"It’s not that we’re going to disappear into thin air, people will still see us on the floor!" The Averin sisters speak about the end of their athletic career

We’ve recorded the first interview with Dina and Arina Averin after they announced their retirement. The sisters came to the Academy to perform at the Alina-2024 festival. Dina and Arina talked about the invitation they received from Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva to the Alina-2024 festival.

"The very-very first time, I think, we participated in 2015. And this year we are taking part in it again. In fact, many thanks to Alina Kabaeva for inviting us and for giving us the opportunity to perform," she said.

The Averina sisters also noted other festival participants.

"There are a lot of girls coming from other countries. Alina Maratovna also invites the little ones to participate, tiny ones, invites stars. And that’s why every year the festival becomes bigger, bigger and cooler. And every year you think, how could it possibly get better?And then you come and you are always surprised!  The reason why Alina Maratovna invites both children and stars, so that they watch, grow, take a look, and pick up something for themselves," they said.

Dina and Arina explained the role of the show in the success of professional gymnasts.

"I think that it’s helpful to participate in the show, because you discover a different side of yourself and you somehow open up more in terms of emotions and movements, so it’s probably easier to go on the floor later," the sisters said.

The athletes also appreciated their fans' reaction to their departure from sport and shared their future plans.

"Yes, they wrote to us for three days straight, children were crying, parents wrote to us that they could not console their children, that please, go become coaches, help, train our children. We, of course, tell them: "Thank you for your support," but it won’t be like we disappear in a flash of light. We will also participate in the show. Here at the festival with Alina Maratovna, in the show with Irina Viner, with Alexei Nemov. Arisha and I also have our own show, which we did that year  - Swan Lake. Yes, we won’t be at the competitions, we won’t appear as often, but they will still see us on the floor," she said.

The Alina-2024 festival will be held on March 2 at the Academy in Sochi, and on March 5 it will be hosted by the Minsk Arena.