Skip to main content

Anna Dementieva - little fighter - video interview and translation by Ksenia

By
I know that many of you are drowning in sadness that 2011 European Champion Anna Dementieva has not made the team for the 2012 London Olympics.  This is terribly sad news for this elegant 17 year old, who has contributed so much to Russian gymnastics over the past couple of years. 

Anna Dementieva prepares to compete beam for her local team at last week's Russia Cup.  Photograph courtesy of RGF


Anna's precise style and amplitude, and her sweet trademark smile, distinguish her as extraordinary.  She never sacrificed beauty for difficulty. Anna was injured at the recent Russia Cup and could perform bars and beam only, but she helped her Central Federal District team mates (Komova, Afanasyeva and Inshina) to a silver medal in the team event, and achieved a bronze medal in the beam event final.

Ksenia Chepur tracked down this January 2012 video (I'm afraid I can't embed it) shot by Alyona Shapalova in Anna's home gymnasium in Samara, and has provided us with a translation. 

AS :    What is your favorite kind of exercise? Maybe the uneven bars, or balance beam?

AD :     The beam perhaps, because it helped me to win the European Championship

AS :      Which apparatus is your least favourite?   Maybe the one on which you most often make mistakes?

AD :      You can make mistakes on any apparatus, but I think I am an all arounder, so do not have a favourite event

AS:     Maybe you are afraid of a particular apparatus? With the bars you had problems for some time.

AD :     Well, yes it used to be, but for now we have become "reconciled" (joke)

AS:      What is the news about the Olympics?  Is a place on the team already reserved for you?

AD :      I hope that I will go

AS :      On opening?

AD:      No, I hope to participate.


There is a brief profile of Anna also where she reveals that she loves sweets, especially cakes, likes red roses best of any flower, says her favourite apparatus is beam, her least favourite bars.

You can find more information about Anna here (video interview link with translation) and here (press interview full English translation).

Many, many thanks for the translation, Ksenia. 

And I for one hope that Anna keeps training and competing at international level.  


Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous20 June 2012 at 16:24

    Wow such a good photo she looks so beautiful here !
    I hope someone smacked in the face those people on youtube who made fun on Anna and called her ugly
    They just blind people were grown according to market standards of women's appearance
    with poor phantasy and taste
    Anna maybe not beauty but certainty pretty and wonderful girl : )

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous20 June 2012 at 16:37

    Thanks for this wonderful translation. Personally, I'm absolutely devastated that we will not see Dementyeva at london. She has like you said being such a fighter and with such a beautiful smile. I was just wondering could someone translate this video that features Dementyeva and Mustafina, if possible.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzrSyM5ghYM
    Always been very interested in what they are saying but never seemed to find a translation, many thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous22 June 2012 at 19:41

      The translation of this video could be found here on the blog http://www.facebook.com/RewritingRussianGymnastics
      or here http://www.facebook.com/whitelazyfox/posts/196106460515980

      Delete
    2. Anonymous24 June 2012 at 14:16

      Thanks alot!!

      Delete
  3. Lyudmilla Shanzhen21 June 2012 at 17:30

    I suppose Komova, Grishina and Dementyeva on the same team is too good to be true. Damn the Amanar!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more