Tomas Verner is a black sheep of the family
Long 12 years the Czechs waited for a medal from the top figure skating competition. Now we have it again. 20years old Tomas Verner won silver at the European Championships in Warsaw not a long ago.
The last one has been won in 1995 by Radka Kovarikova/Rene Novotny. At the time they placed second at Europeans in Dortmund. In singles the title went to Petr Barna 15 years ago in Lausanne. And now, finally, after 12 years of long waiting for another czech triumph, Tomas Verner succeeded.
„The fact that I won sliver doesn’t mean anything yet. I definitely don’t rank among the best skaters. One medal is too little for it.“ says humbly the 20years old native from Pisek, who has World chapionship in the middle of March in front of him.
When does a sportsman get among the elite according to you?
The result mustn’t be scarce, because then a lot of people will speculate if it wasn’t a coincidence. But if you prove your results on a long term basis, one can say you belong to the top.
Haven’t you ever had a feeling you belong to them?
Yes, but not thanks to the silver medal. It was during approx. 4 shows I did this year. I met there the olympic champion Plushenko and other great skaters. We skated on the same ice, we were in the same hotel, dressing rooms... I got to know they are not any machines or big headed celebrities. I was happy to be with them.
How much binding is the silver for you?
Especially for the upcoming Worlds in Tokyo. As a second man from Euros I shouldn’t finish somewhere at he end of the field. It wouldn’t be a good picture of the European skating. And I would like to continue in things I started. Noone wishes this medal to remain the only one.
Do you still insist that you parents root for you only in front of telvision?
Yes, that’s our agreement. They know how psychically demanding this sport is. They are understanding. We explained to each other that everytime they are at the competition I’ve got an uncomfortable feeling – I have inner urge to devote my time to them but I can’t. Maybe we seem like arrogant, selfish and even big headed in the competition atmostphere to other people. But during competitions everything really goes aside, we are close-set in our own world. We live with what is between the barriers. That’s our 60x30 meters. After it’s finished you smile again and you are nice to the others.
How do you manage to divide the life of a professional sportsman and a life of a normal person?
That’s always problematic. I had problems with it when I was at the high school, because until my final year I have studied without an individual plan. And it always ended up the way that when I was on the ice I was thinking about tests and exams and the other way round. Finally I have learned how to be present mentally where I am also physically. But when I’ll be able to do that for 100% everyone in the team will heave a sigh of relief.
How helpful were the teachers at high school to you?
In my fourth year I couldn’t cope with it all so I had the individual study plan. But the first three years I had luck with the teachers, and I’d like to thank to them from heart for their attitude towards me and how they cared for me. They sympathized with me, because after school there was five hours of training waiting for me. But one can’t say I’d been getting my marks for nothing.
What marks did you get at your leaving examination?
I got 1, two 2s and one 3 - from Czech language. Even though it doesn’t seem so, I can speak fluently, but it just didn’t work out. Luckilly at high school the grammar is not so crucial, otherwise it would be even worse.
(laughs)You skate from your 6 years. When have you decided to dedicate to this sport on a professional level?
It’s good that you are asking. Majority of the people imagines that I started because it was my parents‘ wish, that they wanted to have a figure skating world champion at home and that’s why they forced me to do it. But it wasn’t so. I decided when I was 13, when I did my first international competition and felt the magic and atmosphere which is different from the home competitions.
At 13 I also moved away from my parents in Ceske Budejovice to Prague. My coach Vlasta Kopivova placed me to a selection af a talented youth. So at this time I started to think about that once I would like to reach the world top in figure skating and stand on the podium.
Your 1,5 years older brother Miroslav also did figure skating.
Yes, but now he doesn’t skate, he studies medicine. And this subject is absolutely incompatible with training demands.
You started with figure skating at the same time. Who was better?
Years ago I was convinced that it was always me. But the result showed the opposite. My brother was defeating me. So I always stayed behind him, I was the second one.
Two years go you missed the whle season because of ankle injury. Have you thought about what would happen if had to quit with sport at that time?
I had many thoughts in my head, because doctors told me my ankle will never be the same as before. That shocked me. Many people say that in sport injury can happen within one second, that can change your whole life. But athlete, until he experiences it personally, never understands it. I got to know it. The ascertainment of the doctors really scared me and I started to wonder what would happen if... Fortunately my fears did not come true and I can skate again. I dissmissed the injury.
Are you more cautious about yourself now?
As for figure skating, no. The cautiounsness wouldn’t be there upon a place. As for the additional sports or entertainment, yes. That’s why I run only in the runners areas, paths and grall, Definitely not on concrete. And football? It was my big passion, I played it competitively. I had to put it aside, because with my ankle it is not possible. I am really sorry i can’t kick the ball decently, at high school it was a great relief for me, when we could run outside during the break and play.
You father, head physician in Ceske Budejovice said, that your joints quadrate with joints of a person 10 years older than you are. Do you feel it?
There are moments when I feel the shabbiness. After the competitions whe all the adrenaline is away and I am very tired. When waking up in the morning I really feel liike i am not 20 but at least 40 years old. As for the joints I am not able to judge how much pressure is put on them... It is true that after the ankle injury I got to know it a bit. Every little movement hurt me. Before the injury I couldn’t imagine what the ankles must bear!
What do you enjoy more on the ice – jumps or dance movements?
One flows from the other. When you jump well, you enjoy laso other movements. But otherwise I am a big fan of jumps, I love the feeling when I am in the air. That’s why I fell in love with the quadruple jumps. You fly longer, you have a feelling that you overrule the physical patterns. Now not that we would overrule them, we always end on the ggound again.
You have done the quadruple jump for the first time when you were 15. Is that early?
It is early but I’ve had good technical basics from my coaches. But it took a long time before I was able to put it into my programs. But for instance Plushenko jumped a quad also when he was 15. To catch up with him was my personal goal. To defeat him would be my highest goal but it won’t happen because he’s not competing this season.
Do you cooperate with a psychologist?
Not yet. But I would like to do psychology one day. On the Faculty of physical education and sport you could study sports psychology once, but they cancelled it. So I‘ll wait until something similar appears. That is subject that I’m really interested in. I take pleasure in communicating with people.
Haven’t you ever wanted to try medicine, when it is in your family?
Yes, we have. My mother is a nurse, my father doctor of biochemistry and I go to him for blood taking. Which I don’t really enjoy, I don’t like needles. And medicine? Sport has won. So I am kind of a black sheep.
And also your girlfriend. She is figure skater as well...
Yes. And in addition she studies first year of economy school.
Where have you met?
At the rink where I practice in Prague. Martina started as a single skater, then tried pairs, for a while she even skated with my brother. We got to know each other closer and now we are toghether for 4,5 years.
Is it a steady relationship?
I think that very steady, even though we don’t spent much time together. I am glad I have Martina and I wouldn’t want to be in her place because it is not easy with me. Sometimes she is a bit jealous, which is a normal female nature.
And you are not jealous?
I definitely am. But I can’t control Martina that much because I'm away quite often.
Do you live together?
No, we don’t. I don’t know if it was good, how would it work. So I live alone in Prague. For weekends, if it goes, I visit my parents. And on Sunday afternoon I am again on the train on the way to practice again.