- What is it like to be the daughter of a four-time Olympic champion? Surname obliged to correspond to this status?
- At first, yes.
When I was little, I constantly broadcast that my dad is so great, four times, and I want to win Olympic gold five times.
To be better, stronger, higher.
But at one point we talked with my mother, and she said: “Sonia, you know, you’re a different person.
First, you're a girl.
Secondly, you practice fencing at a different time. "
The conversation turned out to be quite long, and in the end I realized that an athlete is a person, individuality, everyone has their own path.
Me too.
Over time, I tried to abstract from the fact that my dad has so many regalia, awards.
But this took a very long time.
Awareness of the situation came to me three or four years ago.
- Before your trip to Tokyo, did you think that you need to become an Olympic champion by all means?
- No, I had completely different thoughts.
I got married a year ago, priorities have changed.
Now for me the family comes first.
- How was it before?
- Earlier there was only sport.
Friends - rarely, study - insofar as.
As soon as we began to meet with Kostya (Lokhanov, saber fencer.
- RT
), I realized that there was nothing more important than family.
When we were preparing for the Olympics in Khabarovsk, we talked with him for a long time.
Of course, we really wanted to win, but we understood that this was only the first experience, no one asked anything from us.
No matter what happened in Tokyo, we would not love each other less
(laughs)
, and our families would not begin to treat us differently.
Before the start of the competition, we talked with dad.
He told me what impressions he experienced after victories at the Games, how he felt when everything did not turn out so well in Beijing.
He confessed that he was upset and did not understand how happy he was that he had a wife, two daughters, friends, relatives, relatives.
Therefore, I absolutely did not think about the pedestal, medals.
I just wanted to come, come up to the competition in good shape and show a result worthy of my country.
- If you remember the 2018 World Fencing Championship, everything seems symbolic. Then you won your first gold medal at the planetary championship, defeated Sophia the Great, and received a telegram from Vladimir Putin. It seems that you rehearsed everything then, and now reproduced it, but already at the Games.
- Before the face-to-face confrontation, we talked with Velikaya: “Sonya, I have some kind of deja-vu.
We are back in Asia, in the final, and in my part of the grid there is again the world's strongest fencer Olga Harlan, who lost to a Chinese woman in the first round.
So many coincidences.
I don’t know what will happen next.
According to the script? "
We laughed.
- How do you manage to maintain such friendly relations when a person is your competitor?
- I don't feel much competition in our team.
Probably, you need to be able to separate sports and what happens outside the track.
It is difficult, but possible.
Yes, someone has a personal dislike, resentment.
For example, when they were little, after defeats, they were offended, stopped communicating with rivals.
- Did you have that?
- I have not, but I heard about this from my friends, with whom I studied in Novosibirsk.
Personally, I really love the team - the athletes of the national team and the sparring partners who helped us prepare for the Olympics.
We have great team relationships.
Nobody is plotting or gossiping.
Yes, there are no friends on the track.
But as soon as we take off our masks ... For example, Sonya and I smiled at each other - before the fight, then after.
- At the same time, the Great is a fencer, on whose example a whole generation of athletes grew up, including you. You've probably learned a lot from her. And for Sophia, the gold in the Games in singles competitions was the most cherished dream. Was it embarrassing that you beat her now and in 2018?
- Three years ago there was no such feeling.
At that time, she was nothing special.
For me it was the first medal in adult fencing.
When Sonya and I reached the final, of course we wanted to win, but I doubted myself.
Still, she is such an experienced athlete, for sure the fight will not be easy.
Yes, it really turned out to be difficult, but I would not say that I experienced great difficulties.
She turned out to be a little stronger and did not feel any remorse.
This is a sport.
Today you, tomorrow - you.
As for the Olympics, similar thoughts have already arisen there.
When I went out on the track, I thought: "It would be nice for me to win a silver medal as well."
Sofia Pozdnyakova on the rivalry with Sofia Velikaya in the final of the Olympics
- Surely in terms of psychology at the Games it was easier, yet there is nowhere to retreat.
- Agree. In the semifinals, we fenced with Manon Brunet, who lost at this stage at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Then the Frenchwoman first lost to the Great, and in the fight for third place - Harlan. And before this round I performed very well. Look, with what colossal advantage she defeated Olga Nikitina. And my husband said to me: "Today she is in good shape." I was a little embarrassed.
But when the fight began, I realized that Brunet was very much afraid.
If for me this was the first experience, then for her it was a kind of barrier.
She was scared that she might lose and everything will turn out like five years ago.
If a person comes to the Olympics for the second time, then, willy-nilly, he mentally returns to the result of the previous tournament.
Perhaps this was the case with Sonya.
But I already said that if I could take two gold medals and hang them around each other's neck, I would do just that.
- Over the past year, people have spent so much time wearing masks that some feel uncomfortable when they take them off. Do fencers experience something similar?
- In addition to fencing, we have general physical and mental training.
So we spend a lot of time without masks.
Probably, without her, you become an ordinary, normal person.
Putting it on, you turn into a warrior, a fighter.
You feel protected.
Many are surprised and ask: “How do you fence?
It hurts. "
Yes, there are really hard blows.
- I personally saw the swordsman's legs without tights. They are all bruised.
- Yes, sometimes.
But nothing.
The bruises disappear.
- Surely you have been asked this question more than once, but I will ask you anyway. Why a saber and not a rapier?
- When I came to fencing, there was no such department in Novosibirsk - only saber and epee sections.
