Here are some "older" news - interesting parts from the Russian newspapers, about ...
"Rostelecom Cup" 23-25.10.2009. 
Usually I translate texts, but since I was on the trip (in Moscow and cheered for Plushy's 
)
... I sought "help" from Ximena 
http://evgenyplushenkodevotion.yuku.com ... ussia.html---------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gazeta.ru/news/sport/2009/10 ... 7339.shtml23.10.2009.Plushenko: I'm very happy with my performance todayToday Friday, in Moscow passed the second stage of the Grand Prix of figure skating, "Rostelecom Cup". The 2006 Olympic Champion, Russian Evgeni Plushenko opened ths short program of the men event, having received the score of 82,25 points.
«I just want to say that I'm very happy with my performance today. I'm happy that I did a succesfully 4-3 at the beggining of the program and I'm very happy for my triple axel. I didn't go well with the lutz, I relaxed, lost focus, it was my fault. This will be a lesson for me. Was it difficult to skate first? You know, this morning while I was on my bed I started thinking about it: at the Olympic Games in Turin, during the short program I stated also at the beggining, in the second place. So did that had anything to do with it? No, it was just necessary to just skate well, so it was the same to me where I was going to skate. How would I rate my shape at the moment? I'm not on "my shape" yet, not right now. There's much to work before the Olympic Games in February, I should be on my shape then. For now, we go step by step, I'm happy with this first step in this ladded. I don't take into account my performance in Perm and St. Petersburg, it was not the same. It's different from an international start. Today in this ice palace it was impossible to skate badly, to make mistakes. It is in the air, you have to make it all, all the jumps, skate well. It's another type of excitment, other spirit, other atmosphere. There's more than just seats, there are audience in them"
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(Evgeni's quotes from press conference after SP)
http://sport.rian.ru/sport/20091023/190297768.html23.10.2009."I'm not ready to lose, so I'll fight until the end"
"It is such an adrenaline! I've skated after doing only shows for a while and it is a huge difference. There you go and skate for yourself, for spectators, but the atmosphere is absolutely different than on competitions. You lack that intense feeling that you have to jump or lose"
"Of course I was nervous, like any other person would be. I'm not a robot, I'm just like you"
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(Yagudin's opinion about Plushenko's SP)
http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/353200I think, Evgeni looked very well. He missed the lutz, it was irrelevant, an accident, with a little more training, a little more speed on the footwork and the spins, to adjust it to the new syste and there won't be anyone like Plushenko in men skating today. I still think the best Plushenko was the on in 2001, where he was virtually invincible. In 2002, we went against each other and we were the same. And then Zhenia didn't have to try hard. I'm sured that even after his long break, he has the strength to win the Olympic Games in Vancouver.
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http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=3314823.10.2009.Evgeni Plushenko: Today I received the invitation to compete at the Grand Prix Skate America in the U.S. - and this is a serious challengeToday, 23 October, in Moscow, started the second stage of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Rostelecom Cup. Olympic champion in 2006 Russia's Evgeny Plushenko opened the short program in men figure skating, receiving a total 82.25 points. Officially this is the second best result of the world after Japanese Daisuke Takahashi (83.23), shown at the Finlandia Trophy tournament on October 9. The excitment was shown at the press conference of the event.
This kind of chaos, the Palace of Sports Megasport has not seen in a long time - if ever, given its short history. You could see at the press conference, journalist sitting on the floor in the aisles, and the voices of the athletes could not be heard because of the clicking of the camera lens. "Return of the King" attests the leading performance in the short program of Evgeni Plushenko. Turin Olympic champion showed again his seriousness of his intentions to return to sports. Apparently, relaxed in the atmosphere of universal veneration, Plushenko allowed himself to open up a bit.
- Many people asked me in spring: "Why do you do it? Again the exercise, the stress, the work ... After you have it all - money, fame, all the titles - in fact you won everything in figure skating! Why do you want to go again? - Recalled the skater. - I was just so bored ... There was lack of emotions, struggle, inner-discipline, goal. Or, as my coach, Aleksei Mishin says, I just decided to extend my youth (smiles). Well, I'm only 26 years old, why should not I still compete?
