Oleg OSTAPENKO, along with his most decorated Brazilian student Diani DOS SANTOS. Photo: globo.com

Reaching the top of the coaching art together with Lilia Podkopayeva at the Olympics in Atlanta-1996 and survived along with stumbled on virtually level ground in Sydney 2000 Victoria Karpenko the biggest disappointment in his career, Oleg Ostapenko went abroad, specifically in Brazil.

Getting started on this untilled in terms of the gymnastics earth, he did not give loud promises, simply rolled up their sleeves and began to train. A furore occurred in Anaheim in 2003, when Diani DOS Santos won the floor exercise, becoming the first world champion in gymnastics from Brazil.

It is one thing to prepare a single asterisk, and quite another – a team that would get into the world Cup finals and won a ticket to the Games in Athens 2004. Ostapenko and did it! And then there was the bronze world samples jade Barbosa in the all-around at the world forum in Stuttgart 2007.

About how he managed to get around players and be the coach of the year in Brazil, on the border between hardness and cruelty, but also about what it’s like to be a legend, you will learn in the second part of our interview with the honored coach of Ukraine Oleg Ostapenko.

THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS A PORTRAIT OF DOS SANTOS

– You spoke about the lack of competition in our team, but really when you are at the beginning of the 2000s, came to Brazil, there was a larger selection of gymnasts, it is now in Ukraine?

When I arrived, first worked a year at the club. Brazil while once took a course on the development of individual sports. When I asked how to raise the high level of gymnastics, I said, “Here you have four or five clubs in the country, take every good coach or assemble the best gymnasts here in Curitiba. Hall is, still need a home where they can live and eat”.

The Olympic Committee of Brazil, I don’t really believe in this venture, but agreed, gave the cry of the country, gathered everyone to watch. I held control training, and selected sixteen people. Three weeks later six escaped.

I immediately started giving a decent load. Brazilian girls were sturdy, but poorly prepared. “Hit-run”, with the exception of one Daniel Hipolito, which previously worked for trainers from Belarus and Ukraine. But they tried, switched to two workouts a day: four and a half hours. So a year passed, and another has been Anaheim. Diani DOS Santos became world champion in the floor exercise and the team got to the final. Attitude to gymnastics Brazilians immediately changed, there are sponsors.

– Why you originally accepted the offer to work in a country with virtually no gymnastic traditions? It was a kind of challenge yourself? I do not believe that if you want, you would not have found a warm place in one of the thousands of gyms in the US?

And I didn’t have any seats, just had a job. Yes, I was invited to Australia and Greece. In the past, I even went and looked there for the halls, talked with the leadership of the Federation. But my wife at that time worked as a choreographer in Brazil. She told me: “Come here calmly and well, at least a little rest from this type of exercise”.

I thought about it and refused the offer in Greece. And once I did, I again wife: “Listen, I know you then I will not live in because of this, all right go to Greece”. “It’s late – I say. – I refused”. “Well, call me if you want, she continued. – Tell me, what changed your mind.” But I have already decided everything and flew to Brazil. Worked for a year at the club. Of course, sad. But then the Brazilians decided to make a team and was fun, went to a familiar work, and the girls quickly progressed.

– Everyone knows how the Brazilians love football and idolize their idols, and how they perceived progress in the gym?

– Diani DOS Santos was insanely popular. In Rio de Janeiro was hanging her portrait in the house. Gymnastics steels the show on TV. In the first place was the Brazilian soap operas, and the second – we, and only then soccer. In 2005, Diani was declared the best athlete, and I was the coach of the year in Brazil. All the players left behind.

– Why none of the Brazilian gymnasts in the presence of world Championships medals and haven’t managed to get to the Olympic podium?

– There was only one time when the Brazilian gymnast actually claim an Olympic medal. I’m talking about Diani DOS Santos at the Games in Athens 2004. Shortly before she was seriously injured meniscus, had surgery, but still have time to prepare for the Olympics. She reached the final on floor exercise, but has not coped with emotions.

