Kirill Prokopev has been around for a while and went to multiple minor international competitions (you might remember him from the floor final in Osjek where the commentator tried to pronounce his last name and failed spectacularly). He was the 2012 junior European Championships on floor and two Universiade golds on the same event – in 2017 and 2019. He placed 7th in the all-around at the Russian Championships this year and was, perhaps, not the most likely candidate for the Euros team but the untimely injury of Artur Dalaloyan gave him a chance. According to Nikita Nagornyy, Prokopev was not the designated alternate (that was Nikita Ignatyev) but he was the only gymnast with a valid visa among the possible substitutes. Since Dalaloyan got injured a day before the flight, it was too late to apply for a visa for anyone else and Prokopev got to go.
Prokopev was able to place 7th in the all-around qualification and qualified in first to the floor final but had trouble on pommel horse where he also hoped to qualify. He hoped for even better results and told MatchTV the lack of competition experience affected his performance.
Q: When did you learn you were going to Basel?
A: I learned that I would compete at the European Championships on the last day before the flight. That, of course, made me nervous and not jus me, the whole gym, there was even a moment of silence because when a leading athlete leaves the team because of an Achilles injury, it’s shocking for everyone.
Q: Do gymnasts get enough competition experience after the break due to the pandemic?
A: For me, this is the second senior Euros, I’m lacking experience a bit, and in addition, we did not compete for a long time because of the pandemic. The Russian Championships took place recently and it was unsuccessful for me, so I also didn’t get enough competition practice. I wasn’t able to test my new routines.
Q: You started on floor which requires focus and you’re first so far.
A: I’d like to not discuss the interim fist place on floor, there are powerful guys in the first subdivision and everything can change. Regarding the focus, all gymnastics requires it, it’s just that some events are faster but that’s even more difficult, there’s less room for error there, for example, on vault.
Q: Why did you fall off the pommel horse?
A: I have a new routine, it’s quite difficult, I wasn’t lucky, Perhaps, I wasn’t ready enough. I was able to do it well in training and verification.
Photo: Elena Mikhaylova, Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation
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