- By the way, today I received the invitation to skate at the Grand Prix Skate America in the U.S. - Plushenko as casually said sensational news by giving the conversation a new direction. - Usually, there appear all the leading men from North America. This is a serious challenge. After Rostelecom Cup, along my coach we will think about it. Personally, I'd love to go! It's not part of my official start: the championship of Russia, the European Championship, then the Olympic Games. Only about March, for the World championships, to be honest, I'm not thinking about it. We'll see. But I came back, and it's already possible to say that 100%. Thanks for that to my friends and my enemies.
These words of the press center, naturally, accompanied by applause. Ovation, possibly scheduled for tomorrow - after the long program. But it depends very much on Plushenko...
...
- Today, all your teamenes from the Olympic team of 2002 and 2006 came to support you: Roman Kostomarov, Tatiana Totmianina, Ilia Averbukh, Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov ...
- Really? I am very glad to know it! Frankly, I didn't call any of them, but it's nice that they came for me. I'll try to meet them later
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http://sport.glavred.info/article/2009/10/24/104923-724.10.2009.The return of "His Majesty» Plushenko- What beautiful building!
- Mum, it is not simple a building. It is a ship!
Such conversation between a little girl and his mum has casually overheard on the way to the palace of sports "Megasports" on the Hodynsky field in Moscow two years ago. And the girl was after all right. The arena really reminds a big sea-craft. So, as they say, a big ship - great sailing!
On October, 23rd in Moscow started the second stage of a series of Grand prix on figure skating. Evgeni Plushenko became, undoubtedly, the main passenger onboard «the ice ship». The return of the Olympic champion after a four-year break has been met in different ways. Even in Russia, the relation to the figure skater and his skating is rather ambiguous. And though we hear about Plushenko from everyone, it is very often said with a large pinch of salt.
And now after three years "Megasports" accept the Grand prix, on Friday it has collected quite probably the greatest quantity of spectators. Despite being a week-day, Russians couldn't pass the chance to see Plushenko live. In the audience you could see even Maria Petrova with Alexei Tikhonov, Tatiana Totmianina, Peter Tchernyshev and even Evgeni's eternal rival Alexei Yagudin.
Remembering his sky-high 97 points Plushenko at Cup of Russia in Perm, journalists began to make a bet: how much will the champion get in Moscow? They have agreed on the amount of not more than 86 points. To find out how right we were on our forecasts, we didn't have to wait for long. Evgeni opened the competition for the men. A combination of a quadruple-triple toe loop, triple axel and ... only a double lutz. "I'm did a good combination and an axel, and then Irelaxed. I did not think the lutz will cause any problems. The next time I will be more vigilant "- later explained the error Plushenko. Still the best part of the program was impressive. Besides Evgeni, only Brandon Mroz tried for the quad, but quite unsuccessfully. "Today I was the only one who jumped a quadruple toe loop. The others have gone for a simpler way ", rejoiced in his success the Russian.
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http://winter.sport-express.ru/figuresk ... iews/2119/24.10.2009.PLUSHENKO HAS SHOWN WHO IS THE BOSSYesterday in Moscow started the phase "Grand Prix". The main event of the day, of course, was the performance of the Turin Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko.....
NOW - FOR REAL"I have not seen something like this in a long time" - said with satisfaction Plushenko, about the impressive crowd of journalists in the mixed zone. And abruptly, as though not wanting to spend a minute in superfluous subjects, he has proceeded wih his commentary. (Here he says about skating first and the lutz problem that you have already read)
Alexei Mishin has talked about the figure skater: "It is not excluded that Plushenko will lose his first competitions. Moreover, I've tried to pre-configure Evgeni that the international debut may turn out disappointing."
Actually, if you look at Plushenko's performance (SP), is a much critical way, one must admit that the there are points to be worked on. The program, in which, instead of three jumping elements, the leader only does two, could in any other situation determine the faiulure. But in this case the error in the triple Lutz (Plushenko jumped very awkwardly, performed a double and got a whole element of 0.90) had no value. Even on his first performances and his training seminars it was quite clear: there are no technical problems with this jump for the Olympic championt, and therefore the error - no more than an accident.