The potential was to fight for the podium and Jaji Barbosa. But at that time she did not want to work as it was necessary, in other words tantrums. As soon as enters the room, immediately starts to cry. “Why are you crying?”, – ask. “My mother died, sorry”, he says. Then the situation repeats itself: “now what?” “I miss daddy” – crying her. That’s how many trains, so many roars.

The only start, to which Barbosa could truly prepare well, it is the world championship in Stuttgart 2011. In the all-around floor before she walked in the first place, but made a drop and eventually became the third. Jagi – strong gymnast, physics, it’s still enough to speak. I do not know whether those among the younger generation of the Brazilian national team. If she trained, as follows from the start, could do better.

ALWAYS KNEW THAT HE WOULD RETURN TO UKRAINE

– In the shadow of Barbosa, DOS Santos and Hipolito remained lais Souza. Although the complexity of programs and the quality of performance she is also quite able to fight for medals in the world sample. How are you surprised by her decision to move to the freestyle and if you’ve seen her after a fatal fall on January 27, 2014 at the training in salt lake city?

– Lais really was a very good gymnast. She possessed a great capacity for work. I this girl was forced to work that he probably would not stand it. She had a special nerve organization, which allowed her to control myself. When I arrived in Brazil, she came to me in Curitiba. “Oleg, I want more practice!” said lais. “Well, come on, train”, I replied.

She spent in the gym the whole day and left without saying anything. The next thing I heard is that she moved to freestyle, becoming part of the national programme on preparation for the winter Olympics. And then came this terrible news that she unsuccessfully moved down with the descent in training and broke his neck. I went to her twice. She talks, but can not move, sitting in a wheelchair. Really a pity what happened.

– Anything from Brazilian period in your career what did you miss?

– In Brazil I have remained good friends with this country I have linked pleasant memories, but no nostalgia there, I’m not not missing. Maybe if I was in some European country, closer to home, I would be there and the ass in the end, but in the case of Brazil I never thought that I will remain there. Irina Ilyashenko, trainer from Dnipropetrovsk who worked with me in Curitiba, left. Today she already has a Brazilian passport. And I always knew that he would return to Ukraine. I abroad went only because understood: it is necessary to earn a living, while you have the chance. “Work, thought, And go home.”

And so it happened, as you can see. In Brazil I am in total spent twelve years. Two of the Olympic cycle worked with the national team. Wanted to finish after Athens. But I was persuaded to stay, promised a good salary. The Brazilians were interested in gymnastics, because in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro had to pass the pan American games.

At first I agreed to stay only for a year, but all went well and in the end, I finished before the Olympics in Beijing 2008. The second time I came to Brazil in 2011, but was immediately warned I will work only in the club with young and those gymnasts that want. And the team later invited Alexander Alexandrov.

– What for twelve years you have been unable to get used to in Brazil?

– I didn’t like the local mentality, Brazilians are slow and not very binding. Here gymnasts I was disciplined, I made them so. Although sometimes their curse had.

And you what language abused?

– In Portuguese.

– How fast you managed to learn it?

– I still don’t really know. The wife in this plan succeeded more because I watched the series and often talked, did not hesitate to ask, as is right. And it seemed to me that you just can’t wrong to say. The girls I talked freely, and even some psychological factors could explain. Vocabulary was missing. And journalists could have a place to talk, but on camera to give an interview was a bit hard.

THE BUCKET OF TEARS YOU SAY? AND HOW NOT TO TRAIN!

– Oleg, do you agree that the female coach is calling? In your case, work with girls was a conscious choice?

Actually, I started out as a men’s coach. And get me began almost immediately, as I entered the room. Yes, maybe in the beginning I lacked experience but I had an idea of what is the correct physical training and understanding of the fundamentals of gymnastics. I also was inherent in the insistence, therefore, my students have always been disciplined.

When I started to work in Krasnoarmeysk, Donetsk region, the local team was the last role. But after two or three years, the guys climbed to third place. The coaches, which at that time was considered a very reputable, told me: “Oleg, well done, good work”.

Perhaps I would not switch to women’s gymnastics, if not started to train the daughter. Later she was forced to quit gymnastics due to back problems. Plus, we at that time lived in Ashgabat. Conditions in the local hall were primitive and the men’s gym just became pereletova. Went Tkachev, ginger, etc.

