Svetlana Romashina's wards. Russian synchronized swimmer Romashina Svetlana: biography, sports career, personal life

DatsoPic 2.0 2009 by Andrey Datso

I came to sports from the desire to be strong. I achieved this. Then I wanted to be the first. I achieved it too.

Brumel Valery Nikolaevich

Svetlana Romashina was born on September 21, 1989 in Moscow - a Russian athlete, competes in synchronized swimming, in the Russian national team since 2005.

Three-time Olympic champion, once in 2008, and twice in 2012, 11-time world champion, 5-time European champion. Performs in a duet with Natalia Ishchenko. After the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Natalya Ishchenko decided to take a break from her sports career and at the moment will not perform in a duet; she will be replaced by Svetlana Kolesnichenko, who was previously in the group. A new duo, Svetlana Romashina and Svetlana Kolesnichenko, will perform at the 2013 FINA World Championships. Svetlana Romashina and Natalya Ishchenko became the only ones in the Russian team who won two gold medals at the London Olympics.

(interview with Svetlana Romashkina)

Our Olympic hopes - gymnasts, swimmers, synchronized swimmers - have a lot in common. It’s as if the Damocles sword of responsibility for Russia’s performance at the Olympics hangs over them, because medals are traditionally expected from representatives of these sports. And each of the athletes has a special inner core that is so strong that it allows them to withstand monotonous heavy loads year after year, sacrificing health and personal life for the sake of victory at the main competition of the four-year anniversary. Olympic champion Svetlana Romashina told Big Sport about what goes into the altar of Olympic victory, as well as about judges, makeup and life under water.

Let's start, perhaps, traditionally. How did you get into synchronized swimming?

The story is banal: they took me to the pool, taught me how to swim, and I immediately liked floundering in the water. And then it somehow started happening, and at the age of ten I already dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion. When I won the coveted title, my friend reminded me of those childhood dreams. In addition to swimming as a child, I also did ballroom dancing, and at the same ten years I had to choose one thing. In the end, I gave up dancing because I didn’t like my partner. I thought I would be independent in synchronized swimming. Here, of course, I was wrong.

Do you enjoy soloing more than duets or groups?

As a child, I loved solo performances: you do what you want and think it turns out beautifully. Now I perform in a duet, a group and prefer a duet. This is a more prestigious type, the names of the participants are well known. So I won in Beijing in 2008 in a group - who knew the names of all eight group members?

I recently learned with interest that group synchronized swimmers have a role, just like football players, for example.

In football, the division into roles is still clearer. We have an acrobat girl - small, thin, light, she performs various tricks in the air. There is also a pushing one - with strong arms, it just helps the acrobat to take off. And the rest are just “circus performers”.

The acrobat can probably clearly see the audience's reaction to the performance. And the rest have time to notice something, maybe hear the coach’s tips?

Do friends or parents come to support?

It’s very difficult for me if someone close to me is in the stands, even during warm-ups - I always ask them to leave. After all, this is additional stress. Let them watch on TV.

Speaking of coaches: how is it working with the Danchenko-Pokrovskaya duet?

Great. Tatyana Evgenievna Danchenko is my personal trainer, she is responsible for the duet. I've been with her since I was ten. And Tatyana Nikolaevna Pokrovskaya is the head coach of the national team, her area of ​​​​responsibility is groups.

I've heard about Pokrovskaya's favorite dog, Yorkie Danya. Does he often spend time with you?

He is constantly on the side of the pool, runs after us, barks when we leave training. We are already accustomed to his company.

How do Danchenko and Pokrovskaya divide your time between each other?

I'll tell you my daily routine, it will be clearer. We get up at seven in the morning, and by eight we have to be in the pool. Then three hours of duet training in the water, then we go to the gym, and our place is taken by a group that trains six of us. Afterwards, we do another three-hour training session together from seven to ten in the evening.

Do you somehow train holding your breath under water? Maybe you’re holding competitions to see who can last the longest?

This was all before, but now it is no longer the case. At one time we went to the Disaster Medicine Center, where we breathed mountain air, which, as I understand it, increased the volume of the lungs. Before that, she could hold out under water for three minutes, and after – 4.20. This is without movement, naturally, but the increase is still impressive.

Does it happen during performances that there is not enough air?

Unfortunately, such incidents are not uncommon. Here in Beijing, one Japanese woman did not calculate her strength and began to sink to the bottom on the last link - hypoxia. It was not very pleasant: the Japanese team was performing right in front of us, and the girl was taken away on a gurney. In general, different things happen - we perform close to each other. There was a case where someone’s nose was broken, the clamps were knocked off. At the last World Championships, exactly this happened in our team, but my colleague heroically finished her performance, pinching her nose with her upper lip.

Who chooses the musical accompaniment?

All decisions are made collectively, together with the coaches, and various elements and combinations are also invented together. Natasha and I have never performed to classical music, we decided together that this is not for us, and we choose only from modern compositions. But the accompaniment can be anything. For example, we did the “Jungle” program, where there were the screams of a monkey, the hissing of a snake, and the roar of an elephant.

How else can you surprise the judges?

New elements, of course. Here we are ahead of the rest - we are constantly inventing something. True, it’s a shame when you come to the next competition, and the Spanish girls there are already using your achievements.

There was such a case when, before leaving for the Olympics in Beijing, Dmitry Medvedev gathered the Olympians and wished us to emulate the football team that won bronze. I stood and thought: “We seem to be going for gold...” And then you hear about the salaries of those players - and it’s a shame

What about your personal life? You constantly disappear at training camps, training sessions and competitions.

