17 August 2010 - Tatiana SEGINA (RUS): “The Opening Ceremony was PERFECT!”

Tatiana SEGINA (RUS): “The Opening Ceremony was PERFECT!” Singapore – 17 August 2010   The 2008 Cadet World Champion Tatiana SEGINA is representing Russia at the Youth Olympic Games. The 18-year-old is hoping to add another major title to her collection this week in Singapore.  How is your experience in Singapore so far? I’m very happy to be here. It’s a very nice place, the field is nice and so is the Olympic Village. I enjoy this opportunity to meet people from other countries and other sports. The Opening Ceremony was perfect, PERFECT! I’ve never seen such a beautiful show. The only bad thing is that I suffer from the heat. In Russia it is usually not so hot, even though there were fires recently around Moscow, where I live. Actually we had a training camp in Moscow earlier this month as preparation for the Olympics, and because of the smoke we couldn’t even see the target.   What do these Youth Olympic Games mean to you? They are very important, but not so hard for me because I have already competed in many major competitions and I know everybody here. I became Cadet World Champion in 2008 competing against the same archers. If it were my first competition maybe I would be scared.   How did you discover the sport? I did equestrianism from the age of 7, and I was introduced to archery by a friend when I was 9. I took it seriously form the start, and now I just ride horses as a hobby.   What is the situation of archery in your country? Archery is not very popular. Football, hockey are the popular sports. Maybe after the Olympics I will become famous, but for now I’m not (she laughs).   How do you train? I study in an Olympic Reserves School and I practice archery before studying and after classes, sometimes only after studying. Thanks to my good results my federation sponsors my trips and travel expenses to training camps and competitions and I don’t need to work.   Who is your idol in the sport? Natalia VALEEVA.   What do you think about the promotion campaign called “Shoot Clean! - Say No! to Doping” launched by the World Archery Clean Sport department in partnership with WADA? I think it’s good because doping exists in the sport and makes the game unfair. I’ve never tried doping so for me this campaign is something good.   What are your activities outside archery? When I have free time I like to dance and meet my friends.   What are your major goals in your archery career? I hope to compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games and win!   Thank you, and good luck!   Vanahé ANTILLE World Archery Communication