[ad_1]
By Matteo Morelli
Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck accomplished their second season after becoming a member of forces as a brand new partnership representing Spain. With each of them being skilled ice dancers, they rapidly went from a primary season understanding how their partnership may work, to reaching necessary outcomes on this second season simply ended.
In Tallinn, Estonia, they competed at their first European Championships collectively, ending in fifth place and permitting Spain to have two groups at subsequent yr’s continental occasion. After their free skate, the 2 have been as drained as extremely happy of what they achieved, exhibiting the great connection between them.
Tim Dieck (TD): We are actually glad and actually happy with our efficiency. It was a bit extra nerve wracking than ordinary, however the crowd helped a lot.
Olivia Smart (OS): It was a dream come true second. It has been some time since we have now competed on the Europeans, and to be amongst all the highest groups as such a brand new staff is sort of a blessing. We wish to be up there the place we wish to battle for a podium.
Listening to them and seeing their enthusiasm, one nearly forgets that their partnership remains to be fairly new. The thought of changing into a staff began to form up round three years in the past, however in a little bit of an uncommon method.
TD: It is an effective story, really. It began with a no from Olivia: after I heard that she stopped skating with Adrián (Díaz), I knew that I needed to skate together with her. I had a tryout deliberate in Montreal, and I knew that she was nonetheless there. Before that tryout, she was the primary one I texted, however again then she was in a unique temper, as if she stopped together with her profession. But then, after I went to Montreal, the coaches noticed me skating and determined to maneuver issues ahead.
OS: I used to be invited over for dinner at Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon’s home. After a few glasses of wine, they mentioned I wanted to have a tryout with Tim. Per week prior, I simply signed my Dancing on Ice contract, so I requested why they thought I wanted to have a tryout with Tim, and so they informed me that he was in Montreal and appeared very sturdy, and this could possibly be my alternative if I needed to proceed skating. I mentioned I’d do the tryout, but in addition talked about I used to be going to do Dancing on Ice and go away for eight months, which meant no coaching. So, we had our tryout, and it was a no brainer for us each to proceed, even when we each needed to sacrifice the time of me being away doing Dancing on Ice, which gave us a later begin into our first season collectively. It was a sluggish however regular begin, and an uphill climb from there.
Considering how a lot they achieved already, it has certainly been fairly a speedy climb!
TD: To say that we didn’t qualify final season for the Europeans, and now we’re within the prime 5! It is nice.
OS: We name it our “accelerated programme”. We are each very sturdy personalities and we’re each Aries, so we bump heads typically, however we have now essentially the most wonderful staff that has taught me for years tips on how to handle my feelings and power. Now Tim is on board and he’s studying himself: it’s cool to observe any person you’re so near going via the identical studying course of you probably did, and I’ve realized quite a bit watching him be taught and develop as effectively. We have gotten an excellent powerhouse collectively, utilizing our weaknesses as strengths.
After the European Championships, they focussed on coaching to enter the World Championships in Boston in one of the best form doable: their sixth-place end there in all probability exceeded their expectations, however confirmed how their “accelerated programme” is already paying them again for all of the arduous work they’re placing in. After their small bronze medal within the free, they couldn’t fairly imagine what they achieved.
OS: I’m speechless. I’ve by no means had a smile on my face like that! The feeling of it, the connection we had collectively: I used to be so emotional all day. If you’d have requested me two years in the past once we first held one another’s palms that we’d be right here right this moment, I’d have laughed in everybody’s face. But we made it!
TD: Every second, I actually felt the reference to Olivia on the ice.
OS: We have constructed so many followers and relationships via this (free) programme.
From their storytelling to their characters impersonation, their free dance on music from the film Dune was certainly one of the vital in style of the season.
TD: It was really Olivia’s thought. She got here into the ring sooner or later and instructed Dune. Then we each went to observe the film once more with our dance coach (Sam Chouinard).
OS: I used to be searching for a chunk of music with sturdy feminine vocals. I like listening to sturdy, ethereal feminine vocals, one thing very whimsical that provides you chills. And then I watched the film and thought it was precisely it. I assumed that perhaps it’s too cliché to do Dune, as a result of it had simply come out and perhaps lots of people have been going to do it. No one did it in ice dance, and some different folks did it within the different disciplines, but it surely grew to become the film of the yr for folks to make use of. I’m very proud that we could possibly be the ice dance staff to place it ahead.
Their costumes, designed by Madison Chock and Mathieu Caron, stand out all through your entire programme, and earned them the 2025 ISU Skating Award for Best Costume.
TD: Mine was by Mathieu, I caught with the primary model of it.
