Kirill Stadnichenko
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Interview
On the eve of March 8, UNIAN talked to one of the best Ukrainian athletes in diving - European champion and world championship winner Yulia Prokopchuk, who spoke about the peaks of her career, motherhood, how diving became popular after the European Championships, and how strong she remains competition with rivals at the most prestigious world competitions.
Diving is not the most popular sport in Ukraine. At the same time, over the years, Ukrainian athletes have regularly brought medals from world and European championships to the country. And if earlier Zaporozhye was unconditionally considered the “base” of domestic diving, now talented athletes are increasingly appearing in other cities.
Yulia Prokopchuk from Kiev has pleased the audience for 10 years with successful performances at the World and European Championships. From bronze at the 2006 European Championship in Budapest to gold at the 2016 European Championship in London. The last Olympic cycle was also marked by two World Cup medals - bronze in the individual tournament in Bracelon-2013 and silver in the team tournament Kazan-2015.
It is curious that Yulia Prokopchuk specializes in jumping from a 10-meter platform. And as a child, as the athlete herself admitted, it was very difficult for her to overcome her fear and jump ... from the side of the pool.
Multiple European champion and prize-winner of world championships Yulia Prokopchuk spoke in an interview with UNIAN about the upsurge in her big career, the increase in the popularity of this sport after last year's European Championship in Kyiv and the prospects for its development, as well as the rivalry with representatives of China at the most prestigious world competitions.
My husband and I have such a tradition - we always celebrate Women's Day at the Murakami Japanese restaurant. At the same time, we go to the same institution - at the same address. The tradition has been going on for three years. And I think that this year we will not change our tradition, we will go to celebrate. Only the three of us, with a child.
Do you have any food preferences?
Traditional Japanese dishes - sushi, salads ... Nothing special, impressive.
Does your family generally like holidays?
Yes. I absolutely love the holidays. I like it when a company gathers, everyone walks, has fun, everyone smiles, rejoices.
What surprises is your husband preparing?
Trains. I don't know yet how it will be this time. Let's see how the day starts.
How often do you have "off-hour" holidays, on ordinary weekdays?
Now, to be honest, it's a little bit not up to it. A child takes a lot of time in our life - more surprises and attention to him than to each other. In general, we are lovers of pampering ourselves with gifts, throwing something unusual to each other, making a surprise.
In the midst of a sports career, was your husband not seen as often as you would like?
Of course, there was not much time, but, for example, the tradition of celebrating at Murakami appeared even when I was an athlete. That is, I tried to spend more time with my beloved during my sports career. Now, of course, I am completely immersed in the family.
You have retired from active performances since your son was born about a year ago. I heard that you are already teaching him to swim ...
Certainly. So far - in the bath, but we are already teaching him to dive, swim, develop physically. We try to make him a strong man.
Are you preparing a sports career for your son?
In any case, I want him to go in for some kind of sport, sport is in our blood. I don’t know what kind of sport he wants to do - diving, football, something else. It is still too early to talk about it, he is still small. But he must play sports anyway.
And we are not thinking about a professional career yet. In general, I am not a fan of thinking about the future. Everything has its time.
Is your husband an athlete?
No, he has nothing to do with professional sports.
When are you thinking about returning to big sport? Or will the fan not see Yulia Prokopchuk on the springboard?
So far I haven't thought about it. I spend time with the child and I like it ...
And still?
Return to sports? ... I think it's unlikely.
Will you be a coach in the future?
That's what I want to be as a coach. I like it. But as a jumper ... I want to devote myself more to my family ...
But can't you imagine life without sports?
You know, the first six months were very hard... I constantly wanted to climb the tower, jump, I missed the old lifestyle. But now I like to spend more time with my child, my family…
In the future, I want to train children, teach them to jump into the water, transfer their knowledge and experience. But, again, I will not guess. And suddenly, in a month, in a year, something completely different will turn up for me. Therefore, to say firmly that I will be a coach does not make sense yet. But, of course, I want to do something additionally, besides my family.
You have consistently won awards in European championships for ten years, and then the World Cup. Can you name the best year of your career, the peak?
