Artistic gymnastics Olga. Gymnast Olga Ilyina: instead of an Olympic gold medal, I have a gold experience. Features of gymnastics for children, included in the master class by Olga Stryuchkova
GYMNASTICS
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Interview "SE" during the Moscow world championship was given by the famous Russian gymnast, multiple world champion
For almost a year, little was heard about the multiple world champion Olga Kapranova. And at the gala concert on the opening day of the World Championships, Olga showed a unique exercise - with two hoops. Most likely, this happened for the first time in the world. She looked as if she had never left the carpet a year ago: still the same slender, the same stretch and expressiveness.
- This is your first time watching the World Cup from the podium, what feelings do you experience while doing this?- I asked Olga after the first day of the competition.
I can't say that I regret this. Everything that is happening now at the Olimpiyskiy has already happened in my life. I know well what the gymnast is going through behind the platform and what the audience does not see. One and a half minutes before the exit and one and a half minutes that the exercise lasts, a whole life passes. And it seems to take so long. I understand well the gymnasts who, God forbid, drop the apparatus or do something wrong - for them this is an irreparable loss. As for the audience, they simply may not notice.
- Aren't you worried when this happens?
Very, especially Russian gymnasts- Dasha Kondakov, Dasha Dmitriev. For Yana Lukonina, who competes at the World Championships for the first time. I know how much she trained under the guidance of Alina Zaripova and Irina Alexandrovna Viner. For her, this is baptism. As a beginner, it is hard for her, especially since the championship is held in Moscow. And I am very rooting for Zhenya Kanaeva.
- Do you remember the World Championships where you performed yourself?
Yes, I remember every championship, every exit, all my medals, of which I have ten.
- In 2005 you won five gold awards, it was your championship. Do you highlight it?
To the surprise of everyone, my last championship in 2009 stands apart for me.
- Why?
He was the hardest one for me. It was difficult for me to prepare for it. Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina, who led me, was unable to go with me for health reasons; for the last three weeks she was preparing with Alina Zaripova and Irina Aleksandrovna. It was she who, 24 hours before entering the carpet, said that I would do three types.
- And how much should have been or wanted to do?
I already said that it was hard for me to train, Irina Alexandrovna forced me, but everything didn’t work out for me, it didn’t work out ...
- Why?
I can’t say that I didn’t try, I had a knee injury. The coaches did everything for me to go out and train, but somehow it didn’t work out for me, it didn’t work.
- When was your fate decided?
Already in the testing room, Irina Alexandrovna says: "I'll see how you feel. If you can, I'll give you three types to do, if you can't - one." But at the same time she explained that with all my regalia, it’s impossible to go to the last World Championship for me and do one kind, it’s a shame. I agreed with her. And thank you very much for letting me make three kinds. I did them very well, and no one regretted it.
- Can you say that the success at the 2005 championship changed you in some way?
As for today, when the sport is left behind, then yes, it has changed. This experience clearly taught me something. Because after a grandiose success, and this is not only in gymnastics, people get jealous of you, some kind of intrigue is woven. Someone speaks badly of you, someone praises you to the skies. Now I absolutely do not care, I look at these medals with indifference. It was somewhere, sometime. All that's left is experience.
- At the Olympics in Beijing, you came out second, and suddenly - a breakdown, as a result, you remained fourth. What's happened?
The Olympics is also a kind of experience. I don't know what happened to me then. It seemed like they were training day and night. Just before the Games, we went to Japan for a training camp. In physical and moral terms, Irina Alexandrovna prepared us perfectly, all conditions were created.
Was there any excitement?
Already at the competitions I was more worried about the hoop, I went out on the maces absolutely calmly. I remember how Vera Nikolaevna took me out. There were no signs of a thunderstorm. Even now I can’t explain what happened, why?
- From the outside, what was visible?
I lost my mace on the throw, it never happened in training. True, before that there was a case in Minsk at the Grand Prix. I did the exercise with clubs very well in terms of elements. But she dropped the mace three times, just for some nonsense. Irina Alexandrovna teaches us all the time never to kick objects. For me, they represent something alive, the most precious thing I have while I am a gymnast. And here I am, leaving the platform, I take a mace and throw it across the hall. Vera Nikolaevna: "Olya, what are you doing! They are not to blame. You better beat yourself against the wall!" I turn around: "I did everything well, but they fell three times." It was six months before the Olympics.
- It turns out that the maces took revenge on you?
