Iryna MERLENI: Freestyle wrestling is not for women

Everyone who saw TV broadcasts of the Olympic Games, with Iryna Merleni taking part in freestyle wrestling competitions, or the project I Dance for You, is aware of her huge supply of energy. It is hard to believe that she is equally energetic in her everyday life. Iryna made immense efforts to become the world’s best female wrestler and Olympic champion. In 2004, female freestyle wrestling was included amongst the Olympic events for the first time. The athlete also proved her high level during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 by winning a bronze medal. But even after reaching the summits, she does not give up, sets new goals, and wins. Iryna shares the secrets of her success in an exclusive interview for The Day.

Iryna, you began your sports career in Greece. What made you return to Ukraine and represent it?

“Stability. At the time sportsmen enjoyed real state support and the level of preparations for the Athens Olympic Games was very high. Sport was very well funded. The year 2004 was the first in the history of Olympic Games, when women competed. I remember that I was aiming for nothing but victory. I had a lot of ambitions, my fighting capacity, perfect shape and young age demanded nothing but victory. Besides, I had a strong stimulus – I was proud of Ukraine and grateful for everything it gave me.”

Do you feel that any changes have taken place in our country’s sports life?

“Yes, and they are significant. Today we are so scantily funded that we have to cancel or reduce the traditional trai­ning sessions for freestyle wres­t­le­rs. For example, three or four training periods used to be held in Alushta, but this year we have barely managed to organize a single one.”

On your side, do you encourage holding competitions? Do you continue to hold your own championships on freestyle wrestling,which were founded in 2006? They were intended to be held on a regular basis.

“I am going to renew the championships. They are also planned to be held in Kyiv, with girls between 14 and 17 participating. Previous competitions showed how much we need these kinds of events. The number of participants then was higher than we could accept – over 400 people – and they performed on a really high level. I know from my own experience, as I became world champion at the age of 17, that a victory achieved at that age gives a great impetus for future achievements. Therefore I did not grudge awards for young female athletes, and we introduced additional Best Technique and Will to Victory awards in our tournament. Prizes also went to all the athletes that had been injured.”

What personal victories can you boast of this year?

“Although I have not taken part in sports competitions recently, I still have two victories in my pocket. The first one is really important for me, it is the project I Dance for You. The second one is quite honorable, I will act as an ambassador at the Junior Olympic Games, which will take place in 2010 in Sin­gapore. This kind of work requires great responsibility, but I am ready for this. I am unable to express how important this is for me. I believe it will help develop children’s sport, and it will create a possibility to foster love for sport and healthy lifestyle in our children. This is important for developing both children’s bodies and vital energy, to prevent cases of children dying on PE lessons,”

Is Ukraine ready for these Junior Olympic Games?

“Of course! And I am sure that we will win many medals. Moreover, I already know the names of the future champions in freestyle wrestling. I know that quite a strong team will come from Lviv. Donetsk athletes have improved considerably, so have those in Kherson. A number of championships and competitions will be held on local and national levels. We will select the best from the best. In spring we will form a team and we will make efforts to prepare our juniors as well as possible.”

What about training bases for juniors, are those many of them outdated?

“It is not so bad. A lot of my frien­ds, like the world’s top swimmers De­nys Sylantiev and Yana Klochkova, are opening their own bases. Yana already has a couple of pools, where juniors also train. Lilia Podkopaieva trai­ns junior athletes. A further hall and a stadium, which is in excellent con­dition, are owned by the Lviv Physical Training School. I am personally mo­nitoring how the sports hall in the Ivan Bohun Military School, where I train eve­ry day, is being restored. In spite of all the hardships, our sportsmen con­tinue to show excellent results in in­ternational competitions. The 11th pla­ce among over 200 countries, achie­­ved by our combined team at the Oly­m­pic games in Beijing, is an excellent result.”

The last Olympic games were not all positive for you though. How is your injured knee?

