Interview with Aliona Leonova

World Junior Championships 2009

 

Aliona Leonova surprisingly took the title at the 2009 World Junior Championships in Sofia . She convinced with solid and joyful performances to “Al Andaluz” in the short and “La Leyenda del Beso” in the long program. The 18-year-old from St. Petersburg ended an eight year long medal draught for the Russian Ladies at Junior Worlds. Kristina Oblasova had won in 2001 in Sofia as well.

 

Q: Yesterday after you won you said that you are in shock and can’t believe that this is true. Do you believe it today, the day after?

Aliona: Everybody convinced me that it’s true (laughs). I still had a hard time to believe it, and they even threw me into the air in the discotheque last night. Now I have realized it.

Q: How unexpected did this win come to you? You were among the contenders after skating well in the Grand Prix and at the European Championships, but it has been eight years since the last Russian lady won Junior Worlds.

Aliona: This whole season is unexpected to me. I went to the Cup of Russia and it was unexpected for me to finish fifth.  I never thought that would happen. And then I unexpectedly went to Europeans and skated well there. And the same happened here as well. It’s even nicer when you don’t expect this (success) and then it happens. It is a relief and joy.

Q: You mentioned at the press conference that your season started with an injury. What happened?

Aliona: I partially tore ligaments in my right ankle joint in August during the summer training camp in Sweden . I didn’t skate for a month. I did a lot of physiotherapy. I’m still stabilizing the ankle.

Q: Nevertheless something seems to have changed this season as you are more consistent than before.

Aliona: In fact I’m starting to be more consistent with each competition and I’m skating better and better. Starting with (the Cup of) China , I didn’t do even a Lutz and now I already did the Lutz in both programs. This is good for me.

Q: What has changed and helped you to progress?

Aliona: I started to take practice more seriously and my coach pays more attention to me. At practice I’m training with my coach and choreographer, and they are watching me all the time.

Q: Additionally, Ksenia Doronina, who trains in your group, has been sick and didn’t skate.

Aliona: Yes. And I’m skating my programs like ten times. I’m so tired sometimes, I just crawl off the ice! I’m exhausted, I come home and I go to bed right away. That’s hard, but it pays off.

Q: Is Ksenia back on the ice?

Aliona: Yes, and she got all her jumps back. She is now working on her programs.

Q: Ksenia is a two-time Russian Champion and your competitor. How do you get along?

Aliona: We are very good friends. We’re always helping each other, and I learn from her and she learns from me. We are rivals in competition only.

Q: The only competition where you didn’t skate well was Russian Nationals. What went wrong there?

Aliona: Yes, already for the third year I wasn’t able to skate well. I don’t really know why. Everybody is saying that I’m skating well at the international events but I just can’t do it at Nationals. Maybe it was because of the pressure that I put on myself. I thought about making the team for Europeans and things didn’t come together for me. I also skated last and I don’t like to skate last. Everyone already has skated and you know that they skated well.

Q: What does this title mean for you and for Russian figure skating? After the retirement of Irina Slutskaya and Elena Sokolova, the Russian ladies didn’t do so well anymore.

Aliona: Obviously it was not very nice when they wrote us off and started to talk only about the young ones that are coming up – about Lisa (Tuktamysheva), Polina (Shelepen) and Adelina (Sotnikova). So of course I had to prove that we are still here, that we can fight for success and we, the old ones, are still capable of a lot of things (laughs). I think I proved that.

Q: You did. Let’s talk a little bit about your beginnings. How did you start skating?

Aliona: My mother read an announcement that you can sign up children for figure skating, and I was about four years old and she sent me to figure skating. That’s it! I first skated on a small, rectangular sheet of ice, there were lots of children, and it was like a public skating session. Everyone was skating or moving alongside the boards. Later we all moved to the Jubileini ice rink. I ended up in the group of (Tatiana) Mishina and Alla Jakovlevna (Piatova) was her assistant at this time. Then they started to work separately and I was given to Alla Jakovlevna. I’ve always been with her since then.

Q: What are you doing besides skating?

Aliona: I’m studying in the School of the Olympic Reserve and I love dancing to all kinds of music. When I’m not too tired after practices I might go out dancing, in the disco or somewhere else, together with my sister and my brother.

Q: Are there any other athletes in your family?

Aliona: My brother and my sister were also figure skaters, but now my sister is playing the piano and singing and my brother is doing breakdance.  They are both younger.

