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Tatyana Nabiyeva on work and love in China

Some highlights from a


long interview with 2010 World champion Tatyana Nabiyeva.  Source: Russian team page on VK.com.  Translation - Google translate


A big interview with Tatyana Nabieva about the peculiarities of work and life in China, the bright years of her sports career, a little about modern gymnastics and about love.


On the Nabiyeva flight


— At the same championship, you presented a new element on the bars, which was later added to the rules with your last name (flying over the top bar with a straight body, difficulty group F. — Sport24). How did you come up with the idea to try something new?


— Actually, it happened spontaneously, I think. We worked with Vera Iosifovna [Kiryashova] on the purity of the elements on the bars, sometimes I didn’t fly all the way to the Shaposhnikova element. Once I didn’t fly all the way to the bars either and stood on my feet between the bars, bending my legs in flight for safety. Then Vera Iosifovna said that this was a different element — Hindorff. We decided that we needed to try it. First, I tried legs apart, then legs together, bent in a half-open position, and then I managed to do it with a straight body. Kiryashova said: “This is a new element, no one has ever done this.”


Both she and I became interested in it quite quickly. Having arrived at "Round Lake", we started to study it. The number of approaches was uncountable, ha-ha, we worked a lot. That's how we managed to learn it by the World Championship.


— Did you think back then that it would be impossible to make it any more difficult?


— After that performance at the 2010 World Championships, no one did it for seven years. Then Lena Eremina, also from our sports school, showed it at the European Championships.


The girls, of course, tried, but in this element, the shoulders and back start to hurt a lot. There has to be proper, powerful arm work. It turned out that the coaches taught Lena, and then, it seems to me, the world understood: “Oh, well, since Lenka Eremina flew over, why don’t we try it too?”


Of course, I was pleased that many other girls started doing this flight. Then it all gradually became more difficult, and when Kaylia Nemur flew over from a prodneva, it was just wow.


— A few years ago, a new hall opened in St. Petersburg, where your silhouette in that very flight is painted on the wall. Did they consult with you when choosing the design?


— I think they asked me what photos I liked, asked me to send them. I don’t remember whether they discussed the fact of what exactly would be drawn on the wall, I can’t say. I know that there was even a vote. I was surprised how they realized the idea: it seems to me to be quite a difficult job. It’s very nice that they did this in Pushkin — in the hall where I trained for 20 years.


Beginning - and ending


— I did four apparatus, all-around. The vault has been good since childhood — for example, Yurchenko started jumping two twists at the age of 11.


— Very early.


— It was very early, yes. I was trained, so I jumped calmly. I stopped doing the all-around because of my back: they decided to switch to two apparatus, and the bars were also quite good, despite all the problems. What is a vault? A 10-second run-up, a jump, a landing — and that's it, thank God.


On China, with Paseka


In general, this entire period that we were there became a good experience in work. We went to competitions in other cities twice, it was interesting to delve into Chinese gymnastics — how they work, what they do, what the emphasis is on. The emphasis, of course, is on the bars and balance beam.


— It's noticeable in the results!


— Yes, yes. Now they are already trying to pay attention to the vault and the floor. Zhang Yihan recently jumped two by two on the floor exercise (double somersault with two twists. — Sport24) — since 2008, as far as I remember, Chinese girls haven't had such acrobatics. Well done, she got up. Several gymnasts showed difficult jumps, good ones.


— For the Chinese team, this is very serious progress. As I understand it, you and Masha initially worked with the national team?


— That's right, with the Chinese team. We were divided into several groups. I had two, they just trained on the same day — three or four girls. Masha had her own groups that she worked with. We, as specialists, simply helped somewhere technically — that is, Masha, for example, took the vault and floor exercise and helped her group.


Helping an Olympic medallist - Qiu Qiyuan


— Weren't you scared to work with the national team right away?


— I can speak for myself: I wasn't scared at all. First you came, studied everything for three days, looked at everyone — who, what, how, who had what problems. Then you slowly ask if you can help. They nod — yes, of course. That's it, you go and help.


I had a good connection with one coach. After Beijing, he wrote to me and invited me back — this time to Fujian Province. We worked with Qiu Qiyuan, who took second place at the Olympics in Paris.


