journal

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Title: "SUSHKIY"
 
Hi Everyone-

Thank you for visiting my site. A lot of interesting things have been happening in my life since my last entry. I am in good spirits and am happy to continue my competitive season next week at the US National Championships.

In early December I had the opportunity to compete in a fan voting competition in Boston. I arrived a couple nights before the event and was able to see friends in Boston and hang out a little bit. The actual event went very well. I skated "My Way" in the first part of the competition which was all the skaters from the East coast against one another. I skated well and landed my jumps and was happy. I was shocked when I won the first bracket because I was up against Tanith and Ben, Kimmie Meissner and Emily Hughes. I competed in the second round against Sasha Cohen, Inoue/Baldwin and Kimmie Meissner. I skated a revamped version of "The Swan." It was so nice to be back in my comfort zone of fluttering around the ice! I took second place behind America's sweetheart Sasha Cohen, and I was happy not to have been totally killed in the results! I didn't lose by that much. The judges, Dick Button, Peggy Flemming and Peter Carruthers were very nice about both my performances. Overall I was impressed with the event. I thought it was fun, I was relaxed and I did well. Something struck me though, I love skating when there is no level 4, no required turns, no change edge spins and so on. I like to just skate and not worry about anything. It was nice.

A day and a half after the Boston event I flew to Saint Petersburg, Russia for the Grand Prix Final. I felt well prepared, I was going to do quad in the free program and I was happy to be back in Russia. The travel was very difficult for me. I didn't get on a good "sleeping" schedule the whole time I was in Piter so it hampered my practices from the beginning. I skated first in the short program because I had the lowest point total going into the event. Just before I skated Evan Lysacek withdrew and I was shocked. I felt bad that he'd come all the way to Russia and had to withdraw and he looked good on the warm-up that morning. Anyway, I had a job to do. I nailed the opening triple axel, the best one of the season, I stepped forward and BOOM! I went down really hard on my hip just doing a simple step. I had no idea what happened to me and I got up and kept on trucking. After the fall I was so shaken and I didn't know what was going on and I forgot my step, I double a jump and was just out of it. I was last place in the short program and deservedly so. After I left the ice I felt my hip slowly start to tighten up and start to hurt. I shrugged it off because I had just competed and was probably just tired. That night I went back to the hotel and went to sleep. I woke up around 4am and I couldn't move. I went back to sleep for a couple hours and when I woke up again to get ready to go practice, I was in so much pain. I couldn't even cross my legs and I started to worry how I would jump if I couldn't even walk properly. In any event, I went to the rink. I warned Priscilla and Marina that something was wrong and I was going to try to skate and see what I could do. I practiced for ten minutes. I couldn't do edge work, I couldn't jump, I couldn't do anything. I decided to withdraw while I was still on the ice. I couldn't possibly compete in a major event as sore as I was. Anyone who knows me or knows of me, knows that I would never withdraw from an event, especially a big event and in Russia if something wasn't wrong. I was trained and ready to go, but my body wasn't. It was such a shame and I wish I could have at least tried, but my hip was just too sore. By withdrawing from the Grand Prix Final, I had to withdraw from three shows I was scheduled to do in Moscow. I was so upset. I felt so honored to be asked to perform in Russian holiday shows as an American, and I wanted to do it so badly! I even had a new costume made for the shows. I was even more bitter about the whole thing when I learned how beautiful the show in Red Square was. Marina called me after to tell me about it, and I was jealous of everyone who performed! :) Russia was a huge struggle this time, but I was still greeted so warmly and I had so many fans in Piter. I want to thank all of you for your help and support. I wish I could have performed for you all, but I suppose it will have to wait until next time! I will be back.

When I returned from Russia I basically got training and enjoyed the holidays. I spent Christmas with my family in our new house. It was nice to be together and to relax. My parents got me a beautiful new desk. For New Years I went to New York City with Paris. I wanted to get away for a weekend and just have fun. New York was definitely the place for that. We went to dinners, went shopping and went out. On New Year's Eve we went to a party thrown by Heatherette at Hiro in the Maritime Hotel. I had a great time and Amanda Lepore counted down to midnight which added a strange sense of festivity. Overall the holidays went well. The time to sit back and reflect was great and I am so appreciative that I am able to do what I love.

Training has been good. I am training harder than ever before. I am actually doing full programs which is something I hate, but something I know is necessary. I am looking forward to Nationals and going for number four! My mindset going in is just to skate the way I can. If I win I win, if I lose, then at least I'll go down fighting. I'm not handing anything over easily.

My schedule is pretty booked coming up. After Nationals I will once again walk for Heatherette in their Fall/Winter fashion show in NYC. That is on 6 February. Shortly after that I will go to Moscow and perform in Tatiana Tarasova Jubilee. The show is on 13 February and it is for Tatiana Anatolievna's birthday. After Moscow I will go to Los Angeles for Elton John's Oscar's party. I am really looking forward to it. Earlier this season I said I had been invited to North Korea to perform, and I had been, but I won't be able to go. After talking it over with a lot of people I decided it wasn't the best timing or the safest place for me to go. I am sorry for everyone who was worried about it! New York City, Moscow and Los Angeles, not a bad February!

I hope everyone is enjoying winter and I hope you're all happy. Wish me luck for Spokane and thank you for all of your support. I can really feel so much love and support coming from the fans lately. Thank you.

Much love,
-Johnny