What are the first impressions when meeting Russia’s European Discus Throw champion Darya Pishchalnikova?

The 22-year-old at 190m in height and 103kg in weight is a very large athlete and she also possesses a friendly and out-going personality. As such she is an extremely good promotional asset for her event which like many of the women’s throws seems to lurk in the shadows of the track events in the public’s appreciation.

Pishchalnikova, the World Championship silver medallist in Osaka, competes for the sporting club “Dinamo”, and the cities of Maikop and Saransk, the capital of the central Russian Republic of Mordovia, are listed as her permanent residences. But normally Pishchalnikova is always on the move. Why? She is always in search of the best places where she can train properly, in the optimum conditions.

The village of Adler near Sochi has become her favourite training location. It’s not a paradise but has attracted many Discus throwers, as the local stadium has been adapted to their specific needs. According to Pishchalnikova she has spent half of her young life in Adler.

But despite her training preferences we fixed our meeting to interview Pishchalnikova in Moscow at figure skating’s Grand Prix “Cup of Russia” where she enjoyed watching the exploits of athletes with talents so much different from her own.

For the purpose of the interview she was granted a special press pass but despite winning the European title in Gothenburg and the World silver in Osaka she wasn’t recognized by any sport reporters and fans at the event.

“But some people in the street do know me now, especially after the Worlds and the Europeans when luck was on my side,” says Pishchalnikova modestly.

Yet was it really luck that brought her success?

Family tradition and the attractions of an individual sport

Pishchalnikova was born into a family devoted to sport, her father Vitaliy, as well as her mother, Tatyana, were well-known Discus throwers who made USSR athletic teams. Her elder brother Bogdan Pishchalnikov was the first to follow his parent’s athletics life. No wonder that under the guidance of his seniors he progressed tremendously well in his youth.

Darya Pishchalnikova by contrast initially rebelled against such conformity and made up her mind to change the family traditions. She went into Handball.

Pishchalnikova was physically strong, tall and with good concentration, and everything went very well with Handball. The coaches were happy with her and Pishchalnikova soon became the team leader.

It was to take Pishchalnikova several years to understand that Handball was not her kind of sport. And eight years ago she made the definite step, gave it up and switched full-time to the Discus Throw.

“I got to realize that it wasn’t really me,” said Pishchalnikova. “Team games are excellent, I like the team spirit and the collective effort, but on the playing ground you remain one of the many even if you are the leader. Not everything depends upon you. So I preferred to do sport on my own. It’s not egotism it’s just the need for constant self-perfection. I’m fond of taking my own moves.”

“My parents accepted the decision to move back to the Discus with deep understanding. They started to coach me with all their might and I responded with all the inherited willingness in my genes.”

But as Darsha Pishchalnikova returned to the Discus family her talented brother left for another sporting scene.

“My junior brother was considered by specialists as one of the hopes of Russian athletics. He won several major junior tournaments in the Discus. But he suddenly decided to change his sport profession and now is playing basketball in one of the American universities where he is a student. Maybe his dream will come true and the name Pishchalnikov, so difficult to pronounce for foreigners, will appear in the NBA lists?"

Read more Discus giant Pishchalnikova is “a bit of an exception” from iaaf.org