Evgeny: I try not to think about marks, the first place or gold medal. The most important thing is to show what you are capable of on ice. The rest will come on it’s own. 

Q: Winning gold - is that your main goal?

Evgeny: Mainly, yes. Since I started competing at 7 years old I don't accept any place other then the first. This is my main goal every season. This what I aim and work for. When you come out on the ice there is only one thing to be focused on - your program that you prepared and should do your best. 

Q: Are there are any elements that are difficult for you to learn or do you master jumps and spins easily?

Evgeny: The triple axel was pretty difficult for me to learn. I've been working on it for four years. You can't do without it in figure skating. At some point I didn’t believe that I ever could do it. The other skaters learned it in a year. But in the end I counquered it: I’d jump, fall, try it again and again, curse it, but only in my mind, of course, so nobody could hear those words... It lasted for four years!

Q: What would the coach say? Was he hard on you?

Evgeny: Alexei Nikolaevich Mishin used to calm me down: don't worry, it will work out just right. It meant a lot for me. 

Q: Have you ever been afraid of jumps? After all, it’s no joke...

Evgeny: Three years ago I hit my toe by the other blade on the landing. It's a very painful injury. A thought that I would do it again stuck in my mind for a long time. But eventually I was able to overcome this inner fear.

Q: Do required elements that can’t be avoided in both short and long programs bother you?

Evgeny: I'd like to add more difficulty into my free program. For example, do more jump combinations besides spins, footwork, circular step sequence. Right now three combinations are already enough to get high marks. 

Q: Does it mean that you give the priority to jumps not to expression or music?

Evgeny: I just adore jumping. I do the rest as it supposed to be done. 

Q: But the figure skating isn't just a sport but also an art. Who are you when you come out on ice: an artist or a sportsman?

Evgeny: I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well.  Being artistic is very important to get the audience on your side, as for a competition, you can't win without strong technical content. 

Q: You said, triple axel was hard for you.  Are there any other “untamable” elements for you?

Evgeny: I am not working on anything new right now...

Q: What about a quad that let you down in Grand Prix event?

Evgeny: It's different - I overdid it a bit...

Q: Are you going to surprise with anything at the Olympics?

Evgeny: Well, I'll certainly try! However, technically I've already got enough elements to win with. 

Q: Who, do you think, is you main competitor at the Winter Olympics 2002?

Evgeny: I will compete mainly and first of all with myself. 

Q:  American skaters have some advantage at the Olympics, they will skate “at home” with support of their  fans...

Evgeny: I can't say that Americans are cold towards me. Skating on Tom Collins Tour last summer I traveled all over North America and they greeted me not any less then the sportsmen you meant.

Q: You have made quite an impression in the States with your “Sex Bomb” exhibition number that you performed at the end of the season. Nobody could have expected that from the usually proper, classical Plushenko.

Evgeny: I like to play with the audience. Get them on my side. That number was very well received. All of a sudden I was called a “Sex Symbol” in figure skating. It’s funny! I definitely don’t have any pretence  to that. I just wanted a humorous program so the audience that came to competitions to get some fun, which in US also means to have some food and drink, would forget about the popcorn and hotdogs. That worked, so I’m happy.

Q: Speaking of programs, who in your team has the final word in choosing programs?

Evgeny: I decide it with my coach and choreographers. 

Q: Don't you ever argue with your coach, for example? Or this is an ideal partnership?

Evgeny: I don't know about ideal but we rarely argue. And we don't yell at each other.

Q: It is said that you got quite a stubborn character...

Evgeny: Yes, I do. I’m not ashamed of that and don't consider it a fault. 

Q: You were already in Mishin's group when he was still working with Alexei Urmanov and Alexei Yagudin...

Evgeny: I do remember that time and learned a lot from the guys. 

Q: One of the reasons Yagudin left Mishin was, in his opinion, too much time spent by coach with "young talented Plushenko." What would you do if you were in his place and your coach pays more attention to somebody else?

Evgeny: I will never leave Alexei Nikolaevich. He was like a father to me when I, an 11-year-old boy, moved from Volgograd to St. Petersburg. He's done so much for me besides skating. Leaving him would mean betrayal. He, certainly, doesn't deserve anything like that. 

Q: Mishin is one of these people who made themselves. He was studying and training at the same time. Would you like to follow his steps?

Evgeny: Right now figure skating is more important for me. Sometime I’ll quit sports and begin studying and, maybe, something else. But right now sport is my priority. 

Q: "Sometime" - when it's gonna be? In 10-15 years?

Evgeny: I mean an amateur sport. I don't exclude turning pro after the Olympics. 

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

Evgeny: I usually spend my time off differently: sitting with friends at cafe or going to discotheques, sometimes just walking around town. Among my friends are not only sportsmen but also people who’s interests are far from sports. 

Q: I know you are good at tennis, how good a dancer are you?

Evgeny: I usually have enough dancing while training on ice, so,  I don't even want to get up at discotheques. I just enjoy being there, listening to the music, talking to friends. 

Q: Do you play any musical instrument?

Evgeny: I want to learn how to play a guitar.  I hope to try it sometime after the Olympics. Sasha Abt, my teammate on the National team, is going to help me with that. He plays guitar and sings very well.  Sometimes we even sing together. 

Q: How important for you the love of the crowd?

Evgeny: I know the crowd loves me and I am thankful to those people for that. The audience means a lot for any sportsman. Sometimes it's even more precious than medals.