Rhythmische Sportgymnastik, Vitircheno, Grand Prix 2000, Karlsruhe

Nina Vitrichenko

"The audience keeps me in gymnastics..."

Behind the scenes insights from
Nina and Yelena Vitrichenko
(Ukraine)

at the
RG Masters /Grand Prix
held in Karlsruhe/GER, April 7-8, 2000

Written down by Nora Schuler
- Deutsche Version -

Jelena Witrischenko, GP Karlsruhe 2000
World Champion
Yelena Vitrichenko

+++ World Champion Yelena Vitrichenko will quit gymnastics after the Grand Prix in Deventer/NED in November +++

"We knew before the Deryugina Cup that things would be very tough for Yelena but she decided to compete anyway. She wanted to show the world that she is in good shape and training well. She placed 10^th AA simply because she didn’t get the scores she deserved. Her marks were by no means objective. Yelena proved here in Karlsruhe that she is in excellent shape and that she could contend for medals if the scoring were objective. Unfortunately, the scoring in RG is currently the way it is..."
Nina Vitrichenko,

on the first Grand Prix of the season in Kiev

"At the beginning of the year, Albina Nikolayevna [Deryugina] started telling us that we could only come to the gym either early in the morning or late at night. We began to understand that our relationship had changed completely. We left the Deryugina School after the Deryugina Cup and are now training at the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports."
Nina Vitrichenko

Interview Nina Witrischenko, GP Karlsruhe 2000
Nina Vitrichenko in interview with Nora Schuler

Jelena Witrischenko, Gala GP Karlsruhe 2000

Yelena Vitirichenko was celebrated by spectators in the gala performance of Karlsruhe, too

Yelena Vitrichenko:
"The only thing that keeps me in gymnastics is the audience that supports me so much. I know a lot of people would be sad if I were to quit the sport. My goal is competing in my second Olympics and I hope I’ll be able to go. I do have my doubts however. I think Albina Deryugina will do everything within her power to stop me from qualifying. She wants to send her two pupils Tamara Yerofeyeva and Anna Bessonova to Sydney."

Yelena on the judging in RG:
"There are a lot of women in our sport. That’s always a problem, not only in RG. Every judge tries to support her own athlete. That is quite understandable and I can’t really blame them. The bad thing for me is that my own country doesn’t support me."