Yana Kudryavtseva: my most important victory in life is my family

This fragile, at first glance, girl has a lot of victories, overcomes and hard training under her belt. After the Rio Olympics, gymnast Yana Kudryavtseva announced the end of her professional career. Back then, in early 2017, it was hard to guess how the future of the Olympic silver medalist would turn out. But everything around her spun at breakneck speed, and today Yana is preparing to become a mom, is not afraid to look into tomorrow and is open to new interesting projects.

About how her personal life after leaving rhythmic gymnastics, read in our material.

– Yana, tell us, is there a life after great sport?

– There is a life, but completely different. It is filled with small family joys, home, husband, waiting for a child. In big sports, unfortunately, we are not taught to cook, iron, clean… there is simply no time for that. So I had to learn everything gradually. Now, of course, I already know how to do everything, but it wasn’t easy. The period I’m living through is invaluable to me, I feel very happy.

– What was the most difficult after you finished your career?

– The first two months I didn’t even leave the house, I was lying down, I didn’t want to do anything. Such a state when there are a lot of offers around, everyone wants to work with you, and you want to rest and get away. Now, of course, everything is different: I go to master classes, shootings, I have some things to do outside of sports… I didn’t have such things before (laughs).

– How do you structure your day? What do you fill it with?

– At the moment pregnancy has a big impact on all my plans. It’s already quite a big term, so it’s hard for me to move around. I will reveal the terrible truth: most of the day is spent on the couch, I lie down, eat and lie down again, I can’t help it, my body demands it.

– Don’t you have a sense of understatement? Maybe when you watch the performances of young gymnast girls?

– I guess there is no understatement. Of course, like all athletes, I wanted a gold medal at the Olympics, but I got a silver medal. But I am happy that I have it, it is a great labor, in which I put a lot of effort. I gave all of myself in performances, that’s why I finished my career in sports.

– Do you see yourself as a coach?

– I think I could be a coach. Now I give a lot of master classes and I have already learned to understand how to work with children. I know that I can yell and that it’s okay. Although I used to think that I was very kind and that I wouldn’t be able to raise my voice at children. That’s why I’m considering this option after I give birth, in about a year.

– But your life after the end of your career has changed a lot. Could you have guessed back then, in 2016, that everything would spin at such a speed and you would soon become a wife and a mom?

– I had the desire to become a mom, to get married since I was 17-18 years old. Too serious and responsible a desire for such an age. But sport took all my strength, and I didn’t want to go out and have fun, I wanted a family. So I believed, waited and thought about it. For me, of course, the fact that it all happened so quickly and so easily is very unexpected. But I have never regretted it.

– Do you follow the competitions now?

– Of course, I watch everything: gymnastics, soccer and hockey. I think, what sports are on TV, I watch them. Although after the Olympics I didn’t watch anything for a year, I didn’t want to.

– Was it an oversaturation?

– Yes, saturation. I didn’t want to watch, walk or do anything at all. I wanted to live my life a little bit, to do what I wanted to do. It was such a difficult period.

– When you watch your husband’s games, do you worry more for him personally or for the team?

– I’m in such a position now that I can’t worry, but I still watch. I worry more about not getting injured. If Salavat Yulaev loses, I try to calm him down. There will be more wins, of course, health is more important.

– Is your support important for him? There are athletes who, on the contrary, forbid their relatives to go to matches, to support them in the stands, because it is emotionally difficult for them.

– I sometimes ask him whether to go to the game, in case I disturb him, but he is on the contrary only for me to be near him, so we do not have such a problem.

– During your sports career you traveled a lot. Is there a desire to return somewhere now?

– I like to travel to different countries. However, now in my position the only available route is Moscow – Ufa – Moscow. If we talk about traveling during the competitions, now I realize that I was everywhere, but I only saw the hotel. We were not taken out on any excursions, there was no time at all to see the city, so now it’s time for me to travel and look at the world from a different perspective.

– And still there is some place you would like to return to ?

– I really liked Vienna, Austria, but I was there at an unconscious age, I don’t remember much except that it was nice there. I love Germany very much.

– Do you have any personal project in your plans?

– I’m open to anything new, but next year. Now I’m in a position, so it’s hard to think about something like that, my mind is not on it at all (smiles). But next year I will definitely do it. Maybe it will be sports-related, maybe not.

– Such sports parents are a big responsibility for a child, have you thought about it?

– Where to give the child? I don’t know. Earlier I would say that I would never give my daughter to rhythmic gymnastics, but now I doubt it, if she likes it. My husband wants my daughter to be a gymnast. But in any case we will start from the desires of the child, from her physical data.

– If the child decides that she wants to go to rhythmic gymnastics, will you coach her?

– No, I can never be a coach for my daughter. I think it’s very hard. I’ve seen many examples where a mom coached her daughter and it never ended well. I think she would be allowed more than other kids if I coached her, there would be some leniency. Other people’s kids I’m willing to coach, but not my own.

– Was it important for you that a coach is a coach and parents are parents?

– My mom has always been my mom, and my dad was my second coach. But it was their support as parents that was very important to me: no matter what happened, I knew they were on my side.

– What is your biggest win for you?

– My biggest victory is my family. And there’s not even much to add here.

We would like to thank White Studios for their help in organizing the shoot.