Irina Belova: “Sport develops strong character. Irina Belova: “Sport develops strong character School of Irina Belova

Estimate:

I sent my daughter to Daria Shkurikhina’s school exactly a year ago... I really regretted that I didn’t know about her earlier - I took my daughter to another (no less famous) school for three (!) years. For the first 2-3 months, the results were the same as three years in another section! My daughter is delighted with Ekaterina Vladimirovna Bagaeva - she is the main trainer! By the way, Daria Valeryevna Shkurikhina herself quite often and regularly attends classes, and even more so open lessons, which is rare as far as I know... each of the children receives a special attitude - this is felt after classes - when the coach tells everyone several times (both parents and children) what should not be particularly included in her work!!! in general, impressions of Daria Shkurikhina’s school are only positive and very warm!! and my daughter in general over the last year (despite to the very tough (in the good sense of the word) training camp in Izumrudny - I fell in love with rhythmic gymnastics and now go with pleasure!

Good afternoon, parents! My daughter, Lisa, has been going to Daria Shkurykhina’s rhythmic gymnastics school for the second year. We go to Indigo Life. I was really outraged by the reviews!!! In general, it’s as if it’s not about our coaches!!! I attended all the open lessons and never saw my child or me being spoken to incorrectly! Yes, Daria comes once a week for training, but she is a director, organizer, and not directly a coach at her school!!! Have you ever seen the director of a housing office or HOA sweeping yards or washing floors in houses?!?!?! Ekaterina is the main coach of our girls - a young girl, but in her professionalism and good attitude I have no doubt about the kids - it’s worth just looking at how the girls sometimes hang on Dasha and Katya!!! Will kids hug a coach who treats them harshly??? Yes, they are taught discipline there and that’s normal!!! After all, you bring your child so that he can play sports, and not sit straight on his butt. Girls - well done!!! But about the fact that they want to profit from us, it actually made me laugh!!! Think for yourself!!! At most 10 people attend, and most often 6-7 per class. We pay 3650 for 12 classes (this is ideally a month), if you are sick, went away or skipped altogether - you still have classes - go to them for at least three months!!! So do the math!!! Subtract from this the cost of renting premises from Gold Fitness and learn a COSMIC amount per month!!! In general, I took my daughter to several different schools for inspection and settled on this one and will not go anywhere!!! Everything fits me in!!! The child gets results, she likes it here, she is not forced or coerced, as in many schools. And the attitude is wonderful!!! I recommend this place to everyone!

Yes, the deplorable state of the school rhythmic gymnastics named after Daria Shkurikhina. We are also not happy with many things in terms of the attitude and presentation of not only classes, but also communication with parents. It is a pity that the name and title sometimes do not live up to expectations. And sometimes you get the feeling that the organizer of this school the main task to extract more money from their children’s parents, rather than teach and educate the future generation. We go to Gold Fitness Indigo and our leader is a young girl, Ekaterina. So she is not even able to structure the lesson in such a way that the children simply obey. And because of this, there is noise and commotion during the lesson. Daria herself comes very rarely, and when she comes, some children do not understand who came, what kind of aunt she is. Therefore, dear parents, do not be fooled by the name and regalia, this does not mean anything at all!

Hello everybody! I would like to tell you about the school of Olympic champion Daria Shkurikhina, who is based in all Gold fitness networks. My child is four years old. I was amazed at how Daria treats children! Very rude! He yells and demands something impossible and inappropriate for his age. It feels like Daria doesn’t know how to properly train children to find an approach to them and, most importantly, to communicate with their parents! Even under the leadership of Daria Shkurikhina herself, young girls work who, like Daria, have absolutely no knowledge of children's pedagogy and psychology. I was amazed when it happened open lesson For parents who came to see their children and recharge themselves in a positive environment, Daria Shkurikhina said that the children are completely uncontrollable! She told the children that they could have tried, that the children and their parents had absolutely no idea where they were! I believe that it is not acceptable for a coach to say such a thing, especially in front of children in an indignant tone. Why are children trained by people without experience or pedagogical education?? You should have seen one of Daria’s wards at Gold Fitness Hampton, trainer Olesya, if you can call it that. Judging by her appearance and collective farm communication, we can say that she will not teach anything good. My child began to feel disgusted by gymnastics; it is very sad that such coaches as Daria and Olesya discourage children from wanting to engage in one of the most beautiful sports.

