“Sit in water for 10 hours and then you'll understand us”

At the London Olympic Games Russian synchronized swimmers won two sets of gold medals. Natalya Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina became Olympic champions in duet. Anastasia Davydova, Maria Gromova, Elvira Khasyanova, Darya Korobova, Alexandra Patskevich, Alla Shishkina, Anjelika Timanina, as well as Ishchenko and Romashina won team competitions.

Natalya Ishchenko

We came to the Olympics as favorites. In fact people had hanged gold medals on us before the Games – it was a great mental pressure. Everybody expected two gold medals from us and we showed this result. We tried not to think about expectations of others and not to read media. We fulfilled our task and our victories were beautiful. The gap between us and rivals was huge. When you are a leader you have no right to relax, as you experience high attention by others. Ant it encourages you. You have to invent new interesting things and cannot lose face, because other countries look forward Russia’s failure. We have been leaders for many years, and many people don’t like it. To win further medals we have to be thrice better than others. Our trainings last for 10-11 hours daily. Of course the time is divided on two rounds – five hours in the morning, and five – at night. If we work less, we will have no expected medals. Any person can simply sit in water for 10 hours and try to understand us… Our schedule is five days of trainings and one vacation day notwithstanding what the day is it. This cycle repeats always. A big vacation is required once a year after major competitions – the world cup or the world championship. Now after the Olympics we received a big vacation till November, and we will spend this time just like we want – with families and friends. Nobody watches us what we do.

Today everybody compare Russia and the USSR – how much medals we had then and now. Yesterday we decided to sum up all republics, all their medals, and it appeared we take the first place. I think we performed very well. In comparison with Beijing the progress is obvious. And I think there should be no medal ranking. To count medals is not right, because the best people of each country come to the Games. And if a person takes the fourth place, he or she is the fourth person in the whole world. It is an outstanding result, and you cannot blame the person. Receive pleasure and happiness from competitions and that’s all.

Anjelika Timanina

A vacation day needs to sleep well, to rest, not to move and that’s all. Because your mood is at zero level, you are exhausted not only physically, but also mentally. Of course to change atmosphere we find time to meet friends, beloved, families. It is natural. In general we lead a common life like other people – go to cinema and cafes. We don’t do any extraordinary things. I go in for synchronized swimming since 5. I was born in Yekaterinburg. Once I was invited to Moscow to the school Trud (Labor). At first I was selected for the junior national team, and then – to the national team of Russia. We were four new girls in the team and went this four-year cycle to the gold medal. At first many newcomers appeared in the team. Gradually only four of us stayed. Then experienced girls joined us and we came to the Games with this squad. I should say everything was new for me at the Olympics, unlike Natalya who participated in the Games for the second time. The Olympic spirit. It differs from other championships. It seemed everything was quite common: rivals were the same, you should go and perform and that’s all. But the atmosphere was so exciting and special that you want to repeat it in four years.