By Matteo Morelli | Skating Picture by Robin Ritoss
Representing the Czech Republic, Natálie Taschlerová & Filip Taschler are a partnership that’s constantly enhancing and keen to indicate their full potential. They’re presently coaching on the Younger Goose Academy in Bolzano, Italy, with a workforce of coaches that features Matteo Zanni and Barbora Silná. We met them after they competed at Grand Prix of Espoo, and talked about their journey as siblings ice dancers, how they arrange their objectives and work in direction of them.
Taschlerova & Taschler after the Rhythm Dance at Grand Prix Espoo. Picture by Matteo Morelli.
Natálie and Filip, thanks for locating a while to speak to us at Grand Prix of Espoo. With Sheffield, that is your second senior Grand Prix occasion. How do you are feeling after having accomplished each competitions?
Filip Taschler (FT): We’re so pleased with each our rhythm dance and free dance! It was significantly better than Sheffield. We arrived right here with out expectation and it was extra relaxed for us. General, it was very nice and we discovered a method to take one other step ahead.
Natálie Taschlerová (NT): Sure, I agree. The work that we tried to place in after Sheffield in only one and a half week paid off and we’re actually completely happy about it. We made some very small adjustments that most likely nobody can acknowledge.
FT: We’re so fortunate that our coach (Matteo Zanni) cuts the music. He has his pocket book subsequent to the ice and adjustments it instantly as we go, so we have now new music for each competitors!
Your free programme presents a robust theme about nature and the planet. How did you give you that concept and the way did you develop it?
FT: This was my thought from already two years in the past, once we completed the junior season. I noticed this idea with a synchronized skating workforce. I used to be shocked they did a local weather change theme and located it actually sturdy and provoking. We mentioned this concept with Matteo and he was completely happy to attempt to develop it. The music had rather more phrases originally of the season, however we acquired some suggestions that it was possibly a bit too political, so we labored on some adjustments to maintain it extra impartial and focussed on nature as a theme.
Let’s have a look at whenever you began skating. How previous have been you whenever you first put skates on, and the way did you find yourself skating collectively as a workforce?
NT: I began skating after I was two, Filip began when he was 4. We will mainly say we have now been skating for complete our lives! We each began in single skating, we tried synchro, after which Filip approached ice dance whereas I used to be nonetheless in singles, however then I bought injured. I broke my arm whereas doing gymnastics, and from then I used to be scared to leap, and everybody was telling me that I had good skating abilities and I ought to strive the ice dance.
FT: At that time, I used to be not so pleased with my ex-partner, so we resolve to strive skating collectively, and right here we’re!
Do you suppose the truth that you’re siblings lets you be extra direct and clear with one another?
NT: For positive. It’s referred to as household enterprise for a cause! We’ve a really pure connection and we’re having fun with extra time collectively now, which is nice.
FT: We’ve such a robust connection earlier than a contest, and typically when I’m nervous she will be able to really feel it instantly. We’ve ups and downs in fact, however it’s regular. We’re additionally working with a psychological coach. General, we have now a robust connection on the ice, and skating helps us to enhance our relationship.
Let’s have a look at your senior profession up to now. You competed at some worldwide occasions already, nevertheless the Covid-19 pandemic noticed a sequence of occasions getting cancelled during the last couple of years. How did you reside this specific time in current historical past?
FT: We have been actually fortunate as a result of our ice rink in Italy was open on a regular basis. We had actually strict restrictions, however we have been skating quite a bit. Our coach is superb, he retains saying that in each scenario we have now to consider the constructive facet of it. So we used that point to enhance and deal with our most important aim, the Olympic Video games.
NT: And likewise I feel this era of COVID-19 helped us to get extra used to dwelling in Italy, to satisfy new folks and get into the life there, as a result of it was the primary season that we spent within the nation. So, we bought nearer with everybody and that was good.
You talked about the Olympic Video games have been your aim: you managed to make that dream come true! How did you reside this distinctive expertise?
FT: It was very nerve-racking as a result of I bought injured and I needed to miss the summer time preparation. It was onerous, I assumed my dream was gone, however I labored quite a bit with my psychological coach and we made it occur! We certified and it was a tremendous expertise, being on the ice with all the highest groups was so inspiring. We tried to soak up all the pieces from our time there.
NT: Going again to the household enterprise we talked about earlier, it was good to realize our aim for our mother and for our dad, as a result of we have been at all times speaking about it with them. We sacrificed quite a bit, together with spending time with our father within the Czech Republic. We left for the USA with our mother and we stored going, which was actually onerous however in the long run, that is what paid off. General, we had a tremendous time. The entire month there was fairly lengthy, however once we bought to the competitors it actually felt that we have been on the Olympics.
Speaking concerning the future and your goals, have you ever bought a transparent path in thoughts that you simply need to observe?
NT: The aim is that we need to assault as a lot as potential on the Europeans, the spots are open for everybody proper now, and we’re enthusiastic about that. We set the objectives, however we at all times depart them open as a result of we skate for ourselves, not only for the medals. Additionally at this Grand Prix in Espoo, we didn’t get a medal and possibly we have been dreaming about it, however on the finish we have been tremendous completely happy as a result of we skated clear and improved.
Having the correct help to realize your objectives is essential, and appears like your coaches are very a lot in your facet. How would you outline your relationship with them?
FT: I feel it’s a fairly sturdy one. It feels extra like a household relationship in a approach. Barbora (Silná) has been working with us since once we began our junior years. We’ve a extremely deep connection along with her and in addition with Matteo, who was the primary one that instructed us that our father died. They’re making an attempt to place 100% in for us and to push us working in direction of our objectives to make them occur. Generally, it’s onerous to work with us for positive, due to the strain we’re underneath and, let’s say, as a result of we’re nonetheless youngsters in a approach!
NT: By rising up, we recognize the connection greater than earlier than. Particularly me, after I was youthful I used to be fairly one thing for Matteo’s nerves, so we recognize them working with us!
FT: The workforce in Italy is superb and it’s beginning to develop, and in addition the ice dance motion within the Czech Republic is beginning to develop quite a bit. In our workforce in Bolzano, we now have the Georgian couple (Maria Kazakova and Georgy Reviya) with us, so we’re extra aggressive at coaching which is healthier for all of us to push ourselves.
The workforce spirit was noticeable in Sheffield, the place each you and the Georgian couple competed.
NT: We loved it quite a bit, it was a brand new expertise for us as a workforce to go together with two {couples} and one coach, nevertheless it was superb. On the observe periods, we have been giving one another the look and saying “let’s go”!