Vasiliki Millousi gave an interview to a Greek talk show and it was transcribed and translated by Evita.
At first, they talk about the Greek pole vaulters that won a gold and a silver in Berlin yesterday. Vasiliki mentions Petrounias’ qualification in the rings final, but changes the subject right away so they ask her why and she says that today is meant to shine a light on the athletes that won medals and that the rings final is on Sunday.
A: People don’t understand how hard it is to actually go to the Championships or the Games, how hard it is to qualify for an event final and how impossible it is to earn a medal.
Q: Since you mentioned that, do you want to tell us a bit about the condition of Greek sports? We understand that it’s very hard, but through your own eyes since you’re living it?
A: There are a lot of things that I have to describe and unfortunately I can’t describe them, I’ll just tell you one thing, one thing that happened to us in Glasgow. Unlike everyone that had arrived for the Championships, we arrived at 3 am and then on the next day we had podium training. Yes 3 am and the same happened to the men, everyone [from the other countries] arrived a day earlier, they had started training and then the next day it was podium training.
Q: Why did this happen, was it because of the budget? Your stay in Glasgow was part of the budget, so in order to save some money, you arrived at the last second?
A: I guess. I don’t know the reason why.
Q: Wait a second. Vasiliki, because what you guys do requires preparation that lasts for months, maybe even the entire year before the Championships has to be devoted to training for the Championships and people can’t sabotage you by telling you that being tired from a flight you have to go up and compete. Who is responsible for that?
A: Everyone and no one.
Q: She doesn’t want to say who.
A: It’s the general state of our country, but I’m really happy that the athletes are standing up.
Q: What you’re saying now is really shocking to us because we’re talking about people who are fighting their whole lives, 1 or 2 or 3 years to go the Championships and there’s no real support for them.
A: Not only is there no support but there are a lot of demands, meaning that if you don’t qualify to a final, no, if you don’t medal, then you’ve done nothing, because the recognition, the reward, and your name being heard in Greece only happens if you earn a medal and if that medal is gold. And that doesn’t happen for long.
Q: You’re totally right, it’s a kind of subconscious thing that we wrongly have in Greece. I’ve caught myself thinking oh the gold but then if an athlete gets silver my reaction is more like meh, like that’s bad, whereas that’s just as great.
A: It’s good that some athletes have gotten us used to the gold medals…
Q: In 2004, did something happen that prevented you from competing at the Olympics? I know you had gone through all the preparations for that and on the topic of the hardships athletes go through, I can’t help but remember that. I know you were supposed to represent us in the Games but at the last minute?..
A: That’s kind of a dark time in my career and in my life because it stigmatized me a lot, it was a time after which I fell into depression because I happened to be able to represent my country at the Games held in my own country and some people took that away from me. I hadn’t qualified, I didn’t go through the process of qualifying because they didn’t let me. A year before that the Hellenic Federation told me thought that I was too old and that I had to retire.
Q: Too old? How old were you?
A: 19? 18? I don’t remember.
Q: Really? So how old do you have to be, can you define that, to participate?
A: I don’t know how old I had to be, but surely judging by my performance now I am 33 years old, I’ve proven everyone wrong.
Q: What you said about the Federation, is it something you heard, did they announce it to you, how did they justify it?
A: They announced to me in written form, they said that they were thankful for my contribution but that this was my release from the Federation.
Q: The pretense was?
A: The pretense was that you contributed a lot, you grew old and it’s time to take a step back and give your place to one of the younger athletes.
Q: Sorry but the other athletes, how old were they?
A: 16?…
Q: So that’s a thing that the cut-off point is once you turn 19.
A: No it was an unwritten law, without any reasoning behind it.
Q: We have to say, Vasiliki, that for gymnastics the athletes are younger, it’s not like football or basketball, but still that’s shocking.
A: That’s a thing of the past now, given my success after coming back I’m very proud of myself and happy about what’s happened, mainly because I’ve earned the respect of the FIG and the people in this field on a worldwide level, because I’m one of the athletes, along with a few other ones, that are upping the age limit for gymnastics.
Q: At what age does a gymnast retire?
A: Around 25? But now there are athletes having kids and coming back. There’s no set limit, the limit is set by the state of your body and your mind.
Q: You’re a very young girl, even though you’ve achieved so much and I’ve come to the realization that since you were 19 you’ve dealt with stigma regarding your age. You were too old to go the Olympics and now your relationship with Petrounias is scrutinized because of your age difference. Your age is bringing you trouble again. Guys, she’s young!
A: To tell you the truth I don’t mind that at all, I get that all the time.
