Full Name: Viktoria Aleksandrovna Komova

Birthdate: January 30, 1995

Age: 15

Birthplace: Voronezh, Russia

Hometown: Voronezh, Russia

Coaches: Genadiy Borisovich Yelfimov, Ol'ga Mitrofanovna Bulgakova

Choreographer: Nadezhda Sezina

Education: High School Student

Rank and Merit: Master of Sport - International Class

Notable Achievements: Three-time champion of the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore 2010 (all-around, vault, uneven bars), and winner of the Bronze Medal (floor exercise). 3 Time Gold Medallist on the Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, and All Around at the 2009 Japan Junior International. 3 Time Gold Medallist at the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival on the Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, and All Arounds. 3 Time winner at the 2008 Voronin Memorial on the Vault, Floor Exercise, and All Around. Two time winner of the Voronin Memorial 2007 among Juniors on the Vault, Floor Exercise!

Level: Junior

Best Apparatus/ Category: Balance beam, All Around

Hobby: Drawing, Embroidery

Viktoria Komova (RUS) FX AA Youth Olympics 2010

Viktoria Komova (RUS) UB AA Youth Olympics 2010

viktoriakomova.ru

Favorite Movie: "Twilight" (part one)

Favorite cartoon: "Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin snakes"

Favorite subject in school: Algebra

Favorite Athlete: Svetlana Khorkina

Favorite toy: Barash

Favorite book: Twilight

Favorite food: Pizza

*Additional Facts: Viktoria is the daughter of the Soviet great 1986 Goodwill Games Champion Vera Kolesnikova!

*Vika has an Original Skill on the Uneven Bars! It is an Inside-Stalder on the low bar, shoot with half turn to catch the high bar.

same source

Ah, How She Wants a Dog…

What adult games does Viktoria Komova play?

Her biggest dream – an East European Shepherd, a boy, with attentively erect ears, tender eyes, and a joyfully wagging tail. Not a guard but a friend. The truth, she remembers well: life consists of gatherings and competitions. There isn’t a place for a four-legged friend in this life. She wants to raise him herself…

…There’s no time to raise a puppy. Even her 10-year-old cat, Bars, doesn’t see Vika for months (just like her mother, Vera Kolesnikova, an international judge just returning from the World Championship in London). Her father looks after Bars.

The sports world has already become acquainted with Viktoria Komova, the gymnast and daughter of gymnasts. She’s 14 years old. Throughout this year she’s not lost one single competition. Recently at the Japan International she even beat the world-sensation Koko Tsurumi. One shouldn’t forget that the Japanese firmly establish themselves at domestic competitions, just as they did at the Olympic Games. She has one of the most difficult programs in the world. She performs with tremendous form. When you see Vika in training, you forget that she’s still just a junior. But it’s absolutely adult work.

- Do you remember how she entered the gym?

She unexpectedly becomes embarrassed: “No”. Her coach, Gennady Elfimov, smiles:

- How do I remember her? She was born in the gym. Her parents would carry her here to the gym and let her hang out. Then gradually she started to work. This still happens now.

- Is it difficult for you? You know, when you work with her parents, who does the girl heed advice from?

G.E. – No. We became friends with her family. Verochka asked me to coach her daughter, and she trusted me. Of course, we discuss a great deal. But neither her mother nor father interfere with the training process. I take full responsibility for their daughter.

- When did you guys realize you were capable of winning?

V.K. – I haven’t realized that yet. I’m just training.

G.E. – Probably when we won some junior competitions in Tolyatti. Before that I had no idea what would happen. And there I saw a pretty good gymnast grow. Anywho, that was a long time ago.

- Gymnastics is tough work. How do you motivate yourself to perform?

V.K. – Motivate? Everything’s fine. I train and I like it.

G.E. – We don’t work. We play. We play to obtain. You see, this is what’s interesting: do an element this way so that it comes out difficult and beautiful.

- I’m sure training can be a game only to a certain point. But I saw how many times Vika repeated a planche on beam. You call this a game?

