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This interview comes from http://www.aif.ru
-How did everything start? Why figure skating? Tatiana P.: Everything began with a present. As we where for a walk with Evgeni we met an aquaintance who brought her daughter at home, the girl cried because she didn't wanted to skate anymore. My aquaintance saw Zhenya and asked him if he wants the skates. Zhenya said yes. "Ok, take them" and she gave him the skates of her daughter. Everything happend totally by accident. In our family is no sports traditions, no one of us ever did sports. Everything was just a coincident. And three month later Zhenya already was participating in competitions. -Did you expect anything else? Tatiana P.: We didn't expect anything. Most important the child stayed healthy. We were happy that Zhenya had somethig where he could lose his energy, he was a very active child, he never could sit still, he was always where he shouldn't be. As he came home from the trainings, he was tired. Sometimes he came home and just layed down to take a rest. We were happy about it, the kid went calmer. -Zhenya, you have accomplish a lot. What do you think what was it, the work, the luck or inner worth? Evgeni: The luck of course! I accomplish so much just only with Gods help. And thanks to my parents and my coach. Everything I have now is not on my credit but ours. The work has a very important role too. You have to overcome yourself, you have to reach for it that in every training the ability and the technique is better then in the one before. It doesn't have to be much better. It is a hard job and without athletic anger, nothing works. -What do you think, where do you differ from others in your age? Evgeni: Many of them growed up outside, I spend my childhood in the skating rink. They went out, visited discos and nightclubs and I just began with it a few years ago. Because I needed to train very much and very intense, as soon as I made a triple, I needed to do a three and a half jump and then a quad. -Does sport and private life go together? Evgeni: My private life is a part of my sportslife. My parents, my friends and my girlfriend supporting me on my sports career. -Do you have any friends? Evgeni: I Have a lot of friends, they are athletes or normal people but with whom I would meet everyday, I don't have such friends. -John Lennon said once, that during we make plans and work, our life passes by. Evgeni: I don't agree with that. John's works and plans was his life, it was what he left for the people. My life is the sport and the ice. -How do you relax? Evgeni: Mostly I just sleep, I can sleep really deep, when you don't wake me up then I can sleep till 3-4 pm in the afternoon. I like to play billard and tennis. I like to go for a walk in the woods with my dog and I love banja (russian sauna). I don't like parties a lot and I don't like it when to many people are around me. Imagine, I see till 20.000 people in the arena, after it I just want to be alone watch TV or play computer games. To rest is a very important part of the training process. -It is said that athlets decide just for the physical development and neglect the spiritual.... Evgeni: Who said this? Sports is a part of the human culture. And such things in sports like reaching for perfection of the body is not less comlicated than mathematics. -Are you dreaming of the trainings? Evgeni: In the past I did. As I was 15 my coach Mishin just took me for any case to the USA to the World Championships. I didn't even needed to participate. But it happend that Ilja Kulik, the skater who should participate had withdrawn and I skated on his place. After the short program I was second and I realized when I skate on the next day the free skate, then I would win. In the evening I was in the hotel, I could rest and calm down. As soon as I closed my eyes I dreamed of jumps, I saw the upcoming day: I go on ice and do two quads, then a triple......to fall asleep, I just could in the morning and I woke up in a terrible condition. I came to the practice and nothing worked. Then I skated and finished third. Such things happend. -Now you surely can handle the nervousness? Evgeni: I am always nervous and you can't hide from it. To be to much nervous is bad and not nervous at all is even worse. You have to find the middle. -What do you think during your perforamces? Evgeni: Somehow everyone thinks that I think during my performances. I think nothing. Before the skate I just go through the program and then I go on ice and do everthing. -What effect has the music on you? Evgeni: I feel the music, all of my movements coming from inside. Sometimes I select the music, sometimes my coach. We try to find an agreement, it is necassary that the music is liked by the athete and the coach. -What do you feel after a good skate? Evgeni: As I won for the first time the World Championships, it was unforgettable! I have worked on it four years and everytime the victory was close but I never was first. And then after my skate the whole audience gave a standing ovation. And before the marks came up, I realized I have won. That feeling was, as I did something what was unreal. Incredible! You can't compare it with anything, it was perfect and absolute happiness. -From such great things back to the small ones - does your popularity help in the daily life. Is the police recognizing you? Evgeni: They recognize me but the law is for everyone the same and I don't get any advantages from the police. -Is it for a World Champion easy to make new friends? Evgeni: I do not try to make friends. I have my certain part of my family and close friends. When strangers just want to talk with me, I talk but I won't include them in my circle of friends. There are some who just want to be close to me that they can show off, look I am with Evgeny Plushenko. -What do you think, how do the Russian civil servants act? Evgeni: Well, they like sports but it is hard getting help from them. I think they can do more and not just for soccer and icehokey but for the whole sports in general. -Because of such circumstances the athletes go abroad.... Evgeni: Surely. But my coach and me do not plan to leave Russia. We were invited in a lot other countries but we always denied all offers. We love St. Petersburg and feel that only this city can give us strength. -Is that a way to express patriotism? Evgeni: Patriotism - that is not the conversations in the parlament. Its the good work that people do for their country. I try to earn for my country the medals. -What do you think about people who "sell their face"? Would you play in a commerial? Evgeni: Why not? You can do a lot - play in a movie or something. I recently got such an offer and I accepted it. The puplic will see it soon but I can't say what it is about now. -Would you make commerials for sanitary towels and yogurt? Evgeni: (laughs) Well, about sanitary towels, this is pretty unknown for me but I have nothing against yougurts. I start every morning with a yougurt. -And at the end, please tell me how is it to be a symbol with 20 years, an idol who everyone want to follow? Evgeni: It needs responsibility. As I was little, Victor Petrenko was my idol. I wanted to be as good as him. Now we are friends but he always stays for me my idol und the No. 1 in figure skating. If someone says, Evgeny Plushenko went to an symbol, to an idol for him then I only can say, I am trying in the first place to be a human being. From Dmitry Markow. Translation Irene and Petra.
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