Everything is fine with my personal life. Fortunately, my chosen one understands everything perfectly - why all this is being done and what the goal is for me.

By the way, you have a tattoo, how do the judges feel about it?

We cover them up because they distract the judges' attention. But my orchid is still nonsense; Asya Davydova has 17 butterflies on her back. Fortunately, almost everyone is covered by a swimsuit.

Everyone could have seen Asya's butterflies in one of the glossy magazines. How did you like that candid photo shoot?

Yes, frank, unusual, unusual, but beautiful! I wouldn’t pose topless like Nastya Ermakova, but like Asya in a swimsuit, it would be fine. Some people liked it, some didn’t, but most importantly, it resonated. The guys at the institute shoved almost stacks of magazines at me and asked me to get an autograph from the girls. Some kind of additional attention to our sport.

What about preparing for a performance? How long does it take to apply makeup?

Makeup is a separate conversation. Sometimes you put on makeup, look at yourself up close - dear mother, run away from here. But from a distance it's fine. This is all for the judges so that they can see facial expressions. It turns out that we are only in the water for about five minutes, and preparation takes about an hour. You also need to style your hair - we dilute edible gelatin in water, and it must be completely dissolved, without lumps.

Does everyone have the same “outfit”? How do you differ from your rivals, except for the color of your swimsuits?

Well... Natasha and I did not just one bunch of hair on our heads, like everyone else, but two. Not much, but variety. We also don’t have the most ordinary makeup – “doll” makeup. Draw eyelashes for yourself.

I heard that men began to try to become synchronized swimmers...

Yes, there is one American, he even competed in international competitions. In Russia, a boy from St. Petersburg studies and participates in various shows. Natasha and I once even had a room with that American, a very unique experience. Personally, I’m not impressed by men’s legs stretched out of the water.

How do you like working with your new partner?

Since we have been working together as a duet for only a week, there are no difficulties yet. (Before this, the girls worked together only in a group - Ed.) The training proceeds calmly, without a stressful regime, since I am just starting to get into shape. At the moment, it’s quite easy for me and Sveta. She is quiet, calm, and does what I tell her. (Laughs.) So far I like everything. The main thing is that our tandem is liked by the coaches and that they see promise in us. In addition, for the first time we had a merger of two competing Moscow clubs. And usually athletes from the same coach end up in a duet. We hope that this will also bear fruit.

Will you continue to perform in the group in the new season?

No, this year I'm taking a break from the group. It is possible for me to perform in a technical solo if Natalya does not return and it is necessary to close this position. But this is questionable. Let's see.

After the Olympic Games in London, you planned to take part in a sailing regatta. Have your plans come true?

Yes, I took part in the regatta and generally took up this sport seriously. It is possible that after synchronized swimming I will switch to sailing. As for the regattas, unfortunately, we did not take prizes there, but we won all the competitions.

What kind of regattas were these?

I took part in two regattas in a row, both took place along the coast of Turkey. One is called Sail and Fun Trophy (from September 28 to October 7 on the route Fethiye - Phenike - Ed.), and the second is Volvo Week, very famous in the world.

When you talk about switching to sailing, do you also mean joining the Olympic team?

Why not? As I was told, the main thing is to understand how the yacht is structured and how the wind blows. I am slowly being taught all this. So anything is possible.

Will you combine at first, and the transition will take place as soon as you feel sufficient strength?

More likely. I’m not saying that this is about to happen, but it’s interesting to try yourself in a different field.

Then let's get back to synchronized swimming and your work with your new partner. Are there any ideas or images that you did not have time to implement with Natalya Ishchenko?

It seems to me that we managed to do everything with her, and most importantly, we won Olympic gold. Therefore, now I am not planning anything special, the main thing is that the program turns out well. So that both we and the specialists like it. And then we will try to win gold at the World Championships in Barcelona and win at the Universiade.

What will this program be like?

We already have some ideas and the first two parts of music. I won’t reveal the secret, even about the images. I can only say that it will again be stylized. Previously, we were agents, then dolls, and here something similar will happen.

How do you usually celebrate the New Year?

I usually meet with friends and family, but this time we are going to go to Austria with a young man and a large group. We want to go skiing. True, I will ride the cable car more, since I still need arms and legs. (Smiles.)

So sailing is not the limit yet?

No. But this is my first time skiing, so it’s too early to talk about anything. Let's see what happens. (Laughs.)

Did your New Year's wishes come true?

At the moment, all my wishes have come true. I would like this to continue.

So, do you believe in New Year's miracles?

Yes. I even write my wishes on a piece of paper, then set them on fire and throw them into champagne, as so many people do in our country. And then you have to drink it all. Well, and some more secrets.

Svetlana Romashina: “It’s scary not to live up to expectations”

August 10, 2012 Synchronized swimming. London Olympics - Gold.

KommersantBoscoSport special correspondent ANDREY KOLESNIKOV witnessed the Olympic gold of Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina in synchronized swimming and understood why one of them returned after giving birth to a child. It turned out to be so easy to understand. But it turned out to be not so easy to believe.

Early in the morning in the Olympic Village I saw one of the leaders of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Vasin. He said that we should definitely go to synchronized swimming today, of course. But this was already clear: Natalya Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina performed. Usually very reserved, especially in forecasts (everyone here is so superstitious...), Vladimir Vasin suddenly said:

Well, if a miracle doesn’t happen, then today we should, of course, have gold there.

