I STILL DREAM ABOUT TORINO

From sport-express.ru. June 17, 2003. By Elena Vaitsehovskaya.

Translated by Tanya

Doctors think that the hip surgery Salt Lake City Champion has undergone on 30th of May should not only bring the skater back on the ice, but allow him to continue to skate at the highest level.

I made my first attempt to talk to Alexei Yagudin on 31st of May - the day after the surgery. My call answered a nurse who kindly explained that Alexei went for bandaging and unlikely he'd be able to give an interview because he must go to sleep when he's back. Second time I called Yagudin when he was in Peter, at the time of 300 anniversary celebration. Alexei immediately asked: "Let's talk later. I have to meet Masha Butyrskaya to talk about my appearance in her TV show in Moscow, and we also wanted to play bowling".
Of course, when we finally met, the first question came out spontaneously:

Q: Who won in your duel with Butyrskaya?
A: Me, of course. A man has more advantages playing bowling. Arms are stronger.
Q: Did your injuried leg bother you?
A: I was very careful. Besides, it almost doesn't hurt already.
Q: When we met in Washington at the end of March, you were very happy that you stopped taking painkillers and began to do difficult jumps. I've heard, you were shocked the injury didn't get better after the treatment.
A: I've experienced a true shock earlier - in Autumn, when I first realized how serious my injury was. That's why next time I went to the doctor, I was prepared for everything. As you probably remember, I was advised to undergo a surgery back in October. But I sincerely thought I could do without it. There were some positive results after the treatment, by the end of Stars on Ice tour the hip almost didn't hurt. After the tour was over I came to New York for another check up and the doctor said the surgery was required. Regardless whether I'm going to continue skating or not. But still, up to the latest moment I was hoping the doctor would come and say: no surgery needed.
Q: You were so much afraid of it?
A: I don't appreciate any medical procedures in general. I'm horrified even by a simple blood test. That's why the only thing I asked for was to put me to sleep before the surgery. They didn't even understand me right away: "So, we will have to wake you up later so you can watch the cleaning of the joint on the monitor?" I said: "No-no-no. Put me to sleep in a way I cannot see or hear anything". That's it. I woke up in my room and immediately started to panic because I couldn't feel my legs at all. Touched it with my hands - there they were, my legs. But still no feeling. I thought, that's how paralysed people must feel.
Q: In the US it's common to tell the patient everything about his/her illness or injury, as well as about the process of the certain procedure. What were you told?
A: Everything! Down to how many doctors will be present in the operating-room and who is responsible for what. They brought me a book in Russian where it was expoundly stated, what I may ask, what the doctors can say to me, and what they can't say, and so on. I didn't even try to read it because every doctor who came to meet me told the same thing. Besides, I was quite nervous, to be honest.
After the surgery they put me into a separate room, gave me something to eat, and after 1,5 hours, when I came to my senses completely, I started to feel my left leg. Then the right - the one the surgery was on. Right away I tried to be up. But I was put into a wheelchair and brought to another room. There, I was taught to use crutches.
Q: Couldn't you do it by yourself?
A: It should be done that way in the US. So the patient can't claim he fell through the doctors' fault. They didn't let me go until they made sure I move the crutches and bring over the body weight exactly in a way it's written in the instruction. When they discharged me from the hospital, they made sure I got to the car safely, and then it was over.
Q: Did it hurt to step on the leg?
A: No. That was the first thought in my head. It stopped hurting. I still felt uncomfortable - I could feel the cuts, also the muscles were incredibly weak.
Q: Didn't doctors advise you to stay in the USA, not to fly to Russia?
A: They didn't say so openly. I felt the doctors weren't happy about my desire to go home right after the surgery. It's always better when the patient is under the care. But after two days I already wanted to leave the US.
Q: Where did you spend those two days?
A: At my friends' in New Jersey. I was lying on the couch and everybody was taking care of me, bringing me food into bed. I was a bit nervous at the plane: I was told the stitches may not hold under the pressure drop. I was getting sweat at the thought of it. First thing to do in Peter, I took a look at the bandage. I calmed down when I saw everything was alright. Although, I refused my mom's proposal to drive. I could walk without crutches already. Everything heals up quickly on me.
Q: Why didn't you come to Ledovy at the show dedicated to the city's anniversary?
A: Bacause it's not my celebration. It was organized by Zhenya Plushenko and I think it's his right to decide whom he wants to see there. The President of St Petersburg Figure Skating Federation invited me, but I decided it would be more correct to stay home and watch the show on TV.
Q: What if Plushenko himself invited you?
