From August 18 to 23, the Olga Rypakova Athletics Center hosted advanced training courses for coaches. The 1988 Olympic champion in the 3000 m Samoylenko Tatyana Vladimirovna, together with her husband, the USSR decathlon record holder Alexander Valentinovich Apaichev from Ukraine, came to Ust-Kamenogorsk to share their knowledge.
Every day was special for the coaches. In the morning, they listened to lectures on various topics: barrier running, middle-distance running, horizontal jumping, as well as about the correct recovery process, the guests shared not only their knowledge, but also told stories from life. Alexander Apaichev has a huge coaching experience, for example, in 2001 he was invited to work with the Qatar athletics team. By the way, Alexander Valentinovich, he gave a lot of examples specifically related to these athletes, so there can be no doubt that it was incredibly interesting to attend the classes!
In addition to theory, the coaches also watched videos, discussed topics with the teachers, and asked questions to which they received open and clear answers. In the evening program, practical classes were waiting for all participants of the courses, and the most interesting thing was happening here. Not only the coaches took part, but also the children, and this is a tremendous experience for them. They tried out all the exercises and performance techniques, listening to every word of the Ukrainian lecturers. Alexander Valentinovich and Tatyana Vladimirovna, not only explained, almost on their fingers, but they also showed clearly.
On the last day of the course, the teaching staff was waiting for an exam on the lectures they had passed. And during our independent work, we managed to talk with Tatyana Samolenko, and learn a lot of interesting things about this famous runner.
– Tatyana Vladimirovna, you recently had a birthday (August 12), and we would like to congratulate you on this wonderful holiday from our federation. I wish you good health, success, and thank you for taking the time to come to Kazakhstan in order to personally share your knowledge with our coaches!
– Thank you very much! (smiles)
– Tell us, how do you like our city? Is this your first time in Ust-Kamenogorsk?
– Yes, in fact, this is my first time in Kazakhstan, especially in Ust-Kamenogorsk! During these days, we managed to make a sightseeing tour, of course, we saw little, but, nevertheless, we visited some places. Having our first degree in hydraulic engineering, we immediately went to the hydroelectric power station. It was very interesting to see and remember my knowledge (laughs). I really liked it. I remember our students came here, but at that time I was training and couldn’t come, I just had to listen to the stories of others. And now, I’ve seen everything with my own eyes and it’s like I’ve returned to my youth. Then we went to the embankment. I really liked it there, right now I often do Nordic walking, and I just fell in love with this embankment. It is very big, you can walk and walk along the river. This is very important for the health of the nation, I think it is very useful, because you can walk not only with Scandinavian walking, but you can also run and ride bicycles. After that, we went to Strelka. At first we were at a loss: “What is an arrow?” (laughs), and then it turned out that this is the place where two rivers will join. Very impressive! Also, we looked into the Orthodox church, and that was the end of our tour, because we had to prepare for the courses. We are pleased with what we saw: you have a very well-mannered people, a wonderful culture of behavior and communication, the streets of the city are clean.
– You have visited a lot of places during your sports career, seen a lot of things, and now you have come to us. What are your impressions of our athletics arena?
– I want to say that not every city has such arenas in order to practice in winter. The arena impressed not only us, but also those people to whom we sent information about you! They asked me to photograph every corner, every dot, how everything is located compactly. This is very convenient, because your winter is also long, so there are excellent conditions for classes here. Moreover, you have someone to take an example from, many of your Olympic champions, for example Olya Rypakova. I know that she is a very open person, she also shares her experience, communicates with coaches, this is very important! I noticed that you have a lot of children who are engaged even in the summer and want to do it, hence the result!
– Tell me, how long have you been teaching courses, personally visiting the coaches?
– We come to the courses when we are invited. If they want us to share our knowledge, not only theoretical, but also practical. It was very important for me to share it from a psychological point of view, since I performed in large arenas. I was most impressed that everyone wants to know more about tactics, this is important, because if an athlete is physically ready, then tactically he can still lose. There were a lot of questions from your coaches in the practical classes, and that’s great. We’re going to where they’re waiting for us! For example, Alexander Valentinovich traveled to Baku to give lectures on sprints and hurdles, and in Rio de Janeiro they asked to sort out topics on the all-around. In general, depending on which types you read, I’m mostly based on medium distances.
– I know that you have your own methodical book, tell us about it?
– (laughs) Having such a lot of experience and victories, I decided to share my experience and the secrets that every Olympic champion has. This book is a method of individual planning of highly qualified athletes in preparation. I took my Olympic cycle for four years, and counted all my exercises that I did: gym, swimming, counted everything and outlined it in this book! By the way, there are a lot of good reviews about her, and they even call sometimes. The most interesting thing is that they ask more about it from abroad, and ask to send it. Generally, these books can be bought online, but it often happens at the Olympic Committee that they buy and distribute books. I always say that we don’t have big secrets, of course we do, but when we talk about them, not everyone can apply them to their athletes, because it’s all individual! If we share knowledge, it means they are no longer dead, and someone needs them. It is very nice when someone takes exercises from my book, I will be glad if it helps in preparation in some way!
