Solène: How are you feeling?
Kevin: I'm thrilled, I have no words. I think about the people who supported me over the past few months. Not many truly stood by me when I was at my lowest. Many skaters came to see me during the European Championships, and I'm grateful to them. But I won't thank certain media outlets that harshly criticized me. Some pushed my head into the toilet and flushed it several times. It was very violent and brutal to bear. I was depressed. I even heard things like I shouldn't be wearing the colors of France. More recently, I heard, "Kevin took ten months off; he has no excuse to skate like this at Masters." During those ten months, I was supported by my boyfriend, my two coaches, my family, my best friend, my physical trainer, my mental coach, and my physiotherapists. This team believed that I could manage to believe in myself. It helped me so much to wake up every morning and think I could believe in myself, that I wanted to keep going, and that life was beautiful. The sport was almost secondary; my primary battle was trying to see the sunrise the next day. Today, I'm delighted. Ten months ago, I wouldn't have bet a cent on my qualification for the Grand Prix Final. I had even told the FFSG that the Final wasn't an objective this year. The priority was securing qualifying spots for the Olympic Games. They agreed and wanted me to adopt the best strategy for myself. The following week, I learned the Final would be in Grenoble, at home… I didn't make it an objective, but I left the door open to the challenge. I'm very happy to have achieved it, but I would still be the same Kevin even if I had fallen four times in my free skate. My worth wouldn't have diminished. I want to shout it to the world! I made two big mistakes during this competition: the Lutz in the short program, which cost me the title, and the fall on the toe loop in the free skate. I can tell you I'll be practicing 500,000 Lutzes next week (laughs).
Solène: What did you tell yourself after the fall on the quad-toe loop?
Kevin: I first told myself, "Okay, now you can show everyone that you can get back up." It almost felt good. I was awake and calm. It made me want to fight. I thought about all my falls at the Grand Prix Final, Nationals, Graz in 2020, and the European Championships last year. I told myself, "This is the moment you must turn everything around." I believed in it. There were still some small mistakes afterward. The judges were lenient with my step sequence. I'm not entirely satisfied with my spins. There were step-outs and some unclean landings. It wasn't perfect, but I preferred this competition to Skate America because more was at stake.
Solène: During the free skate at Skate America, you seemed to be skating on a cloud, as if nothing could stop you.
Kevin: (Thinks) Yes, that's true. Stepping onto the ice in Helsinki, I felt just as good as at Skate America, but strangely, I had the feeling I would make a mistake somewhere in the program. Being prepared to allow myself to make mistakes helped me de-dramatize. During the short program, after the missed Lutz, I got a level three on the spin that followed because I was thinking a lot during that element. I asked myself, "How should you react today, Kevin, compared to your past?" It could be a physical reaction, like giving more energy to the step sequence, or an emotional response—do I show or hide my anger? These two big mistakes in Helsinki did me well. They don't affect me. Missing a Lutz happens to everyone!
Solène: You've qualified for the Final for the third time, which is an exceptional achievement. Only Brian Joubert has done this before you.
Kevin: Third time's a charm. I'm very happy. I'm crossing my fingers that Adam can qualify and join us—Evgeniia, Geoffrey, and me. The juniors did great as well; I'm thrilled. I've grown closer to the French team recently. I'm 27, and I feel like their big brother. I hope to pass on what I've experienced to young skaters in one way or another. I won't be a coach, maybe a choreographer, but I'm also interested in mental preparation. I feel good—comfortable in my skin, in my mind, with my friends, and with other skaters. The morning of the free skate, I learned that Junhwan Cha had withdrawn, and I sent him a message to check in on him. We shouldn't forget that behind the athletes, there are human beings.
Solène: The free skate at Masters was difficult. How did you bounce back to achieve such high scores at Skate America?
