Russian UFC fighter Victoria Dudakova In a conversation with , she shared her impressions of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
Before switching to mixed martial arts, Dudakova was a swimmer and was part of the country’s junior team. Later, the girl became interested in MMA and made her UFC debut in 2023. On August 3 in Abu Dhabi, Dudakova will face Sam Hughes.
— As a former swimmer, with what emotions did you attend the opening of the Paris Olympic Games?
— I didn’t watch it, I saw popular clips, but I didn’t even finish watching it. From the news, I only know that the famous judoka in the under 52 kg category, who hadn’t lost for five years, lost to a girl from Uzbekistan. That’s all. It’s a pity that our guys aren’t there.
— Did you think when you were swimming or vice versa now that, depending on your age, these would be your Olympic Games?
– Well, hardly in swimming. Of course, when I started training, this was my goal: like any athlete, I wanted to be an Olympic champion. But after a while I realized that I would hardly have reached such heights specifically in swimming. Because no matter how hard I work, no matter how efficient I am, anthropometry plays a big role in swimming. I’m just not up to it. Of course, in MMA I am one of the highest weights. But compared to swimming, I am generally a dwarf.
— Evgeny Somov is your age. Haven’t you met him at the junior competitions?
– I don’t know him, honestly. In swimming, when we competed as juniors, we always went to competitions not with our age, but with boys two years older. So I know everyone, guys born in 1997 and 1996. We usually didn’t have any contact with those who were younger. Only later, in adulthood. And that’s why I don’t know any of the youngsters, “Dudakova told .
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Games took place on Friday on the banks of the Seine, for the first time in history it took place outside the stadium. Participants in the parade of delegations were placed on 85 boats, which sailed along the Seine from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Trocadéro. The event was criticized for its poor organization, as well as for some scenes, including a parody of the biblical story “The Last Supper.” On Sunday, the Games organizing committee apologized at a press conference for some aspects of the spectacle.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
