Anna Pavlova remains a fan favourite amongst Russia's artistic gymnasts. The European, World and Olympic medallist now competes for Azerbaijan and still impresses with her fluid artistry. Currently recovering from an injury, Anna will not be competing at the forthcoming European Games. However, she is still a strong presence in international gymnastics and says she will not set a time limit on her involvement in the sport.
Alan Owen has delivered this interview with Anna in which the 27 year old star responds to readers' questions. With many thanks to Dina, who did all the translation.
Now read on :
1. Will you compete all around, or focus on your best events as a specialist?
I would like to concentrate on a few events and try to specialize, but I have to work all events and be an all-arounder.
2. What do you think of Aliya Mustafina, and the senior Russian team today?
Aliya is a very talented and strong gymnast.
3. Are you planning any upgrades and how is your training going so far? You've always had a natural talent at vault and you've said in the past that it is your favourite event. Are you planning to do a second vault to be able to qualify to vault finals? Do you think you can still compete the Amanar?
Now as a result of my injury during European Championship there is no point speculating about any upgrades. I’d love to perform an Amanar in competition again.
4. In my opinion you have always been a gymnast who can combine power and high difficulty with beautiful artistry. How would you define artistry in gymnastics and do you think that artistry and dancing has enough importance in the sport today?
I think the level of difficulty in gymnastics is so high, that there is scarcely time and energy to put in training of artistic performance. I would like the athletes to put more efforts into artistry of their performances.
5. What has motivated you to keep competing, well after the age when most women gymnasts have retired?
I just live through gymnastics.
6. How do you look back at your performances in previous World Championships and Olympics? Are you proud of your results, or do you wish anything was different?
Like many gymnasts, I dreamed of and still dream of Olympic gold. But I very much appreciate what I have.
7. How hard was the decision to switch nationalities; how long have you been considering it?
It was not an easy decision for me.
8. What do you think of the Rodionenkos and how they handle the Russian programme?
To take the decision I only needed to have one conversation with the administration of Russian Gymnastics Federation.
10. In your opinion, what ability do you have that makes you better/different from other gymnasts?
Probably my understanding of what I am doing.
11. Did the Rodionenkos have any objections to you switching nationalities and what did they say to you if anything?
Surely I have talked to Andrei Rodionenko about switching to Azerbaijan and he gave his consent at once.
12. Despite being an accomplished gymnast do you think that your age will hinder your chances of competing in Rio in 2016?
I do not want to make any predictions about Rio Olympics, the most important thing is that I have to maintain good health.
13. Was it hard to leave behind your old teammates in Russia?
It will be difficult for me.
14. What do you want to do as a job in future? What do you like to do besides gymnastics?
Maybe I will become a coach, the time will show it.
15. Do you have a boyfriend? How do you manage private life and sport?
At the moment I am single.
16. How were you able to not give up when things were hard and sometimes not fair?
Just keep my head up and go on. )
17. Do you know if any other members of the Russian team are currently considering invitations from Azerbaijan or other countries?
Up to today these Russian gymnasts have switched to Azerbaijan: Yulia Inshina, Christina Pravdina, Marina Nekrasova, Maria Smirnova and Angela Abdullaeva.
18. What did you think of Alexandrov as head coach?
Alexander Alexandrov is a very strong coach.
19. What made you finally decide to compete for Azerbaijan?
Ability to perform at the international level.
20. You have such beautiful flexibility and lines. How do you manage to maintain your flexibility? Are you naturally flexible?
I would not say that I am very flexible by nature. It rather came in the course of training.
21. You're coached by your mother, how does having your mother as your coach help your gymnastics? How do you guys keep your mother and daughter relationship separate from your coach/athlete one?
It is easy to work with your mother only in the beginning. Later personal relationships make training process difficult. It is hard to differentiate, whether it is my mother or it is my coach. And I am sure for my mum it is the same: hard to tell, whether it is a gymnast or a daughter. The only advantage is that we know each other much better and feel each other very well.
22. What has motivated you to keep training and competing after your knee injury and after being overlooked for several World and European teams during the last quad?
In 2008 I thought about finishing my career in gymnastics, but just after the injury when a doctor asked me about my future plans, I answered with no doubt that I would like to return to sport. That was a starting point I think.
