Russian judoka Madina Taimazova at the Grand Slam tournament in Ulaanbaatar made a serious contribution to the victory of the national team in the medal standings: in the fight for gold in the weight category up to 70 kg, Madina beat Japan’s Yoko Ono in revenge for her defeat at the Doha Masters.
In an interview with , the Tokyo Games medalist explained why she would never change sports, told how judo helped her in life, and also remembered who she dreamed of becoming as a child.
“After the Olympics, I said too much, but it was emotions”
– Madina, almost a year has passed since the Olympic Games. How have you changed?
“I don’t think anything has changed in me. There was just more urge, I smelled the taste and realized how great it would be to win a gold medal. When she’s on the verge, you almost reach out to her, and you kinda miss, you still want to reach out.
I even felt better in training. I already know exactly where I’m going. That taste of blood is already in your mouthLaughs). Despite everything that happens around me, nothing affects me: I have a goal, and I’m sure there will be a chance. I can only be responsible for my work, and the rest is not up to me.
– How long have Olympic emotions accompanied you?
– I think they calmed down on the second day. It wasn’t a gold medal…
“But because of the effort put into the fight, the reward was more like gold.
– Yes, many said that it is a good result, that I am still so young and that everything is still ahead, but this result did not satisfy me. Maybe all these people can’t understand how high my ambitions are and how badly I want to become the first. Many may criticize me for my high goals, but I want it and I will do everything for it!
– Did the feeling of injustice because of the refereeing last for a long time?
– This stage is passed. I wouldn’t like to comment on it. We see how everything is beautiful in judo and not like everyone else. We are not like the others. Our rules do not allow us to talk about injustice. If you want to fix something, you have to do it yourself and not blame everyone else.
After the Games, I said too much, but they were emotions. However, I never had the habit of blaming coaches, friends, relatives or circumstances for my failures. I only blame myself.
– The main goal for you right now is a career, but your loved ones will surely worry one day if you plan to start a family.
– Of course, as a girl, I intend to be a mother, a wife, but this is after I have achieved my goal. Or I’ll do anything for it. Life is so unpredictable. God may decide you don’t need it, though you’ve come a long way.
The main thing is that I understand that there are no stones behind my soul. When I ask myself if I did everything for this purpose and the answer is yes, then I will be calm. When I reach my goal or do everything to reach it, then I will start creating a family.
“Training in the gym with your father is like being a queen”
– In judo, can disagreements between coach and athlete be tolerated?
– Subordination is the basis of our sport. I was raised in a Caucasian family and we have great respect for elders. With that in mind, I can’t argue. They told me yes. If you don’t follow the coach’s instructions, the result is out of the question.
– Objecting to the coach is not normal. If I was an expert, I wouldn’t appreciate that either. The coach is twice my age. If a five-year-old teaches me to do things right, it will be funny. All this is a return to the question of philosophy, here the word of the coach is law.
– Do you have a lot of experience in training with representatives of other types of martial arts?
– Yes, I went several times to my father’s freestyle wrestling room. In my opinion, they are completely different sports. Judo has a lot more philosophy. If you haven’t achieved high results, you will always carry with you a huge store of knowledge. No athlete will say, “Why did I spend so much time in judo?” It’s probably unethical to compare, every sport is good in its own way, but I think judo is better (Laughs).
– It’s unethical to compare, because the father represents another sport?
– Yes, we constantly had arguments with him (Laughs). Now I’ve outgrown it and I’m just saying everyone should stick to their opinion.
The first argument I gave him in arguments: “Father, why did you send me to judo?” He understood very well that judo suits me better. It puts him in a cornerLaughs). Even if I wanted to do freestyle wrestling. To train at the gym with your dad is to be a queen (Laughs).
The second argument was the popularity and competition of judo. Wrestlers know it too and admit it.
– Does the philosophy of judo suit you perfectly?
I am grateful to have finished in judo. It is definitely the right choice. Judo greatly affected my education and my vision in general. This sport has made me stronger in every way: somewhere you have to be held back, somewhere you have to show willpower, somewhere you have to endure more. With such an education, life is 100% easier.
The hardest part of growing up was admitting defeat. Whether I’m making music, drawing, studying or working out, I want to be the best at everything. I wanted to be a Mozart and an Olympic champion at the same time.
Thank goodness I have now realized that it is impossible to be the best at everything. I was just a very active kid. After school, I went to the piano, then to music theory, then to dance, from there to training. And after all this, I did not get tired, but rushed around the house, annoying my parents.
– If your family had at least one Mozart, and not an Olympic champion, would you choose music?
– Maybe yes. I have always had an example in front of my relatives. As a child, I just wanted to be an Olympic champion, despite the fact that I didn’t even know what to do for it.
– Did you want to change sports?
No, it was love at first sightLaughs).
“A girl at 28 should consider ending her career”
– How close is your physical form to that of Tokyo?
– I felt as good now as I did a year ago. Yes, for a long time we didn’t have international competitions, but I’m in good shape, which means that in terms of training, we did everything well. A more accurate comparison can be obtained after a few more tournaments. One is not enough.
– The motivation has not disappeared this year?
– Regardless of what is happening around me, I always go towards my goal, no matter what.
– Did you expect to see the Russian team in first place in the medal table of the tournament in Mongolia?
– It’s not at all unexpected. I always believed that we had a solid team. We must do this everywhere. We have very strong guys and we are not inferior to anyone in anything. If we don’t work less, why not? In my opinion, we should always do so. The result is not at all surprising. From now on, it should always be so.
What about your thoughts on post-career activities?
– There are ideas, and there are none that I don’t develop in anything other than judo. I have a few ideas, but I don’t want to talk about them right now.
How often do these ideas change?
In fact, I have several. I wouldn’t say they change drastically, but as long as I’m moving towards the goal, I think it’s not worth talking about. While I gather all the options, so that later, when it comes time to end my career, I can make a choice.
– Ok, until what age would you like to perform?
– I certainly wouldn’t want to play before the age of 40. For a man, it is still acceptable, but a girl aged 27-28 should slowly think about completion. All your best years are behind you, all your youth has passed here. If you couldn’t realize yourself during this time, then there would be no more miracles. As crude as it may sound, a person has their own expiration date.
Source : MatchTV