But even here he was not surprised. If anyone knew how to win at this Olympics, it was the synchronized swimmers. And if one of the synchronized swimmers knew how to defeat everyone better than anyone, it was Natalya Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina.

On the podium at the very beginning of the competition I saw Natalia Ishchenko’s mother.

“I think you don’t have to worry today, even you,” I told her.

Do not worry? - she asked again. “What are you talking about?” Oh, I'm afraid to make any guesses... Don't worry... Do you understand what you're talking about?!!

No, apparently I didn’t really understand. I met with both of them and their coach Tatyana Danchenko immediately after the same performance in London. They won then as they should win today. They weren't very calm. But not from joy. I just didn’t notice the joy. And because Natalya Ishchenko was about to have her blood taken for doping. This has never happened to them before. They don't take blood. And they were even scared. And they thought whether they could have time to call a doctor from the Olympic Village, because there was only a massage therapist with them: who could have known about such treachery?

Now I was wondering, of course, how they would survive today's victory.

The victory was, as always, deafeningly quiet. They spoke in such a way that everyone else just had to keep quiet. Although, after London, something happened to them, as we know. That is, Natalya Ishchenko gave birth.

And less than two years later they began training together again.

And so they performed, went somewhere to the back rooms and a few minutes later came out dressed in training suits. And they sat down to sit in the room from where they were going to the awards ceremony. No one here allowed themselves to do this. They didn’t even look at who would perform there and why. They were absolutely confident of their victory. They did not look towards the swimming pool. Although, by the way, there were still those who, at least theoretically, could compete with them. The Spanish women, for example, who won silver in London.

The girls sat in the awards room very early and, in my opinion, did not talk to each other about anything. What should we talk about? Having studied together for so many years, they got used to doing without words. What to talk about underwater? Underwater, all that remains is to understand each other.

When it was all over, they took off their training suits, wore what the coach gave birth to and went to thank the audience and talk to journalists. And their legendary coach Tatyana Danchenko was approached by another legendary coach Tatyana Pokrovskaya:

Dear comrades, you are so great! Congratulations!

The Soviet school was evident in everything here.

Tatyana Danchenko promised to talk to me immediately after the award ceremony:

We'll go take a photo now, and I'll come, okay?

And they took pictures. And before the award ceremony, and especially after. And she shouted to her girls through the jubilation of the stands (here, in my opinion, everything was done for them, because they understood that they themselves, perhaps, had become part of the great history of sports today):

Kiss me!

And they simultaneously kissed her on different cheeks. They didn't have to explain exactly how to kiss. They did this so many times at the Olympics alone...

From left to right: coach of the Russian synchronized swimming team Tatyana Danchenko, synchronized swimmers Svetlana Romashina and Natalya Ishchenko

It was for these minutes that Natalya Ishchenko returned to sports two years ago. For the sake of the minutes to which, in my opinion, she is so accustomed. I’ve probably gotten so used to it that I can’t do without them now. Is this the doping she can’t help but take? Or maybe? She still had to figure that out.

Natalya Ishchenko went for doping. It wasn’t even funny anymore: at every competition, at every Olympics, the computer chooses her out of the two. And this time he also did not change the tradition. In the end, it’s good, if only for reasons of everyday superstition.

And again there was no doctor here, but only a massage therapist (but even though they didn’t take blood for analysis, it’s strange: now no one would be surprised: how could you not take it?), who, however, was distracted by a group in striped swimsuits ( in my opinion, it was the striped ones), which gathered here, next to the exit to the pool. This was a group of our synchronized swimmers who were about to win, I’m not afraid of this word, another gold. Very young girls (Ishchenko and Romashina are good enough not to be mothers, of course, but to be very big sisters) looked out from behind the volunteers to see what was happening outside, and I saw how they looked out and then sang the Russian anthem: memorized and passionately. They memorized it, it seems, recently (and, apparently, they were rehearsing for their own performance), and their passion, unlike their elders, is still raging, and that’s all.

And when they later hugged and kissed Ishchenko and Romashina, I saw them crying, these were either girls, or maybe just a vision (well, yes, they are so small and fragile that they seem to be translucent...).

Did Ishchenko and Romashina cry at the same time, having accomplished yet another sporting feat in their biography? Guess for yourself, it's very easy. A couple of minutes later Tatyana Danchenko arrived, as promised. We sat in a small hall where they are preparing for the performance. The walls were made of mirrors, that’s what attracted attention (that is, I saw myself from everywhere).

I didn’t have that many questions; at first it seemed to me that I had questions.

In such a situation, how can you explain to both the girls and yourself that you need to win? Spend ten hours in the pool every day?.. What should you tell them and yourself? After all, everything has been won a long time ago - and so much...

“Nothing is needed,” Danchenko shrugged. “They can tell themselves everything.” And they said it a long time ago. They decided everything themselves. They didn't have to be persuaded. And that's the best thing about what's happening.

How many years ago? Two?

“We are holding on,” she said, “due to the fact that we plan for one year. That is, after the London Olympics, Sveta Romashina decided that she would swim for another year, they did a duet with Svetlana Kolesnichenko... Sveta Romashina did a solo, it was her debut on the world stage... Everything was wonderful... The next year the duet was completely different, but there was only Europe ... And then Natasha, who gave birth to a child and returned from maternity leave, decided that she wanted to compete at the Olympics. Yes, we can say that we decided in two years... So there was no need to motivate them at all!

But wasn't there a problem here? After all, Sveta had to tell her partner that a real partner had come... And what was she supposed to do?

