Evgeni Plushenko: “If I stay healthy, if I don’t have a problem, maybe Korea…”

You must raise your hat to this man: a four-time Olympic medalist, a three-time World champion, a seven-time European champion, a four-time Grand Prix Final champion, a ten-time Russian national champion, a man who entered the history of figure skating – and he’s not ready yet to leave the sport he loves so much. Are you asking yourselves why? Do read this statement of his, made two years ago in Bucharest: „I want to do more for figure skating and for me. I would like to change the skaters’ way of thinking: to skate as long as they want, to keep competing if they’re enjoying the competition”. Take this particular statement, add here his fourth participation at the Olympics (and his fourth medal) – and you’ll understand Evgeni Plushenko did just that, changing completely the way we relate to figure skating.

For the fifth time in Romania, a few hours prior to Kings on Ice Olympic Gala, the 32-year-old Russian skater talked about 2018 Pyeongchang (“I would like to skate more”), about his dearest project, “Snow King”, a fairy tale on ice (“We don’t have this kind of show anywhere in the world, anywhere on this Planet”) and about the Olympics in Sochi (“There were fantastic times! Fan-tastic times!”). And considering the amount of laughter and emotions during this particular discussion – and the fact that, for years on end, I was a fan – I’d say this is an interview that I’m really proud of. Enjoy.

by Florentina Tone

Evgeni, this is your fifth visit in Romania: you were here in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and now, in 2014… Why are you keep coming back?
Evgeni Plushenko: Well, you know, I skated everywhere in the world, not only in Romania. I skated in Italy, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, Mexico, everywhere. It’s normal to do that because I have many fans – and I think I need to show the people and also the government they need to build ice rinks, to bring many shows, to push figure skating and to bring kids on the ice.

At this moment, Bucharest does not have an ice rink at all…
Yes, it doesn’t have an ice rink, but I think in the future they can make it, they can build it.

What are your programs for this gala, what’s their story? [the interview was taken on October 7th, a few hours before Kings on Ice Olympic Gala]
I will skate “Storm” – that’s the short program [from 2012-2013 season], a program which I like, which I really like. The first part is slow, emotional, the second part is different: more dancing, more steps, fast steps. The second program is “Best of Plushenko”; it’s the Olympic program that I skated in Sochi – and we decided to make this program for galas too… Because I went many times in Japan, for example, and I was asked: “Why don’t you skate the Nijinsky? Why you don’t skate Tango? Why don’t you….” And I was: “Ok, next time I will skate Nijinsky”… And other Japanese fans were: “Why don’t you skate this one?” And I decided with my coach to put 20-30 seconds from some of the programs to make one which everyone will like. Maybe next time I will make “Best of Plushenko-part two”… (Laughing) You know, I have many programs… And I like this “Best of Plushenko”, with fragments from The Godfather, Tango, Adagio by Albinoni, Nijinsky…

In Japan you got standing ovation for this particular program…
Yes, I just came from Japan and there was a competition, Japan Open, and, after Japan Open, they have Carnival on Ice, the show. And they had one row of judges – and the judges gave me standing ovation after this program. And this was really important, because I didn’t see that for anyone else there, the judges standing up… It means a lot.

Do you miss competing?
Not this time. I need to stay healthy, I’m a little bit tired, especially after the surgery… You know, in one year and one month I had two big surgeries on my back, so it’s hard, it’s hard. I have altogether 13 surgeries… I have arm problems, knees, hips, a lot of things. And the biggest surgeries were on my back. This is the big problem – and now I understand this one (pointing to his back) is really important in your body.

Will you be jumping the Triple Axel here, in Bucharest?
Tonight, no, because the ice is very small and a little bit soft. And it’s dangerous to do that… And in two days we’ll start preparing my new project, a fairy tale on ice, “Snow King”. 220 people work on this project, 180 costumes are being made… It’s huge. I’ve spent 5 million dollars, my money, in this project. The show will be worldwide – but it will start in Moscow and St. Petersburg this winter.

And what other skaters are joining you in the cast?
We have Johnny Weir, we have Brian Joubert, we have Tomas Verner, we have Irina Slutskaya, we have acrobats on ice, we have jumpers, trampoline, we have many people who’re going to fly and do acrobatics, we have many strings and we’re going to make a 15 minutes movie, real movie… So it’s a huge project.

Will it be like the opening of the Olympics on a small scale?
It will be huge. It was an old idea of mine – and now I have the time to do it. To make something like Cirque du Soleil. We don’t have this kind of show anywhere in the world, anywhere on this Planet. Maybe on other Planet there is one… (there’s laughter again).

You have to bring this show to Romania too…
Well, in January, the Japanese and Chinese producers will come to St. Petersburg and decide… And maybe we’ll go there. But in Europe I will skate for sure. And maybe in Romania, why not? But I have a big cast and I’ll need a big ice rink for that…

If you look at Sochi Olympics, what do you see, what do you remember? Which were the most emotional moments of your fourth Olympics?
I think I remember everything. I remember the short program in the Team event – because I skated first, I opened the Olympic Games in our sport (he laughs)… And it was hard, because it was full of people, full of crowd…

…screaming your name, screaming “Russia, Russia”…
Oooo, the screaming was so loud… and, you know, I skated before in three Olympic Games and it was nothing like this. Nothing! So I tried to block what I heard (Evgeni puts his hands above his head, as if he were defending himself from the public’s shouting), the screaming, “Evgeni, come on! Evgeni!”, and I tried to concentrate but it was not possible… So, it was a little bit scary… Because I needed to skate good – and before I had skated only for myself, but here it was Team. It was so hard, so hard! But I made it, I skated a clean short program. And I was happy, so happy!
Of course, when it came to the long program I did very good for that time… And I remember the victory, I remember our president, Mr. Putin, I remember the crowd, the standing ovations, everybody screaming… There were fantastic times! Fan-tastic times! Of course, I remember when I broke the screw on my back, I remember what everybody was saying after that…

Those were hard times for you…
Yes… But now I’m stronger – and I understand who is my friend and who is my enemy. But Olympic Games, the Sochi Olympic Games, were one of the best. The Opening, the Finale, the organisation, the food, the atmosphere, the buildings… it was high level.

Are you happy with what you’ve accomplished by now? Can you do more? Do you want do to more? There are some people talking about your fifth Olympics… Are you considering 2018 Pyeongchang?
Well, I would like to skate more. But I think I need two years like… off. Only galas, only shows, fairy tales, “Snow King”… Be more with my family, but practice. And, like I said, if I stay healthy, if I don’t have a problem, maybe Korea… (he smiles)

You’re scaring a lot of people saying that…
I said I’m Terminator. I’ll be baaaack. He smiles and then adds, on a serious note: But I would like to fix all my health first…

VIDEO
Parts of the interview with Evgeni Plushenko, as recorded by Svetlana Katanic from evgeni-plushenko.com.

PHOTO-GALLERY: Evgeni Plushenko at 2014 Kings on Ice Olympic Gala