Q: If I’m not overstepping, what’s your age difference?
A: We have a 5 year age difference.
Q: So much talk for these 5 years…
I have to tell you guys though Vasiliki is not just some athlete, she has a skill named after her.
A: Yes it’s a skill that I competed in the Olympic Games 2012, I actually put my name up for two skills but the other one I just happened to not perform at that time.
Q: How does that make you feel? How did it feel the first time that you heard that you got a skill named after you?
A: It’s a very big thing, Lefteris has done it, Maras has done it, Tsolakidis has done it and Melissanidis of course. Us Greeks have a few skills named after us and that’s great because we’ve left our mark in the world of gymnastics.
Q: And that’s what’s left at the end of the day [as a legacy] (which contradicts all the rest.
Then they talk about the Nomads, a Survivor-type reality tv show that Vasiliki participated in 2017 along with one of the hosts of this talk show, how tough it was for her to go back competing and how the silver lining from the whole journey was that she made gymnastics more known in Greece.
Q: Now we’re going to talk about Lefteris, because when I was eliminated from the show, he showed me some very moving messages for you and I would share them with my husband and they made us love you even more. When you were eliminated what did he say?
A: Look that was a bit of a weird situation and in general the love that Lefteris has for me as a human, and the admiration, is something he shares with the world.
Q: He expresses that, the fact that he loves you.
A: Yes, he’s my biggest fan and I’m probably his biggest fan too so that’s probably why that’s being projected to the rest of the world. When I came back things were a bit weird because I didn’t know where I would be living.
Q: Where were you staying?
A: I didn’t know because when I came back from the Nomads, we moved in together in a new place and he had already taken care of everything regarding the house so suddenly it was ready for me when I came back.
Then they show Lefteris’ vlog from the Tarragona Games and how they toured Spain. He has a youtube channel called Eleftherios Petrounias.
A: We had a great time it was magical, I had never been to Barcelona.
Q: And how magical you two were together, you’ve known each other since you were children right?
A: Yes.
Q: From what age, from when you were very little?
A: We’ve known each other since we were little, I was a bit older…
Q: She says that because she pokes fun at herself all the time, she seems so serious, but she does that all the time.
A: All of the people on the team, we’re very friendly and we hang out and have fun together a lot and that’s something that translates in our videos too.
Q: With this particular person though it’s not about the fun, it’s about the fact that you’re together in life too. How long have you been together?
A: For five years, pretty much.
Q: Five years of being in a relationship?
A: Yes.
Then they mention that one of the hosts is getting married so they start asking her about whether and when she’s going to marry Lefteris and it’s very cringy and uncomfortable.
Q: So I want to go back to the age difference you mentioned before and to ask you something. Have you been bullied because of this? Because usually women that are older than their partners we are called a few names…
Another host: What age difference though, it’s only 5 years, there are couples with a 10 or 20 year age difference.
A: I’ll tell you, yes, also because we share our lives so much, sometimes Lefteris is more mature than me and it has nothing to do with the age difference I’m just gifted that way, my DNA is good and I look a lot younger than my actual age.
Q: That’s true.
A: So, no, I haven’t be bullied.
Q: You know I’m asking you because you poked fun at yourself so I imagine that something like that might have happened.
A: That’s why I poke fun at the situation, it’s because I have no problems with this, that’s why I am able to talk about it.
They go back to talking about Petrounias’ youtube channel and how positive the response has been. They ask her if she would consider doing something on TV with Lefteris.
Q: So what should we look forward to from Vasiliki in the near future?
A: In two months we have the World Championships, which has been our ultimate aim for the year because it’s the qualification for next year’s Worlds, which in turn serves as the qualification for the next Olympics.
Q: So you’re preparing for that now?
A: I’ll go on vacation for a week and then we’re back to training and preparing for that.
Q: That preparation progress how long does it last? I imagine it has begun and you’re just taking a break.
A: Yes I’ll take a break for a week and then the next 2 months will be intense.
Q: So 2 months in full preparation and how long before that?
A: The entire year, we don’t stop.
Q: And how do you prepare in terms of diet? I want you to describe one of your days. How long does training last?
A: During our preparation, the entirety of our day is centered around how we’re going to be good in practice and that includes our diet, our sleep, everything. So in terms of diet… I’m used to eating healthy, I don’t eat very big portions.
Q: So you don’t feel like you’re missing out on food? Is it your lifestyle now?
A: Yes it is.
Then they wish good luck to Petrounias for Sunday, mention a couple of hints as to why the two of them should marry and say goodbye.
Photo: Gymania, Israeli Gymnastics Magazine