23. What did you think of the all-around results at the 2004 Olympics? Did you feel that you were cheated out of a bronze medal?
It was very disappointing to find myself in the 4th place. But that is history.
24. What are your goals in gymnastics?
At the moment I have to recover from my injury. I will think about my targets later.
25. Anna, for so many years you have epitomized the elegant, balletic side of artistic gymnastics. Has classical dance always been a part of your training regime?
I think that a gymnast should be elegant in the first place and then pay attention to increasing difficulty. But only a gymnast, who can combine both elements, can become a champion. We have put lots of time into choreography and classical ballet education.
26. How did you live your Olympic experiences and what differentiated one from the other?
Both my Olympics were psychologically very different. It was easier to perform at my first Olympic Games.
27. Have you had any bad experiences with the Rodionenkos?
Professional sport career is a great stress both for a gymnast and for a coach. So it is not a smooth process.
28. What was the most major setback you have had in your gymnastics career and how did you overcome it?
Probably it was the administrative change at the peak of the career.
29. What was your favourite competition you ever competed in?
Mikhail Voronin Cup
30. Who chooses your floor music and do you get any say in your dance and choreography on floor?
We choose all together: me, my choreographer and my coach, who is also my mother. Sometimes we all take part in composing a new routine, sometimes we can ask other specialists to help.
31. What music do you like to listen to? favourite bands?
I like the music style of the band Nightwish, classical music and many other music styles.
32. How long do you train for and what is your daily schedule?
I am doing gymnastics since the age of 4. My daily schedule depends on the circumstances.
33. What are some of your favorite gymnastics memories (childhood gymnastics memories, funny memories in training, good memories in competitions, etc.)?
We have been in a training camp in Greece once. And we lived in the rooms, next to the gym. So we went for a walk with the junior team on our first day and nobody told us anything. When we came back and the training session was already over, we have found the gym’s door closed… Just at the time it had started raining hard and we could not get inside, as the door was closed. Then one of the girls thought that the senior girls from our group might be taking a bath/sauna and we went there to knock on the windows. It was indeed so, and the seniors have opened a small upper window so we could just climb inside.
34. What are some of the achievements you are most proud of in your career?
I am proud of many achievements, especially my Olympic medals.
35. What is the hardest skill for you?
Amanar vault.
36. What is your favourite skill to perform?
I like the double layout on floor most.
37. Which of your medals are you most proud of?
No achievement is higher than Olympic medal in gymnastics.
38. You've done many great floor routines, which one is your favourite?
Every floor routine is my favourite, because we compose it from our hearts and I try to perform them always from my heart.
39. If you had the chance, who would you have liked to compete against?
I do not have any preferences on the podium, all competitors are equal. You don’t have to be afraid of anyone, but it does not mean you have to underestimate your competitors.
40. What is the funniest moment you've had in your gymnastics career so far?
When I was very little I was performing in the Moscow regional competition, in the city of Fryazino I fell during my floor routine on my tumbling pass on the running steps.
41. Even though you have been denied the chance to compete in major international competitions since 2008, you have maintained a high level of difficulty and the beautiful artistry for which you are so well known in your gymnastics. What motivates you to keep training, and was there ever a time when you thought about quitting?
My desire to return to gymnastics elite competition
42. What emotion best describes how you felt when you received a zero for your second vault in event finals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics? I can't imagine what it must have felt like to put in so much hard work then lose any chance of winning a medal on a mere technicality.
It was a shock!!! But when I understood that with the proper points I would take only 5th place it was a bit easier.
43. Does your knee injury still bother you?
Unfortunately this injury will always have an impact on my gymnastics
44. Will you continue to compete until your 30s/40s?
I do not set any age limits for myself
45. Are you considering adding a fourth pass in your floor routine?
I think that in my case there is no point taking the 4th tumbling pass into my routine.
46. How much does your knee injury affect your choice of tumbling moves?
My knee has rather a big impact on my routine composition in choosing appropriate skills.
47. Where do you train now?
In Moscow and in Baku
48. Which gymnast of any nationality, past or present, do you admire?
There are many great gymnasts I do not want to pick someone out. Every gymnast is unique.
49. What is your favourite gymnastic/acrobatic/dance move and why?
I like double layout on floor. It is power and flying feeling at the same time.
