2003 ISU Grand Prix Final

1 March

Ladies, Free Program B

Fumie Suguri (JPN), 2003 Four Continents Champion
It was difficult to get motivated after yesterday’s competition. I was worried about the lack of practice. I wanted to skate my best today, but I still have to improve a lot. I have to work hard for the World Champions.

Shizuka Arakawa (JPN), 2003 Four Continents silver medallist
I’m very happy with what I have achieved today. I didn’t expect to compete in the Final. Now I’m going to Worlds for the first time in five years, and I really want to present myself well.

Elena Liashenko (UKR), 1995 European bronze medalist
Again I didn’t do my second Lutz. A little bit was lacking, and maybe I made a technical mistake. Overall I felt well in this competition, which is surprising. After all, there are many strong competitors, and it is a tough event.

Viktoria Volchkova (RUS), 2002 Cup of Russia Champion
I felt much better today than yesterday, I had more energy. I like to skate this program very much because it’s me. But it was easier to skate the new Free Program than remembering the old one. We made some changes to the old program to improve it.

Sasha Cohen (USA), 2002 Trophee Lalique & Skate Canada Champion
I was watching and she (Slutskaya) skated pretty well, too. I don’t know what the judges are going to do, but either way I’m in the top two, and that’s good for my first Grand Prix Final. (On not going for the triple Lutz-triple toe) Tatiana (Tarasova) told me to do triple-double, and she’s my coach. I need to listen to her, so I did that. For this competition, I didn’t need to do more than that.

Irina Slutskaya (RUS), 2002 World Champion
Coach Zhanna Gromova: Emotionally, it was very difficult to skate for her. Yesterday she did very well, and today, after all this stress, she didn’t have left more than what she put out today. But she will be fine.