‘I’m trying to save my health & legs’: Russian figure skating star Evgenia Medvedeva on attempts to land quad (VIDEO)
Russian figure skating star Evgenia Medvedeva has said that she plans to add a quadruple jump to her program, but stressed that she doesn’t want to get injured on this extremely difficult and risky element.
Talking to RT Sport, the two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist explained why she had mental breakdowns after disastrous performances and what motivates her to move forward.
She also explained why her new Japan-themed free program is so special to her and when she will be ready to throw a quad at an international event.
The 20-year-old underlined that she has ‘put her soul’ into the free routine where she portrays a Japanese geisha to the soundtrack of the epic drama film ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’.
“This is the first program in my life that I really gave my soul from the beginning. Because in previous programs I started to feel the main idea, or the main emotion, or the main magic of the program only in the middle of the season or at the end of the season. So I just had to get used to my image, to the music, to myself,” Medvedeva told RT.
“I was preparing myself to the ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ and when I said to myself ‘yes, now I’m ready’ and I started to think about movements, about costume and everything. So, every moment of the program has my soul.”
Medvedeva said that she is trying to skate for pleasure and enjoy taking part in competitions, not forgetting, however, about her titles and responsibility to prove that she is a top skater.
“For sure I’m skating for pleasure because I love it. But it is not just for having fun. First of all this is my job. And secondly I’m a two-time world champion,” she said. “Every time when I had fails, mistakes and mental breakdowns after the competitions I was just thinking that I shouldn’t skate like this. Now I’m feeling that yes, this is me, and I’m doing what I usually did all these years.”
The skater expressed admiration for her younger teammates Alexandra Trusova and Anna Shcherbakova who made a stunning quad-jumping breakthrough in women’s skating, stressing that they give her an extra push to develop and overcome difficulties.
“For me when I feel that’s it difficult to jump triples or triple-triples I’m just looking at Sasha [Alexandra Trusova]. I’m just looking at Anna [Anna Shcherbakova]. Those small and tiny girls are doing quads and they do it amazingly. And I can’t to triples? Sure, I can ! Because I have been doing it for more than 10 years.”
Talking about her plans to include a quadruple jump, Medvedeva said that she has been training in the element, but concentrates more on staying healthy.
“I’m trying to save myself, I’m trying to save my health, I’m trying to save my legs and stay healthy. I will do my best. I don’t know exactly the date or competition where I will try [to land a quad]. Yes, nothing exactly but I’m still trying.”
