An update with Adrian Schultheiss at Nordics 2009

He's had surgery, been sick, pulled muscles and a few days ago he broke his skates and had to withdraw from the Nordics. The list of setbacks for Adrian this season is way too long and he's pretty sick of it. The World Championships in Los Angeles are only a month and a half away and you'd think he'd be in a state of panic. But Adrian is always cool and in a pretty good mood too as we sit down for a chat. In spite of all the ordeals he laughs a lot.

Where will you buy your new skates from?

I order the boots from Canada, I'm keeping the blades. The boots cost a lot of money but I don't have to pay for them myself, the Swedish Figure Skating Association does.

I'm switching from Graf Edmonton to Graf Washington since they have more padding around the ankle. My old boots were really hard and last summer after my foot surgery the other foot got inflamed.

You've had a tough season! At Nationals last December you withdrew after the short program, which you skated well!

Yes, but I was sick and it got worse, I was in bed for days afterwards. Looking back I probably shouldn't have skated at all.

At Europeans you finished 18th

The short program was ok. Everything was kind of so, so since I hadn't competed a lot during the season, I'd only done the two Grand Prix events, the rest of the time I was either sick or injured.

Was there anything positive about Europeans?

I don't know... that I made it home again?

(This guy's a gas! ) And what was not so good?

Hmm, that it was so cold in Finland.

Well, we pay them back now with the lousy weather in Malmö (we talked during the Nordics). Your comment in the newspapers about quitting skating, marrying rich and become a stay-at-home husband, where did that come from?

I thought why not, it was a fun thing to say. Sometimes I think like that, it's just who I am, I say a lot of crazy stuff.

But you're not really quitting skating?

No, but maybe if I find that rich girl.

You can have a rich girlfriend and still skate!

Yeah, so I've been told.

Do you anticipate any problems at Worlds?

Not with the skates, they should be fine by then.

Any chance of landing a quad in the freeskate?

I'm not planning on that anymore. Because of all the injuries I haven't been able to practice much. And the injuries came from working on the quad in the first place. Now I need to work on my physical shape and stamina. It's been my weakness this year and that's why I get injured all the time.

You've trained some with Ari-Pekka

Yes, I went to Finland before Europeans, but it didn't work out so well for me; I got injured. I pulled some muscles in my neck and shoulder and had to rest for four days. Then I could train again for a few days and then I went to Helsinki.

What are your plans for this summer?

Training camps and such haven't been decided yet, so I don't have a clue.

Will you get any vacation?

Hopefully I'll get a few weeks after Worlds. But not much, I have to stay in shape.

Did you watch "Stars on ice"? (The Swedish version of "Skating with the stars")

I watched some in the beginning but thought it was rather boring. In other countries it's been more of a fun entertainment show, but here it was so serious, the stars should do different elements like spirals and that didn't work. They should have had more skits and stuff. The way it was now made me fall asleep, but I heard it picked up in the end. But no one can learn how to skate in such a short time, it's impossible, so the program should be more of a show, like in Russia.

You changed your hair, what happened to the Mohawk?

I got tired of it and felt it was time for something new. I'm letting my hair grow out now so some of it can be long and some short with some colored strands. That's for Worlds, then I'll shave it all off.

No, I don't know, we'll see!

That's the charm with Adrian; you just never know what he'll do next! He's a real character as well as an awesome skater, especially if all those injuries will give him a break and at least let him finish the season on a high note. Let's hope that'll be the case.

Magdalena and EMJO have been bringing the whole competition to us by reports and photos. Missed those? Click for the daily pictures here and for reports check out all Nordics 2009 entries here.