Welcome To Svetlana Khorkina Online!

Home
Biography
Campaigns
Fact File
Fan Mail
Guestbook
Links
My Banners
News
Photos
Quotes
Reports
Results
Routines
Schedule
Videos

E-mail Me
ICQ Me (33999588)
AIM (dizt1985)

FIG Worlds 2001 Interview
with Svetlana Khorkina (Qualifications)
Ghent, Belgium - October 30, 2001

Svetlana Khorkina (RUS) - 1996 and 2000 Olympic Champion on Uneven Bars; 1st place in the current Individual ranking (37.224)
This competition was as any other major competition! It’s never easy. This was only the beginning of the World Championships - there are Team Finals, Individual All-Around Finals, and Apparatus Finals to come. We tried to do our best today and we shall try to do even better in the Team Finals. We are ready to fight…

New Hairstyle?
After Sydney I though it's about time to end my competitive career and also about time to grow some hair. Then, in January, I was invited to take part in a Gala-performance in France. Following to this, I don't know how and why I continued my training but here I am - in Ghent with a long-ish hair…

You were so close to the All-around title in Sydney and still, you gave up the chance to finish the competition.
Well, I won’t give up this time!

Russian Pre-Worlds 2001 Interview
with Leonid Arkayev and Svetlana Khorkina
Sport-Ekspress - October 23, 2001
Conducted by Rovshan Askerov
Translated by Tara Kennaway

On the 27th of October in Ghent, Belgium, the next world championship starts. Correspondents of Sport-Ekspress were at the Russian base, “Round Lake”, when the model competitions took place, that is, competing in conditions as close to the real fight as possible.

WE GO TO GHENT AIMING FOR ATHENS

The forthcoming competition should become a turning point because of a few reasons. Firstly, it takes place in a post-Olympic year, so it is impossible to predict both the make up of its participants and the goals that stand before national teams. Secondly, the Championship will be conducted according to new rules, foreseeing increasingly complicated routines. To the previous categories of difficulty of elements, - A, B, C and D - Super E’s have been added, giving an increase of 0.3 points to a score. All of this became the topic of conversation with head coach of our national team, the president of the Russian Federation of Artistic Gymnastics, Leonid Arkayev.

First, how would you evaluate the development of the team for the Championships in total?
To be honest, I’m not too satisfied. There is still a lot of progress to be done for both the girls and the guys. This is mainly because we have greatly increased the difficulty of our routines.

And there is practically no time left for correction of problems…
There’s still time. The male gymnasts will need to find the peak of their form, I think, towards the 27th of October, and the female gymnasts, by the 29th. By the way, I’m primarily counting on the women’s team in Ghent.

Has anyone strengthened the team this year?
Yes. This is without a doubt Natalia Ziganshina and Maria Zasipkina who performed well at the Russian Championships.

How is it going with the men?
Their main problem is a short bench of reserves. Nikolay Krukov has once again sustained an injury. There is a huge possibility that he will not go to Belgium. The physical and psychological fatigue of our team leader Alexei Nemov is also making itself felt. It was not by chance that he only competed on the floor exercise at the National Championships.

And at the World Championships?
The spectators will definitely see Nemov on the floor, parallel bars, high bar and vault.

At previous world championships, your wards were second, having yielded to the Chinese and Romanians. What kind of goals do you have this time?
In such a subjective type of sport such as gymnastics, it’s possible to be defined by many things. For example, the draw.

That is to say?
According to the draw, our guys compete in the first division. This means that the main competitors go out after us, and some even on the next day, but I’m not altogether inclined to dramatize the situation and panic. In Japan 4 years ago we found ourselves in 19th place after the first day, and then crawled up to 4th place. For the guys, I’m really hoping on vault, and for the girls, who were luckier with the draw for the team competition, bars and floor. In general, the level of readiness of our women’s team instills more optimism.

What do you have to say about the judging?
You’ve touched on a very painful subject, considering our hostility with the technical committee.

