Tweet

By way of Prague, former Russian national team member Matvei Petrov is enjoying an unexpected new phase of his career while competing for Albania.

Petrov, a three-time Russian national pommel horse champion, made his international debut for Albania at the Grand Prix of Brno, a mixed pairs competition in the Czech Republic last November that he and Dutch partner Neto Tanishaley won. He finished third on pommel horse at the Voronin Cup in Moscow in December.

The 28-year-old Petrov credits “a coincidence of various circumstances” for leading him to represent Albania.

“I had a long career in Russia,” he said. “That’s true, but I wouldn’t say that it was a very successful one. When I didn’t reach the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, I completely finished my sports career and moved to Prague to work as a coach. I didn’t think about continuing my sports career. But during my working day as a coach I had some free time, so I started to train again and realized that actually I was still in not-bad shape. And I was just lucky, because the director of the gym where I have been working is Albanian. This is how my Albanian story started.”

Petrov said the Albanian Gymnastics Federation obtained approval from the Russian Gymnastics Federation for him to compete for Albania. “Nobody was against it,” he said.

Former teammates and longtime coach Vladimir Tikhtman remain important in Petrov’s life abroad, he said.

“I still have a very good relationship with the Russian team,” Petrov said. “I have many friends there. I still support and wish the best to the guys in the team. (Tikhtman) was with me my whole life beginning from when I was 4. He knows me better than anybody else and that’s why I need his advice.”

Petrov trains under coach and gym director Alon Hasa (“my closest friend here in Prague”) from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m., and then coaches young gymnasts. He said he is optimistic that he can continue to progress as an international competitor for Albania.

“Albanian gymnastics is very young and I think it has only one gymnast right now,” he said. “But we’ll see what the future will bring. I think this situation can change, and already now I think Albania takes me seriously and it is ready to support me.”

Inspired by his new surroundings and training situation, Petrov is another year closer to, and only one year away from, his main target.

“My goals didn’t change that much,” he said. “I am still dreaming about reaching the Olympic Games. This year will be very important for me, because there will be a lot of competitions. I should show my best performance, mostly on pommel horse of course.”

Petrov’s high hopes for 2019 extend to his fellow gymnasts.

“As usual for the New Year, I wish to my friends and to myself to be healthy, happy and satisfied in work,” he told IG. “But in gymnastics there is really a lot of work. It doesn’t matter whether you are a coach or a gymnast."

To subscribe to the print and/or digital edition, or to order back issues of International Gymnast magazine, click here.

Tweet

Dutch gymnast Sanna Veerman told IG her role as Dutch team reserve at last fall’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar, provided exposure and insight that will benefit her in 2019.

“Of course I experienced all the traveling and practices in all the different gyms during the World Championships,” she said. “I was also able to perform during podium training, which was a very good learning opportunity. I also watched all the finals and that taught me that, in the end, it all comes down to the small details that make the difference.”

Veerman said Doha was “without a doubt” her most memorable experience of 2018.

“It was my first encounter with a big tournament as a first-year senior, and I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said.

Veerman placed first all-around at the 2016 Dutch Junior Championships, 16th all-around at the 2016 European Junior Championships, second all-around at the 2017 Dutch Junior Championships and fifth all-around at the 2018 Dutch Championships.

She trains at Turnz Amsterdam Gymnastics, where she is coached by the husband-and-wife team of Wolther Kooistra and Claudia Werkhoven. The couple train her on all four apparatuses; Kooistra’s emphasis is on vault and uneven bars, and Werkhoven’s emphasis is on balance beam and floor exercise.

To break into the Dutch team lineup at the 2019 Worlds in Stuttgart, she plans to add difficulty and improve her execution.

“I still need to make some steps on all apparatus, and work especially on perfecting the execution of my skills,” said Veerman, who will turn 17 on January 29. “Furthermore, on bars, I am working on new combos and elements which I hopefully will perform this year at a competition for the first time. This way my D-scores and perfected execution will optimize my odds to break into the starting roster.”

Veerman said she enjoyed the holiday season, highlights of which included a short trip to Paris just before Christmas, and celebration of Christmas and New Year’s Eve at home with her family and friends. She is hopeful for a hardy 2019.

“My New Year’s resolution is to stay fit and healthy,” she told IG.

To subscribe to the print and/or digital edition, or to order back issues of International Gymnast magazine, click here.