50. You were a member of the national team under two main coaches, Leonid Arkayev and Andrei Rodionenko. Are you able to say anything about the differences in approach between these two head coaches? How did the atmosphere in the team change?
These are two absolutely different types of leading personalities. The atmosphere has changed dramatically.
51. What do you think were the reasons that you were not placed on the national team after 2009?
Mainly because of my injury.
52. Of the current Russian team, whose gymnastics do you appreciate most, and why?
As I already told previously, I do not want to put anyone in a front row. I am in favour of the artistry in gymnastics.
53. We know that your mother is your personal coach, and wonder how she has influenced you? Who else has been influential on your development as a gymnast? Any choreographers, coaches or other gymnasts?
I believe that all people whom I met in my life have influenced me and made me what I am.
54. How is your health? We fans have noticed you always strap your knee well when competing - is everything back to full strength?
My knee needs to be treated constantly, because I had a very serious injury. My doctor does not allow me to do any training without tape.
55. Have you made any decisions about your floor music? Will you be practising a new floor exercise?
My new floor routine is ready, but I will keep the intrigue.
56. We are so pleased to see you come back to competition, we have missed you so much. What do you think are your strengths as a gymnast? What will you hope to improve as you progress?
There are plenty of things I can improve, the most important is to take correct decision, at which point it is better to perform upgrades, whether to emphasise difficulty or execution.
Anna has responded to readers’ questions in this interview. There were too many to present in total, but we condensed the list down to give a true feeling of the range of questions asked. Alan Owen and I would like to thank all of you for your contributions. Many of you also sent Anna friendly wishes – these were all passed on to her personally by Alan.
Those readers whose questions were used word for word include :
Samusama
Anna
Anna from Sweden
Andrea Lawless
Alex Jarvis
Elizabeth Booth
Eric Lamp
Dennis Desormier
Peter Shilston
Alyssia3
Maria Layton
Keizai Kenkyu
Cece from America
Omelianchik 100
Iris from the Netherlands
Kate Magoffin
John3
Jessica Grant
Theunevenbarre
AlessiaChristian
Alan Owen has delivered this interview with Anna in which the 27 year old star responds to readers' questions. With many thanks to Dina, who did all the translation.
Now read on :
1. Will you compete all around, or focus on your best events as a specialist?
I would like to concentrate on a few events and try to specialize, but I have to work all events and be an all-arounder.
2. What do you think of Aliya Mustafina, and the senior Russian team today?
Aliya is a very talented and strong gymnast.
3. Are you planning any upgrades and how is your training going so far? You've always had a natural talent at vault and you've said in the past that it is your favourite event. Are you planning to do a second vault to be able to qualify to vault finals? Do you think you can still compete the Amanar?
Now as a result of my injury during European Championship there is no point speculating about any upgrades. I’d love to perform an Amanar in competition again.
4. In my opinion you have always been a gymnast who can combine power and high difficulty with beautiful artistry. How would you define artistry in gymnastics and do you think that artistry and dancing has enough importance in the sport today?
I think the level of difficulty in gymnastics is so high, that there is scarcely time and energy to put in training of artistic performance. I would like the athletes to put more efforts into artistry of their performances.
5. What has motivated you to keep competing, well after the age when most women gymnasts have retired?
I just live through gymnastics.
6. How do you look back at your performances in previous World Championships and Olympics? Are you proud of your results, or do you wish anything was different?
Like many gymnasts, I dreamed of and still dream of Olympic gold. But I very much appreciate what I have.
7. How hard was the decision to switch nationalities; how long have you been considering it?
It was not an easy decision for me.
8. What do you think of the Rodionenkos and how they handle the Russian programme?
To take the decision I only needed to have one conversation with the administration of Russian Gymnastics Federation.
10. In your opinion, what ability do you have that makes you better/different from other gymnasts?
Probably my understanding of what I am doing.
11. Did the Rodionenkos have any objections to you switching nationalities and what did they say to you if anything?
Surely I have talked to Andrei Rodionenko about switching to Azerbaijan and he gave his consent at once.
12. Despite being an accomplished gymnast do you think that your age will hinder your chances of competing in Rio in 2016?
