“It’s impossible to believe that curling’s perpetual motion machine has failed”: what coach Andrianov will remember

On Tuesday, September 6, after a long illness, the honored coach and member of the executive committee of the Russian Curling Federation Olga Andrianova passed away.

The organization expressed condolences to the family and friends of the ex-mentor of the national team, and also promised to establish a tournament in her honor.

It was thanks to Andrianova that this sport began to develop in the country.

The first victories of the women's team at the international level are associated with her name.

Under her strict guidance, the teams of skips Lyudmila Privivkova and Anna Sidorova achieved success.

“I didn’t give up, I fought the disease”

Two-time European champion Lyudmila Privivkova began training with Andrianova as a child.

As the former athlete admits, the coach was strict during classes, but she was always attentive to her charges off the ice.

- What is your most vivid memory of Andrianova?

- Of course, our joint victories are primarily connected with the coach.

When we won the World Youth Championship in 2006.

After all, first of all, you share your success with a mentor who is next to you.

Olga Alexandrovna gave me a lot.

It was she who saw the potential in me, noticed.

And then she began to attract to the national team.

After all, it was Andrianova who selected the girls with whom she would continue to work, play and take with her to international competitions.

My career has evolved primarily because of her insight.

She also fought for curling itself.

- Olga Alexandrovna made a great contribution to the popularization of the sport, because they did not want to recognize it for a very long time, although it was already included in the Olympic program.

No one wanted to develop curling because many did not understand it.

They said he was unspectacular and uninteresting.

And now there are so many devoted fans, athletes who are engaged in it.

Moreover, not only professionally, but also at an amateur level.

Curling is very attached to itself.

He is a team player, unites people, they make new friends.

And Andrianova's great merit is that he was recognized in Russia and began to be financed.

In addition, she managed to prove that our athletes can take a leading position at the international level.

It was thanks to this that curling developed in the country.

What kind of coach was she?

- Very strict and tough.

But, it seems to me, it should be so in sports, discipline is above all.

At the same time, outside of training, she was kind to the students.

When we went to international tournaments, I always tried to make the children see more, take advantage of this opportunity.

She tried to take us on a tour, walk around the city, show us the sights, and not just the ice rink and the hotel.

Off the ice, she has always been very attentive to us.

Did the news come as a surprise to you?

- Olga Alexandrovna struggled with the disease for a long time.

Lately, she felt better, it seemed that the disease receded.

She is a great fellow, did not give up.

She was always cheerful when interacting.

She continued to work, prepare athletes for competitions, and plan the season.

The last time I called her was not so long ago - in the summer.

Olga Aleksandrovna went with her pupils from school to Kislovodsk for the first ice camp.

So now it is very difficult to believe what happened.

Learned about everything from teammates.

"Knows how to find the right words"

With great warmth and love, Anna Sidorova, a five-time winner of the world championships, speaks about Andrianova.

She, like Privivkova, is grateful to the coach for the opportunity to play for the national team.

Do you remember how you crossed paths with your future mentor?

- For the first time I personally met her on the eve of my first children's competition as a captain.

I remember what she said: “Girls, Moscow has more than one Spartakiad behind its back, we have always won - and you should not lose face.

We need to come back with gold medals.”

It seemed to me then that this instruction could not be disobeyed.

I was very worried and even cried before the flight, I was afraid that I would not cope.

But we still won those competitions, and Olga Alexandrovna began to slowly connect me first to the youth, and then to the main team.

If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be on the national team.

I am immensely grateful to Olga Alexandrovna for everything she has done for me, what contribution she has made to my life and career.

She always seemed to me a very strong woman who leads all Russian curling.

The same rock as Irina Viner in gymnastics and Tatyana Pokrovskaya in synchronized swimming.

— Has the world of Russian curling suddenly been orphaned?

- This loss is huge, I think many will support me in this.

The people who stood at the origins of the development of the sport in the country know how difficult it was at the very beginning.

Enthusiasm, optimism and the endless fortitude of Olga Alexandrovna made even us young girls envy in a good way.

You know, after the flights there was not always the strength to admire the beauties of the places where we came, but she always tried to stir us up.

She was also a big laugher, often joking.

She loved to dress beautifully and always shared with us when she managed to buy something interesting.

I say this and smile myself.

And there is no other way, these are such bright memories ...

What makes her unique as a teacher?

She knew how to find the right words at the right time.

Could and scold sometimes, without it in any way.

Each of us has some kind of story associated with it, remembering which, you laugh, but then it seemed almost a tragedy.

But I can't say that she was too strict or vice versa.

It was different, but most importantly - humane.

Olga Alexandrovna treated us with all her love, and even scolded us only because she was burning with a common cause with all her heart and knew that we could achieve more.

Somewhere she praised, somewhere she treated her unnecessarily kindly, like her children.

How could it be otherwise, we spent a lot of time together, went abroad for training camps for several months and lived under the same roof.

But most of all, her attitude to curling was captivating.

For her, it was not just a job, it was her brainchild, which she lived and breathed.

And in spite of everything, she found the strength to fight for her favorite thing, for an idea.

For curling to develop, grow, so that even more children can train in the state system without large financial investments.

There are very few such burning people.

And it seemed to us all that she had enough strength this time.

It's hard to believe that it all ended in an instant.

Even talking about it out loud is strange: I just can't believe it's true.

I know that during her illness there were periods when it was very difficult for her.

But she still continued to glow from the inside.

And it seemed that there was no less energy at all.

Therefore, it is impossible to believe that this perpetual motion machine has failed. 

- How did you react to the proposal to establish a tournament named after Andrianova?

- This is absolutely correct, I support the undertaking with all the fibers of my soul.

There are not so many people in our country who stood at the origins, and we all owe them everything.

They must be remembered.

And I would like the new generation to also know, thanks to whom thousands of children have the opportunity to go in for this sport.

Without the pressure of Olga Alexandrovna, this absolutely would not have happened.

She was ready to do everything in her power.

I will gladly take part in these competitions.

Moreover, I had an idea to assemble the very “golden” team that Olga Alexandrovna created and compete in the tournament.

I think she would be pleased.