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How do you communicate with other skaters?
I speak English and German, as a kid I learned partly Russian because we had Russian coaches and choreographers. Most of the people I know from skating speak English, the only little problem is with Russians. The French are proud of their language in a special way and even if they can speak English they prefer French. And some Americans are a bit bigheaded and they speak to you only after you’ve won some important competition.
What do the skaters‘ parties look like?
E.g. in Warsaw we had a special entertainment room, where we could be during the whole championships. Besides the table tennis there was a football goal and a soft ball, so that we wouldn’t destroy the hotel equipment. Afer the final, we were having fun till 4:30 in the morning. Then we got terribly hungry so we set off to night Warsaw but everything was closed. In the end we found a bit sleazy buffet, where we bought gyros. We rather didn’t quest after the origin of the meat, but it filled us enough which was exactly what we needed.
Do you have to live according to a special diet? Here you have a classical „svickova“... (
>a delicious czech sauce with meat and dumplings<,
according to a dictionary – „marinated beef tende“ 
)
That is relatively fine – cranberries have vitamins, cream has calcium, meat has proteins, well and dumplings ... one can shut eyes to that once in a while. I don’t have any special diet, but I try to eat healthy, fresh and quality food.
What qualities shoud a figure skater have?
It should be an open person, should like people because our sport is based on a contact with audience.
So a bit of an exhibitionist?
Defninitely. One can be introvert but at least on the ice should be able to play extroversive.
Do intrigues in figure skating exist?
Ahh, we could make a whole interview on this topic. Figure skating is a sport where subjective opinion matters, not only time, distance, the quantities you can measure.
It seems to me that figure skating is quite conservative – skating still to classical music, costumes are still colourful, sequined, like 20 years ago...
I can’t agree with that, today we skate to a modified classics, soundtracks and song from musicals. When there are more judges from the old generation, I have to take that in account and not try to amaze them with something modern. One can’t skate to a techno or hip hop. And that costumes are still very colorful, it is an important function, you have to be seen on the ice and impress judges and audience.
Do you like the figure skating costumes?
Yes, it is important for them to go together with music and the whole composition of the program. You probably think of my this year’s SP costume, when I put on pink and shocked quite a few people. But this slightly controversial costume fulfilled its purpose – everyone talked about it!
Can a new element be invented or you just combine the old ones?
We combine the old elements, we think up new variations. We’re limitated by the rules a lot, there’s little freedom and impovisation, we’re penalized for extra elements. But we can do crazy things during ehxibitions, they are here to entertain people.
Do you have skating role models?
The most I was impressed by Russian skaters Yagudin and Plushenko, from Czech skaters it is Jozef Sabovcik. I had an opportunity to talk to him and i was asking him about everything possible and listened carefully to his advice.
Which one did you take into heart?
Mainly that this sport is connected with the audience so I should communicate with it. And also that a basics of a success is a decent practice.
Figure skatinng is accompanied by injuries, yours in 2003 casued you had to be away the whole season.
I jjust kicked through my instept with skate then, it was worse in 2005, when I disjointed my foot and broke bones in my ankle. It could ventuate that I would not be able to come back on ice. But it ended fine and I have to knock on wood, lately the injuries avoid me.
Can one get used to pain? In figure skating there is a lot of falls.
We fall all the time. You have to lear to fall the way so that you hurt yourself the least you can. The fall that looks horrifying can be just a trifle for us, but on the othe hand an ordinary looking fall can cause 2 months off ice. It is necessary to have basics of coordination and mainly you mustn’t think of the fall otherwise you send for it.
Can you tell how many falls did you have iin those 15 years?
If it wasn’t a million than I am very close to it.
Last year you were at the olympics in Torino? Can it be compared to Europeans?
Nothing compares to it. I think that to represent your contry at the olympics is a dream for every athlete, the atmosphere is unforgetable and I will remember it for a long time.
Olympics are also a huge bussiness...
Money are always in the first place. It is good that the athletes are supported, but I think that thanks to sponsors sport has come to spheres, that were unimaginable 10 years ago and today it is on the boarder of human possibilities. Just see what is possible to do in cycling, on skis today...
What is your highest goal? Olympic gold?
After this question the answer is clear. Olympic gold is a motivation for every athlete.You can’t compete without an appetite for victory.
I bought Instinkt today and then found out at home that it's the new one, where there is nothing about Tomas... what a pity... 
: ITA!