Apparently Oksana Domnin and Maxim Shabalin are going to be Russian No.1 team in Ice dance after Tatiana Navka/Roman Kostomarov retired from the eligible sport after the Torino Olympics.

-   How do you feel as the future of the Russian Ice Dance? Does it affect your self-esteem?

M. - We have gone a long way to this leadership. Not like we woke up one day as the number one team. There’s no fuss, we’re working quietly. And we are ready to be the first.

- Are you ready to be not in the best starting position? The Americans Belbin-Agosto are on top for a longer time and they already have Olympic and Worlds medals …

M. – It’s just one side. On the other hand, it’s easier to get on top than to stay there. In this regard, it’s easier for us. …

O. – I agree with Maxim. We still have time to work and go ahead.

M. – Everything is going right.

-   When did you team up?

O. – The new season is the 5^th for us.

- And it took you just 4 years to be in top 6 in Europe.

O. – Actually we became the Worlds Junior Champions in our first year and placed 12^th at the Senior European Championships.

M. – Yeah, we had a quick start. And we teamed up on April 2, 2001. I remember it as if it was yesterday…

- And, I recall, all these years they were trying to push you out of the national team.

M. – All these intrigues and politics is nothing new in Ice Dance. You’ll go mad in half a year if you take it seriously. We’re trying to take it easy. Some people write and do bad things, some – good things. And you have to take all this easy.

- Don’t you feel hurt when you are not getting marks you deserve?

M. – And what do you think yourself? Of course we do.

- And you talked about resigning philosophically to everything …

M. – Who wouldn’t feel hurt? But we make conclusions and go on. For instance, we get Level1 for a spin and Level 2 for a step sequence. We come back to Odintsovo and start working on our mistakes.

The problem is we still can’t get used to the judging system because the rules are changing all the time. Just imagine. We choreographed a routine last season. A week before our first competition comes a communication with new ISU rules and we have to change quickly all 4 step sequences. So it was Skate Israel – we never had such horrible skate – we were stumbling, falling, couldn’t figure out what was going on … Feet were behind the head. And even the smallest imperfection leads to a serious mistake.

Of course, we finished at a normal place but were slightly shocked by the performance. It wasn’t a nice feeling. We rather rarely miss the elements at competitions. And there … And The Boss (Alexei Gorshkov – A.D.) was all red, angry, couldn’t understand what was going on … We have never skated that badly in all our 3 and half years.

O.- I guess I can say this competition was the worst nightmare in our career.

- And which one was the best?

M. (pause). – Maybe last year’s Worlds on Moscow.

O.- I agree. But generally we see some small drawbacks in our skating at every competition. We haven’t yet been perfectly satisfied with our performance. But I hope this moment will come quite soon.

- Are you not yet tired of each other after 4 years of working together?

M. (laughs) – Well, of course we have some issues from time to time but we always come to an understanding. … There’re a few teams in Alexei Gorshkov’s group and if you look at the partner relations in them, you’ll see Oksana and I are best fit together. Even when we quarrel it’s not serious and doesn’t last long.

- Do you have a secret of quickly restoring good relations?

O. – generally we just skate to different sides of the rink and in some 5 - 10 minutes everything is OK. Stopped, calmed down – and silently started working together.

 - Your former colleague Maxim Stavitski once said Alexei Gorshkov’s group has a unique sense of humour and it often helps in difficult situations.

M. – That’s true.

O. -  We have such a nice atmosphere during practices. There’s no tension between us.

M. – It all starts with Alexei Yurievich. If something doesn’t go well, he doesn’t get mad rather laughs with such a sincere and contagious laughter that you can’t help but smile. And it eases all tension.

- I cannot but ask you how you felt about Albena Denkova/Maxim Staviski leaving Alexei Gorshkov for Natalia Linichuk.

M. – We were OK with it. We only couldn’t understand all the stir in the Media. Where has it come from? What for? We were doing our best not to pay attention to it. We know how it went, our coach knows it as well. There was nothing extraordinary, not at all. We still have good relations with Albena and Max – we keep in touch, call each other.

- Can you say you’re not-contentious people?

O. -  I can say Maxim is not-contentious. And I believe, me too.

Football player, Hockey player, Cosmonaut …   

- Looking back, how did you get to figure skating?

M. – I started skating in Samara when I was 4. My parents chose it for me. I was resisting till I was 12. I was drawn by football, hockey, F1, cosmonautics… I did my best to resist figure skating. My parents would leave for work, I would go outside to watch them going and them came back home to sleep.

- It was your silent protest?

M. – There were all kinds of protests. Loud ones too … But my parents were insistent. Some time passed and there was no need to push me anymore, and it’s definitely thanks to Oleg Sudakov who was a young and totally unknown coach back then. He had just retired from skating and took his first group from kids who were not taken by other coaches, from the leftovers, that is to say. And he managed to inspire us, I started to enjoy practices. 

O. – I started in Kirov. How I came to skating? It was quite trivial. My mom was passing by a skating rink, saw kids skating and thought it would do me some good too. I was small, quick. I had to throw my energy somewhere. So I was practicing for a year in an outdoor rink.

- And no cries and begging “Mom, take me from here, please!”?

O. – No. I liked it a lot. I enjoyed practices. As mom told me when I first put my skates on I ran at once. Didn’t splat, didn’t fall rather ran to the other side of the rink. And I enjoyed practices even more when I was transferred to a normal group in an indoor rink.

