An interview by Elena Vaitsekhovskaya with Aliya Mustafina, captain of the Russian artistic gymnastics team in Rio 2016. With many thanks to Marina Vulis for the translation.
Just like four years ago, she is the team leader and knows it. Aliya Mustafina. The gymnast who, six years ago, became All Around World Champion, then in 2012 won four medals for Russia at the London Olympics.
Aliya Mustafina, born 30 September 1994 in Yegorievsk.
Merited Master of Sports of Russia
2012 London Olympics - four medals, gold, silver and two bronzes
Three times World Champion (2010, 2013), five times European Champion (2010, 2013, 2016), three times champion of the Baku European Games (2015).
Neither of us really felt like talking about the coming Olympics, the competition and rivals - too stressful, especially now, when we have only a few days left before the Russian Gymnastics team leaves for Rio.
[Elena] - You were remarkably good this season at the European Championships in Berne, especially your performance on the beam. This came across during your combinations, especially the choreography, which you now link to your acrobatics.
[Aliya] - It is easier to do acrobatics on this apparatus, or at least it is less complicated than on the floor exercises - there are no double somersaults, or complicated rotations.
- Would you agree the phrase : 'The beam is my favourite apparatus'?
- More like, it's the easiest.
- Easy?!
- Well ... how can I explain? Put simply, I have been doing gymnastics for sixteen years and in all these sixteen years I have walked on the beam. It is familiar to me - although there is always some fear and worry. After all, the likelihood of a fall from the beam at any moment is always high.
- What is the most important thing on this apparatus?
- Concentration. Everything has to be precise, you can't be loose or deviate [from the correct technique].
- Three years ago, you called your victory in beam finals a miracle. How did you feel this season, during the Europeans?
- The same. You always have to have a certain amount of luck on apparatus like the beam - after all, there is only ten centimetres beneath your feet. If your arm moves below its usual position, you will begin to wobble - and often this is a guaranteed fall, or at least a loss of balance.
- During your most difficult acrobatic combinations, do you manage to 'spot' the beam for your feet?
- Most of the time I don't see it, and do most of the movements blind. The only acrobatic element whose landing can be visually controlled is the front aerial walkover with turn. I often used to think, how can you work practically blindfold and not miss? Perhaps your body just gets used to the fact that you have to complete this element without an error. After all, quality comes after numerous repetitions; the more times you do the combination, the more confident you feel.
- Do you condition as much as you used to when you had to recover, after surgery?
- You have to do it all the time. True, when you do gymnastics all your muscles are working, but conditioning contributes to additional strength development.
- Maybe this is a strange question to ask an athlete, but do you feel you have 'too many muscles'?
- Sometimes, but not often. Only when you put on a dress, but it does not fit. There are always problems with dresses - if it fits on the shoulders, the waist will balloon out like a parachute. If it fits on the waist, it won't fit on the shoulders. I like dresses, especially in the summer, but I do not get much of a chance to wear them.
- Do you more frequently wear tracksuit and sneakers, are they more comfortable?
- I wouldn't say I like to wear athletic clothing. I don't wear it at home or while relaxing. Sneakers are an exception - I wear them with dresses to rest my feet. Shoes or sandals are much worse - you can easily get a blister, and it is hard to train with blisters on your soles - not the most pleasant thing.
- At what age does a gymnast realise that her feet must be protected?
- As soon as you begin to perform seriously. And not only your feet - in our sport, there are no secondary parts of the body. If something hurts, it will affect your result. Ears maybe are an exception - if they hurt, you can ignore it.
- That's a controversial idea
- Well, I meant to say that your ears are the least worry. It is much worse to have sore wrists or ankles.
- You are an all around gymnast. In the all around, do you have permanent preferences for the apparatus, or do they change?
- I don't like to talk about preferences. I often think I just tolerate them. When you are performing, you do not think of or experience pleasure; all your thoughts are about not falling during your combinations. There is always a fear of the responsibility.
