Anna Petrakova basketball personal life. “In the Olympic canteen, LeBron James came up to our table and shook our hand – everyone was jealous of us.” The success story of Anna Petrakova. Sports Achievements of Anna Petrakova

In a large-scale interview for the blog “In Dreams of Slamdunk,” Anna Petrakova recalls the main episodes of her career.

December 2013 is a hot time for one of the most beautiful basketball players in Russia, Anna Petrakova. Birthday, participation in the relay race olympic flame in Yekaterinburg, an offensive injury - and all this at the height of the season. But no one said that it would be easy for Anya at UMMC. She has been in Yekaterinburg for a year and a half, and during this time she has received everything that can be obtained by playing the best club Europe. Right now is a defining moment in Anna Petrakova’s career. Her contract expires in the summer, and she only has six months to continue the fairy tale. Now her business is going well, but everyone knows that UMMC makes offers that neither Candice Parker, nor Diana Taurasi, nor anyone else can refuse best players peace.

“I have only one thought: if only this fire doesn’t spread to my hat.”

- What are your impressions of participating in the Olympic torch relay?

- The best! I liked everything, although initially I was a little skeptical about the relay race. I thought it was some kind of staged show, official. Everything turned out to be different, everything was kind, sincere. There are a lot of fans, a lot of children, everyone is happy and joyful. I didn’t even feel cold during the race, I was so happy. And there was only one thought: if only this fire didn’t spread to the hat... But everything went well. Then, when I got on the bus for torchbearers, everyone was giving each other high fives and smiling. Felt like a participant Olympic movement. There was a certificate as a keepsake, which says that I am a torchbearer.

I will look forward to the start of the Olympics. If possible, I will try to come to Sochi myself. If you have the opportunity to go to the hockey finals, why not go? A memory for life. I will follow hockey, but also other sports. Winter views sport is ours, Russian, close to our hearts. Basketball is, after all, an American game, and everything winter is ours. Hockey – in general, I think it’s ours national species number one sport.

Somewhere on the Internet there was a photo of you and Alexander Ovechkin. On Twitter you are sometimes nice to him. Are you just such bosom friends?

– I wouldn’t say that they are friends, more like buddies. We crossed paths several times in common companies. We have many friends, because his mother Tatyana Nikolaevna is the president of Dynamo Moscow. Therefore, Sasha himself is well versed in basketball, goes to matches, mainly at Dynamo. A very simple, pleasant person! He loves company, communication, jokes... After talking with him, it immediately becomes clear why he became so great. Man hates to lose! In cards, in "association", in basketball, just in tag - he wants to be first everywhere. We always laughed at how he fumed if he lost... At the Olympics I will personally root for Sasha.

- Did you manage to meet any other athletes at the relay?

– Met Sergei Chepikov, Angelika Timanina (2012 Olympic champion synchronized swimming– approx. auto), Yura Prilukov. I wanted to see Alexander Popov, our great swimmer. But it didn't work out. In the evening we had a game with Nadezhda, not in Yekaterinburg, but in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, so we didn’t have time. I ran my stage, got into the car and drove off. There, in the car, I had lunch with pasta from a container - game, I needed carbohydrates. In an Olympic suit, she showed up in Pyshma, went into the locker room... She became the center of attention, of course. Some of the girls even brazenly wanted to steal my hat. But I defended her (laughs)!

The match with Nadezhda was memorable for Olga Arteshina’s three-pointer at the end. You were so happy then, as if something miraculous had happened.

– I was very happy for Olya. She hasn’t played for almost a year, and here are her first points... She’s ours, Russian, so you worry more about her... You know how Anton Ponkrashov wrote on Twitter after the CSKA - Khimki match: “Cool game, it’s a pity that there are fewer and fewer Russians and less... An endangered species...” So now we are at UMMC, every one of them. Now Olya has recovered, there are not three of us, but already four - Olya Arteshina, Masha Stepanova, Tanya Popova, me. Plus young Nastya Tochilova. That's all. Deanna Nolan also has a Russian passport, but she, of course, was not born in Russia.

