“There is nothing interesting in Dubai. It’s cool to relax there, but not to work there. Interview with Olympic medalist Paseka

In March 2020, multiple Olympic medalist Maria Paseka announced the suspension of her sporting career. The girl did not waste time: she worked as a coach in China and the United Arab Emirates, and this year she took part in the new reality show “Titans” from TNT, in which the best athletes will fight with artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence will select 99 athletes and offer them tasks. Athletes will compete for a prize of 10 million rubles and the title of the main titan of Russia.

In an interview with , Maria said that she did not come to the project for financial reasons, explained why she no longer works as a coach in Dubai, and also said that Russian fans should support athletes who will compete in Dubai. the BRICS Games and the Friendship Games.

— Did you immediately agree to participate in the show “Titans”? If there were doubts, then why?

“I immediately agreed because I always wanted to try myself in a show of such scale. But I didn’t know what awaited me, and I even thought that they would refuse me. I wanted to regain that adrenaline that I had during the competition. I haven’t had him in a long time and I miss him. I said “yes” without thinking and I didn’t regret it (smiles).

— Do you like to try something new?

— It’s true: I am a person in constant evolution, who discovers a new me every year, overcomes obstacles and temptations.

—Was that the main motivation? And was money the motivation?

– Exactly (smiles). New challenges are always interesting. The format that awaited us in the show is truly unique. Finance? No! For me, a person feels a lightning-fast emotion when winning, but if he earns money during development, then it’s still nice. And let’s be honest, I hardly prepared for the show, even emotionally (smiles), I was at work and in a completely different country.

— One of the “participants” in the show is artificial intelligence: it selects athletes and prepares tests for them. What do you think about it? How Inhumane Are the AI ​​Challenges?

– This is something new. Even though there is no 100% confidence in artificial intelligence, in the show it got a 4. But it is very interesting.

— Do you have an advantage over the other participants, given your sporting background?

— It’s hard to say, because all the participants are different and many of them are athletes too. Maybe in some cases we have a privilege. Gymnastics is the “mother” of all sports, so somewhere we have an advantage, but let’s not forget that training active athletes and those who stay fit is different.

— How to win the show “Titans”?

— The most important thing is patience, as we had at the start. This is also our plus. Also in the show you need to correctly calculate your strength, because in sports after the competition we had a day of rest, but here the tests take place step by step. And of course, logic is simply necessary here.

— How did you develop your patience?

— An injury due to which I had to give up sport as an active athlete, a back injury to be more precise. During the recovery period after the operation, doctors prohibited any strain on the back for a year and a half. For me, it was both difficult and incomprehensible, because I don’t like to sit idly by. Well, it’s hard to watch other girls’ shows grow while you just watch. There endurance was developed, which also helped the show.

— In January you went to Dubai as a coach. Is there still work going on there?

— No, the climate didn’t suit me, it was very difficult. It’s very hot there and I can’t stand these weather conditions. For three months, I had a headache every day, so it was hard to work. After all, I’m almost 30, my body’s reaction to the weather is already there (laughs).

– Do your joints hurt?

— Yes, yes, my back hurts because of the weather (laughs).

— Have you worked as a developmental gymnastics coach?

— Yes, I worked with children. They didn’t teach complex routines, all they could do was a front somersault and a backflip. It is simply for the development of children who may not choose gymnastics in the future.

Generally speaking, there are now plans to open our own training ground for children.

— Is it possible to get closer to your goal?

– I try. Maybe someone will read this interview and want to help you.

— Would you like to open it in Moscow?

– Yes. Before I left for Dubai, the mother of one wrote to me that she and other parents were willing to donate money so that I could train their children. They were even ready to make a room in my name (smile). Now I wonder if my decision was the right one. But the main thing is the conclusion I made: there is nothing interesting in Dubai. It’s cool to relax there, but not to work there. Everything you earn, Dubai requires you to spend it.

— Was it easier to work in China?

— There, they are waiting for me again, not in the national team, but in the Anhui province. Why did I prefer China? There is a base there, like the Russian national team, where there is food, a hotel and a gym. Everything is nearby and everything is quiet. And peace of mind is a very important factor these days.