The "emptyness" on his footwork and spins can be due the lack of performances: Mishin and Plushenko have enough time to work out a program to automaticity. Eugene himself has said:
- It's just necessary to work and everything will fall into place. My main focus is the Olympic Games, the "Grand Prix" although is a major competitions, has no significance for me.
As for the second mark, Plushenko's components, were of 38.45, resulting to a 82,25. The answer to the question "Who's the Boss?" was received.
However, none of the contenders had a chance to move the Russian from the first place: the world championship bronze medalist Johnny Weir-2008 failed to jump his second jump in the combination, he did only a double, Belgian Kevin van der Perren began his program with a double instead of a triple Axel, but the Japanese Takahiko Kozuke, who managed to skate his program flawlessly, has clearly not enough "seniority" and it was shown on the first and second mark...
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http://www.gazeta.ru/sport/2009/10/a_3276542.shtml 24.10.2009.An amazing feelingAfter his victory at the Moscow stage of the Grand prix series Evgeni Plushenko has thanked his wife, complained about the lack of attention to figure skating in comparison with football and with a shock he has learnt that the second place, Japanese Takahiko Kozuka trained at one moment, along with other 60 figure skaters. The young Russian Artem Borodulin who came up in third, has also achieved success.
In Moscow at the ice palace "Megasports", the men competition of the Grand Prix event has come to an end and Russian fans have two reasons to celebrate: Evgeni Plushenko's victory and Artem Borodulin's third place. The second place was, as expected, occupied by Takahiko Kozuka.
Plushenko skate to a "Tango" by Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton. Before he came out to the ice, Evgeni looked very focused, but after a couple of second, he got caught into the spirit and the audience supported him.
The audience welcomed Plushenko with an standing ovation
As a result he received the high scorre of 157,95 that allowed him to win with a very big gap. Still his result is 10 points behind his personal record and six point begind Nobunari Oda's performance at the French Grand Prix event. However, Evgeni has recognised the work that has to be done after his performance....
... Evgeni Pushenko admitted that he is very happy with his perdformance "«I am glad that I was focus and that I didn't make any mistakes on the jumps. These days I've done a lot of good 4-3 combinations, there is of course a lot to work on, both on the spins and the footwork. As for the trip to Skate America that I talked about yesterday, I won't go but I will skate in the Moscow stage of the Cup of Russia. Today's victory I dedicated it to my wife who was the one who brought me back the sport".
Plushenko said that he was very happy how he managed to improvise during his Saturday's performance "It was not when I lifted my finfer up to see that I was number 1, there was a lot of improvisation. Today I skated with a lot of pleasure and it was amazing. But my free program is still raw, we will finish it, but for the first start, I think it has worked out fine. But for example, we had added some new footwork on the circular step sequence a couple of days ago. We will finish the program of course and the choreography will be improved. My program is a tango where I dance with a partner. I didn't do a lot of elements this time. There is a gesture where I get a gun and shoot the judges and then I clean it up, but I thought that it was no necessary to show all the elements at once"....
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http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/35351826.10.2009.Number one! After a brilliant victory Evgeni Plushenko raised his finger to show who is the best in men's figure skating.......
- Are you happy, Alexei? - I asked the master.
- Of course - says Mishin, staring at the marks in the monitor - A program with almost no mistakes, with elements
of improvisation: the jumps were fine, Evgeni moved the axel... The footwork are level three so we still have to work on that.
And there's that elelment that I can't remember him doing? image - points to the monitos, where there are showing
Kozuka's marks. Plushenko's improvisation even confused his mentor.
Finally Evgeni appears.
- I'm very surprised right now because I'm not tired at all - smiles broadly the happy winner. - The emotions were amazing
and the audience was superb! Today I saw how many people in the audience "skate" with me. That's why I was "carried away"
by then so I started to improvise, to put into the program elements that weren't there.
- Why did you remove the second quadruple?
- Well, I decided that, I didn't even tell either my coach or my choreographer. Although in the morning training I did it wice,
but it would have been too much, if I had done both, what else would I aspire to? And now, do you know what I'm happy the most? That I did 4-3 in the short and the free skate.
- Yana, there you are! - Evgeni interrupts the conversation and waves to his wife, Yana Rudkovskaya, which stands on the sidelines in the company of Alexander Reva.