You mean Jackie Fie?
First and foremost, I don’t think that I’m strongly mistaken if I call her the enemy of Russian gymnastics. Even if there is only this one fact of this - that is she named the experts to the judging board without prior discussion but by a simple telephone call. It’s good that we put in a protest on time and the executive committee of the International Federation didn’t allow such injustice.

Do you have some kind of strategical plan for this Championship?
It is a stage of our preparation for the world championships of 2003, at which the selection for the 2004 Olympic games in Athens will take place. By the way, we have signed an agreement with the Greek Federation, giving our gymnasts the opportunity to train in the Greek capital. And the national team of their country also competed as guests at the last Russian Championships.

Has the final make up of the team been determined?
Of course. It includes Alexei Nemov, Alexei Bondarenko, Yevgeny Podgorny, Georgy Grebenkov, Yuri Tikhonovsky, Yevgeny Krylov, Svetlana Khorkina, Elena Zamolodchikova, Lyudmila Ezhova, Ekaterina Privalova, Natalia Ziganshina and Maria Zasipkina.

By the entrance to the hall, we are met by two-time Olympic champion, Svetlana Khorkina.

Since you are our most experienced gymnast, can you tell us about your friends on the team?
Our girls are really quite good. Privalova recently competed excellently at the University Games. Ziganshina is working very persistently.

And what kind of form is Svetlana Khorkina in right now?
Slowly but surely, my condition is getting better. A post-Olympic year result is an inevitable recession, and time is needed for restoration.

As a veteran, do you make use of any kind of privileges with Arkayev?
I work by a separate program with my personal coach, Boris Pilkin, who I call my “brains”.

Will you have some kind of higher task at the upcoming competition?
I don’t put any kind of higher task in front of myself. The most important thing is to carry out my work with quality, and where possible, to help the team.

How do you evaluate your performance in the 'model competitions'?
A three. (The Russian school system gives marks of 1 – 5, with 5 being the highest.) But firstly, there is still time for perfecting technique, and secondly, it’s all so relative… Let’s say I went to the last European championships in Paris not in the best state, and in the end I became the champion.

Do you have an 'ideal person' in sport?
Aleksander Karelin - wrestler. I bow down before this person. He participated in 4 Olympics and was the standard bearer of the team three times, and he always represented the country worthily.

Does his sporting longevity inspire you?
In any case, for now I don’t intend to leave. I really hope to perform at the Games in Athens.

Svetlana Khorkina: Anything but Gymnastics
Sport-Ekspress - May 1998
Conducted by Nikita Kim
Translated by Nikki Kim

Getting ahold of the 1996 Olympic champion, and the 1997 world and 1998 European all-around champion during a competition is incredibly hard. Every day during the European championships, which were held in St. Petersburg in the beginning of May, Svetlana Khorkina was shadowed by fifty or so reporters, and each of them was angling for an exclusive interview. Not one of them got a direct refusal, merely a promisefor "tomorrow." And then the day after tomorrow, and so on. "Of course it`s shameful that I have to feed so many grown-ups breakfast," a tired Khorkina complained. "But what can I do - everyone has their job to do. For journalists, it`s asking questions, and mine is competing on the podium. And believe me, I also have sour bread!"
That outburst did not exactly conform to the stated theme of "anything but gymnastics", which is why she invited us to talk to her after she returned home, to Belgorod. We began with her relationship with the media. And so, Khorkina and...

- On Journalists -

Do you really dislike my colleagues?
Depends. But for some reason, they all seem to want to talk to me right before a competition, just when you have a million other things going on inside your head. Times like that, I'm really nervous, though I try not to show it. But you know, I realize today that I'm not just Sveta Khorkina, but in some sense the personification of gymnastics.

Has anyone ever tried to tear you down?
Only once. Four years ago, at the Goodwill Games, this one journalist asked me if I knew who Nabokov was and if I knew any of his works. But your colleague wasn't really interested in my response, because to him it was obvious that I was just an idiot who didn't know anything but gymnastics. That made me really angry, and I've disliked him from the get-go. And as a matter of fact, I did read Nabokov's "Lolita" and liked parts of it.