It's hard to name a specific year. The peak of form is, rather, separate competitions in which I showed good results. And throughout the year there can be ups and downs in a career, this is a very long period of time.
Then let's single out a separate tournament, where you showed the brightest jump in your career, or achieved a significant result?
The most memorable tournament was the 2013 World Championship in Barcelona, where I won a bronze medal. Then I had something like euphoria inside me. She was very pleased with her performance. And this is the reward. That bronze for me was akin to gold. Emotions were so vivid, simply indescribable.
The best result? Perhaps this is the European Championship 2016 in London, when I took the gold. Then I had a record amount of points, I set a personal record. The feeling was that I was jumping light, everything was given so well.
By the way, shortly after the tournament in London there was Rio 2016, where you were left without a medal. As well as at other Olympics. What was missing from the Olympics?
Confidence… Mastery and desire, great desire, was always with me. I think it's purely psychological. Games are always a colossal tension.
The title of world champion also did not submit to you, unlike the gold medal of the European Championship ...
We had very strong athletes from China. If in ordinary tournaments you can fight and win with them, then in the world championships - no options. They know how to mentally tune in to the most important starts. I repeat once again, for me the bronze of the World Cup in Barcelona 2013 was like gold.
Now, judging by the results of the last major competitions, the Chinese are no longer so stable. Jumping is not always clear and perfect. But a few years ago, in my time, unfortunately, it was almost impossible to deal with them.
The last Olympic tournament in Rio was held outdoors. There is also the famous outdoor ski jump in Barcelona where you won your bronze medal. Are the competitions in the indoor pool and on the street very different?
Yes, a lot. In the indoor pool - four walls, a roof over your head - no wind, no sun, no rain. In the pool there are more comfortable conditions for competitions, where you can concentrate on the jump, fully feel it. Nothing bothers you, nothing distracts you.
On the street, the sun can shine in your eyes, it’s already distracted, somewhere the breeze will blow ... You can’t fully concentrate, thoughts are constantly “walking”.
So you prefer to compete indoors?
Personally, I love indoor pools. For complete confidence in your jump. It is, of course, sometimes lucky in the outdoor pool. Jump off - and everything is fine. But, it is better when you are completely confident in your jump.
And how do the opponents react to different pools?
It's all individual. Comes to the smallest detail. You jump all the time in the same pool - everything is fine. You come to another and you realize that absolutely nothing works for you. It happens that different types of concrete in different pools. Where it is harder, in another pool it is softer. There is something else... There are a lot of nuances that can affect the performance of an athlete in the most unexpected way. And not necessarily he showed a bad result, because at the moment he is in bad shape.
Jumping into the water for the layman is quite an extreme sport. At what age do children need to start doing this sport “according to science” in order to achieve results over time?
As they say, the sooner the better. It is advisable to bring children at the age of five, when they can still be “stretched”, to give them a professional stretch, which is necessary when performing the elements of the jump. It is also important to lay "physics" at the initial stage. And only then you can go to jumps, to a more professional level. Therefore, at 5-6 years old, you can bring children. The later, the harder it will be to go through all this and “catch up” with peers.
How long does it take between the start of training and the first jump?
In principle, elementary jumps can be started from the very beginning, gradually transferring to more complex ones. But this is still purely individual. There is a child who is afraid to jump and needs a gradual approach, the coach must prepare him for this jump. And there is a child to whom you offer to make a jump, and he went and jumped without any problems. That is, here, too, a lot depends on the child himself.
Do jumps start from a meter springboard?
First of all, children are taught to swim. And then the smallest children first jump from the side, and then there is a meter-long springboard, etc. - increasingly. From 3 meters high and above.
Yulia Prokopchuk won the gold medal of the European Championship / photo Xsport
I remember, during the excursion for journalists, in the training hall near the pool there were original foam rubber mats. Are they used in beginner training?
They are used by adults and children alike. This is the preparation of the jump in the hall. First, there is a warm-up in the gym, acrobatic training, trampoline, then the athlete performs certain elements of the jump in the gym when he jumps into foam rubber. And then already in the pool - jumps into the water. The difference is that you need to land into the foam with your feet, and into the water with your hands, you need to “twist” the jump. This is all done in order to learn how to navigate in space.
