Nikita Katsalapov Prosport interview 27.04.2015

http://prosport-online.ru/article-3765-nikita-kacalapov 27.04.2015
Translation by Vasiliy Melnik, vk.com/vasiliymelnik

It wasn’t hard for me to pack my things and go to America. I just really wanted to do it. I’ve realized that I will skate with Vica after the 2014 World Championship. We had a break, that’s when I just walked up to her and asked. She agreed. There was no discussion before that, the initiative was only mine. Where did the rumors came from I have no idea. I talked only with mother, father and Victoria. Then I called Marina Zueva and said that I want to train with her. She told me to fly to her.

Federation was against it, a lot of people didn’t endorse my initiative. That’s why we went to America using my own money, and at first I was paying for absolutely everything – training, food, rent – both for myself and for Vica. I had a goal, Vica accepted it, and we decided to not lose any minute. I think this affected Marina a lot too.

People are not used to patronymic names in America, and we decided right away to address Marina by her name, but very respectfully. On my opinion, she’s a genius choreographer, very good coach and psychologist. But the most importantly – she’s a good person. I can’t say that she replaced my mother, but we definitely became very close – as characters and souls.

When we arrived to America we felt that we became dear to her, her part of Russia. You can tell by looking at her, that she likes to work with us, that she puts her whole soul in us. Marina is a very deep person. Likes to tell. She calls this “lectures”, because if you’ll ask Marina a question, you will hear actually vey detailed and interesting answer. She very likes theater, music, knows history of every artist and musician. She knows art very well.

Recently she gave me a book on Zen Buddhism. I’m very emotional during training, I really like to skate, but my desire and zeal sometimes overflow – too much energy. Marina thought that the book will help me. However, honestly, I could finish only half of it. It seems that Zen Buddhism is not for me.

After three months of training, we went to exhibitions in Moscow. Only after this some funding began: Marina began receiving coach’s pay, we officially hired American expert Johnny Jones. They gave us two Gran-Prix events. So now we pay only for housing and food. The exchange rate is falling, it becomes easier.

I can’t say that I’ve spent all my funds on my first trip to America. I’ve managed to help my parents and close the real estate question. I always really wanted to buy an apartment in Moscow. The house is still being built currently, but still I understand that my dream has come true! Expensive, of course, but it was worth it. They didn’t give me a flat for the Olympic victory, they were giving them only to some people.

Right now we don’t live in Detroit itself, but in its suburbs. When we just arrived, we lived in a motel for three months. It was an ordinary American motel that you see in movies. A bed, little TV, small fridge and a shower. Later, after discussion with Federation we could start thinking about renting permanent housing. Now I rent apartments and Vica lived with Cathy Reed, before she ended career.

Cathy, together with her brother Chris – Japanese skaters – was training with us and Marina. Cathy decided to quit skating almost right after the Team World Trophy 2015. We also work together with Alex and Maia Shibutani and many kids. Marina also gives them attention, but not as much as to us with Maia and Alex. We all work on one “field”, there are two of them. Ours is for the professionals only – from six in the morning to four in the evening. There are usually from 10 to 15 people on the ice.

I feel a very big difference of course. Before this, when I was training in Russia, my partner and coach were the only people on the ice. And honestly, I miss Novogorsk very much, it is a fantastic camp, for which I would like to thank its director Nikolai Domoratskiy. All foreigners that know about the camp are envy us, it’s a paradise for an athlete. There is everything there needed to focus only on the work.

For example, I never had to think about food in Novogorsk. When I relocated to the USA I’ve realized, that it’s a real problem. At first, I ate outside home.  I was going to local café, ordering very big omelet with meat that costs ten dollars. In the evening, after training, I was going to restaurant. Since I live outside the city, the prices seemed normal. But then the crisis happened, and I realized, that if I’ll continue to eat like that it will influence my budget very much. Especially considering the exchange rate. And anyway, I decided to learn everything if I started an independent life. I began to cook – meat, chicken, fish. I’ll tell you honestly, it’s not for me! When I’ll earn a lot of money, I will never cook!

I understand that the relocation changed me a lot. I even began to think differently, changed my attitude toward many things. If previously, after arriving to Moscow, I would leave all things and go partying with friends, now it’s other way around: work first, friends later. Independent life disciplines a lot. Marina also influenced me very much. In Novogorsk I liked to sleep, I could go to the training at 11:35. Now I get up at six in the morning, even during vacation. I get to accomplish more things that way. When your training sessions begin in the middle of the day, you don’t want to turn on your head by the evening.

