Interview Elena BARANOVA

C'est avec très grand plaisir que l'on interroge aujourd'hui Elena Baranova. Grande Dame du basket mondial, Elena a tant gagné depuis des années: de l'Or Olympique de Barcelone à l'argent de Sydney, l'Euroleague, le Championnat Russe et dernièrement le titre européen avec la Russie dont elle est la Capitaine.... Elle joue cette saison au Dynamo Moscou.

photo FIBAEUROPE.COM

L'avis de Yannick: "C'est une de mes joueuses favorites, si ce n'est pas la favorite. Elle est pour moi dans le cinq all star du Monde....et en plus elle est vraiment gentille!".

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How are you, not too tired after WNBA?... Are you taking fun in Moscou with Dynamo?...
(E. Baranova) Of course I was really tired, that's why I took 4 weeks off. But right now I am ready to play and having fun playing in my native city.

Most of the people used to think that Samara and USVO are the 2 big favorites of the Euroleague this year? What do you think of that?
This year most of the teams changed their roasters. And nobody knows who is the leader and who is the favorite. Only game will show.

French teams such that Bourges and USVO have had great results in the last 10 years. How do you explain that?
I think it were really good financial conditions for sponsorship to invest money in women's basketball. Also my favorite coach Vadim Kapranov worked hard in France during these years, so I would connect French clubs and even National Team successes with him too.

I guess you know Yannick Souvré, who played for Bourges and France, and now works for the FIBA Europe. What do you think of her as a player?
Yannick is very smart pointguard, one of the best Europeans of all times. We had really hard times playing against her teams. I wish her all the best and a very successful career - as great as she had on court - after playing days.

Are you following the men competitions?... In pecular the CSKA in the Euroleague?
I don't have much time to follow any other competitions because we have tight schedule with Euroleague and National championship. Moscow's CSKA is NOT my favorite team, because they almost don't have Russians.

How is it possible to keep a so high level as you do since so many years?? What's your secret??!!
I w on't tell anybody my secrets :) (just kidding). I don't feel I played many years, every year I feel I just started to play and I have a lot of work to do to improve my game.

What's your dream for 2005?
As usual to win it all.

Do you want to say anything to French people?
I wish all of French people Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year! S Novym Godom!!!

Special thanks to Borislav Gulyaev who made this interview possible.
Elena's webpage, where she answers fans questions from all over the World: www.slamdunk.ru/woman/baranova
Sa page WNBA est ici

Photo WNBA

Photo FIBAEUROPE.COM