My trip to Voronezh appeared unexpectedly in my organizer. In December I received a very unusual invitation from Voronezh. It was a video invitation in which young gymnasts asked me to take part in a festival to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the rhythmic gymnastics school in Voronezh Region. Together with the invitation they sent me a beautiful video about the city. I couldn’t let the kids down and spent December 22nd in Voronezh.
The jubilee celebrations were well organized and everything was at high level. It was my first visit to the city and I really liked it. I also visited the sport’s school where rhythmic gymnastics in Voronezh actually began. Students were a bit nervous but put together a wonderful performance for the guests. The Governor of Voronezh Region, Aleksandr Gordeev, came to congratulate the kids, and presented the school with a new exercise mat and one million roubles to buy sports equipment.
After the performances there was a meeting with trainers and people from the Voronezh branch of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation. The future development of rhythmic gymnastics in Voronezh looks very good: a lot of children are willing and able to take up the sport and there’s no problem with trainers – the coaching staff is good. But there is a lack of sports halls, and those they have aren’t big enough to accommodate everyone. It’s really great that the local authorities and the Governor himself are doing so much to promote sport in the region. They have plans to build a sports complex.
In the evening there was a superb gala concert. The event was very well prepared. The presenters were cheerful and had lots of interesting things to say about the history of rhythmic gymnastics in Voronezh. Some of the veteran gymnasts were also invited to the concert and many warm and kind words were said to them. Of course, we saw performances by girls from Voronezh’s rhythmic gymnastics schools. All the children were dressed up, so happy and excited, and they all tried so hard that it was sheer delight to watch them.
In my address I said that children often say to me “We will be like you! We will be like Alina Kabaeva”, but I always answer: “You will be better than Alina Kabaeva”. I’m absolutely confident in this: the way rhythmic gymnastics is progressing these days and the rapid growth of interest toward it only adds more confidence. And you know, I’m really proud of our country’s successes in gymnastics. Thank you all and success in the New Year!
Recently I attended a modest but precious for me anniversary celebration devoted to the history of rhythmic gymnastics. Few people know that this amazingly beautiful sport originated in St.Petersburg. In 1934, a Higher School of Rhythmic Movement was opened under the L.F.Lesgaft Institute of Physical Culture. Importantly, although it’s so similar to dancing in content, the sport was taken seriously rather than a form of entertainment.
And that’s how 75 years ago in Leningrad, rhythmic gymnastics gained the status of sport and became part of professional sporting life.
On December 1, 2009 anniversary was celebrated in the Institute’s Department of Gymnastics Theory and Methodology, which has kept its original title and its wonderful traditions despite all of historical upheavals. I always emphasize that I’m very proud that the most beautiful kind of Olympic sports started here and in our country. Serious approach towards rhythmic gymnastics has produced substantial results: our school was and still remains the best and strongest in the world. We still continue to have the very best teachers and trainers – both theoreticians and practitioners – as demonstrated by the successes of Russian gymnasts at international tournaments.
Not so long ago I graduated from the Lesgaft Institute, and was very glad to have an opportunity to go back to my alma mater. I was really happy to see all my teachers and congratulate them once again on the anniversary wishing them prosperity, artistic inspiration and success.
During the event, Department Head of Gymnastics Theory and Methodology, Professor Raisa Nikolaevna Terekhina, gave a very interesting address. I think many people simply have no idea how much this department has done to promote gymnastics in Russia. So, that’s why I’ve decided to post Raisa Nikolaevna’s report on my website.
Kazan hosted two wonderful rhythmic gymnastics tournaments this year – the Russia Cup and the 10th anniversary of the “Yoldyz” tournament. These events also marked the opening of the 1st All-Russian Sports Forum “Russia - a Sporting Nation”. It has to be said that Kazan did us proud by laying on a simply magnificent festival – beautiful, flamboyant and spectacular. In addition to Kazan’s many other virtues, we can now add that it is a truly sporting city. In fact, in my opening address I said that Kazan and sport are two sides of the same coin. Tatarstan’s capital has proved itself worthy of being chosen capital city of the 2013 World Student Games.
I was doubly pleased to take part in the opening of that sports forum because it actually began with rhythmic gymnastics – my very own favourite type of sport. In fact, rhythmic gymnastics is very popular in Kazan (and throughout the Tatar Republic). You can imagine the sheer demand for this sport when you consider that they’ve decided to build a sports centre designed specifically for rhythmic gymnastics. In two years’ time Kazan will be fully equipped to host the European Championship, because the new sports centre here will be fully in line with international standards. I’m certain that rhythmic gymnastics will have a great future in Tatarstan.
And how much pleasure the sports festival gave to the kids and their parents! You really needed to see it for yourselves. I just loved the demonstration performances: it’s an enormous pleasure for me to watch the little children perform. They’re all unbelievably talented…all of them so good and beautiful in their own different ways. And the thing I particularly like is that this beauty and grace will remain with them forever, no matter how their lives pan out. And that’s terrific! By the way, the kids these days are performing much more complicated routines than we adult gymnasts did at their age. It just shows how quickly rhythmic gymnastics is developing!
At the beginning of the summer I took part in the opening of a wonderful sports installation - the “Pearl” Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy. This is a unique sports complex designed exclusively for rhythmic gymnastics. It’s a wonderful building, with two training halls, an excellent ballet hall, well-appointed changing rooms and recreation rooms… It’s also fitted out for competitions: there are halls with stands and a hotel complex for people from out of town. It’s a super place to train. As far as I’m aware, there’s nothing like it in Europe or anywhere in the world, so the Pearl centre can rightly be called a “rhythmic gymnastics academy”.