— Are you still helping her?


— I just came to Beijing to help her with the parallel bars. There are girls from the Fujian team here too.


Vera Kiryashova


- When you were offered to go to China, did you consult with your coaches?


- I don't remember now. Probably, I still called Vera Iosifovna, told her. She trusts me completely: "Of course, go ahead. White flag, let's go." After all, she also understands that this is very interesting for me, especially to gain experience and look at other gymnastics from the outside.


When I was in China, she helped me, wrote some exercises. Of course, Vera Iosifovna is a very good assistant. She is always ready to lend a helping hand.


When Masha called, I was working in Dagestan. It wasn't even that she worked, she just helped. I got a call: "Hello, Tanya, I have an offer to fly to China." Oh, a good idea - great, let's go. I'm always for it - there's no need for me to think about it or anything else. China is interesting, plus experience and gymnastics, so it all came together. Let's go? Yes, let's go! It's more fun together, and you can see something. Why not? In general, everything came together quickly.


Chinese cuisine


— Chinese cuisine is still very difficult for me, I am slowly starting to try something. I can’t even say what exactly hooked me. Of what I can eat — noodles, the basis of the basics, or rice. There is also a choice of European food, no problem. In Beijing, for example, there are Russian restaurants — there are as many as four Pushkin restaurants. My husband is great.

I like all kinds of Chinese dumplings, there are many varieties, but again, each province has its own cuisine - somewhere it's spicier, somewhere sweeter, somewhere else something else. I don't eat spicy food, it's dangerous for my stomach - I'm not going to risk it. So I have something in between, but I try it little by little.

And I also really missed my native St. Petersburg 😍❤️

By the way, this place is quite popular, as it seemed to me, there are 4 such restaurants in Beijing and we tried to get into one of them, and there was a queue and people were sitting and waiting for tables to become free)

We didn’t wait and went to the same place, only in a different place, there was also a queue, but they quickly let us in) probably because I’m Russian and also blonde) 😅

But the very fact that I felt at home, Pushkin, St. Petersburg) is just my home 🥹😍


Falling in love


— I know that you recently married a Chinese man. Can you tell me a little about him?


— It seems like it was fate. We somehow met eyes, I liked him — I don’t know, there was something kind in his eyes. And there still is. He is a very kind person, he treats me sincerely, supports me when it’s hard. When I worked in Fuzhou, it was hard at times, I even cried into his phone: “Save me, help me.” Okay, of course, that didn’t happen, but I asked him what to do here and there — he is always ready to help me. He is very sincere, he has a good soul. In fact, he is from Shanghai. I think many coaches respect him and treat him well.


We met, of course, in Beijing, when Masha and I came to work. It just happened that way — first our eyes met, then we just looked at each other. Then I thought: “Let’s invite him and other coaches to a cafe somewhere.” And that's it, we started talking little by little, and then we saw each other more often, outside the hall. That is, my thoughts and his were in sync - why drag it out for so long?


Of course, both his and my side are for the future. I clearly stated my position - I don't need anything just like that. I want a future, you will be my husband. That's it. He took it completely calmly. So he loves me, I love him. Everything is fine.


- Was there any unusual or memorable action on his part?


- He does a lot for me, actually. Let's say I'm sitting and looking at something on Taobao - it's like our Wildberries - he'll see that I liked it, and then he'll buy it. I'm sincerely happy when he gives me flowers.


- Is it customary to give flowers in China?


- Why not? He just takes it, orders it, gives it. They even have Valentine's Day here. The holiday is called 520 - the numbers sound similar to "I love you". That's why girls are also given flowers as a declaration of love.


— Yes, everything is very funny and very cool for us. I have not regretted for a second that my husband is Chinese. He is also a coach, he works with the boys. It is my destiny to meet like this, although initially I flew to China clearly with work in mind.


— Are you planning to bring him to Russia?


— I really want to, we discussed it. My contract ends in October, but I don’t know how he will manage with work. Working for the Chinese national team means working every day. They are given a week or two of vacation, but it is unclear whether they will be able to come with me.








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