It’s a game that consists of taking command of an element. To motivate yourself to give into it. Isn’t that interesting? Understand, if you just “add” an element, then not only does disgust crop up in gymnastics, but also injuries come along.

- Vika, this circular pumping motion, is this also a game?

(With a very deep breath) Circular pumping motion? (Another deep breath). A circular pumping motion is a circular pumping motion (they’re talking about something weird she does with her hands)

- By the way, regarding injuries, I see that you bandage her ankles…

G.E. – This is a precaution from injuries. We put special arch supports under her heels to protect her feet on landings. These supports only work when wrapped with a bandage. Otherwise, nothing is going on. So we bandage her.

- Gennady, at her time, when Vera Kolesnikova competed, experienced commentators would say that she didn’t quite have the fire to beat gymnasts like Elena Shushunova and Oksana Omelianchik. Does her daughter have enough fire?

G.E. – I won’t take it upon myself to comment on what they said about Vera. She was a high-class gymnast and became a very good person. As for Vika, there’s enough sports fire in her. I think she takes after her parents in this life.

…She’s all but 14 years old. Many have to learn to overcome a great deal, because Vika’s life in sport is just beginning. Their daily work with her coach is already yielding results. But it will require a great selflessness and overcoming to make it on to the adult platform. The adult platform, for which every girl gymnasts aims for is but another set of demands of the judges, coaches, and colleagues. Another is self-payback…and what about dreams? They are completely necessary. It’s necessary for them to come true. Soon enough in her own time.

Gymnastics Magazine. 17.12.2009. Credit for the translation goes to Senor Nico at IntlGymnast.

It was originally reported that Vika was going to compete at the Toyota Cup in December. However, the plans have changed and Vika will not be competing at this competition. She will however be competing at the Voronin Memorial where she will unveil upgraded routines. The Voronin Memorial will take place in December.

viktoriakomova.ru

2010 Grand Prix Italy

Uneven Bars - 1st Place

Balance Beam - 4th Place

viktoriakomova.ru

Russians on the Rise!

WHEN Viktoria Komova was just 4, coaches in her hometown of Voronezh, Russia noticed her good physique and natural talent. They also knew Viktoria came from a gymnastics family. Her father, Alexander, was a former gymnast; her older brother, also named Alexander, currently did gymnastics; and her famous mother, Vera Kolesnikova, won the 1986 Goodwill Games.

In fact, it was Vera who game Viktoria her first gymnastics lessons and willingly turned her over to other coaches at age 7. "Gymnastics is a heritage from my mom, and I liked it," says Viktoria, who was born on October 10, 1995. "They saw I was a talented girl, and took me in because they thought they could make a gymnast out of me. And so they did."

Viktoria, who now trains under coach Gennady Yelfirnov, placed third in the junior division at this spring's Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose, California. With carefree confidence, she already performs top international skills.

Her vault is a doubletwisting Yurenchko, and she throws four releases on bars. On beam, Viktoria does a piked front salto; flip-flop, layout, layout; standing Arabian; Onodi; and Arabian double front dismount. Her tumbling passes on floor include a 1 1/2 twist through to Arabian double front; full-in; double pike; and triple twist. Viktoria likes floor the best -- "I love to dance" -- and credits choreographer Nadezhda Sedina for teaching her how to feel every move.

Although Viktoria's mother no longer coaches her, she remains an important source of experience and inspiration. "My mom encourages me," Viktoria says. "She tells me not to cry, not to show pain, to try harder and smile -- that kind of advice."

Viktoria knows that her biggest challenges are ahead, and she is ready to work hard to succeed at the senior level. "I want to compete in the Olympic Games and perform well," she says. "To be the best, you have to train more."

International Gymnast magazine, IG Kigs Klub!, June 2008 via viktoriakomova.ru

"I want to be like Khorkina... Even better!"

14-year-old Voronezh’ gymnast Victoria Komova now performs moves that anybody couldn’t perform in the world until now.

