Tomas Verner is not happy :( breaks my heart
Explains his bad season, talks about what's next
'I'm not a burnt-out wreck. I will fight the best ones,' says figure skater Verner
What happened? In January 2008, figure skater Tomas Verner was the European Champion in Zagreb. Two years later, he placed 19th at the Olympics. His season was like the darkest of nights. He now fights his own body and defeated mindset. He's thinking over the mistakes he's made. But he refuses to give in.
How is he getting rid of the bad memories? Tomáš Verner has planned for himself a month-long therapeutic cleansing of figure skating from his mind: riding his in-line skates, playing squash and tennis, bowling, going to school. He almost didn't even follow the World Championships in Torino, and refused a spot as commentator (t/n: 90% sure that's what this means) for Czech Television. But his coach has announced that nothing is yet planned for the new season. “First, I want to clear my head,” he says.
A simple question with a complex answer: what will you do next?
(Thinks) I haven't decided what's next. I can really only claim one thing: the new season's nearing - I won't be participating.
Have you thought about it being the end?
That, no. I've heard the other World Championship skaters asked if I've ended it for good. But I haven't written myself off. It's just that sadness and rage have dominated me through this entire season.
You wanted to erase it from your memory?
Or to just have it out of my head. Inside, I don't think I'll skate well, unless there's something there to remind me of that failed year. So I would like for this journey to start over with something new.
In the past you would recognise mistakes. What happened this year?
Some bad decisions. After an injury, I thoughtlessly went back to competitions, to where I needed to go: The Grand Prix Finale and the state championships. I'm a competitor, I want to compete. I refused to admit I wasn't ready. Unfortunately, neither of my coaches managed to hold me back.
And then? Did the problems snowball? You've been sick non-stop, there was no result, so even your mindset began to deteriorate?
That's totally accurate. From a young age, I've always wanted to be one-of-a-kind in the sport. Sixth, seventh place aren't very unique in my mind. They got in the way of my drive. Especially when I feel I've still got what it takes, that I'm not a burnt-out wreck. It was killing me in my mind.
That means you were thinking more about those problems than is healthy?
Already at the Grand Prix Finale. There, in my short program, I completed the best quad-triple toeloop combination in the world that season. It's clear in the scores, I received a 15.8 for it. Nobody else managed that much, not even Plushenko. But then I ended up making two mistakes, and now I began to think: you got it, it's enough to overcome the other guys.
He's talking about this programm x_x and this happened to him a lot of times, beautiful quads ♥_♥ but many of the other jumps were botched ;_;
And then you fell to 19th place in the Olympics. Do you really think you did that badly?
I was restless, unsure of myself. I watched others far more than usual - what they did, how they jumped. I had hoped they would be poorly prepared, and that I would then have a chance.
On your return you sat down for a coffee with Marian Jelínk, the hockey coach for Pilzen, and you discussed psychology. What advice did he give you?
He told me: If you are the type of person, who wants his super performances to become better performances, watch them. If you're not the type who watches what's failed for whom, you can't watch. You have to focus on yourself.
Yet you passed up the World Championships. Was there a bad internal battle?
Before one training session, I almost ended up quarrelling with my coach. Then Michal Huth told me, that he had worked hard on me, because I ignored him. I tried to explain: It's not like that, but now I had but one thing on my mid: World Championships - yes or no? Should I try? Could I get it? If I don't go to Torino, I'll look like a huge coward. But if I do go and end up the same as at the Olympics, it'll be a bummer.
What made you decide not to go?
I told myself: the whole season you've fallen lower and lower, and still haven't understood, that you're at the bottom and that it shows. But what if you fell even deeper in Torino? I really didn't need that. So I planned it out: I'll get myself together, look at and understand my mistakes, and then once I'm mentally prepared, I'll return to competitive ice.
During the World Championships, did you tell yourself: I did the right thing?
Definitely. I believe that, although I almost didn't get to see the proceedings. I wanted to completely forget skating. I'm still a bit upset.
About what?
That it was unjust. That I had worked hard for three years and yet through the effort, when time came to reap what I had earned, I had nothing.
Figure skating is unfair.
I know... I had a sit down with a pal of mine, badminton player Petr Koukal. He supplied me courage. He said: hey, don't think, that what happened to you is special. You're just one of many, who've fallen to the ground and tried to climb back up. At least now it's clear to you, that you must change things.
Change what?
I'm trying to streamline my preparation. I've travelled with the entire team. To Germany, to a camp in Sweden, to Finland. I want to concentrate more on me and less on the skaters around me. Since Carolina (Kostner) is not around, I need only one person to skate by me.
