Viktoria Komova vs. Phoebe Buffay

Vika, My Princessa returned to her home gym in Voronezh (How pretty is that gym? I keep admiring it every time they show it. So much light and air...) before the Russian Cup and answered some questions about her current injury and future in gymnastics. I seriously feel like she's me in another life. A perfectionist who fails because of their perfectionism. A perfectionist who has achieved a lot but is proud of none of it, because it wasn't enough. Because a lot to someone else meant nothing for them, because they think they were capable of so much more. Anyone else belong to this particular miserable club of people who are both under- and overachievers at the same time? Just me and Vika? Okay then. We'll let the rest of you continue your happy life.

Sorry about that rant, I lied. We won't let you continue your happy lives, because first, Viktoria Komova needs to break your heart just a little bit.

She says that right now she needs to concentrate on her health. Whether or not she continues gymnastics, depends on her back. If it gets better, she'll stay, if not, it's the end her sports career.  

The back pain started 6 months after the Olympics. The coaches though it was because she had a growth spurt and gained both height and weight, and her body was struggling to recover from the intensive training that preceded the Olympics. They tried pretty much everything, massage, acupuncture, injections, she spent time in the hospital etc. Now the plan is to go to Germany and maybe the doctors there will be able to help her.

Vika thinks that Melka (also from the same gym in Voronezh) is very well prepared for Rio. Seda and Dasha, who is the UB World Champion are very good athletes and fighters too and should do well. She hasn't seen them in a while, but she's going to Penza to see their performances and progress. They sent her a message how they're waiting to see her, she misses them too.

Next for her is finishing her studies in the university, she has one year left. She doesn't really know what she wants yet, she wasn't ready to quit. She'd like to coach children, but doesn't really think she'll be good at it, because she didn't have that successful a career. She has a very good coach who gives great advice though. 

She looks for artistry, elegance and beauty in gymnastics, it was the strenghts of the Russians. The Americans are strong and have difficult vaults. Gymnastics will surely get even more difficult. 

When asked if there was something she would like to change, it's her vault in London. It cost her a medal. She'd go back and fight, ignore the pain.

 She'll still be at the competitions, but as a fan, because her health is more important right now. She would be happy to go to Rio to watch the girls and cheer for them. She wishes everyone health and happiness and strength to not give up.

First of all, excuse me Vika, but your career was great! For anyone else two Olympic medals and two world championships gold medals and multiple national and European medals would be amazing (not to mention her success at Youth Olympic Games and other junior meets), but not for my little perfectionist. And that vault. I keep going back to that vault every time I think of London. I can only imagine how many times Vika has gone back to that vault. And I'd like to think that these memories are not so bad, she is laughing after all, but do you know that feeling when everything is so tragic that all you can do is laugh about it? Because the tragedy sounds that fucking hilarious when you distance yourself from it and hear yourself explaining it aloud to other people? It doesn't make it any less painful inside.

Except if you're Phoebe Buffay. Maybe Vika is Phoebe Buffay and not me. We can only hope, because Phoebe is truly happy and not bothered by her past. Actually now that I think of it, Vika is dorky, she's funny, she's really hot-headed. She's blond. She could totally be Phoebe. At least that ambitious Phoebe who worked on Wall Street and got a heart attack.

Look, I found a perfect Phoebe Buffay song to go with this sentiment.