Transcripts

2000 Skate Canada - Lifetime profile

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Lifetime (Andrea Joyce) - The greatest pairs skaters appear as two halves of a whole. Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, two-time World Champions, were the latest in a long line of flawless Russian pairs. But leaving their home changed all that. Last year was a time of transition, life in the United States. The opportunity to see the world differently, try different things, and find themselves. But finding themselves meant losing eachother. Last season was one uncharacteristic disaster after another culminating with a disqualification from Worlds for a banned substance found in a cold medicine.

Tamara - That was our mistake that we did not look at the contents of the pills that Elena took for this cold. We never thought that this would be something that would be prohibited.

Elena - Last year was really, really difficult. We just, you know, OK, we have to pass this by and go forward to do what we have to do.

Anton - Forget about all kind of problems and just look forward and just be great.

Lifetime - With last year firmly behind them, it is a brand new day and time for a totally new approach.

Elena - We try something very, very new and nobody does this yet. This program must have a lot of feelings and expression and all like little movie and we are actors.

Lifetime - Chaplin, the silent movie icon, is the inspiration for this year's free program. Legendary coach Tamara Moskvina realized that it was time for the world to see this classical pair in a different light and, more importantly, for them to learn to take themselves less seriously.

Anton - It's interesting to try to do something more special, something more than you can. I feel real fun now skating together and skating on the ice, even more fun than usual.

Elena - It's more fun but it's very, very hard and difficult.

Lifetime - But rising to a challenge may be what they do best.

Tamara - I always compare disastrous things that happen to us with an avalanch. When avolanch happens, it takes everything away from the mountain down and nothing survives. But I say, look, you are still alive, you are still good skaters, you will still be competing at the next competition.

Elena - All the bad things, I think, done. No more! (laughs)

Anton - Maybe it's good because, you know, it's a road, it's a long road, it's a difficult sports road and everything's possible in this kind of road.