Narrator (N). Good evening! I am glad to hear you. Today our guests are Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski. They are many times national champions, the World vice-champions, the European vice-champions in Ice Dancing…
Maxim (M). two times vice-champions
N. two times vice-champions as Maxim correcting me (Albie is laughing). The pair is international. Maxim and Albena, I want to say that you are one of the most favourite pairs, one of the most technically good pairs, artistic. You are struggling with our 1st pair Navka – Kostomarov primarily. And all the competitions are so exciting and intriguing due to this. As you may remember our pair Lobacheva – Averbuch left us, so all the intrigue is focused on you.
M. I should say that they didn’t leave us, because they are still organizing the shows and gala where they are always taking part. And I suppose they are still in our sport.
N. And now all the pairs are making new programs to the Winter Olympics. And you came to Moscow for two days. Is it connected with the program?
M. It is more connected with the rest. And as we are leaving our favourite town Odintsovo (we are leaving for the USA to our new coach) we need to take the great amount of our luggage there (laughing). It is warm clothes, in the USA also the winter is!
Albena (A). And also our suits (dresses). Because we have so many of them. We have been training in Odintsovo for many years. And now unfortunately we had to leave it, to change the coach. And we have to go to the USA. There we’ll be working with Natalia Linitcuk and Gennadiy Karpanosov. They are our new coaches, and we have been to the USA for 20 days already. We tried to work with them there. We liked very much, we liked their wish to work with us, their great aims and tasks. And it is completely convenient to us.
M. And the aims are quite realistic. And the appreciation of the situation is rather realistic. It prepossessed us. They are not promising wonders! They say that it will be very hard and difficult. But they are full of the determination to struggle for everything it can be possible.
N. And all our people know and love you because you are ‘our national Bulgarians’ as it can be said so. You were training in Odintsovo for 7 years with Alexei Gorshkov. Now you left him. What’s the problem?
M. Well. We have been working with him for so long, we love him. But the matter is the political situation. It made us change the coach. Because Gorshkov is Russian coach and he has one more Russian pair that is the 2nd in Russia now. And it is possible to trample on him and to dictate the terms.
A. And I think that in such creative kind of sport it is necessary to change the coach after three or four years. Because every new coach contributes something new to the pair: his own point of view, his own choreography, technique. And it is good for the pair, for the development. I suppose that this moment came to us long ago. But we didn’t want to part with our coach Alexei Gorshkov and especially with our choreographer Sergei Petukhov. But unfortunately the situation was so that we hadn’t another way out.
N. What concerns the Worlds Championship in Moscow? I saw how Albena was upset. And the USA pair Belbin – Agosto made a sensation. My question is: was it possible? Was their ascent possible if there wasn’t the new system of judging?
M. As we were saying last year, every system of judging can be used as your superiority. In every system you can find good positive side. They (Agosto-Belbin) are really strong pair. And they really made a sensation this year.
A. I think it was a political action. (M. Yeah, it was so.) But they (B-A) are positive, they are young. They have a great potential. Maybe they haven’t the enough experience on ice. But they can be the champions in future. The next Olympic Games can be theirs but not this one. This Olympics won’t be given to the young pair.
N. Yeah. As I said many pairs finished their careers. For example, Barbara Fusar-Poli and Mauricio Margalio…
M. They are coming back… (everybody’s laughing)
A. Yes, it is the latest news! They are really coming back. They want to take part in Olympic Games. Will it be so? We don’t know. But we’ll see it in Torino. And also the Lithuanian pair Drobyazko – Vanagas. So with all the pairs that are struggling for the victory now, it will be two more strong pairs competing with us and Navka - Kostomarov.
M. It is for the first time that in Olympic Games nine pairs are struggling for the victory. It was never earlier that so many pairs are having pretensions to the victory. And practically they are equal in strength.
N. You think they are equal? But you have the advantage: you didn’t finish the career. You’ll have a new coach and a new choreographer. But the absence of trainings unsettles for some time.