— Have you already decided to return to China?

— There is no clear solution yet. I’m lost in my thoughts. Management proposes to hire a large group of small athletes; for this you must select a second trainer. I not only want to complete my tasks like a robot, but I want to devote time to each child.

—Did the Chinese athletes understand who they were dealing with when you worked there?

— Yes, we even played with some of them in Rio. When I arrived, I didn’t recognize them at first, because they hadn’t been anywhere for a long time due to quarantine, the girls had grown up;

—Was it difficult to tell them apart?

— Honestly, yes. When you see a group of Chinese tourists in Moscow, you think they are all absolutely the same. When I arrived in China, I realized that they were all different. We even nicknamed a French girl. It looks like she comes from France.

I would also like to point out that the Chinese are very nice. We were at a competition in another city, where I left my phone in the bathroom. I realized this when we were already on the train to Beijing. I told the translator about this, she immediately called where I needed it and my phone was sent by delivery to Beijing. The mentality and responsiveness of the Chinese are astonishing. Just like ours (smile).

— There are just over two months left before the Paris Olympics and discussions about Russian participation continue. What do you think?

– The situation is twofold. As an athlete who has already competed in the Olympic Games, I would not go now. I would like to see my country’s flag and not wear taped gear. But I really feel sorry for the guys who took a really long time to get to the Olympics. If I was a young person, I would go. When I was young I was absolutely excited about the Olympics, I really wanted to be there. But now it is enough to participate in such competitions with a flag. This is our country, we don’t say to other countries: “Why are you with your flag?” Let’s play without a flag.” We have a great country, come to us, especially since the BRICS Games and the Friendship Games are ahead. I would advise fans and people not involved in sports to come to these Games. The athletes really need your support.

I remember that in Rio and London we saw two or three small Russian flags on the stands, but it was already becoming pleasant. When in London I became third on vault, I saw a man I didn’t know jump with a flag and shout to me: “Well done!” I felt so happy. It would be really cool if at the Games in Russia all the fans would take our flags and we would also cheer for each other for any sport.

— Are you going to follow the Olympics?

– Yes, I’ll be interested to see what they do. When Russians stopped traveling to competitions in February 2022, Tanya Nabieva and I included the World Cup stage. On the jump, everyone was doing two or two and a half screws, but God forbid they jumped a 540 screw. It was low at this point.

— Will you support anyone at the Olympics? And do you keep in touch with anyone?

— Sometimes I keep in touch with Julia Steingruber, we can write to each other. Once I posted a photo and she wrote that she missed her a lot. They said we all lacked the emotions we felt during competitions.

— Have you ever been friends with Simone Biles?

“She’s a wonderful girl and I can’t say anything bad about her.” At the Rio Olympics, she approached me cautiously and poked my side with her finger, she wanted to congratulate me. Simone is small, I didn’t even feel it! Then I turned around, we kissed, she congratulated me. I remember Simone’s poor performance in several consecutive tournaments. I even asked my mother: “Why, when I’m not there, does Simone perform poorly? What a joke (laughs). Simone is very strong, she can do what the boys do. Well, that’s cool!

— Do you think that his gymnastics is not so aesthetic, but can be respected for the complexity of the program?

“I don’t think it’s aesthetically pleasing.” He is muscular and the muscles sometimes constrain the body. I can’t say that it is “dirty” and impossible to look at. That’s how she is. I wasn’t a freestyle “swan” either. What surprised me the most was the way Simone breathed after her team floor exercises in 2015. She breathed as if she had been walking down the street. Wow, what stamina she has. I was out of breath after the floor exercises! Low endurance since childhood.

— What would you wish for our athletes at this time?

– Patience. Just wait, it won’t happen forever. Prepare for the Games in Russia and perform well. Many foreign athletes wrote to me: “Masha, how boring it is to play without you. We must endure and enjoy this time.

I would also like to say a huge thank you to my mother and coach Marina Gennadievna Ulyankina, vault specialist Artem Igorevich, Evgeniy Anatolyevich, Vladimir Aleksandrovich and all other coaches and specialists, doctors who helped, because without them my career would be He was nothing.

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