Academy students Anna Vakulenko and Yana Zaikina shared their emotions after the Crystal Rose international tournament

Anna Vakulenko told us about new programs staged for her by choreographer and stage director of the Russian national team Irina Zenovka, and Yana spoke about the recovery and the first event after the injury!

We talked to Anna Vakulenko and Yana Zaikina from Volgograd after the end of the contest in Minsk.

Anya told us about new programs staged for her by choreographer and stage director of the Russian national team Irina Zenovka.

"I believe I had a fairly good performance, I had two new programs. I liked very much to work with Irina Zenovka. She is so energetic; all her movements are so smooth. I had two different staging pieces. Clubs were very quick, a kind of dramatic, while the hoop, on the contrary, was slow and smooth. And I like these exercises very much. I have the ‘tabletop’ element with balance in the hoop and I make a twist by my foot there and the hoop flies out. I actually did not always manage to do it at workouts but I made it twice at the competition."

The gymnast also thanked the coaches and Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva.

"Irina Dzyuba, my coach, helped me with training, and choreographer Elena Egorova, and also all the Academy coaches. Alina Kabaeva also helped and advised. I want to say many thanks to them for training, for believing in me, helping me."

Yana Zaikina shared details of the recovery and emotions from the first start after the injury. 

"Doctors helped me to recover, made physio therapy, rubdown, therapeutic exercises, also supported and helped. Kristina, Ksyusha, Olya Chernykh told me to do everything with total piece of mind, appear and perform everything I worked on. I want to thank awfully all the coaches, Alina Kabaeva, doctors that helped me to recover, so that I have been able to perform good now and that I have managed to do everything. Although I did not bring a medal at this competition, I hope I will deliver at the next one."

Anna Vakulenko won silver in the ball and the ribbon in the capital of Belarus.