here we go! english translation
Evgeni Plushenko: I’m back, but my aim is to compete in SochiInterview by Barbara Castellaro for artonice.itJanuary 1st, Palavela. A frozen gaze that pierces your soul, reading beyond appearances, going deep into your heart. A few, rare smiles, an innate charisma, and the self-confidence of an athlete who knows he already is a legend of figure skating but that still wants to challenge himself and goes on repeating “I want to take part in my forth Olympics and I want to do it in Sochi, in my Russia.”:
This is Evgeni Plushenko, beloved and admired all over the world.
Question: first of all, welcome in Turin. How are you?
Answer: well, I’m fine, but I’ll have to undergo left knee surgery soon, and I’ll have to rest for a whole month.
Q.: after two years, you come back to competition at the Russian Nationals and you won. Evgeni is back. Mishin said: “Plushenko is an hero twice, because he come back to competitions in 2010 and now.” Will we see you in Sheffield at the Euro Championships? And what about Nice, for the Worlds?
A.: I’m sure I’ll take part in the EC in Sheffield, in January. Then, I’ll have to think about my knee, maybe. The Russian Nationals were my comeback, a good comeback. I’d like to finish this season, but, as I’ve said many times, my greatest aim are the Olympic Games in Sochi, in 2014.
From now till that moment I’ll think about competitions one by one, without forecasting anything, according to my health… (he laughs)…of course, except for the Oly! This is a long-term forecast.
Q.: in Russia you showed two new programs. Would you like to tell us something about them? You worked with your friend Edvin Marton once again, it’s a successful partnership…
A.: yes, I’ve worked and I work a lot with Edvin. For the SP I’ve worked with Yanni, a great representative of melodic electronic. He has Greek origins, but he lives in Minneapolis. He’s outstanding. He arranged Vivaldi’s “Storm”. For the LP I’ve chosen a tango again and Edvin arranged it, of course. He’s a violin virtuoso, a great artist. The title is “El Tango de Roxane”…it’s a beautiful music from “Moulin Rouge”. I’ll skate to it this evening in Turin.
Q.: a gold medal in Turin, two silver medals, one of which was called “a platinum medal”…what do we have to expect in Sochi? Which are Evgeni’s aims?
A.: it’s a great success for me to take part in my forth Olympics. It would be a memorable result itself. Of course, it would be a greatest satisfaction if I won a medal. Maybe the one I don’t have yet, the bronze…it would be the completion of my career. At the present moment, I just want to work hard and improve all the elements…also in transitions…what do you think, in Vancouver I’ve lost the gold medal because of them?
Q.: in Mishin’s team there’s a young girl who showed great programs in the Grand Prix. She’s Liza Tuktamysheva, and she really surprised us…
Plushenko: yes, Liza has a great talent and she’s really young. She had a wonderful debut in Grand Prix. I’ll wait for her in the next competitions…but she can’t take part in the EC and WC because of her young age.
Q.: this question is not related to figure skating. You’ve said many times that you stand for an Italian football team, Juventus (I stand for it, too). Do you think it will please fans this year?
P.: well, I met Alessandro del Piero yesterday during warm up. he’s a friend of mine, besides being a great champion in and out the pitch. The beginning of the season was promising. I love football and I watch Juventus when I can. Let’s hope…and not only for Italian fans…
(Alessandro del Piero plays in the team Juventus)Q.: this evening you’re skating at Palavela, in Turin. Here you won the Olympic gold, in 2006. how do you feel when you enter the ice rink? Do you ever think about that moment?
P.: I love Italy and Turin very much. Skating at the Palavela is so moving and the audience is warm, but that moment was six years ago. I’ve been on competitions, I’ve won other prizes, other medals…no, I don’t think about that moment. I just think about the audience and to give them the best Evgeni…
A smile, finally a cheery and involving smile, a wave, and Evgeni walks away, easy.
Beyond any reflection and forecast, we expect hot, involving challenges on ice, starting from Euros in Sheffield. We expect high-level technical elements and, above all, we expect to go on getting excited. Figure skating is art, and as art, it’s dream, catharsis and charm. Anyone who can give us this deserves our gratitude.
It doesn’t matter if the Tsar won’t be the same of Turin. He’s already become a legend, and a stream of images will continue to flow before our eyes: not only the images of Turin, Salt Lake City and Vancouver, but also those of the shows in which he caught and dragged us on the ice with him.
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I think this is one of the best interviews with Evgeni that I've ever read on artonice