Figure skater Samsonov: “I never imagined my career would go this far”

Double Russian junior champion Daniel Samsonov told that he had no idea that he would be able to achieve such success in figure skating and also summarized the results of the season.

Samsonov won bronze at the Grand Prix stage, took 5th place at the Russian Championship and 8th at the Spartakiad of the Strongest.

“I think the season went well for me. Firstly, I managed to come back and show that I was able to overcome all the obstacles and difficulties in my life, all the injuries and all the operations. We managed to play and finish the season injury-free from start to finish. The second goal is that I was able to join the main squad of the Russian national team for next season. That was my main goal for this season. Bronze at the Grand Prix stage and a flawless performance with three quadruples at the team tournament added strong emotions to this season.

—What are you particularly happy about?

“I am very happy to have been able to present three different quadruple jumps this season: the Lutz, which I executed perfectly during the show jumping tournament, the Salchow which I jumped throughout the season and the sheepskin coat that I made during the team tournament. Of course, that’s not all. In the second half of the season I jumped quadruple flips and I still do it. I’m training him and he’s doing well. We haven’t taken any risks yet because it’s not as stable as the other jumps.

I am happy to have had the chance to compete with such strong athletes. I never imagined my career would go this far. That I will compete with athletes who have participated in the Olympic Games, World and European Championships. I am very happy that life gave me such a chance to try myself. I’m happy to have been one of the 12 best skaters qualified for the Spartakiad, even if I was a reserve. I would like to once again wish health to Lesha Erokhov. I’m happy to have qualified for the team tournament. I proved with my performance that I got there for a reason.

— What is the brightest moment of the season?

— The highlight of the season is the team tournament, because it’s very cool to be part of a team. It was the first time I participated in such competitions. Figure skating is an individual sport with no team atmosphere. These are indescribable emotions that will be remembered for a lifetime. I updated my personal best in the free program.

— What would you like to achieve next season?

— I want to be more stable. So that I go to competitions without doubting myself. Confidence has been lacking this season. Next season I want to show that I can not only skate and turn well, but I can also jump.

I would like to thank everyone for this season. My family and friends who accompanied me at all the starts supported me. Mom accompanies me to all competitions, she is always nearby. The technical staff, who went through all my difficulties with me, continue to work with me and put their soul into me.

Of course, I would like to thank all my fans for loving my skating. What they do for athletes is a huge amount of work. I would like to mention my group of fans, who are nearby at all starts, always throwing toys and giving gifts. I also want to thank all the villains, because they motivate the athletes to do something more. I have read all the negative comments and they motivate me to work harder. I do not wish harm to anyone, I always try to speak about every person with a kind heart and soul, I try to treat everyone with respect. We are all the same, we all work, we train, we try to show the best of ourselves. “I want to thank everyone for their support and for being by my side,” Samsonov told .