Interviews with Nina Vitrichenko

Interview before Olimpics 2000: 'Judges stop vow fidelity"

- Nina, as you go to Olimpics as a judge, who will join Elena through the competition?

- Accepted to join and support Lena in Sydney Tatiana Nesterova. She is a head os scientific group on rhythmic gymnastics of the physical university. By the way, Elena joined that university and maybe in the future Elena's and Tatiana's work will be and in studying!

- Did people congratulated you when you heard a solution of National Olimpic Committee?

- Sure! We got lots of phone bills from known and unknown people. Journalists phoned and not only from Ukraine, but and from other countries. To be honest, among gymnasts phoned only Yana Batyrchina. I want to thank to all the people, who helped us in this difficult times

- When do you go to Sydney?

- We go to Sydney on 11th September. Certainly, preparing period was very difficult, but, I will underline that Deruigins didn't crash Elena's nervous. Even I'm proud of my daughter!

- Do you think that new situation is very good for Vitrichenko? After sanctions of FIG, judges can be scared and will have to judges fair. And Lena also have a big benefit - she won the war, which was not only one month....

- I also think so. Not only FIG, but also and International Olimpic Committee will carefully watch Rhythmic Gymnastics competition. It is very well known that now there are lots of talking to expel RSG from Olimpic Sports. Wonderful sport because of games of the judges is called the most dirty and unfair. Sanctions on FIG were like a warning from IOC. But all will depend on how the competition in Sydney will pass. If the judges will judge like on European Championships in Zaragoza, these Olimpics will be last for Rhythmic Gymnastics.

- If to think a bit, Elena Vitrichenko practically made a revolution in gymnastics.

- We can say and like that. Earlier punishments of FIG weren't very big : 2-3 warnings...And now 26 warnings and 6 disqualifications. Let's hope that this revolution made RSG fair and better. Because now the rules, even if they aren't good, if judge fully follows them, gymnasts will be put on their places. .

Interview with Nina Vitrichenko after European Championships in Zaragoza

(translation - Kirilka Nikolova)

Nina Vitrichenko - "Last year at the worlds in Japan the Olympic licenses were given. The teams who entered the first 5 places will participate with 2 gymnast. Elena had second result and that is why Ukraine won 2 berths. Then everything was normal, Vitrichenko was useful for Ukraine and the Deruigins' School.

Now they fight for one of the licenses. Lena is already used and now they can throw her away as old, without perspective, without discipline...Actually she is in an excellent sport shape, she has all the rights to go to the Olympics.

They kicked us out of the Derygins School, I cannot use other words. They allowed us to train only between the trainings of other groups. Time for full training since January was not given to us. When the children were having a choreography class, Lena and me had to use the second carpet but without music. The allowed us to put on the music only from time to time. Many times I asked Irina Deryugina to arrange the schedule so that we can have normal conditions for training. But it is obvious that already at that time her aim was to destroy us.

At Deryugins Cup they managed to do so that Lena did not enter even one final. With such a result the second gymnast at a Grand Prix Competitions becomes Anna Bessonova. It is very hard for us because everything occurred in front of the eyes of the Kiev people. We were very frustrated. But we did not want to give up. We found an excellent gymnastics facilities at the Institute of Physical Education, found support in GosKomSport. The officials tried to assist us, nobody put obstacles in front of us to train normally. Lena was successful, she looked fine, went to tournaments, took good positions... At that time our opponents began to use their heavy cannonade.

Albina Nikolaevna, before the Europeans, made a condition - to carry out a test competition and according to the results to select the participants for Zaragoza.I proposed to organize the competition in our gym but they refused. So the competition
took place at the Deryugins School... The laid down 2 carpets on the floor and when Lena was performing with the rope, the apparatus did not jump from the floor as it should be. Because of this they announced Vitrichenko is in a bad shape. They gave her only a 3rd place.

We went to Zaragoza and we hear from the organizers - Deryugina has put Lena to
participate only with one apparatus. I phoned immediately to Kiev, put everybody on alert, talk to Turishcheva - she has a great authority in FIG. As a result Elena was registered to begin the competition with three apparatuses.

And the next events put everybody in shock. In order to destroy Vitrichenko, the judges gave high scores to the rest. Three gymnasts receive a result 9.95 in the qualifications, then Vitrichenko receives for the her rope 9.783. The audience exclaimed in disappointment - this was the 24th result! The second gymnast of Israel was before the world champion ...

When the judges began an open abuse over Elena, the audience opened posters "Vitrichenko - gymnastics queen", the girls were wearing t-shirts with her image. Everybody understood perfectly, the gymnast who should compete for the first 3 places was thrown somewhere in the twentieth places.

