Dariya Zgoba’s Admits Nerves Play Havoc (17th November, 2005)

Ukraine’s Dariya Zgoba admits her nerves play havoc in preparation for a big event like the Worlds but she says she has ways of coping. ‘I listen to my coaches who are very experienced and I try to avoid nervousness.’

Earlier this month, Zgoba turned sweet 16 but training for the Worlds kept the celebrations to a minimum. ‘We had cake and dinner but it wasn’t a big celebration, I have a big task ahead of me,’ she said after her training session.

This is her second trip to Australia, after competing in the friendly contest between Canada, Ukraine and Australia earlier this year. Coming off a long, hard flight, Zgoba said she spends the first few days getting used to the time difference and recovering from jet lag.

‘I’ve had a very hard preparation, it’s been hard work but now that the team is here at the venue the training is a bit more relaxed,’ she said. Through the long hours of training, Zgoba has managed to keep injury free but she hit her heel on the beam today at training and said she was in a little bit of pain, ‘but I can handle it.’

Zgoba is competing on the uneven bars and the beam and she hopes to make it to the final in both events but she said that’s only part of the way, ‘In the final anything can happen, you’re competing against the best 8 competitors.’

Look for complete coverage of the 2005 World Championships in issue one of Backflip Gymnastics Magazine. Subscribe today!