Nizhny Novgorod gymnast, 2000 Olympic champion Irina Belova ended her sports career seven years ago. The Honored Master of Sports is currently coaching the Russian youth team and preparing a replacement for the main team national team. I. Belova told a correspondent of RIA “Vremya N” about how she assesses the prospects of Russian gymnastics in general and Nizhny Novgorod gymnasts in particular.

Irina, after the triumph at the main Quadrennial Games in Australia, many thought that you would remain on the team. What happened?

I'm just tired - from endless training, training camps and trips. It was already 2001, and a whole galaxy of young talented gymnasts appeared. I really dreamed of a vacation, which I undoubtedly deserved. Immediately after the Olympics in Sydney, the national team coaches asked me to “work out” another European Championship, after which I left completely, and I don’t regret my decision at all. Everything has its time.

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at individual exercises? If you remember, two-time Olympic champion Elena Posevina began her career in the singles program.

No, I am a “group person” and can only work in a team, so I never thought about changing the ampoule. After all, the work here is completely different, so I won’t undertake to say in which type of program it is more difficult to perform. In individual exercises, you are alone on the mat, and all the judges look only at the athlete, but in group exercises you can “hide” somewhere, become invisible. But at the same time, if you lost an item or did not complete an element completely, you are responsible to the entire team. This is a huge responsibility.

- When did you decide to become a coach?

My husband was a football player (Ivan Telyatnikov - player of the Russian youth team and ex-defender of the Urensk "Energetik" - author's note), I traveled with him a lot around the country, so there was time for coaching activities did not have. But in 2003, I still took a step, came to my native OR No. 1 and took a group of young gymnasts. And so it turned out...

-Who can you identify among your students?

It’s still difficult to make a choice, the athletes are very young. Now I am in my third year of study, these are 6-8 year old girls. At school Olympic reserve We have several groups with which we go to various training camps and competitions. Ten days in the city and the same on the road. In the future we will only dream about the house...

IN last years many titled gymnasts, having completed their careers, prefer other areas of activity rather than working as a coach. What do you think about it?

Of course, the material aspect plays an important role: if you do not have an education, if you do not have your own students, then it is quite difficult to start from scratch. Sometimes truly talented trainers come to us, but due to low wages at the first stage, they are forced to move to commercial companies. That is life.

How can you comment on the change in the composition of the Russian team before the 2004 Games? The team in which Nina Lazareva played from Nizhny Novgorod won the 2003 World Championship...

I agree that it was a risky move on behalf of coaching staff. But at the same time, there were too many good individualists in the team, and since only two can go to the Olympics, it was decided that the remaining ones would try in the group. Vera Sesina, by the way, could also get into group exercises, but the coaches decided otherwise. They thought that she would succeed, but Vera stumbled twice at the Games. And it turned out that Posevina, who moved to the group, is already a two-time Olympic champion, but Sesina is not.

- You attended the Olympics in Athens as an honorary guest.

Of course, I was also worried about my team, I was nervous, but only from the stands. When we performed ourselves, we saw nothing else but the carpet in the gymnasium, and we didn’t need to. We remembered Olympic Village only after his speech. There were many artists in the capital of Greece, we relaxed every day. In general, it seemed that no one in the village slept either at night or during the day. I saw the Dynamite group perform and talked with Dima Bilan, who even then behaved very arrogantly.

Marriages between gymnasts and football players continued the trend in the post-Soviet space. Having married a football player, have you become the number 1 sports fan?

I never really liked football, but I saw international matches and supported our guys. Especially on last championship Europe, where the Russian team achieved bronze medals. I don’t know why it turns out that alliances are concluded between representatives of these two sports. As for me, we gymnasts constantly met with football players at training camps in Moscow and Novogorsk. There was no one else, so here, as they say, there are no options.

In previous times, it was difficult to imagine that the main team of the Russian national team would include two from Nizhny Novgorod - the competition was too strong, and there were a lot of sports schools in the country. How could this happen?