No, there was no problem. When Natasha left, she said that she was just taking a break, so Sveta Kolesnichenko understood everything perfectly...

And still I hoped. She had a chance to win the Olympics.

She was our reserve until the Olympics,” said Tatyana Danchenko.

That is, she hoped until the Olympics.

Sveta Kolesnichenko understood everything too well,” Danchenko sighed. “Nothing like that was even discussed.” And I say again, there was no need to motivate them. My task was only to find an image, figure out where to look for music... This time I came up with the idea that we would write music...

Together?

Well, not us, of course, but we will find a composer who will write us music for the image that we decided to create. And I went to the composer...

Where did you find it? After all, it seems to me that there are so many of them that it is simply impossible to find what you need.

By chance... Although, on the other hand, I think it’s all God’s will... One of my friends, a former synchronized swimmer who lives in France, introduced me in Moscow to a composer who writes music for all circuses...

Circuses?..

Exactly! And when we came up with the image of mermaids, we began to think about where to get music for this thing...

So... - more and more information fell on me. - How did you come up with the image of mermaids?..

Brainstorming!.. We sat and went through everything that we had done before and that could not be repeated...

But probably everything happened over the years... You just can’t believe that there were no mermaids. This begs the question!.. Water, mermaids...

No one had... Our strongest rivals didn’t, we also went through this, because it can’t be repeated... And we thought: that’s what we definitely didn’t do! Mermaids!

For so many years, no one thought about mermaids? Synchronized swimmers - they are mermaids! Anyone will tell you that!

It’s very difficult to play up such an image,” said Danchenko. “It’s easier for dolphins, for example...

And who came up with such a difficult image?

One of the girls was the first to say...” she continued, no longer paying attention to me. “I told them: “Oh, you can, of course, try...” And what about these mermaids? Here is their tail... What should we do with this tail?.. We need to play around... Well, okay, mermaids love insidiously, they lure... Okay, I can still imagine the slow part. But fast!..

And who should mermaids cunningly lure? - I didn’t understand.

Like whom? Judges... - Danchenko explained. - And they went, they went to lure... In short, they decided to write music for this... I wrote on Facebook to a friend so that she would give the contact of this composer... I called him, he turned out to be a very nice man...

Even though it’s a circus...

Precisely because the circus... - she cut me off. - I agreed, wrote... I needed a classic fairy tale about mermaids. Not some kind of modernism, God forbid... So that this fairy tale can be read directly... So that splashes of water can be read, seagulls... First the tempo, then about love...

Insidious. Mermaid.

Exactly! Then the final...

The ending is always sad...

Not in our case! - Danchenko exclaimed. - Apotheosis! No one even has time to understand whether he is sad or happy!

Of course...” I muttered. “Before you have time to understand anything - and here it is, this ending is always...

“We worked with him for a long time,” Danchenko nodded. “With Mikhail Ekimyan.”

A desperate man... He took on this... This only happens in the circus...

And in synchronized swimming. Then I called the girls. I was very afraid... But the girls, thank God, liked it... And that's it, they started working!

Mermaids... - I realized.

Much was already becoming clear.

There were two such places that tormented me for a long, long, long time...

Who was tortured? - I didn’t understand. - Why? Oh, well, mermaids...

Places tormented us, - Tatyana Danchenko patiently repeated... - Places tormented us, and we tormented places...

How painful it all is... These mermaid affairs...

In the end, solutions were found.

And here’s another mermaid... - I couldn’t calm down. - How did she feel about all this?

“It’s okay,” Danchenko reassured me. She was in the group...

Ah, mermaids... There was already a whole group of mermaids...

No, another group - Danchenko was happy today, so she forgave me all this.

Maybe she guessed that I was just taking it all too close to my heart...

Kolesnichenko was in the group... It was stipulated from the very beginning that if Natasha returns, the duet will be restored to its previous composition...

Only then no one knew that this was a duet of mermaids... Including mermaids... - I already easily picked up the theme of mermaids.

We could hear splashes of water, the cries of seagulls and, unfortunately, people...

I understand what you really mean. She probably really wanted everything. But she is a very intelligent and understanding girl. Therefore, we had no conversations, no offense...

It's probably different here, though. If there were no conversations at all, then some kind of grievances should have appeared...

Did you believe that Natasha would return? - I asked directly. “After all, this is such a thing... The Little Mermaid...

In general, it was such a joyful surprise for me! - Tatyana finally admitted.

Because that means she didn’t believe it anymore.

That's fair! Almost two years have passed!.. - she said. - These are my two dear girls!.. Although she missed pure time for a year and a half. Six months before her return, she had already started swimming.

Of course... There are no former mermaids... - I couldn’t calm down...

It’s good that Danchenko has completely stopped paying attention to me.

She apparently decided that she could still do it, that she was still capable... My only request was: let’s start after Kazan (after the World Aquatics Championships.- A.K.). Because we are planning for the year anyway... Let's go, let's go. Let's tell ourselves this and go. I told them: “Girls, there is no one stronger than you. That is, we just have to do our job as best we can, know how and know, and you will win the Olympics.” Everyone told them this, and not just me, the interested party: that they are ahead of the rest...

As if they themselves weren’t sure about it...

And this too... Three and a half heads ahead of the entire planet,” Danchenko clarified in vain.

For you, this was also a return to a great life, to great ideas, which, however, were already realized a long time ago and more than once...

Of course,” the coach confirmed.

Is Kolesnichenko also your athlete?

No,” she said, “they lent it to me as a duet... It really suited the texture, the head, the goodness...