You miss Carolina that much?
Very much. Since she went to the USA, the atmosphere has really turned poor. We motivated one another. If I was down, she would bring me back up, and vice versa.
You've always fought with your mindset. I'll read you a quote from an interview we did with you eight years ago. You said then: Everyone says, I have to win the national championship. People think that's right, but it absolutely turns my head when I hear that I have to do something.
That's just how I am. According to a psychological test of my character that I recently took, I absolutely do not agree with the word MUST and fight with it internally. On the other hand, the words HAPPINESS and FUN - that's me. But the true happiness in my skating has disappeared. The words YOU MUST were there too.
Once you became the European Champion in Zagreb in 2008, did you feel the medal had to be followed up with another?
Sure, I think people counted on it. I had wanted to get the World Championship and Olympic medals with that, until I asked myself: if you don't do it now, when will you get the chance?
It's not too late. Really, by the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, you'll be 27.
Which is quite a high age for a figure skater, if not for competitors in general. For me, the Olympics are magical, and I want to go to Sochi. But the key will be next couple of years and my health.
Have you figured out what caused your series of sicknesses this season?
Despite having the ruined veins of a junkie from all the blood tests, we're still looking. My most important problem seems to be a shortage of hemoglobin, I was almost on the border of anemia, which may have reduced my immunity. But I've been like that since I was a child so I started up my sporting at age six. This discouraged me. In the future I want to be awash in those most beautiful of medals. Let me tell you, sometimes I envy Michael Březina.
What do you envy of his?
That it comes so easily to him. That in the heat of competition, two clean competitions come to him and woosh! He reaches the higher ranks. That's what I'm looking for. Two clean programs in one competition. Once I find them, I'll be elated.
----
the end.
This is truly sad ;_; and shows how demanding are sports "yes it's a sport too etc" I hope ge he gets his game together and comes back in good shape when he feels ready
Now some pictures from his FB fanpage + article.
WTF is this jacket, KILL IT WITH FIRE...groce. call me next time you go shopping kthx
and a random video of him horse riding
SOURCE ps guys pls put sources of your articles and photos so we can look for more :)
Edited to put the correct translation by dflux with a little correction by petiii THANK YOU SO MUCH ♥
also added his video from FOI in SUPER HD \o/
'I'm not a burnt-out wreck. I will fight the best ones,' says figure skater Verner
What happened? In January 2008, figure skater Tomas Verner was the European Champion in Zagreb. Two years later, he placed 19th at the Olympics. His season was like the darkest of nights. He now fights his own body and defeated mindset. He's thinking over the mistakes he's made. But he refuses to give in.
How is he getting rid of the bad memories? Tomáš Verner has planned for himself a month-long therapeutic cleansing of figure skating from his mind: riding his in-line skates, playing squash and tennis, bowling, going to school. He almost didn't even follow the World Championships in Torino, and refused a spot as commentator (t/n: 90% sure that's what this means) for Czech Television. But his coach has announced that nothing is yet planned for the new season. “First, I want to clear my head,” he says.
A simple question with a complex answer: what will you do next?
(Thinks) I haven't decided what's next. I can really only claim one thing: the new season's nearing - I won't be participating.
Have you thought about it being the end?
That, no. I've heard the other World Championship skaters asked if I've ended it for good. But I haven't written myself off. It's just that sadness and rage have dominated me through this entire season.
You wanted to erase it from your memory?
Or to just have it out of my head. Inside, I don't think I'll skate well, unless there's something there to remind me of that failed year. So I would like for this journey to start over with something new.
In the past you would recognise mistakes. What happened this year?
Some bad decisions. After an injury, I thoughtlessly went back to competitions, to where I needed to go: The Grand Prix Finale and the state championships. I'm a competitor, I want to compete. I refused to admit I wasn't ready. Unfortunately, neither of my coaches managed to hold me back.
And then? Did the problems snowball? You've been sick non-stop, there was no result, so even your mindset began to deteriorate?
That's totally accurate. From a young age, I've always wanted to be one-of-a-kind in the sport. Sixth, seventh place aren't very unique in my mind. They got in the way of my drive. Especially when I feel I've still got what it takes, that I'm not a burnt-out wreck. It was killing me in my mind.
That means you were thinking more about those problems than is healthy?
Already at the Grand Prix Finale. There, in my short program, I completed the best quad-triple toeloop combination in the world that season. It's clear in the scores, I received a 15.8 for it. Nobody else managed that much, not even Plushenko. But then I ended up making two mistakes, and now I began to think: you got it, it's enough to overcome the other guys.
