Before 2021, David Belyavskiy had three individual golds from Euros – AA, pommel horse, and parallel bars. He’s known to be very good on these two events, so he came to Basel as one of the top contenders for medals on both. He has a very nice and original routine on horizontal bar, one that often draws “wow” and “ahhhh” from the crowd, but he only had two bronzes on the event at previous continental championships. In 2021, he was finally able to win gold and he said in an interview to Oblastnaya Gazeta that he did not expect it at all.
A: Overall, the championships were successful for our team, it was our first international competition since 2019. We’re happy that we were able to have such results. Personally, I can not that I managed to achieve even more that I expected.
Q: After the end of the championships, you talked about health issues. What happened?
A: In the qualification, on the last event, I got a minor injury, I threw my back. And the next morning, I wasn’t able to bend. But by the evening, our doctors were able to get me back on my feet and I competed for three days after that. If we’re looking at the results, this situation had no effect on my performances but I was really worried about it.
Q: You won your first gold medal on horizontal bar at the European Championships. Was it an unusual achievement, considering that it was the last final of the competition?
A: It was the most unexpected medal ever, I can’t think of any other words here. I didn’t really expect a medal even though I was training on each event and wanted to give my maximum at the European Championships.
Q: In the all-around final, you had a great routine on pommel horse, getting a very high score. Were you upset that you weren’t able to fight for a medal in the event final?
A: Of course, I was. But not because I didn’t win a medal, it was because I wasn’t able to do what I can on the event. Of course, I could’ve been able to fight for medals on pommel horse as well, but I’m happy that I was able to finish the competition on a happy note – with a victory on horizontal bar.
In a separate interview, Belyavskiy told TASS that overall, Euros were easier for him than the Russian Championships a month before:
“Shortly before the European Championships, I competed at the national championships in Penza and this competition was much easier for me, both physically and mentally. I’ve been able to get in shape physically and that’s why it’s also easier for me mentally. I’m really happy that we were able to win many medals here. After coming home, we will have a 10-day break to rest after which we’ll come to the training center again to train for the Russian Cup and the Olympic Games”.
After the Russian Championships where Belyavskiy took bronze in the all-around, his coach Valeri Lomayev said that Belyvskiy actually won the pre-nationals verification but the competition itself was a bumpy road:
“The championships were very hard for all of us and David was no exception. I’m not happy with some things but, at the same time, there were good things as well. We have a verification at Round Lake, David won it. And, perhaps, this affected him somehow. He started competing in Penza and made two major mistakes, first on horizontal bar, then on parallel bars. And because of that, he didn’t make the final on parallel bars, his favorite event. It wasn’t an easy beginning. But I’m happy that on the second day, he was able to make up for everything he didn’t do on the first day. This convinces me again that David can fight and get himself together when needed. This is the most valuable quality in gymnastics and any other sport.”
Lomayev said that without competitions in 2020, it was hard for Belyavskiy to stay motivated and this somewhat affected his progress:
“If we’re talking about the elements that were already learned and ready, the postponement of the Games didn’t affect David much. But the elements he would have liked to do… Of course, it was a problem that there was no real motivation, all gymnasts lost it with the cancellation of competitions. Because an athlete needs to have a visible goal. There have to be at least three or four competitions a year. It forces you to stay in shape and not to relax. And without motivation – even if they don’t want it – their mindset changes a bit. This important part of striving for something disappears. And it doesn’t lead to anything good. David’s an established athlete, his character doesn’t allow him to relax like that, but it was still hard for him. No matter what champions they are – World or Olympic – the lack of competitions lowers the athlete’s results. I called coaches that work in other countries, they say it’s hard to force guys to work, to learn elements… And they are all studying in colleges there thanks to the sport – in England, France, the USA, so, it would seem, this should be the motivation. If not for such difficulties due to a break in competitions, everyone would train more reliably. And the results that they showed here are, of course, about 1.5-2 points lower that we’d like.
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