Voronezh School of Gymnastics has always been famous for their talents. In recent years, young star Kristina Pravdina loudly presented herself. Sportswoman of the spot began to compare with Svetlana Khorkina and many pundits to her a great future. However, despite the fact that Kristine itself only 18 years old, she now not affords to relax, and rest on laurels. Because, a young gymnasts breathing in the back. 14-year-old Victoria Komova is unique gymnast with miniature figure doing so fantastic that trainers’ hair stand on end! At non-official world championship among juniors ‘Japan Junior International Competitions’, held in Japan from 19 to 25 September, Voronezh gymnast won five (!) Medals: three gold (all-around, uneven bars, balance beam), silver (vault) and bronze (floor exercise). And this despite the fact that participated in the competitions the best athletes of the world's leading gymnastics nations. It is possible that many of them three years will represent their country in Olympic London. For Vika, as for Kristina Pravdina, London 2012 is no longer a dream but a goal. And to achieve its goal, the girls just need to not take off speed. But she has everything - talents, natural fitness and perseverance.

“Komova is simply the best”

If anyone doubts that the 14-year-old Komova can seriously compete for getting into the Olympic team, let read remarks about her in the press authoritative experts. "Komova is simply the best. She is very light and very well prepared. I think that she now can be sent to the World Cup, and there she will win medals. I believe she is the best among Russian gymnast. It remains to save her without injury" - said the coach Boris Pilkin, trained the double Olympic champion Svetlana Khorkina, in an interview with one of the sports media after last year's Russian Championship in Yoshkar-Ola, where Vika has been 13 years.

Vika is from a gymnastics family. Her mother is Vera Kolesnikova. She is master of sports of international class in gymnastics, world champion in the team competition, the absolute European champion, winner of the Goodwill Games. But parents often due to many circumstances are too difficult to train their children. So, like Kristina Pravdina, Vika trains in SCYSSOR (Specialized Children-Youthful Sport School of Olympic Reserve – translator’s note) of U. Shtukman and her coaches are Gennady Elfimova and Olga Bulgakova.

- Vika, I might say, grew up in my eyes, - said Gennady Elfimov. – We and her parents are friends families.

“Vika still has time”

Gennady Borisovich restraint talks about prospects of his pupil:

- Of course, scores that she gathers at all around is already enough to compete on adults of international competitions of the highest rank. Not on the first places, but she would hasn’t been lost. As for the Olympic Games, then we certainly will try. But gymnastics is a very unpredictable sport. Vika has many rivals. Mustafina, Nabieva are very strong girls. I think they are equal with Vika. We have only one plus - we are a year younger.

Vika is a strong all-rounder what is very important. She is great at all four rounds. And on the uneven bars, according to Gennady Elfimov, Vika even has her own move, which only she does in the world. According to the rules this move will be called by her name if Vika will show it in international competition at 16 years. Also Komova does a very difficult jump - two and a half spins. She also can do ones.

Now Victoria appears on the program of Candidate Master of Sport (Sport Ranking in Russia – translator’s note) because of her age. But next year should get the title of Master of Sport. Next year for the young gymnast will also be significant because it was waiting for her important international competitions - European Championship and the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Thailand where she will certainly go with the national team of Russia.

Modesty

But while Victoria Komova trains in normal, not the children's mode. 20 days a month - charges, during which the daily 7-hour trainings. And in between, must still somehow have time to study. Vika is eighth-grader. And she hasn’t times for games and other children's fun. Victoria is very shy and kind girl. When she was asked whether she showed his medals to teachers and classmates, she modestly downcast eyes, says:

- No.

- Why?

- Shy ... Do not want to boast.

The very young athlete for some reason calls herself mean.

- If the coach criticize me, I feel hurt and then to spite him I make the element not as he wants... That’s here I am mean, - with a smile says Vika.

When asked what her dream, Victoria replied:

- I want to become like Svetlana Khorkina.

And after a short pause, added:

- Even better.

It’s the Olympic hopes of Voronezh and Russia gymnast Victoria Komova. Let's remember that name today.

Roman POPRYGIN via viktoriakomova.ru

Minister of Sport Ceremony

Artistic Gymnastics Federation of Russia via viktoriakomova.ru

International Gymnast Magazine article on Vika is here.