M. It isn’t clear. There is the proverb that the rest gives birth to the champions! It can be so. But you are right. If you miss a year, you are behind the times. Even with the new system. Two years passed before we learnt all the rules and we made conclusions from our mistakes! So it will be hard for them. But they have a great experience, so…
A. Maybe they have a great stimulus which is making them coming back. But we’ll see. You must not be ruled out. Every pair has its own advantages and drawbacks. So for us and for Russian pair it will be very difficult in this Olympics.
N. Are you ready for it? Have you got a new program?
M. The program is not ready. We have been choosing the music with Natalia Linitchuk. We have some ideas for the Original dance and for the Free Dance. But we can’t say anything definite to you now. All this we’ll be making in the USA in the nearest time.
N. How much time does the production of the program take to be ready for the Olympics?
A. It takes as much time as for every other tournament. We always try to be in good form. But this year we are starting our trainings a little bit earlier. In June we’ll have time and I reckon that we’ll be ready soon.
M. We usually make our programs very quickly.
N. I’ve heard that some pairs begin to perform the program on the tournament after they quarreled seriously. It helps to summon their strength and be concentrated.
A. Oh no! It’s not about us!
M. As everybody who always works together we also often quarrel, have different opinions. But it is normal. But before the performance on ice we try not to quarrel. It can hurt us. We needn’t any factors to wake us before the start. We are grown up enough; we get ready by ourselves for the tournaments.
N. I can’t forget your performance ‘Afrah Baladi’ in 2003. Albena was so beautiful in it. Do you want to make something on the same theme?
M. We won’t tell you!!! (Albena’s laughing)
A. Well, we made different programs, different styles. We know what suits us and what we feel better. Of course we’ll try to find the music that will emphasize our advantages and hide our drawbacks. What it will be we don’t know. But you’ll see it when the season starts.
M. All I can say to you is that we’ll not be the same in music, steps, and elements.
N. So if it is also something oriental, it will be different. Is it?
M. Yes.
N. Let’s speak about new system. It reflected not only on sportsmen but spectators too. They need to take a calculator and make some calculations in stead of enjoying skating.
M. I can’t agree. Because the spectator should sit and watch the program. If you are a perfect sportsman you should make your program that way to show the creative work and technique combined.
N. But the spectators like to do it and to compare who was better and what points the sportsmen will get. And it deprived the beauty of the program. And I spoke with your new coaches…
M. When? (surprised)
N. It was at Worlds! They said that it can be possible to make a program not paying attention on new system. If the pair has a great amount of elements and they understand what they are doing, it doesn’t disturb to make programs according to a new system. But the lifts are very similar now and some elements, and especially the compulsory dance. It is all the same.
A. This system was during all the last season. And it was rather difficult to us to experiment. We didn’t want to experiment because we were afraid to lose our positions. But this year we are not afraid of it. We know the rules, we know what to do and to do it right, to make the audience interested in our programs. So I think that for the next season all the pairs will be brave and will make different elements and lifts.
M. And this system has its ways out. But a half of the training we spend reading the rules. And check them to prevent the mistakes in future.
N. What is the ultra-c [I don’t know if I wrote it right] in Ice Dancing?
M. (laughing) Every pair has its own. Ours is the lifts in low position, the lifts on one leg (it is about the boy-partner). And now it’s popular when the girl is lifting her partner (Albena is laughing.).
N. It is because of Marina Anissina?
M. Yeah, she is strong enough to do it. And now the Italians also try it. But we are not trying it!!! What concerns the girl-partner, it is the position in a ring [Oh, I don’t know if I am right, I don’t know all the right names of the elements in English. Sorry], or in the splits and some others.
A. Elements are elements. But I think that every program must contain something unique. The elements can be not so complicated but they suit the music and the whole program.
M. And the spectators begin to applaud and this influences on the judges.
A. And it was so pleasant in Moscow. We didn’t expect so great support. We struggled with Navka – Kostomarov. They are Russians. But there were so many banners to us. We were very happy! Thanks to all Russian fans!!!