From the outside looking in, it’s impossible to say that UMMC’s Russian players have any problems due to the fact that they more often remain in the reserves. Here, at the game with Nadezhda, Tatyana Popova chatted with Diana Taurasi the entire match.

– You are right, there are no problems. We are professionals and respect each other. And not everything is so bad for Russian players. You can compete with foreigners, especially in Russian league matches. But you always want to play more. If you don’t want to play, you need to quit basketball. Trainer (Olaf Lange - author's note) We are literate, we have nothing to complain about. He tries to find situations for everyone in which we can prove ourselves. We have many tactical schemes in our arsenal, and there are some where I have a more significant role.

Sometimes you just have bad luck. On December 4 it was my birthday, and we played with Kayseri in the Euroleague. The coach came up the day before the game and told me to prepare for the fact that I would play a lot. But, alas, I twisted my ankle already in the first quarter. Stupid injury: I was going for a rebound on my backboard, jumped very high and landed poorly. My leg just cracked... The injury came out of the blue - and on my birthday. The law of meanness... In the evening the whole team celebrated in the restaurant, I sat in my place all evening. And I wanted to dance! It's a shame. I went to the game with such enthusiasm, there was so much energy. But... Apparently, the Universe decided to “ground” me a little.

- If you forget about the injury, was your birthday a success overall?

– Yes, they gave me a lot of flowers! I filled all the vases in the house, and still there wasn’t enough, so I had to put a couple of bouquets in the bathroom. The very first gift is from mom and dad. Early in the morning the intercom rang: “Delivery service.” It was mom and dad who sent a bouquet and a postcard from Moscow. And then, during the day, there were also many flowers. I still don't know who exactly some of the bouquets are from. Apparently, there are some anonymous fans. But I'm very happy! Thanks to all!

- You didn’t say anything about Nikita Kurbanov from UNICS... On the Internet they say - your fiancé.

- You know, we're not dating anymore, so I don't want to talk about it.

“Which piano? Have you seen the size of her feet?

- What is it like for a basketball player to be born in the middle of the basketball season? Are you unlucky?

- No, why was it unlucky: December, snow, everyone good mood before New Year. I always receive a lot of gifts - from the team and friends, even by mail. Fans often give me something basketball-themed: calendars, nesting dolls, posters, collages with my image. My sweets don’t go to waste either. (laughs)... There is one minus - family and loved ones from other cities cannot always be nearby. IN next year there will be an anniversary; I hope we can get everyone together.

- Is it true that your mother wanted to make you a musician?

“Mom wanted to send me to the piano, so she bought a sheet music album. Then dad came home from work and said: “Well, why is this? Have you seen the size of her feet? What other piano? And at the age of seven, my feet were the size of an ordinary woman. I had to forget about music. Although now I would really like to be able to play some instrument. I love music, sometimes a song pours out of me, but except in my bathroom, I don’t risk singing.

– Your father is a great basketball player (Viktor Petrakov – 12-time USSR champion, European Championship medalist). How did he motivate you as a child?

– I grew up as a rather stunted and lazy child, it was not easy to force me to do something. But dad “turned on the dictatorship”: basketball comes first. At first I resisted. The rest of the children are walking in the yard, but I need to go to training... Or we go on vacation, all people are like people, sunbathe and swim, and dad and I do frog jumps in the sand, do push-ups, swim for a while. All this was given through force. And then I began to see the results myself, passion awoke in me, and dad didn’t have to force me anymore.

- Are there “basketball genes”, some kind of craving for this sport that is inherited?

- Maybe! Dad and I are very similar. On the court and in life - two different people. I myself am a very calm and modest person, but basketball shows another side of me. Anger, aggression, even some arrogance appears. And it’s the same with dad. Dad on the court is ready to kill for this ball. I remember from childhood how scared I was when I went to his game for the first time. I saw how he clenched his teeth when he went to the selection, what his eyes were like at the same time - it was a shock for me. But after the games – no problems. The same two-meter teddy bear that I’m used to... Dad is now 64 years old, he still goes to tournaments among veterans. He is in excellent shape, just a few years ago he was hitting the ball into the hoop from above.

The question is not entirely correct, but... various options Biography of Elena Baranova on the Internet says that you are half-sisters, that you have a common father - Viktor Petrakov.