“I agreed to undergo two surgeries, as the trauma was really serious. I am actively re-training my knee. Freestyle wrestling is not a female kind of sport. Regular scars and fractures are more painful for women in terms of aesthetic. In spite of everything, more and more girls are taking wrestling, kung fu, weightlifting, trying to realize themselves, achieve success and financial independence.”

Judging from the victories of the Ukrainian Olympic team, women are more successful in sport. How would you explain this fact?

“Women are more stubborn in sport, unlike men, they do not easily give up after defeats. Defeats only stimulate sportswomen to prove at any price that they can do more and better. Women are stronger, they are persistent and have clear purpose, which may be the most important thing in sport.”

Who supported you the most in sport?

“My younger brother Oleksii. He has always been immensely supportive. I took up wrestling quite late. Fifteen is not the best age to take up sport. I remember that when I told my father about my decision, he was against it. Once in the morning my whole family gathered for a council; both my father and mother unanimously declared that this is not a female kind of sport. Moreover, they thought that if I have given up chess, music, and gymnastics, I wouldn’t stay in wrestling for long. It seemed to be sheer whim. But my brother categorically objected, he told my parents that I would beat everybody. Those words boosted my stren­gth and certainty so much! Since then we trained together and at times wrestled with each another, and I frequently won. My brother even helped me to win in Athens. He could not be near me, but we made an agreement that he would be sending great energy from the tribunes so that I would defeat everybody. I felt it.”

Did you win over your husband?

“I did, but he was not very eager to wrestle with me. You know how it is to struggle with the girl you like.”

But you have completely “rehabilitated” you feminineness in the project I dance for You, haven’t you?

“Indeed it is very pleasant that even friends and relatives saw me as an attractive woman, not merely a sportswoman. They were impressed. Moreover, I realized my old childhood dream by dancing – to be an artist. It was really hard to change a sports hall for a beautiful hairdo, high heels, expensive costumes, but it was immensely pleasant, too. I really wanted to help Serhii Solntsev to recover.”

Were you sure that you would win?

“No! Serhii Kostetsky and I could not even dream about a victory, as there were many worthy dancers. However, I kept telling Serhii before every performance: be as it may, we will gather our strength and push ourselves to the limit.”

Did your sport training help?

“Yes, in the same way as in Athens and Beijing, where I was completely fo­cused on sport, dancing meant every­thing to me at that moment. When they declared us winners I felt as if I was receiving an Olympic gold. I had to control myself not to kiss eve­ry­bo­dy around me.”

What is the most important in victory?

“The victory itself, and the pleasure it brings. Understanding that I have made every effort to be the first.”

What do you dream about, as an Olympic champion?

“I dream about fulfilling the country’s hopes, being able to give our junior combined team the energy for victory so that Ukraine will win as many medals as possible. As a woman, I dream about giving birth to many other children, so that our son Artur has many brothers and sisters.”

A year ago you said that you would manage to give birth to a child and prepare for the London Olympic Games 2012. Have you plans remained unchanged?

“If I don’t manage to give birth to a child by 2012, I will choose family rather than sport. I plan to pay more attention to my family but so far regular business, the project I Dance for You, and now the Junior Olympiad have taken nearly all of my time and strength. I am not so interest in the next Olympic games. I have won all the titles possible, and it will not be so thrilling to achieve them anew.”

Would you reveal your secret? What way leads to the Olympic gold?

“If you have a wish, you must do everything for it. You must follow a diet, a regime, you must train and follow every word of your coach. Nothing else in the world can matter for you. I remember, when I was 17 years old, I went with my coach Mykola Tarada to the world championship in Bucharest. I said to him, ‘If you only knew how much I want to win.’ He said, ‘Iryna, evebody does.’ ‘Nobody wants as it much as I do,’ I replied. It was very hard, and I could not raise my hands because of exhaustion. But I set an imperative for myself – to win or die. Then I became the world’s champion.”