Men’s podium training is usually much less interesting the women’s but today Russian gymnasts decided to spice it up. Artur Dalaloyan who tore his Achilles and had surgery only three months ago and who was supposed to compete on four events in Tokyo did vault and floor in training today. He said in the mixed zone that his routine will only serve as safety options for the qualification in case something goes wrong in one of the routines before him. If the other three athletes have good routines, he will scratch on these events.
He later told MatchTV that he has actually not been cleared to do floor or vault by the doctors but he listens to how his body feels:
Q: How did the podium training go?
A: I don’t have any emotions left, I’m tired, I gave it my all, we did a good job. Today’s the third day of acclimatization, it’s just crazy, so it’s a bit hard to function and to adjust to this time zone. We woke up at 4:30 am this morning but it’s all fine, we did well on the events and did our job. Everything’s fine.
Q: You got injured the day before leaving for Euros in Basel. How much of a shock was it and how did it affect your mindset for the season?
A: I can confidently say that I had no doubts, I didn’t even think that something wouldn’t work out. It’s normal life of an athlete, there are risks every day. Because of that, you have to take things calmly and there’s always a solution for every situation, you can always get yourself together and do the maximum in order to recover and be useful for the team. And to make the team for starters, after enduring the competition and be ready for that competition. The most important thing is not to be discouraged or think about how bad things are and how life took a shit all over me, sorry for my language. You just need go and keep working.
Q: You did vault and floor today. Were you scared when the doctors cleared you to try those?
A: I haven’t been cleared to try them. I didn’t wait [for the doctors] to tell to I’m allowed to try. When I was discharged from the hospital, the recommendations said that I could only start running and walking in six months. Three months have passed. Do you think I waited until I’d be told I’m allowed to run and jump? Of course not! So, based on my sensations and my experience in the sport I took some steps day after day in order to start walking and then jumping. Yes, it was difficult. At first, even putting weight on the foot was difficult. Literally, three weeks ago I still couldn’t stand on one leg. Today, I’m running and tumbling. A bit. Carefully.
Q: Especially since after missing Rio because of an injury, I suspect that you were ready to pay any price to come to Tokyo.
A: I can’t say that situation motivated me in any way. I guess the fact that our team lost an important element when they lost me and that it will be hard to fight for a medal as a team played a big role. After all, we’ve done a huge amount of work – silver in 2018, gold in 2019. Our team kept building momentum and at some point I was suddenly out because of the injury. So, I had this feeling that my team might fail because my health betrayed me. And I had to do everything I could in order to solve this.
Q: Nikita Nagorny mentioned in Basel that the Russian men’s team went through such things that other teams probably didn’t. Was he talking about injuries and problems?
A: I guess so, he was probably talking about that because we have to deal with a lot of difficulties in training. But I don’t know… When he said that, was he sure that I wouldn’t be on the team or what?
Q: On the contrary, he was sure you’d come back.
A: It’s just that when they were in Basel, the prognoses regarding me were quite glum.
Q: But we were all told the injury wasn’t so grave.
A: In reality, the doctors’ prognoses were quite shitty. The said that I would be able to start walking and running only in five to six months. Can you imagine? The Olympics where I had to at least dismount from rings and high bar was in three months.
Q: Was the Achilles tear partial or full?
A: Full. I don’t know why there was information online that it was only a partial tear. But I actually think a partial tear if worse because it doesn’t get sown together and there’s a risk for it to worsen. But I had a full ligament tear and that’s why I had surgery and they stitched the Achilles together.
Q: What did the doctors do and how did the recovery go? Could you give some details?
A: They just pulled the Achilles together and stitched it, there was a bit of a bump in the place of the stitch where the torn tissue was suppose to reattach. I had to wait and then start stretching the Achilles. It was really hard to stretch, it was pulled together after all, and the ligament got shorter, plus I spent three weeks in a boot with my foot flexed, so that the Achilles would be contracted. When the boot was taken off, I looked at my leg and there were no muscles whatsoever! That stunned me. All the muscles which I had been training for years, working on them in order to push myself in the air just disappeared. There was only the tibia and some meat around it. What was I supposed to do?
Q: What?
A: Well, the next day after the surgery I started moving my toes, working on my calf muscles, stimulating it. I kept working my toes all day long while I was browsing something on my phone. Then I worked on my core and shoulders. That work was hard for me but it was successful.
Q: What was the key to this success?
A: You have to believe, work, and never doubt [the process], you have to give your all.
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