“I’ve been wanting to put an end to this story for a long time.” No, Elena Baranova is not my sister. I feel bad for my dad, whose name is still mentioned in this story, although he once won a lawsuit against Elena’s mother and proved that he is not Elena Baranova’s father. I respect Elena, but I prefer not to communicate with her.

“Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant are now playing at UMMC as a woman”

- After your studies in the USA, when you were only 21 years old... Could you really give up sports?

– First, I’ll tell you about my sister Marina. She has been living in the USA for 20 years, got married, has three children, recently received American citizenship, works in the admissions office of LSU University, one of the largest in America... She is doing very well, I am happy for my sister and proud that she was able to achieve such success practically from scratch.

So, I went to the USA in her footsteps. I knew that I wouldn’t be there alone. My goal was to play basketball but, most importantly, to get a good education.

When I left Russia, I still didn’t know one hundred percent whether I would become an athlete. I understood that I had abilities, but I did not understand what my potential really was. Fortunately, things went well both in basketball and academically. I learned the language quickly, and now I speak English fluently. She graduated from the faculty with an average score close to honors. Received a diploma information Technology in business". Therefore, I really had this choice: either basketball or a “normal” life in the USA, working in my specialty. There were proposals here and there. My dad told me: stay in the USA, work in an office, everything will be fine, just like your sister. But I decided that I couldn’t live without basketball and would try my luck at home.

.- Upon completion of the university, you were invited toWNBA?

– Yes, there was an offer from the WNBA from two teams to come to the selection camps, but I refused. It is unlikely that I would have had a real opportunity to gain a foothold. The WNBA season lasts only 4 months, the competition is incredible. A Russian league– the best in the world, the most titled players here. Take UMMC, for example: we have Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant playing as women. I think you know who I mean.

- How much did the experience of playing in the American Student League influence your development as a player?

– In Russia it would be much more difficult for me. Today we have a poorly developed middle link between the Sports School and the clubs. Immediately after school, players go to the pros, but they are almost always not ready for this level. But clubs have no time to develop young people, they have their own tasks. In the USA there is no such problem: the university league is the very middle link. Therefore, I can say this: if not for this experience, I would hardly be playing at UMMC now.

In Russia I could disappear into the general mass, but in Louisiana they purposefully worked with me. The coach saw talent in me and tried to make me a leader, although my innate shyness greatly interfered. The coach put pressure on me, developed my character. He built the whole game through me, taught me to take responsibility. A wonderful person and a great professional, Kelly Hall. Unfortunately, he died a few years ago from a heart attack. I was very upset, he was only 47 years old. This is a special person in my life to whom I will always be grateful.

And the last question on the topic of the USA. You were studying in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. Did this affect you in any way?

- I was at my University, in the city of Lafayette, 200 kilometers from New Orleans. My sister and her family were even closer, in Baton Rouge. We were almost unaffected by the hurricane, a strong wind made noise, and a state of emergency and a curfew were introduced in the city. And my sister’s electricity went out for three days and a large tree fell in front of the house; she and her family were sitting at home without electricity or communication during the hurricane. It was scary for them. But this disaster affected many of our friends much more. One of them sat on the roof of a house in New Orleans for several days in the heat without water or food, waiting for rescuers. Fortunately, they managed to save him. After this incident, he changed a lot, divorced his wife, became withdrawn and even a little wild. He says that he completely rethought his life in the face of death. Of course, it was a terrible tragedy, too many people died. Hurricanes are a common occurrence in Louisiana, and many did not believe it was that serious and therefore simply did not evacuate. And when they realized it, it was already too late, the Mississippi Dam broke and flooded roads and houses. The city, which was the capital of fun and carnivals, became the epicenter of disaster. Now it is almost completely restored, but the atmosphere there is no longer as carefree and cheerful as before.

“We Russians are used to people standing over us with a whip.”

The surname “Petrakova” has been on the expanded list of candidates for the national team since 2008. At the same time, you were accepted into the team only in 2012, for the Olympics. What does it feel like to be unhooked four times in a row at the last moment?