Well, people came up with this about revenge, but here is something higher.
- Do you consider your performance in Beijing unsuccessful?
- (thinks.) Rather yes than no. Could have performed better. But what to say about it now...
- Did the fact that you were left without a medal affect you?
At first I was very upset, it was so hard that I wanted to stop performing. But Irina Alexandrovna brought me back, she said that I had to prove to myself that I meant something, that she was waiting for me at training, that Vera Nikolaevna was ready to work with me.
- And now how do you feel about this Beijing story?
Then I was very worried that I did not win a medal for the country. Today I think that my inner worldview, if I had a medal, would have turned out differently. Maybe it's for the best that I don't have one.
- You decided to leave the sport at the end of 2009. Was it difficult to make a decision?
I have been living at the training camp in Novogorsk since the age of 10, so I got used to thinking independently, but nevertheless I consulted with Irina Alexandrovna and Vera Nikolaevna.
- Well, all right, you comprehended everything with your mind, but what did your soul say?
You can’t get hung up on one thing, in gymnastics I did everything I could. You have to try yourself in something else. I was only 22 years old, I had my whole life ahead of me. But I already had one - in gymnastics.
- What are you doing now?
A year ago I defended my diploma in the specialty "psychology", now I want to enter the graduate school of the Russian State Social University. I am also acquiring a sports profession at the Lesgaft Institute.
- But, apparently, they didn’t leave gymnastics?
Definitely not, at the gala concert she performed with two hoops.
- Do you continue to improve?
I do it more for myself.
- How difficult is it to work with two objects at once?
It’s very difficult, especially since I didn’t perform for a year, I just came to the hall, warmed up. But this is another life.
- Who put the program, how long did you prepare?
This is my old hoop exercise, I just added another one to it. It was very difficult, I got used to it for a long time, I even had to lose seven kilos.
I don't know how it will go. I'm not obsessed with diets, with a figure. For me, the inner life is important.
- Is there a chance that exercises with two objects will be included in the sports program?
Hope so. The main thing is that the FIG decides on the rules.
Irina Alexandrovna said that she wanted to create a new direction in gymnastics for the stars who left the platform in full bloom.
I haven't heard about it yet, but I'd love to speak up. Only it should not be within the framework of sports, competitions. It must be demonstration performances when no one owes anyone anything. Great!
- How much are you in demand in various shows now?
Only the first time she performed at the opening of the championship.
- The profession of the model does not attract?
No, I don't like the word "fashion" at all. What some people consider beautiful, I find not very. And sometimes I can look weird myself. You have to wear what you want. Everything suits me. But more often I go in jeans and sneakers, it’s more convenient to move around. Heels and a dress are also good, but in this form you don’t run into much.
- But when you are in heels and a dress, I'm sure men pay attention to you?
I'm not interested in people who pay attention only to my appearance. It is necessary to communicate with a person, and not to look at what a person is wearing.
- Is there a person with whom you would like to communicate?
For today - no.
- And you are not sad alone?
You ask about it at the end, usually, as soon as you meet someone, they start asking. No, it's not sad. I believe that such a person will definitely appear, and we will understand each other.
- What is planned for the near future?
I want to learn English - so that I can speak fluently, but for now I have to strain. I want to do philosophy. Just now I was taking exams, I realized how many black holes there are in my education. And I also want to recruit kids so that I have my own group, and start training them.
Elena Roerich
Awakening of a high spirit
Elena Roerich from Moscow
Yesterday, Russians Evgenia Kanaeva and Daria Dmitrieva became world champions in ball and ribbon exercises. The intrigue of the fourth day was born the day before, when Dasha Kondakova dropped the ball twice in qualifying, and her participation in the all-around final was in doubt. "For a place in the sun" she had to fight with Dasha Dmitrieva, since the participation of Zhenya Kanaeva was not in doubt, and, let me remind you, two of the country go to the final. Yesterday, the Russians took to the mat in morning group, and before them were the main rivals - gymnasts of Azerbaijan and Belarus. Dmitrieva worked cleanly and took the lead - 28.425. Kondakova performed brilliantly behind her, and the judges appreciated her worth - 28,900. But Kanaeva had an incident: in the middle of the exercise, the tape got tangled, and Evgenia was third with a score of 28.035, not getting into the final.
While the gymnasts were resting before the finals, I managed to talk with Anna Shumilova, Kondakova's coach.
