2020 European figure skating champion Dmitry Aliev became the winner of the Kazan stage of the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday. Two weeks earlier, he won the first tournament of the series in Moscow. The Sport correspondent learned from the athlete how the custom of kissing the ice appeared after a successful performance, he would not like to spend a million rubles on a new car, and he also spied how Dmitry was raising young people in his group, and asked him about it.
— Dmitry, in Moscow, after a free program, you kissed the ice, and then said that you had decided to do this in advance if the rental was successful. What was the kiss of ice in Kazan — an internal impulse?
— An influx of warm emotions, satisfaction from what has been done. Probably, when I succeed, my soul opens, and I want to thank everyone and everything. And ice is what I stand on. And on what I perform all these quads. Therefore, part of the gratitude should have gone to the ice. Well, at the same time, after the rental, I wanted to cool down, or something (laughs).
— There were a couple of mistakes in the free program. It turns out that they were not very upset because of them?- Not. I knew in advance that it would be hard to jump the rittberger — due to microtrauma of the foot. Therefore, I didn’t get upset and after this jump on the step path I gave it my all, I myself felt how the energy was rushing. Maybe that's why after the rental there was such a surge of warmth. You know, sometimes you wake up in the morning and realize that a wonderful day awaits you. And then you finish the program and you understand that you will now sit down in kiss-and-edge and the audience will give you a standing ovation, there will come the realization that you have overcome yourself, you have coped. And before that I wanted to give a little more energy with a kiss of ice.
— In this case, as it turned out at the end of the tournament, 500 thousand rubles for the victory were still waiting for you. And together with the same amount for gold at the stage in Moscow, a million is obtained. How are you going to spend this million?
— The financial reward for the first stage has already been received. And I try to use it to resolve issues with housing, it is important and necessary for me now. But in general, to be honest, I didn’t get hung up on money either at the Moscow stage or at the Kazan stage. And now, after the victory, I don’t think — now, another 500 thousand rubles are waiting for me. For me, this is a bonus. Naturally, I pay tax and share with the coaches, each group has certain rules, because they contribute to my victory. As for the rest… What will life lead to, where will I dive, if money is useful there, then it will be useful. >- That is, there is no dream that you save up for?
— I will reveal a little secret — I am not very good at collecting finances (smiles). Of course, I can save up for something if I set a goal, but now I need to solve various current issues, spend on the needs that arise in life, plus help my parents. Always tried to send them something. When I come home to Ukhta, for example, I go to the bathhouse, which my father built, including with my financial participation. Well, I would like to have some kind of reserve of money so that at the end of the season there is an opportunity to go to have a comfortable rest. Or to spend on some of your Wishlist. I am a fan of playing computer games, for example, to purchase something from this area. .jpg» />
— Evgeni Plushenko wrote in his book that, as soon as he could afford it, he bought a car. Is a car included in your Wishlist? — I, too, when the opportunity arose, bought a car for myself. This was my dream. The season after the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, I was 18 years old and I bought myself a BMW. Let it be used, but I was very proud that I myself, no one helped me. Now I live a two-minute drive from the skating rink and at the same time a five-minute walk, but I drive all the time.
— Don't you like to change cars?
< br>— I have a friend who knows how to competently sell and buy cars, even without significant finances. Understood this process. And I have no time to do this, and I don’t have such a need. The main thing for me is that the saddle is under one place. And so that I can safely get to work or to visit someone. That's all.
«Whoever jumps the triple axel first — a personal reward from me»
— Recently I happened to see how you read a small but emotional lecture to the youth of the group of Evgeny Rukavitsyn at a training session. Is this already testing the ground in terms of a future coaching career?- Perhaps, but I do this not on purpose, but when an inner desire arises. It is always a pleasure to share the experience with the younger generation in our group. It happens that I pull two or three out of the locker room and start to scold them, so to speak. I just remember myself and the other guys in the group as a junior. Of course, we also hooligans and clowned around, but it seems to me that we had more wrestling. Who will be the first to jump a triple axel or quadruple, for example.
— And now?
— Well, there was such a moment recently. I gathered the guys and said: «Whoever jumps the triple axel, I allocate a monetary reward personally from myself.» And last week, a guy from the group jumped the first triple Axel. Now I owe him money. But I'm not upset at all — because literally three days after the first guy, another triple axel jumped. The third one couldn't spin at all, he was afraid, now he's starting to spin. when the free program at the junior stage of the Grand Prix was performed by the figure skater of your group Mikhail Polyansky.
— I want the guys from the group of Evgeny Vladimirovich to succeed. And I want to help in a good way. Juniors look at us, equal. I want the guys not to lose their heads. Therefore, I am always open to giving them some advice. And so that they would not be scared, they knew that you can always come up to me and ask something. Or play, for example, on a triple axel. If the junior wins, can you imagine what kind of «boost» he will have from this? When he comes home, he will tell his mother — I beat Dima Aliyev on a triple axel!
— And when you were a junior, how did you play?
— Yes, I played with Kostya Menshov. He always gathered at such moments (smiles). But I remember one time I won. I’m happy in the locker room, then I went to a hitch, I hid my emotions from everyone. And in the evening he came home — and called his mother, boasted! I felt right uplifted. If it works, that's great! So let the guys know that they can always play with me like that.- It turns out that you don't have such hazing in the locker room, which Plushenko also talked about in his book, everything is peaceful and constructive.
— I will say this — sometimes athletes piss off coaches. And sometimes I get pissed off when I’m in the wrong mood for a workout. It happens. But when I see how young athletes make the coach angry, sometimes I go up to them and say — well, let's move to a corner. And there I explain: I see how the coach looks at you, that you bring him up? Come on, roughly speaking, clenched coca into a fist — and went to work. Somehow it also happens.
— Last question — following the results of the stages of the Russian Grand Prix. Two stages — two first places. Did you expect this? And do you feel the drive now?
— In general, of course, I am satisfied with two victories. At the same time, I do not have a specific goal for the season, I rather enjoy the process. Evgeny Vladimirovich sees that I am inspired, and I am already reading it like a book, and I feel this process of exchanging positive energy. But I understand that it is necessary to stabilize the performance of both programs, both short and free, to show the result that I want and which we are planning with the coaches. In Kazan, before the free program, a force majeure in the form of a foot injury helped me, which forced me to pull myself together. But you won’t look for these force majeure on purpose. I want to approach every tournament with a cool head. And make people happy. My large support group came to Kazan — people from St. Petersburg, from Moscow, from different cities. I know many people, we communicate. They gave me Pikachu and other toys. Yes, I know that my family, the coaching staff are behind me, but there are also so many people who follow me to competitions. Maybe I didn't catch it before. And now I just feel and understand that I should give back on the ice. I have no right to act somehow negligently, to let them down. Therefore, my respect and gratitude to them for the fact that they are part of my form. They kind of hold me too.