Denis Abliazin’s major injury in 2019, perhaps, put a question mark on whether he’d be able to come back to gymnastics. Two of his three events – vault and floor – put a lot of pressure on his legs. There are gymnasts that manage to compete as one-event specialists for years, for instance, the reigning Olympic champion Eleftherios Petrounias, but in a country with a large national team like Russia doing just one event significantly lowers one’s chances of making big teams. Abliazin believes that making a full recovery and getting to his third Olympics is a huge feat already, no matter what his results here will be.
Q: Denis, you finally got to your third Olympics despite all the health issues.
A: I got here, yes. Thank God I was able to recover and come here. Everything’s good. So, I think I’ve already accomplished a feat in some sense.
Q: Breaking both legs – how could such a thing happen?
A: Well… It was an old injury, this break was a long time in the making. It was developing, developing… You know, it’s a good thing it happened then. Not now, not two months before [the Olympics], not a month before, during intensive training. When it all happened, everything was secured together, recovered, and everything healed, so I wasn’t afraid [of worsening the injury] anymore.
Q: So, it’s probably good the Olympics were postponed. You had time to recover.
A: For me, it played a very important role, a good role, I would say. For me, it was really great.
Q: How is the atmosphere of the Olympics during COVID-19? Obviously, you haven’t walked around Tokyo, but in general.
A: I’ve actually seen Tokyo more than once before. But now I didn’t come to see the city, I came to compete at the Olympics. So, I’ll say this – for me, everything’s fine. For me, personally. And the beds – cardboard or whatever – and the rest. The important thing is that there’s shower, air conditioning, a place to sleep and a place to eat.
Q: Tell me honestly, have you already tested the beds’ durability like the Irish gymnast did?
A: Oh no. I’m used to using the bed for its main purpose. [laughs] I come to my room, go to sleep and that’s it.
Q: What about the rest. Many people are complaining about low ceilings and small bathrooms.
A: No, everything’s fine. Well, for whom are the ceilings low? If you’re 2.15 meters tall, then yes, they are low. But for me, the ceiling is far away. [laughs]
Q: You got five medals combined at the two previous Olympics. What do you expect here in Tokyo?
A: I am on the start lists for three events. Depending on how the qualification goes, we’ll see what I can expect. We’ll try to fight for any possible medals.
Photo: Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation
Support Gymnovosti on Patreon from only $1 a month and help us bring to you even more awesome gymnastics coverage!