Yesterday, neither you nor your student, having been upset after the failure in the ball exercise, could not give an interview, for which they apologized. I hope today you will be more sympathetic?
Yes, today I am satisfied with the student's performance.
- Yesterday Dasha, for an hour, did not cry?
She cried, of course ... It's a shame, annoying - such a mistake came out. Now I understand: she needed to listen carefully to Irina Alexandrovna Viner. She was just focusing on the element where Dasha lost the ball. So, you need to be more concentrated when the coach explains.
- Have Dasha already experienced such breakdowns?
Yes. In Italy at the World Cup. And also with a ball and ribbon. Then the ball flew off her hand across the entire court, and then Dasha brilliantly worked with the ribbon. It's nice that in the stubborn struggle with Dasha Dmitrieva, who was breathing down the back of her head all the time, the second number of the team was determined today, and my student became it.
The finals of the ball and ribbon exercises were dictated by our athletes. Against 28.700 points, Kanaeva was able to oppose something only Dmitrieva, but still lost 0.050. But in the exercise with the tape there was a mini-sensation. Kondakova, who bypassed everyone in the morning, lost to her namesake Dmitrieva, who was the last to take the mat. Apparently, the winner shot past the journalists with joy, and coach Olga Buyanova had to take the rap for her:
Ribbon - the most difficult subject in rhythmic gymnastics. For me, Dasha's victory is a great joy. Moreover, the exercise was done to the music of Schnittke, and it still needs to be understood. By the way, this music was suggested by Irina Alexandrovna. At first I was against it, but then I thought about it and supported it.
Yes, yes, support! - to the delight of journalists, appeared in the mixed zone Wiener. - We worked together, because in such competitions everything is decided not by technique, but by spirit. This girl inside is very intelligent, high spirit. We managed to awaken him - she won. And personally I'm happy!
World Championship. Moscow. 23 September. Finals. Individual exercises. Ribbon. 1. DMITRIEV - 28.825. 2. KONDAKOV - 28,750. 3. Garaeva (Azerbaijan) - 28,050. Ball. 1. KANAEVA - 28,700. 2. DMITRIEV - 28,650. 3. Garayev - 28,550. Team Tournament. 1. RUSSIA (Kanaeva, Kondakova, Dmitrieva, Lukonina) - 284.925. 2. Belarus - 269,700. 3. Azerbaijan - 265.225.
2019 All rights reserved and protected by law.
It was the time of the dominion of the three great "K" - Alina Kabaeva, Evgenia Kanaeva and Olga Kapranova. Only Olympic awards are missing in the collection of the heroine of this article. However, Olga Kapranova will forever remain in the hearts of connoisseurs as one of the most spectacular and talented athletes. Having finished her career, she did not leave her favorite job and now trains a new generation of champions.
The beginning of the journey shoulder to shoulder with my sister
World sport might not recognize such a name as Kapranova Olga. Rhythmic gymnastics appeared in her life almost by accident.
Together with mom in childhood she met her sister Katya from school. At the bus stop, the young coach Elena Nefedova saw two girls.
She immediately invited them to her section. Mom was surprised and somewhat discouraged, because Katya was already studying at a ballet school, but she nevertheless decided to send both sisters to sports section. So, at the age of seven, Olya begins a long journey in rhythmic gymnastics. Ekaterina will subsequently also achieve success in sports, become a three-time champion of Russia, but she will end her career early and switch to coaching.
Already in 1999, the scouts of Irina Viner paid attention to Kapranova and took her to her.
Rise of a new star
In 2002, Vera Shatalina became Kapranova's coach. A year later, Olga gets into the national team. She receives the first gold of the world championships in 2003 in team competition.
Gradually, she is among the best in rhythmic gymnastics. Olga Kapranova participates in all stages of the World Cup in 2004 and in the final, held in Moscow, receives bronze medals in a number of disciplines.
The 2005 World Championship became a real breakthrough for her. She takes first place five times, including in the main form of the program - personal all-around. After the departure of Kabaeva and Chashchina, everyone considers Olga the main star of the national team. However, soon Kapranova appears and has to compete with the future two-time Olympic champion.
The athlete is intensively preparing for the main tournament of her life - the 2008 Olympics. The 2007 World Championship is also successful. Having received three gold medals, Olga Kapranova becomes a nine-time world champion.
End of career
The Beijing Olympics becomes one of the few failures in the life of a gymnast. There is nothing more offensive than falling one step behind the winners in the main tournament of your life. After that, Olga Kapranova is going to leave the sport, but Irina Viner persuades her to stay for another couple of seasons.
