Alexander Mayorov - the family is always there

Who has not heard the motto of the family team "Dad, Mom, I'm a Sports Family"? For certain, there is no such person. But not only competitions, family events and holidays are held under such a slogan. And there is a real sports family, where dad, mother and children are figure skaters. This is the family of Alexander Mayorov.

A family

Alexander Mayorov was born in Leningrad on July 19, 1991 in the family of figure skating coaches Alexander and Irina Mayorov. Sasha has a younger brother Nikolai, he also is engaged in figure skating.

The athlete's father, Alexander Mayorov the elder, grew up in Leningrad. He worked as a coach and skied to 25 years (he played for the club "Burevestnik"). In 1984, he and another coach announced the recruitment of a section of children. There the mother of the future Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin led his son - so Mayorov Sr. became the first coach of an outstanding figure skater.

Mother - Irina Mayorova is a choreographer and also a figure skating coach. She graduated from the University in Leningrad. At one time she worked as a choreographer, she directed a ballet studio. Now he is at the head of the ballet school in Lulea and trains in the figure skating club.

From St. Petersburg to Lulea

In the early 90s, the Mayorov was offered work abroad. At first they lived like this: six months in Russia, six months in Sweden. We finally moved to Sweden, when Sasha was 4 years old. There Mayorov Alexander went to the kindergarten, then - the school and university (decided to become a sports doctor). I was engaged in karate - I got a blue belt. But in 16 years time was not enough, and he began to devote more time to figure skating.

The family lives in the north of the country in the small town of Luleå. There is practically no skating in it, there is only a skating rink. Alexander has to train alone. It's very hard. The father helps, as far as possible, providing the son with sparring. As Senior Mayor says, Sasha does a good job and greatly promoted the Swedish positions in figure skating.

Skating club

Sweden has long been unable to qualify for major achievements, since there is another specificity, and this sport is quoted in a different way. Not like in Russia. There is practically no figure skating - there are amateur clubs that are created by parents. They find like-minded people, trainers and own a club. Sponsors are very few. But there are many enthusiasts, and everything goes on the national level.

Clubs are managed by parents. There is no director. And the coach goes everywhere and solves the problems, so that the athletes are comfortable. How else? Figure skating - a very complex sport, you can say, individual. Here the coach takes the athlete literally by the hand from the very first step and leads him on. The conditions are rather difficult, but now there is a development trend.

The figure skating federation is working very hard - conducting courses and seminars, raising the level of the coach. The federation assists with trips to competitions, and is engaged in training camps. You can apply to the Olympic Committee of Sweden, where there is a support fund for athletes. But the scholarships are not given to everyone and the athletes do not get paid either. Costumes have to be sewn by yourself. But sometimes sponsors help in this.

Fight for ice

Up to 15 years Alexander Mayorov skated at the most uncomfortable hours, only 3 times a week. Since there was a kind of "fight for the ice" - club time counted for hockey, curling, and general skiing. But as Mom says, the choreographer and trainer of the figure skater, Irina Mayorova, they still achieved and got their "ice floe". Now Alexander has those hours for training, which are convenient for him. And the commune in this very much helps.

Alexander himself says that figure skating became for him an integral part when parents began to train. No one forced him to become a figure skater. Just spent a lot of time on the ice, and then everything went somehow by itself. I never even thought of what would come of it. And now "Doros" before the World Cup, jokes Alexander Aleksandrovich Mayorov.

First successes

The first triple jump was carried out at 11 years old, and at the 2012 championship he became the second Swede who performed a quadruple toe loop. The debut of Alexander Mayorov took place in 2007 in Zagreb, where he came to the finish of the 11th. His first tournament won in 2010, taking the Grand Prix among juniors. In the history of figure skating Sweden, Sasha got in when he won bronze at the World Junior Championship 2011. This is Sweden's first medal for the last 75 years under the aegis of the ISU.

At the tournament in Nice Mayorov Alexander took second place. But he was forced to interrupt the season because of his father's illness, so he was not prepared for the European championship. But he did not refuse participation - in the short program he significantly improved his achievements. On Finlandia Trophy entered the top ten, and in the championship of Sweden took first place.

Alexander competes for Sweden, although he has dual citizenship. They received from Russia a letter that the country does not apply to Sasha and does not object to performances for another country, recalls Alexander Mayorov. The skater began to take part in international competitions, and the question of choosing "sports citizenship" was not standing.

There is no victory without struggle

At the Moscow Grand Prix in November 2016 his nose bleeds, but it was decided not to stop the performance. Alexander bravely rolled back the program and took 11th place. The father and coach say that Sasha's potential has become noticeably higher. He does a good job of coping with himself, and they will analyze, look for the cause of the unsuccessful performance. Will work and, if possible, go forward. Since Sasha has big plans, and this should be seriously prepared.

Alexander Mayorov (photo above) sets himself the goal of qualifying for the 2018 Olympic Games. He believes that all the successes he achieves are motivation not to stop and go further. As the figure skater says, if you do not try to do something, then you will never learn anything new.

The family, says the athlete, fully supports his aspirations. They are always there, help in every possible way, thanks to the family, he overcomes difficulties. When asked what advice he would give to the beginning skater, Alexander says: "Just go out on the ice and jump, jump and jump until you succeed!"