Nikolai Kuksenkov: 'I did not think I would be so successful'

Lupita has translated this interview with Russian lead MAG, Nikolai Kuksenkov, from Ukraine Today, dated 2nd August.

24 year old Nikolai Kuksenkov performs for Russia at the recent Universiade in Kazan

Nikolai Kuksenkov, Ukraine’s former leader and now a member of the Russian team, talks here about his golden debut under the flag of another country and the dismissal of his father and coach from the national team of Ukraine.

Nikolai, at the Universiade in Kazan you won three gold medals - team, AA and pommel horse. I am sure you are happy with your performance.

Of course, I am more than happy with my results at the Universiade. I didn’t think that after my injury my first AA competition would be so successful.

After the Universiade you went to Italy. What was the goal of your trip?

I went to rest in Porto San Giorgio. I liked it very much. It was good to go to the beach, because very soon we will start to prepare for the World Championships, and I won’t have the chance then to go to the seaside. There was a gymnastics hall where the Italian team was training. I trained with them to remain fit.

Tell me, why couldn’t you compete before for the Russian team? In principle you had to be granted your passport in the winter...
 

No, in the winter I hadn’t been granted citizenship. I was granted citizenship in April after the European Championsips. A week later, I received my Russian passport.

Do you like the city where you live - Vladimir?
 

Yes, I do. It’s smaller than Kiev and it lacks a lot of things you can find in the Ukrainian capital. But I went to Vladimir to train and compete, not to make comparisons.

The Ukrainian men’s team has a new head coach – Alexandr Gorin. The Sports Ministry didn’t renew your father’s contract.

 
I can say that the Federation has the right to hire whoever they want as head coach. Yet, in gymnastics, like in other sports, the sports principle still exists. I am not going to explain the merits of the men’s Ukrainian team over the past four years. I am convinced that my father fulfilled his duties 200%.

What do you advise your father to do: stay in the Ukraine or to go and work abroad?
 

My father is now looking for a job abroad because he is unemployed in the Ukraine. He is analyzing different work offers. Such a specialist will easily find a job abroad.

The atmosphere in the Russian team is better to achieve good results than in the Ukrainian team?
 

The most important component of the atmosphere in all teams is love for hard work.

In the Ukraine the reaction was not very good when you decided to compete in a different team. Do you follow those reactions?
 

Sometimes I receive some information, but I don’t follow it very closely...

According to you, who is the strongest gymnast of the Ukrainian team: Oleg Verniayev, Oleg Stepko or Igor Radivilov?
 

They are the three Ukrainians leaders. Each one if them has his own strengths.