The swan song of the athlete is the 2009 World Championship. In the Japanese Mio, she becomes the ten-time champion of the planet, having won anniversary gold in the team competition. Olga Kapranova ends her career with her head held high. Personal life is now a priority for the champion.
All experts note the excellent flexibility of the athlete, her technical equipment.
She performed elements that were beyond the power of most gymnasts. Kapranova in this regard stood in the same row with Yana Batyrshina, Alina Kabaeva,
After the Olympics in Beijing, London, changes were introduced to the rules of refereeing rhythmic gymnastics. To level the hopeless lag in technical skill Russian athletes, more emphasis in the final grades is placed on choreography, dance elements. It is already becoming pointless to increase the complexity of the performance, and rhythmic gymnastics is losing its sports component in many ways. Kapranova did not like all this. She was one of the last representatives of the generation of gymnasts who performed the elements the highest level difficulties.
School of Olga Kapranova
Having finished with an active career, the gymnast does not leave her favorite pastime. Her sister Ekaterina left the sport early and immediately switched to coaching at the Irina Viner Olympic Training Center. For 8 years of work with the best coaches she has gained a lot of experience. In 2010, the sisters open own school rhythmic gymnastics, named after the ten-time world champion.
Initially, it was located in the Iskra volleyball and sports complex in a city near Moscow.
Girls of all ages were recruited for classes, groups of all categories were created. Intensive classes are not in vain, and already in 2011, young athletes of the Olga Kapranova School compete in many domestic and international tournaments.
They come to the sisters the best specialists in rhythmic gymnastics and choreography, famous champions. "School of Olga Kapranova" acquires branches in the Moscow and Leningrad regions. Today, the general leadership is carried out by Ekaterina. Olga simultaneously works as the director of her native sports school.
So the circle closed, and the great gymnast continues to work where it all began.
Ten-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics Olga Kapranova, in an interview with R-Sport correspondent Anna Manakova, shared her opinion on changes in the rules for the current Olympic cycle, told which gymnastics school she likes best and why the most carefree time is training time.
Coaching kids is like a drug
Olga, I would like to know more about your life after graduation sports career. As far as I know, the President of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics and Main coach team of Russia said that you will start working as a coach at the Olympic Training Center?
I ended my career in 2009. My sister Ekaterina worked as a trainer at Irina Alexandrovna's TsOP for a very long time. And it's great, because a lot could be learned from the most experienced coaches of Olimpiyka. And when I graduated, my sister and I opened a sports club, it is called Olga Kapranova's school. Now we train about 150 children. In addition, for almost two years I have been working as the director of the Sports School Olympic reserve No. 74 "of the Moscow Sports Committee, where almost 500 gymnasts are preparing in the most serious way to conquer sports peaks.
What age children do you train with?
IN sports school Olympic reserve, starting at the age of six and until they show the result. It can be gymnasts and over 18 years old. Sport Club there are four years, and while the most adult children were born in 1999.
- You also work as the chief referee in many competitions. What are your responsibilities?
This is very responsible. Mainly - the decision of disputable situations in refereeing. There is no bias, in principle, especially at children's competitions. But judges do not always evaluate gymnasts in accordance with the rules: someone knows the rules worse, someone better - this is very often a snag.
- And what is more interesting for you: coaching activity or the job of the Chief Judge?
I love gymnastics, and it's hard for me to refuse one of these activities. I don't remember when I had my last day off, but I like it. Judging is very interesting. There are more qualified judges from whom you can learn a lot. I observe how they act in some controversial and difficult moments. The coaching profession is also interesting. They say that people who work with children look younger. This is true! Children do not always show the result that they want. But when you come to practice and see how happy they are, it's amazing. I can't get rid of it - it's like a drug. I love children, I love to train them and I think they love me too.
- Somehow the name is affectionate or everything is strict?
Olga Sergeevna (smiles). Subordination must be maintained.
The sooner you start - the sooner you finish
- When you finished your career in 2009, there were already changes in the rules for the new Olympic cycle. After the 2012 London Olympics, the rules changed even more...
Yes, they change every four years after the Olympics. Unfortunately, the latest changes, in my opinion, are killing the sports component of our sport. There are different opinions: someone praises them very much, someone does not. But as for me, I absolutely do not like these rules.
- I just haven’t heard a single positive review about the rules for the current Olympic cycle ...