Of course, this is the merit of our school, within whose walls the athletes spend a lot of time. And also Natalia Tishina: she spends a lot of time at the base in Novogorsk, gives advice to coaches, helps gymnasts. From my point of view, Elena Posevina can survive the third Olympics, she has “technique” ideal weight. Now the first team includes Anastasia Maksimova, who has good chances of reaching the London Olympics.

- Not so long ago, at an international tournament in Spain, the Russian team took an unusual 4th place. What's happened?

I can say that there has been a change. Olympic champions were supposed to go, but they all retired. And in two months the coaches did not have time to prepare the second squad. Therefore, gymnasts from St. Petersburg were sent abroad. Only four teams competed, so judge the result for yourself.

- Coming soon Nizhny Novgorod The International Rhythmic Gymnastics Center will open its doors.

It is still in the design stage, but it will really be ready by the 2012 Summer Olympics. It is planned to host major international competitions, including the World Championships. Currently, we are refusing to hold Russian tournaments in Nizhny Novgorod for only one reason - from January to May we are preparing for the World Cup stage, which takes a lot of effort and time.

- Where is it more difficult to perform - at home or away?

I can say for myself that I am at home. Despite the enormous support from your native stands, more responsibility falls on you.

- A few words about diet. Is it true that recently gymnasts have begun to eat more food, or is it a myth?

Well, of course, you can’t go without food completely. The main thing is self-control. Some of the gymnasts calculate calories, some try to maintain grams, some sit in a bathhouse after a hearty meal in order to lose weight, and some have breakfast and lunch, but do not have dinner. I believe that everything depends on the person himself. Sometimes you really want to eat, especially on Saturdays, but on Sunday you have to sit without food. Excess weight- direct road from the team.

Gymnasts are often harassed various injuries. A memorable case is when Laysan Utyasheva, due to an oversight by Russian doctors, was forced to train on broken legs for six months... Only a more thorough examination in Germany revealed the true reason. Does this often happen in big sports?

The case with Utyasheva, unfortunately, is not an isolated one. I believe that a lot here depends on the coach, on the method of training the athletes. Of course, the gymnast herself cannot be discounted; here, as they say, it’s all about luck. It also happens that a girl’s back is initially crooked, she still endures the European Championships, and then something has to be done...

- Your daughter Christina is five years old - the right age to take her to the gymnastics mat...

She already goes to the gym with me and her mother, but, unfortunately, we don’t have time to fully engage with her - we can’t even force her to do exercises: either I go to training camps or my mother. The situation is similar with kindergarten - sometimes we go to Nizhny with my daughter, sometimes to Trans-Volga region. I can’t think too far ahead - maybe in the future Christina will change her sport, who knows...

Have you tried your hand at sports commentator, actress, presenter? Yana Batyrshina successfully works on television, and Svetlana Khorkina made her debut on the theater stage...

No, it's not mine. If you engage in several types of activities seriously, then you will “break out” of rhythmic gymnastics. After all, it is simply impossible to do everything at the same time. As for Batyrshina, I believe that she found her purpose after completing her sports career.

Currently you are the coach of the Russian youth team. How many Nizhny Novgorod cities are included in the second most important team?

Daria Tikhomirova and Olga Raspopina. In total, we looked at more than 50 gymnasts, but chose only seven. Previously, Karina Khairetdinova from Nizhny Novgorod was also in the lineup, but due to back problems she was forced to end her career. Next year we have a lot international tournaments, so we work tirelessly. In particular, in Azerbaijan the championship will be held Europe.

- What are your plans for the future?

I want to raise Olympic champions.

REFERENCE: Irina Belova was born on December 28, 1980 in the Volga region (Nizhny Novgorod region). Honored Master of Sports. Pupil of UOR No. 1. Trainers - Larisa Belova and Natalya Tishina.

Four-time European champion group exercises(1997, 2001), two-time world champion (1998, 1999), Olympic champion (2000), multiple winner of international tournaments, including the Grand Prix series (1997−2001).