I didn’t bother to clarify whether she physically resembled her head or figuratively, so as not to seem like a complete idiot.

Why was it still necessary to return in such a situation? - I asked again. “What kind of poison is this?”

Be sure to ask them. When a person feels that he hasn’t eaten enough yet, hasn’t had enough of a swim…

Do you think they didn't swim enough? After everything that happened? How long did they swim?

Before the Olympics - about ten hours a day... No, I’m not talking about the fact that we didn’t swim enough in training,” Danchenko sighed. “It’s clear that training is the hardest, most tedious part of this that you can imagine.” Bright flashes happen no more than twice a year: Europe, the world... Europe, the Olympics... Everything else is absolute tediousness, in which constant overcoming oneself through I can’t, through I don’t want... And, of course, they were not burning with the desire for this work. They were burning with desire...

She thought for a moment, choosing her words.

Stand on a pedestal, I suggested.

Yes. Win the Olympics. Plus, they’re not doing anyone a favor by returning to the sport and winning a medal... No, that’s their job. That is, they go to work every day.

That is, Natasha, among other things, just went to work, I realized.

And he gets paid for it,” the coach confirmed. “This is their choice of work for the next year or two.”

“And their job is to win the Olympics,” I finished.

Everything was finally completely clarified.

If someone had pressed them in Kazan or if there had been talk that they were giving up... But in Kazan they performed so brilliantly...

So in Kazan Danchenko also checked them.

In Kazan, all the experts from different countries said that they were so cool...

It’s just that everyone has already forgotten how this can be...

In a duet,” Tatyana Danchenko clarified. “And if we are so cool, then why not show this coolness again?”

And when Natasha told you that she was leaving, then...

She didn’t really know whether she was leaving or taking a break. And if the pause were longer, it would mean that she was leaving...

He pauses,” the coach corrected me.

She wanted to get pregnant and give birth to a child - and she became pregnant. She has been married for a long time... She was planning a child... By the age of 30, it’s time... She says: “If I can’t get pregnant before such and such a time, then I’ll take another year off. If I get pregnant, well, excuse me then...”

That is, she became pregnant... - I stated.

And she returned. Miracles happen. So it’s work, and not only work...

I understood about work. Moreover, there was no other work...

This is also, by the way... But you could go to the federation to work, to work as a referee...

What a mess... This is not a mermaid's business... Mermaids have a different kind of mud... Into a muddy pool... With your head... A duet with someone...

“That’s right,” she confirmed.

But Phelps, for example.

Yes, yes,” she perked up, “Phelps.”

He also continued and continued. And he received monstrous money for his work. But you don't. You are fighting for 4 million prize money. This is for first place. And 2.5 million for the second... Although this is not about you... That is, this story is certainly not about money for you.

About money too,” Danchenko disagreed. “Because this is a non-commercial sport, and these bonuses will be completely useful for us, even if compared even to Ukraine or Belarus, or to any country in the post-Soviet space now...

Because they suddenly fixed it in rubles... - I was aware.

And it turned out that they were funny,” Danchenko finished.

This has never happened before. For some reason, as the cost of living rises, prize money goes up for everyone; in all countries of the world, and only here, it goes down. This, of course, is strange for our country, which positions itself as not the poorest... And everyone is patriots... And we don’t have many Olympic champions... And the value of a medal in such a nervous situation increases so much... After all, how did we prepare... This is a separate issue song... After all, when all this shaking with the Olympics began... When it was simply impossible to force yourself to get up and go to work... Impossible... The girls could not force themselves to jump into the water... They didn’t understand, they would go to the Olympics, they wouldn’t go... This week, when they were waiting, how to decide... But you need to train! We miss a week - that’s it, we don’t have synchronization anymore! The synchronization is completely gone...

I remembered Yulia Efimova, who stopped sleeping and looked for swimming pools and hotels in Rio and couldn’t find...

She had long ago had to not just leave, but fly away - and she flew away, taking her adult daughter with her.

I stayed. I wanted to talk to Natalya Ishchenko. Let her say at least two words. I wanted to check if everything was as it turned out in our conversation with Tatyana Danchenko.

And it turned out to be not so simple. At first she was subject to doping control for a long time. However, it was not boring in the waiting room. Young bathers walked past all the time, endlessly. The best. From all countries of the world. Their path to training from one pool to another and to the locker rooms lay past me. And it was a bit of a test of nerves, needless to say.

Here a Spanish woman stands next to me and spends a long time happily combing her hair, which has become sticky after gelatin. The gelatin is gone, but this luxurious hair is here! Ukrainian women in purple robes hurry, see a man in a Russian uniform - and stop serenely cooing... I notice that they are all shaking, and I ask one if the water in the pool is cold.

The water is cold,” she confirms and asks again. “What?”

It can't just be cold water. There must be cold water with subtext. And, apparently, political.

But a Chinese athlete walked by in a working blue swimsuit, and across all her swimming trunks there was a pink inscription: “Supergirl”... And there is absolutely nothing to object to this laconic remark. But here’s one question: will they approve it at home?.. Or they won’t recognize it...

Finally, thank God, she comes out, Natalya Ishchenko. I ask if I can ask her a few questions, and she runs, literally runs, and says no, no way, because she’s late for training.

What training? - I'm dumbfounded. - You just won Olympic gold.

We have training,” she repeats. “And I’m terribly late.”