A: I guess, I would come.
Q: What are your plans for the summer?
A: I try not to plan anything until the hip heals completely. I can't say I much restrict myself to moving around the city. It's not that difficult with the car.
Q: Aren't you overwhelmed by the reporters?
A: Yes, a bit. After a live chat at one of the newspapers, everyone realized I was in St Petersburg and now, the phone doesn't stop ringing. I don't refuse anyone, but I try to make the appointments evenly at the time I'm here.
Q: Does it mean you already have a ticket to the US?
A: I haven't decided about the date yet. The journalists who are dealing with publishing of my book in Japan must come here, in Peter.
Q: I thought you were going to release the book in the US.
A: The publishing house there had some problems and the Japanese bought the rights. They will come to make a photo shoot - they want to add some photo material to the book. Before that, I'll try to go to Moscow - I haven't been there for 1,5 years. I promised Masha to come to her TV show. My coach Tatiana Tarasova flies to the USA soon: the practices began at the 20th of June. If everything is alright, I'll join the group at the end of July.
Q: Do you still have a contract with Stars on Ice?
A: I can leave the show at any moment, but I'm not going to do this. I want to skate there, and also to take part in competitions, including the Grand Prix series. Just like I was planning to do last year.
Q: Do these plans include European and World Championships?
A: I guess, no. These competitions require a much more serious practice. At best, I'll start skating carefully in July. Nobody knows what will come next. But there is still time until Olympics.
Q: You still want to skate in Torino?
A: Yes. But right now, I think about my future, not about the immediate wishes. That's why I don't want to make any predicitions.
Q: A year ago your desire to get back into eligible sport was understandable. But now, when you have a perspective of another work which doesn't require such superhuman efforts, don't you ever think: "Why do I need this?"
A: I do. All the more my common sense tells me: you've already won everything. But I so much love to compete. Another Olympics is nothing but a goal to make myself strive for something and to be in shape.
Q: What was your impression on the World Championships in Washington?
A: I have stronger impressions about the ladies event. I was amazed at Elena Sokolova's performance. I haven't seen her on the ice during the last four years and I couldn't imagine her to skate like that. I was also amazed at the Chinese pair. Their free skate touched my heart. I haven't seen anything remarkable in men's, though. Rather the opposite. Me and Zhenya were skating at the more respectable level. That's why I thought I could still go to another Olympics and fight for the gold.
Q: Has anything changed in your everyday life?
A: No. Another tour will start, and that means five months on the road. I don't see any reason to settle down in some particular place.
Q: Do you maintain any relations with your Stars on Ice mates off the ice?
A: I'm friends with Gorsha Sur. We get so tired of each other at the tour that we run in different directions as soon as the vacation begins. To work with Stars on Ice is very interesting, but there are only 13 skaters there. We are always together on the ice and on the bus - that's not easy. Together with a hard work, it gets on the nerves a lot. Although, there had never been any open conflicts.
Q: Do you have a staff psychologist there?
A: One of the managers performs those duties. He is not a skater, but everybody comes to him with a problem. It is common the skaters don't disturb each other at the days off. Many try to go to another city, if the break is long enough. Generally, while working with Stars on Ice I realized one thing: professional work is never easy.
Q: Were there any paticular fans to follow the tour?
A: A lot of them. A group of people from Japan came for three or four shows. About 150 people gathered in Vancouver. Every skater on the tour has his/her own fan-club.
Q: Do you have any obligations because of it? Are you obliged to spend your time with the fans apart from the show performances?
A: No. Although we all have certain responsabilities with Stars on Ice tour: to take part in different promotions, to meet with the press... Of course, if there is a crowd at the exit and people are waiting for me, I always come to sign autographs and let people to take pictures.
Q: Do you have a right to refuse an interview?
A: Sure, I can say I'm tired and it won't be considered breaking the duties. But it's not nice...
Q: I'd like to go back to your book. What is it about?
A: About my life. About the situations I've been through since my birth up to the last year.
Q: What was the hardest thing to remember?
A: My childhood. I don't remember what exactly I was doing when I was 5 years old. I had to ask my mom.
Q: That's not what I meant. The Western journalists often try to get from the person all the details. Was there something you wouldn't like to tell?
A: I guess, I wouldn't like to tell about leaving Alexei Nikolajevich Mishin. But I still did.
Q: Would you still do it if the book was meant to be published in Russia?
A: That's what I want the most - this book to be published in Russia.
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