He's talking about this programm x_x and this happened to him a lot of times, beautiful quads ♥_♥ but many of the other jumps were botched ;_;
Click to viewAnd then you fell to 19th place in the Olympics. Do you really think you did that badly?
I was restless, unsure of myself. I watched others far more than usual - what they did, how they jumped. I had hoped they would be poorly prepared, and that I would then have a chance.
On your return you sat down for a coffee with Marian Jelínk, the hockey coach for Pilzen, and you discussed psychology. What advice did he give you?
He told me: If you are the type of person, who wants his super performances to become better performances, watch them. If you're not the type who watches what's failed for whom, you can't watch. You have to focus on yourself.
Yet you passed up the World Championships. Was there a bad internal battle?
Before one training session, I almost ended up quarrelling with my coach. Then Michal Huth told me, that he had worked hard on me, because I ignored him. I tried to explain: It's not like that, but now I had but one thing on my mid: World Championships - yes or no? Should I try? Could I get it? If I don't go to Torino, I'll look like a huge coward. But if I do go and end up the same as at the Olympics, it'll be a bummer.
What made you decide not to go?
I told myself: the whole season you've fallen lower and lower, and still haven't understood, that you're at the bottom and that it shows. But what if you fell even deeper in Torino? I really didn't need that. So I planned it out: I'll get myself together, look at and understand my mistakes, and then once I'm mentally prepared, I'll return to competitive ice.
During the World Championships, did you tell yourself: I did the right thing?
Definitely. I believe that, although I almost didn't get to see the proceedings. I wanted to completely forget skating. I'm still a bit upset.
About what?
That it was unjust. That I had worked hard for three years and yet through the effort, when time came to reap what I had earned, I had nothing.
Figure skating is unfair.
I know... I had a sit down with a pal of mine, badminton player Petr Koukal. He supplied me courage. He said: hey, don't think, that what happened to you is special. You're just one of many, who've fallen to the ground and tried to climb back up. At least now it's clear to you, that you must change things.
Change what?
I'm trying to streamline my preparation. I've travelled with the entire team. To Germany, to a camp in Sweden, to Finland. I want to concentrate more on me and less on the skaters around me. Since Carolina (Kostner) is not around, I need only one person to skate by me.
You miss Carolina that much?
Very much. Since she went to the USA, the atmosphere has really turned poor. We motivated one another. If I was down, she would bring me back up, and vice versa.
You've always fought with your mindset. I'll read you a quote from an interview we did with you eight years ago. You said then: Everyone says, I have to win the national championship. People think that's right, but it absolutely turns my head when I hear that I have to do something.
That's just how I am. According to a psychological test of my character that I recently took, I absolutely do not agree with the word MUST and fight with it internally. On the other hand, the words HAPPINESS and FUN - that's me. But the true happiness in my skating has disappeared. The words YOU MUST were there too.
Once you became the European Champion in Zagreb in 2008, did you feel the medal had to be followed up with another?
Sure, I think people counted on it. I had wanted to get the World Championship and Olympic medals with that, until I asked myself: if you don't do it now, when will you get the chance?
It's not too late. Really, by the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, you'll be 27.
Which is quite a high age for a figure skater, if not for competitors in general. For me, the Olympics are magical, and I want to go to Sochi. But the key will be next couple of years and my health.
Have you figured out what caused your series of sicknesses this season?
Despite having the ruined veins of a junkie from all the blood tests, we're still looking. My most important problem seems to be a shortage of hemoglobin, I was almost on the border of anemia, which may have reduced my immunity. But I've been like that since I was a child so I started up my sporting at age six. This discouraged me. In the future I want to be awash in those most beautiful of medals. Let me tell you, sometimes I envy Michael Březina.
What do you envy of his?
That it comes so easily to him. That in the heat of competition, two clean competitions come to him and woosh! He reaches the higher ranks. That's what I'm looking for. Two clean programs in one competition. Once I find them, I'll be elated.
----
the end.
This is truly sad ;_; and shows how demanding are sports "yes it's a sport too etc" I hope ge he gets his game together and comes back in good shape when he feels ready
Now some pictures from his FB fanpage + article.
WTF is this jacket, KILL IT WITH FIRE...groce. call me next time you go shopping kthx
and a random video of him horse riding
SOURCE ps guys pls put sources of your articles and photos so we can look for more :)
Edited to put the correct translation by dflux with a little correction by petiii THANK YOU SO MUCH ♥
also added his video from FOI in SUPER HD \o/