- Excuse for a moment - Plushenko with his skates untied stumbles on to his wife to get his well deserved kiss.
- Yana, were does Zhenya gets such tremendous spirit?
- From his coach, myself an his parents. But first of all, all the merit goes to Evgeni and Alexei Nikolaevich. Zhenia and
I have an unwritten "30-minute rule" where before the competitions, we live apart and we only see each other for
30 minutes so Evgeni does not get distracted and focus himself in the competition.
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(An interview to Alexei Mishin)http://www.newizv.ru/news/2009-10-26/116376/26.10.2009.Plushenko still need to find its place in the new figure skating - Alexey Nikolaevich, Evgeni has admitted that, even with this early success, he is very strict to himself, like you are to him. However, you should be happy today...
- Yes I am, this is an important competition, a good skate, but no more than that. It only one more step to our big purpose. And what happens now is what I call a balance in all. Something turns out very well, something else has to be worked on. For example, we need to work on the edges during the footwork and not to miss the lutz in the short program… but as a beginning, it's good. Moreover we are ahead the schedule. I was prepared for his firsts results to be worse, after all Evgeni has not competed in an international level in three years! It was nice that the audience welcomed us so warmly…. Of course we know that Plushenko's good results have some people rejoicing; and some other, feeling sad. Dogs bark, but the caravan goes on. And how much water has flowed during this time! How many time have they change the rules, new nuances, new fashion, new athletes, even between the audience itself… It is said that you can never step into the same ricer twice, but in Evgeni's case one has to say that he is coming into a new river. This is a new figure skating, a new life, new conditions in the competitions and new rivals. And in this new world, Plushenko still needs to fight for his place in the hierarchy.
- Do you think that this season will also be the most difficult one?
- The worst time was between Salt Lake City and Turin, because, when Evgeni got the second place, it was seen as a huge defeat. "What a shame, that he got that result ..." And history has shown that for a young athlete that was a very successful performance. But it was very heavy to endure it, to realize it was really hard. Now, it seems to me, that Plushenko coming back to the sports is a feat. And not only that, his arrival will raise the internal state of our team. Because as today, even considering he is not as his best shape, he is one of the most prominent representatives of our national figure skating.
- But this feat is not clearly perceived by everyone ...
- You could even see it on their faces: He came back? He has closed the path to the young ones… and I have heard it even from the mouth of professionals. In my opinion, that is frivolous. On one hand, many start figure skating to become like Plushenko…. and on the other… to take away the challenges from the young athlete is no help at all, because you cannot climb to the top and become a champion, if you swim in the warm, sweet milk.
- Why do you think Alexei Nikolaevich, Plushenko came back?
- Unusual decisions are normal for uncommon people. As Sasha Zhulin once said "If you think how many years it takes to make money on dumplings", then if you think it like that, then yes, the decision does not seem that strange anymore, he has already won all the titles that exist in the worlds. But if you focus on the personality, he has made such an uncommon decision. To try to discover in his return a mercantile motivation or a desire to establish some kind of record by getting all three types of medals, is wrong. I think it's about his state of mind. Some, when they finish in their sport, understand that all. But Plushenko has thrown down a challenge to himself.
- Were you ready for this?
- I knew that it would happen. And for that reason I refused the request of the President of the French Figure Skating Federation, who asked me to help Joubert preparing for the Olympic Games, and then Stephane Lambiel. It seemed that by winning that first gold medal, the athlete feels the sense of relief, and that is by no mean the case. He gets into a very difficult situation - to be or not to be? To come back or not to? It's a very complex condition. So I felt that Zhenya was going to return.
- All of us have noticed that he has changed a lot over these years. One word cannot explained it, but to talk to him, for example, has become easier, more interesting. And for the "comebacks" the coaches are hardly necessary. It's one thing when you guide an athlete to an Olympic gold medal, another - when he has it already ...
