www.sport.cz/clanek/141835-chci-privezt-dalsi-zlatou-medaili-rika-krasobruslar-verner.html"I want to bring home another gold medal"
says figure skater verner
He was the first Czech in the history of figure skating to compete in the grand prix final. Tomas Verner finished 4th, but satisfied with his performance he isn't. He believes however, that it will motify him even more for the Europeans in January, where he will be fighting for the gold. "I am not going to Finland with the thought that I must win the medal. It's ME who simply wants this medal"
Q: At GPF you finished 4th, how satisfied are you?
A: With the placement I am pretty satisfied. To be 4th in the Grand Prix Final, where the best 6 skaters of the world skate, that's good. I am not happy with my performance though. I'm sorry that I didn't demonstrate clean programs and that I didn't reach my personal maximum. I think that it will motivate me more towards euros and worlds.
Q: you did however manage to land a 4T in the long program. In the short program however, it is giving you problems so far. How come?
A: That is a problem in my head. In the short program you compete with 8 elements and you have to perform them cleanly, there is no room for mistakes. In the LP, if you make a mistake in the beginning, you still have 7 other jumping elements to make up for it. In the Short that possibilty doesn't excist.
Q: Don't you want to eliminate the quad from the short program?
A: Absolutely not. I want to belong to those few men who have a quad in the short program. Up till now there are just 3. I believe that the next quad will work out for me already. My position in the competition after that will be completely different and I will have an advantage over my rivals.
Q: You were the first Czech to ever reach the final. What will you remember?
A: How figure skating lives in Korea. The audience was fabulous, even if we didn't perform well, they were still cheering for us. At the airport there were many people waiting for us, and we were treated like rockstars. Other than that I loved the initiative of the ISU to hold JGPF and GPF together. It gave the younger ones the chance to see how the top skaters skate and on the other hand it gave us a chance to see what is coming up,
Q: Did someone of your direct competitors surprise you?
A:Of course American Jeremy Abbott who won. Every figure skater is somehow exceptional, but I wouldn't directly call Jeremy that strong. That's why I wouldn't have given him the role of favorite before the start of the event. He delivered great work however, and that's why he won.
Q: What is waiting for you in the nearest future?
A: On friday the 26th I am flying of to Lithuania to do some exhibitions. I am looking forward to it very much, because there will be some olympic medallists there. And they always offer a good word of advice which can help you with your carreer. From January I will prepare myself for Europeans and Worlds in Oberstdorf and in Sweden.
Q:Soon it's the holidays, how will you celebrate that?
A:I will leave my skates in the dressingroom for a few days. I am looking forward to see my family, when we will all be together. For dinner we will eat fish, which my dad will prepare for us. New years eve I will be flying because I am coming back from Lithuania, so I hope I will have some time to stop and remember which leg I should step into the new year with.
Q: In january you will defend your European title....
A: I don't like the word defend *smile*. This championships will be completely different than the last and I already cannot wait. I am not going to Finland with the idea I must win a gold medal, it's me who simply wants it and I will do everything for it