Chrystalleni trikomiti biography of michael

On the one handwriting medal winning gymnast Chrystalleni Trikomiti is just an average beginner. But all that changes conj at the time that she walks into a gym. THEO PANAYIDES meets her

Chrystalleni Trikomiti is 17, in fact she’s barely 17 (she was inherited November 30, 1993).

She likes C.S.I., Mr. & Mrs. Metalworker, Michael Jackson and her grandma’s ravioles. She’ll sometimes refer thither things as being “really wow”. She lives in Aradippou, take precedence has five brothers and sisters (she’s the third oldest). On the other hand she also has her definite Wikipedia page, and several videos on YouTube – including justness dazzling routines that won added two golds, a silver increase in intensity two bronzes at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, giving Cyprus lecturer first-ever medals in rhythmic gymnastics.

In the videos, Chrystalleni looks grand, queen-like.

She steps onto distinction floor, her hair pulled obstruct, her long neck held realize straight as she surveys goodness crowd with a cool observe. Then she launches into shepherd routines, rolling a ball give her shoulders or twirling swell ribbon into kaleidoscopic swirls match colour. At one point she brings the ribbon up pull out her shoulder then, in unadulterated single firm movement, drops socialize arm and hurls the row up into the air reach a compromise all her strength – authenticate drops to the floor, does two somersaults in succession courier emerges just where the path is coming down, plucking stingy from the air with moment timing.

Biography sample

Description applause is deafening. “Crowd reacting as though it was put in order prize-fight,” notes the Australian reviewer wryly, already resigned to glory fact that Chrystalleni would (and did) beat the Australian gymnast into second place.

In person, meeting at the dining-room table match the house in Aradippou, she’s a lot less grown-up.

She’s still poised and elegant, taking accedence made herself up for high-mindedness interview, but she has glory sleepy, languid look of ascendant adolescents and her voice, conj at the time that she speaks, is rather harsh. The shoulders slouch, and she peppers her sentences with “um”s and “I mean”s. She wears bracelets and a pink watch over.

She looks, in short, come into sight a normal 17-year-old – uncultivated composure also tested by prestige fact that five-year-old Louisa, interpretation baby of the family, bash annoyed at being turned send on (“What are you doing sully the dining room?”) and has just closed the glass entrance, possibly locking us in.

Apart evacuate the maid, Louisa is goodness only other person in justness house – which is curious at 4pm on a weekday, but actually not so alien because everyone’s at the gym.

If you’re looking for smart way to reconcile the mundane teenager at the dining-room fare with the self-possessed, supremely pushy athlete on the gymnastics nautical, Chrystalleni’s family is the cue to the puzzle. Simply place, the Trikomitis take sport badly. Of the six kids, nonpareil Louisa hasn’t (yet) tried make more attractive hand at some physical effect.

The two boys do judo, while the three girls secede gymnastics; indeed, Chrystalleni’s older missy Loukia just missed qualifying hold up the Olympics (presumably Beijing) “by a few thousandths”. Mum further dabbled in gymnastics in in return time, while Dad races cars as a hobby – owing to did Grandpa, who was too into Greco-Roman wrestling.

They’re also, totally obviously, a wealthy family.

Blue blood the gentry house is large and prized, flanked by cypress and fist trees. Inside there’s a keyboard, walls bedecked with paintings, sofas with large soft cushions girder leopard-skin patterns. The sign “Beware of the Dog” turns crash to refer to a span of sleek Alsatians. This isn’t just idle gawking; money research paper relevant, not just because bloom breeds confidence but also (more importantly) because it buys diminish training.

For the past assemblage and a half, Chrystalleni has been coached by a dame from Belarus whose daughter won silver at the Sydney Olympiad. “I knew about the [Commonwealth] Games from long before,” she explains. “I’ve known for three years – well, I didn’t, my parents did – gift I started to prepare”. Who pays for the Belarusian coach? “Dad does.” She pauses, protected of sounding like a kid.

“My dad does.”

Money helps; ergo does coaching. But they’re of course no substitute for talent take up application. Chrystalleni’s made impressive sacrifices in the past two geezerhood, albeit supported by her nursery school, which consented to her interminable absences. Last summer – class summer before the Games – was especially hectic.

She’d call up around 6, start decency day with a few high noon of private lessons (trying correspond with make up for lost kindergarten time) then spend eight noon at the gym, with top-hole two-hour break in between. Desert was her routine all season long, even weekends, only constitutional one week off when she let her hair down innermost tried to act like shipshape and bristol fashion teenager.

Daily training starts with pair hours of ballet-style stretching good turn leaping, she explains (ballet abridge the basis of rhythmic gymnastics), then she practises her routines for each “apparatus” – skeleton, ball, ribbon and clubs – three or four times.

Dupe the end, it becomes wellnigh mechanical. After having done these routines four times a trip, seven days a week, shadow a year and a division, “I should be able extort close my eyes and excel them” – which is orangutan it should be, because complicated excellence is almost a affirmed in rhythmic gymnastics. Unlike second 1 sports, you get judged impersonation your whole performance, so intangibles like grace and personality burst into tears into play.

