22:45 17.08.2008 - Athletics - Olympic Athletics TournamentTatyana Lebedeva: when Mbango jumped 15.17, I knew I could contend; and when Devetzí went 15.23, I understood that this was also surmountable; but when Mbango produced 15.39 - I begin to get concernedToday, August 17th, in Beijing, the famous Russian jumper, 2004 Olympic long jump champion Tatyana Lebedeva won a third Olympic medal in her favorite event, the triple jump - after silver in Sydney-2000 and bronze in Athens-2004 - silver again. Tatyana Lebedeva explained to the special correspondent from the Agency of Sport Information "All Sport" that she’d done all she could to win, and therefore is not upset about defeat.
- Tatiana, what are your first emotions? - Probably I should say more happy than disappointed. At this point, I did everything possible to win, fought until the very end, and produced my all time best result for appearances at the Olympics – 15.32 m. But a rival – Cameroon’s Francois Mbango Etone – produced a more worthy result. Thus I can’t find fault with myself. I put it all out there and I realize that if I’m not at 100 percent, then right at 99. To win, I’d have had to jump 15.40, and I don’t know whether I was ready for such a jump.
- Today you have produced your best result of the season. Does this mean that you timed things just right for the Olympic Games? - In fact, today I produced my best result in the last four years. The last time I jumped so far was in 2004. And I didn’t expect such a jump from myself. I expected to produce something around 15.20 at the Olympics. But from my first attempt I understood that I could jump well - around 15.30. So the fight was on.
- Was it a big surprise when the 2004 Olympic champion Mbango won?- Certainly this was a very big surprise. Early in the season, when she suddenly reappeared, Devetzí and I joked: now she’ll show up and win the Olympics again. And we laughed. But then, when Mbango began jumping in the finals, I exchanged the opinion with Devetzí that yes, it seems like mission impossible again… We began to support and encourage each other. I suggested: let's work together! But as you can see, we failed. In general I expected the best prepared of all here to be the Cuban, Savigne. She had already jumped 15 meters, and everyone predicted the gold medal for her. But I had my doubts whether she could stand the psychological stress of the Olympic Games. And when Savigne made two jumps in the qualifications - the first didn’t reach the standard, and the second produced 14.99, I understood that it would be difficult for her, because she was already using up her emotions. As a rule, if you "hit it big" while doing a second attempt, it doesn’t mean that you’re so ready, it means that you’ve already switched on; already using up your emotions. And sure enough, Savigne produced nothing.
- Did the results produced in the finals surprise you? - I figured the gold in Beijing would go somewhere around 15.20 and the medalists would literally be separated by centimeters. When Mbango jumped 15.17, I knew that I could still contend. When Devetzí went 15.23, I understood that this was also surmountable. But when Mbango produced 15.39, I scratched the earth: this is it! I still had attempts, and hope, but I had to begin taking risks. I told my coach: I’ll go for broke - either foul or jump big. But of course, the fine points of my jump were disrupted. The jumps need to be done in precise 33 percent increments – this is the essence of the triple jump. You can’t "transfer" from one to another. You need stability, precision, serenity… But when you really want it, really need it; when you begin to press the first or second phase, the third breaks down, and it’s very difficult to keep it together.
- Given the difficulties you had in preparing for the season – meaning your operation and rehabilitation – is it possible to consider this silver with a gold tint? - Indeed, it will be very dear to me. So much happened ... And today when coming into the sector, I told myself: I didn’t plough for these last four years to quit and underperform. Not for me, this is not my style. I was pumped up, remembering all the training, the injuries, the operations, depression, defeat. I wanted to compete with dignity. And so far I can’t find fault with my performance. Of course, I’ll still analyze at home; find what nuance I may have missed. But in the heat of the moment, I can’t find it. Yes, now I have a problem with my other Achilles, but it’s the flywheel leg. I jump off the other, which had the surgery, and fortunately it hasn’t concerned me. It has, as the saying goes, learned by rote.
- We are only used to seeing you as the cheerful optimist. So how does your depression manifest itself? - I want to cry, want for no one to touch me, want to be alone… Then everything is irritating. And then I become like a pitiful little girl, whose tasty candy was taken by some bad boy. In short, I despise the whole world. But eventually I calm down, begin to sing my own praises, to say: “You're the best!” Or conversely, I’ll suddenly say: well never mind; dwelling on it is for losers; others also want to win, because they train, prepare, they too deserve. And here I immediately make a stand: the hell if I’ll let them beat me!
- It seemed, after your sixth attempt, you held back tears? - No, I didn’t want to cry. I told myself: everything is normal, life goes on. But as yet it’s still too early to be happy. It’s important not to give up too many emotions before the long jump. And in general, I’ve recently become philosophical about what happens: the triple is my cross to bear in life - a trial that I must endure, so in the next life I’ll be rewarded, and I can become Olympic champion in my favorite event.
- Why wait for the next life? There’s still the 2012 Olympics in London! - Well, if I get there with a cane, a crutch, or such… After jumping today, Devetzí said to me: I’m already 33. I answered: and I’m 32. She joked: Well, we’ll still light up London. I smiled: yeah, two little old ladies like us - we’ll light it up!
- Before the Olympics you said that you wanted to finish with the triple beautifully: to win - and then jump it no more. - Yes, I already thought about giving up the triple if I won in Beijing. But now I don’t know… Like the saying goes, we’ll wait and see. In general, next season I want to take a timeout - generally skip the winter season, and in summer, maybe only contest the long jump. A lot will depend on whether the operation on my second Achilles is necessary or how everything will be managed. I’ll see how it goes and then decide. But so the year doesn’t disappear entirely, I’ll devote it to my studies at the Diplomatic Academy in which I recently enrolled. The first year is the most difficult, and then it will get easier. I think I’ll be able to combine sport and education.
- Why have decided to enroll in the Diplomatic Academy? - Indeed, one should continually improve oneself, not stagnate in their development. Sports aren’t forever. And if granted such an opportunity, you need to learn. I won’t necessarily go into the diplomatic service, but this knowledge could be useful in sport. In sport without diplomacy now is nothing. And recent events in our sport once again prove this.
- Will you have enough emotion for the long jump? - Tomorrow I’m just going to try to "chill out".
- If you’re not able to win the long jump, will you be highly upset? - First I need to pass qualification. But in the finals it will depend on how the battle takes shape. If I produce good results, but don’t win - why should I be upset? But if I "give up" on myself, of course I’ll blame myself and be angry.
- At what level will the battle for gold take place? - I think a couple of jumpers will be around seven meters.
- Tanya, and what does your new hairstyle represent? - This hairstyle is called "Salute". See, how my hairdresser explained it: here are different volleys - blue, white… And here they go, and go, and then come together, and here they send out a many-colored spray – little salutes. Overall, for the Olympics in Athens I had a "Fire", but this time – a "Salute".
- And what impressions do you already have of Beijing, of China? - Well, Asia is always so colorful. Last year we held the World Championships in Japan. Japan is more modern, more advanced in some ways. But I came to China for the first time seven years ago, at University. And we went on a tour in the Forbidden City. There was a pond, where everyone throws coins and makes wishes. But to get your wish, it was necessary not simply to throw your coin into the pond. Your coin needed to land on the petals of the lotuses or water lilies – I don’t know exactly what was growing there. I made my wish – to compete at the Olympic Games in Beijing. And then I threw and threw coins, but none landed on the petals, and all sank to the bottom. In general I’m not superstitious, but then this story settled deeply in my memory. Until recently, I worried about some coincidence: whether I’d make it to Beijing, and compete alive if at all. So here, now I know for sure: all this was prejudices.