– The first two years I was young, objectively inferior in skill. And then – I couldn’t pass the selection. Of all the competitors, I was the shortest, and preference was given to the taller ones. It was hard to accept this because internally I didn’t agree. All that remained was to work...

Before London, there was also a moment when it was not clear whether I would be on the team or not. It was a huge stress for me - this was the first Olympics in my life, and I was almost 28 years old... But, fortunately, it turned out okay. You can’t imagine how happy it was when I knew for sure that I would be in the national team. I realized then that the more difficult a victory is, the more expensive it is. Failures only made me stronger. As one of our American girls at UMMC said, you have to hate losing more than you love winning.

What is your overall opinion about the Olympics and Euro 2013, where the Russian team was left without medals? Our officials blamed the coaches, although they themselves were obviously more busy with corporate wars than with work...

- Now there is a change of generations. And against this background, problems emerged that had been brewing for a long time in our basketball. Hence the result that no one is happy with. Of course, the team loses, not the federation workers. But players and coaches grow and develop in the environment that is created for them. And these conditions are not the most favorable now. I don't think that only the coaches are to blame for the result. We are all to blame together.

- You looked very good at Euro 2013, but the national team failed... It’s a double feeling, isn’t it?

– Coach Vainauskas knew what I was capable of and gave me freedom of action, since with him we once won the Eurocup at Dynamo Kursk. I knew what to expect from him and how to work with him, which cannot be said about all the girls in the national team. After the “totalitarian” regime of Boris Sokolovsky, Alfredas’ “creative” approach turned out to be too contrasting. He had too little time before the Euro for the team to get used to him, and the situation with the involvement of Epifania Prince did not play into his hands. So, in the end, it didn’t matter that I played well against Spain and that I received MVP at the preparatory tournament in the Czech Republic. Because we failed the Euro. And all my individual efforts turned out to be zero. In general, I now have a more important role in the national team than in UMMC. But I want the team to win, and if for this I have to sit on the bench, so be it.

Boris Sokolovsky, coach of the Russian team at the Olympics, believes that one of the most important components where Russians lose to their competitors is physical training. Do you agree?

– “Physics” is very important. But she must be literate. This is not to say that we are losing much physically. But right now we don’t have the right attitude towards this work. We need to teach young players to listen to their body and develop it independently. But we Russians are not accustomed to additional work. We are used to people standing over us with a whip. It is not customary for us to do anything beyond the norm.

This is apparently a legacy Soviet school when the training loads were prohibitive. People were taught to subordinate their interests to the collective rather than develop their own best qualities. Dad told terrible stories about how they ran the “Cooper test” all day at training camps and trained without rest. The coaches didn’t care about injuries, if you got injured, we’ll find someone else, so the players gritted their teeth, tightened the bandages and went to the court. Now the world is changing. We Russian players need to learn to take care of our bodies and develop them wisely.

At UMMC I see where everything comes from. There is nothing more important than systematic work. It seems that everything is easy for our stars, that they don’t even try very hard on the set. Actually this is not true. They always exude self-confidence, and this is not stupid “streetball” arrogance. They are very detail-oriented, they think faster than average players and they are very hard-working. It’s normal for them to come work on a day off and stay after training.

Sokolovsky says that the leader of the Swedish team does eight pull-ups. How many times do you do pull-ups? Who, in general, is the champion in the gym at UMMC?

– I can’t do pull-ups well. I can do it a couple of times at most. I still need to develop my arm strength, but I can’t do that this season because it will affect my throw. But I have very strong legs. I can lift 150 kilograms on the leg press, or even more.

Our champion is Deanna Nolan. With a height of 183 centimeters, she can score from above, but I’m generally silent about her speed, I’ve never seen anything like that in basketball. She also has decent muscle definition; she can press a hundred kilograms from her chest. Plus, as a child, Deanna did acrobatics and can easily do all sorts of things like a flap, a runt, a somersault, and the like. Well, I can’t help but mention Candace Parker. She is also very athletic, and given her height, she has such flexibility, speed and jump, as if she were 20 centimeters shorter. These two were already born gifted.

“I made a mistake and heard from the bench: “A thousand rubles!”

Let's talk about UMMC. What is it like working with Olaf Lange? Is he always so polite and calm? Or is he such a sweetheart in public, but in the locker room he can “cram”?