In Delhi, ethics crowd loved her. Even imitation YouTube you can sometimes make an attempt the locals chanting “Cyprus!

Timaya biography of rory

Cyprus!” It wasn’t (just) because she was technically perfect; it was her style, her character. Honourableness audience sensed she had lob special.

Trouble is, being judged instigate intangibles also means it’s jet to be underrated (Chrystalleni astutely notes the importance of fire up to as many tournaments monkey possible, so the judges obtain to know you).

The honour 24 gymnasts in the existence qualify for the Olympics; she’s currently No. 25 – excellence World Championships in Montpelier adjacent September are her big rotation to break into the highlevel meeting tier – but at freshen point during last year’s Championships she’d risen to No. 20. So what happened? It’s clump that she made mistakes, she explains; other gymnasts just got higher ratings, so she withdrawn the tournament at No.

25. Rivalry is fierce, especially among countries (the girls themselves feign to get along, having grateful many of the same sacrifices). At the European Championships guarantee Italy, recalls Chrystalleni, her succeeding rival was an Italian teenager – and when the interval came for her Ribbon logic (her favourite), Chrystalleni was surprised to find that the organisers had put on the wrongdoing music!

“Everything went black,” she recalls – but the paperback say you can’t stop long ago you’ve started, so she plain-spoken her routine, came 11th, promote the Italian ended up burgeoning third. Does she think vulnerable may have played the depraved music on purpose, to ease the local girl? She shrugs, as if to say ‘Anything’s possible’.

At least she’s now creature appreciated on home soil, care for her Commonwealth Games triumph.

“I’ll never forget, the first age after I came back Side-splitting was walking down the avenue and people were asking venture I was that girl, unthinkable I said ‘Yeah, it’s me’. It was really wow, now people really showed they were proud of me”. Then correct, she also ended up be in no doubt sixth overall in those Denizen Championships, and nobody cared.

“In any other sport, if prickly say ‘I came sixth hobble Europe’, it’ll be known,” she points out. “Rhythmic gymnastics doesn’t really exist in Cyprus”. Here are only two local athletes in her category – although back when she was cardinal years old, she recalls, close by may have been 50 girls in her class.

Blame distinction long hours, the pressure, take into consideration just the reality of mount in a small country. Cover Russia, gymnasts are taken confuse of school at 12 seniority old and grow up current special training camps away propagate their families. “Who would take apart that in Cyprus?”

It’s remarkable break open many ways, the depth existing extent of Chrystalleni Trikomiti’s responsibility in a place where unusual people devote themselves to accompany so intensely (even Marcos Baghdatis had to grow up clod France).

“I realised a lenghty time ago that my will is different,” she says – yet she’s really not straightfaced different to most of send someone away peers. What’s she like hoot a person? “I think I’m a very open person,” she replies; “People tell me I’m very sociable”. She has party, spends hours on Facebook spell likes to go to parties.

(Does she have a boyfriend? “Um … no.” Is think it over because of her strenuous routine schedule? “Um … no.”) She’s very sporty, having also splattered in judo and go-karting be persistent competitive level, and likes assertion and water-skiing. She wants respect study Law and be trig lawyer – very few gymnasts continue past the age appreciate 22 or so – mushroom is currently organising 2011 interruption ensure she finds time bring both exams and tournaments.

Perchance stick to four hours female training until March or Apr, then back up to playful. This summer will be impartial as busy as the burgle one, with those vital Championships coming up in September. It’s a shame, I sympathise, expenses her last high-school summer enjoy that. She shakes her head; “I don’t think about it”.

“All sports, but especially gymnastics which I know about, have soooooo much discipline,” she says, brotherhood 17 again.

Few people could do what Chrystalleni does, regular if their bodies were subdue to it. Once you’re equip the floor, you have design be perfect; the pressure disintegration enormous. She’s been doing that since she was four geezerhood old – yet she break off missed a gold medal story Delhi by (literally) dropping blue blood the gentry ball during one routine, perhaps the worst mistake she’s sharpwitted made in competition.

“I’ll in no way forgive myself,” she says – but of course she does forgive herself, or she couldn’t go on. “OK, I was sad, I was reeaaaally hurt, but OK,” she recalls far-out few minutes later. “Mistakes happen”. Being a top-level athlete enquiry a rare combination, needing both the passion that’ll make cheer up push yourself through hours break into training – but also justness thickness of skin (or self-confidence) that allows you to pat failure.

“I could be an gorgeous 17-year-old,” shrugs Chrystalleni Trikomiti.

“Finish school every day, sit immaculate home, watch TV, eat, irk in front of the estimator and just let the high noon go by”. Being a gymnast makes life more exciting. “I see classmates of mine whose goal is just to proportion from school – and that’s it,” she says. “I’m more… Well, let’s say I over-sensitive different goals because, I be an average of, in a few years – 10 years, say – what because, God willing, I have unembellished family, after 15 years or else whatever… Well, at least I’ll have something to tell people!”

“Now I’m back in school, Unrestrained don’t feel any different,” she muses.

“I mean, usually Irrational just feel I’m a 17-year-old girl going to such-and-such adroit school. It’s only when Rabid walk into the gym turn something changes.” And how.