Post by Katis on Apr 21, 2007 0:27:00 GMT 1
This interview was done before Worlds and this issue of the mag came out the week when Worlds took place. I actually got the copy of the magazine recently for free with some other newspaper I bought and I was pleasantly surprised to find a Tomas article inside. 
I apologize for the quality, I don't have scanner and neither a good camera, so this is taken by a phone
img297.imageshack.us/img297/1117/obraz031pm0.jpg
img264.imageshack.us/img264/4233/obraz032uc4.jpg
Tomas Verner envys to Federer
You are probably fed up with this question, but what are your ambitions going into the fight?
The more the championships are closer the more pressure is here, but that is the same for everyone. I don’t say I’m going for a medal but I’m not saying I’m going without ambitions either.
How do you cope with the possible unsuccess in the begining of the program?
It is quite difficult. But one has to concentrate and finish it – like in life.
Can one train for similar situations?
Probably not. Because in the practice we try to do the elements the way they should be done and not make mistakes intentionally. But sometimes it happens that I fall and it is similar as in the competition.
You have to concentrate throughout the whole program. Do you succeed?
I have to. There are certainly methods of concentration, psychical resistance but I mainly learn form the competitions. The more experience, the more you know what you can expect from yourself, when you are alone on the ice and hundreds of people are watching you in the audience and the others on the tv.
What ybout your physical condition? The program must be very demaning physically.
You see, and many people think that we just skate around the rink without conseqence. But to hold on for four minutes of the LP and three minutes of SP without a while for rest is not fun. We train the condition mainly on the ice but we also run, ride the bicycle and go to fitness centre.
Would you dare to put on the speed skates?
Only that I would get nowhere fast. But it is true that sometimes I envy to the coleague Martina Sablikova, that it is an objective sport. She reaches the finish and it is sure, she has the time measured.
Judges, that is probably the most discussed probelm of figure skating. Did it happen that they overmarked you according to you?
Once it happened that I felt guilty. It was once at the nationals when I bombed in the short program and they put me on the third place so that I would have a chance in the free. But it is true that the journey to that, (so that they gave me more) was long.
The points are not influenced only by the elements but also the expression – do you practise smile in front of the mirror?
Not really, but according to new rules it depends also on the mimicry overall. I have the mirrors around me during the ballet practice.
Also the costume and music have the influence. Dou you have a say in that?
During the choice of music it has to be a cooperation between choreographer and the skater because he is the one to listen to it every day. i don’t really have a say in the costume, though I have been caviled at that I have allegedly refused the costume for this year’s short program. But it wasn’t that hot.
How many pair of skates do you use?
I have one for a season and one spare in Prague. If something happened, it last about ten days to feel comfortable in them.
Do you have skates with yourself when you are on the plane?
That is the problem of 11th September. After that the rules changed so we can’t have them on board. I don’t know if perhaps Federer liked if he couldn‘t have his tennis racket with him...
When did you get your first skates?
When I was five, but they were white. I had black ones few years later.
Weren’t your parents a bit disappointed when you chose figure skating?
In the first place my parents didn’t want me to play hockey. it seemed too brutal to them. But the figure skating beginnings were also quite hard.
Did you have to as a small skater get up early?
Tell that to me. Since my five years I got up at half past four in the morning. Now it is fine. Thanks to the college centre I can have both practice parts in the afternoon.
This years winter wasn’t very freezy. But if it was, yould you go skating to a frozen pond?
Why not, but only in hockey skates and with a stick. I wouldn’t want to destroy my figure skating blades on the asperities.
I apologize for the quality, I don't have scanner and neither a good camera, so this is taken by a phone
img297.imageshack.us/img297/1117/obraz031pm0.jpg
img264.imageshack.us/img264/4233/obraz032uc4.jpg
Tomas Verner envys to Federer
You are probably fed up with this question, but what are your ambitions going into the fight?
The more the championships are closer the more pressure is here, but that is the same for everyone. I don’t say I’m going for a medal but I’m not saying I’m going without ambitions either.
How do you cope with the possible unsuccess in the begining of the program?
It is quite difficult. But one has to concentrate and finish it – like in life.
Can one train for similar situations?
Probably not. Because in the practice we try to do the elements the way they should be done and not make mistakes intentionally. But sometimes it happens that I fall and it is similar as in the competition.
You have to concentrate throughout the whole program. Do you succeed?
I have to. There are certainly methods of concentration, psychical resistance but I mainly learn form the competitions. The more experience, the more you know what you can expect from yourself, when you are alone on the ice and hundreds of people are watching you in the audience and the others on the tv.
What ybout your physical condition? The program must be very demaning physically.
You see, and many people think that we just skate around the rink without conseqence. But to hold on for four minutes of the LP and three minutes of SP without a while for rest is not fun. We train the condition mainly on the ice but we also run, ride the bicycle and go to fitness centre.
Would you dare to put on the speed skates?
Only that I would get nowhere fast. But it is true that sometimes I envy to the coleague Martina Sablikova, that it is an objective sport. She reaches the finish and it is sure, she has the time measured.
Judges, that is probably the most discussed probelm of figure skating. Did it happen that they overmarked you according to you?
Once it happened that I felt guilty. It was once at the nationals when I bombed in the short program and they put me on the third place so that I would have a chance in the free. But it is true that the journey to that, (so that they gave me more) was long.
The points are not influenced only by the elements but also the expression – do you practise smile in front of the mirror?
Not really, but according to new rules it depends also on the mimicry overall. I have the mirrors around me during the ballet practice.
Also the costume and music have the influence. Dou you have a say in that?
During the choice of music it has to be a cooperation between choreographer and the skater because he is the one to listen to it every day. i don’t really have a say in the costume, though I have been caviled at that I have allegedly refused the costume for this year’s short program. But it wasn’t that hot.
How many pair of skates do you use?
I have one for a season and one spare in Prague. If something happened, it last about ten days to feel comfortable in them.
Do you have skates with yourself when you are on the plane?
That is the problem of 11th September. After that the rules changed so we can’t have them on board. I don’t know if perhaps Federer liked if he couldn‘t have his tennis racket with him...
When did you get your first skates?
When I was five, but they were white. I had black ones few years later.
Weren’t your parents a bit disappointed when you chose figure skating?
In the first place my parents didn’t want me to play hockey. it seemed too brutal to them. But the figure skating beginnings were also quite hard.
Did you have to as a small skater get up early?
Tell that to me. Since my five years I got up at half past four in the morning. Now it is fine. Thanks to the college centre I can have both practice parts in the afternoon.
This years winter wasn’t very freezy. But if it was, yould you go skating to a frozen pond?
Why not, but only in hockey skates and with a stick. I wouldn’t want to destroy my figure skating blades on the asperities.
I agree I love that pic!!