And we run to training. And it turns out that the training is really in full swing, and Romashina has been there for a long time. Such a strange pool, cordoned off with a net around the entire perimeter, over it there is a bridge, along which peaceful fans walk, who, of course, stop on the bridge and stare at so many mermaids in one small, and it seems very small, pool. There is a group of Ukrainians, and Egyptians, and someone else’s group... For five minutes, space is cleared for one of the groups, and it begins to feverishly train. And all this is some kind of dream, honestly...

But not for Ishchenko. She slips into the water, because the only thing missing here is her, and I hear the voice of another trainer, Tatyana Pokrovskaya herself:

You should stretch beautifully, but not like that!..

And the girls stretch beautifully... And, in my opinion, very beautifully. It’s so beautiful that applause can be heard from the bridge.

We have no time at all! - they shout to Pokrovskaya from the other side. What do we do?

Let's make a helicopter! - the girls shout.

And they do. And so, that when time is completely running out, Pokrovskaya tells them:

Remember this moment! And at least do something like this at competitions! And then - that's it!

And the quiet Ukrainian women, pressed into the edges of the pool and unable to take their eyes off the miracle happening before their eyes...

And yet, I asked Natalya Ishchenko why she returned.

And everything was confirmed.

“When I left after London,” she said, wrapping herself in a robe as she walked, “I understood that I would return. If it works out, if a child is born... I wanted to return. If I had not returned, I would never have forgiven myself for this.

What, roughly speaking, Olympic gold medals weren’t enough for you?

No, it’s just that there are few,” she continued to answer as she walked, “although there are never too many of them.” But I didn't swim enough. And this is the job I do best. And this is the only job.

They agreed or something. And, most likely, they talked too much about it.

And this is the only thing you know how to do,” I said hastily, and then I saw her withering look and began to feverishly correct myself. “God grant, of course, that everyone can cope with their work the way you do…”

This is also my favorite job. I just went to have a baby. I really wanted this. I gave birth to a child, I enjoyed it. And then I realized that it can be combined. And I began to combine.

And this is what came of it,” I stated. “When will you decide that you have enough gold?” God forbid, of course...

Of course,” she said, “we are drug addicts.” We are dependent on these emotions, on this pedestal... But someday we will still have to understand that we need to end sports. In the meantime, the group needs to perform.

That is, stand on a pedestal. Experience emotions. Again. Then again.

Of course... You know, - Natalya Ishchenko suddenly said, - I returned so easily... It was as if I had never left.

It won't go anywhere.

Andrey Kolesnikov, Rio de Janeiro

Russian synchronized swimmers Natalya Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina became the first in the duet competition at the Olympic Games in Rio. The girls were ahead of the Chinese team, the athletes received 98.5333 points for the free program and scored a total of 194.9910 points. Having won in this discipline, the duo replenished their piggy bank with another Olympic gold medal.

Natalia and Svetlana have already become champions at the Games in Beijing in 2008, and twice in London in 2012. The swimmers have another competition in Rio de Janeiro, so they are not relaxing. “We understand so precisely that we have another start ahead of us, that under no circumstances should we throw away our emotions,” Ishchenko said.

Her colleague Romashina could not hide her emotions after they overtook their opponents in the duet competition.

“We are incredibly happy, incredibly excited! These emotions cannot be expressed in words! I would like to say a huge thank you. This is not only our medal, but a common medal with coaches, fans and the whole country,” Svetlana Romashina told reporters after the results of their performance were announced.

Natalya and Svetlana accept congratulations from numerous fans. People write words of support on the athletes’ pages on social networks. “You are smart! Thank you for such a beautiful victory!”, “You were the most graceful, and the program looked not just like a set of movements, but like a performance, a theater, a show! Nobody really reaches your level! I can't imagine how you manage to do this! We are proud of you! Keep it up!”, “There are no words to express admiration for your work,” - such pleasant comments were left by subscribers of the champions’ microblogs under photographs of synchronized swimmers with gold medals.

However, it is possible that this Olympics will be the last for Ishchenko and Romashina. According to Svetlana, after 27-30 years, synchronized swimmers begin to “retire.”

A new stage after the London Games

Natalia Ishchenko's life changed a lot after the Olympic Games in 2012. After performing in the capital of Great Britain, the synchronized swimmer decided to devote herself entirely to her family. In 2013, Natalya and her husband, diving champion Sergei Anikin, had a son. Most sports experts believed that after this the synchronized swimmer would not be able to return to the big sport and show excellent results.

“There is no need to make a feat out of the fact that I returned to the pool - I am not the only woman who continued to work after giving birth. I firmly believe that everything in life can be combined - if only you have the desire. In addition, a family and a child are not an obstacle to a career, but rather the opposite: it’s easier to achieve everything when you have leverage. I have a beloved husband who supports me, I have a child for whose sake I want to reach new heights,” Ishchenko said after returning to the pool.

Natalya has been happily married to Sergei for several years. There is no feeling of envy or competitive spirit in their family. A few years ago, Anikin ended his career as a jumper and went into business: together with his wife, he opened a school for training future champions “START!” When the spouses manage to find a few free days, they all go on a trip together. “When you come on vacation with your family, the same places are perceived completely differently,” noted Natalya, who has traveled to many countries competing in competitions.

Romashina's dreams about family

The second member of the synchronized swim duo, 26-year-old Svetlana, is thinking about retiring after the games in Rio de Janeiro. She explains these plans by the fact that her health has deteriorated, and performing is becoming more difficult every time. However, Romashina is not going to say goodbye to water sports completely. Recently, the girl has been interested in frigates and is learning to sail. The girl was “infected” with this hobby by her husband Nikolai Zakharov, who has been managing yachts for several years.

