Daniel Marinov: ‘Sanctions will not allow us to break our country, people and sport’

“Apparatuses are friends who have known each other since childhood”

You moved from Bulgaria to Russia quite early. Do you remember that moment?

I was born in Sofia, where I lived for five years. After my parents divorced, my mother and I moved to Kazan. I remember only fragments of my first years of my life, but moving to Russia was memorable for the contrast of the weather — cold and freezing compared to the mild climate of Bulgaria.

What was your first training session like? What was it about gymnastics that had you hooked and made you stay?

I first got acquainted with gymnastics in Kazan at the Central Stadium, in an old hall that is still in operation — primary school groups train there. I came there when I was 6. Back then, the hall seemed huge, and there were interesting things around: lots of equipment where I could climb and release energy under the supervision of a coach. I remember that my eyes lit up. Gymnastics hooked me with its “diversity” — it is different, but always interesting.

Have you ever had any thoughts about quitting? What can you say to young athletes when they want to leave the sport?

This is a serious and important question. As a rule, such moments happen in adolescence. I thought about quitting sports three times. I can advise you to look back and see what you have managed to go through. It is important to look at Olympic champions to understand that what they have achieved would have been impossible without great effort, dedication and perseverance. When sports become a matter of life, serious injuries usually occur. This prevents you from enjoying what you love.

I would say that there is no pleasure in professional sports: you ruin your health every day. But I am sure that you can learn to cope with this.

Speaking of injuries: how is your rehabilitation going?

I am currently at the Federal Scientific and Clinical Centre for Specialised Types of Medical Care and Medical Technologies of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia. They perform surgeries for national teams members here — I had one a month and a half ago. Three weeks later, I came here for passive rehabilitation, and today I am already undergoing active rehabilitation and am starting to give my shoulders a load. It feels like the muscles that have been in good shape all my life have fallen asleep. And now you need to actively “turn on the alarms,” one after another, awakening the ligaments and tendons.

Is an apparatus in gymnastics a friend or a rival?

All apparatuses are friends, familiar from childhood. Although with some, friendship is not always stable. In my case, it is a horse that has let me down many times. After failures, I always said that this was my least favourite apparatus, that I did not want to train on it, but then I got the feeling that it was alive and heard all this. Now I understand that you can't say that. On the contrary, you need to approach it, stroke it, come up with rituals and thank it for not throwing you off.

Of course, it is an inanimate object, but if you treat it as if it were alive, it will help and lead to success. I do not have the strongest combination on this apparatus, but doing it from the heart, I managed to climb the podium.

“The priceless quality of an all-rounder”

What is the philosophy of artistic gymnastics?

Artistic gymnastics is a sport that develops harmoniously from all sides. There are team events and individual championships, as well as six apparatuses, each of which requires special training. It seems to me that if you cope with all of them, then you develop in yourself the “quality of an all-rounder”, invaluable not only for sports, but also for life in general.

I would like to separately address the parents who are reading this interview: do not be afraid to send your children to artistic gymnastics. I often hear concerns about how scary it is to “spin on these dangerous apparatuses,” and questions about what will happen to the joints, but I would recommend boldly sending children to gymnastics at the age of five or six. At the same time, it is important to remember that you need to listen to the child and accept his or her choice. But even several years in gymnastics will discipline the child, strengthen his body and prepare him or her for any other sport — he or she will win everywhere.

Where can young athletes find motivation now? What inspires you?

If we talk about athletes who have no experience of competing in major competitions, then we need to continue working and believe in the best. I am sure that the international arena will open for us and Russian athletes will rush in there with gusto to show that no sanctions will break our country, our people and our sport.

Thinking that you can relax while there are no international starts is the wrong decision. You need to be ready to return at any moment. The time we have now must be used to become even stronger.

You have dual citizenship — Russian and Bulgarian. Does the question about a possible performance for the Bulgarian national team irritate you?

It doesn't irritate me anymore, I've got used to it — this is really the most common question. I'm not considering the option of performing for Bulgaria.

Did you manage to train in Bulgaria? How are the approaches to training and sports in general similar and different in Bulgaria and Russia?

In June 2022, my mother and I went to Bulgaria for three weeks — then I managed to train with the national team in their gym. In my opinion, in Russia the system of preparing athletes and the approach to training are much stricter, there is always a plan that is followed by coaches and gymnasts. In Bulgaria, it is more about pleasure.

“The innovation that Russia lacked”

In November, a new tournament for Russia started — the Gymnastics Premier League where you became the captain of the Winged Snow Leopards team, which already reached the final. Did the tournament exceed expectations? What did you like?

Our Olympic champion Nikita Nagorny said two years before that he dreamed of introducing something similar in our sport. Having become vice president of the Russian Gymnastics Federation, he managed to do it. This is the innovation that Russia lacked: here, gymnasts are closer to the audience than ever before, and the prize fund is huge as never before and amounts to 3 million rubles.

This project is for those who have dedicated their lives to gymnastics, trained every day for five to six hours, but remained on the sidelines of the podium. This is a great opportunity to show your capabilities, improve your financial situation and — through joint efforts — make artistic gymnastics more vibrant and accessible to spectators. The project exceeded all expectations — it turned out well.

Is there anything you would like to add in the next season of the GPL?

The potential of the Gymnastics Premier League is huge. There are six teams in the first season, but they are all men's. I think we need to add more men's teams and definitely include women's teams. I would like even more interaction and emotion — at official competitions, we are used to being serious and reserved. Of course, in the Premier League, we are also serious and give our all, but here there is an opportunity to have more fun — you can interact with the public and the team. I would like more relaxed athletes and ardent fans.

“Higher education is necessary”

Having won many major tournaments and being a fairly experienced athlete, you began to get higher education. How is studying at a sports university, do you have time to combine everything?

I am sure that higher education is necessary even for the greatest athletes. In order to correctly pass on experience and see the potential in children, it is important to learn a lot. I have never regretted my choice of university — I grew up in Kazan and have been training for ten years at the Gymnastics Centre, which belongs to the Volga Region University of Physical Education, Sports and Tourism. I wanted to come here on principle: everything here is familiar. Besides, I love Kazan and did not even think about moving to another city.

The second stage of the Gymnastics Premier League was held in Kazan, so I was able to attend classes. I was happy to give a presentation about my favorite city to a group during classes on the basics of Russian statehood. I have not yet fully realized that I am a student, so I am still waiting for a call out of habit. And once I even asked when it would ring. My classmates, of course, laugh. In general, I can confidently say that Povolzhsky is the best university to study to be a coach. Although for now I don’t see myself as a coach, but rather as a public figure who will be engaged in the promotion of gymnastics.

What helps you switch off and relax?

I am an all-rounder everywhere — I like to try my hand at different things. Recently, I started to master snowboarding. The ski slope and friends nearby give a lot of emotions, but this is quite a traumatic entertainment, so I always remember about safety. I advise you not to get too excited. I am also fond of karting, I try to go once a week even now that I have a license. The tracks and turns charge me with energy. Sometimes, when inspiration comes, I write poetry. I invest a lot in maintaining social networks, I try to make it my second job. I understand that this is important for the development of gymnastics and attracting children to sports.