ATHLETICS. Tatiana Lebedeva: it’s necessary to set goals which seem insurmountable - to win gold in two forms at the world championships

Today, 28 August, at the World Athletics Championship in Osaka, the long jump tournament ended in triumph for the Russian school: the 2004 Olympic champion Tatiana Lebedeva won gold, the 2006 European champion – silver, and medalist from many major competitions Tatiana Kotova – bronze. After the end of the competition Tatiana Lebedeva spoke with the special correspondents of the Agency of sport information “All Sport” in Osaka – literally about everything.

- “I’m very happy that I now hold the title as the long jump world champion,” said Tatiana Lebedeva. “And no less happy that Russia will have the right to advance four athletes at the next world championships. This is important, because some of the strongest were left off the team this time. Of course it’s simply wonderful that we continued the tradition in Osaka, started at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, of occupying the entire pedestal. It’s marvelous that today we backed up yesterday's gold initiative from the girls in steeplechase, winning two golds right away today. I believe the girls, and the guys of course, will continue in the same spirit, and we’ll have yet more gold medals.

- And which was nicer company for you standing on the pedestal – in Athens or today?
- What has nice to do with it?! The main thing is that the girls fought to the end. And the split the places between themselves on the last attempt. Tanya Kotova stirred things up and forced Luda Kolchanova to get it together. I even told her: The Tanyas weren’t able to jump so much further before. Just to make it more interesting.

- But everything ended at the beginning for you and couldn’t be better.
- Honestly speaking, I thought that winning would be very difficult. I expected five people to jump seven meters today, since yesterday in qualifications they made 6.90 or thereabout quite easily. But there was a head wind in the sector and it threw many off stride. But for me a head wind is the normal condition. At all the tournaments where I’ve competed in the long jump, I’ve jumped with a head wind. Except one, in Madrid on 21 July, where I had my best result of the season – 7.15. I was fully prepared for a head wind – purely psychologically. And when it calmed down, it became very very good for me. Then problems with my landing technique came up. I wasn’t able to keep my foot from dropping too early and I lost no less than 10 centimeters from each result. I was nervous and angry.

- At yourself or your rivals?
- When I’m mad at others it’s just anger. But when I’m angry and scolding myself, it always has an effect. Today it came out for me like always, I relaxed - and inspiration came back. Sometimes I need to be coaxed: Tanyechka, please jump, you’ll be able... But sometimes quite the opposite. I tell myself: Hey you wimp, cut out the hysterics! There are different situations, but today I was more or less calm. I understood that I still have the triple jump, and my feet were already tired. The runway here is soft, and your feet quickly start to sort of bog down. Therefore didn’t make a sixth attempt. I remembered in time that I have qualifications for the triple jump tomorrow morning. I’m simply avoiding injury.

- You have strength left for the triple?
- Well I’m holding up so far. I don’t want to let the team think it’s possible I’m weakening. Certainly, early tomorrow morning I’ll awake and my feet will hurt, my muscles will be stiff and won’t bend. But I think I’ll somehow jump in qualifications tomorrow, and then I’ll give myself a day of rest. I’ll get myself together and everything will be normal.

- Tanya, do you remember the story of two years ago, when you took part in qualifications at the world championships in Helsinki, but didn’t start in the final, then shortly thereafter won the million dollar “Golden League” jackpot?
- Of course, I suffered terribly then, and tried not to pull out. But on the eve of these world championships I thought: If I pull off the double, one medal will “make up” for 2005, and to my mind everything will fall into place. No athlete is immune to injuries, and I withdrew from Helsinki just because of an injury, not because I was after the “Golden League” million like they wrote.

- And the gold double by itself, which didn’t happen at the Olympiad in Athens, is very important for you in Osaka?
- Certainly! How often does it happen? A goal is set, very quickly accomplished, and only then comes the realization: that’s all? You win here, you win there - you consider... But it’s always necessary to set goals that seem insurmountable - to win gold in two forms at the world championships. Even though these tasks are not accomplished, while working on them you’ll be maximally concentrated and motivated. Then if you succeed, you’ll get tremendous internal satisfaction. The pain, all the strong rivals, and you pulled through, and you’re so proud that you could do it! You begin to pose newer and newer insurmountable goals. Indeed this is the point of sport - self-perfection.