Ukrainian women’s team is on the rise and after qualifying to the team final at Euros from 8th place, Ukraine managed to improve that performance and finish 6th in the final.
Valeriia Osipova has been a rock for the Ukrainian team starting first on beam and floor and she attributed the team’s success to having a new head coach – Oleg Ostapenko – who returned to Ukraine from Brazil (with a detour to Belarus).
On the reasons for the team’s improvement from 12th two years ago to fifth:
“We have had big help from our new coach Oleg Ostapenko. He has done good work with our team and helped all the girls. Today we have a good result, but we hope in the next competition to do much better.”
On what changes Ostapenko has made:
“We have a new training system, lots more work. It’s more difficult but we’re happy to do it. The hardest part is strength training.”
On whether they are setting their sights on beating the Russians:
“No, we want to be better than the American girls because they are better than Russia now.”
Source: CNS
Photo: Gymania, Israeli Gymnastics Magazine
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