Olga Kapranova: "I can't wait to see how modern athletes will perform according to the beautiful old rules"

The 10-time world champion talks about the pleasure of working with children and about the direction in which rhythmic gymnastics is developing.

The Sky Grace tournament, organized by the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation, will be held in Moscow on December 16-17. The uniqueness of the tournament is that 13 athletes from all over the world will compete according to the rules of the 2001-2005 cycle, that is, according to the very rules by which the Olympic champion herself won in Athens, adapted to the realities of today.

The main judge of the competition was Elena Nefedova, an international category judge and coach of many outstanding gymnasts, including ten-time world champion Olga Kapranova. From Russia, the three-time world champion among juniors and the best young gymnast of the country, 17-year-old Lala Kramarenko, will come to the carpet. And the guests of honor of the tournament will be our Olympic champions — Yulia Barsukova, Alina Kabaeva, Margarita Mamun, Evgenia Kanaeva, as well as the first-ever Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics, Canadian Lori Fung, Ukrainian Ekaterina Serebryanskaya and Alexandra Tymoshenko. Olga Kapranova told about the tournament itself and the latest trends in the most beautiful sport.

There is nostalgia for the times when I was an athlete

— "The Sky Grace tournament will show how diverse rhythmic gymnastics can be," Kapranova said. — 15 gymnasts from different countries will take to the carpet, who will compete according to the new rules. Alina Kabaeva made the rules based on the old ones, according to which we performed. It will be very interesting, because no one understands how the gymnasts will cope, what exercises they will show us.

— How much can these changes change the balance of power? After all, artistry and flexibility at the tournament are valued more than acrobatics, unlike the rules in force in the last Olympic cycle.

— That's the intrigue! The old rules by which we performed are very interesting. There is a very beautiful rhythmic gymnastics. I can't wait to see how it will look in the performance of modern athletes.

— You are an international judge. Tell us about how the rules of modern gymnastics will change after the Olympics in Tokyo.

— The rules change every four years. Now they have already been published, and since February, at the official starts, everyone will compete on them. But here Russia is ahead of the whole planet, and we have been planning competitions under the new regulations since January. The rules are interesting and beautiful. They changed the elements there, added more interesting and more expensive. There will be rolls with a ball and a hoop, a number of other details...

— Do you like modern rhythmic gymnastics at all? Or are you nostalgic for the times when you performed yourself?

— The world is changing, and it is impossible to close your eyes to it. It's normal that the rules change too. Nostalgia for the times when I was an athlete, of course, there is. But we are all nostalgic for the past. I like the new rules.

Kramarenko has the age when she can conquer rhythmic gymnastics

— The star of the Heavenly Grace tournament will be the best junior in the world in the recent past, 17-year-old Lala Kramarenko. What do you say about this gymnast?

— Lala is a very talented gymnast. She trains a lot, she has good data. Now she only needs to perform more at adult tournaments and take high places. She is just the age when she can conquer rhythmic gymnastics.

— How do you feel about the performances of men in rhythmic gymnastics?

— I'm fine with it. The main thing is that it should be the so-called Japanese version. We have a boy, Alexander Buklov, who is just doing this. If you approach it wisely, everything looks beautiful and very manly.

— Do you train children yourself?

— I work as the director of the sports school of the Olympic reserve, I also have a sports club "Olga Kapranova School", which we do together with my sister Ekaterina. I really like working with children. Perhaps this is one of my most enjoyable tasks. Children always make me happy, I learn from them.

— Interaction with parents, many of whom demand crazy results from their children almost from the cradle, is probably a very difficult part of your work?

— I have two children myself, and I understand perfectly well that a child is the most important thing that can happen in a person's life. Naturally, every parent has the right to know what we are doing and what we are teaching his child. This is absolutely normal, they defend the interests of their children. If you interact with your parents correctly, then there will be no problems. There is a lot of debate on this topic now, but I believe that coaches need to do their job well — and then everything will be fine.

Source: Sport-Express.