Belarus record holder in U18 triple jump Crystal Shannon Kom - about sports, idols and aspirations

Athletics once seemed boring to Crystal Shannon, but now it is this sport that she considers her vocation. Today, the athlete combines study and training, improves the technique of jumping and dreams of entering the world arena. Krystal told about the sports path, superstitions, idols and aspirations in an interview with our newspaper.

During the match match among the teams of the Union State (far left). Love is not at first sight - from four to eight years I was engaged in gymnastics. When I got higher, I was offered to try myself in athletics. But in the first training session, we just played catch-up. It didn’t seem interesting to me and I decided that I would never do this sport again. But after a time when I had already tried myself in basketball, volleyball and tennis, I was asked to compete in school athletics competitions. So I got to the city stage, where I was noticed and offered to come back to training. This time the approach was completely different: we were shown the basics of running and jumping. It so happened that I was immediately assigned to sprint disciplines. Over time, she began to run 60 and sometimes 200 meters, as well as engage in long jumping and triple jumping. Vocation

- I realized that I wanted to connect my life with athletics when I began to consistently take prizes at regional and republican competitions. Then I decided that this is really mine and you need to train as much as possible to maximize your potential. Later, when I entered the RGUOR, I finally realized that the sport is reaching a professional level.

Now I want to enter the world stage. Of course, I want to go to the Olympics and take a prize there. I think my purpose is to jump. And I can run in relays, if my team allows. Jumping attracts me because it is important not only physical abilities, but also thinking. It’s not enough to be well prepared – you need to understand what you’re doing. In addition, there are several attempts in jumping disciplines: this makes it possible to correct mistakes and show the best result.

I also really enjoy training with my jump coach Vladimir Shagun and our group. Nutrition – I won’t say that I limit myself too much, although sometimes this, of course, plays into my hands. I really like to eat, especially flour and salty. Most of all, I love buns, they are the hardest to give up. But during the season you have to control yourself, because the result depends on the form. In addition, good physical shape helps reduce the risk of injuries that often occur due to excess weight. Competitions and superstitions – I can say for sure that I am superstitious. In competitions, when you really want to show the maximum result, you begin to believe in everything. For example, I can wear a uniform in which I have already won, or go to training in sneakers in which I previously achieved a good result. Before the start, I always set myself up for success - to win and that everything will be fine. You could say I meditate and spend a lot of time on it during the season.

I often worry – a lot depends on the level of competition, the age of the opponents and the scale of the tournament. Dance music helps me cope with my experiences. I try to talk about my emotions and remind myself that everything will be fine. Talks with the coach are also important.

With coach Vladimir Shagun. Photo of the Belarusian Athletics Federation Kumira - I am inspired by the Belarusian athlete Violetta Kozlovskaya (Skvortsova). She is a very interesting person who can learn a lot. I also follow Tara Davies, who is now a world leader, and she’s doing very well. I like other strong athletes like Julimar Rojas and Noah Lyles. Noah is a very charismatic showman, and I think he and I are alike. My father is from Cameroon and my mother is Belarusian. They met here in Belarus. At first, my dad offered to call me New York, but my mom disagreed. As a result, they settled on the name Crystal, and later came up with a second - Shannon. I'm actually really happy to have two names, which gives me a special twist.

With Natalia's mom.

Since childhood, I really wanted to be a flight attendant: I like to fly and communicate with people. I have also long dreamed of a modeling career. But over the past year, my priorities have completely changed: I am now fully engaged in sports. Aspirations – The most important goal that I now face is to spend the winter and summer seasons at their maximum, keeping a sober head and the right attitude. To do this, already in the preparatory period, you need to give everything in full.

FIGURES

13.37 m - the highest national achievement of Crystal Shannon Kom in the triple jump among girls under 18 years.

13.94 m - the highest national result in the triple jump among girls under 20 years, established by Violetta Kozlovska (Skvortsova).

14.29 m - the highest national achievement of Anastasia Mironchik-Ivanova in the triple jump among girls under 23 years.

14.85 m - the record of Belarus in the triple jump among women belongs to Violetta Kozlovska (Skvortsova).

rudnik@sb.by