Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation has published a new issue of Gymnastika magazine which features a reflection on the Russian Championships that took place a month ago.
Angelina Simakova won the all-around at the championships despite two falls and that win came after winning two verification competitions during the camp. In the interview, she said she expected to medal at the competition and she’s planning the future already – Worlds this year and, perhaps, the Tokyo Olympics:
“This season, I have to have a good performance at the European Championships and I’d like to make the World Championships team… And, actually, I’m already thinking about Tokyo, I want my dream to come true there – to become an Olympic champion.”
“I was preparing for winning a medal at these championships. Last year, I took second place at the Russian Championships, so I didn’t even think about not making the top 3. Was I thinking about the gold? I was. I’m always trying to set myself for the maximum result, even though the competitors were really strong: Angelina Melnikova, Aliya Mustafina… I did almost everything I was planning on. Almost – because I fell on floor on the first day and on vault on the second day. I’m scolding myself for these mistakes, I shouldn’t have made them. But I went through the rest of the events fine, my coach even praised me.”
Irina Kolobova, the coach of Angelina Simakova, talked about working with her:
“My daughter, who’s also a gymnastics coach, found Gelya Simakova back then. How does it go usually? Normally, the classes are filled in September but by January, some spots free up. There weren’t enough kids in the class, Masha went to look for more, she stood near a children health clinic and gave cards. And then Gelya’s mom brought her with this card – Gelya was 3.5 years old. Gelya trained with my daughter until she was almost 8 years old, but then Masha went on maternity leave and I took over her group. So, Angelina’s been training with me since second grade. Gelya isn’t a talker. I can’t say that she has a difficult personality. It’s just that when she’s with the girls, she’s quick and active, but with the adults – she’s on a different wave. Sometimes it bothers me, of course: you want to understand what she is feeling during the practice, try to consult with her but often don’t get a response. We’re looking for a compromise.”
“The World Championships in Qatar changed Angelina. Real adult life has started. It was sort a shock for her. The European Championships, also her first one, went somewhat calmer, of course. But in Qatar, she also got injured in the very beginning. And when she later got a zero for her vault, this really shook her. But Gelya reconsidered her attitude to the training. She’s working more correctly now, more focused. And she understands now that she needs to do something whether she agrees with it or not. What are her strong sides? This is a girl that works hard. Talent is, first of all, hard work. I remember how Boris Pilkin, Svetlana Khorkina’s coach, used to say that there is a rule of four Ts: hard work, patience, coach, and talent [in Russian, all four words starts with a T]. The talent is at the very last place. Gelya has lots of hard work and patience, I won’t praise myself here, but I guess I also make a contribution to her progress. Gelya is very calm and level-headed. All girls go through this stage when “I can’t” and “I don’t want to” try to join together: the height and weight are changing and what they want is changing too. But this girl has never let me down”.
“What is more important in the coaching job – patience or an ability to compromise? I think, there should be a tandem. The coach should want it and the pupil should want it, too. And both should want the same thing. Both should be moving towards the same goal. She always wants to work, even when it’s hard, difficult, or painful. But if one person from that tandem wants to work and the other opposes, there won’t be much of a result. Everything is important, including mood. There’s time for joking and for being serious.”
“There are no small things, any factor can affect whether she will be on top of the medal podium or not. Gelya knew that she could win the all-around at the Russian Championships – she also won both verifications before the competition. There were some issues in Penza but, for example, she hasn’t yet restored her vault after the injury. She had a ligament injury in Qatar and was only allowed to start training fully on the 21st of January. Of course, we were also working before that. When there are injuries, the kids relax, that’s understandable since the training is easier. But we found all sorts of exercises – from rhythmic gymnastics, from acrobatics, some conditioning, in order to vary the training. And we finished training at the same time as everyone else.”
“Of course, I have dreams as a coach, both shot-term and long-term. I guess it’s obvious, but it’s the Olympics. Even though I already had a gymnast at the Olympics – Lena Grosheva in Atlanta-96. But I’ve never been to the Olympics in person, I’d like to go even as a tourist, in order to see it for myself. And the most important thing I want today is for Gelya to be healthy, to stay in gymnastics for many more years, for gymnastics to bring her joy. And, of course, I dream of her experiencing success at the World Championships and the Olympic Games.”
Photo: E. Mikhaylova, Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation
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