Maria Sotskova Mikhail Sharov interview English translation

Maria Sotskova interview by Mikhail Sharov for russland.ru, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqtL1l0AD8Y

Text version and translation by vk.com/vasiliymelnik

Mikhail Sharov (MSh): Masha (short version of “Maria” name), congratulation on your silver medal in the Junior Russian Championship. You participated three times in this competition and each time you stood on the podium. But it was your first participation in the Russian Championship, and you became sixth on your first try. What impressions do you have from this event? What new experiences have you gathered?

Maria Sotskova (Maria): I’m not sure. When I arrived there I got scared a little, because there was so many famous skaters in great shape. I didn’t perform my short program well, but I did my best in the free skating. I was very satisfied with my performance and I’ve managed to get ahead of many famous girls, those that I’ve seen on TV when I was young. I’m happy with the result.

MSh: You will have the right participate in adult competitions next year. Do you want to do that as soon as possible, or maybe skate one more year as a junior?

Maria: Of course I want to enter the adult competitions as soon as possible, because I think they are much more interesting but at the same time much more difficult than junior competitions.

MSh: Let’s go back to the beginning of your career. Why did you parents decide to sign you up for the figure skating group?

Maria: Well, mother did want me just sitting idly without anything to do, so they signed my up for a FS group with a talented coach. I didn’t like it at first, but Svetlana Vladimirovna persuaded me to stay and that’s how it all started.

MSh: Do you remember your first time on the ice?

Maria: Well I don’t remember the first one, maybe the second or third one. I was crying, I didn’t wasn’t to skate, I told my mom “take me away”.

Msh: Tell about your couch, Svetlana Vladimirovna Panova. What kind of person and couch is she?

Maria: She is just and strict, but when I need it she will always help with words or actions. She always helps and supports me.

MSh: What is figure skating for you? Job, hobby or something else?

Maria: I used to be a hobby, now it became work, because I know why I’m doing this. I treat it more seriously.

MSh: For whom do you skate? For yourself, for your parents, for fans?

Maria: For all of them (smiles). For parents in the first place of course, but also for fans, viewers.

MSh: Do you like to watch figure skating on TV or at the rink?

Maria: I like to watch figure skating at the tribunes, because it’s more emotional that way.

MSh: Do you have favorite skater?

Maria: Yes. Carolina Costner, Mao Asada, Patrick Chan, Yuzuru Hanyu, there’s a lot of them.

MSh: Do you have favorite or unfavorite elements?

Maria: Not really, I treat them all calmly (smiles).

MSh: You like them all?

Maria: Yes.

MSh: Do you get scared before the performances?

Maria: Of course, always. But it’s not fear, I just get nervous and worry about the performance.

MSh: When to you like to perform, at the end or the beginning of a warm-up?

Maria: At the beginning, because it’s hard to prepare after long waiting and then perform almost without warming-up.

MSh: How do you get in the mood before the performance, what do you think about?

Maria: I talk to myself inside, nothing special.

MSh: Does it sometimes happen during a performance when a strange thought intrudes the mind? Or the emotions are always concentrated on the performance?

Maria: There’s always some strange thoughts. Sometimes I remember a song and begin to sing on the ice (smiles).

MSh: You always had stylish and memorable programs. Who stage them and chooses the music?

Maria: We choose the music all together. Choreographer Ilona Ivanovna, coach, mom. The whole world chooses the programs and then Nadya and Vera Anatolievna Ratunyan stage them.

MSh: Do you have a say in choosing the program? Can you say that you will not perform something?

Maria: I can say that I don’t like something. For example, I didn’t like my program “Toreador”, I was saying that I will not perform it, but in the end, when it was staged I begin to like it, and then I fell in love with it.

MSh: Tell about your programs of this season. What characters do you play, what stories?

Maria: In the short program I’m a mime at the Venetian carnival. Just like all of us I wear a mask, I don’t show my emotions.  But during the step sequence I take if off, or maybe put on a different mask, and now I can be what I want because nobody will recognize me. In the free program I’m Audrey Hepburn, young and careless girl at the beginning, but in the end I become a serious woman, a lady.

MSh: When I was preparing for the interview I asked one of my friends from Saint-Petersburg if she maybe has some questions for you, and she said that she remembered you when were skating to soundtrack from “Pina” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7swvzrFkTN0). She usually doesn’t watch for little girl skater, but in this case everything was fascinating: the girl with little wings on her back, the white dress, plasticity and how easy she skates. So what can you tell about the program that made figure skating fans talk about you?

Maria: This program is still a little mystery for myself. I played an angel that help people, saves them when they are in dire situations. It was actually a very hard program for myself because I performed her when I still weren’t in the character fully and it was hard to express happiness from helping people. But I tried and we worked on it with chorographer. I think we almost made it (smiles).

MSh: My friend had another question: “The gentle turquoise color really suits Maria, she has a training outfit of this color and perform her FS in a turquoise dress. Why does she likes this color and where did such interesting style of dress for FS come from?”

Maria: I like this color for a long time, and it’s also a coincidence that the color “mint” is in fashion this season, so I bought a lot of clothes of this color. Even my mother said that soon I will become all light blue. I don’t know, I like this color, it pulls me in. Concerning the dress, I insisted on this color but my mother was first against it. But then put the cloth one me and she liked, so we kept it.

MSh: Many fans worry that junior skaters can’t visit school and this hurts their education. What’s your situation?

Maria: I visit school rarely, maybe twice a week and not regularly. I study at home, teachers visit me. I go to school only to return finished tasks. I also study English language in the “English first” school.

MSh: What’s your English level?

Maria: I don’t know, but I can talk and understand what people say to me.

MSh: So you can communicate with foreign skater at the international events?

Maria: Yes (check this out, fans).

MSh: Do you have a favorite or unfavorite school subject?

Maria: My favorite subject is algebra, something from math. Unfavorite… I don’t even know. I like them all.

MSh: How do you like to spend your free time, if you have it of course?

Maria: I try to spend my time going to cinema with friends or parents, or simply goind for a walk. Like to walk my dog. Walks mostly.

MSh: What music do you like?

Maria: Various. In my playlist I have both classic and pop music, lots of other stuff.

MSh: You’ve already been to many international competitions in many different countries. What place did you like the most, what was the most memorable? Do you manage to visit something between practice and competition?

Maria: Between, no. I totally concentrate on the training and performance. After, sure, we try to visit something with my mom or girls or just take a walk.

MSh: What was the most memorable from foreign visits?

Maria: In Barcelona we went to the cathedral Sagrada Familia. I really liked it from the outside, nut honestly, expected much more of the interior. But very pretty too. I also had a walk through Japanese town. I really liked it, because there was very kind atmosphere in Japan, people were very kind and friendly. And after I returned from Japan I was under impression for very long time, I wanted to smile to everyone just like them. They are very open to everyone.

MSh: Finally, let’s talk about you near and far future. How do you imagine yourself in two-three years? How will you look on the ice, what programs will skate?

Maria: I don’t know, I don’t like to plan ahead, because you never know how the life will be. Well, I hope I’ll grow even more as a skater and that everything will become better and better.

MSh: What do you dream of the most, medals from the biggest tournaments or viewer’s love and recognition?

Maria: I want it all (laughs). So that viewers would love me, and judges would share this opinion with the viewers.

MSh: Very soon will be the Junior World Championship, what goals do you plan to accomplish there?

Maria: Well, the goals are clear for everyone (smiles), and then we will see. I will be doing all that is required of me and will try to be one of the medalists. This is a minimum (smiles).

MSh: Thank you very much for the interview, good luck.

Maria: Thank you.