There was recently a TV show about Larisa Latynina, the famous Olympic champion. She told a huge audience about her private life, how sometimes it was happy, but more often than not, not so happy. Could you be so open?
In principle, yes. Now if only I had such a private life.

- A Private Life -

Are you an open person?
If I want to, I can be. But I could never just spill my guts on a first date. First I have to get used to a person so I can believe and trust him. Only then can I talk about personal stuff.

When did you fall in love for the first time, do you remember?
Two years ago, when I was seventeen. But I don't want to talk about it- not because I don't trust you, but because this guy was from gymnastics. Yeah, that's ancient history now.

Do people often recognize you on the street?
They come up to me sometimes, of course. But instead of the broken-record approach of, "Do you have the time, miss?" or "Why do you look so sad?", they'll hold out a hand, documents, money and beg for an autograph. To them, I'm not an attractive woman, but a just a famous athlete. Sometimes that sucks.

How should your ideal guy look?
Ideally, he should be tall and well-built - so he doesn't look like he's malnourished or something. Former athletes are a possibility - a basketball or soccer player. As for personal qualities, he should be charming and very nice.

One famous director said that friendship is love without sex, and love was friendship with sex. What's your definition of love?
(Two minutes later) Shakespeare`s: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the heart.

And do you have many friends?
Among my true friends, I can count three girls and three guys. One of my best buddies is Lyosha Nemov. By the way, journalists really love to "marry" us. Lyosha and I are really close - but just as friends, not lovers.

Do you live alone?
If I'm in my hometown of Belgorod for longer than a week, then I live in my own two-room apartment, which I received after the 1996 Olympics. It's cosy there, just a bit drafty, but because of my hectic schedule I'm barely ever home. Sometimes I'll hang out in Belgorod for two- or three-day breaks between competitions, like right now. Then, I'll stay with my parents and sister. There's less hassle, and I don't have to cook.

Are you a good hostess?
In principle, yes. But you're going to have to take my word for it, because there's no way to prove otherwise!

Are there any favorite recipes "from the kitchen of Svetlana Khorkina"?
Do you know how to make fried eggs? No, I'm not kidding - I just love fried eggs! And I like almost all kinds of food, except for olives and olive oil - those I can't stand! As you know, female gymnasts have a pretty tortured relationship with food. Luckily, I have the kind of metabolism where I can eat whatever I want. I only ever go on a diet right before a meet.

You're rarely ever home, so obviously you don't see your parents very much. Do they worry much about you?
Actually, I worry more about them. Especially my mom. She's a nurse in a kindergarten for blind children. It's really hard work, and she's constantly under a lot of stress.

- Hobbies -

What do you usually do when you're in Belgorod for an extended stay?
I go to university, write tests. I'm studying physical education, to become a coach. Often, I'll stroll along the city - Belgorod is real pretty. I love dancing and go to discos a lot. I like all kinds of music, except for electronica and so-called acid jazz - raves and what have you. I really like Russian music - from "Ruki vverkh" [or "Hands up!", a wildly popular techno duo] and [Marina] Khlebnikova [a pop singer] to [Larisa] Dolina [a Streisand-esque chanteuse] and Na-Na [the Russian answer to the Backstreet Boys - N.K.]. By the way, I met the guys from Na-Na at the Olympic banquet at the Kremlin, and they and their producer Bari Alibasov seemed like really nice kids.

Do you like going to the movies?
I don't have time for that, so usually I'll watch the new movies on video. The most recent ones I saw were "Titanic", "Man in the Iron Mask" and "Romeo and Juliet".

You haven't been hit with Leonardo DiCaprio-mania like so many others, have you?
No. Of course, Di Caprio is not a bad actor, but to me he doesn't really emote like a grown man should. I feel much closer to our Russian actors, especially the famous troika of Nikulin - Witzin - Morgunov. Among actresses, I like the "Caucasian prisoner" Natasha Varley.

What kind of wardrobe do you like?
I like classic clothes. I love pants suits, and for denim I like Versace. Ususally, I travel with five outfits - I don't need more than that because I couldn't manage to wear them all!

