Bulgarian article

I was told by someone that this is an interesting article. Of course, I really cannot tell, because I don't understand it! Maybe someone would be interested in translating th interesting parts? hehe. Thanks in advance!!!)))[/url]

Please, someone be soooo kind to translate the most important parts!

I would so much like to know any news about Albie and Max!

Hi, girls, I'll try to translate for you the most important:
They are couple not only on the ice, but also in real life. ТTheir love is tested and proved in the time. They both say: "We are in love, we are friends and partners, and that means so much." Follows a short history of the arrival of Max in Sofia in 1996, the names of their ex and actual coaches. One of their bigger nightmares is in 2000 in Nice at the worlds when an american skater cuts with his skate the leg of Albena. After the operation she falls in depression. Max is beside her all the time giving her courage for the future. Their big hope for medal in Turin is broken, one more time the judges deprive them of what they really deserve. Both have to swallow many tears and pain. They even think about retirement, especially after the olympics. In their private life they face a dilemma. "It's time for Albena to have a baby" Max is joking, but continues seriously: 'If we are out of the rink for one year, that will be fatal". His partner says: "I want a family, home, children".
That's the article, sorry for the mistakes I make ...
So, I wish them that their dreams come true

this is impressive....i really wish them a beautiful life and a warm and loving family. they deserve this...what more to say?

thank you for the translation *sigh* they are so sweet!!!

Hola!

A big thanks for the translation of the article! They are really sweet and they deserve to be happy!

Hi! Thanks for the translation! :<33:

They are really sweet!

I only hope that this doesn't mean that they are thinking of retiring next season .....

Bea..I hadn't thought of that when I first read the translation

And perhaps you may have a point there..I hope not!...Really

I understand perfectly the longing that a couple may have for babies, because I already have two children

It's Albie and Max decision, but I hope they sray at least one more year!

But...we]ll have to wait and see!

Hi, dear Maria



I don't even want to think about it, right now!!!

Very sweet article!!! Thank you sooo much to Vania for translating!!!

About retiring... I really think that Albena and Maxim should do whatever they feel is best. If they want to keep skating one more year, I will be happy. But, if they decide to retire and have a baby, I will still be happy! They've won Worlds. Besides Olympics, what is higher than that? Albena and Maxim for the first time ever at Worlds were treated fairly, this year. It was truly a miracle. They were absolutely brilliant and it was finally rewarded. Nothing better could have happen in Calgary.

At some point, we are going to have to say goodbye to Albena and Maxim, anyway. Is there a difference between this year and the next?

Yesss!!!! What you say it's very true!
It's their life!


They deserve all the best! :<33:

Maria wrote:

Yesss!!!! What you say it's very true!
It's their life!


They deserve all the best! :<33:

Yeah, that's what I think. They should just do whatever will make them happiest.

Even, though if they leave... I will miss them like terrible!

I would miss them terribly if they left too, but it's no good to stay in if their (well, it sounds like especially Albena's) hearts are not in it. Skating is too hard a profession to try to do it if you would rather be doing something else, that would be awful.

I hope they take all the time they need to make their decision and that, once it is made, they are happy with it.

Lana wrote:

They've won Worlds. Besides Olympics, what is higher than that?

Maybe the only higher achievement is to win the hearts of the spectators, and they already did it Like Anissina and Peizerat did, of course they won many competitions, but even if they hadn't, the people will love them again.

what a difficul discussion!!
i know and i completely agree with what you said. they have won the public's heart. they won, almost as nobody did, the hearts of the majority of the viewers. they did the impossible. they won for such a small country. they managed to fullfill their highest dream. thei DID this and much more. albena and maxim wrote history, changed the way in which this sport was treated in bulgaria, improved figure skating and raised the hopes of so many other future athletes. they stood up for fairness and were rewarded eventually for this...

and i know that what i'm gonna write will be a bit selfish...but i wanted to answer to what lana asked:

Quote :

At some point, we are going to have to say goodbye to Albena and Maxim, anyway. Is there a difference between this year and the next?

