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OLYMPIC GAMES-2008. Vitaly Petrov: I don’t see Isinbaeva as just a slave to sport, and I will be sincerely glad if she marries and has children
Yesterday, August 18th, Russia’s Yelena Isinbaeva became a double Olympic champion after winning the Olympic pole vault tournament in Beijing with a new world record of 5.05 m. Several hours after her brilliant victory Vitaly Petrov, Yelena Isinbaeva’s personal coach, took time out from the celebratory dinner at the Russian Bosco Club to answer questions from the special correspondent of the Agency of Sport Information "All Sport".- Congratulations Vitaly Afanasevich! Lena has already shared her emotions and impressions in detail. But what does this victory and this record mean to you?
- Personally there is a lot of prestige in all this. And again the "20 years since Sergey Bubka" magic worked. In 1983 Sergey won the first World Championships in Athletics – both his first and history’s. And 20 years later, in 2003 my Italian Giuseppe Gibilisco became world champion. In 1986, Sergey won the first European Championship. After 20 years, in 2006, Lena won the European championship for the first time. In 1988, Sergey became the Olympic champion. Now, in 2008, again 20 years later, Lena won the Olympics with me. I’m glad that over 20 years I haven’t merely kept afloat, but have worked at the very highest level, helping athletes to do their jobs well. And in Beijing it’s become a pole vault holiday for athletics. And I’m pleased and happy to be working with someone like Lena, to whom I can present my principles and methodology, and who grasps and implements them. And moreover, implements them superbly.
- At the height of 4.95 m, and already at the level of Olympic champion, Lena had barely needed her first two attempts. What words did you find to make her not only jump 4.95, but then set a world record at 5.05?
- In such situations, mere words no longer help. Lena needed to somehow light up again and get back into the fight. Not a fight for victory - she had already won - but a fight for the record. Understand what was involved. Just victory would have been… just another victory. But victory at the Olympics with a world record is a different matter; an historic moment. Therefore, I tried to put some pedagogical overtones into everything – my gestures and facial expressions... The most important thing wasn’t making a correct technical decision - for example, exactly how to do her takeoff - but her psychological attitude. Thus I acted like a teacher. Before me stood this great person, and I had to "snap" her into it - into this moment, into this state. And in this way I was able to draw Lena back into the fight.
- But did you indeed say something concrete?
- I simply said: Lena, today cannot get away without a record. Well, then I explained: your attitude, whatever you want, you can do. Now just go and set a record. But earlier in the day, while the competition went on, we discussed everything and arrived at this exact overall conclusion: we had to set a record. Rivalry for the victory didn’t influence our objective. Regardless of how high the American girl Stuczynski is jumping now, she is not suited to fight for victory in the Olympic Games.
- Not suited in principle or not suited yet?
- About the future I cannot know – how everything will be; how it will all turn out. Maybe Lena will regress, maybe Stuczynski will improve. I don’t even want to talk about the future now! Let’s celebrate the victory, and we’ll discuss the future later. Now it’s a big, bright holiday. Considering the situation when Lena first came to me, you can say: today she was reborn. We celebrate Yelena Isinbaeva’s birthday! In this case, in the grand scheme, she hasn’t yet begun to realize her potential with this result. I’m still just waiting for this realization. I think over the next two years she’ll be able to realize a potential of 5.15 – 5.20 m. Not just jumping such heights occasionally, but jumping them routinely. But for this, of course, it’s necessary to constantly work hard, day after day.
- But what general incentives can Isinbaeva have as a double Olympic champion, and already a 24-time world record breaker? What will you determine to be her next goal? Not long-term - to jump 5.20 in two years. But in the near-term, what will motivate her to engage in hard, serious work after this victory?
- Champions - if they are really champions – have the drive instilled in their nature. Sergey Bubka had it. I didn’t give him any incentives; he searched for and found them himself. So has Lena. I haven’t given her any incentives either. To stand firm, to prove - these people simply can’t live without victories. Victory in the Olympic Games, in the World and European championships, in the other tournaments. But if a good irritant happens to come along… (smiles) Take when everyone was saying: Stuczynski, Stuczynski… But this was pure happiness for me! Because I knew: now, at the first opportunity, Lena would show this Stuczynski just who she is.
- Can you now speculate how high Lena will jump to win the Olympic Games of 2012 in London?
- London is still a long ways off. Four years is a long time in sports. Although in pole vaulting, it’s not as easy for someone to just spring out of nowhere in a year or two, as it is in the sprint, distance, throwing and other physiological events. The structure of our event can’t change in this time. Lena is absolutely right in saying that so far she sees no rival. This is simply a statement of fact rather than bravado. But she also must not see any distractions or diversions if she is to stay in the sport and put enough into it to win in London. Maybe Lena will win with 5.15, maybe with 5.20. For now I can only promise that in London-2012 she’ll be prepared to jump 5.20.
- By the way, regarding distractions and diversions… Remember how you criticized Isinbaeva just prior to the tournament in Rome, where she set a world record? In particular, that she insisted on holding one of her training camps in Donetsk? Now, after her victory, Lena acknowledged that she’s in love, and her young man Artem lives in Donetsk.
- Op-pa! I didn’t know about this. Lena said nothing about it to me. But if she told journalists today, then she felt it necessary and important.
- And if she were to say more – that she wanted to marry, wanted to become a mother?
- I am a professional. And Lena and I have a contract: if she decides to leave or if I decide to quit, we must give the other three months warning. We’re not obligated to each other for life. We’re working together to help each other grow, develop and achieve professional victories. I will be sincerely glad if Lena gets married and has children. I don’t see her as just a slave to sport. She is a clever and interesting person with a strong personality. Of course I wish that Lena be bright, beautiful and happy, not only in her athletic life, but her personal life as well.