Everyone praises them so much now (smiles with surprise). I don't like the new rules, because we have sports, not dancing. Innovations seek to make gymnastics more attractive to the audience. At U.S. not game view sports, so a priori we will not gather such stadiums as in football, and we don’t need to! We have beautiful girls performing and doing complex elements. And now you need to include a lot of dance tracks in the program. In my time, there was still normal gymnastics and at the time (, (, (Laysan) Utyasheva, (. In March, Batyrshina held a tournament, there was a screen on which performances were broadcast. And what Yana Batyrshina did in 1996, now is not one girl won't do it. Then there were difficult elements, not like now - you need to go out, dance, take three risks - and everything is great. In all of Europe and America, everyone is equal, and therefore I like to watch what I did, Alina Kabaeva , Irina Chashchina This is interesting to watch - it was gymnastics as a sport.
- It turns out that the new rules have simplified rhythmic gymnastics, making all performances similar?
At the time of that gymnastics, everyone did different elements. Who knew how to bend well - scored a high score with the elements of flexibility. Who knew how to jump well - jumped. And now there is no such thing. Everyone must do the same to score 10 points for difficulty and 10 points for execution. And if you can do these specific elements, then you will score 10 points. And if you do something else, you just won't get them. We have been turning turns in the rear tourlian all our lives - it is complex, beautiful and sports element. Now this element is worth, in my opinion, 0.4 points, and the dance floor is 0.3 points. Making a back turly is much more difficult than dancing, but why do it? You can dance twice and get 0.6 points. This is the point.
- There is an opinion that now girls are taken to rhythmic gymnastics according to anthropometric data ...
Of course, we love children with textured data. But the same Zhenya Kanaeva is far from being tall and not the owner of long legs. But she worked fantastically on the carpet and became the first gymnast to win two Olympics. Any girl can become a champion, regardless of natural data. We are not gods and cannot say to a five-year-old child: "You have no data, and you will never become a gymnast." Now very early gymnastics. I started gymnastics at the age of 7 with my older sister. And, my first coach, Nefedova Elena Yuryevna, immediately saw something in Katya and started working with us, and already at the age of 15, Irina Alexandrovna Viner and my coach Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina went to the World Cup. And now children are brought to the hall literally from the age of two, and already at 5-6 they take objects - this is early. We are chasing somewhere, competitions are constantly held for such small children. And at the age of 13, such a child will say: “Mommy, I’m tired of training for some reason.” Of course, the sooner you start, the sooner you finish.
Maybe this is to some extent a plus, she will finish sports earlier and the girl has time to choose a future profession?
In principle, it is never too late to learn (smiles). It depends on the person and life priorities. For example, Almudena Cid Tostado ended her gymnast career at the age of 27, performing at four Olympics: she got married, she has children, and I am sure that she has an education. Everything is good in life. She did everything. I graduated at 22, I have two degrees. Everything can be done. The main thing is to want.
- Of the last long-lived gymnasts, one can only remember the Bulgarian Silvia Miteva, who ended her career last season at the age of 27 ...
I didn't know. I remember that she also performed when I was a gymnast. But I can say that it is difficult to work on the result. Almudena is a good gymnast, the whole world knows her, but she has probably always been in the top ten. But if a girl takes first place, then naturally it is difficult to hold on until the age of 27.
- In the Russian team, this option is probably not possible at all?
There is a lot of competition in the Russian team, and this is also good.
Ukrainian shoot and immediately end their career
Kudryavtseva is a very strong girl. She has very good job subject is really interesting. Nobody does this now. She is young, thin, beautiful - it is pleasant to look at her and she is only 16 years old. And at the age of 15 she became the youngest absolute world champion! I am very happy for her, because she did not lose her head. Irina Alexandrovna Viner-Usmanova manages everything in our national team, and as long as she keeps it all, we will always have gold.
- And who would be singled out from the gymnasts of the world. Maybe someone from Ukrainian or Belarusian school?
No, I've always liked Russians. I like some Ukrainians, but for some reason they shoot at competitions and immediately finish. I don't understand why they don't hold up. The last girl who had some kind of cycle was Anna Bessonova. And now I’ll just think “what a great gymnast, I need to look at the competitions,” as she is already finishing. It is very difficult to stay in the first place. As the saying goes, it's easier to get up than to stay up. Only Zhenya Kanaeva and Alina Kabaeva held out for more than one year - it's not just one competition to win. And, of course, when a gymnast loses something after a peak or realizes that she is no longer competitive, it’s better to finish.
