Champions Series Final 1997 in Hamilton, Canada

Interview with Alexei Urmanov

Olympic Champion Alexei Urmanov proved rarely seen confidence in his skating in Hamilton. Virtually in the last 30 seconds of his free program at the Champions Series Final he risked successfully the difficult combination triple axel-double toe.

Question: You changed your free program a little bit. Why?

Alexei: After the Europeans, my coach and I decided to change the quad and the triple axel. Now I jump the quad as my first element. It's a little bit easier for me to jump it first. I didn't jump it for five years in competition, therefore I should try it as my first element. And after I did the quad I lost my concentration a little bit. Therefore I doubled my second axel and the lutz. But then I pulled myself together and finished quite well.

Question: When did you decide to risk the combination triple axel-double toe at the very last moment?

Alexei: After I did the triple flip I thought that in spite of everything else I still needed a triple axel and decided to risk it. It worked. It gives me confidence that I made it.

Question: What did you do to gain more confidence? This seemed to be your weak point in competitions.

Alexei: Confidence results from practice, from the stability of the jumps and the other elements in practice, I think. I can say now that in practice everything goes just fine now. This gives me confidence.

Question: How do you prepare for Worlds now?

Alexei: There is not much time left. It's not possible, of course, to change important things. Like adding a quad-triple combination or another quad. That's simply not possible. There are only ten days left. I want to work on the mistakes, I made here. That's all.

Alexei Urmanov was interviewed by Tatiana Flade.

Copyright © March 6, 1997 by Tatjana Flade

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