European Athletics (EAA) – News – Saladuha lived the dream in Barcelona

Ukraine’s Olha Saladuha just missed out on a European Athletics Championships women’s triple jump podium four years ago when she finished fourth in Göteborg, but she made no mistake this summer in Barcelona and triumphed with a gold medal.

In an interview with the Ukrainian newspaper Facts, the 27-year-old Saladuha reflected on the best season of her career and how she bounced back after missing the whole of 2009 due to pregnancy and giving birth to her daughter Diana.

Q:  Did you think beforehand that you would achieve such success in Barcelona?

A: A week before the European Athletics Championships, I had a dream, that I jumped 14.65m and won the gold medal. When I woke up, I just laughed because I was sure that to win a continental championship it would require a much bigger jump. In Barcelona, I won with 14.81m and then had a flash back and remembered this dream and, actually, 14.65m would have been good enough for the gold medal.

Q: Was it difficult to compete in the heat of Barcelona?

A: No, because it was baking in Donetsk before we left for Spain. In Barcelona, it was easier than being at home. There was also a gentle breeze blowing from the sea and the final was held in the evening. Only qualification rounds were during the day but again we were lucky as the sky was overcast. I have to say, all the participants at the championships I spoke to, enjoyed competing in the Olympic Stadium. It was very comfortable. There was a new ultra-fast Mondo track and many events saw new records, the run ups were very good and contributed to records in the horizontal jumps. The sand was soft, I’d even say bouncy. This is important because sometimes a jumping pit has big, heavy, lumps of sand, and when landing, it can sting your skin and cause abrasions.

Q: So do you believe in omens?

A: Sometimes, like other athletes, I’m trying to find at least some connection between the figures on my number and the possible outcome in the results.  However, this time we were all given names our bibs and I’m so glad that I got that.

Q: How was the food?

A: We had a buffet (in the hotel). Some athletes, such as the throwers, complained that there was not enough food but I think they were being greedy.  The organisers laid on a lot, if I had to, I’d even swear that were extra portions for everybody.

Q: How did you manage to come back to such a high level so quickly after giving birth?

A: Hard work. You can’t afford to be lazy in this sport or else you will not achieve very much. I started training one month after I gave birth to my daughter on July 1, 2009 and since then I never missed a single workout. This season, I had two days break in Barcelona after I won my gold medal on the penultimate day and that was it. I knew I had other competitions coming up, including competing for Team Europe and the Continental Cup in Croatia, therefore it was necessary to keep in shape. I got home (from Barcelona) had a couple of hours rest and then went to the gym.

Q: Do you miss your daughter when you go away for competitions?

A: There isn’t a minute when I don’t think about when I’ll see her next and this summer I left her for two weeks for the first time in my life.  When Diana saw me after I got back, she hugged me, cried, and stuck to me like a little panda.  It feels awful to leave my daughter like that and putting a medal around my neck doesn’t change those feelings.

Q: How did you meet your husband Denys?

A: I met him 10 years ago while studying in Donetsk at the Institute of Physical Education. He is now a professional cyclist, a member of the national team. He told me that he was scared of me for a long time and too shy to get acquainted with me! For the past few years, Denys has also competed for the Ukrainian-Italian professional team ISD and a lot of the time he is at the training camp in Italy. He lives in a town near Florence but whenever possible, in the intervals between races, he comes back to Ukraine. He had hoped to come and cheer for me in Barcelona but that did not work out as he had to prepare for his next races. Denis also terribly misses Diana, he said he wanted a son but now he says he does not imagine life without his daughter.

Q: Did you ever worry that pregnancy and childbirth would be a hindrance to your athletic career?

A: The famous Russian triple jumper Tatyana Lebedeva inspired me and I use her as an example. A year after giving birth she became the 2005 world champion in Helsinki. She said, "I could only dream about it. And now my dream has come true," and I remembered the words of Tatyana. Until the sixth month of pregnancy, I was in full training but after that it became difficult.  After the birth of my daughter, my minimum target for this year was to get selection for the European Athletics Championship but when I began getting good results early in the season, my belief grew that I could fight for the top places in Barcelona.

Q: How do you combine your sport and being a mother?

A: I do not know what I would have done without the help of my parents. I was breastfeeding until Diana was in her seventh month so every three hours, between workouts, I tried to get home; but if I could not make it then her grandmother looked after her and her grandfather is in charge of bathing his grand daughter. Also, before I was pregnant, I was spending an hour each way going to the stadium and back on buses but now it's easier as I have a car. I train twice a day, six days a week, with one day a week resting.

Q:  When do you think (fellow Ukrainian) Inessa Kravets’ world record of 15.50m, set 15 years ago, will be broken.

A: I am often asked this question, and it’s a great achievement to which we should all strive. This record is probably possible to beat if everything comes together at the right time: being in the perfect physical condition, a perfect wind, a good track. Oh, and the stars in the sky must come together as well!

European Athletics (EAA)