i want to make this clear. i love the idea of them having a baby. i fully support this. i think they will be a couple of lovely parents. they will have a beautiful child eventually. and of course, this is their decision. and i want what's best for them. and i want them to skate only if they feel the need to do it....but...i will miss them a lot...

why an extra year is so important for me?

first of all, 2007 would be pretty much the last chance to see them dancing and competing. and it's a chance that has some degree of succes for me. there are some chances (and this involves many IFs..but still) that i might go in poland next year. and i'm ready to do everyhing that's in my power in order to get there...

secondly, an extra year means a new program. and i'm not prepared to say bye-bye to all the thrill and butterflies they give me when i see the program for the first time. i'm not ready to forget about this kind of originality and inovations. i'm not ready to stop imaginig how the costumes will look like and what lovely lifts and transition elements they might have...really. i need this extra year to prepare this good-bye process (sound funny, eh?) as far as i'm concerned. i was aware that this moment will come sooner or later..but an extra season is not that much (actually it is it involves a lot of trainings, hard work, stress and sacrifices). if albena feels she wants to start a family then i hope she will. i don't want her to sacrifice her future for career (she already has a beautiful CV and a family is the most important thing, especially if it's your dream at that point)

thirdly, they just changed the coach. they barely worked together. so another year might teach them a lot. they have the possiblity to learn more and to surprise everybody with new and explosive programs..(although i think that their skating skills are sublime...what more to do?)

forthly, an extra year will not ruin Albena's justified and beautiful desire of having a baby. but is she feels she doesn't want to continue anymore, i completely understand her. i mean, it is more important to do what you feel and to make your life as best as possible. this is a priority.

fifth, albena and maxim declared in an interview (after olympics i think) that they are well prepared physically (they might make it till next olympics) but they can not deal with that huge amount of stress and emotions again. because they are tired after all this struggle. BUT, the fight is over!!! they managed to overcome everything, to break all the obsactles so the path is open, is free...and now, they really have equal chances with all the others. and since they are the best, the couple's technique is the best, they are original, they dance from the hearts, they feel the music...what's to loose if they stay another year? they have the highest chances to win gold&gold

and let's continue with my selfishness.....

and last, i will miss them soooooo much. and that would be a definite bye - bye. what other chances are to see them, to hear from them, to know about them?...

i'll grow up one day and i will visit them, of course if they let me do this. furthermore, i'd like to stay i touch with you for a long time from now on...

that's about all....

Quote :

I hope they take all the time they need to make their decision and that, once it is made, they are happy with it

i hope this too. in the end, all that matters is their happiness. and no matter what is their decision, i wish them a beautiful life, with lots of sunny days and starry nights. and i wish that all the magic that is between them and i feel regarding our sweet bulgarian couple, to be transposed in their family.

i'm sending them a warm huge hug
and to you all
alexandra

Just a hint - the article can be read also in english - the Stnadart newspaper has an english version you just have to go to the upper left side of the page and change from bulgarian to english. (also other avaliable)

That's another interview (in Bulgarian) it's very interesting, the both show their sense of humour! Sorry, it's too long to translate
http://7sport.net/7sport/forum/d4283_3.htm

LERA, it's especially for you, dear - they said that they'll go in Moscow for at least one week. You can see them and give them our messages


And that's another one:
The gold won by Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski is the first ever for Bulgaria in World Skating Championships. The ice dancers own all of their country's medals at worlds. They added gold Friday night to their previous silver and bronze, edging Canada's Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, and Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, the Olympics silver winners. "Your success will be written down in gold letters in the history of Bulgarian sports," President Georgi Parvanov wrote in a cable congratulating Denkova and Staviski. "With your perseverance and strong will, you proved your undoubted qualities as athletes and unquestionably took the place you deserved long ago with your mastery and artistry." "Congratulations, champions!" hailed Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev on the same occasion. "I congratulate you for your mastery, will and purposefulness that helped you win the highest honour for every athlete - a gold medal at World Championships. In the hearts of Bulgarian you have been champions since long ago." "What you did on the ice of Calgary is a triumph of the champion's character, a logical and justified victory in this big sport. Thank you, Albena and Maxim, for all you have been doing for the benefit of pride and honour of Bulgaria!" emotionally wrote Vessela Lecheva, former sportsman and current head of the state sports body. The two Bulgarian ice-dancers received the silver medal at the 2004 World championships in Germany and took bronze at the 2003 championships in Washington, US. For their tremendous success in Canada the world gold pair will receive USD 67,500.

