#also I can’t write Wels for shit I haven’t been watching his videos

[sweetest-honeybee]

Why is starting a fanfic so HARD

[kolmogorov-is-sad]

Mikhail Kolyada, interview

Rough translation of this interview.

I: We’ll start with blitzkrieg, questions not related to figure skating. Your first word?

M: [laughs] I don’t know. My parent didn’t share that with me.

I: Favorite school subject?

M: PE

I: Favorite place in St Petersbourg?

M: Isaak cathedral, inside of it.

I: Your [she uses formal pronoun, then corrects herself as they agreed to use informal speech - I just though it was ver Misha of him to ask that] dream that is not related to figure skating?

M: I don’t know, haven’t thought about that

I: How do you ee yourself in ten years.

M: Just as positive and cheerful. I don’t know yet what job will I do.

\they get on the ice\

I: Please, say, is it true that once the season is over skaters start breaking new boots right away

M: Yes, basically.

I: [Your skates are] new?

M: New.

I: For how long have you worn them?

M: For five days.

I: Is it uncomfortable?

M: Yes, not yet comfortable. 

\\\\\ they talkabit about breaking in boots

Let’s talk about the sport now. [there is a video from WC, Misha knocks his finger on his head] World Championships, free skate, the final that did that gusture mean?

M: [laughs] That’s because I’m a dum-dum. I failed a jump that I could have done in theory [repeats the gesture] I should have thought about that on time

I: On time. When is that?

M: During the program, not after. But well, eveything has its time and place. In fact, should have I done that triple loop instead of a double, I could have been second

I: During your performance TAT repeatedly said: ”Misha doesn’t fight for his jumps” What does that mean?

M: I guess it means that she knows that better [than me]. Actually, I always try to fight for the jump. It is just that my jumps look like they take no effort from me, but in reality, it takes just as much as for other skaters.

I: There were a lot of falls at the WC, especially in the men’s discipline. Why do you think was that? Were the skaters physically tired or mentally/emotionally exhausted?

M: I think was rather emotional problem, there were the Olympics and just in three weeks the WC. It was also a very important competition, so everyone knew they couldn’t relax. But not to relax after the Games… I don’t know.. you just HAD to take a breath after that. So a lot of people didn’t manage that/

I: Do you have some kind of psychological fear before the jump: “what if I fail, what if I fall?”

M: I don’t know, maybe on some primary level, I don’t really think about such things. I just go and jump. Wel, or I just go and fall [laugh]

I: No matter what, you still have that bronze medal from the WC. By the way, where is it?

M: Somewhere at home.

I Are you proud?

M: I don’t know [laughs]. Maybe I don’t give it that much meaning. Maybe beacouse I know I could have done better.

I: You also have a silver team medal from the Olympics. After the short program there were a lot of complains implying that you have robbed the team of the gold medal. Did that hurt at the time? Did you feel bad for the team, for yourself?

M: At the time I was overwhelmed with emotions, there were a lot of people trying to cheer me on, a lot of people saying nasty things about me. At the end I managed to get back from the situation, though it was very hard. It has never been that hard for me. People from the team helped me a lot, they were coming to me, saying something. And I got a little better with every word. Also, my friends called and supported me, so I could recover.

I: [there is a video from the FS StSq, TAT: “and here he finally relaxed/calmed down (sighs). At 4:19 he finally relaxed”] What happened here? Why had you relaxed?

M: Then? Well, I relaxed earlier than that actuallu.

I So TAT got it wrong?

M Yes, hello to Tatyana Anatolievna, she got it wrong. I relaxed earlier, even before I stepped on the ice. I tried to forget everything from before and that from anew.

I:  I feel like it takes an army of psychologists, of friends and some other ‘doping’ to leave all tha behind and skate.

M: well, that’s what it was, kind of. Just no doping [laughs]

\\\\\\\\\\

\Masha skates with a camera\

I: Mikhail, don’t you want to join the crew?

M: Actually I wanted to do photography, Iike seriously learn, but there is no time for that

I: There were a lot of opinions about the quality of the training and that the skaters [Misha] do not give their all when performing. Any thoughts on that?

M: Well, I agree that I should work more. As to the training – I think that is only for me and my coach to discuss. Of course, everyone knows everything and so on, but really, try to take someone fron five years old and guide them to such a level. It is hard

I: How does the schedule goes for you from now on. The season in over, you have the new boots, what next?

M: We will probably work on the new programs, choose the music break in the boot more.The trainings are not serious yet, just so that I won’t forget how to skate and stand on the ice.

I: How do you create a new program? Are you just presented with a program or is it a collaborative work?

M: No, we work together, discuss things. Basically, I can stand in a line at the shop and get some idea to write down. You go home, start listening to the music, imagining yourself in that program, and then you come the next day with an almost ready concept.

I: Do you already have any ideas for the next season

M: Well, just some notes.

I: Anything you can tell us about?

M: No [smiles]

I: Music?

M: [smiles wider] No. Noting to share until September.

\\\\\\\\

M: I can’t say the precise percentage, but definitely most of the sportsmen are superstitious. So yes, me too. There are just like some things that I do every day and it is not even a superstition, more of a habit.

I: Like what, for example?

M: I don’t know, like to start doing my boot from the left one. And not just the skating boot, the ordinary one as well. Or to tep on the ice with the left foot first.

I: Always from the left?

M: [smiles] Always.

\\\\\\\\\

I: There are some changes to the fs rules starting next season. For example, the long program is shortened by 30 second. What do you think, is that a good or a bad idea?

M: There will be one jumping pass and 30 seconds less. So the program will get more filled. So in some aspect it will be more difficult than it is now.

I: There will be less time in between the jumps to rest, right?

M: Yes, yes, yes.

I: So it will be more difficult?

M: Well, of course. There will be a need to upgrade my ‘functionality’, so that I will be able to get through to the end.

I: The ISU Congress will take place in July, and that is where the future of the quads will be decided. Why there is duch a fuss about the changes concerning the quads? Do I get it right, tat the same quad will be allowed to be executed only once in the FS?

M: That is unknown yet. The fuss is because skater will be forced to learn new kind of jumps.

\Misha talks about different types of jumps\

I: One will receive from -5 to +5 on the elements from the next season. Does that scare you?

M: No, not really.

I: Not at all?

M: No, not at all. They do that to make competitions more spectacular and to shorten the time of competitions. From the first to last group on the ice it take about 5 hoyrs, si it is hard for the spectators toward the last groups, and the last groups are the strongest ones. So you sit full of energy through the early groups but then you get really tired towards the end, it gets hard to watch or judge objectively.

I: Ok, now your quote. “Every season is a notebook from the new page”. You said that. So, what will the next season notebook be like, and what do you want to wright in there?

M: I will say it like that: we will work on the calligraphy and write things in so that when coming back to the notes there would be no need to struggle thought my own text.

\\\

Interviewer asks Misha to write a wish for the fans/audience on the cup.

M: I have forgotten how to write. I took a pen in the hand not so long ago and thought: “oh shit” […] What should I write… Eh, I have a poor imagination as well, brain just refuses to work at the end of the season.

I: What mark did you have for the Russian language at school?

M: More of a 3 (C) than a 4 (D) [laughs]