- Was it always this way?
- Perhaps during my first titles.
- What is more important - being watched by the public, or your team?
- The team. I already went through what the young girls are going through. I understand what they are frightened of and what they are thinking of, and I know how important it is to have an athlete to measure yourself up to. So I do not care how I look in girls' eyes.
- For many years, you have not had to fight for your position on the team. Is this psychologically easier for you, or more difficult?
- It is an individual thing - easier for some, harder for others. I never think about it - the point is not making the team, but other things.
- Have you been to Brazil?
- No
- And would you like to visit?
- I don't see Brazil as an exotic place to visit; competition comes first. For me it isn't actually important where the gym is.
- But when you think of the Olympics in Rio, what do you think of?
- That there is very little time before the competition. For us, the Olympics begin when we get to the Olympic village. After that, time flies so fast you do not notice it. But now I am thinking more about the end of the competition - I am very tired.
- From training, or pain from your injuries?
- From everything, but more from the injuries. When you constantly put up with pain, it is exhausting and you get tired of it. Then you come to the gym in the morning and always experience pain, pain, and you must force yourself to work through this pain.
- Then you will leave gymnastics without any regrets? - I think so. In London, I thought about staying a few extra days, just to have a walk around the city. However, I am not at all sure that I will feel the same way about Brazil. Most likely I will jump on the first plane, go to 'Lake Krugloye' [the national training centre], take all my things and leave. I do not think I will be bored without gymnastics. I have had a good career, with nothing to complain about, and I certainly haven't been unlucky.
- Are you comfortable that you are a star?
- Where do you think I feel like that? In the gym? We are all equal here, not one can even think about being unique. I am rarely out of the gym, I only come home on my days off. That is why I am probably still shy when someone pays special attention to me.
- I remember some time ago when you wanted to get out of Krugloye more often
- At the moment, I simply can't afford the time - I do not want to spend time travelling if it can be used to rest and recover.
- After the London Olympics you led a 'normal' life, filled with invitations, photo-shoots, public events. What was the most difficult part about leaving that behind, when you decided to continue with your career?
- It was nothing like that. I am not a very public person, more of a home bird.
- But is there something that would inspire you? Like professional dancing, skating, tightrope walking in the circus, acting in a movie?
- For many years, I wanted to participate in 'The Large Races' [Russian TV show]. Most obstacles can be done using your gymnastics skills, but this didn't work out.
- What about more extreme shows? 'The Last Hero'? 'Fort Boyard'?
- Eating spiders and crawling in the mud? I am certainly not ready for that!
- You once said that serioius training does not combine well with other pursuits, such as serious studies for example. What is the situation now?
- It is much more difficult now, and I have postponed my studies until a better time. At the moment I just don't have the time, energy or feeling for it.
- Will you think about it after the Olympics?
- First of all, I will need a good rest; not like after London, when after a month we had to go to a training camp, but a proper rest. Then I will begin to make a decision about my future life.
Possibly it will be family related, although I would like to see the world. I would like to go to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchange, to Switzerland, to the USA - to go on the rides at an attraction. To see the ocean.
- How about clothes?
- Well for those I'll have to go to Milan. Then I'll build a house, plant a tree ...
- And have a boy and a girl?
- I would like to have twins. In general, I would like to have three kids ...
- In which city?
- A warm one.
Note from RRG - Dear readers, I have posted some pictures on Twitter using the hashtags #clean Russian athlete #WADA #IOC - please see my profile. If you support the Russian gymnasts - all clean athletes - and want them to compete in Rio, could you please retweet the pictures?, or tweet your own favourite pictures of the team members using these hashtags? I want us to try to keep the gymnasts in plain view of those interested in the debate taking place about Russia's participation in the Games.
Use Twitter for this activity as it is the platform used by the governing bodies and the media. You must also tweet, or retweet. A simple 'like' does not make the post any more visible, and visibility is the important thing. Thank you.
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