- That’s right, he can “stuff”, how can he? (laughs)... Although he does it somehow very correctly. Such a person... He even swears kindly... What Olaf impressed me with was his knowledge of the matter. He clearly builds a training plan and gives us a schedule for the month in advance. Everyone knows where we are going, what we are doing every day. We won the Euroleague because we were preparing for the Final Eight from the very beginning of the season. In every match we worked on the nuances in our game, and therefore in April we were a well-played team.

Olaf has a lot of theories. We watch a lot of videos, not only ours, but also from the NBA, and we analyze them all together for a long time. Well what can I say? We understand what our goal is and try to be one family. Olaf is a good psychologist, he knows how to find an approach to each of us. He was able to create a team that, with so many leaders, plays unselfishly.

At press conferences, Lange talks a lot and willingly about statistics. How important is this factor? Roughly speaking, if you don’t have 10 rebounds in three matches, is this a reason for sanctions?

– No, there cannot be sanctions for poor performance. In basketball, it is team statistics that are important, not individual statistics. For example, playing defense, which is often more important than attacking, is poorly reflected in the player’s indicators.

You still need to be able to analyze the numbers. Tanya Popova rarely scores, but when she is on the court, our other players score more, because Tanya does useful work - in defense, on rebounds, on a fast break. Her utility rate is always one of the highest in the team, but you may not see this in the statistics. Therefore, what are the sanctions? There is no logic in this.

Although, recently our coach began to practice something similar. Now, when someone “flies” past “their” player, trying to cover a shot, that’s a thousand rubles in the cash register. So Olaf is trying to wean us from the bad habit when you “fly” at the player with the ball, “fly” past, and he is left without guarding. Olaf tells us: “We stand below, don’t jump”... But what can you do if this is a reflex developed over the years? He has to fine us. I've already gotten into trouble like this once. I jumped and heard from the bench: “A thousand rubles!”... We will give this money to charity at the end of the season.

– Now two, perhaps, the best basketball players in the world, Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi, play at UMMC. What are they like in life?

– Candace swallowed a laugh. She always has fun, she loves to make fun of everyone, even the coaches. At the same time, “one of our own” – no arrogance, no stardom. Her daughter Leila goes to kindergarten and speaks a little Russian, so Candice now also wants to learn Russian. She picks it up quickly, but her pronunciation is still lame. In the end, no matter what he says, everyone laughs. And Candice is allegedly offended and threatens to never communicate with us again. But everyone knows that this is impossible. She is cool.

Diana is a fireworks person, a riot of energy. I think the reason is her hot Italian-Argentine blood. This is a magnet person, her mood is reflected in the entire team. She's definitely dominant. It's always fun to be around her because she doesn't hesitate to say what she thinks, even if it's something a little uncensored. Her train of thought is clearly different from all of us, and I sometimes wonder terribly what is going on in her head. She often goes beyond boundaries, for example, she can pat the judge on the butt or kiss her opponent on the court. But for all her scandalousness, Diana is a loving and kind person.

Yoga from a bird's eye view

The same can be said about you. In your interviews there are mentions of Mikhail Bulgakov and Anna Karenina. A person stingy with feelings will not pay attention to Karenina. Do you like classics?

– Bulgakov is definitely my favorite writer. I have never seen such a sense of humor in any author. And Tolstoy amazed me with his knowledge of female psychology. In Karenina I recognized myself and my feelings and was amazed how Tolstoy could describe them so clearly. Anna is a self-confident woman who knows her worth, but at the same time suffers from her weakness for Vronsky, from a sense of responsibility towards her husband and does not know how to cope with her injured pride. All these feelings are familiar to me. I have long wanted to read Dostoevsky, he is also a master at subtly describing people’s feelings. True, now I have begun to devote less time to books. Blame the Internet. Addictive.

- Anna Petrakova on the Internet is a separate topic. A lot of positive!

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Louisiana State University

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Anna Viktorovna Petrakova(born December 4 in Budapest, Hungary) is a Russian professional basketball player who plays in the Russian Basketball Championship for UMMC (Ekaterinburg). Master of Sports of Russia of international class.

