In an interview with qazathletics.kz, renowned Kazakhstani athlete Nadezhda Dubovitskaya shared her thoughts on her performance at the recent Asian Championship in Gumi and opened up about her emotions during the competition.
Nadezhda Dubovitskaya is currently one of Kazakhstan’s most prominent track and field athletes. Her specialty is the high jump. She is a World Indoor Championships bronze medalist and an Asian Indoor Champion. She also claimed bronze at the Asian Games in both 2018 and 2023. At the end of May, she placed fourth at the Asian Championship in Gumi with a jump of 1.86 meters. The same height was cleared by the silver and bronze medalists, but they achieved it with fewer attempts.
– What were your goals heading into Gumi, and how well did you manage to achieve them?
– The goal at every competition is to show your best result, your best self. I think I accomplished about 75% of that at the Asian Championship.
– What was your mindset going into the event in Gumi? What were you feeling before the competition?
– My mindset was fighting mode. It was an important event that marked the beginning of the summer season. I was lucky to have already competed once in Doha. But I didn’t really get to enjoy the atmosphere — it had been a long time since I had last jumped. I missed the entire winter season. High jump is a technical event, and when you haven’t had enough technical training, expecting a great result is just fooling yourself. It’s never enough for me — without jumping, I’m like a fish out of water (laughs). At that first meet in Doha, I barely understood what was going on, it all went by so fast. That’s why in Gumi, I entered the sector with a strong desire. I really wanted to stay in the competition longer — not just finish everything in 20 or 30 minutes, but to have a long session. I truly wanted to enjoy the moment!
– It was clear how happy you were when you cleared 1.86 on your third attempt. Why was that moment so emotional for you?
– Why was the third attempt at 1.86 so emotional? As the famous pole vaulter Sergey Bubka said, “As long as you have an attempt, you haven’t lost.” For me, a third attempt is always a test of character. That’s when the nerves kick in hard. You have to deal with all that adrenaline, that intense desire burning inside. And not just cope with it — you have to channel that adrenaline in the right direction. Of course, I was overjoyed!
– For an athlete with a personal best of 2 meters, 1.86 might seem modest. But judging by your reaction in Gumi, it looked like a win.
– I don’t consider it a victory. For me, the real win was that after a lot of attempts, I left the sector healthy (laughs). I walked out of the sector and could go on training — that’s my biggest win right now. The result, unfortunately, is quite low, and I’m aware of that. I’m disappointed I didn’t win, didn’t make it onto the podium. But at the same time, I know it’s not a reason to give up. It’s a reason to keep going and train even harder.
– Were you dealing with any physical issues?
– I wouldn’t say I was dealing with any physical problems at the Asian Championship. The only issue was that I wasn’t physically ready to show what I’m truly capable of. So the main thing now is to keep building my form and deliver much better results soon.
In the photo: Asian Athletics Championship, Gumi. Nadezhda Dubovitskaya clears 1.86 meters.
