Daniil Smirnov won a gold medal at the #YOG26_Dakar (Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar) and shared his thoughts in an interview with the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) press service.
— Did trailing the British athlete by 4 points after the qualification round worry you much? Or were you confident that it didn’t really matter?
— Well, it’s not that it didn’t worry me at all—of course it did. But for the final, I managed to get into a better mindset and stay more focused. The cost of any mistake is much higher in the final than it is in the qualification round. I’m glad everything worked out. It was a wonderful feeling to stand on the podium and listen to the Russian national anthem.
— Were you nervous while preparing for the horizontal bar, given that you fell off it the day before yesterday?
— Not really, actually. I just told myself to perform my routine carefully and cleanly. That was all that was needed. I didn’t feel any jitters at all.
— Are the British and Japanese athletes who won medals tough competitors?
— I first met the British gymnast at the European Championships, where his team won and we took second place. I don’t know the others.
— Did you keep an eye on your rivals during the final?
— Not intentionally, no. But I did notice that they didn’t perform well on every apparatus.
— You took the lead after the pommel horse. Is that your favorite apparatus?
— I would have said "yes" in the past, but now there are a few that I’d consider favorites. I won’t specify which ones just yet—I still need to take a closer look and analyze things.
— Up next is the mixed-team event. Cyclists Angelina Novolodskaya and Stepan Bortnik remarked today that it was both emotionally and physically challenging for them to compete in a second race right after winning medals in their first. You’ll be facing a similar situation.
— For me, it’s the opposite—I actually feel more at ease. I’ve already got a gold medal, so the minimum objective has been met!
— What are your goals for the next year or two?
— To make the national team and compete in the European and World Championships at the senior level. I’m not looking too far ahead.
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