http://www.figureskating-online.com/pageID_6277610.html
Interview with Tomas Verner
Ice Dome Trainingscamp in Oberstdorf, July 2008
Q: How does this past season compare to the one before?
A: Basically, the past season was great, because I won my first European title. Well, not everything went the way I wanted, because I just wanted to give strong performances from the beginning of the season, but it didn’t happen. It was up and down, up and down until the very end. I was up at the European Championships, I was up in the short program at the World Championships, but the free program was a disaster. So I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with my performance at the World Championships, because I wanted to be competitive. I could do it in practice, there was no problem. It happened in Gothenburg and it was a major disappointment, but overall the season wasn’t so bad. I took the European title and I had a great performance at the NHK Trophy as well. My practices went well. Yes, it was a great season. The one before was maybe even better, because I wasn’t only second at Europeans, but also fourth at Worlds, which was more important to me. There these thoughts came up that I probably belong to this top group of the world, not only in Europe. It’s all the impact from the disappointment in Gothenburg. But I’m over it now and I’m continuing to train and I hope that it doesn’t happen again and I don’t want to happen it again. I was well prepared, I was ready for the fight and then I just dropped out of it. Now I’m working very hard and I’m doing even more than I did last summer and I hope there will be a result.
Q: Did you learn from your ups and downs?
A: Yes, for sure. This is the way you learn, not from books but from life. The experience I had will be with me now and will help me to get better.
Q: Your free program in Gothenburg reminded me of the Nebelhorn Trophy. Did you analyze why you fell apart in the free skating after your great short program? What do you want to do to avoid this in the future?
A: I wanted to show more in the free skating, and I was ready to show more. I have to say that last year’s free program was really hard for me to skate, not only because of the jumps, but because of the expression and the emotions on the ice. This is really very important in figure skating. I just wasn’t ready to skate my free program. That was the only problem, this is how I see it. I had a disaster on the ice, and it happened. It can happened, it happened before. Well, let’s stop talking about this!
Q: How popular became you in the Czech Republic after you won Europeans? Do you have new sponsors, are you present in the media, do people recognize you on the street?
A: Sponsors are invited to contact me, if there is interest here in Germany or in Switzerland or somewhere else. I am more popular than before. It has been almost 15 years since the Czech Republic had a (gold) medal. Our last (gold) medal dated back to 1995, the World title in pair skating (Radka Kovarikova/Rene Novotny). I think my popularity grew, however, it’s not like for the tennis stars, but some people recognize me on the street, although I’m not out so often. Obviously my popularity grew at school, because it’s a sport school. I’m studying sports science.
Q: Is it still nice or already annoying to be popular?
A: No, it’s really nice! I’m enjoying it as long as it’s not interfering with my private life and this didn’t happen so far.
Q: How are your preparations going for the new season? What competitions do you plan to attend?
A: I’d like to compete at the Nebelhorn Trophy, then at Karl-Schäfer-Memorial in Vienna, and then I’ll have my Grand Prix in China and Russia. Of course I want to make the final. It didn’t work out last season and this was a shame. Then there are the European and World Championships. The World Championships are very important as they serve as qualification for the Olympic Games, the big thing. My preparation is good, I’m pleased. I’m back at home, by figure skating home, which is not the Czech Republic but Oberstdorf. I’m rarely in the Czech Republic, I’m going there only if I have to do something at the university. We were a great group here (at the Ice Dome), everything was perfect. I’m happy.
Q: Do you have invitations to shows?
A: Yes, there are some invitations for shows. But a perfect preparation is more important to me. Well, it never will be perfect, but I want it to be as perfect as possible. I still can skate in shows later, when I won’t compete anymore and if someone then is still interested in watching me. Now I’m focusing on competitions.
Q: What about your studies? How are they going?
A: Well, I’m currently studying sports science to achieve a coaching diploma. I’m in my second year. I’m studying in Prague and I chose figure skating and athletics as these two sports are very close. It’s a good preparation for everything what we are doing on the ice. I’m trying to give my best. Everything is going very well, and I’m not complaining. I hope, the professors aren’t complaining about me!
Q: How long did you have to clean Carolina’s skates?
A: I still have to do it…. I still have to do it until the first competition at least. I guess I’ll do it until the Grand Prix Final.
Q: Will you have new programs?
A: Yes, I will have a new free skating and I keep the short. We’ll change the elements, we’ll change some small things. (Tomas didn’t yet want to publish the new free program music).
Q: Thank you very much for the interview and all the best for the upcoming season!