ITF

172 SYDNEY 2000 WOMEN'S SINGLES SILVER BEIJING 2008 WOMEN'S SINGLES GOLD I always believed that I would be an Olympic champion once in my life. It had always been my dream and the biggest goal of my career to win a gold medal. I was incredibly happy. I was proud of my family, which has always helped me and supported me. And of course I was proud for my country and that the whole podium was Russian! Sydney was my first Olympics. I was very young and full of hope. I believed that I could win a medal for Russia. I think no one else believed I could except me, but it didn't stop me. The loss in the final against Venus Williams was a great experience. I'm sure that without that silver medal and that loss in the first round in Athens, I wouldn't have been able to win in Beijing. Thanks to the experience, I knew exactly how to better prepare myself for this time, and how not to be over-excited. The hardest thing about winning gold in Beijing was the very severe climatic conditions. The schedule of play changed all the time, hour-long delays. I remember one day I came back to my room at 3am, but I had to go back the next day again to play. It was really a test of survival. Only eight years have passed [since winning gold] but I feel like it was in another life. It's a wonderful feeling, something very important that all the hard work, all the sacrifices, were not in vain. I keep all my medals at my mother's house. I dedicate all my victories to her. All three Olympic Games were very well organised. It was an incredible festival of sport. I will never forget the opening ceremony, the atmosphere of the Olympic Village, the tears of joy from when athletes managed to win. That's what makes the Games so special, you are representing and playing for your country. It's a great honour for every athlete. Without that silver medal and that loss in the first round in Athens, I wouldn't have been able to win in Beijing. When I played in Sydney against Barbara Schett, the sole on my left shoe fell off and separated from the rest of the sneaker during the third set. I was shocked because I did not have a spare pair. I began to ask people in the crowd if anyone could lend me a pair of sneakers. Natalia Zvereva gave me her pair of sneakers but they were two sizes bigger than mine. I had a feeling that I finished the match wearing flippers. I don't know how I managed to win. I would say to everyone competing at an Olympics that the most important thing is just to be yourself. You just need to be strong and make sure that you never give up.

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