Have you found your scent yet?
Not yet. That's why I like to try new perfumes whenever I travel abroad. I like Estee Lauder, 5th Avenue, Kenzo, Armani.

- The Future -

What would be your idea of personal happiness?
Hmmm, let me dream a little. OK: I live in a large villa somewhere abroad - in Switzerland, Italy or France. I have a cat or big dog at home (just not a Rottweiler, because they seem really mean to me). Finally, a garden and path where I'll be able to take walks at night.

And no place for your beloved?
Not yet. Because of the absence of one in my present life.

There is this rather sentimental saying: that to men every woman is a flower - a flower that if it is to bloom, must be taken care of. Which flower would you compare yourself to?
I'd be something between my favorite burgundy roses and a cactus.

Can you really prick?
And how!

Thanks to Nikki Kim for the contribution.

SVETLANA - A SCENT OF A WOMAN
By Vera Atkinson
Lausanne 1997

Svetlana, have you had time to consider what you have achieved? You have at last won the All-around title.
Well... At this moment I am very happy. I am slowly coming down to earth.

Have you ever wanted to resemble another bright Gymnastics star?
In the beginning, it was Svetlana Boguinskaya. Then, I gradually realised that the best thing in life is to build your own aura.

The audience really appreciated your new floor routine. Everybody thinks you are bringing back the femininity and grace into Artistic Gymnastics. Tell us more about your floor routine.
It is new and choreographed to classical music ('Poem' from Z. Fibich). I began practising it in February. One needs to be very artistic to express the meaning and the style. To tell you the truth I do not think I have yet achieved my best, although I am very happy that the audience loved it.

It seems that everybody else from your team comes to cry on your shoulder when they are in need, are you the captain of the Russian team?
I do not feel like the captain. I simply have more experience, I am older than most of the girls and I just try to help them at any time.

Svetlana, where does your sense of humour come from?
My family is a very cheerful one and obviously this helps. However, if you want to meet a real joker come and listen to Elena Grosheva. She is a great character! We have been friends since our childhood.

Is your younger sister Julia a gymnast as well?
Yes, she is fourteen years old. She trains quite hard to try to reach the top level. Who knows ... She has always been very proud of my achievements and I suppose it helped her to take up Gymnastics.

How did your family support you during the Championships in Lausanne?
My mother has spent most of the time lighting candles in the church. My father has been sitting silently in front of the TV set.

What does you coach Boris Pilkin represent for you?
He is my second father.

Will you compete until Sydney?
I will answer you as always. I do not know.

I wish you to experience in life the same immense satisfaction that you have experienced in Lausanne!

Interview with Svetlana Khorkina, gold medal winner of the Women’s Horizontal Bar Final
Tianjin 1999

Do you think that your victory may in some way be due to your being more famous than the other athletes?
First of all I’d like to thank the Tianjin people for their sincerity and their appreciation, and to say how happy I am to have won this event. Whilst there are no doubt all kinds of comments about whether or not the win has anything to do with my fame, I believe it’s due to my performing standard and the fact that I have trained so hard – I think my success is directly related to this.

Many athletes have stopped competing due to injuries but you manage to keep in great form. What is the secret behind your staying on top form for such a very long time?
Many athletes of my era have retired due to injury or other problems. But I think those people’s top championships have generally come early, i.e. at the age of 16 or 17. My time has come a little bit later and I have had much help and advice from them, both in how to treat injuries, and also regarding competition itself. Although my results haven’t been so good in this championship, I think that today’s result has much to do with my hard training and work.

Will you be taking part in the Olympics? Also, you’ve won so many golds in the Horizontal Bar event in the past – can you say why today’s victory is different from the others?
It’s not possible to compare performances from World Championships and the Olympic Games since they are entirely different competitions; emotionally, technically and so on. Secondly, of course, I cannot tell you now whether or not I will perform in Sydney. I shall wait until I’m in Moscow at the twelfth strike of the Kremlin watch between the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. After that I will decide – whether to go or not to go.