Information from the Olympic Reserve: Nikita Nagorny - silver medalist at the Olympic Games, three-time world champion, six-time European champion in gymnastics.
At the World Championships-2019 in artistic gymnastics in Stuttgart, Germany, Nikita Nagorny, a graduate of Moscow Olympic College №1, won three gold medals - in the individual and team all-around and vault. We talked with the athlete and learned how he relates to the fact that he is confused with Arthur Dalaloyan, what his diet consists of during competitions, why they have a taboo with his wife Daria Spiridonova about talking at home about gymnastics, and why he refused to advertise on his YouTube channel.
- A year ago, the Russian team lost to China in the team all-around at the World Championships in Doha, only one thousandth of a point. Did you easily forget that insulting defeat?
- We did not forget. Throughout the year, we have been preparing, trying to prove that this thousandth was occasional. And we managed to do it.
- At the World Cup this year, you have not made a single mistake. What helps you concentrate?
- There is no certain secret. Just trying to set myself up so as not to make a mistake. Maximize self-confidence.
- During your performance on the bar in the arena, sound of heartbeat was turned on. Did it distract you?
- Not very distracting, but I heard that. I wondered a little: what was it?
- Is this some kind of know-how of the organizers?
- I’ve never heard of or seen this before. But it was fun, it caused additional emotions.
- Speaking of emotions - when you emotionally supported your teammates before your performance, did it take away your energy?
- I did not think about that. I had no task to save energy. I perfectly understood that in competitions I would spend it anyway. It happens that you come calm to the tournament, try not to waste your emotions, and burn up. No need to specifically save power.
“Only later half an hour of conversation, they understood with me that I’m not Arthur, but Nikita "
- Your 2019 World Cup medals are very extraordinary - they glow. Do you recharge them often?
- I never recharged them: as we flew from the World Cup, the battery died. All TV shows asked to bring medals, so I always used to take them with me. Now the medals are on the shelf together with other awards.
- After arriving in Russia, they began to invite you to TV very often. Do you feel like a celebrity?
- Not.
- Why?
- Time has passed. For a month or two everyone talks about the championship, and then they forget it - it's normal. It’s better not to get used to such attention.
- Not all athletes like to communicate with journalists, believing that it takes a lot of time.
- Now we are training on a regular basis, preparing, keeping in shape, learning new elements. In our free time, we need to popularize the sport and therefore communicate with journalists. Gymnastics is unpopular, but I want it to be a little different.
Nikita Nagorny, 22 years old. Born in Rostov-on-Don. 3-time world champion, 6-time European champion. At the 2019 World Cup, with the Russian national team, he won the first-ever gold in the world championship in team all-around discipline. In 2018, he married world champion gymnast Daria Spiridonova. He founded the gymnastics school "Academy of Champions". Nickname: Leo.
- At the last world championship, your friend and teammate Arthur Dalaloyan won the personal all-around. This year you have gold. How did he congratulate you?
- We were together all this time. Just hugged - and that’s it.
- You look alike. Do people often confuse you?
- We are often confused. Those who know us personally never confuse, of course. Confused by those who saw us only on TV.
- Do you feel offended?
- If one of us did not have results, it would be insulting, but because we both win medals, we don't feel offended. In some situations, we can even play along. Sometimes it’s suitable to communicate with you, and it’s unclear who the person is talking to - with you or Arthur (laughs). This was at the training camp in China before the World Cup, when we were interviewed. Only after half an hour of conversation with me did they realize that I was not Arthur, but Nikita.
You said that you could not somehow get along with Arthur in the same room, you could stand each other only one day. Why? You are friends, aren't you?
- It's unclear, we just didn't get along. Two leaders cannot live together.
"I can not live with competitive weight "
- After the World Cup, you and your spouse, world champion in gymnastics, Daria Spiridonova, took part in the Alexei Nemov show “Sports Legends”. Was it difficult to get together emotionally after the World Cup when there is no sports component?
- What difficulties can there be? At the World Cup, we relieved nervous tension, and other emotions appeared. At the show, I received only positive emotions.
- Have you ever performed in a classic suit before?
- No, but once I was on a show in Mexico and there I performed on the horizontal bar in jeans.
- Does it somehow hinder movements, create discomfort?
- We do not make complex elements. The most important thing in such shows is a reasonable approach to performance, so as not to get injured.
- You said that after Stuttgart you gained 5 kg in 5 days.
- I cannot live with competitive weight. For me it is not enough. During the World Cup, I ate only twice a day. This is not normal for everyday life.
- Is the muscle energy somehow preserved if you have only two meals a day?
- We were preparing four months for this start, it is impossible to lose all the energy in one week. It is clear that in the last days of the competition, the legs are already failing a bit, the muscles are clogged, trainings are crazy. But there is no choice. It’s not because I am don't eat enough, it’s just extreme physical activities. We perform all week.
- Is there any special diet before the competition?
