Andrei Bushkov:

"For Me Figure Skating is More Sport than Art"

Figure skating is a small world. Andrei Bushkov made his first steps towards world fame when he was in Edward Estis's experimental pair skating group in the Leningrad of the 70s, rose to the champion's standing on the  pedestal of European ( 1993, 1997) and World ( 1996) Championships, and later embarked on the unpredictably well-trodden path of coaching.

-Andrei, a few words about the time you skated on the international level. What experience did you carry over to your life in coaching?
-To work on mental preparation. It is crucial to focus on the elements and not on the placement. If the skater fails to maintain the focus throughout the skating routine, the quality immediately suffers.
-Speaking about mental preparation, which component of the training process is more important –the physical or the mental?
-They are very important, of course, but I would still lend a bit more preponderance to the mental component. I have seen many renowned athletes disintegrate when the pressure was too palpable – at the Olympics, for example, while they were still well-prepared physically.
-Can one learn the coaching "trade", or does it come with experience?
-I think the combination of both works best. One has to know about the theoretical basics of the training process, and to gain experience through the coaching itself.
-How would you define you coaching concept?
-One has to build to the most complex elements gradually. It is particularly true about pair skating, which is undoubtedly the boldest of the figure skating disciplines. I have witnessed many falls and injuries that happened because the athletes were not sufficiently trained for the elements they were performing.
-Is this the approach you practice with Hayley and Vadim?
-Definitely. Hayley and Vadim teamed up in the winter of 2007, when she had had no prior experience as a pair skater. We had to start from scratch.
-Speaking about figure skating, would you define it as sport or as art?
-For me figure skating is more sport than art. When an athlete's performance is evaluated, the judges have to assess not the overall trail of success of a particular skater, but the way the skater is prepared on the very day of the competition to perform the most difficult elements.
-That's an interesting view on figure skating. Most of our team members tend to think that figure skating is more art than sport and having a different perspective on the subject is always valuable. Andrei, welcome to our team of coaches and the very best of luck along the unpredictable path of coaching!