Anna Pavlova "Azerbaijan has invited me to compete for the 2015 Baku European Championship"

On her latest interview given for allsportinfo.ru, Anna Pavlova spoke abut her decision to compete for Azerbaijan and her carrier. 

In this article we will try to translate her interview the best we can. The interview was taken by the sport information correspondent of allsportinfo.ru Nicholas Pastukhov. 

Anna, when and how you choose to compete for Azerbaijan? 

- I receive an offer from the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation which interested me. Back in August, during the Russian Cup in Penza, I had a conversation with the leaders of our Federation, which agreed to let me go and we filed a enquiry on the International Gymnastics Federation. FIG approved my transition. I certainty wanted to get the approval of the country for which I compete therefore head coach Valentina Rodionenco and Valentina Nikanorova Russian Federation vice president approved my transition.

- Did the Azerbaijan offer interested you financially?

First of all, the opportunity of competing in the intentional tournaments interested me more. For a long time the Russian team didn't give me this opportunity, regardless of the results that I showed during the national competitions.
- Have you receive proposals from other countries?

A couple of years ago there was some proposals to compete for Uzbekistan, but there was nothing official. And I wasn't ready to accept them. I was still hoping that the Russian team was after all, counting on me. I wanted to compete for the country in which I was born. But now my priorities have changed. My dream is to prove to everyone that I still can have results on the international competitions. Azerbaijan has invite me for a specific purpose - to compete in the European Championship that will take place in Baku in 2015. Azerbaijan wants dignity in that competition and I want to return in the international arena. Here our interests converged. About the financial side is really to early too say. In Azerbaijan, as in Russia, you are paid on the result, for the medals. No medals - no money.

- Along with your transition to Azerbaijan, other gymnasts followed you there, Konstantin Pluzhnikov - member of the 2008 Olympics team and World Championship silver medallist with the Russian team Yulia Inshina. 

Yes like me these athletes, were no longer neccesary for our team, so they went to find happiness in Azerbaijan. 

- Will you continue to train with your mother Natalia Pavlova?

My mother will be the head couch of the women gymnastics team and of course I will train with her. The other gymnasts are also training with their coaches. We are training in Russia since Azerbaijan can't provide us with proper gym halls. Before us, there were no women gymnastics in this country. 

- So, you and Inshina are the founders of the women gymnastics in Azerbaijan?

It seems that way. 

- Does someone else have plans of changing nationalities?

There is another girl - Maria Nekrasov. She never cough the team, so her transition won't be a problem. But there are no more transitions planned. Russian Federation is not happy with such mass exodus.  

- Your contract with the Azerbaijan Federation last till 2015?
We have a verbal agreement with the Federation but without specifics time frames. If I will have results, I will stay on the team. If  I will not, we will negotiate as such.

- How do you see your career after 2015?
After the 2015 Europeans and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, will be just a year, and of course If I will be healthy, I would like to continue my career.