Biography

Her first coach was A.K. Orekhov, and her first professional team became "Gloria". In the summer of 2001, Anna Petrakova left for the USA. There she studied at Louisiana State University for five years, the first four of which she played for the university's basketball team. In 2006, Anna returned to Russia and became a player for Kazan Nur. From the 2007/08 to 2008/09 seasons she was a Spartak player from the Moscow region, but Anna Petrakova went on loan twice to Vologda-Chevakata and CSKA. After the disbandment of women's CSKA (Moscow), in 2009 she played for Spartak from St. Petersburg and again in Vologda-Chevakat. In the summer of 2011, she signed a contract with Dynamo Kursk. On May 31, 2012, she joined the UMMC (Ekaterinburg) team. She spent the 2014-2015 season at Dynamo Moscow, and in the 2015-2016 off-season she returned to UMMC

Achievements

Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year (USA): 2004

• Winner Euroleague: .
• Bronze medalist Euroleague:
• Holder European Super Cup:
• Bronze medalist of the Russian Championship: .
• Silver Universiade medalist:
• Champion Russia: ,
• Holder Russian Cup: ,
• FIBA European Cup Winner:

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An excerpt characterizing Petrakova, Anna Viktorovna

“Petrakova, come to the board! Show your classmates how to solve problems,” - fifteen-year-old Anya heard this phrase constantly in chemistry lessons. She got up, went out and decided. I even went to regional Olympiad. In 12 years she will go to London. Also for the Olympics, but now to play basketball as part of the national team. Her father is a ten-time champion of the USSR, she is a two-time champion of Russia, Europe and the winner of the Euroleague basketball. Her name is Anna Petrakova, she is a UMMC forward.

At the age of 8, her father took her to basketball. The first two years were hard: my side hurt when running - it was terribly annoying. The doctor indifferently stated: “It’s age, we need to continue to study.” Petrakova did not progress, was in the bottom five and left at the end of the game for three minutes. “Physics is not enough, you need to learn to run normally,” said the father and sent her to athletics. Petrakova couldn’t stomach it. But hard labor three times a week bore fruit - she began to move faster, play better, and at some point realized that she liked basketball. “Petrakova, let's go! You’re at the start!” she once heard the voice of coach Alexander Orekhov. When the Gloria team left the locker room on the floor, Anya was terribly nervous. Looking around, I saw a smiling father in the stands of the sports school and calmed down a little.

In the mid-90s, it occurred to my father to send eleven-year-old Anya to America to visit her sister to learn English. He brought her to Sheremetyevo, checked her in for the flight, and with his eyes chose a woman who seemed worthy to him: “Please, make sure she gets to Seattle!” I gave her $100 and said goodbye to my daughter. At the Seattle airport, it turned out that the newly hired nanny did not speak English. “We need to go to passport control now, and then pick up our luggage,” Anya took the initiative. That's how she ended up in the USA. Petrakova completed 11th grade as an external student. After studying for a semester at a local American school, she began sending videotapes of her game to universities. Many responded, but everyone was confused by her age - Anya was 16 years old, it’s hard to play on the same level with older basketball players. Finally, a coach from Louisiana responded to Petrakova, came to her in person and, after communication, offered her a full scholarship with accommodation in a dormitory. A few days later, Petrakova was already exploring the campus. In the university team, which trudged in the bottom standings, the coach has changed. Petrakova was the only foreigner and the second white on the team. New coach Kelly Hall looked into her gray eyes and, like her father once, saw deep-buried potential.

In America they said: “A team of champions is a loud team.” To liberate the shy Russian, the trainer made her yell “Ball!” Ball! Ball! Petrakova did this almost in a whisper - everyone laughed. He constantly pitted her against her partners and unleashed the most aggressive defenders on her. Anya was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but over time she learned to concentrate on the game itself. One day the coach announced a two-way game and left to talk on the phone. “One of the American women constantly had complaints against me; under the hoop she tried to take the ball hard. I swung my elbow and got hit in the eye. Anger boiled over, a fight broke out - we were pulled apart. The trainer came and extinguished the conflict. After that, the team had no complaints against me,” recalls Anna.

