Back in February, just after the conclusion of the 2018 Winter Olympics, I had the privilege of interviewing Vincent Zhou, who was a member of the 2018 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team. Zhou is originally from Palo Alto, California and moved to Colorado Springs a couple years ago in order to focus more on his training. While I wasn't able to personally meet Zhou, I was able to contact his agent, David Baden, who allowed me to conduct an interview via email. Who was your biggest role model growing up? My biggest role model has to be Brian Boitano. I would watch his programs at the 1988 Olympics almost every night. The perfection of his technique inspired me. What else besides ice skating did you enjoy doing the most as a kid? I enjoyed recess and lunch breaks at school where I would play handball with my friends, soccer practice and the annual pumpkin patch as well. You were born and raised for most of your life in California. What was the biggest difference and/or culture change that you noticed when you moved to Colorado? The biggest cultural difference has to be the Asian population. In the Bay Area, it was so easy for me to go out in public or walk into a school and feel accepted. Here, I sometimes felt highly self-conscious of the fact that I'm of Chinese heritage and pretty much everyone around me is of other ethnicities. I actually did a year of regular school here--I had almost no friends because most kids didn't feel the need associate with a small Asian kid who was a little socially awkward. Where is your favorite place to hike in Colorado? Most definitely the Manitou Incline! Most people see it as an extremely difficult task, I see it as an opportunity to improve my conditioning and beat my best time (28 minutes). Have you decided where you’re going to attend college at in the fall yet? I'll probably go to college right here in the Springs so I can keep training in the best place for figure skating in this country. What is your favorite Chinese dish? I don't have one favorite, but my mom's cooking is amazing. Some noodle dishes she makes are incredible, and her cold Chinese potato salad is great. You’re known as a big fan of memes. Which one would you say is your favorite? I don't have a favorite (I'm indecisive, I know) but I enjoy expanding brain memes, "wyd after smoking this" memes, and bone app the teeth (toe tap a flea, etc) memes, although that last one is a little past its prime. How do you prepare for a program? (Routine, pre-program meal, etc.) I don't have superstitions or a set routine, it depends on the schedule of my morning warmup and my competition. At most international competitions, I have a warmup at around 10 AM to noon, then a late competition at night, so I nap in the middle and have a light dinner before competing. At the Olympics, I would wake up at 4 AM for an extremely early warmup; I was done competing before noon--I believe for primetime in the USA. Thus, I was not able to nap before competing, but I handled that very well. In PyeongChang, you became the first figure skater to land a quad lutz in the Olympics. What was that like? I actually didn't realize I was the first one to do it at the Olympics until afterwards. I was too in the zone. However, it feels pretty darn cool to have that title attached to my name! You won gold at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships last year. This year you will be competing in the Senior World Figure Skating Championships for the first time. Has participating in the Olympics changed your mindset in preparing for this year’s competition in Milan? Competing at the Olympics actually has changed my mindset a little bit--it's given me hope and confidence in my ability to be competitive with the top men in the world. Placing 6th behind (and ahead of some) huge names was incredible. As the youngest member on the U.S. Figure Skating team, what were you able to learn from your fellow skaters, such as Nathan Chen, Mirai Nagasu, and Adam Rippon? I was able to learn the importance of adapting to any environment--although I already knew a lot about that and have had experience with it, competing in places all over the world. My teammates all did amazing and had their moments. Watching those moments happen was inspiring. Is it easier to relate to skaters like Nathan and Karen Chen because they’re closer in age to you than some of the other members of the team? We each live our own lives, but I would say it is. Older people tend to have different ways of communication, different interests, and different lifestyles. What was your favorite moment during your experience in PyeongChang? Most definitely the utter elation and euphoria after finishing my free skate. Everything I've been through in the past 17 years paid off for that moment. You just finished competing in your first ever Olympic games. You’ve said that you want to compete in four Olympic games before you’re 30. What do you hope to improve on before the 2022 Olympic games in Beijing? The four Olympics dream is a little exaggerated because my body probably won't last that long (skating is extremely tough physically). Before the next Olympics, I hope to make my quads happen much more easily, fill out my frame, and develop the second mark (component scores) through extensive training on movement and skating skills (skating terminology for a generalization of non-jump & spin aspects). By then, I hope to have established myself as one of the top men in the world. And as you can see, those very statements perfectly characterize the ambition that has driven me this far! I'd like to once again thank David Baden and Vincent Zhou for giving me this wonderful opportunity.
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January 2020
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