Anna Shcherbakova: “Journalists often led to the idea that the Olympics was the goal but it became a goal only after the World Championships. I never understood how to pursue a goal that was 3-4 years away. “
Anna Shcherbakova about the Olympics.
original source: Yamal News YuTube Channel
In the interview for Yamal News, Anna Shcherbakova shared how significantly she has changed as a person after the Olympics and told about about finding herself after sports. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“Q: When did the Olympics become a goal?
Anna Shcherbakova: Honestly, probably only in the year it was held. Or after the World Championships. It might sound strange. I said in some interviews when I was younger that there was a goal for the Olympics, but those were more like words instilled in my head by others. Journalists often led to the idea that the Olympics was the goal.
And there you are — a child whose current goal is the Russian Nationals, thinking, “What Olympics?” That’s years away, those are strange goals. How do you pursue a goal that is 3-4 years away? I personally never understood that. There are so many steps to go through before that, living with global dreams — I never quite got that.
And when it became a reality, it became my goal. Before that, my goal was the World Championships, and when that ended, the next season was the Olympic season, so of course, the Olympics then became the goal.
Q: What did Anya Shcherbakova dream of back then?
Anna Shcherbakova: Generally, I probably dreamt little because I could do something myself to achieve my goals, and there was no time to sit and dream about something. It was probably a bit like that with the World Championships. Because somehow, in my childhood, the Olympics passed me by. I heard very little about it and didn’t quite understand all its significance and magnitude.
But I always knew that the World Championships was the main start of the season, where you could become the best skater on the planet. For me, that was the highest bar, it seemed. So, probably when I won the World Championships, it felt like some dream had come true.
Q: Did the [Olympic] victory change you in any way?
Anna Shcherbakova: Of course, it changed me significantly. This competition generally changed me and my life considerably. It’s not something that can be described in three words. I changed a lot as a person, – said the skater.”
Anna Shcherbakova also talked about finding herself after sports.
“Anna Shcherbakova: Athletes get used to living in a world where every day they need to overcome, achieve, fight, conquer, and reclaim. It’s quite hard in regular life because the adrenaline from performances, the perpetual battle with oneself and the desire to become the best version of oneself – those are incredibly missed and irreplaceable.
Of course, I also have my own goals now: I try to develop a bit in other areas, and also do workshops, master classes. I am gaining a lot of experience, and I have learned a lot about coaching. But I’m definitely not fully ready yet, because like an athlete’s life, it’s from morning till night, result-oriented, and carries a lot of responsibility for the children, and you have to dedicate your whole self to it. I am not ready yet; I still want to do so many things.
I try to try as much new things as possible. Of course, there is always a feeling that I didn’t do enough, could have done better. But in sports, this can be measured by specific criteria, while in life, unfortunately, there isn’t any.”
Related topics: Anna Shcherbakova
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