Anna Kamenshchikova: "In the era of Alina Kabaeva, flexibility of the body was important. And now not all gymnasts are exceptionally flexible"

The international experimental tournament Sky Grace will be held in Moscow on December 16-17. One of the stars of the competition will be an 18-year-old Belarusian gymnast.

The Sky Grace tournament will be held for the first time in history. The idea of the competition belongs to the Olympic champion, multiple winner of the World and European Championships Alina Kabaeva. The general management of the preparation and holding of the tournament is carried out by the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation. Gymnasts will compete in the all-around, which includes performances with four objects (hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon) based on the rules of 2001-2005 and 2022-2024. The purpose of the competition is to develop and popularize rhythmic gymnastics as an Olympic sport with great potential. 

One of the participants of the Sky Grace will be multiple prize-winner of the championships of Belarus Anna Kamenshchikova. This girl took her first steps in big sports in the Far East — in her native Nakhodka, but later, at the suggestion of coaches, she moved with her parents to Minsk. In 2018, Anna became the silver medalist of the Junior European Championship in ribbon exercises and took fourth place in the individual all-around at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. In the fight for a ticket to Tokyo Kamenshchikova lost to Alina Harnasko and Anastasia Salos, but may change the leaders of the Belarusian national team on the eve of Paris-2024. 

— Anna, after the Olympics in Belarus, is there a boost in the development and popularity of rhythmic gymnastics? — Kamenshchikova's question. 

— Yes, children actively come to the sections. I can't name the exact numbers, I didn't count them (laughs). The Olympics was very special, without an audience, an unusual feeling. I was watching on TV, and personally it was very interesting to me. It's very cool that Alina Harnasko, our Belarusian gymnast, won bronze.

— Admit it, there was envy that Gornosko in Tokyo, do you watch Games on TV?

— No envy, on the contrary! I train with Alina, and after Tokyo, my desire to get to the next Olympics in Paris has only intensified.

— Are there any plans for further Olympiads? Is it really possible to perform in modern gymnastics for many years? 

— It will be necessary to look at health. Now, ugh, ugh, everything is fine with this. The second factor is the rules in the next Olympic cycles. Now they are changing dramatically, the emphasis will be on elements, not on objects. But it is unclear what will happen after the Games in Paris.

Dad said, "We need to take her to gymnastics." 

— Why did you choose rhythmic gymnastics? This is a very difficult sport... 

— Rhythmic gymnastics is really difficult to do. But you can't say that I didn't have a childhood. I remember my childhood (laughs). As a little girl I was walking, doing some of my own things. But at the same time I trained a lot, yes. You have to go to rhythmic gymnastics from a very young age. I came at the age of four, I turned five in the third month of classes. Before that, I was engaged in other sports for six months. Mom wanted me to go to ballroom dancing. My cousin went to gymnastics, and I repeated a lot of things after her. And then Dad said: "That's it, we need to take her to gymnastics, too."

— Parents didn't say enough, go to school better?

— They said it many times. "Can we quit?" But I kept saying no. Rhythmic gymnastics is my life!

— How difficult is it to meet the high requirements of a coach? 

— If you like your business, you love it, it will not cause discomfort. And vice versa — when a person doesn't like something, it's hard to force him, you can do whatever you want. So when there is a love for the cause, a desire to succeed, as I have, then there is no difference how to go to the goal and treat you harshly or not. 

— Do you have an idol?

— Daria Kondakova (2010 world champion in the Russian national team. — Approx. "SE"). I remember repeating a lot of things after her as a child. She is definitely a role model. Well, my coach is Marina Lobach (the first Olympic champion of the USSR in rhythmic gymnastics, in Seoul—1988 she won gold in the all-around as part of the national team. — Approx. "SE").

I'd come home and say, "No, I'll do it!" 

— If we talk about the Sky Grace tournament, there will be experimental rules. Can you tell me what the nuances are?

— We have combined the rules that were in force in the early 2000s and are being introduced now, which will be until 2024. Cool and hard at the same time. In the era of Alina Kabaeva, body flexibility was very important, and so it will be at her tournament. And now not all gymnasts are exceptionally flexible, and the conditions will be difficult for many.

— At the age of 18, it's probably difficult to adjust and become more flexible...

— There are children with data from nature. But as for me, I developed flexibility on my own. It's not that I lagged behind the other girls, but at first I didn't have any data at all (laughs). However, I am very stubborn, hard work helps me in gymnastics. When I came to it as a little girl, flexibility was just appreciated. I remember we were told to do a little rolling, to stretch our leg on our stomach. I couldn't do it. But I came home and repeated: "No, I will do it!" And all this through tears, pain. As a result, I learned, I even included this element in the program. Stubbornness helped. 

— What is your main sports dream? 

— I don't want to talk about the dream — it's a dream that should be kept secret. But my goal now is to go to the Olympics in Paris. That's why I do sports! 

Source: Sport-Express.