But if we had 30 people, then there are eight.
Yes, and there were no fencers in our family.
- Many probably do not see much difference between a saber, a sword and a rapier. Explain.
- Different tactics, techniques.
If a sword and a rapier are stabbing weapons, then a saber is a chopping one.
Our fights are held at a faster pace, are more transient.
- Did your father make a great contribution to your development as an athlete?
- He never interfered in the preparatory process.
I had my own mentor, with whom we worked.
And many were surprised: "Why doesn't your dad train you?"
- Weren't you offended because of this?
- No, on the contrary.
It seems to me that we need to separate these things.
It is very difficult when you are coached by your parents.
After all, you want to finish your workout, come home and chat with mom and dad.
And so you sit down to dinner and do not understand with whom you are now - with your father or your mentor.
I don’t want to say that it shouldn’t be this way at all.
All people are different, everyone has their own relationship with relatives.
But I never wanted my dad to train me, teach me how to hold a saber correctly.
But at the same time I looked up to him.
We very often talk with him about my feelings about sports, my feelings before the competition.
But this is happening on my initiative.
He never imposed his opinion, did not come in with the words: "Now I will tell you a story, it will be necessary to draw conclusions."
If I had a need to communicate, he always went to dialogue.
Sofia Pozdnyakova on her father's influence on her career in fencing
- What is the most valuable advice he gave you before the Olympics?
- He rather supported me.
I said that you need to be simpler, have fun, whatever the result, everything will be fine.
The father completely agreed.
He replied that to cheat yourself, worry, be afraid - only harm yourself.
- Many athletes of the older generation say that at the Olympic Games it is very important to be able to abstract from everything. Cover yourself with a dome, as psychologists say. Did you use a similar method or were the last days before the competition no different from the others?
- No, it was an ordinary life, sheer pleasure.
Of course, our conditions were not the same as at the regular Olympics.
But the atmosphere of the holiday was still felt.
A huge number of athletes gathered in one place, they gave us a bunch of gifts.
As for the preparation for the competition itself, I had different experiences.
Sometimes she turned off the phone, did not get in touch.
But then I realized that I was more comfortable in a state of openness.
After the first fight, she came and shared with everyone: “It's so great.
I liked fencing at the Olympics. "
I think the tightness only gets in the way.
My coach told me: “We trained for a long time, and now we are going to a holiday.
Have fun, have fun. "
- When a person is so open to the whole world, he becomes more vulnerable. Have you ever used it?
- Probably, I was lucky.
In my life, I met very few people who were hostile to me.
I try to avoid conflicts as much as possible.
Probably, in my entire life I did not have them.
Konstantin says: “You are sometimes so childishly naive.
Like a child".
But it's wonderful when you treat everyone warmly.
I think this correlates with my belief in God.
The commandments say: "Love your neighbor."
I try to sincerely be open with everyone, to love everyone as much as possible.
- In adolescence, there were probably cases when you really wanted something, but you understood that most likely you would not be allowed to. Then did you go to your mom or dad?
- Basically, the negotiations were carried out with my mother.
Dad was not at home very often.
We began to live fully in a family of four only six years ago, when we moved to Moscow.
Until that moment, my father often left for work in the capital, even earlier he fenced.
Therefore, the educational work was carried out by my mother.
- Up to a certain point, you led a contented active life on social networks, and then abruptly stopped. What is the reason?
- With my relationship.
My husband and I came to the conclusion that some personal moments, experiences should remain between us.
We had a lot of discussions on this topic, at first I did not agree.
I didn’t see anything wrong with my posting something.
And then I also began to understand that broadcasting my life leaves nothing for my loved ones.
I can't say that it was completely closed.
I can show something on Instagram, but in general, the importance of social networks for me has become lower.
Especially when I look at celebrities flaunting absurd things.
It seems to me that to some extent this is the disease of our century.
For example, they say that in some people, the phone adheres to the hand, deformation of the fingers occurs.
This is awful.
Sofia Pozdnyakova about childhood
- I can not help but pay attention to your left eyebrow. Is this another imprint of your swordsmanship?
- No.
This is due to my happy childhood.
At the age of four, I rode down the hill, hit.
I don't even remember how it happened.
And already at the age of 12 she hit the corner from all over the place.
I remember how I was lying in the room, my blood was flowing.
My mother was not at home, so my younger sister wore cotton wool for me.
And I said: "Just don't tell your mom."
Of course, it did not work to hide it, because in the end the wound had to be stitched up.
Mom has had enough with me.
My sister is more accurate, but there is no living space on me: bruises, abrasions.
She was a very active child.
Hyperactive, I would say.
- I heard that you are going to take a one-year break in connection with the birth of a child. Are you planning to return to sports after that?
- At the moment, I can't say for sure.
It depends on how this year goes.
It is good that I managed to prove myself in the team tournament, now there will be a reason to think about the future.
- In everyday life, do you get tired of fencing? Huge trunks, permanent overweight at the airport?
- Once there was a situation when Aeroflot did not allow us to transport our bags with inventory.
I had to ask the outfitter company to make special covers that fit our airlines.
Otherwise, there are no big difficulties - everything is on wheels, it is convenient.
In childhood, you throw the bag on your back, everything pulls.
I remember we came to a competition in St. Petersburg, and there was no elevator in the building.
I had to drag everything to the fifth floor.
- What three things would you take with you to a desert island?
- A book, a diary and a satellite phone, so as not to lose contact with the outside world.