- We've been working together for 16 years. Many spouses do not withstand such a long marriage (laughs). So, it is necessary that the coach knows that the formula "I am the head, you are the fool" cannot work forever. When you get a young boy, like this one, you have to chase him around and take him to one place and then to another, even to the point to hurt him. But then you should treat the athlete differently. Not because he becomes an adult, but because he becomes more intelligent. Zhenya has the same place, just like any other member of our team. In our team, there's no a general and his soldiers running around. The final product is what's important to us, and who suggested what, it does not matter. But "here's your soup, here's your blanket" that is not my vision of the relationship between a student and a coach. That is probably the correct perception in the relationship between an athlete - coach and it has helped me many years to train Urmanov, Yagudin, Plushenko ...
- I think, one of the participants of the Moscow tournament, American figure skater Johnny Weir, was absolutely sincere, when he said that many skaters are slightly frightened by Plushenko coming back. Are there people who are afraid of you?
- Have you realized that while talking to you, I don't have that arrogant feeling of success? And that is because me and Evgeni we are not getting ready for a medal at the Olympics, we are getting ready to fight for a medal. It's a big difference. I feel like Fedor Konyukhov, who went round the world on a motorboat, whose name is Evgeni Plushenko. And of course, much depends on the strength and loyalty of the steering motor. 99 per cent of all depends on Evgeni. And he understands that it won't be an easy path. Because now there are remarkable athletes and very dangerous contenders. Last year was such a snowstorm. All type of them competed, fought, but there are "snowflakes" in this whirlwind. Now you can pick these "snowflakes" and you'll get… Chan, Joubert, Takahashi, Verner, Lambiel, Van der Perren, the wonderful young Japanese Kozuka, Oda ... Yes there is a constellation of small geniuses.
- Is there something new that you can bring?
- You know, I was afraid that Plushenko was going to come and will try to train in the framework in which we have worked during the previous years. But I was mistaken. Zhenia is so willing to look for new ways. Both in trainings, and in his skating, he understands that there is no other way. I won't go into detail, but, for example, he never jumped after doing spins, and now he spins first and then jumps. The moment small, but significant, because when a person has trained all their life with the jumps, and now they start with spins, all it not as simple, as it seems. The footwork we have probably changed it ten times already. Also we will think of a way to search for something new, look for non-standard options. My student does not give the impression of a dried biscuit, and that makes me very happy. But I'll say it again, we are just beginning. Though I should recognize that Plushenko return has already caused a huge resonance in the figure skating world.
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http://www.izvestia.ru/sport/article313462126.10.2009.Plushenko finally melted the ice- Alexei Gorshkov (former coach of Domnina & Shabalin's:
"I personally doubted Plushenko's statement six months ago to try to make it to the Olympic team. The hiatus he tooks was quite long, three and a half years and Evgeni got engaged in things far away from the sport. However, during the Test Skate in Odinstov this past September, I realized that my doubts were in vain. Even then, Evgeni was head and shoulders above the rest and this competition is Moscow just confirmed his superiority "
About wether Evgeni can win Vancouver:
"I'm almost certain about this. Of course, both programs needs serious polishing. For example, they need to work on the footwork and the spins, but that roughness will be completed eliminated by the time of the Olympic Games. Even in the free program, when Evgeni started to improvised and missed the second quadruple toe loop, he was skating through his victory. Zhenya is still head and shoulders above the rest. At least, those who came to this Grand Prix "
About Lambiel:
"We all saw Lambiel performance in Germany recently, and he is not a rival for Zhenya. What is important is that Plushenko has managed to keep his motivation to fight for it and he is not afraid of anyone"
- (Mishin's quote):
"Zhenya has not lost his fighting instinct. He can be called a real "rival killer"
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(interview wuth Vladislav Petukhov who is an ISU member of the technical committee and was at RC.)
http://sport.glavred.info/article/2009/10/26/143144-526.10.2009.....
- Our main interest is Evgeni Plushenko's return. What did you think of his performance in Moscow?
- We knew about it for six months. His desire to come back comes more from than his coach. Before Moscow, Plushenko has already perdormed in regional competitions and he showed a good skating. In Moscow, he showed his competitiveness, proved that he is very dangerous to his rival, especially now that they are not very good ones. If he doesn't get destroyed ideologically and physically, he has a justifiable chance of winning Olympics. And behind him, he has Alexei Mishin who very clever at the preparation of his athletes. I saw that his training were a little damp and that was shown on his short program were very little stood out, although the difference between him and the ones that followed was a big one, one point in each component to be exact. However, in this free skate, he was just inimitable.