- Most kids first start as single skaters and only later they’re sent to other categories – some stay in singles, some go to pairs skating, some are sent to ice dance …

O. – Apparently I wasn’t a typical case. I basically didn’t skate in singles. I had skated for 2 years just learn to move on ice more or less decently and then was teamed up with a guy. I couldn’t jump or spin.  I was given a partner and they told me “Go!”. So I have to learn many things now. Especially spins. So far we are not required to jump. Though I guess some more 3 years and dancers will do jumps too …

-        Maxim, you said you were in the “leftovers”. I just thought how much regretted later the coaches that didn’t admit you to their groups …

M. – No one knows what would be with Oksana and me had we stayed with other coaches.

O. – I believe I’m very lucky with coaches. In Kirov where I skated till I was 15 I had a very good coach – Irina Fedorova. She helped me to reach a certain quite high level. And it was she who suggested me to go to Moscow, to Alexei Gorshkov. She let me go, even though I was a rather known skater, I participated with my then-partner in National Championships. She let me go so that I could develop further.

It was so nice of her. Most coaches don’t let their students go if they see prospects in them. And she realized there’s nothing I can learn in Kirov. And she did her best so that I could develop further. I’m very grateful to her.

M. – I was in a similar situation by the way. When Oleg Sudakov saw I didn’t have any prospects he found me a partner in Bulgaria. I went to Sofia, lived there for 2 years, got Bulgarian citizenship and represented that country. And then came back to Russia and started skating in Sudakov’s group with another partner. When I told Sudakov I wanted to leave to Gorshkov he let me go. And we kept good relations. 

- At the moment your team consists of 4 people: you two, your coach Alexei Gorshkov and choreographer Sergej Petukhov. It’s obvious – they coach, you skate. The interesting point is how you make your routines, who chooses the music? …

O. – Well, I can say we are on the constant search. We are looking for music all year round. If we hear an interesting tune we immediately write it down.

M. – We bring it and listen to it altogether – and then make a decision.

O. – We always want to find some original not overused music. And our choreographer, Sergej Petukhov, insists on it too …

- By the way, is it hard to work with him? Not psychologically, but in terms of his ideas?

O. – I believe we’re working fine with Sergej. We understand everything he wants from us. Though honestly it’s not always that we can implement all his idea. But we are doing our best.

M. – And he’s always puzzled – why we can do everything on the floor so well and then can’t do it equally well on ice. In such cases we give him skates … (laughs)

O. – Suggest to step on ice. He refuses …

- Have you ever seen him skating?

O. - Yeah. Well, he skated a circle and then didn’t say anything for a week. Only “Guys, how can you do something on these skates?” But a week passed and it started all over. Then we again offered him to skate. He refuses abruptly. Said: “You’re pros! You’re saying you can’t do on ice what I want from you?”

- Has Petukhov shown you the videos of himself in the Moiseev ballet?

M. – I’ve seen. And was quite impressed. He was a real star back then.

- Do you often go to see ballet?

M. – Unfortunately not. Mostly because of our practice schedule. But we try. As to preferences – it’s hard to say. I like different genres.

O. – I prefer modern. But I enjoy classics as well.

M. – Usually we go to watch something recommended by some of our friends. Sergej Georgievich advises us sometimes as well… 

The time of mascots has gone

- Can’t help asking about your summer holidays. I know all skaters get so tired of ice during the season that are sick of it even when they see it in the glass. Do you go to warm countries? Or to the countryside?

O. (in a dreaming tone): - I prefer going to some warm place with a sea, sun, sand beach. Last year I had great holidays. I spent the whole June by the sea. I was in Cyprus, Spain, Turkey … I had an intense program.

M. – My holidays were more modest. I went home for a few days. After that I wanted to go to Spain but it didn’t work and I ended up going to Odessa with my friend Vazgen Azroyan. It took him much time to talk me into going. But he did. And I didn’t regret it. I liked my trip a lot. Then went to Turkey, and then – back to Odintsovo, straight to the rink.

- Speaking of Odintsovo, is it boring there?

M. – No, it’s OK.

O. – We go to Moscow when we have time.

M. – Odintsovo is a lovely town. Green, cozy. Everything we need for work. It’s much better than to drive in Moscow from home to the rink and back. If you want to relax – you just take a car and you’re in Moscow in half an hour. If there’re no traffic jams. If there’re – you can’t get anywhere.

- Do you have cities you like especially much?

O. – I like Moscow a lot, such a beautiful city.

M. – Talking about places abroad – Milan and Courchevel.

- Have you tried downhill skiing in Courchevel?

O. – No. We were competing there and didn’t have much free time.

M. – Besides, our coaches don’t allow us to do downhill skiing. Though sometimes we break this … On the other hand Gorshkov believes we should think with our own heads.

As to our cities … I like St.Petersburg really a lot. Especially the suburbs. I was impressed by Konstantinovsky palace. … Odessa is a wonderful place. The old town, the people, their humour, atmosphere …

- You get piles of toys at the competitions? Who do you do with them?

O. – I keep most of them at home. Don’t know where to store them, thought. There’re many good toys but I just can’t keep everything. My apartment is too small. So I display my favourite in the corner and give the rest to my mom. I have a little nephew. She gives some to him and some to a gindergarten.

- Maxim, you don’t get anything?

M. – (pause). Erm ….

O. – Stop lying. You have taken a few times! (laughs) When he likes some toy he always takes it!

- Do you have a toy you’re bringing with you as a mascot?