By the way, Svetlana and her chosen one are thinking about having a child. Probably, after the games in Rio, Romashina will decide to go on maternity leave.

“I don’t have children yet, but I know for sure that my son will go to hockey. He will also go swimming. Hockey and swimming involve different muscle groups, but I want the child to be generally developed. But with a girl it’s more difficult... Maybe I’ll send her to music. But I know for sure that if she goes to synchronized swimming, she will under no circumstances train with me. Because I will be a terrorist mom. I won’t be able to drive her into a serious state, but sometimes in professional sports this is necessary,” Svetlana said about who she sees as her heirs.

Svetlana Romashina was born on September 21, 1989 in Moscow. At the age of five, the future “goldfish” of Russia came to the pool with her mother for the first time. At that time, the girl was already training in a dance studio, but it was in the water that she fully revealed her potential.

Swimming was very easy for her, so the coaches advised her mother to send her daughter to the synchronized swimmers section. So, at the age of 9, Romashina began to seriously engage in sports under the guidance of an excellent coach Tatyana Danchenko.

Stubborn, and at times grueling, training bore fruit - at the age of 15, Svetlana Romashina became the youngest in the Russian national synchronized swimming team. But even the busiest training schedules did not prevent the young athlete from getting an education. After school, she graduated from the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, and then chose the Faculty of Sports Management at Moscow State University as her second higher education.

Svetlana joined the Russian national synchronized swimming team in 2005. And in the same year, at the World Championships in Montreal, the girl immediately won two gold medals, and a year later the athlete became the European champion. Since then, Romashina has performed brilliantly at all synchronized swimming competitions.

Romashina Svetlana, together with Davydova Anastasia, Natalya Ishchenko, Ermakova Anastasia, Kuzhela Olga, Anna Shorina and Elvira Khasyanova and Gromova Maria, won the well-deserved “gold” of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in group exercises in synchronized swimming. The judges and spectators were delighted with the 4-minute program of the Russian team. For three Olympics in a row, our synchronized swimming team has deservedly received first places, maintaining its superiority and improving its performance technique.

She was an ambassador for the 2015 FINA World Championships.

In 2016, Svetlana Romashina, together with Natalya Ishchenko, took gold at the Rio Olympics. The athletes left no chance to their rivals, demonstrating a program unique in complexity and skill in execution. The incredibly beautiful performance left no one indifferent, and in the end it was “gold”.

Athlete's height: 173 cm. Weight: 57 kg.

Awards and Titles of Svetlana Romashina

Order of Friendship - for his great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high sporting achievements at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad 2008 in Beijing.

Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree - for his great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high sporting achievements at the Games of the XXX Olympiad 2012 in London.

Certificate of Honor from the President of the Russian Federation - for high sporting achievements at the XXVII World Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan.

“Silver Doe” - the best athlete of the year (Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia, December 18, 2013).

Victory and Medals of Svetlana Romashina

Olympic Games:

Gold Beijing 2008 group

Gold London 2012 duet

Gold London 2012 group

Gold Rio de Janeiro 2016 duet

Gold Rio de Janeiro 2016 group

World Championships:

Gold Montreal 2005 group

Gold Montreal 2005 combination

Gold Melbourne 2007 group, prod. program

Gold Melbourne 2007 group, tech. program

Gold Melbourne 2007 combination

Gold Rome 2009 group, prod. program

Gold Rome 2009 duet, tech. program

Gold Rome 2009 duet, prod. program

Gold Shanghai 2011 duet, tech. program

Gold Shanghai 2011 duet, prod. program

Gold Shanghai 2011 combination

Gold Barcelona 2013 solo, technical. program

Gold Barcelona 2013 duet, tech. program

Gold Barcelona 2013 solo, prod. program

Gold Barcelona 2013 duet, prod. program

Gold Kazan 2015 solo, technical. program

Gold Kazan 2015 duet, technical. program

Gold Kazan 2015 duet, prod. program

European Championships:

Gold Budapest 2006 group

Gold Budapest 2006 combination

Gold Budapest 2010 group

Gold Budapest 2010 duet

Gold Budapest 2010 combination

Gold Eindhoven 2012 duet

Gold Berlin 2014 solo

Gold London 2016 solo, tech. program

Gold London 2016 duo, tech. program

Gold London 2016 duet, prod. program

Universiade:

Gold Kazan 2013 duet

Gold Kazan 2013 solo

Svetlana Alekseevna Romashina. Born on September 21, 1989 in Moscow. Russian synchronized swimmer, Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

As a child, I did ballroom dancing and swimming. But by the age of 9, she decided to take up synchronized swimming seriously and even then began to dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

As Svetlana admitted, she had to work a lot on herself, since she was never a super flexible child.

“When I came to Tatyana Danchenko for the first time at the age of 9, she told my parents: “I’ll take her if she loses weight and does the splits.” From that moment on, my diet ran out of bread, all flour and my favorite chocolates. In addition to hard chocolates diet every day after training, my mother placed me between two chairs and sat on top herself. The execution continued until the first tears, after which my mother left, and I continued to sit on the splits with a textbook. Nobody canceled lessons and homework! ", she said.

However, such self-executions bore fruit: at the age of 15 she already became a member of the country’s national team.

Her first serious success came in 2005, when at the World Championships in Montreal Romashina took two golds - in the group and in the combination.

She plunged into adult sports life early, which made it very difficult at first, in particular, she missed her parents very much.