Another reason I was so pleased to take part in the opening ceremony of this centre was to see the conditions that the kids will now be training in. In the past, our best training base was Novogorsk, and most of the other sports facilities weren’t up to standard (low ceilings, hard mats and so on). Actually, I should say that the standard of the sports complexes now being built in our country for various types of sport is very high.
An important point: the academy has been built in a wonderful district, amongst apartment blocks where there are lots of children who can now train right next to where they live. This is also a great relief for the parents: they don’t need to take their children to classes somewhere far away from home, and they can relax because the kids are doing sport instead of being out on the street.
St.Petersburg today is actually doing a lot to promote sport, and it’s particularly gratifying for me that they haven’t forgotten about rhythmic gymnastics. Incidentally, St.Petersburg is where rhythmic gymnastics was born. There are lots of talented kids there, so I’m confident that the Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy has been opened in the right place and at the right time.
The opening ceremony was a very festive event. The gymnasts put on an excellent demonstration programme…a proper show, done to a very high standard – world-class, you could say. There were some very complicated elements, the composition was perfect, the music was just right, and the costumes were very tastefully made… I was extremely excited by it all, because I know just how much work goes into creating all this lightness, beauty and glamour.
Although I’ve now finished my sporting career, I still care about rhythmic gymnastics. I think it’s a wonderful sport, especially for little girls. And the posture, the walk, the beauty of movement – all these things stay with you for the rest of your life. And you certainly don’t have to be a champion for that.
I’m really pleased that rhythmic gymnastics is on the right path, that it’s progressing and becoming every more popular, and that our gymnasts are doing so well in the international sporting arena. I hope this trend continues into the future, and I’m going to try to make every effort to make this sport one of the most loved, popular and accessible types of sport for our children.
On 18 November I was at the opening of the Yoldyz International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament in Kazan. It was all very festive. Before the tournament began I had time to watch the group performances by young gymnasts from Ryazan, Nizhnekamsk and other places. It was their final rehearsals of the programmes they’d prepared for the tournament. The little girls were dressed up so prettily and tried so hard, performing each movement very thoroughly. It was an absolute delight to watch.
Marat Bariev (Tatarstan’s Minister for Youth, Sport and Tourism) and I congratulated all the participants on the start of the tournament. Marat announced that in future, once the new specialized gymnastics centre was finished, the tournament would take place in that new venue.
The Yoldyz tournament – “yoldyz” is Tatar for “star” – has been held for several years now, and is famous for discovering new young gymnastics starlets. For the young artistes it’s a very professional forum, and good preparation for future sports competitions. I got the impression it was particularly well attended – there were so many young gymnasts around! I found their energy really infectious, and having re-charged my batteries I went on to Nizhnekamsk to meet my voters and solve people’s problems.
I had mixed impressions of the Beijing Olympics, but one thing is for sure – the rhythmic gymnastics team was simply fantastic. It gave me enormous pleasure – both professional and aesthetic - to watch the performances by Zhenya Kanaeva and Olya Kapranova. Every sequence was a real work of art. And despite all Olya’s mistakes, the girls’ hard work paid off. And I was also really pleased by their win in the group competition. Our girls got into quite a tough battle with the Chinese, but they stuck it out and didn’t give in. Though there were lots of rumours at the Olympics about the wonders of Chinese medicine, acupuncture and other tricks.
In early June I was at the European Gymnastics Championship in Turin. I really enjoyed the performances by the Russian gymnasts, as well as those from other countries. The standard of gymnastics in Europe has really improved, and it’s now much more interesting to watch than it was a few years ago. There’s much more flamboyance in it, which wasn‘t the case in the past. I think the gymnastics world has Russia to thank for raising the standard through its gymnasts.
And of course I was moved by the fact that the spectators gave me an ovation when I entered the hall. That was so nice! I’m really pleased I managed to go to the championship and support our team. And I really like Italy. The Italians are emotional and open like us. I visited Milan, Venice and Turin, though I only had 5 or 6 hours in Venice and only managed to take a ride in a gondola and look at San Marco square. Five hours is nothing at all for a city like Venice, of course.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see much of Turin either, because time was short.
I hope I’ll have another opportunity to visit again in the future for some event or just to go and look around the country, visit different places and relax. I’d love to visit Rome.
At the end of April I attended the 2008 Grand Prix at Marbella in Spain. Our gymnasts put on a superb show: Zhenya Kanaeva took first place in the all-round event and Vera Sesina came second. As the winner of last year’s Grand Prix I was given an amazing welcome: everyone stood up and started chanting “Ka-ba-eva”. It was so nice that they still remember and love me, despite the fact that I had to give up competing because of a knee injury.
Spain has always been close to my heart – I adore flamenco. And I think the Spanish people have a better sense of beauty and grace than anybody else, which is why they are such big fans of rhythmic gymnastics. They remember me from my first European championship, because there they were supporting me probably more than anyone else. As soon as I entered the hall they started chanting “Chempiona, Chempiona”. And it’s the same now, even though I’ve given up sport. And there were so many little kids asking for my autograph! I was then chosen as Marbella Ambassador 2009 (Marbella is hosting 2009 Year of Sport). They also want to set up an Alina Kabaeva club in Marbella. But I’d like to set up a club in Russia first of all, though I’d be really pleased to work with them on this. The mayor of Marbella attended the performances and it was very nice to talk to her. She’s a very beautiful woman, as well as being a fan of gymnastics, and she’s working to promote this sport in her city.
Actually, the whole trip was amazing – I even managed to see some flamenco. Those women who dance flamenco have amazing energy! They invited me to join in, so I gave it a try. I was probably OK, because they said I was a like a real Spaniard, that my movements might not be exactly right, but that there was such passion coming from inside that they couldn’t take their eyes off me. That was really nice to hear.
