OCTOBER 2019 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 33“When I trained with Yuzuru, I learned a
lot about hard work and dedication. He was
always really focused on his session, and it’s
something that I took note of. I noticed how
open Javier was to everything. He wasn’t
afraid to try anything, and he was also a
very hard worker. Having the opportunity
to train with this caliber of skaters has been
invaluable to me.”
In the hope of realizing his own potential,
Gogolev has entered into Arutyunyan’s
fabled ‘two-year plan’ that aims to transform
a skater into a full-fledged contender. “I
always say that it takes me two years to
get the skaters to where they need to be,”
Arutyunyan said. “When we start, my goal
is to teach them how to train. Stephen is
no different. I teach my students not only
what to do in training, but what to do in
the evening and off ice as well. If the skater
follows my advice, then I believe that they
become athletes who can train themselves
with small corrections from me.”
Arutyunyan was encouraged to welcome
Gogolev into his training group based on
what he saw on the ice, but what sealed the
deal was how the 14-year-old conducted
himself when they spoke about making the
change. “I like everything about him. The
way he looks, the way he moves. I like how
he jumps and how he talks. I think that he
is a person who I like because he is polite
and works hard,” Arutyunyan explained.
“Right now there is nothing special about
anything that Stephen does. It is his potential
that is exciting. I see the way he works and
think about his future progression, and I
believe that if he continues to work hard
and listens to my advice, he has the potential
to be great.”
Arutyunyan also likes that he can speak
Russian with Gogolev, who is fluent in the
language. “It helps me explain things more
precisely,” Arutyunyan said. “English is my
second language, and sometimes when I
coach I don’t have the right words to explain
exactly what I want to say. Sometimes, how
I say things might come across as too rough,
but it’s not what I intend. With Stephen, I
can speak with him in Russian and get my
point across easily.”
In keeping with Arutyunyan’s approach,
Gogolev is now focused on his training
rather than setting specific competition or
season goals. Still too young to compete
on the senior circuit, the reigning Junior
Grand Prix Final champion hopes to have
an opportunity to defend that title later
this year.
“Last year was my first time on the Junior
Grand Prix circuit, and I was able to go to
and win the Final,” he said. “I would like to
do well enough in my events so that I could
compete in the Final again and maybe win.
Beyond that, I just want to stay focused on
my training.”
Fifth at last season’s World Junior
Championships, Gogolev would also like
a return trip to that competition next spring
in Tallinn, Estonia. “I think that first place
is definitely within the realm of possibility,”
he said. “But I have so much work to do, so
I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.”
Though Arutyunyan does not dissuade
his athletes from having goals, he prefers
to look at the big picture rather than the
present. “I don’t look at the short term. I
look at step-by-step improvement, and look
for long-term success,” he explained. “What
kind of product do I want to build? How
do we get there? Everything is just another
step. What good is having success on the
junior level if you cannot sustain that success
on the senior level?
“I like to look at what happens when the
athlete starts to win — how they compete
at the World and Olympic level. Can they
get to the top six in the world, and how can
I help them sustain those results to have a
long and successful career? For me, it’s not
about what they can get today, but instead
what they will get tomorrow.”
This season Gogolev will skate to
“Grand Waltz” from the ballet “Anyuta”
by Valery Gavrilin and “Yablochko” from
Reinhold Gliére’s ballet, “The Red Poppy,”
choreographed by Nadezda Kanaeva. The
program is a nod to Gogolev’s Russian
heritage, and he believes it will be a strong
vehicle in his evolution as a performer.
“It’s really energetic and fast,” the Toronto
native said. “It’s a challenge to do all of the
choreography and elements. The content
will probably stay the same as last season
— a triple Axel and a triple Lutz-triple toe
loop combination. This year, the juniors are
required to do a solo loop jump, and I will
do a triple.”
For the free skate, he enlisted 2003 World
ice dance champion Shae-Lynn Bourne
to choreograph a new program to a Peter
Gabriel medley of “The Rhythm of the
Heat,” “Darkness” and “Red Rain.”
“This program is a bit calmer than the
short, but it is fast in some places,” Gogolev
explained. “The technical content is up
for debate and will probably evolve as
the season progresses. I know that I willhave two triple Axels because I am most
confident with that jump.”
Gogolev is planning to add the quad loop
and flip to his repertoire this season. He
already has the Salchow, toe loop, and Lutz
but said he “would like to have all the quad
jumps. We are careful to train smart so that I
don’t get injured as I am learning the jumps.”
Gogolev debuted his new programs at the
Glacier Falls Summer Classic in California
in late July. The short program was solid,
though Gogolev attempted a double Axel
instead of his usual triple. He placed first
with 73.67 points.
The free skate was less successful,
and Gogolev admitted he is still getting
comfortable with the program. After falling
on an opening quad Lutz attempt, he landed
two triple Salchows — one in combination
— but doubled both of his Axel attempts.
Although his program was judged as third
best in the free, he was able to hold on for
the win on the strength of his short program
with a total of 186.73 points overall.
“The first competition is always a test.
It was just to see how the programs were
feeling,” he said after the event. “The
placement was good, but there is lots of
work on the programs ahead of me. I like
my programs and with time and practice,
they will get more comfortable.”
Prior to the move Gogolev was attending
regular school, but this year he will likely
take online classes.
In addition, he is adjusting to his new
family dynamic following his move to
California. His brother has remained in
Canada and his father, a businessman in
Russia, visits when he can.
When he is not training, Gogolev enjoys
mountain biking and exploring the city he
now lives in. “There is a really good ski resort
an hour and a half from Irvine that has a
really cool downhill park with jumps for
mountain biking. It’s really fun,” he said. “I
have gone to the beach with my parents and
to Knott’s Berry Farm (a theme park) with
the whole skating group. I am just getting
acquainted with the area, but I like it.”
Gogolev also got quite the introduction
to his new environment on July 5, when
a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck in
Ridgecrest, about 150 miles away from
where he trains. “It was really surprising. I
wasn’t sure what was happening,” he said. “I
was in my room and the house was shaking.”
But the earthquake did not scare Gogolev
into leaving California. “I will stay,” he said.
“I like it here.” IFS