Admit it, did you personally have a fear of the first jump in your life?
Of course it's scary. It was very scary, I was generally a coward. And I was very afraid to jump.
That is, you and your coach had certain psychological tests, classes ...
You know, I will say this, of course, a lot depends on the coach, but until the athlete himself rebuilds himself, until he is mentally and psychologically ready for the jump, little can happen.
At what age did you personally start training? Where? And who was your first coach?
In general, I have been doing rhythmic gymnastics since the age of 4.5. When I came to the diving section at the age of 8, I was already prepared physically, in terms of stretching. I was taught only to swim and jump from the side. Therefore, I smoothly passed the initial stage [preparation] in the previous section and paid more attention to jumping.
I had my first coach - Grigory Ivanovich Morgun, who taught me the basics of jumping. Then, unfortunately, he was gone. I went to Andrei Vasilievich Rudenko, who had already trained me almost until the end of my career and with whom I won all my medals, for which I am very grateful to him.
Last year, the European Championship was held in Kyiv. It turned out to be a very bright and colorful show. Everyday life of Ukrainian divers - are they also full of training in such excellent conditions as in the LIKO pool? Or does everyone have their own problems? To what extent do other pools meet international standards - in Zaporozhye, Kharkov, and other cities?
Leading jumpers, members of the Ukrainian team, train in this pool, it is used daily. The difference is that before major international competitions, it is “beautified” so that it “shines” in television cameras. Regarding the standards - since the European Championship was held here, it, of course, meets all international standards. The only thing that the organizers of the European Championship lacked was places for spectators. No one expected that there would be such a big hype and there were always problems with a lack of seats. If we compare our pool in terms of purely sporting parameters with others where international competitions are held around the world, we have a similar pool. Conforms to all standards.
As for other cities of Ukraine, I have not competed in Ukraine outside of Kyiv for a very long time, I have not traveled around the country. Therefore, it is difficult for me to say what has changed there and in what direction - it has become radically better or worse ...
As for the capital, I personally started training in the Kiev pool of CSKA on Povitroflotsky Prospekt. Now I train in LIKO. By and large, only these two pools are used in Kyiv for training for jumping water.
Has the excitement around diving increased after the European Championships in Kyiv? People came, watched beautiful competitions, started bringing children to the diving section?
Yes, they took a lot of children, there were queues. People even called me, asking me for advice on which coach to go to. The main thing is that all this does not disappear. So that the hype remains and diving is as popular as it was six months ago, when the European Championship had just ended.
Does the state, represented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, somehow help Ukrainian divers? Do you have attention and financial support?
Of course, the state does not stand aside. We are paid for numerous trips to competitions abroad. The state pays scholarships to the winners and prize-winners of the World and European Championships, which is also a good help. At the same time, our Federation pays the fees here, within the country, when we prepare for international competitions. Leading athletes are given discounts on the purchase of housing, which is also important.
And what attention from the NOC, given that diving is an Olympic sport?
The National Olympic Committee also constantly supports us. In particular, it is very nice when you are recognized as the best athlete of the month. I myself received such awards. This is pleasant even not so much from a material point of view (although, and this, of course, is very important), but from a moral point of view. You are loved, appreciated, respected, your progress is being monitored. Believe me, this is very important for an athlete.
Plus, I cannot help but note such a fact as a very good personal attitude towards the athletes of the head of the NOC of Ukraine Sergey Nazarovich Bubka. I had a problem with my hand, the injury turned out to be serious, and the NOC President found an opportunity to put me in touch with a doctor who was very helpful, gave me a massage course, went with me to Rio and “led” me directly to the start of the competition. As a result, I was able to recover and fully hold the Olympic competitions. The human factor is very valuable in the relationship between athletes and NOCs.
Kirill Stadnichenko
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Are there people on the planet who can jump higher than their own height? What is the world record for? You will learn about this by reading the article.