She didn’t feel like she belonged on the team. But I felt needed. For the first time in long years became a leader on the site. Kelly Hall found Right words and believed in Petrakova more than she herself: “Go and tear them apart, you are cooler than all your rivals!” She nodded and told herself: “Yes! That’s how it is!” she went out and scored. It was the third season. Louisiana played Kentucky in the conference semifinals. Five seconds before the end, Petrakova’s team lost by three points. Hall took a time out and drew a combination that Anna should have finished with a three-pointer, although she herself was playing under the basket (!). She came out, received the ball and, after taking two steps, managed to throw it. “At that moment, the opponent, who was trying to cover the throw, hit me on the hands. The ball went into the basket and the referee called a foul,” says Anna. Fairy tale! Standing at the free throw line, she wanted to bury Kentucky. A long whistle sounded - the opposing coach took a time out to get on the nerves of the heroine of the meeting. Kelly Hall came up to her and, smiling, said: “What is your hit percentage? 92? Don’t worry, you’ll score, I have no doubt.” Petrakova may have wanted to worry, but after this it simply didn’t work out. Joyful, she took the line and sent her opponent home. A week later, Louisiana played in the conference finals and in the locker room Hall said loudly: “Anya, today is your game!” Petrakova got nervous, disappeared on the court - the team lost badly, flying past March Madness - the final part of the basketball championship of the National Collegiate Athletic League. That didn't stop her from becoming the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and the top student-athlete.

At this time, her roommate in the dorm bought a car and, at all costs, wanted to teach her friend to drive. At night they terrorized the city streets together. As a result, Anya, with the help of her father, bought an old Nissan Sentra from her sister. To support him, she worked on campus as a concierge and an office assistant, sorting through papers and fixing computers. Once a training session was scheduled for Sunday morning, and Saturday evening turned out to be ruined. Petrakova decided to take a ride along the main street and just enjoy the atmosphere. It’s night outside, hip-hop is playing loudly in the car, and she passes a stop sign. The police are behind her. Petrakova doesn't notice anything. After two hundred meters, flashing lights flashed in the rearview mirror. Anna heard: “Stop the car, get out, hands up, face to the hood!” The policeman approached and, taking his license, exclaimed:

- So you’re the Russian who plays for the university?!

- Well, yes, tomorrow is training, but you can’t go for a walk...

- I understand... Well, bye. I'll come to the match!

“Having spent many years in America, I realized from my own example that across the ocean, college basketball opens the way to professional sports. Here they really grow sports reserve. I acquired the necessary base in the States, and came to Russia as a leader." So Anya realized that she was at the peak of her popularity. The next year she could no longer play for the university, so she trained with amateurs and worked in a local bar. There she learned well play billiards and even won money from visitors. After graduating from university, she visited Las Vegas. She went to a casino and lost two hundred in blackjack, but still fell in love with this city.

In the summer she flew to Russia. Shabtai Kalmanovich, an oligarch and general director of Spartak, in which a whole galaxy of strong foreign players played, heard about her success. The father decided that for his daughter’s development it would be better to play in the young Kazan team and placed his daughter in “Nur”, where she showed herself well. A year later, Shabtai made Petrakova an offer that she could not refuse. In the summer I went to the Universiade in Thailand, where I took silver with the team. Things didn’t work out at Spartak: due to the abundance of stars, she sat on the bench. She went on loan to Vologda, then to CSKA, where she felt at home. “I scored my first goal at the age of five on the CSKA floor, my father is an army man to the core, and I myself am very proud to play for this club!” says the athlete. There Anya met Becky Hammon and Ilona Korstin, with whom she would play for the Russian national team. A year later, the fairy tale ended - the club was disbanded. Anna went to St. Petersburg, then to Vologda. In 2011, fate brought her to Kursk, where she won her first EuroCup.

The Dynamo basketball players lost the first match of the finals with a difference of 14 goals. The coach didn’t particularly encourage return match: “Come on, girls, I believe in you.” The team walked onto the floor and froze. The hall was simply packed, people were freezing outside and watching the game on the big screen. “Dynamo” quickly secured a good start, and when the “Kayseri” basketball players began to approach the cherished difference of 14 points, Petrakova unsettled her opponents with three three-pointers. The hosts won +25, and Kursk partyed all night! After the season, Petrakova was included in the extended list of the Russian national team for the Olympics in London. After three months of grueling preparation, a test match with the Bisons men's team was planned, after which the coaches wanted to name the final list.

