Emily Sciberras: A Return To Russian artistry

This month, our regular contributor, Chris, got to interview  latest rising star, the small, yet stunning gymnast, Emily Sciberras.

Together with teammate  Maria Stepanova, 14 year old Emily Sciberras from Australia is likely to be the main Russian medal contender at the upcoming Junior European Championships in Birmingham (26 April – 2 May 2010).

At the end of March, Sciberras won the junior competition for the Trofeo Citta di Jesolo in Italy with an impressive all-around score of 59,449—nearly two points ahead of any other competitor, junior or senior. At the Russian Championships in Penza in mid-March, Sciberras won the all-around, uneven bars and balance beam in her age group.

 

My first encounter with this talented young gymnast was a video from 2007 with the title “Emily Russian gymnast”, a montage of 10-year-old Sciberras’s performances at the 2007 Friendship Classic (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), where she finished second all-around, first on bars and first on floor. The clean technique and determined attitude of the tiny girl with pigtails revealed huge potential and seemed to forecast that Sciberras would become one of gymnastics’ greats.

 

At the 2008 Gymnix tournament in Montreal, Sciberras qualified for several event finals and finished second on bars. On floor, she showed very interesting and unusual choreography, which she performed with a stunning extent of expression and polish for a 11-year-old.

 

In November 2009, Sciberras impressed the gymnastics world with a gorgeous balance beam performance at the Russian Junior Championships in Bryansk. Her routine included a beautiful oversplit and had very difficult elements such as a round-off, high full-twisting back tuck; a connected Onodi, aerial walkover, side somi; a double spin and a nice illusion turn.

Sciberras’s excellent technique, clean execution and elegance are outstanding even for Russian standards. In her new classical style floor exercise, nothing is left to chance; every single gesture is part of an integral choreography. Such a degree of perfection and artistry has been rarely seen since the heyday of Soviet/Russian gymnastics in the 1980s and early 1990s, especially not with such a young girl!

Despite her intense preparation for the upcoming Junior European Championships, Sciberras took the time to tell me a bit about her preferences, qualities and goals as a gymnast:

 

At what age did you start gymnastics? How you chose the sport?

I started with gymnastics on 1 September 2000. At that time, I was 4 years  old. Originally, I wanted to go do figure skating and, on my way there, I met my (future) coach. She invited me to take up gymnastics. I liked jumping on the trampoline, so I entered the gym.

 

What do you like about gymnastics?

I particularly like bars, trampoline and learning new elements.

 Who are your coaches and choreographers?

My coach is Olga Efimova , and my choreographer is Joshua Ganina.

 

Which are your favourite apparatus?

My favourite apparatuses are uneven bars and balance beam and I also love choreography.

 

Are you working on new elements/combinations that you would like to include in your programme?

As I started relatively late with gymnastics, I am constantly learning new elements. I believe that I still have a lot of potential.

 

What was your greatest success so far and what was your biggest disappointment?

My performances are very consistent. I almost always win three to four gold medals, usually all-around, bars, beam and in the team competition.

My biggest disappointment so far has been the second place on All-round at the 2008 Gymnix tournament in Canada.

 

What are your aims as a gymnast for 2010 and for the coming years?

This year, I am focusing on the Junior European Championships in Birmingham at the end of April. As for the years to come, my main goal is the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

 

Do you have a role model in gymnastics or a favorite gymnast?

I very much like Svetlana Khorkina and Anastasia Liukin. But I would like to be Emily Sciberras and become a model for younger gymnasts myself.

 

What are your strengths and your weaknesses as a person and as a gymnast?

My strength lies in persistence; persistence in going straight to the goal.

As for weaknesses, I like to travel and have a rest.

 

You are praised by the international gymnastics community as one of the most promising junior gymnasts in the world and a potential Olympic Champion in 2012. Do you feel under pressure when hearing this or is it rather motivating and encouraging for you?

I have now many fans both in Russia and usa who come to my competitions to watch my performances. I am very happy that I bring joy to people. They write comments on videos (posted on YouTube), and the videos are also used to teach young gymnasts how to perform certain skills. This does not disturb me at all but, on the contrary, it motivates me to perform even better.

 

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I go to school and sometimes I spend time on the computer.

 

Do you have brothers or sisters? Are they also involved in gymnastics?

I have one older brother and a twin sister but none of them are gymnasts. My brother is a Master of Sports in swimming and has won multiple Australian championships. My sister plays soccer.

Do you play any other spot?

Yes, I play netball, and I love bike riding and running.

 

What is your diet like being a gymnast?

When I was born to the age of ten years old I was a vegan. My family became vegan when my sister and I was born, because my sister was born with Phenylketonuria (PKU), she can't eat high-protein foods, such as meat, milk, eggs, and nuts.

On weekday I eat health Breakfast (a glass of orange juice a two pieces of toast with honey; a large cup of coffee or tea can also be consumed), Lunch (a fruit salad or a tuna salad) and Dinner (Sesame Chicken and Rice). And on weekend I can eat anything.

 

Thank you very much, and good luck for your next competitions!