Awarded the Order of Friendship (2001), honorary citizen of the Volga region (2000). Member of the Public Chamber Nizhny Novgorod region. Since 2003 - coach-teacher of UOR No. 1, since 2008 - coach of the Russian youth team.

Favorite equipment is a ball and clubs.

Text: Corr. Andrey Soloviev

POSITION

Summer training camp in rhythmic gymnastics

« Olympic Stars»

Led by Olympic champions

Irina Belova and Daria Shkurikhina.

1. Goals and objectives:

Popularization and development of rhythmic gymnastics at the professional level;

Exchange of experience, level up sportsmanship and preparedness of gymnasts;

General physical training female athletes;

Development of general and special training;

Training and improvement of skills in working with objects;

Training in various styles of dance art;

Development of plasticity and artistry through classical and modern choreography.

2. Dates and venue: TCB is carried out:

Recreation center "Izumrudnoe" Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodetsky district, Bolshoi Sukhodol village. http://izumrudnoe.ru/

06/22/2016 - day of arrival, registration of participants;

06/23/2016 - 06/30/2016 - training camps;

06/30/2016 - reporting gala concert, presentation of certificates and gifts;

07/01/2016 - day of departure.

3. Composition of TCB specialists:

Belova Irina Olegovna - Honored Master of Sports.

Olympic champion in group exercises in rhythmic gymnastics 2000 in Sydney. Multiple World and European champion, multiple World Cup winner. Awarded the Order of Friendship for her great contribution to development physical culture and sports.

Shkurikhina Daria Valerievna- Honored Master of Sports. Olympic champion 2008 in Beijing. Multiple World and European champion, multiple World Cup winner. She was awarded the Order of Friendship for her great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports.

Vlasova Natalya Yurievna- International master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics. Member of the Russian national team 2009-2013. European champion in group exercises 2011 Grand Prix champion in Israel, Moscow, Portugal, Italy and other countries.

Demidenko Tatyana Leonidovna- choreographer.

Yoels Sophie- master of sports of international class, World Cup finalist, three-time champion of South Russia, Russian champion in sports ballroom dancing, international class dancer and coach. Choreographer and director of the project “Minute of Glory” (2009-2010), “Ural Dumplings”, choreographer of the children’s border ensemble of the FSB of Russia under the direction of I. Reznik “Green Caps”, director of the dance school “Let's Dance” by JCC, choreographer of the film “Ghost” (premiere March 26, 2015). Currently, she is the choreographer of the Ural Dumplings show, musical actress, director of the Let's Dance dance school and the fitness project Pretty Women by JCC.

Zapelov Roman Alexandrovich - juggling and contact juggling trainer at the WorldClass fitness club.

Zobov Maxim Vyacheslavich— Head of the Jang juggling school in Nizhny Novgorod.

*The organizers reserve the right to change the coaching staff.

4. Training camp program:

GPP, SFP;

Subject preparation;

Work on elements (jumps, turns, balances);

Skill development;

Classical choreography;

Dance training;

Juggling, development of dexterity and coordination;

Acrobatics;

Staging programs (by appointment);

Individual work with a trainer (by appointment);

5. Participants of training camps:

Gymnasts born in 2011 are invited to participate in the training center. and older, who do not have health problems and medical contraindications to rhythmic gymnastics.

Sports uniform - black leggings (shorts), black swimsuit (T-shirt, T-shirt), white socks, sports slippers (half-toes), cap (Panama), flip-flops, sneakers, tracksuit, weights, tourniquets (rubber), knee pads, items (jump rope, hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon), swimsuit for the pool.

6. Gymnasts are allowed to participate in training camps.

If you have a birth certificate and medical insurance;

If there is a medical certificate stating that the child is allowed to participate in physical activity;

If you have sports insurance (against accidents);

Accompanied by a group leader over 18 years of age.

7. Cost of training camps and accommodation

Accommodation in standard rooms and 3 meals a day - 1500 rub./day,

Cost of TCB: 12,000 rubles.

Limited number of seats. ONLY 50 places!!!

Expenses for business trips, meals, accommodation, travel of participants and conducting training sessions are borne by the sending organizations.

8. Transfer:

Organization of transfer to the venue of the training session by agreement with the organizers.

