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

Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics

By
Svetlana Boginskaya, 15 years old, with her medals from the Seoul Olympics Nico translates the latest interview with gymnastics legend Svetlana Boginskaya, during a recent visit to her home country of Belarus. Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics, so now I ask for forgiveness from everyone who came in contact with me. The National Olympic Committee of Belarus held a press conference with three-time Olympic Champion in artistic gymnastics, Svetlana Boginskaya. The meeting was devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Olympic Games in Seoul. In South Korea the Belarussian won two gold medals in the team competition and vault. As a gift to the Olympic Hall of fame, the famous gymnast, now living in the United States, donated one of her trophies that she won at the 1990 European Championships and a pennant for Best Female Athlete of the USSR in 1989. How happy we were when we could share with such stars as Boginskaya, Scherbo, and Ivankov,...
14 comments
Read more

Mustafina Interview 2 of 2 : 'I will only perform under the Russian flag'

By
Argumentyi i Fakti interview with Aliya Mustafina Translated by Marina Vulis ‘I have no fear’, says Aliya Mustafina.   ‘My father [Farhat Mustafin, the bronze medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1976 Olympics] took me to my first gymnastics class.   In his opinion children need to do sports, and he saw gymnastics as useful for my general development.   He had no goals – just to let us practice.’ It did not end with ‘just practice’ – she became the World Champion at 16, but then had an ACL injury the next year (2011) at the Europeans.   Even just returning to gymnastics is a feat; then she came back to win four medals at the 2012 Olympics. Aliya Mustafina – That injury.   I do not know why I was ashamed – so many people were watching me and I could not even walk.   My parents!   They saw everything on TV (the coach had to carry her from the podium).   Of course I was aware that anything could happen in gymnastics, but I di...
4 comments
Read more

Marinov planning a partial comeback at the Russian champs

By
 ðŸŽ¤ "Plans for August: work, work, and work some more!" — Daniil Marinov on the training camp in Sirius, summer, and preparation for the Russian Championship ❓ How productive was your time at the training camp in Sirius? "Personally, I viewed this training camp not only as a recovery camp, but also as a preparatory one. My teammates had just recently returned from competitions, and yes, they needed a rest. But I, on the contrary, needed to start working hard, because there wasn't much time left before the Russian Championship. At the training camp in Sirius, I was able to work hard, and at the same time swim in the sea, change the scenery. I'm glad I went with the whole team!" ❓ Did you manage to regain your physical fitness after shoulder surgery? "More or less, yes. I remembered many elements from my routine. But I still continue to treat and pump up my shoulder, in parallel with getting into shape." ❓ Are you already working on all the apparatus...
Post a Comment
Read more

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more