Sport - is life
Sports are always fun. But this statement applies to fans and spectators. Professional athletes who have devoted their entire lives to a certain type of competition cannot afford to be overwhelmed by emotions. For such people, sport is work, hard work for wear and tear. Only in this way can they achieve their goal and show the best result, prove to themselves and the whole world that the years and efforts on the way to the cherished pedestal were not wasted in vain.
At first glance, not the most spectacular sport. But if you take a closer look, it becomes clear that men and women who conquer a height one and a half times their own height reach heights that are inaccessible to the rest. Thus, it immediately becomes clear how much effort and experience is invested in each jump. For those who are interested in the question: “what is the world record for high jump?”, This article is written.
The beginning of the story
Before answering this question, let's look at history. High jump is a relatively young Olympic discipline. In ancient Greece, they competed in different sports, but not once during the 293 games did the Olympians jump in high. they practiced in a kind of sports competition - they put several horses in a row and jumped over them from a run. But in the modern version, the discipline appeared only in the 19th century. There is an opinion that it was not without the influence of some tribes of Central Africa, who to this day compete in high jumps during festivities.
What is the high jump world record? Such a jump was first recorded in 1859. Then a certain Robert Gooch jumped, overcoming a height of 1 m 70 cm. It is interesting that he did this by setting the bar at an acute angle, and the movements of his legs resembled scissors. Thus, the young man laid the foundation for one of the most popular styles of jumping, and already in 1896 the first medals in this sport were played at the Olympic Games.
World record: high jump (men)
With a height of 195 cm, the Cuban Sanabria seems to have been born specifically for professional sports. While still a teenager, he overcame a height of 2 meters. In 1984, sixteen-year-old Sotomayor showed an excellent result by jumping 233 cm. And at the age of 17, the guy set a world record among juniors, breaking a height of 236 cm.
What is the men's high jump world record? In March 1989, at a closed stadium in Budapest, Javier conquers a height of 243 cm. But so that no one has any doubts, in 1993 the athlete confirms his championship by setting a new world record, breaking the bar of 245 cm. The achievement remains relevant for this day, despite the attempts of many athletes. For example, at the 2013 championship in Moscow, the Ukrainian jumper Bogdan Bondarenko tried to improve his result by 1 centimeter, but the height remained unconquered.
World record: high jump (women)
A similar situation develops among female athletes. Bulgarian jumper Stefka Kostadinova was the best indoor jumper among women five times (from 1985 to 1997), and this is also a kind of achievement. For the first time she showed the best result in the high jump in 1986, taking the bar of 208 cm, and a year later she improved it by 1 cm, setting the current world record. At the same time, Stefka's height is 180 cm. Now Ms. Kostadinova is the president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.
Personal record that did not become a world
People who are significantly taller than average have the primary advantage in jumping, since their center of gravity is higher, respectively, they need to raise their own body weight to a lower height. On average, a person is able to jump a distance of 20% of his height, but there are exceptions. For example, the Swedish high jumper Stefan Holm, with a height of 181 cm, jumped 240 cm. That is, if the world record holder Javier Sotomayor had a bar 50 cm higher than the height of the jumper (26%), then the Swede had 59 cm, which accounts for about 33% of its growth. So far, this is a unique achievement in this sport.
Work on yourself and this will definitely bring a certain result. Who knows, you might be the one who can set a new world record!
58 - Inside news page
9:10 22.06.2016
On the second day of competition at the Russian Athletics Championships, the winners in the long jump among men and women were determined.
In women, the leader of the Russian season has predictably become the champion of the country. In the first attempt of the final she managed to fly 6.84 m, which is four centimeters better than the previous achievement this year. This was more than enough for Klishina to win. The second was (6.69), the third - (6.63 m).