9. Application for participation: Applications for participation in TCB are accepted

Additional information by phone:

89178663588- Daria Valerievna

89030416586 - Olesya Vladimirovna (residence)

10. Registration:

Registration of participants in training camps will take place at the Izumrudnoe recreation center, Nizhny Novgorod region, Gorodetsky district, Bolshoy Sukhodol village. 06/22/2016 from 12:00 to 21:00.

Application for training camps.

Application for additional classes, program development.

You enter the gym and involuntarily shudder, these commands sound so demanding: “keep your leg up!”, “fix it!” The girls fly around the hall like feathers. The rhythmic gymnastics school in the Volga region is one of the strongest in the region.

Who would have thought that a meeting with the famous gymnast, Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics Irina Belova would take place here, in the old coaching room of the Trans-Volga Sports House, and the third participant in our conversation would be little Yulianna (six months ago Irina Belova became a mother for the second time)... But with on the other hand, it’s so natural: to see our sports star in her native walls. It’s impossible to believe that in this reed-thin woman there is a steel spring that could lift her to such athletic heights.

— Irina Olegovna, probably everyone knows your titles of European and world champion, Olympic champion. Without exaggeration, I can say that you are the pride of not only the Volga region, but also the entire Nizhny Novgorod region. Today there is already an understanding of how such results were achieved?

“Probably, my main foundation is my mother, who brought me to rhythmic gymnastics, saw the talent in me and raised me to be an athlete. I never tire of thanking her. Although as a child I could not appreciate it. After kindergarten, my girlfriends played with dolls at home, and they took me to training. Girls are accepted into gymnastics from four years to better develop flexibility. There was everything - pain, whims, strict discipline. And if the coach is a mother, it’s probably even more difficult.

When I was nine years old, my first victories at regional competitions began. At one of them, my mother showed me to Natalya Borisovna Tishina, the rhythmic gymnastics coach of the Nizhny Novgorod region. And now in January 1992, in the middle school year, I was taken to the Olympic Reserve School in N. Novgorod. So at the age of eleven I said goodbye to both my mother and my beloved fifth grade class. I remember how they didn’t want to let me go from school No. 17, they told my mother - think, after all, the girl is an excellent student, what if she suddenly moves out? Now I understand what a risk it was. But athletes are determined people.

I went in for sports at the Olympic Reserve School, but studied at a regular school. In the morning - three-hour training, then I run to classes, from four to seven - evening workout. Sweets - no, no. They strictly monitor their weight. And no mother’s care, we saw each other only on weekends. Competitions, nerves, injuries - many quit the race. Those who remain are the strongest and those who believe in themselves. Do not feel sorry for yourself, work hard, have a strong character - these are the components of success for any athlete.

— Irina Olegovna, remember the feeling you experienced at the Olympics in Sydney 14 years ago, when a olympic medal. In the photo on the Internet you look so excited and happy. And you are only 20 years old!

- This is a feeling that cannot be conveyed. This is the award that an athlete strives for throughout his life. Naturally, there was joy. There are no weak opponents at the Olympics. They walked almost level with us Belarusian athletes. The Greek and Spanish women had strong positions. Playing in a team always carries the risk of letting others down. Coaches of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team Valentina Alekseevna Ivanitskaya from Moscow and Tatyana Alekseevna Vasilyeva from Penza, my personal coach Natalya Borisovna Tishina did everything possible to ensure that we approached the competition in the optimal way physical fitness to boost our morale. And after the victory, we did not sleep for two days, walked around Sydney, enchanted by this city. Although I, of course, had the opportunity to visit many countries.

— What do athletes find themselves in after completing professional career? For example, what was the fate of your team members?

- Today we each live our own lives. But, of course, we follow – albeit from afar – each other’s successes. Vera Shimanskaya is a professional golfer today. This sport is just developing in our country. Irina Veselova-Zilber is the president of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation in her native Yekaterinburg. Elena Shalamova and Maria Netosova do gymnastics in Moscow. The youngest member of the team, Natalya Lavrova from Penza, died in a car accident several years ago.

— How did you feel when you watched the recent Olympics? And what conclusions did you draw for yourself?