thank you vania

Quote :

"I congratulate you for your mastery, will and purposefulness that helped you win the highest honour for every athlete - a gold medal at World Championships. In the hearts of Bulgarian you have been champions since long ago." "What you did on the ice of Calgary is a triumph of the champion's character, a logical and justified victory in this big sport.

this is the right way to put all this. lovely words and also true. but not only in the hearts of bulgarian....in so many other hearts as well...

and i know the interview is long...but maybe, somebody...at least a few paragraphs...i'd like so much to read a few words from albena and maxim. thanks

stelt wrote:

Quote :

Just a hint - the article can be read also in english - the Stnadart newspaper has an english version you just have to go to the upper left side of the page and change from bulgarian to english. (also other avaliable)

thanks for the hint..

Hi again,
In a BG magazine called PARALELI there’s a big interview with Albena and Max with lovely photos and very nice and big poster! I don’t have a scanner, I can’t scan the photos for you, but you already got some, I think, the one is between Lera’s photos from the exhibition, the other – with the BG flag (the Morgana’s avatar) and one at the airport. That’s the most important in this interview:
A: We are very happy for our reception at the airport – we had many difficulties in our career, but it’s always so nice to know that the people love you and respect your work. Every prize – big or small – is so important for us.
M: We feel the love and the support of the people since 2004 when we were second. When we’re in Bulgaria the people stop us in the street to congratulate us or to ask an autograph. Sometimes we feel even uncomfortable (WHY, MAX?)
A: When I was little girl I wanted to be like the great and famous sportsmen. Now I hope I will be an example for the children. We’ll do what we can to develop our sport in BG. We are very tired. From March 24 till now, we sleep only 3-4 hours a day. When we retire we can do everything, we don’t think about this right now – we only enjoy the moment! It’s so early to make plans.
M: When I was a boy, I loved painting (drawing), but now I don’t have time, neither inspiration to do that. My hobbies are the cars and the extreme sports. Maybe our sport is extreme I too, after the last Olympics. Albena doesn’t permit me to practice extreme sports ( ), I only watch them.
A: Thanks to us, many people know Bulgaria. For example, many Japanese send us messages in Bulgarian language (Hi, Meg!!!). They’re interested to learn more about our beautiful country. We don’t have enough time to organize an ice show this season, maybe the next season we could realise these programmes. I think that the show will be very successful (YEAH, ME TOO), there are so many people who want to enjoy our sport. We knew that many Bulgarians had sleepless nights during the Worlds, and we’re very grateful to them. (Oooh, you’re welcome, dear Albena, we couldn’t miss your programmes). We won the gold, but for us more important and more difficult was to win the hearts of the spectators. We did it long time ago and that fact helps us so much to reach this success. The BG people deserve this success (I LOVE THEM FOR THIS REMARK!)
M. We want that the Bulgarian people continues love the figure skating and the sport in general. It’s so easy to give up when you have problems, it’s easy to change the coach when you lost the match, but that, for me, doesn’t take your level up, I think that you must continue fighting to reach your goals and to win. That’s why I want to tell to the BG people to not give up when something doesn’t work, but continue fighting.

Thank you a lot for having the energy and will to translate this paragraphs. I apreciate this a lot.

It's always nice for me to read their interviews. I enjoy every word they say, because they are sincere and funny, they are cute and thoughtfull..and much more

So, thanks for letting me know this interview...

You're welcome It wasn't so easy, I can't translate some paragraphs, cause there were so many unknown words, but I did what I can.

Vania wrote:

You're welcome It wasn't so easy, I can't translate some paragraphs, cause there were so many unknown words, but I did what I can.

