Anastasiya Dmytriv’s golden ambition

“Vacation, yes, but I’m about to start school,” he said smiling. Because it’s an institute Anastasia Dmytrivone of the great stars of the Spanish team a few days ago in Paris 2024 Paralympic Gamesit never ceases to exist sixteen years just finished Dmytriv entered the event in France a gold in 100 breaststroke SB8, a bronze in 200 styles SM9 and another bronze in 4×100 styles for 34 points.

He was in charge of opening the Spanish gold counter in Paris and, at the same time, closed it ‘Triple Crown’ specifically. Despite his youth, he is Games champion, double world champion and European champion. Born in Lviv (Ukraine), raised in Vícar (Almería), trained at Mare Nostrum in Almería and currently a swimmer for Pozuelo de Alarcón, he made his debut with the national team in 2022 at just thirteen years old and in just two season he managed to win absolutely everything: two world golds in the 100 breaststroke SB8, a world gold in the 4×100 medley, another universal silver in that relay event, a world bronze in the 200 medley SM9 and a European gold in the 100 breaststroke SB8. To them he now adds his gold and his two bronzes at the Games.

Born without his right arm, he works in categories S8 and S9. “I’m very happy and I’m very proud of everything I’ve achieved,” explained Tasy. “The goal in the Games is to enjoy and do the best possible”he commented. He did it in a big way, because in his debut at the biggest event in world sport he had no doubts about shining in a big way. On the second day of the Games, an impressive display in the 100 breaststroke gave him the undisputed gold in his favorite event.

The scenario didn’t bother a veteran with stripes even though he wasn’t of legal age. “I trained to fight for medals. It was a goal that helped me to continue, to have a desire,” explained Dmytriv. “I put the pressure aside and focus on competing, on doing my best”he related. How to deal with that pressure is an aspect I have struggled with. “We improved a little bit with each competition. In Paris, I was able to focus and put everything aside,” he explained.

He worked for it. “I usually talk to the psychologist. To manage my nerves, I work on breathing and closing my eyes,” he said. He did it big in his trials in Paris, especially in that 100 breaststroke. “I didn’t think about the race. I just want to do the procedure well and I’m committed to doing it as well as possible.. When it was over, I had a hard time assimilating what had happened. To be honest, several days have passed and I still haven’t assimilated it,” he said with a smile.

A constant desire to improve

But Dmytriv did not only work at the level of the head. Trained by Patricia Prieto In Adra (Almería), their constant desire to improve made the tandem between them make the difference. “It was difficult for me to move my head in when doing the stroke and also the bends are square to speed them up,” said Tasy. “So this year we worked a lot on the kick, the turns, the fact of squaring the arrivals,” he added. “The goal is always to have a better style and that’s why we will review what we did in these Games for next season,” he warned.

This is the constant challenge of great champions: maximize their strengths and improve those that are less outstanding. “I think so the best for me are the legsso I can get more potential. That means until now we’ve been focusing on kicks,” said Dmytriv, who made the breaststroke even stronger in the brilliant early part of his career. “Doing these helps you glide through the water and it is a style that is a very strong point in trials where everyone swims together,” he said.

Because, in fact, in addition to his gold in the 100 breaststroke in Paris, he individually achieved a bronze in the 200 medleys. “I train them all and I try to give the best to each of them, although my strong point is the breaststroke and I take advantage of it more,” he detailed. He also knows where he should be more influential. “The back pass and, more importantly, the end of the front crawl. There will come a point where I give everything I have, but I arrived very tired of the three previous styles”, he describes about a test in which there was a Spanish double on the podium after the silver of Núria Marquès.

Missing the bronze medal in the 4×100 medley relay, 34 points. “We all worked hard to fight for the medal. We had our difficulties and to see that it turned out well makes us happy, “said Dmytriv about a medal achieved with Núria Marquès, Óscar Salguero, Iñigo Llopis, Sarai Gascón and José Antonio Marí. It is probably the best example of Spanish team power: Of the forty total medals won at the Paralympic Games, swimming contributed fifteenmore than a third, with two gold, four silver and nine bronze. This is one more medal than those achieved in Tokyo 2021.

But life goes on after Paris and so do goals for Tasy Dmytriv. “We haven’t sat down to discuss short-term challenges,” said the young woman. “I want to continue improving brands. Looking forward to the next Games, we will set another goal”warning Winning everything did not satisfy his hunger. His record is gold despite the fact that he has not yet reached the age of majority. Although your ambition and your desire to improve, and that’s what makes the difference.