Interview with Albena for "Az zhenata''

Interview with Albenka from JuJune-July ,2007 for the Bulgarian magazine "Az zhenata" /I,the woman/

Video:
http://www.az-jenata.com/?page=video_view&aid=33
Article:
http://www.az-jenata.com/index.php?page=article&aid=4392


Google translation:

I'm not vain
Peter Enchev | 2007-06-11


Albena Denkova is gentle half of the dance couple that achieved the biggest success for the Bulgarian figure skating. In the month of March 2007 the World Championship in Japan, together with his partner - Maxim for the second consecutive year won the championship.
Albena is a charming woman, pleasant and interesting interlocutor. Manages to combine the loading program known figuristka world, constantly sought for participation in competitions and ice shows, with their commitments as president of Bulgarian Federation for skating.

It does not look at the reputation as a burden and, if possible, and positivism readily respond to various calls for interviews and public events. Surreptitiously their dreams for at least a months rest.

What was your dream job as a child?
I wanted first to become an architect, then became a designer and finally, since the sport was always my favorite activity and something fundamental that I do from a very early age to find figure skating, the sport.

How to find winter slide when you felt the future in figure skating?
By accident in early dealing with gymnastics, as any child, this period was the golden girls, Lili Ignatova, Iliana Raeva in general was great euphoria in Bulgaria and then every girl wanted to engage in rhythmic gymnastics.


Then, quite by accident while training of "Slavia" - was a huge complex of halls in which rhythmic gymnastics, sports gymnastics, swimming and figure skating were under a common hat. One of the coaches figure skating and I like my offer to try to push skating. Honestly, I like immediately after I was initially an individual competitor is dance-oriented, because I definitely like it, and I went over. I seem to have more quality for a dancer than an individual competitor, where we require more atletichnost. Dances are in good form, except for combining physics and art, beauty and grace. I think that helped me here and experience of artistic gymnastics.

What felt when I realized that making his first world title?
Nothing! Nothing felt until it was completely different to winning the second title when really each one seconds experience, feeling and conscious passed through our brain.

The first title, became the first, we were happy of course, speak specifically to the world in Canada. Here they returned to Bulgaria euphoria was incredible and there is no way to know that his world champion, but there is a place you really need something to feel, but not feel it was very strange indeed.

While the second time and we enjoyed really think we were genuinely happy and I and Maxim, and that share our friends and relatives to see us before and now say that the difference is huge. Any change has occurred in me personally, you can not describe, as when a woman gives birth or pregnant, any change there, chemical, and so I guess that happened to us and particularly me, because I was really very happy in the second world title, which is significantly more valuable.

Too difficult to keep something already achieved, but that all components for this success were very positive. First compared with last year's much more like my own performances and our response to the public then, too. We won with a big difference, we won all three days and three gold medals of the competition. Coaches to cry for our emotion was much stronger.

I had so many things that were very, very many times stronger than the first time.

Upon return from the competition I feel that we are here and we are excited saprezhivyavali all your performance?
Inevitably is that in Bulgaria, both times was great euphoria. I mean, because this man deserves to do something to achieve something, because when you get in a room by accident, go to a restaurant, discotheque and the people and made us start to rise quite spontaneously. It is very difficult to achieve because it worth all the work and everything we put. This is a great prize, and even more medals, we won.

Except Bulgaria, which is public, you accept the most welcome?
I do not know, maybe everywhere. At the beginning of our career with Maxim had problems with the American and Canadian audiences, because our programs were more abstract and not very well perceived by them, were people much like them and others who do not understand. In the last 4-5 years really no audience to us well.

And in Russia?
In Russia we also take very well, even after the world, which were direct competitors with their Navka and Kostumarov, in the room had huge posters Bulgarian flags made by Russians, Americans, who had come specially for the competition and above all very many Russians. Everywhere we take good and we love that the audience and play it. Because assessments are important, but if you do not dance for people who are more than 10 judges ...

What it feels to be first and the audience to clap of courtesy, but to truly rise from the heart and the third in ranking?
It is not nice and I'm glad that we did not fall into that situation. Sometimes it is offensive, because all players are very ambitious and after I reached the top, always want to win, otherwise there is no need to train and if they do not win gold medals is very uncomfortable, very sick to lose. As a European, third place for some is a huge success for us was a huge disappointment, but seem to prefer it to give you a gold medal, then someone else in the lobby to greet and cheer. We prefer to be in this situation that we are not sorry for anything and not complain. I am grateful for everything that happened to me.

