Anastasia LUKANINA: “In Beach SAMBO, One Small Mistake Can Be Fatal”

At the World Beach SAMBO Championships in Caraguatatuba, Brazil, Russian athlete Anastasia Lukanina won gold in the -59 kg category. Her final bout was over quickly, though the athlete herself admits she wasn't expecting things to play out that way. In an interview with the FIAS website, Anastasia spoke about her tactics for the decisive bout, the strength of her Venezuelan and Brazilian opponents, a tough semifinal against an awkward rival, the support of her team, and the pressure of the "first scoring throw wins" format.

– Anastasia, the final bout ended quite quickly. Did you expect it to go that way?

– Honestly, no, I didn't. I was prepared for two scenarios: either I'd manage to catch my opponent off guard right at the start – maybe even surprising myself – or I'd have to fight it out carefully on penalties. As it turned out, I caught her. Even I didn't expect that.

– Was your Venezuelan opponent a tough competitor?

– Venezuelans really are strong athletes. In general, Venezuelans and Brazilians are very physically powerful. So as soon as we grip up, I could feel that tension right away. But thankfully, everything went well.

– Would you say the final was your toughest bout of the day?

– The final was tougher mentally more than anything – it's a high-stakes match against someone you don't know well, so it was harder to get in the right headspace. But the semifinal against Romania's Cristina Blanaru was actually tougher. We'd already competed against each other internationally before, just in a different weight category, and from experience, she's a genuinely awkward opponent for me.

– What's your head-to-head record against the Romanian athlete?

– It's 2-0 now, but even so, you can never afford to relax.

– The Russian team came in full strength. Did you feel their support out there today?

– Absolutely! It helped me enormously. I could hear tips coming from so many of my teammates. In Beach SAMBO, you're not allowed a corner coach, so sometimes it's really hard to catch your coach's voice or eye at the right moment. That's why the advice from my friend and my teammates helped so much.

– Does the “first scoring throw wins” format put extra pressure on you?

– Yes, definitely. In Sport SAMBO, you can make a small mistake – out of inexperience or a moment of carelessness, let's say – and you still have a chance to fix it: build activity, work through a penalty, anything can be corrected, you should never give up. But here, one small mistake can be fatal.

– What are your overall impressions of the tournament, and how do you feel about the location?

– Honestly, Beach SAMBO competitions always take place in such unusual locations. Brazil is a great example. Overall, it's fascinating and unusual to visit a place like this, to see how people live on another continent. Despite the challenging weather and the last-minute change of venue, this tournament had everything the athletes needed. That's the most important thing.