I do not want to make any predictions about Rio Olympics, the most important thing is that I have to maintain good health.
13. Was it hard to leave behind your old teammates in Russia?
It will be difficult for me.
14. What do you want to do as a job in future? What do you like to do besides gymnastics?
Maybe I will become a coach, the time will show it.
15. Do you have a boyfriend? How do you manage private life and sport?
At the moment I am single.
16. How were you able to not give up when things were hard and sometimes not fair?
Just keep my head up and go on. )
17. Do you know if any other members of the Russian team are currently considering invitations from Azerbaijan or other countries?
Up to today these Russian gymnasts have switched to Azerbaijan: Yulia Inshina, Christina Pravdina, Marina Nekrasova, Maria Smirnova and Angela Abdullaeva.
18. What did you think of Alexandrov as head coach?
Alexander Alexandrov is a very strong coach.
19. What made you finally decide to compete for Azerbaijan?
Ability to perform at the international level.
20. You have such beautiful flexibility and lines. How do you manage to maintain your flexibility? Are you naturally flexible?
I would not say that I am very flexible by nature. It rather came in the course of training.
21. You're coached by your mother, how does having your mother as your coach help your gymnastics? How do you guys keep your mother and daughter relationship separate from your coach/athlete one?
It is easy to work with your mother only in the beginning. Later personal relationships make training process difficult. It is hard to differentiate, whether it is my mother or it is my coach. And I am sure for my mum it is the same: hard to tell, whether it is a gymnast or a daughter. The only advantage is that we know each other much better and feel each other very well.
22. What has motivated you to keep training and competing after your knee injury and after being overlooked for several World and European teams during the last quad?
In 2008 I thought about finishing my career in gymnastics, but just after the injury when a doctor asked me about my future plans, I answered with no doubt that I would like to return to sport. That was a starting point I think.
23. What did you think of the all-around results at the 2004 Olympics? Did you feel that you were cheated out of a bronze medal?
It was very disappointing to find myself in the 4th place. But that is history.
24. What are your goals in gymnastics?
At the moment I have to recover from my injury. I will think about my targets later.
25. Anna, for so many years you have epitomized the elegant, balletic side of artistic gymnastics. Has classical dance always been a part of your training regime?
I think that a gymnast should be elegant in the first place and then pay attention to increasing difficulty. But only a gymnast, who can combine both elements, can become a champion. We have put lots of time into choreography and classical ballet education.
26. How did you live your Olympic experiences and what differentiated one from the other?
Both my Olympics were psychologically very different. It was easier to perform at my first Olympic Games.
27. Have you had any bad experiences with the Rodionenkos?
Professional sport career is a great stress both for a gymnast and for a coach. So it is not a smooth process.
28. What was the most major setback you have had in your gymnastics career and how did you overcome it?
Probably it was the administrative change at the peak of the career.
29. What was your favourite competition you ever competed in?
Mikhail Voronin Cup
30. Who chooses your floor music and do you get any say in your dance and choreography on floor?
We choose all together: me, my choreographer and my coach, who is also my mother. Sometimes we all take part in composing a new routine, sometimes we can ask other specialists to help.
31. What music do you like to listen to? favourite bands?
I like the music style of the band Nightwish, classical music and many other music styles.
32. How long do you train for and what is your daily schedule?
I am doing gymnastics since the age of 4. My daily schedule depends on the circumstances.
33. What are some of your favorite gymnastics memories (childhood gymnastics memories, funny memories in training, good memories in competitions, etc.)?
We have been in a training camp in Greece once. And we lived in the rooms, next to the gym. So we went for a walk with the junior team on our first day and nobody told us anything. When we came back and the training session was already over, we have found the gym’s door closed… Just at the time it had started raining hard and we could not get inside, as the door was closed. Then one of the girls thought that the senior girls from our group might be taking a bath/sauna and we went there to knock on the windows. It was indeed so, and the seniors have opened a small upper window so we could just climb inside.
34. What are some of the achievements you are most proud of in your career?
I am proud of many achievements, especially my Olympic medals.
35. What is the hardest skill for you?
Amanar vault.
36. What is your favourite skill to perform?
I like the double layout on floor most.
37. Which of your medals are you most proud of?
No achievement is higher than Olympic medal in gymnastics.
