Ukrainian champion, Anna Rizatdinova, bronze at European Championships this year is getting ready for Izmir Championships 2014, that will be held in Turkey the next week.

– How is your preparation going? There is only a week left for World Championships

– It is very difficult to prepare: both mentally and physically. I think that this time I will be very fit for this competition. We could not almost train in January and February due to political situation in Kiev.

– Have you been in Turkey before?

– I have been when I was a kid and I can’t almost remember anything. This time, during competition it will be very difficult to visit the city since we only visit the hotel. I do not know if it will work this time to get out. The schedule is pretty intense: five days of competition.

– Where is your gold medal (World Championships Kiev 2013)?

– It is at my parents’ in Simferopol

– How is the attitude towards Ukrainian gymnasts

– I can say it is very good. Last spring we competed in France where many people support us up. We did not expect this. Everybody was asking us if we were sad.
With Russian team we were talking as ever- but not about politics.

– Last year at World Championships in Kiev you won a gold medal. Accidentaly, Russian national anthem was played instead of Ukrainian. You began to sing but suddenly you said “Not this…”. How you would react at such mistake right now?

– My parents were born in Russia so they know both anthems. That happened last year, now the situation would be totally different.

– Recently, Alina Maksymenko uploaded a video performing a “basketball trick”. Was this your idea?

– No, I was not with Alina when she recorded this video. Now that she finished her career, we don’t see each other very often. Alina was invited in many countries (masterclasses) and she has scheduled about three others in Spain.

– Irina Blohina is pregnant, what do you think about it?

– We are all happy for her. Ireesha is coming to help us many times. It is a pity she can’t come with us to World Championships in Turkey, but fortunatly, we have phones.

How is your personal life?

– We don’t have so many free time. We just have a day off: Sunday. After trainings, we are very tired and we don’t even have time for going for a walk.

Anna loves American singer, Lana del Rey and “Summertime Sadness” gala is very special for her

Anna has a really close relationship with Ireesha: “Without her many things couldn’t be possible”