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| Ksenia Afanasyeva was a supportive team captain at the European Championships. Picture courtesy of RSport on Instagram |
- The main question that everyone is interested in: how is your foot?
- In general, I am feeling quite well, but my foot, of course, hurts badly.
- Don't you like being the heroine of the tournament, to an extent? Even with an injury, through the pain, you still helped the team take the gold. Even after qualifying the coaches celebrated your grit.
- To be honest, I do not feel like a heroine. Even though there is discomfort, I feel somehow ashamed of only being able to do one apparatus, that I cannot help on my main piece, the floor exercise.
The interviewer goes on to say that he felt that the British gymnast (Ellie Downie) had been a little underscored, and Ksenia points out that the Swiss gymnast's (Giulia Steingrueber) second vault had mistakes, but a higher D value, so her win was well deserved.
She wanted to 'go for broke' but - 'I sat down and thought. First, the format of these competitions is a little uncomfortable - you finish the team finals one evening, then in the morning have to do event finals. Therefore, there is no break to relax or practice. ... Usually, I compete, then there is time to prepare my vault. I really wanted to take the risk, but I had to think ... even with the Amanar, I would have taken second place, not the third; and I would have made my leg worse ...'
The interviewer goes on to say that he felt that the British gymnast (Ellie Downie) had been a little underscored, and Ksenia points out that the Swiss gymnast's (Giulia Steingrueber) second vault had mistakes, but a higher D value, so her win was well deserved.
She wanted to 'go for broke' but - 'I sat down and thought. First, the format of these competitions is a little uncomfortable - you finish the team finals one evening, then in the morning have to do event finals. Therefore, there is no break to relax or practice. ... Usually, I compete, then there is time to prepare my vault. I really wanted to take the risk, but I had to think ... even with the Amanar, I would have taken second place, not the third; and I would have made my leg worse ...'
- Ahead of the Olympics, how are your spirits? Is there hope that you might heal the injury completely and reach peak form in Rio de Janeiro, to be able to perform there on the floor?
- I can not say anything ... I had originally come to Bern to perform on three apparatus. You understand that our sport is so unpredictable, so you don't want to say anything.
- You are in the mood!
- Of course, after so many years! I do not want to retire two months before the Olympics. I will make every effort to reach the Games.
- The Russians took the gold in the team competition at Europeans for the first time in many years. Is this medal psychologically important at the moment?
- To be honest, I'm tired, and the many emotions of Saturday have passed ... Winning is always nice, no matter what the competition, and there is always a lot of emotion.
- In Berne I heard from the athletes and coaches from the former CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries, many people have real problems in equipping and financing. We do not have the same?
- In Russia, everything is perfect. The equipment is at the highest level, thanks to everyone who helps us with it, including the sponsors.
- So the support of the general sponsor, VTB Bank, matters?
- Of course, it does. Moreover, when gymnasts from other countries come to visit they all admire our gym. They even say that we have one of the best gyms in the world.
- I'm interested in your opinion, as one of the leaders of the team, of the young girls, especially Angelina Melnikova, who first entered the senior competition here.
- She did well. Angelina to me, in general, is very pretty, and she is very good girl - outside the gym, and in the gym. God bless her that everything turns out, and I'll be rooting for her.
- How, in your opinion, could Seda Tutkhalyan cope with the psychology of her balance beam exercise?
- Not all children are so talented that everything always turns out perfectly. [As a child my results did not always turn out, I needed experience to reach my potential ... I was 18 years before my victories began]. Maybe Seda is in the same situation. Maybe she is just still young, and lacks a little something that comes with experience.
The reporter asks whether the various non-sports discussions circulating - Zika and doping - have affected morale
- With regard to doping - I know that I do not take anything ... But Zika virus is a bit worrying! ... I hope that everything will be all right.
- What immediate plans do you have for the Russia Cup?
- To heal my leg as quickly as possible. Of course, I will not be able to heal completely, but I would like at least to improve its condition. Because, unfortunately, at the moment I can not help the team. It's a shame to me, I cried during the first days ...
- Will you be watching the European Football Championships, which kick off this week?
- I would rather not answer this question ... (Laughs) At one time I was interested in football, but then somehow I lost interest in our players - sorry.
- Actually, I always tell everyone, I do not want to be a coach. I have always said so. I have other plans, which have always been veterinary medicine, which to me is all very interesting. But I do not rule out that I will try out as a coach. To be honest, I just do not know if I can. That's what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid to be a good gymnast and a terrible coach (laughs)! And they will all say, "I wish she was still a gymnast, and didn't coach!"
- I think that with a personality like yours it would work.
- I do not know ... I'm afraid that it will not work and would spoil the life of the child. In any direction in my life I always think about it a lot, I analyze all sides. I do not rule out that I will be a coach.
- Do you rule out a trip to the Olympic Games in Tokyo?
- Recently I told my coach, my mother, my boyfriend, that probably I will take a break after Rio, and then may be back for the next Games. They told me that I'm crazy (laughs). I would love it, but at the moment my spirits are drooping a little. I'm more worried about how I will have enough for the next three months.
Read another interview with Ksenia, dating from the 2012 Olympics - 'We are strong and beautiful' - http://rewritingrussiangymnastics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/ksenia-afanasyeva-we-are-strong-and.html
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