Now you see the slide of its future replacement?
Very difficult to see the alternates really, because some things are neglected, it is not worked with the plan as to prepare young athletes to run in our steps. I see some potential in my sister Ina, which is very ambitsirana and inspired by our success, though still its technical level and general level of the competitor is out of the world. She has great ambitions and great desire, and when a person is willing, able to achieve anything.

Furthermore, we have a couple - Mitko and Laura, who also engage in ice dancing and are willing to achieve much. We have small kids and there is greater hope. They still run on these steps, a great desire and are very inspired, and their parents, and I hope things get for them.

What are your views and ambitions as president of the skating federation to support and encourage young people to attract more children to activities with skates, sports?
We help and encourage without being chairmen of the federations, but I really feel some inspiration as we see a pripovdignato mood, something that drives parents to bring their children to the rink, although conditions are not currently very good soft words is not warm, not cozy at all there are many less.

However come people love our sport and want their children to deal with it.

And as for the federation, most importantly the younger generation to promote and make a good team of kids to go in this sport, and from there on whether someone will become a world champion is a matter of merit. This can not be foreseen.

What led you to accept this position because it is a significant additional commitment?
This is a really great commitment and great responsibility of all, but the proposal came from the clubs and the governing board. Obviously have some confidence in me. I hope that the prestige and position that we achieved with Maxim nationally and internationally because of our successes and any personal qualities would be useful in the federation. Whatever you can do in this respect, I hope we can get.



Achieved incredible symbiosis with great violinist Vasko Vassilev, do you continue to do shows together?
Many hope.

I want to mention the enormous support of our sponsors Vivatel who stood by us as a serious partner and help make this show in the winter palace. The interest was huge, the tickets are sold for an hour and a half after having let them go. All my friends razsardiha and children and parents from our club for some time were angry because even if no tickets for them. We just arrived from the European Championships and it turned out that the tickets are over.

We hope to have more such because our partners are behind us, and Vasko Vassilev is so nice. It is a very charming man with a boot around positive energy as a performer and artist. To us it's terrible acting up, he did in turn says the same for us. Everything depends on his commitments, he is closely involved in London and throughout the world, I hope to be able to pass and through Bulgaria.

Who define success as the largest in a purely personal level?
I have the most success if you talk about the personal level, not very successful. Nothing in sport or in life suffer from any ill ambitions. If we reached here, we have been ambitious, but normal, rather we work hard and consistently, and because we liked what we do. Success in life does not know how, but I think for the great success that we achieved in the sport because when you do balance, things look different from, but we know what our cost and how are things in our sport. Achievements in sport to consider the most success at all.

In all your work prosper you enough time to separate personal life and your friends? How does your family accept your permanent commitment?
No, miss, nor I, nor Maxim. The good news is that we were both almost family. Maxim has not seen his parents for almost year, I managed to see my mother twice, when you come after the European, or were not seen in the past summer.

They accept it because it is our job and there is no way but very happy and proud of the results to achieve.

Property, without which you can?
Experts who are, these are the first phone, even two and a car, I love my car, when I practice I am not the most active people. May be too tired of training and then stand still anywhere without a car.

But some things purely female?
Let me prompted for female things that I have rusty in May:).

This is a very sensitive part of the whole success. You must always dress because people already know me and I can not seem to go without a little friendly.

Otherwise I am not vain and I hate to spend hours in front of the mirror, or maybe I am, but a little. Morning I get up half an hour before you go out, drink coffee, go and handle that is not exude a lot of time, but unfortunately paints became an integral part of my life. Always carry with you and cards for people who stop me in the street for autographs.

Favorite cooking recipe, something you prepare with pleasure?
Boiled chicken, which is definitely not a favorite recipe Maxim because at the beginning of the season we need to keep diets when we start training and boiled chicken is an integral part of our menu.

Favorite recipe ... I had a very nice fish soup, which in Russia, then the absence of ingredients to prepare stopped.

In America I have no favorite recipe before doing many cakes.

I love to cook, of course, without spending hours in the kitchen, and prefer things that are quickly prepared.

Photos: Ivaylo Donchev - 24 hours

Viki , thank you so much for finding, posting and translating this interview!!!

Viki , thank you so much for this interview!!!

Viki, thank you so much.

Oh, how much I love reading their old interviews!