N. Yeah! Our Russian fans are great!
M. Our fans are also great. We have one fan from Odintsovo; he always wished good luck to us when we went to different tournaments. And he always met us when we came back!
N. I know that your pair was put together due to Maxim’s mum and Elena Chaikovskaya. Tell us please.
M. Albena was searching for a new partner in Bulgaria and I also was searching a new one. And the main coach of the Russian junior team was Chaikovskaya; and I was skating for some time in her ice ballet. She knows me very well. And she recommended me to Eugenia Karnolskaya. But my mum went to Bulgaria on a business trip and she took the cassette with my performance. She met Albena and showed to her; but she didn’t insist, just showed. But Albena liked very much and came to Moscow.
N. How long did Albena think to skate with you or not?
A. Well, for that time Maxim was a Dream-partner to me…
M. Now it is not so… (laughing)
A. (laughing) because the level of Bulgarian figure skating was bad. And when I saw him on the cassette I liked him very much. And I decided to skate together. But I had some doubts because I was going to another country where I didn’t know anybody: Maxim, his family, his friends… nobody. But after the first day being in Russia I felt comfortable.
N. I know that in every kind of sport there are different cunnings. For example, in figure skating you can sharpen the edges like in hockey skaters to get great speed.
M. If you are a good skater you needn’t any cunning.
A. No, we needn’t this. We have enough speed (laughing). We didn’t know about such a thing!
M. (laughing) It’s good that you said it to us. Maybe Russians do it! You betrayed a secret!!! Now we’ll try (laughing).
N. Coming back to the new system. A great attention now is paid to the skating skills, the sequence of steps. I think that every sportsman can do it and get 5+.
M. But not always you get 5+!!! Many pairs from the top10 do perfect sequence of steps like pairs from the top5 but they don’t get the 4th level. They get the 2nd level, we get the 3rd. We don’t know what to do to make the sequences of steps for the 4th level. We do all the steps we can, but we didn’t get it.
N. Now after the Worlds how do you stimulate yourselves? Did you make some conclusion? What is your aim for the Olympics?
M. The Victory!
A. Yeah, we made the conclusion. The end of the season was difficult to us. And the result at Worlds was very unpleasant. But here is our fault too. We’ll try to avoid the mistakes in future to win something the next season! We are getting ready for the best! But what will be, we’ll know in future. It doesn’t depend on us.
N. Now you’ll be training in the USA.
M. We have to. I like to be here, my family is here so I don’t want to go there, but if it is necessary …
N. Maxim, when you came to Bulgaria, you got the citizenship immediately.
M. Not immediately. We had to go to different instances. We sent the inquiry to the President even. So after all I get it. It took three months. So at our 1st Euro I was taking part. I am very thankful to Bulgarians for that and also to Albena and her mum. They gave me the possibility to skate.
N. Is it true that in Bulgaria the attitude to the sportsman is delicate? You were given free ice, free suits and skaters.
A. Yeah. You know the attitude especially to us is very good.
M. As to the national heroes.
A. Yes. We are recognized everywhere. It is written a lot about us. Everybody is proud of us. And it is very pleasant when your work is valued. And you know that it wasn’t in vain that you spent years on ice. And what concerns the financial side, our federation is helping us to get ready and represent our country.
M. I think it’s normal because we proved that we can work hard and get serious titles in spite of the fact that we were the 5th at Worlds. We said in our Sport Department that we are ready to struggle for the podium at Olympics. And we really will struggle. And they understand everything. So they are ready to help us.
N. Thank you. We also wish you good luck at Olympics and wish your dreams come true. Our guests were Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski. Thank you.
A. Thanks for the invitation.
N. Good bye.
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Fri 12 Dec - 22:20
!!! But I understand nothing at all 
...Because the link has "ru" in it I can only presume 
!
does not help... 
Wondergirl 
, really! Such great work 
! Many many thanks for your great translation work! 
Thank you Wondergirl 
