“It is better to jump to a more than to a more difficult, but to a less or a basic value.” Figure skater Mozalev prepares for the season

Andrey Mozalev has been in the top Russian men’s singles for several years now. The figure skater represented Russia as part of the national team at the Beijing Olympics, became the bronze medalist of the Russian championship.

correspondent spoke to Andrey and found out what content the skater will feature next season, how the pre-season training camp went and how Mozalev is coping with anxious thoughts in the absence of international competitions.

– The season turned out to be ambiguous for you: there were successes, somewhere they performed a little worse. Have you tried to figure out why?

– Certainly. We analyze each start with the coaches, each error, we analyze everything. We try to eliminate each breakdown that has occurred, we draw conclusions.

– Was it a drop in performance after the Olympic season?

– Probably not. But nevertheless, I note that the post-Olympic season was very difficult for me, because the Olympic season was quite nervous and exciting. It was hard to pack up and run after him.

– One of the most striking programs of the past season – from the “Russian Challenge”. A very unusual idea to combine the plastic strip and the ice cream. How was the number created?

– It was our idea with Lelya Romanova – my creative producer and founder of the fan club. We wanted to bring something new and unusual to figure skating, to go beyond the usual, to show that figure skating is about creativity, non-standard music and challenge.

— What difficulties did you encounter?

– The main difficulty was that the dancers live in Moscow and I live in St. Petersburg. In fact, the whole number was already staged in Moscow when I arrived at the Russian Challenge. Unfortunately, we had very little time to calculate the number, but we wanted to bring it to the ideal.

– How did the girls get used to the fact that they had to perform on the ice?

– It seems to me that in the end they are not used to it (laughs). For the girls it was the first experience, everything is new, unusual, cold, slippery. But they are great guys, real professionals, who overcame themselves and danced.

— There were a lot of positive reviews, but some didn’t rate the room. What do you think of reviews in general?

– Calmly. I always listen to constructive criticism. As for the show tournament, I decided for myself: the main thing is that I like it myself and be unusual.

And for anything unusual, beyond established stereotypes, there will always be criticism.

Do you often read comments on social networks?

– Very rarely, there is no time for this.

Should we expect more experiences like this?

– Now I can say one thing – we will continue to look for non-standard solutions, experiment, try something new. It will be incorporated into competitive programs or indicative figures – time will tell.

But do you want to suggest something else?

– Without a doubt ! I want to do something even more interesting. If I have the chance, I will certainly find something.

– Last season, a new competition format was also created – the Russian Show Jumping Championship. Can we say that this tournament is close to you?

– Yes. We also had competitions in childhood – elements of the All-Russian “Memorial of SA Zhuk” competitions between boys and girls. There, we actively skipped over everything that had managed to happen at that time. Well, since I’m a single skater, jumping and Mozalev are inseparable from each other.

– During such tournaments, is it necessary to diversify the jump set? Many people have done the same jumps.

– Everyone did what he could and what – it is important – is systematically obtained. In the same team ranking, you must not drop your team, so everyone jumps what they land with confidence. The same is true for the personal account. It is better to jump to a more than to a more difficult, but to a less or to the base cost.

– During such tournaments, the risk is not close to you? Are you about to do exactly what you can?

— Of course, because here the risk is unjustified, in my opinion.

How is your health now?

– Everything seems to be going well, pah-pah.

You haven’t trained in days…

– I pulled my groin a little, sat at home for a few days, cured the sprain. Now everything is fine, everything went well.

— You recently changed skates. How’s the ride going?

“Already good, even better than sometimes it happens. For a time, however, it was difficult to jump into it.

– How was the pre-season training camp?

– Very successful. I worked a lot on OFP – we did it at training camp in Sochi. Then we had ice camps in Orenburg, our group held them there last year. Everything is in standard operating mode.

– Who helped to put programs for the next season?

– Our choreographers Denis Lunin and Igor Koshcheev staged the programs.

Igor Alexandrovitch works mainly with his hands, and with Denis we practice sliding, ligaments, tracks, the main axis of the choreography. I was also actively involved in the productions. Both programs are our joint teamwork. Third-party administrators this year did not attract.

– Did the programs run in the usual style or will it be something we haven’t seen from you yet?

– My style. And the music will be unusual and very beautiful, deep content, interesting choreography.

— Did you participate in choosing the music or was it suggested by Kirill Davydenko?

— Yes, I participated in the choice of music. The short program music was found by Denis Lunin, even before the show program tournament, it was the second option for my number. This track then really hooked me, and I told the coaches that I wanted to put a competitive program on it. The music for free skating has already been suggested by Kirill Anatolyevich [Давыденко].

– Are you going to reveal the ideas of the programs?

— This season, we decided to realize our long-standing idea — to create and show a scenario for two programs, a story with a sequel and an ending. Anticipate possible questions about the repetition of concepts [речь о либретто прошлогодних программ французского фигуриста Адама Сяо Хим Фа], I note that we harbored this idea for several years, but we decided to implement it only this season, at this time all the pieces of the puzzle coincided – my moral preparation, the choice of music, the choreography designed, the deep meaning . In other words, the stars were aligned. And this will be the story of the fallen Angel, his Book of Life.

Short program – chapter one, the plot opens with the exile of the Angel on Earth. In bewilderment and confusion, he wanders towards the big city, his black wings rustle helplessly behind his back… Convinced of absolute human sin and depravity, he will long and painfully seek his way on Earth, his way of coexisting with We.

The second chapter – a free program – will talk about the transformation of feelings, of consciousness, of the body envelope of the Angel.

People open up to him on the other hand, he is deeply touched by the way we know how to love, make friends, show empathy. And, wanting to experience the same range of feelings, he makes a difficult, but unequivocal decision – he wants to become a man. To do this, he must free himself from the cage, which has become his disembodied, already alien, alien angelic body. And now the wings are gone for good, and for the first time in his endless life he is in great pain.

Now he is mortal, fainting from the pain, he hears the sound of an approaching ambulance… He knows and believes he will be saved forever.

This is where the Angel’s Book of Life ends – there is one more person on Earth, but that’s a completely different story…

– For the second consecutive season, Russian figure skaters cannot participate in international competitions. If the first year got used to this, then what are the feelings now?

“I don’t think any of us are used to it yet.

– With the absence of international competitions, has the preparation for the season changed somewhat?

– I can say that the preparation is even more serious than when we had international competitions in our lives, since now we have a very high level of competition in Russia. And besides, everything can change at any time, and you have to be ready for anything, well armed.

– Do not they already come from the disturbing thoughts “what if, and before the Olympics, they would not be released on the international stage”?

– I admit, visits sometimes. But I hope and believe for the best.

Almost two years have passed since the Beijing Olympics. How often do you remember these events? Do they offer additional motivation?

– Certainly! I did not perform well. And I want to prove that I am the best, it gives strength and motivation to work further, sparing no effort and every day to move forward towards the goal.

– You have said many times that your goal is Olympic gold…

– Yes of course!

– We live in the age of figure skating, where a quadruple axel is possible. What would you like to accomplish that you haven’t done before in this sport?

So far there have been no such thoughts. Now I have another task ahead of me – to gain stability and confidence in what I already know how to do.

– The start of the season is approaching. How would you rate your readiness?

– Readiness is still seventy percent.

What else do you need to work on?

– We need to roll the programs to look holistic, with jumps. I have already thrown the court, the free remained. There’s still time, I’m working on it.

Are you going to get tougher this season?

– This season will have the same content as the last one.