OS: We had two variations of mine. A great programme wants a complete vibe and power, together with the costumes and the look. That is what ice dance is, the look is an enormous a part of it. After Nebelhorn Trophy, I spotted that I wasn’t 100% certain of what my costume was and I used to be going to vary it anyway. I had these concepts on paper and footage, however I couldn’t put all of them collectively and make up a design, so I went to Madison for assist. She already helped me with my Olympic season costume, and he or she nailed it with this one.
The ice dance subject they left of their earlier partnership is just not precisely the one they discovered after teaming up: from displays to costumes and music kinds, the self-discipline is evolving in many alternative methods, with new instructions of journey being explored.
OS: I’d undoubtedly say that the artistic individuals are pushing the boundaries. Every yr, folks should suppose exterior the field and the creativity is shifted, not simply from the youthful groups but in addition from the highest ones: you may have Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri doing a really trendy, robotic programme, Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud doing a techno one like what we hear once we exit at golf equipment, Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson skating to Beyoncé. Things are so totally different to what we have been used to, however folks pushing the boundaries additionally signifies that everybody pushes one another due to that. It is fascinating as a result of, for instance, how do you choose a Beyoncé programme towards a robotic programme? It is basically troublesome, however I assume that’s what makes our sport fascinating to observe as effectively. It isn’t just tango after tango after tango, and I do know there are lots of people which are lacking that fundamental dance idea of waltzes, tangos, and foxtrots. I’m not going to lie, I’ve by no means carried out a golden waltz or something like that and I’d like to in some unspecified time in the future. It can be cool for the rhythm dance to see that come again a bit bit after which have full artistic area for the free dance, however I do know they’re attempting various things yearly with the rhythm dance, and it’s good. We will see the way it evolves, with the theme altering yearly it actually retains us on our toes. But with the free dance, I believe individuals are simply going to maintain pushing boundaries of what they will do to not simply entertain the crowds but in addition to get the judges consideration, as a result of if the judges don’t like your programme, you aren’t going to be getting the scores you need. You should please everybody, not simply your self.
The method the rhythm dance is evolving is especially fascinating, however feels like it’s posing some challenges on the similar time.
TD: Especially in the case of the Olympic season, the place more often than not the ISU is attempting to grasp what crowds would really like. It could be very troublesome, however I agree with Olivia that it will be good to take a step again once more, again to the “classical” half the place you possibly can actually examine one another’s skating abilities, after which you possibly can have full freedom for the free dance.
Another change we’re witnessing within the subject is the longevity of some groups on the market. With Olivia and Tim of their late twenties, may we anticipate to see them for some years to come back?
OS: Our most important targets because the staff is, in fact, to compete on the Olympic Games collectively, so that’s our subsequent long-term aim for 2026, the Olympics. We did say we’d actually re-evaluate yr by yr how we’re doing and the way we’d wish to put together for the subsequent season. We love what we do, and with the uphill climb we’re having proper now, will probably be arduous to step away from it after the Games. Both of us additionally know that there’s life past skating, however we each have an excellent steadiness in the mean time and we’re simply going to maintain one another in line and in test with how we really feel and the place we’re at, taking it season by season. If we see there’s a gap there for us, I don’t suppose we are going to miss that probability.
This could be very true for each of them, however notably for Olivia, when fascinated about her choice to just accept the chance to enter the Dancing on Ice expertise within the UK (and win it!).
OS: I realized quite a bit doing that present. One of the largest the explanation why I did it was as a result of Marie-France informed me that I’d be taught a lot from it, from partnering abilities to persistence and power administration. I’d say the largest studying I had was persistence: it took time, work and persistence to enter a brand-new partnership the place each of us have very totally different skating abilities and mindsets and attempting to get these aligned. I used my abilities from competing in a staff sport with my celeb associate Nile (Wilson), as a result of he was used to compete alone (he’s a former creative gymnast for Great Britain, winner of an Olympic bronze medal on the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro). I’ve additionally realized quite a bit by way of efficiency abilities on the ice, that irrespective of how you are feeling, how nervous you’re, you simply do your job. I had a variety of these moments on Dancing On Ice: for instance, after I lifted Nile, I used to be essentially the most nervous I’ve ever been, and I used to be on stay tv however I needed to do it, and I simply did! When I am going into competitors now, even when I’ve all these ideas or I’m nervous, I believe that I’ve to do it. And if I don’t do it, I don’t do it, however I do know I can and I’ve to do it.
It is evident that Olivia and Tim have discovered their steadiness and are actually having fun with their partnership, on and off the ice. I needed to conclude our chat by asking a key query: Olivia is well-known to like canine, together with her personal Linda in Montreal and the numerous canine in her household. Is Tim additionally an enormous fan of canine?
TD: Of course! I’ve a canine at residence in Germany, and every time Olivia is busy in Montreal, I handle Linda. I completely love canine!
Thank you a lot to each for the time spent speaking with us, and better of luck with the subsequent season.