This is the translation of the interview that I posted earlier in the BG section

Denkova:
There are traces of ice skate on my leg

Question: Albena, you won Skate America, are you with Maxim satisfied from your performances?
Albena: Everything’s OK. We played well and the audience liked our programs, that’s very important for us. We tried to do our best in all the elements and we think we don’t need to make important changes for the next Grand Prix tournament in France. But Max was suffering from ache in the leg during the free dance and he can’t lift me up to the necessary height so I can’t make complete side-split. The most important is that we were very confident and we didn’t make mistakes.
Question: What happened between you and the Scottish dancers Sinead and John Kerr before the FD?
Albena: We danced on our music so we had an advantage, all the other couples are obliged to wait. In this moment everyone’s trying to show all the elements. We didn’t see them they didn’t see us either, because they were making a lift. On my leg there are now traces form the girl,s skate and a bruise (I’m not sure it’s the right word).
Question: We knew that there was blood on the ice...
Albena: Mostly on Max’s costume. Because it’s white, I had to wash it before the free dance. I hope the stain can be removed. Between the training and the competition we need to put ice on his leg and he had to take medicaments. In the beginning of the FD, everything was OK, but after that it was clear that his leg hurts very much. But things like this don’t happen to us for the first time, and probably not for the last time. Nothing sensational happened.
Question: Did you think about the incident in Nice 6 years ago?
Albena: No, not at all. But the pain was very strong and I felt bad. We were angry, but we recovered fast.
Question: Why you had to go down from the 16th floor of the hotel in 5 a.m.?
Albena: They made twice the control of the anti-fire systems. Just before the FD, in the morning, we had to get down and stay 40 minutes on the rain. The same thing happened and on the previous day when we came back from the training. We wanted to sleep for a while, but the alarm turned on and a voice did order to us to leave the hotel. For us, it was rather funny, because we used to wake up in 5 a.m.

Thanks for the article, Vania!

I´m glad that Albena and Maxim are All right!

I was a bit worried when I read what happened...but when I got here and Read about the Free Dance and that they had won, I realized everything was O. K !


THANK GOD!!!

I hope ,Petra won't mind if i post the article of 24 Hours here too.
http://www.24chasa.bg/Default.asp?statid=86555&rubr=0&izd=1&fsize=&swidth=800&tr=1&im=12&id=04&iy=2008

