representing Latvia Elisabeth Polstyanaya – one of the five participants in the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, which ended in Tel Aviv, who were born in Russia, but for various reasons representing other countries. The most successful of these five in Tel Aviv was Daria Varfolomeeva (Germany), who won two bronze medals (ball and clubs), the least successful was Silva Sargsyan, who, due to a dislocated ankle left, couldn’t show what she was ready for.
Polstyanaya left Israel without any medals, but with a fourth-place finish in the hoop final, losing to Boryana Kalein (Bulgaria), who won bronze, by 0.300 points and beating Victoria Onoprienko (Ukraine) by 0.750 points. Elizaveta’s performance in this final turned out to be very good (score of 33,600), which once again confirmed that Polstyanaya’s most successful and stable exercise of the current season is the hoop – at the World Cup stage in Pesaro, Elizaveta finished third there, at the Challenge Cup in Portimão – fourth.
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After this only final for Poltyanaya of the last day of the European Championship, she told how the tournament went for her, was it true that the ventilation was working in the room, blowing the tape and, well sure, how did it happen? happen that, being a 13-year-old gymnast representing Moscow, she started competing for Latvia.
– The European Championship is over, nine exercises in four days, was it hard?
– In its own way, it was tough the first day before the start of qualifying, the first outing was very nervous, I haven’t been shaking like that for a long time, honestly. The all-around is for me the most responsible day of this championship: four events without the right to make mistakes, so in terms of pressure it was the most difficult of the whole day. I went to the final with a hoop on Sunday without hesitation and without a doubt.
– About the ribbon in the all-around. She walked in your second sight, didn’t you notice the breeze? It’s just that many have noticed it here, some even a lot.
– The tape has been removed. On the second day, when the tape was made in qualifying, I realized where it was blowing the most, I drew conclusions and, having reached the final of the all-around, I threw the object very hard to that it is not blown. But in the end the problems with the tape did not arise because of the wind, but because I got a little confused in the tape: there is high humidity in the room, the tape absorbs this humidity, gets wet, you sweat yourself – you hold your hand a little, and the tape sticks to the body.
– Usually they try to solve this problem with talcum powder.
– It does not help, because it is absorbed very quickly. You start, halfway through the exercise, and again all thighs are wet. Talc, it seems to me, is out of convenience, we use it and we think it solves the problem, but in fact, not really.
– So the best performance, if you look at the places, that you had at the European Championship on Sunday with a hoop in the only final you went to. Your hoop scores in this tournament are: Qualifying – 31,900, All-Around – 32,350, Final – 33,600. It looks like the first two outings were a warm-up.
– Yes, we are warming up little by little so… (laughing). Seriously, I made the ending cleaner, I can feel it myself. Elements became cleaner and showed more emotions. Therefore, such an assessment.
– I was surprised that, despite the only and obviously important final for you with a hoop on Saturday, after the end of the personal all-around, you sat in the stands in the evening and supported the players of the Latvian group. Very noisy support.
– Of course, I supported them, but they not only played for themselves, but also brought points to the team standings, and I couldn’t help but come and cheer, because we are a team , a whole.
– From the point of view of your interests, was it not more correct to devote the evening to rest before the last day? Massage, recovery.
I managed to do all that later. In addition, I never get tired of my performances, on the contrary, I like it.
– How did the Muscovite Polstyanaya become a Latvian gymnast?
– It happened in 2016, I participated in Riga in the Baltic Hoop competition. They noticed me there and offered to apply for citizenship. We started dealing with this problem, the process took a year and a half. In 2018, she received citizenship and there was a chance to qualify for the team
– On what basis was the selection made?
– There was only one chance at the Latvian Cup. You had to win it to access the European Junior Championship. I won, this Europe became my first major international tournament of my career. And then it’s gone-let’s go (laughing), in 2019 it has already moved to seniors.
– A year and a half, while waiting for citizenship, were you in quarantine or did you manage to play in national national tournaments?
– I played in Russia, played in Latvia at all national competitions out of competition, but with grades. Show your level.
– We spoke with you at the KM stage in Baku, then when asked about the new “Russian” rules, they said that we need to look at the programs that according to them the Russian gymnasts will receive. Now, two months later, something has already been seen, an opinion has formed?
– I watched some exercises, of course. To be honest, I don’t understand these rules. I watch and do not understand what they are doing. But, I admit, I’m not very interested in it.
– I spoke with Dasha Varfolomeeva on the same topic, since according to the “Russian” rules everything is possible, I asked her what she would do, on what she would build a set of complexity. I’m going to ask you the same question.
– Yes, there are such rules – everything is possible (laughing). As for me… I don’t even know.
– Let’s go a different way: why is Elizaveta Polstyanaya strong?
Probably jumping. Last season I had five jumps per exercise, now we have unfortunately removed them due to health issues. But if I found myself in such a situation, I would probably jump, do all kinds of balances. But that’s speculative, it’s hard to say now.
– Heavy Europe is late, is it already clear what the departures will be for the World Championships in Bulgaria in September?
– Unfortunately, there are few departures before him, so we will think with the coach how to build a calendar, we haven’t discussed it yet. I will not go to the World Games in the United States, because I did not qualify there in 2019. There will be a Challenge Cup in Romania at the end of August, it is the only big departure before the World Cup. There were tournaments in Minsk and Moscow on the schedule, but they were canceled, so apparently we’ll all be going to Romania.
– It is not possible to go to competitions in Moscow, this is understandable. Is it possible to go there like in your hometown?
– I do not know yet. Of course, I want to see my family and friends come for a week or two, but we haven’t discussed that yet.
Source : MatchTV