After the second day Lena was 19th and she had to participate in C group. This group is not shown on TV, there the gymnast can be absolutely drowned. Lena had one option: to express her protest and get out from the competition. And she did it.

Interview with Nina Vitrichenko before European Championships in Zaragoza

On June 1-4 in Spanish city Zaragosa will pass a European Championship, which one, on - essence, will become a dress rehearsal before launched in September Olympic games. Certainly, we are interested, how the trainings go for Ukrainian gymnasts as, especially, for the unconditional leader of our national team Elena Vitrichenko. You see, after the international competition in March "Deruigina Cup - Naftogaz", which one will be for a long time stored to the present fans of rhythmic gymnastics by a scandalous judicial outrage, Elena seriously thought about her retirement. By meeting with her mum - coach Nina Vitrichenko, I need regretfully to state, that against our leader, our Lenochka Vitrichenko and her coach there is real "war"...

- Did you think to retire after Deruigina Cup 2000?

- It is true, after that disaster known as " Deruigina Cup", where the judges simply scoffed above Elena, we did not eliminate version to retire in this cruel sport, - began the monologue Nina Vitrichenko. - You see, vice-president of International federation of gymnastics (FIG) Irina Viner - coach of the leader of Russian team, Alina Kabaeva - with full connivance of the president and vice-president of Federation of gymnastics of Ukraine (FGU) Albina and Irina Deruigina, has made above Elena the present punishment. The tenth place in all-round and non-competitive in no one finals of the Gran Prix Serie is a humiliating outcome for sportsman, which one has acted rather well. However we have decided to not commit categorical acts.

- Was Elena more successful on international competitions?

- After " Deruigina Cup " Elena has shared in four tournaments, in one of them has won (in Slovenian city Ljubljana, where Irina Viner has not arrived, our gymnast under all articles won against second number of Russian team - Julia Barsoukova, and in remaining demonstrated the best outcome among all representatives of Ukraine.)

- What's the problem now?

- It seemed, we have demonstrated to all, that Elena still is strongest Ukrainian gymnasts, and she is still able to win a medal on Olimpic games in September. But on a passing soon in Spanish city Zaragoza European Championships 2000 Albina Deruigina has included Elena to perform only three routines (out of four possible) in Team finals. And Elena is an absolutely leader of the Ukrainian National Team!! I shall allow myself to remind, that on a last year's world championship in Osaka (Japan) just she made a lot for Ukraine to come third in Team, due to what Ukraine has received two licences for Olympic games.

- And what about judging problem? Who will judge from Ukraine in Zaragoza and in Sydney?

- Yes, By the way, I want once again to return to this world championship. Recently FIG has distributed the message in which one was written that I have all rights to judge from Ukraine and in Zaragoza and in Sydney. According to that, I asked a management of National Olympic committee (NOC), to allow me to be the arbiter on all large competitions, which one are held before Olympic games. But Albina and Irina Deruigins have on this score another the point of view. They have addressed to FIG with the application, where reproach me in illusory judging on world Championships in Osaka and require to exchange me on the Olympic to Irina Deruigina (by the way, she will introduce a judicial body of our country and on a European Championships in Zaragosa). I couldn't believe my eyes ! In Osaka I judged competition of individual gymnasts and, I think, the problem completely has consulted. I shall iterate, our team has conquered two licences for the Olympic, and the management has evaluated my activity by a high score and FIG has included me in the top twenty best judges. And here Irina Deruigina judged competition of the groups, and all was finished by that in this kind Ukraine "has flown by" the Olympics. And from FIG Deruigina has received an estimation below, than mine..

- You went to the another Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation. Why did you do so?

- In general, I should declare, that since January of present year that FGU has organized against me and Lena present "war". I was completely discharged of activity in Federation, any problems with me weren't discussed. Deruigins have expelled us from the hall, on any time by refusing to take place for trainings. Thanks to the rector of National university of physical culture Vladimir Platonov : he has granted us for trainings a good spacious hall. Now Deruigins achieve, that I should not judge on Olympic games. Outgoing from all it, me and Lena have filed application about escaping FGU and have entered the Ukrainian federation of gymnastics (UFG), which one heads Ludmila Turischeva. The UFG and earlier imposed me by the objectivity in the solution of all relevant problems and, despite of some differences, always concerned to me yours faithfully. I hope, I and Lena will manage adequately to introduce UFG on international arena, including on a laying ahead championship of Europe in Zaragosa...