Maxim to work – this is the chance for everybody
24 Hours

Fact#1 Maxim Staviski is known.
2 Years earlier Bulgaria suddenly became a factor in dislocating nations as America and Russia from the first positions in a sport’s discipline where we didn’t have traditions.
This is how, one plus one equals two:
One ice skating rink + one pair competitors = two champion titles
If we extract the labor, the love of work, the persistence and the discipline, if we deduct even the talent as an X factor, then the only possible way for this to happen is with connections and money…But we know is nothing like that –most of us were awake in front of TV, with crossing fingers, agitated, and we were-obviously, without a doubt “the coolest, the most talented and the best and they gave us golden medals”…To us. The Bulgarians.
We all let Albena and Maxim in our homes, greeting them as members of our families and we wanted to be a part of them-of the success, the pride, the recognition, the happiness. Especially, the politicians-making promises with champagne’s generosity, champion’s campaign, photos, media, vanity...Because the success unites.
Everybody loves the winners and the famous. And Albena and Maxim didn’t mind-always smiling, well-intentioned, entertaining.
Fact#2: Maxim Staviski had an accident
Inconsiderable speed. Alcohol presence in the blood. Deceased man. Another in coma. Two injured.
Maxim is Russian .Drunk. Self Oblivious.
Maxim is the bad. Never mind, he is not running away from his responsibilities, doesn’t deny his fault, doesn’t miss the court sessions, and doesn’t speak extremely about anybody. Trying to help the injured. Keep silent. Torture himself.
But we all know this is not possible. Because we are judging from our point of view, because he and Albena are rich, have connections and they will save themselves. They both are bad. Trying to find understanding and sympathy .Trying to act the only way they recognize- dignified and fairly. We don’t believe them. There is something rotten about it. We'd rather scrunched them instead of understanding them.
They are “The famous” one. They will be fine. And it is not clear at all why they are suffering, especially since they are alive.
And all of us, who were identifying ourselves with their success, are judging them – from above.
From the stairs of their success, from the position of being sinless, but unsuccessful .From the position of unrealized and narrow-minded people with the psychology of screwed ups and victims.
Because we are never going to be champions, never going to subordinate consciously our lives to a Spartan’s regimen with unclear future and possible achievements and to chose voluntarily to compete for Bulgaria.
We are №1, waiving the tricolor and generously giving a judgment.
We are not able and we don’t like to lose but instead we know what is wrong and what is right and very quickly are messing up with people’s life puzzle.
It is easy from aside. From aside is anonymous. We are on the aside; they are in the middle again.
Fact# 3: Stavisky received the highest claim to benefit the victims-2.5 mln leva. The court denied the amount and replaced it with absolutely champion’s value for the Bulgarian practice -260 000 leva.
Maxim’s decided not to appeal the amount .It was his personal decision to transfer the amount before the end of the trial, so they could be of a help for the victims.
This fact provoked me the most, so I tried to find help in math and objectively to estimate some things: 1.How much earns a two word champion in our country and 2.how equal is the prize of a human life and the health of a famous person.
Aren’t we all too much mortal and dependable on success, money and fame?
I was wondering how much money earn active figure skaters in Bulgaria and in general, how they are able to support themselves.
I realized, how often Albena and Maxim mentioned, that they were living for more than 20 years on the ice .I knew them for 3 years. What they have done the previous 17 years? Here is what I found – if able to prove that they are really good, working hard and competing for Bulgaria, then the government steps in and subsidizes their training.
During their active sport career the earnings came from the award founds of the competitions, they were participating in. Besides, they have to be good enough to place among the best. I don’t have a pretentious to be an excellent mathematic but I realized that the possibility of earnings being higher than expenses is insignificant.
Everyone of us can go on internet and to check what is the prize of a champion’s title, before the taxes, percent for coaches,and covering all other expenses and etc…
If in the wild word ,”Famous” equals “Rich” ,in our country is a little bit different. Especially if you are famous for a positive reason, talent or labor. The situation is different, if you are famous for your nick name, your past as a western hero or you have fairy-tale story with a politician…
The conclusion :it is not a big favor to invest your health in something as insecure as a sport victory. After all, this is a personal choice. It is more interesting when you already have two word titles and popularity, which brings you the government’s recognition, attention from sponsors, single monetary bonus and invitations for show-spectacles.
Unfortunately Maxim’s mistakes doesn’t let me understand the evolution of this logical scenario, because his life and Albena’s life also were rushed into another direction, were nobody of us wish to fall.
Fact#4: During the last court session were presented documents about 210 000 leva paid by Maxim, including extra 20 000 leva, donated for the rehabilitation of injured Manuela Gorsova.
Maxim accepted his fault again and appealed for opportunity to work, so he can pay the rest.
The only chance for everybody is: Maxim to work. This is the best solution from every point of view. Maxim‘s life is on display .We all know everything about him. He and Albena are living in a see trough prison in downtown of Sofia, in our TV.
Year and a half later we all can unite around the truth that this particular case is not like every other case.
No matter how unprejudiced is, the court is under observation, under magnifying-glass about the motives in making any decision.
Maxim became a precedent because of the amount sentenced to him by the court, as benefit of justice.
Maxim became an ordeal for the preparedness of our jurisdiction system to relay only on the law and to make a decision.
Maxim discomforted everybody, written in the list of people who contributed in his success. Maxim was born, to be an example, no matter if is with a sign plus or minus. What neutralize them is his personal dignity and his desire to be helpful. His personal lessons, which are accessible for all of us are priceless-about friends, about the provocations, about swallowing the pain with dignity, about the self-preservation, about the support and love from Albena and their families.
The truth is, that even in this tragedy our figure skating champions defended their titles in humanity and adequate behavior and it doesn’t matter if we recognize it or not.
Georgi Toshev