This is an interview with Anna Bashta, Azerbaijan's fencer, for Idman.biz.
- You got injured during the team event at the World Cup in Heraklion, Greece, and couldn’t continue the match. How is your health now?
- The situation with my injury will be clarified after an MRI, but I hope to return in a month.
- How would you assess your performance in the individual sabre competition?
- Although I placed 12th, I think I performed well. Of course, I want to win a medal, but I know I must not rush it. My foot needs time to adapt to the competition pace. Sometimes, after an athlete’s recovery, they can get injured again in their first competition – this is a sign that you need to stop and work more on yourself. I view this situation positively because now I have doctors and rehabilitators working with me. We’re just waiting for the analysis results, and we’ll start working without wasting any time.
- How did you prepare for this competition?
- This year has not been difficult for me because after the Olympics, I had more time to focus on myself. Previously, I was mainly focused on the technical side, but now I am also working a lot on my physical strength. At our level, only technique is not enough; you must gain additional advantages. Now, my legs are much faster than before, my endurance has increased, and this gives me strength. I work with a psychologist every week, maintain my training pace, and I’m confident that I will return to my best form soon.
- How has the most prestigious competition of the four-year cycle, the Olympics, impacted your sports career before and after?
- After the Olympics, you return to competitions stronger. I feel I’ve grown both in sports and in life because during the preparation for Paris-2024, all the attention is focused on you – the coaches, rehabilitators, everyone works on you. Unfortunately, I competed with an injury in Paris, so I couldn't show my full potential. But I did the best I could under the circumstances, and that is a great achievement. Participating in the Olympics requires not only physical but also psychological preparation. But it was a wonderful experience. I met the world's strongest athletes, and now many of them message me, offering support due to my injury. They share their own stories of going through similar situations and say that this is normal and happens often. It was my first time performing in front of an audience full of fans at the Olympics. At Tokyo 2020, due to the pandemic, I didn’t have that opportunity. There were people who came to support me. I was shocked to see that fencing has such fans, and it made me really happy. The Olympics opened up fencing to a broader audience because not everyone fully understands the sport.
- Finally, could you share a bit about your future plans?
- The next World Cup will be in Cairo, followed by the Grand Prix in Seoul. There are still several World Cups, Grand Prix tournaments, as well as the European and World Championships this season. I hope to be able to participate in these events.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
