KAZAKOVA & REVIYA TAKING THEIR SKATING TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL

By Matteo Morelli | Photos by Yoriko Suzuki

Maria Kazakova and Georgy Reviya are a Georgian workforce that has been catching everybody’s consideration ever since, of their junior years, they began to gather essential outcomes that embrace successful the Junior Grand Prix Final in 2019 and a second place end on the Junior World Championships the identical yr. This season, they’ve relocated to Italy to be coached by Matteo Zanni they usually can already see the enhancements as skaters and people. We met with them on the European Championships in Espoo, Finland, and we wish to thank them each for locating time to do that when Reviya was not feeling significantly properly that week.

Maria and Georgy, thanks for agreeing to speak to us. This was your second European Championships, not a simple one to method for you however you continue to managed to safe a brand new private finest in your free dance. How do you’re feeling after the competitors? 

Maria Kazakova (MK): Yes, it was our second one, however the final one was three years in the past.

Georgy Reviya (GR): We are feeling good about it. We are so pleased with each programmes contemplating the situation we skated in and what I had, we did properly.

This season you competed at your first Senior Grand Prix occasions (in France and UK). What did you are taking away from these experiences? 

GR: Before the Grand Prix, we solely had two months on the ice as a result of I broke my hand. We needed to skip quite a lot of parts due to what I may do. For such a short while making ready, we did quite a lot of work. The Grand Prix was so good, we loved it. This season is significantly better than final yr.

Coming up subsequent is the World Championships in Saitama, Japan. What do you wish to obtain there?

GR: As with different competitions, we wish to present our greatest and enhance from our final competitors. We can’t be upset if we get low factors or if one thing occurs, we solely concentrate on our skate now. The factors will come, we have to wait and skate. 

Can you inform us one thing about your free programme this season? What does it imply for you?

GR: It is an effective selection for us, as a result of it’s our fashion. We didn’t wish to strive one thing new this season as a result of preparation time was brief. I believe the feelings we present within the programme are so near our lives, however they don’t relate to 1 state of affairs solely. Some folks ask us whether it is in regards to the conflict, however it’s not about that basically. 

MK: If you’re feeling this emotion in regards to the conflict, or another emotion, you’ll be able to take it. Watch our programme and say ‘yes, I feel the same emotion in this moment in my life’. We wish to present folks that every individual has totally different feelings and that this programme shouldn’t be about one story solely.

Let’s take a step again and take a look at the way you each approached skating. How outdated had been you while you began to skate?

GR: I used to be 4.

MK: And I used to be 5.

Have you all the time been ice dancers?

MK: We had been single skaters earlier than. I don’t bounce properly, I wanted quite a lot of time to just accept that single skating was not for me, and I began to ice dance once I was 13.

GR: I began slightly bit earlier! I used to be eleven once I approached ice dance.

You have been skating collectively since 2017. How did you discover one another? 

GR: Masha (brief for Maria) wrote to me! [Laughing] First step from the lady, are you able to imagine it?

Looking at your junior profession, the outcomes arrived fairly quick, with essential medals received at totally different competitions.

MK: The finest second was the final yr as junior, after we mixed some competitions from senior. It was a very optimistic season. We had quite a lot of competitions, we had been in a good condition and skating situation and we confirmed it. That season was superb for us.

GR: We got here up very quick throughout that season. We didn’t imagine we may try this within the first competitors of the season the place we acquired regular factors, however after that we put the exhausting work in and it resulted in an excellent form for us and good programmes to observe. We had been so comfortable, we couldn’t imagine we received the (Junior Grand Prix) Final, it was a historic second.

You have finished just about each form of competitors already: you went to the Junior and Senior Grand Prix, Junior Grand Prix Final, Europeans, Worlds and Olympic Games. What motivates you to maintain bettering? 

MK: We wish to develop, it’s our aim. We have a very good workforce now, we’re actually pleased with Matteo. He can present us the correct approach for us to develop, he exhibits that to every couple in his workforce. Now we are able to see our alternative, it’s one thing new for us. We get pleasure from our course of: we’re beginning to develop, change our skating abilities, our fashion and our preparation for competitors. We began to do new issues and after we see that we expect ‘wow, how is it possible’. It is an effective begin for rising as skaters.

Do you prefer to share the ice with the opposite groups you’re employed with on the Young Goose Academy in Egna?

MK: Matteo has actually good folks in his workforce. He has a pleasant relationship with everybody and all of us take to each other within the group, we help one another and it’s good.

You relocated to Italy to work with Zanni. Are you having fun with dwelling there?

GR: We work lots, then go residence after the follow, eat, relaxation, eat once more, sleep, and repeat! 

What do you love to do when you’re not skating? 

MK: I like to review and browse. I learn lots, final yr I learn twenty-nine books! 

GR: [laughing] I don’t like studying, however when Masha reads it is likely one of the finest moments of the day as a result of she shouldn’t be speaking an excessive amount of! I often sit with my laptop, browsing the web and taking part in video video games with my pals.

If I requested you to consider your finest reminiscence as ice dancers, what would you say that’s?

GR: For me, it was the primary Grand Prix this season.

MK: We began to grasp that we are able to do it, we’re in a good condition. We had this actually cute second after we had been on the ice ready for the factors of the couple that skated earlier than us: we had been skating collectively, we simply take a look at one another within the eyes and understood that we may do it, that we had been in a greater form than final yr, and we took a step ahead.

GR: Before beginning the rhythm dance, I solely thought that we had been on the correct path and I used to be so comfortable. It was due to Matteo, he has given us quite a lot of energy, we really feel his vitality and his feelings.

MK: We modified lots, not simply with our skating but in addition with our mindsets. 

GR: With our work with Matteo we really feel able to get to the highest. We want to attend and put the exhausting work in, beginning to change our fashion. We don’t wish to do the identical programme each season. 

Is there something you wish to conclude this interview with?

GR: Thanks to everybody. Thank to our federation, to our dad and mom that all the time help us. And to Matteo, he’s so essential for us.