Elena Kostevich Member of the Ukrainian pistol shooting team Date of Birth: 14.04.1985 Country: Ukraine

1. Biography of Elena Kostevich
2. Overcoming Challenges
3. Dealing with Pressure and Emotions
4. The Journey in Sport
5. Overcoming Setbacks
6. Life and Career
7. The Psychological Aspect of Shooting

Biography of Elena Kostevich

Elena Kostevich is a member of the Ukrainian national team in pistol shooting. By the age of seventeen, she had already won all the existing titles in the sport. However, because shooting was not just a hobby but a passion for her, she decided to start from scratch. Conquering the same heights for the second time proved to be challenging, but Elena Kostevich, who won the Olympic gold six years ago in a shoot-off against her Serbian opponent Jasna Sekaric, never lost her willpower. As a true champion, she faced failure head-on, learned from it, and continued training. Last year, her hard work paid off with a victory in a World Cup stage and participation in the final of the tournament.

Elena began the 2010 season without a medal at the European Championship in Meraker, but her fourth-place finish in the individual rankings gave hope that the Olympic champion Kostevich was ready for more significant victories. In Norway, she reached the final with the third-best result.

Overcoming Challenges

When asked if she felt the strength to climb the podium at the 2010 European Championship, Elena admitted that she had similar thoughts before the final. There was even a chance for her to become the champion, but luck was not on her side. She couldn't explain why the final round didn't go well, speculating that perhaps the feeling of victory in her pocket hindered her performance. She did not discuss this topic with her coach Igor Borisovich Cheredinov. They had limited time between the qualification and the final, so they did not exchange any words. Before the final, Cheredinov left her alone to gather her strength and energy. Elena mentioned that Cheredinov did not regret breaking this tradition.

After experiencing setbacks, Elena did not let them define her. She believed that setbacks were part of the sport and life. She focused on preparing for future competitions and victories. Elena admitted that she had not competed in the final of the European Championship for a long time. She saw these competitions as a stepping stone to subsequent successes.

Dealing with Pressure and Emotions

Elena acknowledged that she always felt nervous before any competition. The responsibility as an athlete took its toll, especially during major tournaments like the World and European Championships. She believed that a certain level of nervousness was necessary to stay focused. She mentioned that fear existed, but it acted as a catalyst for action. "The eyes are afraid, but the hands do," she said.

Regarding her fourth-place finish in the team championship, Elena admitted that it was a bit disappointing to miss out on a medal by a few points. However, when she saw her teammate Inna Kryachko crying, Elena forgot about her disappointment and comforted her. Elena told Inna, "We will live without a medal. Stop torturing yourself." The tears of her colleague did not affect Elena's focus for the final.

The Journey in Sport

Elena acknowledged that staying in sports, especially after achieving all possible titles, was not easy. She mentioned that shooting had been her favorite hobby, which turned into work. She grew as an athlete, becoming more conscious and focused. She changed her weapon and increased her training volume. Elena viewed her career as a step-by-step process, where she had to start over and prove herself again. She had experienced both victories and defeats.

Regarding the increase in training load, Elena explained that it was a joint decision with her coach. They focused more on the 25-meter pistol, as they had achieved success in air pistol shooting. The increased training volume was challenging, and at times, Elena felt like she was pushing herself too hard. However, after taking a break and recovering, she regained high performance. Elena described this process as a period of compensation.

Elena mentioned that she enjoyed both air pistol and free pistol shooting. She believed that she could perform well in both disciplines at a high level. Although her coach believed it was impossible to succeed simultaneously in both disciplines, Elena wanted to prove him wrong. However, she admitted that she had not yet achieved the same level of success in international competitions in both disciplines.

Overcoming Setbacks

Elena acknowledged that setbacks were common in high-level sports. She mentioned that she often had many self-criticisms after competitions but learned to let go when she reached her limit. Elena believed that athletes with years of experience learned to detach themselves from failures. She mentioned that it was better not to dwell on mistakes too much. Elena was learning to adopt this mindset.

After the Athens Olympics in 2004, Elena faced a period of intense competition, which resulted in emotional exhaustion. She cried after one tournament due to exhaustion, but it was more from fatigue than disappointment. She always evaluated the situation rationally, recognizing that a bad result was still a result.

Regarding her Olympic victory, Elena believed that resilience played a significant role. However, in Meraker, her final shot landed in 8.8, indicating a lack of composure. Elena acknowledged that the tenth shot was always decisive. It could either place her at the top or bottom of the final rankings. She carried the weight of this knowledge in Meraker. Although she did not achieve the desired result, she accepted it as part of the sport.

Life and Career

Elena viewed her career in Olympic cycles and considered the same approach for her personal life. She mentioned that she did not conform to her career but preferred genuine connections based on emotions and sincerity. If she found someone she wanted to be with, she would marry them, even if it were on the eve of the Olympic Games. However, she acknowledged that having a child would require adjusting her life around sports due to the recovery time and childcare responsibilities. She mentioned that she had been communicating with a young man for a while but was not planning to get married yet.

The Psychological Aspect of Shooting

Elena recognized that shooting required a static mindset. She could not compare it to dynamic sports like gymnastics or athletics, as she did not have experience with them. Elena mentioned that shooters had to remain calm and stay in a focused state. The dynamics in shooting were limited to the moment of shooting itself.

Elena acknowledged that she enjoyed watching other shooting competitions and cheering on her teammates. She mentioned that witnessing the battles of other athletes evoked her interest. The victory in the Munich World Cup stage in May of the previous year became a significant achievement for Elena. After five years without a victory, she perceived it as a triumph. Although her performance in the final did not go smoothly, she had enough points to maintain her position. The competition marked her return to the sport, and Elena proved that she was still Lena Kostevich.

Elena noted that she focused more on the qualification results rather than the final score. She held the national record of 394 points in the Ukrainian Championship, which was one point higher than the world record. She acknowledged that her career had witnessed ups and downs, but she remained determined to push forward and achieve more success.