After finally becoming an individual World medalist this year, Angelina Melnikova is working hard to prepare for her second Olympics. She talked to VTB about her journey between Rio and Tokyo.
Q: Which of your medals from Stuttgart meant more to you?
A: The main one was the team medal because we had not expected this result and were very happy with silver medals. The first medal at a competition always brings the strongest emotions because it gives you additional confidence.
Q: Two years ago you became the captain of the Russian national team. How did that affect you?
A: It didn’t add any difficulties because our team is quite close and we make all the decisions together. The captain only deals with some small administrative issues.
Q: What were the most unusual ways in which people congratulated you on winning gold or silver medals?
A: Sometimes, a deliver person brought flowers from strangers. People often give me stuffed animals, but at some point I had too many of them at home and I took some of them to an orphanage.
Q: Your first coach Natalia Ishkova said that your grandmother brought you to the gym when you were six years old. Was the commute long?
A: Yes, because we lived outside the city. The commute took about an hour. Because of training, I started attending the school in the center of Voronezh, near the gym, so I had to commute there every morning. My grandma was the one who would take me there because my parents worked a lot. I was a very restless child, I would run and jump around constantly, so my dad decided: “We need to sign her up for something”. First, they tried dancing but I really didn’t like it and we were advised to go to the artistic gymnastics school. There, I realized right away it was for me.
Q: But when you were 10 or 11, you almost left gymnastics as well.
A: Yes, that happened. I was a kid capable of endure a lot but because of the issues with my ear, doing some elements hurt. I wouldn’t tell the coach about it – not sure why, whether I was embarrassed or scared to. But at home, I would cry and say that I didn’t want to go to the gym and tolerate the pain anymore. My parents said: “Let’s tough one more competition out and then leave”. I did well at that competition and that’s why I stayed in gymnastics.
Q: What connects you to Voronezh now?
A: I love my city because it’s quiet and everything reminds me of my childhood. I don’t really have favorite places there but I do have friends because of which I visit Voronezh. Those are my childhood friends.
Q: You said Bradbury and Remarque are you favorite authors. Why these two?
A: I can’t say that I’ve always loved books but I fell in love with reading at about 14. At first, I would read young adult literature but then wanted something more serious. My first adult book was Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury – I really liked it and then I read a few more of his books. Then I was recommended “Heaven has no Favorite” by Remarque and that was it – since then, I’ve loved those authors and I re-read them often.
Q: How does reading help an athlete?
A: It helps to rest – for example, at night, after training, when you need to relax. But I don’t use books to get into the right mindset for competitions.
Q: Your dad is a farmer. What exactly does he do?
A: He owns fields, he is in grain business. It so happened that as a child, because of training, I rarely had a chance to help him out.
Q: Gymnasts react differently to their family being in the stands. For some, it helps, and for others, it makes them nervous. What about you?
A: I used to really not like to have my family in the arena. Now, I don’t care, I’m ok either way. But I know that my parents get really worried when I compete – they can’t even watch because of the anxiety, even though they’re mostly sitting in front of a TV and not at the arena.
Q: At the Rio Games, you competed with an injury. Could it even lead to missing the Olympics?
A: Yes, I had doubts. I got injured a week before the trip to the Olympic Games and couldn’t do my routines: I needed to wait so that my leg would recover a bit. When we came to Rio, there was a chance that I would be taken out of the team competition because I just couldn’t do some of the elements. But I was progressing every day and could do more and more. At the end, I was left on the team and was able to compete.
Q: But the pain remained?
A: Yes, I was competing in a huge amount of pain, on pure willpower. I had to endure a lot. That was the only experience like that in my career.
Q: During the last year’s World Championships, you rode a camel on a tour of Doha. How did you spend your free time in Brazil?
A: We went to the ocean once but had no free time other than that. The Olympic Games are such an important competition that you don’t have any energy left for anything but the sport. There’s a special atmosphere there: we often met Russian athletes from other sports, asked them how they were, when they competed – we supported each other.
Q: The post-Olympic year was not an easy year in your career. How were you able to overcome the crisis?
A: My coaches, friends, and parents helped me – everyone who supported me. At the time, they were my lifeline and I tried not to pay attention to the critics.
Q: How do you deal with the nerves before competitions?
A: Sometimes, you feel like it’s the first time and you’re just as nervous. It all depends on how prepared I am. If I’m well prepared physically, then I don’t worry that much. If I’m not in the best shape, I start worrying and thinking that I have to do more than I can.
Q: Recently, you started producing leotards. Is it just a hobby for now?
A: Absolutely, because I’m not thinking about anything but the sport. But in the future, I’d like to get another degree, maybe, in design. We’ll see. Right now, my role in the leotard production is to come up with the designs. I’ve always loved to draw. I think, if not for the sport, I’d be doing something creative.
Q: Why, of all the countries you’ve been to, Switzerland is your favorite?
A: Its character draws you in – there is a lot of greenery, many beautiful landscapes. It always brings peace to my soul. I also really like the Czech Republic which I visited as a regular tourist. Because of the training, we rarely go on vacations, we manage to get only two or three days. After that we need to go back to gymnastics fast.
Q: Have you ever been to Japan where the next Olympics will take place?
A: Yes, but only to Toyota, a small town, and I wasn’t a tourist, it was a competition, so I wasn’t able to see much of the town.
Q: What does your life consist of now – between the World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics?
A: There’s no time for rest now, that’s for sure. We’re working on the routines and thinking how to get both difficulty and quality. We’re working hard. The second Olympic quad is a lot for any athlete, so I’ll be very happy if I’ll manage to get through it till the end.
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