- It didn't work out well for you Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing, but you didn't end your career right away, did you?
I performed poorly at the Olympics and wanted to finish. But Irina Alexandrovna said that it was the easiest thing to finish and that we should try to win at least something else. And I can always leave. And I won, however, in the team event, at the World Championships in Japan. But she still left after the gold medal.
The fact that you won only in the team event at the World Championships - was it still a negative note at the end of your career or still a positive one?
There was no negative or positive note here. There was the Olympics, which basically happens to an athlete once in a lifetime. And in principle, the negative remained: the Olympics are for life, and there is no such second chance. But winning the tenth anniversary medal of the World Championship is also never superfluous. Again, you need to get over yourself first. It was very difficult to stay: recover again, lose weight, work out the program, learn it and perform.
After the end of your career, was there a desire to be away from rhythmic gymnastics and not have anything to do with it?
I wanted to. And now sometimes I want to. And I'm sure that I won't be upset at all, and it will be interesting for me to do something else (smiles). But it happens to everyone. Fleeting, of course. You can't be such a fanatic.
Current gymnasts are closed from the press. Is this some kind of special restriction to keep athletes strict?
When we practice, we don't think about the press, we don't think about anything material. Girls live in gymnastics. One and a half minutes on the site you live it - and this is probably the most wonderful time. When I was still training in Novogorsk, it was terribly hard for us in training. Yulia Barsukova entered the hall and said: "Girls, this is your happiest time." I thought: "Yes, God forbid at all!" (laughs). And now I understand that this is actually the case. Because there are no worries. There is everything: doctors, psychologists, excellent food, sauna, swimming pool, massages. We don't have to worry about anything. And we worry only about the subject - ribbons, balls. And this is what we live. I can't tell if it's limited or not. Athletes just don't need it. A true athlete lives on medals, performances and spectators, fans.
- So fans want to know more about their favorites ...
The people demand bread and circuses! The audience always wants scandals (laughs).
- That is, is it good that they try to isolate the gymnasts from the press and do not interfere with training?
Discipline still needs to be there. This is also a great success rate!
But maybe this also affects the interest in the sport? Less information - interest fades if less often shown on television?
Given the insane number of people who want to do rhythmic gymnastics, it is now a very popular sport. And why they show some kind of horror on TV, I don’t understand. Dozens of similar talk shows on federal channels. And they don’t show gymnastics (laughs). Maybe not spectacular. Although for us it is very spectacular. But it is already necessary to ask television producers why our sport is not on the air. They also work there for ratings.
The winner of the first Youth Olympic Games in rhythmic gymnastics in group exercises, Olga Ilyina, in a conversation with R-Sport correspondent Maria Vorobyova, recalls how she got into the gym on the way to the drawing circle, explains why she never dreamed of Olympic gold, and shares her impressions of her new activity - at the age of 19, Ilyina began her journey in the coaching field.
Olya, you did not officially announce your retirement, but at the beginning of August you were at a training camp in Croatia. Did you train there or...?
I helped the girls prepare for competitions. While I go at the rate of an athlete-instructor. That is, I myself do not really understand whether I completed my career or not. Apparently, I myself still really want to, and somewhere up there they give me a chance to jump a little more (laughs).
- But you don't take part in competitions, do you?
No. But, for example, at the World Cup stage in Tashkent, such a situation happened - one of the girls fell ill, she was treated with all her might, but I jumped in training in the morning, and she was brought, one might say, to the exit to the carpet. In this way, I slightly saved the team (smiles).
And yet it turns out that at some point you realized that you were ready not only to train, but also to train. What prompted these thoughts?
When I really started serious career in gymnastics, I reasoned like this - they pay me a salary, which means that this is my full-time job, and not just entertainment. It was in 2009, after my first European Championship. I never dreamed or set a goal to win the Olympic Games or become a merited master of sports. I just liked tre-no-ro-vat-sya. I think I'm the first gymnast to say that. My only dream was to get into the Russian national team. And not for the purpose of training herself, but simply to see how the girls work at such a level, how this whole complex process is organized.
- So you already at that age analyzed everything that happened, and these are just coaching inclinations ...
I don't know (smiles). But I never guessed what would happen to me next - I just caught every moment. And around me there were always wonderful people who taught something important for me. And maybe not even for me, but for those kids that I will train.