The day before the match, an article was published in Sport Express, where it was written that Petrakova and Grishaeva were not included in the squad. Anya's father calls. She's crying. The coach denies the accuracy of the information. A sleepless night. The next day, everything goes wrong for Petrakova. Vitaly Mutko came to the match and asked: “Who is this girl? He plays very well!”

In the morning, Boris Sokolovsky announced the list, which included Petrakova. It was the hardest thing she had to go through. London. Olympics. Petrakova was sitting in the dining room with Beck. The doors opened and, as if ordered, NBA stars LeBron James, Chris Poll and Russell Westbrook entered, followed by a crowd of Chinese trying to take pictures with them. The outrageous company of American champions was the center of attention - the guys walked towards Petrakova’s table. “Becky, are they coming towards us?” Anna asked in a whisper. “Well, yeah, I guess...” Hammon answered indifferently. LeBron walked up to Becky, pulled her away from her chair and kissed her, then shook Anya’s hand and introduced himself:

− Hi, I am LJ!

- Very nice! Anya

At that moment, the entire dining room envied them... Next - fourth place at the Olympics in London. A year at UMMC, which included two Russian championships and a victory in the Euroleague. The next club is the capital's Dynamo. On December 4, 2014, the Muscovites met with the Israeli Maccabi. It was Petrakova’s birthday, turning 30 years old. Before the game, her friends talked about some kind of video, but Anna turned a deaf ear. “Dynamo” lost big, she came home, she had no strength - she had to get ready for the restaurant. I opened the phone, and there was a message from Konstantin Igropulo. The next four minutes made her day - that’s how long the congratulatory video recorded by Konstantin for Anna’s birthday lasts.

Now Anna thinks that she will be as addicted to basketball as basketball. She doesn’t want to commentate on matches: she believes that she cannot play with words, as her favorite commentator Roman Skvortsov does. I don’t feel like coaching, it’s better to continue studying, perhaps find myself in business, get an MBA qualification. But for now she lives in Yekaterinburg, loves yoga, Bulgakova, she has a valid contract with the leading basketball club in Russia - UMMC.

Egor MUKHANOV

Photo from personal archive

Anna PETRAKOVA

Anna Petrakova was born on December 4, 1984 in Budapest, Hungary. Since childhood, the girl became interested in basketball, fortunately her height allowed it. The father also loved this sport, so he supported his daughter in every possible way in her sporting endeavors. Anna's first coach was Alexander Orekhov, and her first professional team was Gloria.

In the summer of 2001, Anna Petrakova left for the United States of America. There, the girl studied at Louisiana State University for five years, of which the first four years she played for the university’s basketball team, remaining a leading player.

In 2006, the athlete returned to Russia and became a player in the Kazan club “Nura”. Then, for two seasons she was a player for Spartak from the Moscow region, but Petrakova twice went on loan to Vologda-Chevakata and CSKA.

After the disbandment of women's CSKA in 2009, she played for Spartak from St. Petersburg and again in Vologda-Chevakat. In the summer of 2011, she signed a contract with the Kursk Dynamo basketball club.

A year later, on May 31, 2012, she joined the UMMC Ural team. After three years of playing in this team, she spent the 2015 season in Dynamo Moscow, and in the 2016 off-season she returned to UMMC. In 2017, she was appointed Assistant Coach of the Russian National Basketball Team.

Athlete's height: 188 cm; weight: 80 kg.

Sports Achievements of Anna Petrakova

Winner of the Euroleague 2013.
Bronze medalist of the Euroleague 2014
Winner of the European Super Cup 2013
Bronze medalist of the Russian Championship 2009.
Silver medalist of the Universiade 2007
European Champion (girls under 18) 2002
European Champion (girls under 20) 2004
Champion of Russia 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
Winner of the Russian Cup 2013, 2014, 2017
Winner of the FIBA ​​European Cup 2012