— Athletes are a special brotherhood, like, say, artists or journalists. We, like all Russians, were literally glued to the screen, but we judged some things from completely different positions than ordinary TV viewers. Of course, we accepted the triumph of our team with delight. Russian athletes did everything possible, went, as they say, to the limit! But there are offensive fourth places, for example, in ski racing and biathlon, the hockey team failed... But let's look at it from the other side. The Olympics is a reason for those in power to think about what sports need to be developed. The principle is quite simple: there are no prizes, which means little attention is paid to this sport in the country.

— Irina Olegovna, today you teach at the Olympic Reserve School in N. Novgorod. How do you, as a coach, assess the development of rhythmic gymnastics in the Volga region?

— We recruit girls for training from the region, from different cities of Russia. I can proudly say that the Volga region prepares some of the strongest gymnasts for our educational institution. Real enthusiasts of their craft, rhythmic gymnastics coaches at the Zavolzhsky Sports and Fitness Center - my mother Larisa Viktorovna Belova and her colleague Lidiya Viktorovna Voronina - raised a galaxy of wonderful Zavolzhsky gymnasts. Masters of Sports Lyubov Grishkova, Tatyana Mukhina, Irina Nedbaylo, medalist international competitions Igba Betty, European champions Olga Raspopina, Natalya Vlasova, world champion Natalya Pichuzhkina... They all started here, just kids. My mother’s sisters Dina and Arina Averina trained for nine years. Today they are training in Moscow under the guidance of the famous rhythmic gymnastics coach Irina Viner. At the recent Russian Cup, the girls were among the winners. Great expectations are placed on them. My daughter Kristina Telyatnikova also studies with my mother. Today she is recognized as one of the best gymnasts in the region at her age.

— Honorary citizen of the Volga region, how do you assess the development sports base in your hometown?

— You know, it’s a bit of a shame for the young city that raised three Olympic champions. It’s great that construction of a new one will begin in Gorodets physical education complex. But... In the Volga region over the past 20 years not a single one has been built sports facility, except Ice Palace. Today it is a brand of the Volga region! Athletes come here even from Nizhny. Sports need to be supported, developed, and looked for sponsors. The Sports House needs technical reconstruction. I watch with bitterness how girl gymnasts, like 20 years ago, carry heavy carpets themselves to lay them out before training. One can only dream of having one’s own gymnasium, like in the Olympic Reserve School.

— There is an opinion that a promising athlete without financial support in big sport no road.

- I completely disagree! Communicating in sports circles, you never cease to be amazed at how much courage and willpower athletes have. Sports build strong character. And the talented and persistent are noticed! So my mother’s section includes girls from ordinary families. There are no dads among them - “owners of factories, newspapers, ships”... How many talented athletes in the region made their own way! For example, an orphanage student Andrei Gogolev became a world boxing champion. Another thing is that sport requires large financial investments. And I never tire of thanking the parents of my pupils and my mother, who bear so many expenses! Participation in competitions, tailoring of costumes, and preparation of compositions - now everything is at your own expense, which means you have to limit yourself in some way. But believe me, the sport is worth it!

- Irina Olegovna, you personify the ideal of a woman - accomplished in sports career and as a mother raising two daughters. Was everything rosy in your personal life?

- You know, over time you understand more and more that much does not depend on you, but is given from above. My mother comes from the Gaginsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region. A deeply religious person, she instilled this in me since childhood. I got married right after the Olympics in 2000. But further life with my Christina’s father did not work out, we separated. Probably, it was predetermined... Now is a new page in my life. I dedicate my maternity leave to my daughters. It is such a joy to see girls grow up.

At the end of our meeting, we cordially congratulated Irina Belova on the beautiful women's holiday on March 8 and presented small souvenirs from Gorodetsky Messenger.

REFERENCE

Athletes of whom the Volga region is proud:
Irina Belova - four-time European champion and two-time world champion, champion of the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 (in group exercises);
Olga Domulajanova - world boxing champion;
Natalya Pichuzhkina is a multiple European and world champion in rhythmic gymnastics.