- Are you talking about the non-jumping part of the program? Since some of the elements, the components, and especially the choreography, particularly in the tango, caused a lot of questions, and even some laughter...
- In that issue there already engaged professional choreographers and directors. However, it's obvious that the goal is the Olympics and not this competition. There's still four months before the Olympics. ll four months and this period. Where lays the skills of the trainer? In getting ready his stundents for a start and that's what he did, he showed his best and it gave him the results they wanted. Theirs is an amount of secrecy in the training, there's a work by stages: today they fulfiied one, the element, tomorrow in another competition, they will show another one.He is not going after the GPF title, although I don't think it would be a problem for him if he were invited to another event.
- There's another point, which is clearly not playing to the benefit of Plushenko.Whether you are a ten-time champion, the fact that he didn't finish the program, its a little disrespectul to the audience. And this is not the first time that it has happened; he did in his free skate and Olympics in Turin. Do the judges react to that kind of behaviour of figure skaters?
- Judges pay little attention to this; the audice cares more about it. We have certain criteria by which we have to evaluate. He finished his program and then it begins the work of the organizers, they see that he takes a bow, collects toys, sits in the Kiss & Cry. Even there, there are certain rules that must be followed. There were cases when people left without waiting for the marks and that inmediately caused them to get a fine.
- Do you think there is a figure skater, who is able to compete against Evgeni?
- Japanese skaters are quite strong, they have in Daisuke Takahashi a very good and capable man, but he has not skated in a long time. Nobunari Oda is still too young to be the kind of fighter that can make a competition for the gold. Brian Joubert ... well, you saw how he skated in France. Stephane Lambiel has not skated this year and he's not a fighter, like Evgeni Plushenko.
- However in the components, should Lambiel beat Plushenko?
- Not really. Fact is that he has never beaten him. American Evan Lysacek is a good fighter, I don't know if Johinny Weir can get better, but without a quad is hard to achieve something. And then he is not the kind of figther, figure skaters should be. Canadians are particularly empty right now,
- And what about Patrick Chan, who says he will win Olympics at home?
- Patrick Chan? You know how in figure skating we create a star and try to push him forward? They don't have one right now and the Olympic are going to be held in Vancouver and it will be a big political strike. I don't think that Patrick is a big competitor for Evgeni, you know how tough he can be, you do remember Salt Lake City, when Plushenko fell in the short program and ended up in fouth place; but he was able to bounce back to second place and that was a great success at that time.
- You didn't mention Tomas Verner?
- Oh, I forgot his name. He is a good fighter and he came to the stage two years ago, but he didn't show anything special. In France, during the Grand Prix, he skated well but he's not a factor. And that's all.
In Vancouver, whoever skated clean and do all the elements will win, especially because the new system significantly reduces the probability of conspiracy. The judging is closed so none knows, by looking at the protocols, who sat where, there are all mixed together. It gives objectivity and in this point I think it's good because it has made athletes to improve their speed, spins, footwork, create interesting programs, and decorate their movements. Although there are still some problems with the jumps: you can make a beautiful triple combination or a clumsy quadruple and none knows what is better right now....
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(This is an article written by Valentin Pissiev, president of the RFSF)http://www.gazeta.ru/sport/2009/10/a_3277131.shtml26.10.2009.At Rostelecom, Plushenko did everything that was planned by him and Alexei Mishin. All jumps were done almost flawlessly and after two events, none else has done it.
At the exhibtion Evgeni did such amazing things. It was as if he were mocking his potential rivals, by easily performing a triple axel and a quad.
Of course, you can not say that he has reached his maximal potential. The programs should be improved and polished, in particular the footwork and the spins, as well as the expressive images. Both Plushenko and Mishin understand this very well.
It's good that at the Moscow Grand Prix, Evgeni's skating was marked by foreign judges and technical specialists. They all had their comments about particular issues and all those comments have been brought to Mishin, who received them well.
