Diving is considered one of the most spectacular sports, and in recent years the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation has been placing special emphasis on its development.
İdman.Biz presents an interview with Anton Melnikov, head coach of Azerbaijan’s junior national team. He spoke about the prospects of the sport in the country as well as his experience of living in Baku.
- How long have you been working in Azerbaijan? Has it been successful?
- Since October 2023. My wife Angelina and I were invited by the previous leadership of the federation to help develop this sport. If the responsibilities of our coaching staff are expanding, it means the new leadership is also satisfied with the results.
- Which do you prioritise more: springboard or platform?
- We do not separate these disciplines. Until the age of 15-16, children should perform equally well on both. Specialisation comes later. For example, Olympic champion Ilya Zakharov competed successfully in both before making his final choice.
- How long does it take to understand if a child is talented?
- At least one or two years. Interestingly, girls tend to show these abilities earlier — they are often braver and develop faster than boys.
- Do physical parameters still play a decisive role?
- Not as much as before. The era of very small athletes has passed. Today, even with a height of 175 cm, great success can be achieved with the right technique. That is exactly what we are working on.
- How has your coaching staff been formed?
- The federation has provided us with specialists in acrobatics and choreography. As a result, we now have a fully structured youth team. There is no senior national team yet, as diving was absent in the country for many years, so we are building for the future.
- Are there already athletes ready for the international stage?
- Yes. There is Maksud, a versatile athlete born in 2014, and Ayla, who specialises in the springboard. They have already shown promising results in international competitions.
- How do you select children? Do you recruit them from swimming?
- This is not accepted among coaches. We do not take children from other sports. It only happens if parents themselves want their child to switch to diving. Only those who consciously choose this path train with us.
- Did you adapt quickly to life in Baku?
- Completely. Our daughter was even born here — Adelina, a true Baku native. The hardest thing to get used to was the heat. I remember arriving and still wearing shorts and a T-shirt even in October. Another challenge was adapting to the local driving style — I still try to avoid driving in the city.
- What about the cuisine and language?
- I do not want to leave at all (laughs). I really like the variety and availability of fresh herbs — you do not see that in Moscow. I love "motal" cheese, lyulya kebab and local homemade bread — you can eat it hot on its own and it is delicious. I have not learned the language yet, but I already speak Russian like Baku locals — I stretch words and add "da" at the end. Even my wife is surprised where I picked that up from (laughs).
