Jacob Sanchez talking about his friendship with Ilia
Jacob Sanchez was on Blades & Banters Podcast and also mentioned Ilia, but especially from 33:30 - 35:45 he was asked about his relationship with Ilia:
"Me and llia, we we go pretty way back. Like I met him at our Eastern Sectionals on my second year of junior. I met him when his soccer ball was still bigger than his head. he still had his glasses on and I remember his his mom was just chasing after him to make sure that he had to go warm up for a session. And now over the years like we we gradually became closer and closer the more we saw each other at competition. Like we weren't like super close friends from when we first saw each other. I think after the US Junior Cup in Milwaukee in 2021 is when we started getting close. Like that was the year that he had his like true breakout season in juniors where he won his Grand Prix. He got second at nationals. He went to worlds. So that was like his first like big breakout year and that's when we started to get close and we just been getting closer and closer over the years and now like we we literally talk every day like pretty frequently and like even today like I was talking to him about like: Hey can I have some some advice on on a quad toe like what what do you think would help? Like he's been giving me so much like really good advice not just with jumps but just skating overall and how to just handle myself in some of these situations and just how to be the best version of myself I can be and it's it's been such a a big factor into my progression because he's been giving me some super super good advice and we always have a good time when we're together and it's it's super cool now that I'm able to travel and do some of the competitions and events with him. So, I'm really looking forward to more of that in the coming years and I can't wait to see where the next four years takes us both and hopefully we can end up on the Olympic team together."
Not Tatjana chasing after Ilia for warm-ups😭 Really cute, their friendship. Hes one of the reason i kind of think Ilia is not taking at least the whole next season off, like as if Jacob finally makes it to seniors and then hes not there. On the other hand, of course, Ilia should do what he wants/needs to do, no matter other circumstances.