I think the approach both Plushenko and Mishin are doing is the correct one, they both understand that they shouldn't indulge already in an optimistic mood, there's still a lot of work to do up to Vancouver to reach the best shape. There's no longer a concern about Plushenko's physical readiness, to skate has become easier for him since he lost those 9 kg.
During the Moscow Grand Prix, I talked with Mishin about the upcoming competitive schedule for Evgeni and we think that only two more competitions, Russian Nationals and Europeans won't be enough. There's won't be a problem skating at the Open Championshio in Moscow in November. Maybe in early December we'll organize an event as a sent off for our Olympic team, but we have just begun discussing this.
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(It's a 2 interviews to Tatiana Tarasova and in it, she is asked about Plushenko)29.10.2009.http://www.nevskoevremya.spb.ru/sport/5 ... etshansov/- Do you belive Plushenko will win gold at the Olympic?
- Why do you think he came back for? Only to win! Zhenya already outperforms his rivals, and this is only the beginning of the season. Actually, I'm bad with predictions but I can say that our guys in Canada need to be really strong.
http://www.russianews.ru/freetime/28340/- Valentin Pissiev does not want to make predictions for the Olympics, how do you think we are going to do there?
- I'm also bad at predictions but I can honestly tell you that there's no need to guess about the fact that Plushenko can win the Olympics Games. What else did he come back to? I'm delighted about Plushenko! He is a genius who brought us back to our past where men did two and even three quadruple jumps and for that I thank him a lot.
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(Evgeni Zuenco, about Plushenko return - Zuenco is the editor in chief of Prosport magazine)http://friday.vedomosti.ru/article.shtm ... 0/30/1518030.10.2009.There and back againThese are the kind of puzzles are what makes the anticipation of the Olympics particularly pleasant
The focus point on sports melodrama usually consists in the unusual degree of stories stories about how one simple Russian guy overcomes all the obstacles and intrigues, and still win in the hostile outside world. However, behind the strain in the voice of the narrator, the spectaror know all this tales to a point they seem like a ritual, and they know that behind euphemisms like "he has a difficult time" or "he trusted his coaches and they set him up", there's usually a hidden story about banal binge drinkings or positive doping test.
Approximately the same happens when one tries to tell the story about the return to the sport of some great veteran who, they say, couldn't deal with the heartache that gave him looking at the current state of affairs so he decided to show everyone how is done: for all the cases and all the motivations possible, truth is that the person is just trying to earn himself a life doing what he is able to do, because he couldn't learn anything else during their sport career. So the first rumors about Evgeni Plushenko coming back didn't evoke any kind of enthusiasm. Plushenko was overweight, he was at Eurovision, they were gossip programs about him, who could empathise with this kind of hero?
For everybody, "Plushenko's comeback" was nothing but a serial manufactured at the right time and with a clear aim, to get back a little that brand he used to be a earn from it. The purpose was worth to respect, like any chance to get money in a honest way from a yellow newspaper, but there is nothing to feel empathy about.
Correction: there was nothing. Until I couldn't see it with my own eyes, where Evgeni Plushenko come back. And finally in Moscow, at the Rostelecom Cup, one of the first stages in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating, the Olympic champion performed quadruple jumps, spins, footwork and every other element necessary at such level that he won by a humiliating margin to his younger rivals as if he didn't go anywhere these past three years. And most importantly, he showed that the Plushenko that came back did not have that extra weight, and it's impossible not to notice that thirst of victory that he has, that desire to prove everything to everybody, what only the champions can do.
Of course, all those wonderful data previously mentioned has to be added to the intolerable air and graces, creepy costumes and the incomprehensible love to choose the most commonplace arrangements and melodies - but that is figure skating, there are men dancing in leather, leggings with glitter, collecting stuffed bunnies after performances. That's the ice law. And yet, at the same time in Moscow, Evgeni Plushenko looked like the most adult one. Also the most professional one, the best trained and, weirdly enough, the one who look the hungriest to win. This kind of come back is one to watch with interest, since the most important thing is yet to come, there weren't any of Plushenko's main rivals in Moscow and he is not yet in his best shape. What Plushenko will be able to do in February in Olumpic ice, and what kind of medal he'll get when he finishes his performance is impossible to predict. But these are the kind of puzzles are what makes the anticipation of the Olympics particularly pleasant.
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