FIGURE SKATING | INTERVIEW “Skating is art”

Ice Palace. Madrid. Dozens of young skaters dance around the legend. Two times world champion, seven times in Europe, an Olympic medal. Javier Fernández inaugurates his new project, the ‘JF Academy’, with which he intends to help future talents and return part of what he received to skating. Relaxed, polite and with clear ideas, the 29-year-old from Madrid attends AS.

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-The project is already a reality: the ‘JF Academy’ has been born.

-Yes, and he does it with the idea of ​​going to all the ice rinks in Spain to hold seminars and help all those skaters who already have a high level. In 2020 we had to contribute something to them since it has been very complicated with the closure of the tracks, the cancellation of competitions … They have all continued working although they have not been able to prove it. This is just the beginning since the final illusion is to have an academy with an ice rink where we could teach daily skating classes with a working group that went from the beginning to the international level. Create a quality environment and help achieve dreams.

-In addition, the plan includes going hand in hand with the federations.

-We have joined with the RFEDH and the regional federations, and it is these that choose the best of each community to hold a joint seminar. We must join forces to improve the national level of our skaters. We want the same for the future of skating: to evolve and promote this sport.

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-We are in a place that evokes the hardest part of the pandemic. On this track, in April, the coffins were stored.

-It was not the first time that an ice rink became a morgue due to tragic causes. It was an essential task to take care of the bodies of people who took this damn virus with which we continue to fight. Hopefully it will never be repeated, but we are proud that our home was used for good purposes.

-Let’s go back to skating. Do you have a future in Spain?

We have good skaters in the senior category, but we have to continue promoting the lower ones, which is where the talent comes from. You have to keep trying to get them help, improvements, that they do not lack anything so as not to lose that possible talent. You have to bet on the young, on the little ones to get a very strong national team.

-How would the Spanish skating myth ‘sell’ your sport?

-I am not going to lie. It is difficult and tough, but it is one of the most beautiful. This sport is art and what you experience on an ice rink is unique. You learn to work with music, with your body, to move with balance on a different surface … It gives you something different.

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-And as always, you always keep an important hole for social good.

-Every year we try to contribute our bit in the project that we are doing throughout the year. Last year we started working with inclusive sport, with the Also Foundation and this year we wanted to work with Down Spain because we want to continue encouraging and reinforcing the things that still need help and that people are unaware of or are not aware of. Why does a person with Down syndrome or some other syndrome not have all the facilities to practice a sport? As we do not understand why this is not the case, we support it. They enter the track and you see that they have a good time and they enjoy it. That’s what it has to be, something natural, normal. They fight a lot since they are little for the way of thinking of society and those are the things we want to help change. In addition, sharing time with these people gives young skaters an experience that is priceless.

-One last curiosity, do you miss high competition?

-The truth is that not much. Yes the camaraderie, the time with friends skaters, training in that environment … but what it is to compete in itself, no.

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