Ukrainian Maria guides rhythmic gymnasts to Chinese national crown

The 30-year-old Maria of Ukraine has been catching the eyes of the audience as her disciples won the team crown at the Chinese rhythmic gymnastics championship which concluded on Wednesday.

The championship was held in Shenyang that will hold the national games later this year, and the hosting provincial team of Liaoning took the team title without any doubt at 29.65 points, almost two points over their closest rivals.

"My teaching method is not different from the Chinese coaches," said Maria, "Maybe I can find some errors, different from what they saw, and I can give athletes some unique visions, so they can reap success in international competitions."

Since her arrival in Liaoning in 2010, the provincial rhythmic gymnastic team has been an undisputed dominating power in China during the past years as her six proteges are all recruited into the Chinese national team.

From once an athlete of the Ukrainian national team to be a foreign coach in China, Maria has been successful in adjusting herself to the new environment and she prefers to be a coach.

"When I was an athlete, I just needed to care about my competition. But now, I have six girls, I have to think about everyone and it became more and more stressful. However, when they win medals, it is like the whole world for me."

"I really love China," said Maria, "Now I can speak some Chinese and understand other people more easily."

Of her Ukrainian-accent Chinese, Liaoning team manager Li Qinghua couldn't help laughing, but kept saying "we have chosen the best foreign coach".

"I was invited to Hangzhou, China," recalled Maria, "In my view, the short-term exchange would bring me different experiences and unforgettable memories and I thought it would be three months or no more than half a year."

Yet, things changed after her arrival and her visit in China and her talks with Chinese gymnasts. "They are strong. China gives me big surprise. Everyone likes Chinese gymnasts. They make big progress in these four years," said Maria.

In 2009, Maria went to Hangzhou, a southeastern Chinese city, under the framework of an exchange project of coaches between China and Ukraine. She became a coach for the northeastern Liaoning province team in the following year and kept coaching there since 2010.

Nowadays, her younger sister Victoria, who once ranked fifth in the world championship, also became a coach in the Chinese youth national team, and the sisters are living and working in Beijing as their disciples are all members of the Chinese teams.

The Ukrainian sisters enjoy their lives in China and hope to bring up more Chinese rhythmic gymnasts to the world arena.