Linichuk emphasized the decision to accept Domnina and Shabalin as students came only after consulting with Belbin and Agosto.
"The Russian skating federation contacted me and asked if I would take this couple," （冰邪的力量是无穷的！）she said. "Of course, I talked to Tanith and Ben about it first. I would not have done it without their consent."
The Americans, who previously trained at Shpilband's school in Michigan alongside wo
rld silver medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir among others, said friendly competition was par fo r the course.
"I've found out over the years it doesn't matter who I'm skating with, I can always learn from them," （Ben的心态真好！）Agosto explained. "We're extrao rdinarily lucky to have a large group of talented skaters here and everyone can teach us something . . . Training partners can push each other on a daily basis and help us become the best skaters we can be."
"We are both experienced teams," the 23-year-old Belbin added. "We would be foolish to regard each other as our main competition; we need to consider the entire top group of teams internationally."
Linichuk pointed out that she and her husband have coached top teams simultaneously before. In the '90s, two-time Olympic champions Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov and two-time wo rld champions Anjelica Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov shared the ice at the University of Delaware. （好心酸。。。）
"It is not the first time the strongest teams have skated together, and we have had big success," the coach said. "We always give the maximum we have to all of our couples."
Still, both of those teams were Russian, and Grishuk and Platov were the acknowledged wo rld leaders. These days, under a mo re objective judging system, as many as five o r six teams are jockeying fo r the top few spots. Belbin and Agosto and Domnina and Shabalin are competing for a single prize: gold at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. And only one team can win.
"Well, there is a precedent for [double] Olympic gold medalists," （我也知道有先例，但最后不也是破裂了。。）Belbin said with an impish smile at an IceWo rks press conference yesterday.
While Belbin's bon mot drew laughs, it unwittingly called attention to the sometimes cutthroat nature of ice dance competition. After all, the alleged root of the so-called "deal" at the '02 Salt Lake Olympics was an exchange of judges' votes to secure the gold medal for the French team of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat. But so far, all is well in Aston. （居然拿这档子事出来说，这记者太没人性了！）
"Having now been here for over a month I honestly can't tell you enough how pleased we are with our improvement," （进步就好，心情好就好，BA向前冲！）Belbin said. "The facility has really welcomed us and it's just really nice to be part of the skating family here. "We think we made a big change; I can only imagine how [Domnina and Shabalin] feel. Hopefully, we can all find the success we are seeking."
There are a few practical considerations. Next year's U.S. and European Championships are scheduled fo r the same week in January, and the coaches cannot be two places at once. When pressed, Karponossov said, "I go to internal [U.S.] competitions; Natalia goes to international, so most likely she will do Europeans." （男主内，女主外，河蟹河蟹~~）
Fo r the Russians' part, Shabalin's travails clearly played a role in the couple's decision to relocate from Moscow.
"Last season was the wo rst time in my life," he said. "I skated at Europeans on one leg and with [pain] injections. Our [fo rmer] coach, Alexei Go rshkov, did a lot for us, but we needed a new motivation. Of course he was a bit angry when we told him we were leaving, but we had to do something."
While he anticipates being ready to compete at Cup of China in early November, Shabalin admitted he was not yet practicing at full strength.
"I feel much better compared with a few months ago, but it is not 100 percent," he said. "I think I am at 70 o r 80 percent of my best condition, so there is hope. I will go fo r treatment here in America, they tell me there are some very good docto rs."
So far, the Russians' biggest challenge has come off the ice.
"I cannot buy a car, and it is [a] big problem," Shabalin groaned. "You can't just walk to places here. It's not like Moscow."
As Karponossov, who has been ferrying the skaters to and from the rink, explained, "Max has a B-1 visa, and it does not let him buy a car. He could rent a car, but the people [at the DMV] said he needed [more] tempo rary ID, and they could not help us. I could add him to my insurance, and let him drive my car, but that is mo re paperwork."
Linichuk is less concerned about her students' lack of transpo rtation.
"They will have no time to drive around; this is their home, on the ice," she said. "We are all wo rking all of the time. That is the key."
 | | International dance judge Jenny Mast; coach Gennadi Karponossov; IceWorks executive vice president and part-owner Uschi Keszler; and coach Natalia Linichuk, who with Karponossov won 1980 Olympic dance gold. (courtesy of IceWorks) |
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显身卡
利尼丘克居然变化这么大啊？！她拿奥运冠军的时候可是个美女哦。
楼主
