‘I was worried about how I would be received’ - Angelina Melnikova

Highlights of an interview with Angelina Melnikova, three days after her appearance in Paris, via Vk.com.  She departs for the Russian Championships in ten days.  

Sport24 correspondent Anastasia Loginova contacted Angelina and asked her about everything that happened in Paris. 

❓When did you find out you were going to Paris?

💬Just before my vacation in China, around July 25th. I was told there was a stage and I should go. At first, I was very hesitant, because I wanted to focus on the Russian Championships and the World Championships qualifiers. It turned out that I was selected for the Paris trip. Initially, we wanted to focus on a few apparatuses, but then we decided we needed to do the all-around as one of the stages of preparation for the Russian Championships.

❓At what point did you realize what was happening wasn't a dream, but reality? When did this realization dawn on you?

💬Probably when I went to the airport. I realized that everything had finally come together and that this was a direct path to the [international] competition.

❓You usually traveled to all international competitions with a team. This time, it turned out you were completely alone—no boys or other girls. Were you nervous about that?

💬 It added an extra layer of responsibility. Especially since I realized that Russian gymnastics has probably never returned from a competition without a medal.

❓ What was it like to perform in front of 20,000 people?

— Very impressive and inspiring. I was most worried about how the crowd would receive me—due to my long absence from the international arena and the current global situation. When I stepped onto the bars and raised my hand, I heard the crowd erupt. I knew everything was fine.

❓ Could you say this led to a mistake on the bars?

💬 Actually, the mistake was very simple. I later watched videos of all the performances—they showed a bit of fuss. I guess I wanted to do everything really well.

Of course, having fewer competitions has an impact, especially with such a large crowd. It's still an additional burden, both mentally and psychologically. When you're competing in front of 20,000 people, you have to complete your routine, and there's noise, shouting, and whistling from the sidelines. I think the mistake on the uneven bars was accidental. I rushed it.

❓In the beam final, it seemed like you started getting nervous halfway through your routine. What did you feel at that moment?

💬 The competition was on Gymnova apparatus, and they have such an interesting beam—it rotates very poorly, making it difficult to turn. I was nervous before the turn in the squat: I managed to do a double in the qualifications, but in the final, I could only manage a single and a half. That's why part of my routine went a little off.

I thought the judges were going to give me a deduction for artistry, for losing my tempo in the routine. It was a very nerve-wracking moment. By the way, I wasn't the only one having problems with it; the girls were constantly falling on the turn during training, too. It turned out to be a difficult element for us.

❓ Speaking of the vault, you declared a 4.8 difficulty on the second round, but they gave you a 4.2. Do you understand what needs to be improved?

💬 Yes, of course. Overall, the vault wasn't very well prepared because my preparation was a bit rushed for this competition. I wasn't quite ready to jump a difficult vault at full strength onto a hard surface. I hope I'll be able to increase the difficulty by the World Championships.

❓ The Russian Championships are in a couple of weeks. Will you be resuming your full routine?

💬 I plan to return to my basic difficulty level on the floor and uneven bars.

❓ Are you excited about the World Championships?

💬 I haven't recovered from Paris yet to talk about such things. I'm currently focused on the Russian Championships—I'm leaving in 10 days.

I'd really like to go to the World Championships. I know I need to make the program more challenging and improve the quality. There was a World Cup stage in Paris, but the competition was definitely there. The World Championships will be highly competitive—I need to prepare thoroughly