.....I just got this in an e-mail and figured you guys would be interested in reading it, especially since there are some recent pics of him on the message board. It's long to read but I found it interesting......
ALEX FEDOROV INTERVIEW 3/31/07
QUESTION: Alex, we haven’t heard much about you after you competed at the Austrian and Dutch Gran Prix. What’s have you been doing since?
ANSWER: I needed some time off to rest and start fresh. Plus I am working right now on opening my own gym in St. Petersburg.
QUESTION: What are your thoughts after the last competition? What’s your opinion regarding that show and how you did?
ANSWER: I fully agree with the judge’s decision and I think I got what I deserved. I was not in shape. There were a few reasons for my poor performance and I hope to fix that problem in my next competition.
QUESTION: There was a lot expected from you after 2003 Russian Gran Prix. Some experts in the field even predicted you as Mr. Olympia in the near future. Do you think that helped you or it worked against you as there was a lot expected from you?
ANSWER: Well on one side the publicity helped to promote me, however on the other hand it worked against me, as there was too much expected from me right away and especially following a very serious injury and subsequent surgery immediately after the show did not help much either.
QUESTION: After few disappointing appearances there are a lot of people who think that your chances of ever becoming a top tier Bodybuilder are rather slim. What do you think about that?
ANSWER: Well to be perfectly honest I couldn’t care less what others think of me. In a sport of Bodybuilding there were many athletes who didn’t place so well for first few years as pro bodybuilders, especially at the Mr. Olympia.
QUESTION: Do you believe your fans will ever be able to see you in the same condition as you were at 2003 Russian Gran Prix?
ANSWER: I am working on it.
QUESTION: There are a lot of speculations as for reasons of your disappointing appearances in the last few shows. Some say it’s because of your injury, others say it has to do with you competing outside of Europe and there is also some there is some talk about the changes in your team. What do you have to say about that?
ANSWER: I agree with some of those statements. Of course there are some major changes in my prep and I hope that soon I will be able to present the physique that is expected of me.
QUESTION: How strong is the support from Universal Nutrition? They have been with you from the start.
ANSWER: I am very grateful to Universal Nutrition. They’ve been a great support for me and they stuck with me through some difficult times. I am grateful for their support and hope to continue working with such great company.
QUESTION: There are a lot of rumors about you so maybe you can help shed some light on what’s really going on. First, is it true that you are moving to USA?
ANSWER: Yea I’ve been hearing that for quite some time. To answer the question, NO it’s not true. I have no plans to move to America. Not any time soon, that’s for sure.
QUESTION: On many Bodybuilding boards, especially Russian, there was a lot said about your rift with your former trainer, Alexander Vishnevsky. Care to comment on that?
ANSWER: Alexander Vishnevsky is a well respected Bodybuilder in Russia and Europe and he is very knowledgeable in a field of contest prep and he did help me a lot and I am forever grateful to him. However due to certain disagreements following 2005 Mr. Olympia we had to discontinue our professional relationship.
QUESTION: When you in United Sates, how much do you feel the support of your fans over there?
ANSWER: I really enjoy the support I get from fans in America, however on few occasions I was disappointed with people who say one thing to my face and then behind my back say something completely opposite. I am not saying it doesn’t happen in Russia but at least not as often. I met few fellow Bodybuilders who when we met were acting like they were my friends and then I found they talk trash about me.
QUESTION: For weeks before 2006 NY PRO there were pictures of you training for the show and in those shots you looked great. Many predicted that you are a lock for top 5 and maybe even take the whole show. We all know the end result. What happened? What went wrong?
ANSWER: Yes, everything was going great, but there were some mistakes made while carb loading for the show. And also I admit that I overdid on the diuretics, which resulted in disaster. At this level of competiton it does happen. I was 298lbs 2 days out and very hard. However the day of the show I was about 25-30lbs lighter.
QUESTION: We just witnessed Sergei Shelestov competing in the early shows of the season. Any comment on that?
ANSWER: Well first of all I am very pleased that there is another athlete representing Russia in the IFBB. When we compete in IFBB we both represent Russia, so we are on the same team. And I care more about our relationship outside of the sport much more than anything else. I also heard that Sergei had some problems leading to those shows, so it’s a little difficult for me to comeent regarding his condition. He also faced some of the same problems that I did. Also I know Sergei is capable of achieving much better results.
QUESTION: Sergei is qualified to compete at the 2007 Mr. Olympia. How well do you think he will do?
ANSWER: I don’t want to make predictions but from the bottom of my heart I wish him all the best and hope he achieves his goals for that show.
QUESTION: Do you feel any competition between you and Shelestov?
ANSWER: I already answered that question. For me personally, the more Russians compete in IFBB, the better.
QUESTION: What are your plans for 2007 season?
ANSWER: I do what I love. I have a lot of plans, including plans to compete in 2007.
QUESTION: Anything you want to say to your fans?
ANSWER: I want to thank my true fans, who believe in me. I get a lot of E-Mails of support from all over the world. It really motivates me to do well and show what I am really capable of.