38. You've done many great floor routines, which one is your favourite?
Every floor routine is my favourite, because we compose it from our hearts and I try to perform them always from my heart.
39. If you had the chance, who would you have liked to compete against?
I do not have any preferences on the podium, all competitors are equal. You don’t have to be afraid of anyone, but it does not mean you have to underestimate your competitors.
40. What is the funniest moment you've had in your gymnastics career so far?
When I was very little I was performing in the Moscow regional competition, in the city of Fryazino I fell during my floor routine on my tumbling pass on the running steps.
41. Even though you have been denied the chance to compete in major international competitions since 2008, you have maintained a high level of difficulty and the beautiful artistry for which you are so well known in your gymnastics. What motivates you to keep training, and was there ever a time when you thought about quitting?
My desire to return to gymnastics elite competition
42. What emotion best describes how you felt when you received a zero for your second vault in event finals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics? I can't imagine what it must have felt like to put in so much hard work then lose any chance of winning a medal on a mere technicality.
It was a shock!!! But when I understood that with the proper points I would take only 5th place it was a bit easier.
43. Does your knee injury still bother you?
Unfortunately this injury will always have an impact on my gymnastics
44. Will you continue to compete until your 30s/40s?
I do not set any age limits for myself
45. Are you considering adding a fourth pass in your floor routine?
I think that in my case there is no point taking the 4th tumbling pass into my routine.
46. How much does your knee injury affect your choice of tumbling moves?
My knee has rather a big impact on my routine composition in choosing appropriate skills.
47. Where do you train now?
In Moscow and in Baku
48. Which gymnast of any nationality, past or present, do you admire?
There are many great gymnasts I do not want to pick someone out. Every gymnast is unique.
49. What is your favourite gymnastic/acrobatic/dance move and why?
I like double layout on floor. It is power and flying feeling at the same time.
50. You were a member of the national team under two main coaches, Leonid Arkayev and Andrei Rodionenko. Are you able to say anything about the differences in approach between these two head coaches? How did the atmosphere in the team change?
These are two absolutely different types of leading personalities. The atmosphere has changed dramatically.
51. What do you think were the reasons that you were not placed on the national team after 2009?
Mainly because of my injury.
52. Of the current Russian team, whose gymnastics do you appreciate most, and why?
As I already told previously, I do not want to put anyone in a front row. I am in favour of the artistry in gymnastics.
53. We know that your mother is your personal coach, and wonder how she has influenced you? Who else has been influential on your development as a gymnast? Any choreographers, coaches or other gymnasts?
I believe that all people whom I met in my life have influenced me and made me what I am.
54. How is your health? We fans have noticed you always strap your knee well when competing - is everything back to full strength?
My knee needs to be treated constantly, because I had a very serious injury. My doctor does not allow me to do any training without tape.
55. Have you made any decisions about your floor music? Will you be practising a new floor exercise?
My new floor routine is ready, but I will keep the intrigue.
56. We are so pleased to see you come back to competition, we have missed you so much. What do you think are your strengths as a gymnast? What will you hope to improve as you progress?
There are plenty of things I can improve, the most important is to take correct decision, at which point it is better to perform upgrades, whether to emphasise difficulty or execution.
Anna has responded to readers’ questions in this interview. There were too many to present in total, but we condensed the list down to give a true feeling of the range of questions asked. Alan Owen and I would like to thank all of you for your contributions. Many of you also sent Anna friendly wishes – these were all passed on to her personally by Alan.
Those readers whose questions were used word for word include :
Samusama
Anna
Anna from Sweden
Andrea Lawless
Alex Jarvis
Elizabeth Booth
Eric Lamp
Dennis Desormier
Peter Shilston
Alyssia3
Maria Layton
Keizai Kenkyu
Cece from America
Omelianchik 100
Iris from the Netherlands
Kate Magoffin
John3
Jessica Grant
Theunevenbarre
AlessiaChristian
Can you include the answer to question 8 and the Original Question for Question 9? Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob, this is just a problem with the numbering, not an omission from the original script.
DeleteThank you for the translation Queen Elizabeth! It's great to hear from Anna again. I look forward to seeing her get back into competition.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for including this interview, Elizabeth. You are a gem.
ReplyDelete