I have no trouble with English, I’ve began learning very early. Parents decided that I must learn two alphabets at the same time, for general benefit. Then was English in school, then in my former group of Alexander Zhulin came a French couple, I received an ability to practice. Later I had international journeys and competitions. After I relocated to the USA my English grew to a very high level because I had to not only talk but translate for Victoria. Her relationship with the language is not very friendly yet.

Speaking about the situation in Russian ice dancing, I wouldn’t say that it’s the best now. I’ve been in the ministry of sports and understood that people await results from us. We only have two quotas on the World Championship, this never happened before. Young people lack experience yet, so our main job for now is to finish preparations in the summer, so that there would be no questions in autumn. I really want this to happen, truly, and we will do everything possible.

At our second joint Gran-Prix event in Japan we made so many mistakes, that we had a totally different attitude towards the Nationals, we had to qualify for the team. And in Sochi we indeed had the best performance in the season, though we still didn’t end up on the podium. I might be wrong, but it seems to me that this result was my punishment from the people, that didn’t want the breakup of our couple with Elena. But at least after the Nationals the work became faster, the anger was directed into training process. Our free program is ready now. One thing that let me down is my leg. But I walk already, jump and even run a little. The trip to Moscow was beneficial, the home wall really do help. So I’m planning to enter the ice on Monday in Detroit.

I have no remorse about my decision, and I don’t want to speak ill about anyone. We are athletes, and must prove everything on the ice. That’s why me and Vica just sat in Detroit and trained a lot. Of course I’ve read some of the interviews published in pres. There was a lot of them, so even those that I didn’t read were somehow reaching me. I understood, that many things said are wrong, but decided not to respond and not begin a line of mutual insults. Even now I think that there is no need to discuss that. I don’t read anything for a long time now, and I feel great. More than a year has passed, me and Vica became stronger, went through hard and ugly things, through falls. Right now we really want to keep training with Marina, and she wants that too very much. Everything else goes past me.

Vica is a very pure, bright person, she is very hard-working and learns quickly. She worries a lot when I react badly. I can get upset or angry, but I see her bright and open look, and everything negative goes away. I like that you can give her advice, tell her a story, she listens. We talked with Vica, and she confessed that she never had any serious life changes. Not like everything was smooth, it’s just that I had more various events. So Vica eagerly listens, and currently I and Marina try to give her maximum of what we know.

Some say that Vica lacks fire and dance-like performance. I don’t think so, especially considering that she became much better recently. I understand, that these are only words for now, and you have to see all yourself, but we will do everything to be in a perfect shape before the September events, with as much honed programs as possible. Not because I want to prove something so someone. The only thing that we want to prove is that we are a couple that is interesting to follow and watch. People that don’t believe in you, that are ready to pick on every word, will always exist everywhere, not only in figure skating. That’s why you have to prove something only to yourself.

Detroit is indeed a ghost-city, a city- bankrupt. Photos on the Internet are not lying. Destroyed buildings, no people, the whole Downtown is like a set for a gangster movie. There’s only one safe area for walking, it’s called Greektown. And couple of areas with casinos. Rest of Downtown is considered too dangerous for people, because of crime level. But once we decided to take a walk with Vica… Actually, we were just exploring the city, starting from a crowded sea-front and then we got lost a little bit. The son of marina called, Fedor, and asked where we are. We told him. He advised us to get a taxi and go home immediately.

I can’t say that we go to Detroit very often, but we visited the hockey game with Red Wings and New-York Rangers. I really like our player Pavel Datsyuk, who plays for the Red Wings, it was really cool to watch him play live. I also subscribed to his Instagram, but we are not acquainted.

In America we settled at 5-10 minutes from the rink. Close, but we still drive there, it’s not common here to walk. I bought an old 2004 Chrysler for 2000 dollars. I think it’s impossible to find a car in Russia of such quality for such price. The Mercedes from the Olympics I sold even before I moved. Saw it recently on the road. I was traveling to make the international driving license, and the person who bought the car lives in that area. I was driving and saw him on the road… My eyes even watered a little, the car is very cool indeed. But I couldn’t keep it, it’s very expensive to support. So when I return to Moscow I rent a car.

I like how people treat their work in America, especially athletes. For example, they don’t receive pay like Russian skaters. A lot of them have to live a double life: train at first, and then go to work to earn money for food and training. There’s this skater, Daniel Eaton, he works as a valet. He parks cars of the restaurant guests. There are guys who work as waiters. But when American athletes become successful, they surely have no problems with money. Gracie Gold has infinite amount of sponsors, she is the face of American figure skating.