I knew that without a foam pit with the guys to achieve anything not be able. But girls who only started to learn big turns on the bars, you could still pull it off. So I changed my profile. The team often went on collecting to CSKA. There was a very strong coaching school, where you learn a lot. And by the time we moved to Kherson, I already believed in myself and that can produce good gymnasts.

Absolute European champion-2004 Alina Kozich in one of the interviews admitted that at the time, scared scared of you and even suggested that you have under the bed the bucket of girlish tears worth it. It is not exaggerated?

– (Smiling). Aline what fear was, she I have really not practiced.

– In order to be afraid of it, apparently, enough to see you have trained her older teammates.

– In General, properly done, they feared. (Laughs). The bucket of tears you say? And how not to train! Girls cry, from the mountains to slide down. Yes, I always kept them in my hands because I wanted them to grow in these gymnasts. Otherwise it is just impossible to achieve. Yes, I was demanding, but to all, I was tough, but not cruel. And the monster I certainly can not be called. Workout I have always alternated with rest. If I see that it is possible a little bit of freedom to give, give, no, we will work.

THERE COMES A TIME WHEN ALL THE GIRLS START TO CHEAT

– Oleg Ostapenko now and thirty years ago, this is the same coach?

– No, of course. Health I is not the same, the heart can not withstand the load. In Brazil I have worked very hard, he was insured and kept the gymnasts. I did, but the doctors prohibit heavy to lift. Softer I exactly did not. But now I’m only good girls can train and get to do something, others not even touched. Diana, what happened? (turns to Varinsky Ostapenko, noting that she is on the sidelines, not daring to interrupt the conversation took place in the hall at the Olympic base in Koncha Zaspa – Approx..With.).

– Oleg, can I not be today dismount from the parallel bars to train? Something is not it I shyly smiled Varinsky.

– Okay, do not exercise, go to the next shell – meets Ostapenko athlete and adds, laughing, See how tough I really am. It really is now the period is such that you can not afford in full force to work.

– As far as I know, you have until the final return to Ukraine, began to assist Julia with Naukovoi Varinsky. How did you meet them in tandem?

– Still working with the team of Brazil, I came to the camp in Ukraine. Julia Kayukova asked me to help her student. Then I periodically advising them on Skype, and almost participated in the preparation, when he came to vacation in Ukraine.

I saw the flaws and virtues of Diana. She was a little motor girl, really wanted to train. If she kept this his zeal, that would be great. But growing up and getting into a team where there was no competition, she adjusted to the overall mood. And only now I began to notice that she had reconsidered his attitude to the training process, working, trying.

– Is it difficult to earn your praise?

– It’s hard! If I ever said well, it was really good. I always loved motivated children, and if they deserve praise, then why not.

– Why do you love your profession, and what – not?

– That is training the little girl, not really knowing how to do anything, and with your help, gradually grows into a real gymnast. What I don’t like the fact that many have to make. It’s hard to find a kid who willingly will withstand such loads. There comes a time when you have to push. And the girls begin to Dodge weight, to cheat. That’s what I don’t like, but that’s not going anywhere.

– Gymnast of the 21st century, what it is, such as a four-time Olympic champion Simon Bails?

– Gymnastics went where she was sent. Although in some measure it is now possible with the highest base, having worked clean and tidy, win the serious competitions. In my opinion, this is good, because gymnastics needs to have beautiful lines. Bails works neatly, and cleanly, and powerfully. This is a rare alloy, I don’t know where she found this. Although Diani DOS Santos could be the same if she just got in the right hands, speed-power qualities she had are the same as in Bils.

– How do you feel about the fact that you called a legend.

– And they call me that? Honestly, I do not consider myself legendary. The fact that I have had success, it’s true. Abroad, I was recognized as the most successful coach in the CIS. First, I was lucky with the teachers. Secondly, I just a lot and honestly worked, worked with interest and loved his work. I knew the gym, saw that I was good and, of course, I had ambitions. I wanted to win!

Anna SAVCHIK, Sport-Express in Ukraine