"The Absence of Kulik in Minneapolis Made Me Ridiculously Happy"

Translation of a Russian article about Alexei Yagudin:
by Maria Savchenko, Sport Express, 13 April 1998, p. 13

Yagudin was just short of becoming the youngest men's singles champion at the world
figure skating championships in Minneapolis. Donald McPherson was six days younger
than Yagudin when he won in 1963. But Alexei Mishin's student didn't worry about that
and if he cried on the podium, it wasn't because he missed beating McPherson's record.

Q. Were you upset when you learned that Elvis Stojko and Ilya Kulik withdrew?

A. Upset? I was ready to jump for joy when I learned that many famous athletes weren't
going to worlds. What prevented them from competing has nothing to do with me, but
their absence increased my chances of victory. I never back away from battle with strong
competitors, but why should I worry that instead of ten, I have to battle with two or three?
Only a naive person can think that a gold medal becomes less valuable in the absence of
Stojko and Kulik.


Q. There were lots of stories going around, but what really happened with your food
poisoning?

A. Newspapers were writing that I ate with Artur Dmitriev and ate the same sushi, but that's not
true. I ate something, seemingly innocent in the same restaurant, where all the skaters ate and
an hour later I started to feel bad. My coach, Alexei Mishin, wasn't suprised - it happens with me
a lot.

Q. Why?

A. My body isn't build to adapt calmly to jet lag and different types of food. Therefore, when I go
to a cafeteria or restaurant I always go like it is the last battle because I never know what the
diagnosis will be later. But in Minneapolis all ended well. Mishin sent me to the doctor, who gave
me some kind of tablets and sent me home. The next day no one remembered all of this and I
already wasn't planning to withdraw. I felt a bit heavy in the short, but overall I felt normal.

Q.However, after your free program, you were visibly unsatisfied with your performance.

A. In this program I was unbelievably tired. It wasn't sudden tiredness, but a feeling that over
the whole season strength had been escaping from me and none of it was left at all. In the free
program I made childish mistakes and mentally said good-bye to my dream of victory. The marks
also weren't overwhelming. And still to skate were Eldredge and Plushenko, each of whom in this
situation could take the gold from my hands. But honestly, I wasn't jealous of them. I reflected on
the competition and thought 'Isn't it good that it's already all over for me.'

Q. When did you understand that you won?

A. When Pleushenko fell on his first quad.

Q. Was it difficult to skate before the American public that was rooting so strongly for
Eldredge?

A. On the last day my eyes were seeing spots of American flags and posters for Eldredge. His
audience always greeted him with great applause and us with overwhelming silence. But this is
a normal situation and more important here it wasn't a factor making it impossible to beat
Eldredge. I knew that I could beat him in his homeland. By the way, he knew it too.

Q. The famous Tom Collins has already invited you a second time on his tour of
American cities. For you is this a continuation of the season or a rest from competition?

A. Good question. On the one hand, there's no time to rest on the Collins tour. Travel,
performance, cities that you don't even manage to see - all so that halfway through you just
want to run away. On the other hand, Collins has made his business on a professional basis in
the best sense of the word. During the tour, a skater doesn't worry about transport, food, he
doesn't carry his bags, or hear in a hotel "no room". His only job is to step on the ice and skate
well - the responsibility for all the everyday problems is carried by Collins.

Q. Rumor has it that your school in Jubilee arena will close soon for repairs.

A. It's true. On May 10 we need to have the building cleared out. They'll begin to prepare the
arena for the world hockey championships in 2000. They've promised us that we can return in
September, but I don't believe it. Here they can't do such projects in such a period of time, so
the best situation would allow us to return in half a year.

Q. Where will you go?

A. We won't disappear. In the summer Mishin always takes us abroad to prepare our new
programs and fix up our jumps in a peaceful place. Probably, he'll think of something this year
too.

Q.They say that he has already signed a contract for permanent work in the American
city Phoenix.

A. Better to ask him about that.

Q.Could you go abroad for a long time?

A. How can you live in a government from which you don't know what to expect? I'd leave
happily, but in Petersburg there are some things holding me back. First of all, my coach lives
here and he has his wife, children, house and car - all of which he isn't prepared to drop and
leave right now. Secondly, I have my own certain obligations to family, institute, friends.
Therefore, the question of relocation doesn't exist for me now.

Q. As a skater, what do you need to work on?

A. Artistry. That mark almost always falls for me. And that means I haven't shown my program
to the judges well.

Q. Do ou like your artistry in the free program?

A. The musical composition is made up of different pieces by Sviridov and I need to quickly
change from a march temp to waltz. But if I didn't like it, I never would have agreed to use this
program.

Q. What's your attitude to criticism?

A. Comparitively calm, but I can't criticize myself. Because I'm a lazy person. Not on the ice, but
in regular life. This probably is most irritating for my mama. Her requests that I "wash the dishes"
or "take out the garbage" would have just as much success if she asked a bronze statue. In the
evening I come home after training, eat dinner and sprawl out on the couch and watch TV. In this
moment I am deaf to any critical remark.