"You know that all of Russia is watching and rooting for you, and this was very encouraging." Yana Zaikina talks about her performance at the European Championships

The European champion in the ribbon exercise in the juniors program, Yana Zaikina from Volgograd, told what it means for her to represent Russia at such a competition:

"It was a huge responsibility, because you were going out to compete for Russia, for your country. But at the same time, it was really nice, because you knew all of Russia was watching, rooting for you, and that really encouraged you. And when they clapped and shouted, 'Russia!' And we came out to those shouts, and it was really nice. I was really happy that these people even came here and supported us. It was a joyful moment." 

She shared which tips of the Olympic champion especially helped her during her performances:

"When we were preparing for the European Championship, Alina Maratovna came to our Academy and worked with us for a whole week. It was a huge help; she got us in the right frame of mind, and we had practice sessions with her. She told us to do everything wisely and relax, and then go to the blue carpet, where you can rest, and then work for about thirty minutes on the carpet and focus on every move. We're so grateful to her for coming, helping us, and leading us through the process, encouraging us. On the first day, She told us not to get upset; it's just the European Championship, so we'll have many more like this. And we still have a chance to perform well and place somewhere. She also told us not to pay attention to the scores or the placements, but to do it for ourselves and enjoy ourselves. And that's probably why we succeeded."

The gymnast also told about an unusual story related to talc:

"My ribbon was almost wet, so to speak, and we were constantly ironing it on the second day. But on the first day, I didn't tell anyone about it, because my ribbon kept getting tangled, which was causing me to make mistakes. Then that evening, we discussed everything and decided that we needed to change the ribbon, iron it constantly, and change the leotard, too. And later, when we were getting ready, Alina Maratovna said we needed some talc to help the ribbon glide through our hands. I'd never used talc at a competition before, but I tried it for the first time here, and it really helped. I'm so grateful to her."

She also thanked everyone without whom this victory would have been impossible:

"I wanted to say a huge thank you to Evgeniya Mikhailovna for preparing us mentally and physically for this competition. Thank her so much for everything she's done for us. To Alina Maratovna, for loving and appreciating us, and she told me on the second day before we went out, 'I love you so much,' and that somehow motivated me, yes. And I said, 'I love you too,' and that's how it all worked out. Thank her so much for her support and faith in us. And I also want to say a huge thank you to Ekaterina Konstantinovna and Daria Konstantinovna for really getting us going on the final day and helping us. Thank them so much for everything they've done for us, too. A big thank you to all the judges and all the doctors who helped us. Thank you all so much!"

Yana is a silver medalist of the Russian junior championship. The athlete is in the roster of the Russian national team, lives and trains at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy. This was the first European championship in her career.