I can’t give you any special recipe for how to become an Olympic champion, because there isn’t one. So I’ll answer the question in a different way: it’s hard to achieve supreme mastery in any sport – in fact, in any profession - if you’re not truly committed to it, if you’re not really striving for perfection through hard work and discipline.

I think it’s important to enjoy even your very smallest successes, and to spare neither time nor energy on classes and training. Remember that nothing is too small to be unimportant - each detail and each element can be crucial in a performance. So it’s vital to practice all the elements. You mustn’t give up under any circumstances and you should look upon difficulties as tasks to be addressed rather than hiding from them. And one more thing: you must never look down on those who have fallen behind. There’s a wise saying I really like about having the right to look down on others only if you’re helping them get up.