Anna Bessonova. This name
appeared a lot on the pages of the newspaper "Komanda" last 2 years, but
all that was in different reports. And Anya deserves her own interview.
First, she is a Ukrainian Cup 1999 holder, Champion of I Ukrainian Games
in final apparatus, at last, the bronze medallist in Team competition from
World Championships 1999 in Osaka. Second, Bessonova is a gymnast of interesting
and rarely now used style. Third, she is a daughter of legendary football
player of Dynamo Kyiv (Vladimir Bessonov) and of famous gymnast Victoria
Serikh (now Victoria Anatolievna is one of the first coaches of Ukrainian
Sports Committee). Sure, the fact of famous parents doesn't mean anything.
The cases when children of Champions step on the path of the parents is
very rare. But the aphorism "On the children of genius nature is resting"
doesn't suit here. Perharps, most of the sportsmen tried all "wonderful"
things of the modern sports don't want their children to do sports. Victoria
Bessonova also didn't want her daughter to go in for sports. She imagined
her daughter on the ballet stage. When Anya was three years old, she started
to train in choreography school , then danced in "Kiyanochka". She performed
in Opera Palace and Ukraine Palace. But in five years, young girl said
: "I want to be a gymnast, I will be a gymnast!". So the mother had to
bring her daughter to Albina Deruigina, with who and she trained earlier.
Albina said to her old pupil: "Make a group and train". So Anna Bessonova
first trained with her mom. But dances she didn't leave at first. That's
why. like her mom thinks, Anna has special, clasical style of performing
V.B - I would like to thank to all, who
helped Anya to become a gymnast - takes the word Victoria Bessonova, -
those are not the only coaches. Anya worked with lots of choreographers
- and in school, and in "Kiyanochka" and in sport...Specially we would
like to thank Anya's first dance teacher - Ester Vladimirovna (her surname
I don't remember, unortunately). She made Anna to love choreography, culture
of movements. When I started to work as a coach, my pupil were also going
to Ester Vladimirovna. In "Kiyanochka" Anya got lots of attention from
the head of the ensemble and Lidia Antonicheva. Well, for some time I hoped
that my daughter will be a dancer, but, it's not her destiny, like life
shows
- Why didn't you like that your daughter
will do gymnastics? Because of hard trainings?
V.B - Not only because of that. Dancing
is also not very easy hobby. The main reason was that I knew on my own
expression how unfair can be this sport
- Do you think that your RSG carrier was
successful?
- Not a lot...Certainly, in sport I got
lots of titles : i was a world AA group champion, not once won the medals
of USSR Championships in finals, in AA wasn't lower than six place....But
I always felt that I can do more. Unfortunately, in rhythmic gymnastics
gymnast solves not a lot.
- When you started to train Anna, did you
tell her about "the other side of the medal"?
V.B - Coaches usually don't tell gymnasts
in the judging problems. But girls understand all. Sense of fairness is
much more developed in their souls. But Anya always liked gymnastics.
- Anya seems to be a patient and quiet person.
Is that true?
V.B - Yes. She is like that. But till 6
years, Anya was very difficult kid. I mean that you always had to look
at her, she always tried to climb somewhere for interesting things. But
not because of naughtiness, only because she had lots of energy and curiosity.
SOmetimes I had to just kick her out of the hall. When I was getting home,
my son asked me : "Don't punish Anya, she worries so much". But all that
stayed in the past. Now there are no problems with Anya. Albina and Irina
Deruigina, who train her last 4 years, either. Anya has very good characteristic,
she always listens to somebody's opinion.
A little from the author. Gymnasts are people
very strong, they have to go through hard trainings. Naughtiness and tears
are not rare in rhythmic gymnastics. But we never saw Anya crying or being
naughty. On all notices of the coach, Anya always answers: "I willl do
that".
A.B - You won't help the deal with tears
- Anya thinks - And to be naughty isn't in my rules. Now Gymnastics is
all in my life, so I have to do it professionally.
