Vitebsk trampolinist nominated for "Athlete of the Year" award
The name of Vitebsk resident Vladislav Goncharov was among the participants of the open public vote "Triumph. Heroes of Sports 2014" in the nomination "Sportsman of the Year". Vladislav's specialty is trampoline jumping, in this discipline he won a bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships and a gold medal at the European Championships in individual jumps. Recently, a correspondent from "Vitebskiye Vesti" met with the famous Belarusian trampolinist.
— Vladislav, why did you choose this particular sport?
— It didn't work out with gymnastics, where my parents initially sent me. And then Olga Vlasova, my current coach, came to the school to recruit a group for trampoline jumping. I tried it, I liked it, and I've been doing it for over 10 years.
— When did the first successes come?
— Pretty quickly. Competing in the junior category, I started with 4th place. Then I reached the international level. I was so busy that I spent more time with my coach than with my parents. Although, even now, because I am studying full-time at a capital sports university, I live and train in Minsk. In addition, I work as an athlete-instructor for the national team.
— Have you ever thought about leaving professional sports?
— More no than yes. But nevertheless, complex psychological moments arose. For example, when you seem to understand how to perform a certain element, but it doesn't work out. Once, twice, three times, and it gives the impression that everything is hopeless. Or you can't add this element to a combination – you can't exit it correctly and continue the composition. Then the coach comes to the rescue, and if necessary, even a psychologist, who is always part of the team. After working with specialists, you continue to hone your movements, and everything works out. You just have to strive for it. By the way, athletes undergo psychometric tests during training camps, based on which the athlete's internal state and readiness for upcoming events are analyzed. So, excellent health is not the only important thing.
— Looking at the pirouettes you demonstrate, it seems that not everyone can do this. What qualities should a child possess to do trampoline jumping?
— Firstly, desire is necessary – everything starts with it. Then, a well-developed vestibular apparatus, because without it, it's impossible to orient yourself in flight. At the subconscious level, you need to distinguish between double and triple somersaults, various twists, otherwise, you'll just be jumping for your own pleasure. You need to feel your body and control every movement. For some, this awareness appears literally from the first training session. In any case, you shouldn't try to do a somersault right away.
— Is this a dangerous sport?
— Like any other. You need to be as focused as possible. In addition, an experienced coach is on safety. The performance itself takes a few minutes, while training lasts for hours. Initially, each element is practiced separately, and then everything is done as a whole until the movements become automatic. It is important to analyze the mistakes made. On average, 2 seconds should be spent on performing one element. A combination of 10 elements should be performed in 20 seconds. But everything comes with experience.
— Do you think you have a chance to become Athlete of the Year?
— That will be decided by the vote.
— What do you see as the future of Belarusian trampoline gymnastics?
— The younger generation is actively interested in this sport, experienced coaches are working, and there are enough training grounds. As a sport, trampoline gymnastics was included in the Olympic Games program relatively recently. We haven't won any gold medals yet. But there will be.
— Good luck and smooth sporting starts!
We remind you that until January 31, any fan can vote for their idol. This can be done online on the special contest page http://www.triumph.by
Tatyana Serebryakova, "Vitebskiye Vesti"