They turned me into the bridge and asked: "Do you like it?"
Let's go in order. You said that you got into the gym when you went to enroll in a drawing circle. Do you remember these details?
To be honest, I don't remember (laughs). Mom told. The only thing that remained in my memory was how they turned me into the bridge and asked: "Do you like it?" I nodded my head and started exercising three times a week. And my first coach, Nadezhda Anatolyevna Solomatina, gave me a hardening, taught me the basics. The next stage of my gymnastic life had a very strong influence on me - I ended up with my beloved Natalya Aleksandrovna Abdullaeva. She coached me from the age of eight until the very national team. Even when Tatyana Vladislavovna (Sergaeva is the head coach of the Russian national team in group exercises) took me to the national team, Natalya Alexandrovna was there.
- You said that you loved the process itself. But gymnastics is painful...?!
It hurts (smiles). But after all, everyone understands that nothing will work without hard work. If you don't want it, don't be patient.
At competitions, it always seems that the gymnast does not have to fold her body into the most unfoldable knots. Is stretching and preparing your body for such skills the hardest thing?
Oh ... I was generally left-handed, they pulled me over ... If I had left it like that, I would not have made it to the national team. And about the difficulties I will say this - everyone has their own. At first, for example, the coaches even taught me to smile, but I categorically did not want to do this - I was very shy. Natalya Aleksandrovna led her to the mirror and said: "Stop and smile 10 times. Until you smile, you won't go to run." In general, it seems to me that in any business, the beginning and the end are the most difficult. The middle is, roughly speaking, something stellar. When you are stretched, when you already know a lot, when you can get out of some difficult situations, everything goes smoothly. But at the same time, you must be able to fall. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to climb. And this skill is laid just at the beginning of the path. But at the finish line ... When you look at the girls, how they all jump, but you don’t - it’s terribly difficult.
Before you left gymnastics, your dream did come true - you got into the main team of Russia.
Yes, in 2008 at the Russian Championships I competed in personal exercises. And then Tatyana Vladislavovna made a selection for the 2009 European Championship. So I got into the group. True, at first there was a little stupidity (laughs). In general, group exercises may not be pleasant at first. I was interested for a while, and then I got bored. But I soon got involved and realized that group exercises are my element.
Since I didn’t get to the Olympics, it means that it was necessary
- And how was it - to train in the national team and under the leadership of Sergaeva?
It was scary. I was very afraid of her (laughs). And I'm not alone. Tatyana Vladislavovna is such an impressive woman, there is something in her - even if you see that everything is fine, you are still scared to death. Only when I moved to the second youth team, I felt myself in the team, I realized that I had become more experienced ... And then my knees stopped shaking.
Alina Makarenko said that in the year leading up to the Olympics in Singapore, you never dropped an object at any start. Was it difficult to maintain such a level?
The main thing was not to think about it. In general, according to my recollections, everything was like this. Athletes needed to be put on full autopilot. First there was a cleaning, development of programs, brain work. Then - the stage of loss of objects, mistakes, blots. And the third stage is the inclusion of the autopilot. Sometimes there were just throwing exercises. And Tatyana Vladislavovna sometimes tested us - we got up for a run and then worked out what we lost the subject on. That is, they stood stupidly and made some kind of one transfer. Our weak points changed every time, and we eradicated them in this way.
- What is the first thing you remember when you mention the Olympics in Singapore?
It's hard to say... Although... We performed in the hall, which was converted after gymnastics. And when on the morning of the competition day we entered it and saw that our carpet was lying on a one and a half meter podium ... Honestly, I was scared. I immediately thought - a hoop ... I have weakness there was a roll, and I vividly imagined the picture of how I was losing the object and running after it, jumping off the carpet, damn it. Tatyana Vladislavovna, by the way, quickly saw through my confusion, scolded me a little, and I threw these thoughts out of my head (smiles).
Another turning point was the 2011 World Championships, where you made your debut. Did you understand then that silver in the all-around was not the result that the coaches were counting on?
Yes, we felt that things were bad. Irina Alexandrovna then took a firm grip on us and made a number of innovations. The main principle of our exercises now sounded like this - no one is waiting for anyone. That is, fusion came to the programs, there were no empty spaces left in them, each transfer flowed into the next movement. At the same time, the pace increased significantly and, as a result, everyone stopped seeing what, from where and where it was flying. Exercises were done only on sensations. When in February 2012 Irina Alexandrovna took us to the home stage of the Grand Prix, everyone said it was out of space.
