Anton Kovalevskyi (24) is three time Ukrainian champion. In this
interview he talks about the upcoming season and how he adapted to his
life in Germany.
Q: May I ask you about the music for your new sp, lp and exhibition?
Who is the choreographer and what are the highlights of the programs?
A: The short program I didn’t change, it’s the same like last year:
Flamenco. We did a lot of work with Rostislav Sinitsyn. He is my new
choreographer and he is in our team. We changed many moves in this
program, but the music is the same as last season. The free skating is
new: Stazione di Palermo by Salvatore Vali, is a movie soundtrack. The
choreographer is also Rostislav Sinitsyn. I have two exhibition
numbers, one is Adriano Celentano, it’s the old one. I really like him
and I feel good with this program. The second one I think should change
every time. It’s up to the competition, up to the situation because for
me it’s really no big problem to make a new one. So for example the
last one I did yesterday (in the ice show in Oberstdorf) was
"Amadeus", it’s (music by) Falco, it was full of improvisation. I
didn’t think about this program, I just did it. It was just like put
the music on and dance, that’s all.
Q: What is your goal for this season?
A: For sure this season is more important for me than others because we
have the Olympic Games in Vancouver/Canada. I think the goals are to
participate in the Olympics for sure and to try to achieve a place in
top 12. This would be really nice.
Q: What do the Olympic Games mean to you? Do you have any special memories from the Torino Olympics?
A: For me the Olympic Games are really big celebration, it is a big
memory in my life. I feel it even right now. I still can remember my
feelings what it was like in Torino 2006. I can’t say how it was,
because (I have) no words, I just like the feeling that the whole
planet is watching you on TV, live. The whole atmosphere, in everything
you feel just wonderful. It is incredible and it’s impossible to pass
on feelings. So I think I can say that the Olympic Games for me are
everything.
Q: Please look back on the past season. You changed the coaches,
moved to Germany and went to your first Grand Prixs Skate Canada and
NHK-Trophy. How do you feel about your skating last season?
A: About last season I want to say that I did a really serious step,
not only for the people who are around me, but it was really big step
in my head, in my brain. It was really hard for me to change the
atmosphere, to change the coach for sure, to change the place to live,
to change everything. Now I feel good. It’s not a secret, the first two
months were really difficult for me because of a new coach, new
friends, new ice rink, new life, to change everything in my head, in my
brain. And then maybe after 2 months it was already okay. I had new
friends, everything was new. So actually I feel good, I feel as good as
at home. But for sure my home is Kiev.
About Skate Canada and NHK-Trophy: I felt not really ready for these
competitioins, but anyway I tried with the new coach. It was a really
interesting experience for me to work together with Michael Huth
because it was really much different from what I had before. I feel
something new in my body, something new in my moves, in my program and
I like it. But anyway it was a good experience, I had a good placement.
The programs were not so clean I mean concerning the elementes, but I
repeat it was really an experience for me.
Q: What do you miss most from Kiev?
A: For sure my family and my girlfriend, my friends, but that’s all!
Q: So you adapted to your life in Germany?
I feel like at home. I can't communicate yet so much in German. But I
really can ask and understand something, and this is main point I
think. Anyway I have a lot of support here, I have a friend here, we
live together, it’s Tomas Verner. He always tried to teach me German
and in exchange I tried to teach him Russian, so it’s like Ying Yang.
Q: What have you done in training since your last competition of
2008/2009 season? What other events and news except figure skating can
you tell us about?
A: The last competition of the season 2008/2009 were the World Figure
Skating Championships in L.A. Actually I did my job maybe to 80 %. The
main point was to qualify a spot for the Olympics in Vancouver. As for
my programs, I was really satisfied with the short program, there was
one mistake I fell on the steps, maybe because I was so happy that I
did everything in my short program and then I fell in this one place .
But anyway it was good. As for my free skating it was a little bit
different. I fell on my triple Axel, but anyway it was much better than
in the Europeans and I feel myself, and people around me said to my
coach Michael Huth that I made some progress, that I did a good job,
and yes it’s true.
As for changes I think that it is too early to say that maybe I should change something. We will see.
Q: You changed your style for the long program. Why and who came up with this idea?
A: Yes, I changed the style a little bit. But actually I had nothing to
say about it, only the audience has to decide, the audience is the main
judge for me, it’s really important because I skate not only for me but
for the people. The idea put together by my coach and my choregrapher.
They tried to explain to me what they need for this program and this
music and I try to put the style in this music out on the ice. And the
most important thing is that I feel good and I feel this music. Well!
Will see in the future.
Q: What new elements do you plan to include in your programs in this season?
A: I didn't think about this question yet because every time something
changes, but I'd - or rather my coach - really would like to put out a
quad in my free skating. This is the main point.
Q: You recently finished your studies, do you anything else besides skating right now?
A: Actually no! All my effort, all my ideas, all my live now is focused
on my job, on the Oympics, on everything what I do on the ice rink. I
finished the studies, I finished everything, now I’m free!
Q: What do you like about working with this coaching team in Oberstdorf?
A: Actually for me everything is interesting: how I work with Michael
Huth, how I work with Rostislav Sinitsyn and Vlasta Koprirova, it’s our
team. It’s really interesting to work with these people. I like the
off-ice practice with Michael Huth, everytime it is something
different, everytime there is something new, on the floor, something
interesting moves, I really like it. For sure in the ice rink on the ice it's the same. Every practice startswith something new, some new steps, it's very interesting and I like it.
