He entered the season like the big european figure skating boss, but up till now he hasn't been able to convince much. He hopes at this moment though, that things will start running and that he will show his best at europeans and worlds. "I don't want to skate average programs, I want to do quad jumps. I believe that at the championships I will do my very best" That's the not easy missio Tomas Verner is striving for. His fans know there is nothing left than believe with him.
Q: how is your current form? How are you and how are you feeling?
A"well if I have to take these questions literally
; My form presently isn't nothing much (as in its good, czech translation problem), I didn't sleep after my trip from Korea, I didn't eat any breakfast , I'm cold and then I ended up in the wrong hilton hotel... *smile*
Q: Well if it makes you feel any better, we also arrived at the wrong address first
A: well you see, we could have sat down there for an interview *smile*
Q: and now serious
A: OK, If I take that seriously, then I think the form is good. In training my results are consistent. I am just waiting for the moment that this consistency also shows in competition.
Q: Now I am interested in why the results didn't work out yet for you up till now?
A: In my opinion it's all about the different form of my short program. I have a quad toeloop now in the beginning of my SP, but the problem lies in the fact that up till now I didn't land it yet. Afterwards it's a difficult fight, when you know that there was a big minus at the very start. You are kind of behind then. I am looking forward to the moment when it does work out for me. There are 3 or 4 of us who do this in the world and I want to belong there too. It's going in training, so soon it should work finally work in competition too.
Q: When did change this? How long are you training it?
A:I started doing so at the end of the summer, so about half a year. In the beginning of the season I jumped only an easier combination, the quad I tried only in the grand prix's. Unfortunately it didn't work yet though
Q: Soon at the championships it will work out
A: I believe that as well *smile*
Q: how many competitions did you skate so far? 5?
A: Up till now 5 competitions. 2 smaller competitions like I do every year and 3 for the grand prix. Now I will just be training, I won't do any other competitions besides europeans and worlds, also not inbetween. I will skate at a few exhibitions at maximum.
Q: Do you believe in worlds?
A: Of course yes, I still think that the best figure skaters are from Europe and as long as somebody else doesn't take that title then I would like to grab it. I would like to stop the 'offence' from Asia, so we will see. At this moment they certainly have an advantage. They got better aesthetically, have a better body layout (or how to translate?
) so it will be difficult. Together with frenchman Brian Joubert we want the European school to shine. We will of course be fighting against eachother too, but we want to be above other parts of the world
Q: did you just suggest: that it's bad that figure skating these days is more about skating with force, jumping the most and most difficult jumps, but the the beauty in the sport is being pushed to the back?
Of course yes, I agree. It is a pity. I always thought that figure skating should be a difficult and complex sport and not just jump. Unfortunately the judges sometimes forget about this and they don't really judge the components like they should. But you cannot prevent these kind of things.
A judge is only a person just like we are, and just like us they have emotions while working. So it's difficult for them. They have to judge with a certain bit of "distance". Then the programs I skate for example, where the emotions aren't that high, but I pay attention also to the aestetics, skating and musicality, have a disadvantage. Like I said already, let's see how it goes. I hope it will go right for me.
Q: What are your goals for this season?
A: The most important is the world championships for me. The European title I already have *smile*. Not that I wouldn't like to have another, but the most fundamental thing for me is worlds. A medal from worlds I do not have yet, and that I don't have one yet is really something I cannot permit *vigorously but smiling*, while I have been trying for so long. I would like to change that, I finally want it.
Q: Is the olympics already spooking through your head or is that still too far?
A: No, no, of course I am thinking about it. After all Olympics is just around the corner. Olympics is mainly about preperation, being healthy and concentrate yourself mainly on your sport. And it's all about the head. The knowledge that you have 4 minutes to show what you have been doing in training for 4 years is very difficult. Even more when you know that a next opportunity you won't have. I have to prepare myself for that. I don't know yet how, but maybe the world championships will help me with that.
Q: How is that in your sport with the psychological aspect?
A: it does a lot, it's the most important factor. In figure skating you cannot just detach yourself from the enviroment, getting rid of emotions. It's a sport with beauty, we have to have a certain presence on ice. It's difficult to disconnect from your emotions, you can't skate like an "automatic" like in training. There we have it more difficult than for example athletes in archery or something like that.
Q: so when you are psychologically strong, it's the basis for sucess?
Of course. What goes on in our heads is fundamental. In training we are all equally balance, the psychological state decides who wins and who doesn't.