Q: Why did they stop skating?

Aliona: My sister grew very tall and my brother just didn’t like it anymore and wanted to do breakdance. At first I skated together with Katia, but then she left. My brother even joined my practice group but then he stopped skating as well. 

Q: How can you describe yourself?

Aliona: I’m energetic, I enjoy life, I’m a little bit romantic, sometimes I’m whiny - when things don’t go well I might start crying. I’m not so nervous anymore also I used to be early. I’m cheerful, athletic.

Q: Indeed, you send out positive emotions on the ice.

Aliona: I was told that people look at me and they are happy.

Q: Because you are happy and you show it. Now the World Championships are next for you. How are you approaching Worlds?

Aliona: It will be more serious than here; it’s the World Championships after all. It will be my first time, and it’s in Los Angeles . I’m very happy that I can go there. Now when I get home I will prepare seriously. There is not much time. I want to try the triple toe-triple toe, but I don’t know how consistent it will get. I will work towards it, not for this, but for the next season. I had it in summer before the injury. At Worlds, I want to skate cleaner (than here), without any minuses, without small errors and I want to get all my levels.

Q: What is your weakness?

Aliona: My biggest weakness is probably when things in practice don’t go well, I switch off right away. I just like to relax, and the coach shouts at me, “no, stand up, do it again”, and I’m just like “nah” and start crying.

Q: Do you work with a psychologist?

Aliona: Yes, I have a psychologist. We got her this season. She was hired specifically to work with us skaters. She put us into a kind of trance and drums something into our heads and when I wake up, I’m all cheerful.

Q: What is your daily schedule like?

Aliona: I’m getting up at seven in the morning, I’m washing myself, I have breakfast, I’m going to practice. It’s actually quite far, one hour 15 minutes, but they are helping me now to find an apartment near the ice rink. Usually my mum or my dad drive me to the ice rink and then it’s like 20 minutes. I have practice, and when the break is not too long, I’m staying at the rink. I do choreography and there is a dining room at the rink where we can eat. Then I have my second practice or off-ice training. Then I’m stretching and I go home to rest, to sleep or I go online, on “Kontakty” or “Facebook”.

Q: When do you have time to go to class?

Aliona: Right now they allowed me to pass my exams after all competitions are finished. So I’m studying at home but I will pass the exams later. It’s not easy to combine the studies with the sport. Moreover, they also pay a stipend, but if you miss class, they’ll take it away from you.

Q: But this is a special school for athletes?

Aliona: Yes, all students are athletes. There are not many figure skaters right now as most of them are studying at the Lesgaft Academy . Maybe I’ll transfer to Lesgaft as well this year. I didn’t go there right away because I was in Sweden and couldn’t take part in the entrance examination. Therefore it didn’t work out. But this is also a nice school and they were very happy for me when I came back from Europeans and congratulated me. They are very supportive, which is nice.

Q: Are you studying to become a coach?

Aliona: Yes. It’s for a coaching diploma.

Q: Is coaching something you would like to do later on?

Aliona: I would like to work as a coach and choreographer. I’m creative and I like to put together programs.

Q: How much are you participating in building your own programs?

Aliona: They ask me if I’m comfortable with it or not and I tell them what I think. I really like what my choreographer puts together; everything is working very well for me, also concerning the choice of music and costumes. We’ll change now the costume for the short program for Worlds. Alla Jakovlevna likes to change things, especially before a competition! Of course I also can make suggestions. Right now I’m looking for new music for next season. I’ll have to do two new programs. I want to do a Tango. I didn’t have a Tango for a long time and the style suits me well.

Q: Who are or were your idols in skating?

Aliona: Irina Slutskaia – she is my biggest idol. I love how she is skating and some people are saying that I’m similar to her in my way of skating and my character. I’m striving to reach her level. I want to do what she did.

Q: Did you ever meet her?
Aliona: Not yet. I only met her mother at the Cup of Russia and she wished me good luck. But there is still a chance to meet her (Slutskaia).

Q: When you were sent to an isolated island and you could take three things – what would you take?

Aliona: I’d probably take… the computer (laughs), a tent and matches. You should be prepared for everything!

Q: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Aliona: I’m seeing myself on the podium, but I don’t know yet at which competitions, but just on the podium (laughs).

Q: Thank you very much for the interview and all the best!