Interviews

Mari Vartmann & Ruben Blommaert – “We are always having fun”

By Hiro Yoshida

While the fortunes of German pairs skating have risen and fallen constantly over the past few decades, it looks like things are on the upswing again with Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot taking bronze at the 2016 World Championships after a long and hard fought battle to be granted permission to skate internationally. While Savchenko and Massot made the headlines, another new German pair quietly made a promising international debut last season.

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Jorik Hendrickx – “It always feels to me like I am trying to catch up”

By Hiro Yoshida

After knee injury and a subsequent surgery curtailed his 2014/2015 season and forced him out of both European and World Championships, Belgium’s Jorik Hendrickx has had an entirely more fulfilling 2015/2016 so far. It has been a record breaking and successful few months for the Belgian.

Hendrickx made his competitive return to the ice at the Nebelhorn Trophy at the end of September 2015 where he finished eighth. When he suffered the injury back in November 2014, he never imagined that it would take him so long to recover. (more…)

Michal Brezina – “I need to find a way to make the people that I skate for proud again”

By Hiro Yoshida

It’s the morning after the night before in Bratislava, Slovakia at the European Championships and Michal Brezina is coming to terms with having had one of the worst skates of his career the day before. From being 3rd after the short programme, he plummeted down the rankings when not a single jump in his free skating routine went according to plan. He ended up in 10th place overall.

“I feel a lot better. I needed some time to be alone and really think about what happened,” Brezina said. “I had a drink with my coach and my dad. That helped me sleep a little bit, but not for too long.”
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Johnny Weir – “When I’m on the ice now, I still dream about having people clap for me”

Tatiana Edrenkina met with Johnny Weir in Moscow at the end of December, after the second performance of Snow King 2, a magical figure skating show based on the original fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. The first edition of the show was a huge success and even now, one year later, it’s difficult to find an empty seat in the stands of the huge Megasport Arena. (more…)

Marie-France Dubreuil and Romain Haguenauer: “Our Success Is Down To Our Collaboration”

By Hiro Yoshida

As the first half of the 2015/2016 season has unfolded and with the Grand Prix Final beginning this week in Barcelona, many of the questions we had about how certain events would play out and certain skaters would perform have been answered. However, in ice dance there is a still one big question waiting for an answer. How will Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron follow up on their stunning victory at the World Championships in Shanghai earlier this year? (more…)

Romain Haguenauer: “Gabriella and Guillaume want to be different”

There has been no rise more meteoric this season than that of France’s Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. From 13th place at the World Championships in Japan in March of last year, they made everybody sit up and take notice when they claimed gold at Cup of China in November and defeated World champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte in the process. They proved that they are going to be a force to be reckoned over the coming years by subsequently winning the Trophee Eric Bompard and taking bronze in the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona. Romain Haguenauer, the man behind the team, believes that they timed this season to perfection.

“It’s a new Olympic cycle so we knew it was the time to be good. You always have to be good, but if they wanted to aim for a high place at the next Olympics they had to start this season because so many couples stopped competing.”

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Tamara Moskvina: “The main goal is to be healthy and be happy”

By Hiro Yoshida

Tamara Moskvina needs no introduction. The renowned Russian pairs coach is an icon of the sport and one of the most fascinating and energetic people you are ever likely to meet. After last season passed by without the opportunity to see her peering intently over the boards at international competitions, she was back on the circuit at the Nebelhorn Trophy last month with Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov on their comeback from Smirnov’s horrific knee injury that derailed the trio’s Sochi Olympic ambitions.

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