- Tell a few words about your new routines...
A.B - We made 3 new compositions - with
hoop, ball and rope. Music is classical in common. Irina Deruigina (she
creates all my routines) think that it suit me more and I agree. Modern
now cheerful style isn't for me
Another lyric digression. 14 years old,
Anna Bessonova competed on Youth Games 1998 in Moscow. . And then to reproduce
moves and elements so perfect, as Anya did, no one could do. There, in
Moscow, correspondent of "Komanda" remembered such episode. When Bessonova
ended her composition with ball under the romance "Gori, gori moya zvezda"
, the woman which sit next said : "Oh my God, how beautiful!". But when
the judges put for Anna the score lower than for Olga Belova, audience
started to shout : "Judges out!" and those shoutings were said by Moscow-livers...
- Anya, is it offensive to get lower scores
than you deserve?
A.B - It's normal thing in gymnastics. Who
gets low scores very painful, won't be in our sport very long. I always
try to search a reason in myself, in my mistakes. There is can't be ideal
performance at all
- Do you talk about your compositions at
home with your mom?
A.B - We talk a lot about Rhythmic Gymnastics.
Well, I talk with my mom and about my private life.
- Does your father look at your successes?
A.B. . Sure. He is always on Deruigina Cup,
carefully watches, sometimes gives good advices.
V.B - When in august there was a Rhythmic
Gymnastics competition as I ukrainian Games in the Kyiv's Palace of Sports,
Vladimir spent the whole day in the hall. Lots of people were surprised.
At Home, when we had dinner, he said all his impressions not about only
Anya's routines, but and about the routines' of other gymnasts and even
in group apparatus. Some of those comments were very good/ There are some
things, on which the coach doesn't look and sometimes they can play their
rolls.
- And are wife and daughter interested in
husband's/father's success?
A.B - We always worry about father's team.
When he played himself, we often were going on the stadium. Well, but then
I was little. Now I have no time for that. Well, and I'm not interested
in football, if CSKA doesn't play
- What sports do you like, except Rhythmic
Gymnastics?
- Figure skating and sports dancing. Earlier
me and my mom were going on dancing competition, which were in Kyiv. And
sure thanks to my brother, Sasha I started to like tennis (Alexander Bessonov
studies tennis in Barcelona, in tennis school, which head is Lewis Brugeyra,
father of the famous Spanish tennis player - Serzhi Brugeyra. It is interesting
that in the same school studies and one of the sons of Sergei Bubka)
V.B - Me and my husband tried to give daughter
and son fully different physical training.. Both perfectly can skate. We
rested in Slovakia and children learned to ski very fast. Now, to be honest,
skiing is closed for Sasha and Anya, they can get a serious unjury
- I think that you go on holidays with the
whole family not very often?
V.B - I don't even remember when it was
for the last time. But this season me and Anya could go for some days to
Barcelona to visit Sasha. He misses us very much there and we miss him,
for sure. Anya - specially. She has ideal relations with brother. In fact,
I think we were lucky with children.
- What are the hobbies of Anna Besonova?
A.B. - I love to read books and sit in the
Internet. Sometimes I can spend some hours near computer
- It is known that you study not in sports
internat, but in normal school..
A.B - No, in 11th form I had to enter the
internat. There the program is lower
V.B - I would like to underline that till
11th class, Anya studied not in normal, but in British school. In last
few years, the education wasn't so deep for her. Practically on all school
subjects, Anya studied separately/ Lessons were after trainings. Sometimes
the teacher was going from us at 10 pm and later. ANya had good knowledges
on all school subjects, especially English. I worry that she lost a lot
last few years...But you have to sacrifice something for sport
- And the last, your plans on this season.
This season is special - Olympic...
- I have to get Sydney first. But I won't
think only about Sydney. Coaches will solve who goes and who stays. My
deal is to train and compete. Both I do very well and I want my routines
to make other people happy.
Interview and Traslation courtesy
of LIDA VINODGRANA