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Swing Shif t
Already an Olympic medalist on parallel bars,
Anton Fokin has shifted his focus to the all-around
By John Crumlish
is competing in this month’s Olympic test event
in London, where all-around berths for this sum-
mer’s games are at stake. “I’m doing stronger
preparations for the test event,” he says. “I will
not complicate my routines. In order to earn [an
Olympic berth], I need to do my old program,
like at the world championships.”
Twelfth on parallel bars in Tokyo, Fokin
admits he will need more precision and content
to again break into a p-bars final. “In Tokyo I did
a good routine, but there was a little problem at
the end,” he says. “I didn’t get all the way to a
handstand. Of course, it’s necessary to raise my
Start Value. For this we are now learning new
elements.”
Whether or not the improvements that Fokin
makes in 2012 will produce honors, he says bet-
tering himself will suffice. “Of course it’s difficult
to win medals all the time, being that each year
you have to make your routines more com-
plex and each year there are new, strong
gymnasts,” says Fokin, a sports icon in
Uzbekistan, especially since Beijing. “As far
as being an idol, I don’t consider myself
one. I am simply a person like everyone
else.”
THOMAS SCHRE YER
Fokin’s support system in Tashkent
helps him keep a humble perspective on
his gymnastics status. He credits his
coach, Nikolai Pak, for sharing and
inspiring diligence. “Nikolai is, first of
all, a good person, and this is very
important,” Fokin says. “As a coach
he is still young, but together we
achieve results, and this experience
will help us in the future.”
Family life enriches Fokin, in and
out of the gym. His wife, Yelena,
whom he married in 2002, is a rhyth-
mic gymnastics coach. “She has some
pretty good gymnasts whom we hope will
be stars,” he says. The couple has two chil-
dren: daughter Angelina was born in 2003,
and son Matvey was born in 2010. Angelina
WHEN Anton Fokin placed third on parallel bars at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he made history
as the first gymnast from independent Uzbekistan to win an Olympic medal. He failed to qualify for the apparatus final on his specialty at the
2010 and ’ 11 world championships, but proficient 14th-place all-around finishes in both
meets confirm his attention to diversity rather
than detract from his proven expertise on the
bars.
“It was very frustrating for me that I didn’t
make the bars final in Rotterdam and Tokyo, but
I am not dwelling on it,” says the 29-year-old
Fokin. “We continue to place an emphasis on
this apparatus, because when you lift one appa-
ratus, all of the others rise behind it, and there-
fore you strengthen the all-around. To make it to
the Olympics, now I have to do the all-around.
This is a unique chance. “
Fokin, who finished 16th all-around in Beijing,
“In the course of time,
certainly you lose speed,
but [also] get force and
experience. Therefore it
is hard to tell [whether]
it is better to remain
young or not.” —Fokin
Fokin with wife Yelena, a rhythmic
coach, daughter Angelina (also below)
and son Matvey
is a rhythmic gymnast. “Yelena and I decided
that this will be better for her,” Fokin says.
“My whole family cheers for me,”
Fokin says. “My children want that Papa
will always be a champion, and that from
every trip he will bring gifts to them.”
The Uzbekistan men’s team fin-
ished 23rd at the 2010 worlds
and 22nd at the ’ 11 worlds, but
even this slight escalation vali-
dates what Fokin says is an
increased amount of support that
all athletes have been enjoying
recently. “Now in our country they
give more attention to sports,” he
says. “Each federation has its
sponsor who takes on itself prac-
tically all the financial expenses. I
have my contract with the federa-
tion, whereby I undertake to carry
out all of their requirements. Except
for gymnastics, I have no other job.
Therefore, I completely give myself to
it.”
Just how long Fokin can commit to
gymnastics depends on his physical condi-
tion, but he certainly has a timeless spirit for
competition.
“As long as I am still healthy, I would like
to stay in sports, seeing that I have gymnastics
in my blood, and without it I would be a little
bored,” he says. “When you go out onto the
podium adrenaline develops, and in this
moment you feel as though you have gone out
on the podium for the first time. In your soul
you become a little boy who does not know
what to do, but then you collect yourself and do
your program.”
For the versatile Fokin, that seems to be
an easy shift to swing. IG
