, but I’m working on the stability of the quads.

— Any objectives for studying other quadruple jumps?

— There are many objectives, we will examine them in threes. If something goes really well, we’ll try to do it four times.

— In show jumping, many admire Malinin.

— Ilya is a figure skating phenomenon. I don’t quite understand how he does it. No one had done a quadruple axel before him. What admiration!

— When you first tried four-turn jumps, were you afraid?

“It’s not easy to fall because of such elements; there have been bad times.” There was also fear, but when you start teaching, it disappears. Without quads, it is now difficult to participate in junior competitions.

— Which Russian figure skater do you like?

— I have always supported Alina Zagitova, I love absolutely everything about her: pirouettes, skating, jumps. A very majestic figure skater. I like Anya Shcherbakova, her character, and Alexandra Trusova in show jumping. I love all our Russian girls and I follow them.

—A lot of older guys will probably never perform on the international stage again. Do you aim to show yourself not only at national competitions?

— I would like to participate in international competitions, all athletes have such a goal. I hope I can participate. I can’t guess when that will happen. And we communicate with older guys, we have contact with everyone.

— Which countries would you like to visit as an active athlete?

— I would like to go to Japan, to China. I really like these countries for their setting and their culture, there are many beautiful places. They love our sport.

— What do you do besides figure skating?

– I like drawing. I studied art, but because of my busy training schedule, I had to stop. I love creative activities.

Well, I’m still studying, of course. I study online, I do my homework during breaks (laughs). My favorite subjects are Russian language, social studies and physics. There are definitely no concessions to online learning, the only thing is that I got an A in PE. As for literature, I like reading science fiction.

Blitz

– Dream?

– I want a dog. Poodle.

—Who inspires you?

– Mom, she’s a hero to me.

— Favorite dessert?

– Ice.

— Favorite musical artist?

-Billie Eilish.

— A tip that can help before an important departure?

– Feist – Fire In The Water, Twilight soundtrack.

— What is your main fear?

– There is nothing like that.

— What is your most pleasant childhood memory?

— First medal and first place in the first competition.

— If there was no figure skating, what would you do?

“I’d probably go to art school.”