"After the first attempt, I calmed down a bit. I tried not to make yesterday's mistake, not to intervene and make it productive. Then I started thinking about what I shouldn't have done (laughs). Although I still made a couple of good attempts, and for example, I jumped from rubber to 6.68 m and the result was not what it could have been.The coach and I were solving our technical problems here, as there were not enough starts, and I had to work out some points, like maintaining speed on the last steps. We knew that my readiness was not bad. So it was nice to jump in and test myself. The mood is good, before the warm-up I read the news about the decision of the IOC, and I was happy for myself and all the other athletes who will still be able to go to Rio. I don't know yet what documents need to be submitted to participate in the Games. But I think that my coach and agent will do everything right. Of course, all these months have not been easy for all of us. We didn't really understand what we were doing. The situation around was difficult. But nothing, we did it. In a few hours I fly to Moscow, almost immediately move to the United States and start training again," Klishina said.
In men, the best result was shown by , which, after a jump in qualification at 8.22, again flew over 8 meters. Vasily again turned out to be the only athlete who was able to overcome this magical milestone. His winning attempt was on 8.06. The 21-year-old became the silver medalist of the national championship for the first time in his career. Fedor was only three centimeters short of 8 meters, but he was still satisfied, because he set a personal record - 7.97. The 2013 world champion Alexander Menkov is gradually getting in shape and showed very stable jumps in Cheboksary. In his best attempt, he flew off at 7.91 and finished in third place.
“I am satisfied, although after yesterday it was hard. People already hung a gold medal on me, and wherever I was, everyone reminded me of my latest results. But the coach found the right words and I managed to pull myself together. As a result, I had another start over 8 meters "It's already the fourth in a row, so I'm happy. While I'm going without defeat, I hope to progress further. We competed with Lena Isinbayeva in parallel and all the attention was riveted on her. As a result, I often fell under the clapping of the spectators who supported the girls who performed in the sector for pole vault. But he coped with that too," Kopeikin shared.
The champion of the USSR in trampoline sports, a participant in the opening ceremony of the 1980 Olympics, Elena Slipachenko, found herself in a difficult situation. She has been unable to walk for several years and is confined to a wheelchair. About 11 years ago, the athlete hit her back. Doctors diagnosed a compression fracture. There was no money for treatment. And two years later, Elena was paralyzed. Now only her arms move.
Now she lives on a pension of 14 thousand rubles in a tattered apartment in St. Petersburg. The janitor-guest worker takes her out on an armchair to the city. There, on Nevsky Prospekt, a woman asks for alms. According to Elena, the collected money helps her pay the rent. However, her son lives with her, Maxim, who does nothing to help her. The young man works as a bartender and comes to the apartment only to spend the night.
Slipachenko is visited by social workers, but they cannot help her much. There is nothing in the apartment for a wheelchair, in the entrance - too. That is why Elena has not been able to wash herself for a long time. “There is social security. I am on social security, a disabled person of the first group. They come every day,” Elena said.
If it weren’t for an assistant who takes the former athlete outside for a nominal fee, she would never have seen the blue sky. Program “Andrey Malakhov. Live” invited Slipachenko to the studio. Elena explained that after ending her career at the age of 18 in big sports, she trained as a bartender. The ex-athlete began working in a cafe, as coaching did not bring her much income. However, she received an injury many years later after playing trampoline sports.
“Recently, a friend asked me if you want to live or not? This is not life, tin,” says 55-year-old Elena.
Slipachenko herself did not admit why her son did not help her. That is why Maxim himself was invited to the studio. Before filming, he told the editors of the program that he had not communicated with his mother for many years.
“My childhood was relatively happy. However, at a certain point, I learned about the distributed and used illegal substances. It further aggravated. The substances were distributed by this very woman, ”Maxim said frankly.
He does not call Elena a mother, but at the same time he recalls how at the age of 8-10 he saw her in a deranged state. Because of this, the boy was offended and teased at school, he did not develop relationships with peers. Until now, Maxim is offended by his mother.
“I try to improve relations, sometimes I cook something,” Elena noted.
According to Maxim, he lives with his mother, because he cannot rent a separate room, but at the same time he does not help her in any way. The young man notes that he does not need anything from her, not even housing.
Elena Slipachenko's brother is also the owner of the apartment. As Andrei said in a telephone conversation, he plans to take his part of the property from his sister. He has his own family, and he does not help his relative with finances.
Andrei Malakhov expressed the hope that Maxim would reconcile with his mother, and former colleagues would help Elena.
