Zoe Jones and Christopher Boyadji paired up in April 2016 and have since won three national titles in a row. Last week, they took 4th place at the Bavarian Open, which took place in Oberstdorf, Germany.
In an interview with the “Blossom on Ice”, which Zoe and Christopher had given before the start of the tournament, the skaters commented on their performance at the European Championships in Graz and told what life troubles they had to face, as well as how they met at the competition among adult amateurs and decided to pair up.
You had a really good skate in Graz. How do you feel about your performance?
Christopher:
Honestly, I think we’re quite happy with it. There was one major mistake in the free skate, but it happens. Usually we’re very strong on the throw jump, so I think we were just unlucky this time. Normally it’s not a problem. Overall, we’re very happy with what we’ve done in Graz. Short program was clean. Free program was, let’s say, nearly clean. It’s a very good improvement for us.
Zoe:
It was a difficult few weeks leading up to this, with family life and things going on. It has just been very hard. So, I’m really happy with what we’ve done here.
I know that you also had some problems with your luggage, with hot water at the hotel…
Zoe:
….My skate bag broke as well (smiles).
Christopher:
That’s quite funny because we came on Sunday with no luggage. They told us it would come the next day, and it did. So we just missed one practice, which is nothing.
Zoe:
Yes, but we didn’t skate since Friday, so we had no skating Saturday, no skating Sunday. And then, when the skates weren’t here, we were like, “Oh, no.”
Christopher:
That was rough, because we cannot skate at the weekend in England. As for hot water – well, cold water is good for the body.
Zoe:
For recovery (smiles).
Did you have any specific goals for this Europeans?
Christopher:
From my point of view, it was just to skate the best we can. It was not about a ranking, specific points or places. It was to go there and do the best that you can. And honestly, I think we ticked them both.
Zoe, a few years ago you competed in Oberstdorf at some adult figure skating competition. Would you please tell about that?
Zoe:
(asking Christopher) What do they call the Oberstdorf competition, the one for adults?
Christopher:
ISU Adult Competition.
Zoe:
Yes, the big ISU Adult Competition. Well, after I had my last child, I started skating to get back in shape. Honestly, the way I retired, I never felt like I did my best on the ice. I wanted something to aim for, to push myself. Midori Ito also competed in Oberstdorf, and so, I thought, “Well, if she can do it… ”
I think she competes almost every year, and she’s still in a very good shape.
Zoe:
Yes, almost every year but not the year that I did (smiles). Anyway, I thought I’d do it. So I had 14 years off the ice, and then I went into this.
Yes, but it’s not a professional competition, right? Would you please tell a bit about this tournament? I think some people don’t know that there are adult competitions as well.
Christopher:
The ISU Adult? If you ask any adult skater what the best international adult competition is, they’re going to tell you it’s the Oberstdorf Adult Competition.
Zoe:
Basically, there is the big adult community that skates, and it’s just a big competition for them to do.
Okay. And you competed two times, I think.
Zoe:
I competed two times. And then after that I wanted to do more.
Christopher, if I’m not mistaken, it was your idea to pair up with Zoe, right? How did it happen?
Christopher:
Well, not really. When I split up with my other partner, which was just before European Championships 2016, I put an announcement on Facebook that we’re not going to be competing at Europeans and that I’m going to relax now, and I’ll be looking in the future for a new partner. And then Zoe wrote me.
Zoe:
I did the senior ladies at Nationals, so I was competing at the same time as Christopher and his other partner. Also, I had seen him at the adult competition. He used to train in Oberstdorf, so he was there supporting a few adults. That was where we first met. And then, when I heard that they split up, I wrote him an email.
Christopher:
We did a tryout, and it went very well…
Zoe:
…and he said, “I think you’re all right.” (smiles)
How challenging was it for you to learn all the pair elements?
Christopher:
The hardest was the lift and the twist. The throws were very good.
Zoe:
Yes, the hardest was the lift. I’ve never done anything like that before, and as we wanted to go into international competitions as soon as possible, I had to learn them all very quickly. I would exit in the wrong place or change in the wrong place. So for me, this was the hardest.
Now your lifts are very good I would say.
Christopher:
It’s getting better. We improved a lot on this part.
What is your favorite and least favorite pair element?
Zoe:
My least favorite element would have to be the twist, and my favorite one is the throw flip.
Christopher:
The least favourite one is the pair spin. This is so tiring, and you don’t realize how tiring it is to do a spin. And my favorite is the throw because I have nothing to do (laughs).
Thank you so much for the interview. Good luck at Worlds!
Ludmila ORLOVA