There were difficult psychological periods when Romashina wanted to quit synchronized swimming: “By the age of 18, the weight began to creep up, my back and shoulder hurt every now and then, and missing even one training session caused understandable dissatisfaction from the coaches... This led to the fact that in the 2008 Olympics -year, I was on the verge of leaving professional sports. At home, in tears, I told my parents that I would no longer do synchronized swimming, that it was not for me. Mom and dad tried to support me, but the words of Tatyana Evgenievna Danchenko were decisive. “If that’s all now If you quit, it will turn out that you went all the way in vain, worked so much in vain,” she said,” the athlete recalled.

And she, gritting her teeth, continued to work hard.

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing she won the gold medal in the group.

In 2009-2012 she performed in a duet with. At the 2012 Olympics in London their duet won gold. She also received a medal of the highest standard in the group, thus becoming a three-time Olympic champion.

After the 2012 Olympics, Ishchenko went on maternity leave, so Romashina in 2013-2014 worked in tandem with Svetlana Kolesnichenko, with whom she won gold at the World Championships and Universiade. Since 2015, he has again been working in a duet with Ishchenko.

Also, at the moment when Ishchenko was absent, Romashina showed herself as a soloist - before that there were no such titles in her collection. She won gold in solo at the European and World Championships, as well as at the Universiade.

In 2013, the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia awarded her the Silver Doe prize as the best athlete of the year.

Svetlana Romashina can hold her breath underwater for 4.5 minutes! For synchronized swimmers this is a very important indicator.

The athlete herself once said about this: “In Beijing, one Japanese woman did not calculate her strength and began to sink to the bottom on the last set - hypoxia. It was not very pleasant: the Japanese team performed right in front of us, and the girl was taken away on a gurney.” .

She missed the 2015 World Championships in Kazan due to health problems. She was faced with a question: to continue her career or leave the sport?

She said: “I’ve already had two operations, and then a third one loomed on the horizon. When new sores appear, even if they are not very serious, you begin to think: “If all the medals and titles have already been won, what is this torment for?” The coaches gave it. I need a couple of days to think about it. Natasha Ishchenko and my boyfriend, to whom I turned for advice, unanimously declared that I should make the decision myself... As a result, after much thought, I still decided to compete before the Olympic Games in Rio- de Janeiro with the reserve of strength and health that we have. I didn’t want to let Natasha down, who returned for our common victory in Rio.”

She was an ambassador for the 2015 FINA World Championships.

She approached the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as one of the most titled athletes in the history of synchronized swimming: three-time Olympic champion, 18-time world champion, 10-time European champion.

In Rio she performed in a duet with Natalia Ishchenko. “She is a very good partner. It’s just that Natasha is already like a dear person to me. We understand each other without words,” Svetlana said about her partner.

Ishchenko and Romashina brought the technical program “Gypsy” as well as the free program “Mermaids” to the Olympic Games. The latter was first shown at the European Championships in London in May 2016; according to the athletes and coaches themselves, this program surpasses all previous ones in complexity.

He is seriously interested in sailing and actively takes part in regattas.

I have often found myself in extreme situations at sea. “Once, in a strong wind of 35 knots, our rudder failed. The ship was drifting straight towards the rocks! We had to remove the sails and go home on the motor. Then there was more adrenaline than at the Olympic Games!” admitted Svetlana.

In one of her interviews, she stated that she does not rule out joining the Olympic sailing team in the future.

Svetlana Romashina's height: 173 centimeters.

Personal life of Svetlana Romashina:

She has been in a relationship with yachtsman Nikolai Zakharov for several years. He participates in regattas with him, with Nikolai acting as a skipper.

Svetlana plans to start a family and have children. According to the athlete, if she has a girl, she will send her to synchronized swimming or figure skating, and if she has a son, she will enroll him in the hockey section.

Achievements of Svetlana Romashina:

Olympic Games:

Gold - Beijing 2008 - Group
Gold - London 2012 - Duet
Gold - London 2012 - Group
Gold - Rio de Janeiro 2016 - Duet
Gold - Rio de Janeiro 2016 - Group

World Championships:

Gold - Montreal 2005 - Group
Gold - Montreal 2005 - Combination
Gold - Melbourne 2007 - Group, free program
Gold - Melbourne 2007 - Group, technical program
Gold - Melbourne 2007 - Combination
Gold - Rome 2009 - Group, free program
Gold - Rome 2009 - Duet, technical program
Gold - Rome 2009 - Duet, free program
Gold - Shanghai 2011 - Duet, technical program
Gold - Shanghai 2011 - Duet, free program
Gold - Shanghai 2011 - Combination
Gold - Barcelona 2013 - Solo, technical program
Gold - Barcelona 2013 - Duet, technical program
Gold - Barcelona 2013 - Solo, free program
Gold - Barcelona 2013 - Duet, free program
Gold - Kazan 2015 - Solo, technical program
Gold - Kazan 2015 - Duet, technical program
Gold - Kazan 2015 - Duet, free program

European Championships:

Gold - Budapest 2006 - Group
Gold - Budapest 2006 - Combination
Gold - Budapest 2010 - Group
Gold - Budapest 2010 - Duet
Gold - Budapest 2010 - Combination
Gold - Eindhoven 2012 - Duet
Gold - Berlin 2014 - Solo
Gold - London 2016 - Solo, technical
Gold - London 2016 - Duet, technical
Gold - London 2016 - Duet, free

Universiade:

Gold - Kazan 2013 - Duet
Gold - Kazan 2013 - Solo