Andrey Telitsyn published a mini-interview with Nikolai Kuksenkov on his Instagram.
Here is the translation of this interview.
Andrey Telitsyn: What to do if you can’t manage to do a certain element?
Nikolai Kuksenkov: They say it’s possible to learn any element. It’s only a matter of enough repetitions. But there are more and less comfortable elements. I don’t quit attempting any element right away, I try to finish them. But if it’s really not going well, it’s probably better not to waste time on it. Also, it can happen that you suddenly lose an element you’ve already mastered. In this case, it’s better to stop doing it for some time so that the mistake wouldn’t get entrenched and to get back to the drills for it.
AT: Do you ever not want to go to practice?
NK: It often happens that I really don’t want to go to the gym, often it happens at camps. In that case, I try to do fewer repetitions of the elements that aren’t going well, or the elements that are difficult in such a state. You can also try to do drills instead. Or just try something new in order to clear your head.
AT: Did you ever have an idol in gymnastics?
NK: I’ve had a lot. From time to time they were changing. Scherbo. Nemov. Beresch. I was a fan of Yovchev for a long time. Ivankov, Yang Wei. I was following everyone.
AT: How to get mentally ready for competitions?
NK: I’m trying to think about competitions only on the day of.
AT: And what about before the routine?
NK: Before the routine, I’m trying to shut myself off from any external factors. I’m trying to focus only on myself and the apparatus. Well, that’s the goal, at least. I don’t always manage that. Sometimes the spectators are screaming so loud it’s impossible to ignore. In London in 2012, it was very memorable how the arena exploded when the local gymnasts competed. You’re touching the pommel horse and it’s vibrating.
AT: How did you manage to combine studies and training as a kid?
NK: I was suffering in classes, couldn’t sit still. I wanted to train.
AT: But it’s obvious that you’re very well-read and you know English well.
NK: I improved my English in Belgium, it’s because of my dad.
AT: Did you live in Belgium?
NK: Yes, for almost 4 years. My dad was working there. The whole family lived there for a period of time. And I went to a Belgian school there, studied in Flemish with the rest of the kids.
AT: So did you read about Till Eulenspiegel in Flemish?
NK: You’re overestimating my abilities.
AT: But I’m right about you being well-read, am I not? Do you like to read?
NK: Well, probably, about sports, mostly. I can’t say that I’m well-read when it comes to classics.
AT: Name your three favorite books (or authors) which you’d recommend reading.
NK: Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, 12 Chairs by Ilf and Petrov, Animal Farm by Orwell – these three jumped to my mind.
AT: And you were saying “sports”.
NK: Well, there aren’t that many books about sports. Although, in Kiev, I had a book “10 Sports Legends”. I got it as a gift for my birthday as a kid.
AT: What else do you like besides gymnastics?
NK: I’m really into cars.
AT: Which car would you get if you could afford any of them?
NK: I have an Audi, I like it. If I were really not limited by money, I’d have a whole park of cars like Meivezer. By the way, I’m mostly interested in boxing out of all sports. It would be interesting to try boxing. There used to be a tv show – The King of the Ring. I would try to go to a casting there. But it looks like I’ll probably end up on Bachelor faster. I don’t have any dating life because of gymnastics…
AT: True! I’ll go there after you, too. But while we’re not on Bachelor yet, tell us what’s your motto in gymnastics?
NK: My motto is “hard work always wins over talent”.
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