- Were the rivals shocked?
I can’t say, because then I got into the team only because Ksyusha Dudkina was injured. I was number seven. I was taken out of the base in November 2011 - after the World Cup.
- At that moment, did you immediately realize that you were flying past the Olympics?
Probably not. Then I just started working twice as hard. In addition, I knew all the games, as Irina Alexandrovna said that I should be ready to substitute. I can’t say that I was very upset then - I thought that I had a second team, I decided to raise them. I liked it, I wanted to compete with the first team. The girls also caught fire with my enthusiasm, and we managed to reach a good level. Since I didn’t get to the Olympics, it means that it was necessary.
- But you could now be an Olympic champion ...
You know, instead of gold Olympic medal I have golden experience.
When I returned from the World Championships in Kyiv, I wanted to forget gymnastics forever
- Why did you stay in gymnastics even after you didn't get to London?
I thought that I have a chance to get to the next Olympics. Then I stupidly wanted to perform, feel the buzz of entering the site, see the reaction of the judges, I wanted to please the people with our work and see the coaches happy. And I got this chance. A year after I was taken out of the squad, I returned to the team. And they put me in only one kind - my favorite tapes.
By a fatal coincidence, your return happened just in 2013, which many people associate not with the Universiade, which was successful for the team, but with the unsuccessful World Cup in Kyiv ...
It's so... We can't say what happened then. It was very difficult for all of us - the start itself turned out to be difficult. We were completely ready. Really ready. We were not afraid to make mistakes. I honestly don't know what happened. And after the World Cup it became even harder. Irina Alexandrovna was very upset. I can't imagine her condition, I felt very sorry for her. She saw our work and hoped that everything would go well.
- She said then that the flaws of the gymnasts themselves resulted in such a result ...
She is right about everything, she sees us better… There were some incidents in the team… Perhaps, strong fatigue affected. For me, too, was a shock that we did so.
- How long did you continue to train?
Until October. When I returned from Kyiv, I wanted to forget gymnastics forever. It was hard for me. I knew that this was my last start. We finished the tapes well, but that was not enough. I came home and lay for two days, looking at one point. Mom said that now I definitely won’t go to gymnastics. For two weeks it was like this. And then she called Irina Aleksandrovna and asked if I should come to the training camp. And after a while she gave the go-ahead. But the injury made itself felt - the leg could not withstand the load. And my desire, my dream to be in the national team as a gymnast turned into something else. Sooner or later I would have to make this choice.
Why were you pulled back after just two weeks?
Tatyana Vladislavovna influenced me (smiles). We had a conversation with her, and I thought that I wanted to help her in some way.
The first months as a coach, she rushed back and forth - and did not understand anything
- You noted that it is difficult to start any business. Now you are at the very beginning of the coaching journey. What do you think?
In general, now everything is going so that I am like a playing coach. Sometimes it becomes hard - you see that the girls can't do it, but you can't explain it to make it work (laughs). In such cases, the first thing I do is calm down and start asking the gymnasts themselves what they are doing wrong. For the first few months, I rushed back and forth and did not understand anything. And now it's already in place. I like everything. I feel absolutely comfortable as a coach. And the girls are already used to me. Of course, I still don’t understand anything, but since I’m next to Irina Alexandrovna and Tatyana Vladislavovna, I try to learn everything from them. They gave me a lot, I am immensely grateful to them and treat them with great respect. AND best practice than in a team with them, I will not get anywhere.
- Are you currently working with the main team?
At the training camp in Croatia, I helped the girls who were on the bench. That is, the team has four main gymnasts and two in reserve - on different types exercises. If allowed, I help the second team.
- It turns out that your merit will be in the performance of the Russian team at the World Championships in Turkey?
Something very small, I hope I contributed (smiles).
- Surely, when you yourself trained, gymnastics was your life. Has something changed now?
When I started to seriously engage in gymnastics became a part of me, and I became a part of it. I didn't think then what else I could do. After the World Championship in Kyiv, my opinion changed a little. In general, I wanted to change my specialization and go ... to law school (smiles). This is what my grandfather told me. And my mother really wanted, and still wants me to get a medical education. And so I sat then, thought, thought about where I should go, and stayed in rhythmic gymnastics (laughs).
- So what is gymnastics for you now?
- Darling?
Beloved (laughs). Although ... This sport is still something more for me ... Perhaps gymnastics is my life now!
