‘It’s not a psychological issue, this is facing reality’: Brian Orser on Medvedeva’s losses to quad-jumping skaters (VIDEO)
Renowned Canadian figure skating specialist Brian Orser, who has been coaching the two-time world champion Evgenia Medvedeva, said that losing to young, quad-jumping skaters is a reality she needs to face.
In an interview with RT Sport the Canadian coach talked about quad-jumping revolution in women’s skating and how it affected Medvedeva, who hasn’t yet successfully landed a quad.
The 57-year-old pundit stressed that Medvedeva is making progress with a quad Salchow, without noting when she will be able to show it at competitions.
“She is making progress and she is quite healthy at the moment, so we just keep working on it,” he told RT. “Salchow is her best jump, you know, we’ve been watching a lots of tapes. And she’s got some great skaters at the rink doing quad Salchows.”
Talking about Medvedeva’s chances to fight for medals without having a quad, Orser noted that she is still quite competitive at international events.
“Yes, that’s quite simple [to be competitive without a quad], absolutely and she is showing that,” Orser said. “It’s a woman’s event and she is in there with so great women of figure skating. You know like Yuna Kim and Carolina Kostner, Mao Asada and Miki Ando or Katarina Witt, so these are beautiful women skaters. Of course we have to be competitive, that’s what we continue to do.”
The two-time Olympic silver medalist didn’t add his weight on the controversial issue of changing the age limit in women’s skating underlining that he wants “to stay out of it.”
“I don’t know, I’m staying out of it,” the Canadian said. “Because I actually have no control. I just know that when there is a change in a rule, you adapt and you go with it. For instance when they changed the judging system. It was a big change. And a lot of my contemporaries in figure skating were complaining about it, and I just embraced it.”
He also admitted that there is a big difference between kids and adult skating, adding that every athlete is going through a complicated puberty period.
“You can’t compare a technique of a 15-year-old to somebody who is post-puberty, you know the bodies have changed. It’s a different technique, it’s a different mindset. And it happens to every athlete, every single athlete,” he said.
Talking about whether quad-jumping breakthrough puts extra pressure on Medvedeva, Orser underlined that this is a reality she is facing at the moment and needs to adjust to it.
“I don’t think it’s a physiological issue, I think it’s facing reality. Where can we get extra points? Where can we compete with these people?” Orser said, remembering that Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, whom he has been coaching, also went through similar challenge being behind Canada’s Patrick Chan for quite a long time.
“It’s not all about just coming up with a bigger and better trick, there are all kind of ways that you can to the Math and trade out points. But sometimes it takes a little longer, that’s all.”