Kevin: I had only resumed practicing my programs ten days before Masters. I hadn't skated an entire program before that. I knew I could manage the short program, but you can't fake it in a free skate. You're either ready, or you're not. Sometimes, the magic of sport and adrenaline help, but I wasn't ready. I wasn't worried; I knew I had several weeks before Skate America. I made my own decisions about the schedule, not my coaches. I decided to take a few days off between Skate America and Finlandia Trophy. Last year, I overdid it with competitions. Competing every two weeks from August to January is insane. I need to prepare smartly. I'm 27; I'm not Yuma, Adam, or Daniel. I'm old! My body doesn't react the same way anymore to landing a quad or a triple Axel. My knees have endured 25 years of skating—it's tough. I might not have the energy of the younger skaters, but I had the experience I could use as my secret weapon.
Solène: You've choreographed several programs, including Davide Lewton-Brain's short program, who was in the same group as you at the Masters. How does this blend of your two roles as choreographer and skater work? Did you watch Davide skate at the Masters?
Kevin: Yes, I watched discreetly (laughs). We've known each other for a long time; we're friends. When he asked me to be his choreographer, I hesitated initially but wanted to take on the challenge. Very few skaters choreograph for skaters who are in the same category or even the same competition group. I'm very proud of him! It's not my program; it's his program, and he does it well. Davide is a "sweetheart"; he's good at what he does and doesn't realize it. People need to tell him! He started skating very late and is technically very good. It annoys me when skaters say, "I'm not technical." What does it mean to be technical? Doing lots of quads? That's not technical; that's power. My triple Axels are technical! My Lutz landing on my knee is technical (laughs)! Davide has something very technical with beautiful postures. It was very enjoyable to work with him. He was open to my ideas; we really collaborated. It's essential to be able to exchange. Otherwise, you ask the skater to do something, but it doesn't work. Our collaboration is also about having good chemistry and a certain magnetic energy.
Solène: I'd like you to respond to two quotes from the podcast "The Runthrough" by Ashley Wagner, Adam Rippon, and Sarah Hughes. The first is from Ashley, who explained that John Nicks told her that every moment in a program must be like a photograph, which is very difficult to achieve, but you manage to do it.
Kevin: Oh, wow, that's really nice. Ashley and Adam are true performers. They live for the spotlight. That's what's beautiful about it! We need showmen and showwomen. I see what Ashley means. When I watched my short program on Friday night with Sylvia, there were moments when we paused the video, and it was like this (he mimicks a twisted arm). I wasn't happy! In the ballet "Swan Lake" at the Paris Opera, no one would have a twisted arm if you paused. Anyway, I'm very touched by what Ashley said.
Solène: The second quote is from Adam Rippon, who said that you are one of the best skaters in the world and that you should stop being shocked when things go well for you.
Kevin: He's right, but I can't help it. I never know what is going to happen to me. As skaters, we work so hard to achieve these results. In Helsinki, I wasn't surprised by the scores; I was happy about them. My reaction was more like an adrenaline rush, like popping a champagne cork. That's how I release the pressure. Adam is right, but I need to let that energy out.
Solène: Right now, during this interview, when I mention that you are "one of the best skaters in the world," you seem to recoil.
Kevin: I don't compare myself to others. Camden, Lukas, and all the others have such unique qualities. Every skater has a story to tell. We can't compare ourselves because we are all unique. Maybe one day my name will appear in figure skating history books, and I'd be very happy about that.
When I was little, I used to look at the Wikipedia page for the French Championships, and I'd see all of Brian Joubert's medals. Now, I know I'm one of the six French skaters who have won the most medals in the French Championships. I'm in the top six of French history. Not bad! But I can't see myself as the best. Well, okay, I tell myself that in the mirror to give myself courage. Otherwise, if I told myself I was no good, it wouldn't work. But at the same time, I don't want to believe I'm one of the best because I don't want to lose the magic and those childhood dreams. And I don't want to seem too full of myself when so many skaters are great.
Solène Mathieu - Skate Info Glace
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