- I stick to a diet during the competition. Before the tournament, I have breakfast, lunch, dinner. But I eat small portions, and during competitions I restrict myself to two times - breakfast and dinner.
- What does your diet look like?
- In the morning I eat porridge with berries, nuts or cereals and drink cappuccino. I usually have dinner with pasta, rice, and seafood. Between breakfast and dinner, I can eat a low-calorie bar with coffee.
- Your photo is hanging in Moscow Olympic College №1 right in front of the dining room. What was your favorite school dish?
- I’m used to state food - school, sports truing camps. The food at the college was always tasty, always nourishing. I loved all the dishes.
- Last year, changes have occurred in your life. You married Daria. Has this circumstance somehow positively affected you emotionally?
- No, nothing has changed. Before that, we had the same understanding as now. We lived together, just wanted to make a holiday for our families, friends and relatives and officially legalize our relationship.
- You and your wife have one profession - is that good?
- We are not connected in any way. At the training camp, we train in different gyms, we meet only in the evening. Weekends we spend together. We never talk about gymnastics at home. Everyone has his own understanding, attitude. There is a taboo, we don’t discuss our disciplines, otherwise we can burn out. There is no strict prohibition; there is simply no desire to discuss the same things over and over again. Sooner or later, one of us will end doing sport. We all perfectly understand that career of a gymnast in sports is very short. If relations are built on sports solely, then what to do next? Therefore, we are developing, discussing other topics, and there are a lot of them.
“I used to refuse advertising on my YouTube channel, today I would agree”
- You are 22 years and you already do business?
- The main activity is my school. I opened the gymnastics club "Academy of Champions" in the suburbs of Moscow. I rented a place, equipped it, and now we train children there.
- Did you yourself open it?
- Myself.
- Do you manage to supervise it, or do you have assistants?
- I do everything myself.
- Do you still have time to blog. Do you also shoot and edit it yourself?
- I shoot it myself, a special person edits it. I send the material with a definite task, and he does it for me.
- Was it your idea to have a YouTube blog?
- Well, yes, why?
- Does it help you distract from competitions and trainings, or maybe later develop into a profession?
- When I started, it was a hobby, an outlet, and when the YouTube channel began to gain popularity, I began to refuse advertising. I made it so that the viewer could watch, and nothing disturbed him. Previously, ads constantly popped up, and YouTube was no different from the TV. I decided to refuse advertising because blogging was a hobby. But over time, I lost interest in this, because it took a lot of time, and I had to train. Back then I shot it myself, edited it myself. When I closed the channel, I received many letters from kids' parents. They wrote that this is the only channel that they can show the child, because he does gymnastics. It was interesting to children, they were motivated. When you read thousands of messages, you understand that this blog performs the main goal - the popularization of gymnastics.
Then I recruited a team - an editor, an operator, so as not to be distracted and do sports. I also wanted to find a director, but then I realized that people like it due to the fact that I shoot videos myself, and if I do everything according to the script, it’s not me who will lead, but the actor. I just started shooting my life, competitions. Now I need to keep the operator and the editor. I used to refuse advertising, and the advertiser stopped offering it to me, at some point I even regretted it.
- Now you have no advertising?
- No. Now I wouldn’t refuse it, because it costs money to maintain a YouTube channel, I want to go at least to zero. I do not plan to earn on it.
- You are a graduate of Moscow Olympic College No. 1. Was it difficult to combine studies with sports?
- This is the main objective of this educational establishment: an athlete can study and do sports in the same place.
- Did you always have desire to learn?
- One of my acquaintances did not do any sport, and was too lazy to study. It is clear that it’s hard to study after training. There were times when I was falling asleep, and I had no desire to go to classes, because there would be one more training in the evening. But we could not just leave, we had to be present at the lessons, at least get some knowledge.
- What can you wish students of Moscow Olympic College No. 1?
- You always need to set a large-scale goal. If you are 15 years old, and professional sport has not yet begun, you must set yourself the task of getting into major competitions at your age. Then not just participate, but win a medal. Do not listen to those who doubt you. It is important to always believe in yourself.
Questionnaire of the Olympic Reserve:
Juice or soda?
Water.
Potato with meat or pasta with seafood?
Pasta.
Passive or active holiday?
Active.
Who is cooler, Alexey Nemov or Simone Biles?
In women's gymnastics - Biles, in men's gymnastics - Nemov. If you consider the awards, then Biles is way ahead of Alexey Yuryevich, and if we speak of popularization of the sport in our country, then this is Alexey Nemov.
Compete in Russia or in another country?
In Russia there is no audience that love gymnastics, and even if there is, it is very small. Abroad, there are many spectators, it can not be compared. We need to engage in promotion of gymnastics in order to get people interested in competitions.
Vault or crossbar?
(After a pause.) A difficult question for me. I am an all-round athlete, and I like all disciplines. But at the moment there is more interest in the crossbar. Although it would have been better if I had more interest in the jump.
