Marina Malpica: "I like the new rules. It's more interesting to work with the difficulty of the body"

The Mexican participant of the tournament Sky Grace — about the admiration of Alina Kabaeva, new rules and exchange of experience with other gymnasts.

Rhythmic gymnastics in Mexico is not among the five most popular sports, but this did not prevent Marina Malpica from not only falling in love and seriously taking up this discipline, but also becoming a prize-winner of the Pan American Championship. The athlete is sure that for the development of gymnastics, girls do not need to compete with each other, but to exchange experience. To do this, she is happy to travel halfway around the world to Moscow for the Sky Grace tournament.

Unique competitions will be held in Moscow on December 16-17 at VTB Arena. They are held on the initiative of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva and organized by the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation. Gymnasts from different countries will compete in the individual all—around according to experimental rules based on those that were in effect from 2001 to 2005, and those that will become relevant in 2022-2024. Among the tasks of the tournament is the exchange of opinions and experience between representatives of different schools, one of which is represented by Marina Malpika.

— How did you get an invitation to the tournament? Was it unexpected?

— It was a real surprise! The invitation came to our gymnastics federation, and the head coach of the national team told my personal coach about it. I found out about everything during the World Cup in Japan. I was very inspired by the idea that I would go to Moscow, especially to a tournament with such an interesting format.

— How are you preparing for the tournament, is it difficult to change programs under the new rules?

— The preparation was really difficult, because the exercises had to be changed a lot, and they are significantly different from what I am used to. And while the scoring system itself is unusual. But in any case, we will have to adjust, so I even see this as a challenge for myself.

I like the new rules more

— In the new rules, more attention is paid to artistry, body difficulties. Is this a plus or minus for you?

— Definitely a plus. I'm more interested in working with body difficulty. It is clear that without working with the subject, our sport would not exist, but it is plastic, grace and artistry that fascinate the viewer.

— Do you participate in the selection of music for performances? What do you think is better perceived by the public and judges: some well-known classical works, something original, say, folklore, or modern?

— We choose the music for each exercise together with the trainer. We are thinking about what suits me more, my temperament. I believe that music does not just set the rhythm of the exercise, it creates a single whole with the subject and with the gymnast and should impress the viewer. The judges also appreciate this first of all. That's why I prefer modern music — I think it suits me better.

A strict coach? Everything should be in moderation

— Tell us about your coaches — should he be strict or, conversely, liberal?

— My coach works in the national team with older girls, now there are three of us in the team. Strictness? I think there is nowhere in our sport without it, but at the same time everything should be in moderation.

— How many hours a day do you need to train to keep fit? Is there time left for hobbies or studies?

— We work about 8-9 hours a day, from Monday to Saturday. I don't have much free time, but I try to study and read books. Sometimes I have time to rest, then I watch a movie or spend time with my family. In fact, I will not say that my daily routine is different from that of ordinary people.

— Is it difficult to get across the ocean during pandemic restrictions?

— It's already familiar now. Like most people nowadays, we fly in masks, gloves, keeping a social distance. It's inconvenient, but we still can't change anything, so I'm happy about the very opportunity to take part in the tournament. Last year, when everything was canceled, it was much worse.

I admire Daria Dmitrieva and Alina Kabaeva

— What was it like for the Mexican athletes in quarantine?

— It was very hard for everyone — both athletes and ordinary people. In addition, I had to undergo an operation on my ankle, stop all training. It was, as they say now, an absolute exit from the comfort zone. And I tried to turn it to my advantage: I worked on psychology, changed my attitude to myself, to sports. I realized that it is necessary to separate the really important from the unimportant. And, which is an absolute plus for me, I spent time with my family. It was cool, because I left home when I was very young.

— During the pandemic, many competitions are held without spectators. Does it matter to you?

— Yes, it's huge. I don't like to perform without an audience, because for me the support of the public is a huge incentive. During the competition, I feel like a bit of an actress, and having an audience makes me do more than I can actually do.

— Do you follow the world rhythmic gymnastics? Who do you single out from the leaders of the past and present?

— I followed gymnastics, the World Championships, the Olympic Games long before I started taking part in big starts myself. I watched the girls and wanted to be the same. We talked about the work of the body, and so, I remember watching the Olympic Games in London and admired Daria Dmitrieva — I couldn't believe that it was possible to move so cool. Of the modern girls, I really like Alina Gornosko — she works incredibly beautifully with objects and is very graceful.

— Do you know anything about the career of Alina Kabaeva?

— Alina is one of my favorite gymnasts. Thanks to her, I actually fell in love with this sport and realized that I wanted it to become my profession. Once we were shown her performance at the Olympics, and I thought: "Wow! This is something incredible! I am impressed that, having finished her career, she has not given up sports, and is doing a lot for the development of our species now.

Sharing experience is sometimes more important than competition

— You have been to many world championships. Are they enough for the exchange of experience between gymnasts and coaches from different continents?

— Getting to know and communicate is very important. I understand that we are all competitors on the carpet and everyone strives to be the first, but there are things that are needed for the development of our sport in the world and will be even more important than competition. For those who are equal to the champions, it is valuable just to see how they warm up, train, because there is not always an opportunity to come up and ask something.

— There is a great interest among the residents of Russia in traveling to Mexico. Can you recommend some unusual place where there are not a lot of tourists, but at the same time it is comfortable for foreigners?

— I will advise my favorite, although perhaps it is already popular with tourists. These are cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula. This is a real natural magic that fascinates. Therefore, if you find yourself in Mexico, be sure to visit it.

Source: Sport-Express.