Sergei Chernyshev: I wanted to be Optimus, my father said, as long as I reach Bumblebee

Last October, he became the first Olympic breakdancing champion. Despite the fact that so far he only has a gold medal from the Youth Games, he is confident that soon b-boys from all over the world will be given the opportunity to compete at the adult Olympics.

Sergey Chernyshev talked about the preparation for the Olympics and why it is important for him to do breakdancing at a professional level.

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– You have already told how the Olympics itself took place, can you tell us more about the preparation process?

– I probably prepared more morally. I flew to the States, recharged myself. Training before the Olympics was no different from my usual training, I always trained in this mode.

– When you go out on the dance floor, what helps you get ready?

– Realizing why I’m here.

– What is your father’s role as a coach?

– He sets the goal, he sets the direction, he supervises.

– Do you come up with a program for the performance yourself or do you consult with your father?

– I have no program. In breaking in principle there is no program. But in everything that I show, there is his hand.

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– What do you like more: jams or battles?

– Battles.

– Who was your reference point growing up? Any people from the dance culture whose work you grew up on?

– Specifically from dance culture, I don’t remember, honestly, a lot of people. When I was 11 years old, I was a fan of Hong ten (bboy Hong 10). Also liked always the Americans, I think that’s the kind of breakdancing it should be.

– Now breakdance is included in the program only youth Olympic Games, do you think that in the near future will appear at the adult Games, for example, in 2024 in Paris?

– I admit, with a probability of 99 percent.

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– Could it happen that at the adult Olympics you will compete with your father for a place in the national team?

– No(laughs). He hasn’t danced since 2001 or so.

– Why was it important for you that breakdancing became an Olympic sport?

– It’s definitely a step forward for our culture and therefore for me.

– You love breakdancing, you could do it for fun, why is it so important for you to do it on a professional level?

– Because I’m not selfish to do it for my own pleasure.

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– You’re an Olympic champion, but at the same time you’ve participated twice in the show “Dancing” and both times it didn’t turn out well. Did it affect the fact that the judges are more choreographers than athletes?

– I love TV, I always wanted to get there, then I saw an opportunity in this project. That’s it with “Dancing”, they stayed in 2017. Now I have enough other options.

– Why Bumblebee?

– When I was a kid, I wanted to be Optimus, my father said, I can only reach Bumblebee so far(smiles). And somehow it stuck, everyone remembered it, now I don’t need Optimus, Bumblebee is cooler(smiles).