Skip to main content

Anna Dementyeva - a hidden diamond

By
 Picture of Anna, by permission of the Russian Gymnastics Federation.

Anna Dementyeva is a name that many overlook when considering possibilities for next year's Russian Olympics team.  This quiet, but feisty, gymnast is recognised by national team coach Alexander Alexandrov as the hardest worker on the Russian team.  Fans appreciate Anna for her balletic power and precision.  Dementyeva was an indispensable part of last year's Russian team gold medal at the Rotterdam World Championships.  She anchored the team with a confident performance on beam, and set the scene on floor with a routine that was unrivalled for its expression, line and amplitude.  Despite a below par competition at the Tokyo World Championships this autumn, Anna is also amongst the most decorated gymnasts on the Russian team, as reigning Russian, Russia Cup and European all around champion. 

Anna, born on the 28th December 1994, trains with her coach Elena Zhiganova in her hometown of Samara.  She recorded this Champion's Monologue for Sportbox in July.  Lupita's translation of Dementyeva's words provide a moving insight into this artistic gymnast's mentality. 


 A champion’s monologue

I was 4 years old when my mum took me to gymnastics. I enjoyed what the girls were doing. I turned to my mum and told her that I was going to become a gymnast. 


My first important competition was in 2008. I went to European championships. When I became team champion, I was 12-13 years old. It’s impossible for me to say what my favourite event is. I can say that beam is a difficult event. It’s 10 cm wide. It’s a difficult one. It’s worth it to fight to overcome fear little by little. 


When you come up on the podium, you’ve the feeling that everyone is watching only you. You may fall and fail, not perform well. But this instant is over.


You have support from your friends, your personal coach, the head coach, your family. All this helps to fight to overcome your nerves and your fear. I think you can overcome fear.


My hope is to make the Olympics in London and to win a medal in the team competition, even the gold medal. 

Many thanks to Lupita for all her hard work.






Video courtesy of Yoliss94 at Youtube.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous13 November 2011 at 22:14

    thanks so much for posting translations of the Russian features/articles!!

    Thank you Lupita for your translations

    Much appreciated!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous14 November 2011 at 01:40

    WOW. Thanks, had been hoping for this. Anna sounds so modest and sweet here. Many thanks to Lupita and Rewriting Russian Gymnastics.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous14 November 2011 at 04:29

    Thanks for this. Always nice to hear such insights from a gymnast that I really like. Thanks

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Viktoria Komova - back pain has forced me to step down

By
I awoke this morning to a very simple statement from Viktoria Komova, on her vk.com site, which Papa Liukin has translated (via the IG forum): 'Dear friends, fans, and gymnastics lovers. Unfortunately back pain isn't allowing me to train to my full potential and get ready for competitions. I've made the very difficult decision to stop training and take care of my health. I want to thank everyone for their support! Without your love and warmth it would've been more difficult to go all the way. Thanks everyone and see you soon! Love and kisses.' Well, first of all, good wishes and best of luck to Viktoria, who has struggled since 2012 to re-establish herself fully as a competitive gymnast, whose talent was so great that she secured gold on bars at two different World Championships, four years apart, whose career was littered with controversy, who must be allowed to live her life as she wishes.   I know that the 'gymternet' will now be overflowing...
43 comments
Read more

Who really won the WAG All Around?

By
You will find a link to the FIG's newly published book of results at the Olympic Games here .  This year, they have broken down the judge's execution scores so you can see exactly how each judge evaluated the gymnasts' performances.  It makes for interesting reading - if only I had more time to analyse each judge's marking.  A skim reading already highlights multiple inconsistencies in individual judges' marks and makes you wonder why they bother with the jury at all. I have taken the time to look at the reference judges' scores for the top four in the women's all around.  The FIG explains here what their role is, and how they are selected.  I even used my calculator, which is a risky thing in my hands.  My, how I wish we could have seen a similar document for the Tokyo World Championships. I wonder if anyone can explain how, if the FIG's Code of Points is so objective and fair, it is possible to come up with two different results using two differ...
70 comments
Read more

Simone and the others - results and reflections

By
In the end, it was as predicted : Simone and the others, with Simone's teammate, Alexandra Raisman, providing the back up.  I do not need to point out that, by definition, the Americans are scoring significantly higher marks than the rest of the field.  Congratulations to them! Aliya Mustafina finished in third place.  The 2012 bronze medalist led the competition after vault and uneven bars, but had a very nervous outing on beam that might have taken a less experienced gymnast out of the medals.  A bravura performance on floor brought Aliya back though to confirm her third place all around.  From her senior debut in 2010 to today, Mustafina has continuously set high standards of grace.    It is the first time since 2000 that a gymnast (Amanar) has medalled in the all around at two consecutive Olympics, and  if Aliya can medal on Saturday's uneven bars final, she will once again be Russia's biggest medal winner of the women's gymnastics.  Russ...
56 comments
Read more

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more