Tokyo 2020 Olympics
The Israeli delegation
"We saw her eyes light up": Anastasia Gurbanko's parents in an interview
The discovery of the pool at age 8 ("the body directed her to swim rather than exercise"), the secret to success ("enjoy what you do, and some more gardens"), the encouragement from afar ("we bought tickets to Tokyo, but the corona disrupted everything"), and the surprise that awaits her at home.
After the historic promotion to the Olympic final, the Gurbanko family opens
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Anastasia Gorbanko
Tokyo 2020
2021 Olympics
Yoav Itiel
Monday, July 26, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
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Anastasia Gurbanko prepares for the Tokyo Olympics (Photo: Niv Aharonson, video editing: Tal Reznik)
Anastasia Gurbanko's parents have already had time to talk to her this morning (Monday) after the impressive achievement that secured her a place in the Olympic final in the 100m backstroke.
"We are not building on any results," they say in an interview with Walla!
sport.
"For us, she is always a champion. It is important that she rests. That she gathers strength. She said that she is currently satisfied with the results and is excited and we are of course excited along with her."
When Gurbanko was a girl, everyone thought she would excel in artistic gymnastics.
But at the age of 7, she started practicing swimming at the same time.
"We live in Kiryat Yam, so we thought swimming was important," says her father, Vladimir.
Then there was a break but at the age of 9 she went back to swimming and eventually, after about a year, started focusing only on the pool at Maccabi Kiryat Bialik, which developed into her career: "The truth is we saw that she was a little bigger than the other girls "She's more towards swimming, but she's the one who chose in the end. In general, the whole way is her choice."
More on Walla!
Made history: Anastasia Gurbanko advanced to the 100m backstroke final
To the full article
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
The parents, 48-year-old Larissa Vladimir, immigrated from Ukraine in 2000, "Anastasia is no longer in Israel," says the father. He is a computer man at a factory in Nahariya. The mother is a special education teacher. Anastasia has an older sister, 26, a math teacher at Rabin High School in Kiryat Yam, and an 8-year-old younger sister, who is no less diligent. "She goes to five classes," the parents say, "plays, draws and also swims, and mostly enjoys life. We think it's the most important thing. Tonight they watched together. "We sat in front of the screen at 5:00, obviously we shouted and encouraged, even from a distance, 'El El Israel,'" says Vladimir.
Vladimir, who was a dormitory player and swimmer in the past and still swims in the master Kiryat Bialik, claims that the enjoyment of what they do is a secret to success, even for Anastasia. "Just enjoy what you do and some more gardens. I have not reached such achievements but our whole family is very fond of sports. We all swim,We ride off-road bikes, and Anastasia also rides in the sea.
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
"Obviously I'm proud of her and excited for her," says the mother, Larissa. "A girl with a heart of gold. A happy girl and what else does a mother need. She is happy, so I am happy with her. The most important thing is that you continue to enjoy every moment."
"It's a little hard she's there and we're here, but in the last year we've gotten used to all the corona procedures," Larissa added, revealing: The last minute if there will be an Olympics. It's the most important and we were happy when we were informed that getting there just to come back could be frustrating. It's every athlete's dream. "There will be no surprise anymore. We believe in her, love her and send her hugs and kisses and wish she would just keep doing what she does and loves to do."
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
"It was important to me to see how she starts the competition in 100 butterfly," says Ludmila Zlitzonok, the coach who has accompanied him since childhood. Zlitzonok, who immigrated from Siberia in 1990 after studying the profession in Odessa and discovering Gurbanko in Kiryat Bialik at a young age, added: "If she swam in the best time then our little girl is ready to compete. The pressure she goes through there - only she knows how to deal with it. "She swam for sure. In everything she's going to do, I trust her."
Zlitzonok continued: "5-6 years ago her mother tidied up her room and found a note in which Anastasia wrote that her dream was to get to the Olympics. It means a lot. I recognized her in the small pool at the club when she was 8. What caught me was her feet and especially her foot. "Her in the water and how she floated beautifully. I invited her to improve her style when I started a team. On the way she was with some coaches. I'm not one of those people who talks a lot so we do not talk too much. It is clear to us that she does everything necessary."
(Photo: GettyImages, Fred Lee)
"Obviously I watched," he tells Walla!
Shai Shechner, a member of the management of Maccabi Kiryat Bialik in swimming who is also the vice chairman of the Israel Swimming Association, "Anastasia is very special in her personality with her special charm.
She is very mature both personally and professionally.
See her ability to detach from the environment and focus on what is most important to her.
I do not think there are those who are swimmers her age who are capable of reaching this phenomenal level.
We as Maccabi Kiryat Bialik are very proud to have one swimmer who grew up with us at the club and has already reached an Olympic final, the highest status that any swimmer in the world can aspire to. "
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