Angelina Melnikova gave an interview to a local Voronezh website while she was on a short vacation at home. Melnikova talked about the Euros and about competing in 2017 and reacting to the negative comments she got on social media during that time.
Q: You came back from the European Championships victorious, tell us about the competition.
A: Overall, I like the competition’s atmosphere, the big arena and that there were so many spectators. Glasgow is known for its youthful style of competitions. Regarding my performance, compared to how ready I was, I was happy with everything.
Q: At this competition, you were the team captain, how was it?
A: I didn’t see a big difference because the girls and I always make the decisions together and the most they could ask me was what they could and couldn’t do in terms of the competition’s organization because it was the first time at a big competition for them.
Q: Did you manage to do some sightseeing in Scotland?
A: No, even though we went to the city center. I’ve visited a lot of countries and Glasgow didn’t impress me that much.
Q: What’s your favorite country out of those you’ve visited?
A: I liked Switzerland the most and, I guess, Canada because it’s like the second USA, there are skyscrapers everywhere.
Q: Do you think Voronezh lacks skyscrapers and would you mind if the city center was rebuilt?
A: Yes, it lacks [the skyscrapers] very much. When I come home from Moscow, I want for similar skyscrapers to be built here as well, so that there would be some sort of civilization here. I don’t mind. I’d even like it more [if it was rebuilt].
Q: What sports achievement you consider your biggest one?
A: The Olympics, of course, even though they were quite hard for me because I was competing injured that and didn’t perform very successfully, I expected more from myself. But still, this silver medal is the dearest to me.
Q: You were awarded a BMW X4 car for this silver medal, what happened to it?
A: I gave the BMW to my parents, they’re driving it now. I have a new car now.
Q: As we know from your Instagram, you have Lexus now. What’s the difference between these two cars?
A: I don’t know. I guess, BMW X4 was given to me as a gift and I bought Lexus myself with my own money, so I treat it with more care. But otherwise, I don’t see any difference.
Q: Was gymnastics your dream or your parents’?
A: I came to gymnastics classes by accident. It’s just that I was an active kid and my parents wanted to sign me up for some sport. At first, they brought me to a dance class but I didn’t like it. Then we were recommended the Shtukman school, my grandmother took me there and when I only entered the gym, I said that I want to be able to do the same [like the girls there]. I’ve been going there since then.
Q: Did you ever want to leave gymnastics?
A: Once, when I was 11 years old. My ear was hurting and twisting and flipping was painful. I was stoical and never told my coach that something was hurting. Then I wanted to leave and told my parents that I didn’t want to do gymnastics anymore. But at the final competition, I won five golds and stayed.
Q: At the recent meeting with fans, you said that the 2017 year was a difficult time for you. Can you elaborate on what happened last year?
A: As athletes say, the year after the Olympics is always hard. The Olympic Games are the most important competition in the athletic career. What happened was that right after the Games, in three months, I went to another competition with my full difficulty. I was in shape and competed well there but starting in 2017, some sort of issues started. Both practices and competitions were hard for me. I felt uncomfortable on the competition floor. In addition, all the girls from my team weren’t competing, they left and I stayed and I was missing them a lot. Because we were together for so many years, they were my support system. In addition, the coaches changed. I guess I was also uncomfortable because of the big changes. I came out to compete and kept falling. All my fans, if you can say so, stopped liking me and said a lot of bad things about me. Starting in 2018, everything’s on the rise for me again.
Q: What helped you to get yourself together after that difficult year?
A: My coaches helped me a lot and my loved ones. People believed in me, worked with me, despite the fact that I stopped being a favorite and all of them led me up from the rock bottom, so to speak.
Q: How do you react to the negative comments?
A: In 2017, people often wrote me negative stuff, at first it was unpleasant, I’m not used to this. Usually, I was well-liked because I used to compete well and here such criticism came crashing on me. Now, I don’t really care about it. Of course, I accept criticism if it’s well-founded but if it’s not, I forget about it. Before, I took everything to my heart but now I throw away what I don’t need and continue on my path.
Q: The athletic career is short, until what age do you plan to keep competing?
A: I plan on going to Tokyo if everything goes well and then – it will depend on my health. Generally, I love gymnastics, I really love training and I can’t imagine how to stop doing it. I’ve been at the gym for 12 years now and it’s a huge part of my life. When I wake up, the first thing I think about is the practice. Gymnastics is such a sport where you need to decide, judging by the circumstances. Currently, I want to keep training but it’s unknown what will happen after Tokyo.
Q: What’s easier – to compete individually or as a part of a team?
A: Of course, competing individually is easier because you know that you don’t have a whole team you’re responsible for. But there are certain advantages in team competitions, for example, the huge support from the girls.
Q: Do you have time for hobbies?
A: When I’m not too busy in the gym, I like to read Remarque and Bradbury, watch movies and tv shows, my favorite is Teen Wolf. I like sci-fi. I also like following models, like everyone I guess, and I like taking walks, going to the movies.
Q: Which university you will be studying at?
A: The Smolensk Academy, I’ll study coaching. I’m thinking about transferring to Voronezh [institute] after the first semester but it’s not for sure. I chose Smolensk because they help athletes there and the national team works with that institute. They help with the studies and don’t pay attention to the missed classes because it’s hard to combine studies and training, especially during the big competitions.
Q: You said that you want to be a fashion designer. What attracts you to that profession?
A: I’ve always been interested in creative work, liked to draw, look at fashion magazines. I don’t like painstaking work but I like to invent things. But it’s all in the future plans, after the sport, and I can’t really say what will happen.
Q: How about your personal life, do you have admirers?
A: I have a lot of admirers, I get send flowers all the time, no idea by whom. I don’t really think about personal life right now because I have too many sport-related things to do.
Q: Where do you plan to live in the future?
A: I plan on moving to Moscow.
Q: What is your favorite place in Voronezh?
A: I come here so infrequently that I forget what places are here. I guess I like the Lenin square the most because it’s expansive and I really like big spaces. Moscow has such wide streets but here it’s all narrow.
Q: You keep making the lists of the most beautiful athletes and not just Russian athletes, but international lists as well. Can you give a top-5 of the prettiest Voronezh athletes?
A: I don’t really follow any Voronezh athletes. I’m almost never here and we don’t meet anywhere, which is bad, actually. I’d like to meet athletes from my city.
Q: Then, the top of the prettiest Russian athletes.
A: I like Yana Kudryavtseva and Sasha Soldativa. I’m very particular about looks and I move away from the traditional beauty standards.
Q: And how do you feel about being included on such lists?
A: It’s really nice but I’ve never considered myself beautiful, so when someone writes this about me it gives me more confidence.
Q: Where can people meet you and what qualities should someone have in order to become friends with you?
A: If I were offered to participate in more events like that recent meeting with the fans, people could meet me there. I’m always happy to talk, I’m open and kind and I never refuse to talk to anyone. [regarding the qualities] First of all, I put ambitions and self-improvement in the first place because I’m ambitious too and I always need to move forward.
Photo: Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation
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