– After you finished your sports career. Have you trained athletes?
– No, I didn’t train. I was in my group for more than seven years, in which I trained, very slowly relieved my loads, there was just such a lecture that athletes have a big heart and they need to slowly reset it so that it is small, so as not to get further health problems. It turns out that after these seven years, I was invited to work at the university, where I really liked it! We had a wonderful team, the team with whom I realized that besides sports there is another life. One where you work with students, share your experience, and everyone wants to listen to you, and you feel they need you. We started going to various concerts, because when I was in sports, I never went to such events, because there was always a strict regime. Even if there was free time, I wanted to sleep, because in a couple of hours there was already the next workout. I realized that if I teach, then I also have to constantly learn something, and I went to graduate school, and then to graduate school. I defended my PhD, now I am a candidate of sciences in physical education and sports, and the next title is associate professor, which I also received.
– The peak of your career was 1987-1988. Are you often nostalgic?
– To be honest, I don’t let myself get nostalgic, because I’m busy all the time (smiles). I still work at the university, we write articles there, try to share with someone, do an analysis of competitions in athletics in Ukraine now. Therefore, I do not particularly allow myself to do this, I always want something new. I rarely remember competitions, sometimes we watch them with our students. They rarely dream about communicating with friends with whom they used to train, but they dream very often, and I probably think less (laughs).
– Tell me about your signs?
– Every athlete has his own signs. Either some kind of toy or slippers (laughs), and they must stand with their toes in exactly the same direction. Sometimes it may be funny, but when they are fulfilled, they help us a lot, you become more confident in yourself. It was very simple for me – if I went to competitions, it didn’t matter if it was the city or regional championships, not to mention the world Championships or the Olympic Games, there was always a man. If a man met, it meant that I would win the competition today. It’s always worked that way! Once, at the World Championships, before the start of the 3000 m, I left the room and met a young guy who was skipping, and I caught myself thinking “Is it really going to be so easy for me to win this start?”, and immediately began to ask myself a lot of questions, but the main thing was that I met a man. And it turned out that the 3000 m run was very calm. But when I went to the 1500 m final, I saw a policeman on my floor, so big, fat, and he smiled at me, and immediately I think to myself, “What is this? Will It Be Hard? A fast run?”, but the main thing was that I would win! As a result, I won this start, and it was really hard, there was a fast run of 3:58.. at that time it was even a world Championship record, there was fierce competition, and it was hard on tactics, but I still followed the instructions of my coach.
– But at that moment, when you caught yourself thinking that you have such a sign, was it not scary to leave the room?
– (laughs) I was always worried, and I always thought, “Who’s going to get caught?” In fact, it always coincided, I don’t know why, and how to explain it. If I came across a woman, for example, take my statistics, there are both third and fourth places at the Olympics, then I always came across a woman.
– Were you upset?
– Yes, I was upset, but it wasn’t for long. I thought: “Am I really going to be only in the top three today, not to mention the fourth place?”, and so it turned out, I became the fourth. We always laugh about it, I tell my husband: “It’s good that I have the first, second, third and fourth place” (smiles). Then this fourth result in the 1500 m – 3:57:91 became my “personal” result. At the second Olympics, I already became a mother, so I want to say for the experts that endurance returns quickly, but speed qualities are slower. Therefore, I did not have such an “acute” start until that time. This is a normal condition, but after I became a mother, I also graduated from university this year. You should be happy with all your medals, no matter what place!
– Do you have a son, is he somehow connected with athletics?
– No, he practiced a little judo, received the title of KMS. Then he did some athletics – discus throwing and shot put, but now he has already finished his studies and is working.
– How are things in Ukraine with athletics?
– Of course, we are watching. The World Cup was recently held, it became sad that we have only one medal – a silver one in the high jump. Yulia is only 19 years old and at this competition she set a personal best of 2.01 m. The sad thing is that there is no one behind Julia. We had two other people in the finals besides her in the 50 km walk and the men’s all-around, at the moment our situation is not comforting. I think discussions will begin soon, just the same, we will analyze, draw conclusions, well, I am not in athletics right now, we just look from the outside and express our thoughts on why it turns out this way.
– Do people often turn to you for help in your homeland?
– It’s not our athletes who often apply. Athletes from other countries are more often interested in the method. In our country, only a few girls apply, and more for psychological training. We are happy to help them to the maximum!
– It would seem that you are nearby, you have such tremendous experience, you are invited to lecture in other countries, but your athletes do not use the opportunity to learn. Doesn’t it seem strange?
– I agree with you (smiles). You read our thoughts yesterday, we literally talked about it yesterday, it seems that we are here, and others are asking for help!
– What do you think is the most important thing for an athlete?
– What our parents gave us is giftedness, as well as natural qualities, and most importantly, a lot of work. An athlete’s diligence should be huge, and there should also be a good and wise coach, because not everyone sees a champion athlete! This combination is very important, this is the only way to get good results. If the coach does not see the makings, the athlete may simply get lost, or vice versa, you work with him, but nothing works out. All these qualities should add up!
Inna Semenyak