Since 2000, students of the Nizhny Novgorod rhythmic gymnastics school, performing in group exercises, regularly win gold medals at the Olympics. The new Olympic quadrennial promises to break the existing stereotype. Dina and Arina Averina took leading roles in the individual program! The coach of the Nizhny Novgorod region national team, Honored Coach of Russia Larisa Belova, who is the first mentor of the Averin sisters, and also a mother, talks about how the twin sisters broke tradition and who is replacing our group Olympic champions. Olympic champion Sydney Irina Belova.

The Averina sisters are a special case

– Larisa Viktorovna, Nizhny Novgorod rhythmic gymnastics has traditionally supplied group exercises to the Russian national team. How did it happen that Dina and Arina Averina succeeded in individual exercises so much that they became leaders among Russian “artists”?

– Dina and Arina came to study at the age of four. We worked in the Volga region for nine years before they went to Moscow. Usually promising young people continue to train at the Olympic Reserve School, but this was a special case. The head coach of the Nizhny Novgorod region team, Natalya Borisovna Tishina, I remember said: “Larisa Viktorovna, you are used to working with them individually, but in order for me to continue this work, I need to leave everyone else. Therefore, send your sisters to Moscow."

Kristina Telyatnikova (third from left) made her debut at the European Championships in May

By that time, Dina and Arina were winners and medalists of the national championship and had already joined the Russian national team. You can’t just transfer the “collectors” to another coach - such issues are resolved by Main coach Russian national team Irina Aleksandrovna Viner. Then the girls and I were invited for the first time to a training camp in Croatia (Dina and Arina were just turning 13 years old). After that, I gave Dina and Arina to coach Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina.

Not everyone can handle such loads.

– Recently, the Averina sisters collected a whole collection of awards at the European Championships. Do you think these victories will not turn the heads of 18-year-old girls?

- No no. They themselves are very modest. Real hard workers, such children probably don’t exist now. With them, we held two training sessions in the gym every day, and sometimes, when the girls didn’t succeed, they went out for the third, which I could schedule for ten o’clock in the evening! Now I have a lot of children working out: if you offer them the same loads that Dina and Arina had, they will immediately faint and not get up (smiles.) But the Averina sisters did all this and never complained. Plus they are such neat people - they have everything neatly organized.

– Can the next Olympic cycle be called the Averin sisters’ fourth anniversary in rhythmic gymnastics?

“Before the Olympics in Rio, Irina Aleksandrovna Wiener told them: “The next Olympic cycle will be yours.” I hope so, but I'm afraid to say so. Before my eyes is the example of another Nizhny Novgorod resident, Natalya Pichuzhkina, who first worked in a personal program, including with Natalya Borisovna Tishina. Then Natasha was transferred to group exercises. It so happened that literally six months before the Olympics, Pichuzhkina suffered a knee injury and did not go to the 2012 Games in London...

IN professional sports It’s difficult to predict in advance how an athlete’s career will turn out. I hope that one of the sisters who is stronger will end up in Olympic team. But to be honest, I would like them to go to Olympic Games together - they deserve it with their attitude to business.

Irina and Christina have different personalities

– You mentioned your granddaughter Kristina Telyatnikova, who also distinguished herself at the European Championships, only in group exercises. Looks like she's following in her mom's footsteps?

– Until recently, Kristina competed in individual competitions, was a silver medalist at the Russian Championship, took second place at the Hopes of Russia, and third at the Young Gymnast. Therefore, when a year and a half before the start of the 2017 European Championship, the coaches of the national team began to recruit a junior team for group exercises, taking into account personal results, they invited her to the training camp.

Whether my granddaughter will continue to perform in group exercises is an open question. Russian team, made up of gymnasts born in 2002 and 2003, showed at the European Championships in Budapest good results. But masters in group exercises begin to work at the age of 15–16, and for the next year and a half, Christina will have to return to working in a personal program.

– In your opinion, is Christina similar to Irina in her manner of speaking?

– There is, of course, an external resemblance; genes have also been passed on. However, it seems to me that they are different in character. Ira started studying ballet and joined gymnastics at the age of five. At the age of two, Christina threw clubs, and at three, she threw them to her great-grandmother (my mother), who caught them. The baby spent all her time in the gym and competed in her first competition at three years and four months!