November 2003

-We are very happy that you decided again to come to Nations Cup, we are 8 fans from USA, Canada and Europe to come to Germany to support you. Is that competition special for you beginning the season with it? It will be your 4th time in a row.

-Thank you for coming to Germany to support me. I am so happy to have fans there. I like to do this competition every year. It starts the season for me and will be good that you are there too. I hope I skate clean and you like my new programs.

-How do you handle negative critics written about you, can you ignore such things? Does critics to your programs influence the way you make them?

-I try to not hear what critics say bad. I listen to my coach and choreographer to make me better and I ask my friends and fans what they like.

-What was the most emotional or happiest moment for you in your skating career?

-My happiest moment was when I won World Championships!

-Was it hard for you to hear that your program "Story of an Artist" (which was exceptional artistic, in our opinion) was not understood by the judges and was it hard to do a new one so fast?

-I am glad that YOU liked it. When I skated it last year the American media didn't say good things and made us nervous to skate it in the Olympics so we changed it. It was hard to make new one but we had to do it.

-Why do you think is it so difficult for the skating public to accept modern and new things to figure skating, you tried to do with "Story of an Artist" ? Do you think figure skating is to old-fashion for that kind of programs?

-I think the public can like a modern program. I see many skaters do modern programs. I will try again.

-How do you feel to skate on the same ice in Salt Lake City for Champions on Ice with the same program like at the Olympics? Will it be something special?

-I was happy to skate again in Salt Lake City on Champions On Ice. I had good and bad memories from Olympics. Good that I could skate in Olympics, bad that I didn't skate clean.

-Would you say you had a difficult childhood because you always had to skate and to be away from your family?

-Yes it was hard to be away from my family when I was a child but my mom visited me a lot and now we all live together again. I missed my parents so much when I left them but I can forget that now.

-All your fans love your great hairstyle, which is very unique, we are very curious, are you planning to keep it in this way? That would be wonderful!

-I don't know what about my hair. So many people tell me different things. I will think what to do. I am glad you like it.