ITF

175 M y mum was a bronze medallist herself [hockey, Moscow 1980], and when I was a child I always remember looking at her medal, and I would always clean it. But having a medal of my own was obviously one of the most important things in my life. The moment I won bronze I felt so much relief. Finally everything is over as you have been under so much stress. Only a few months after do you start to realise and start to feel proud and happy. There are so many emotions. These probably only come when you have the medal, and you can look at it and be proud of your achievements. It was the first Olympics for me and it was an incredible experience, especially when we all went on the podium. The Russian national anthem was playing, the stadium was full, everyone was applauding. It is probably one of the best moments of my life. Being part of that trio was very important and it definitely raised my profile in Russia because people who just loved watching sports were following us. The medal gave me more motivation to work harder and not just think about the next season, but also about the fact that I want to do this again in four years or maybe eight years time. You just start thinking a little bit differently. I love watching sports and when I watch the Winter and Summer Olympics, of course it brings back the memories, especially when I see medallists getting their medals on the podium. I can remember how it happened to me and that I had that great experience. It's something I can be proud of for the rest of my life, and the experience that stands out in my mind more than most. The atmosphere at an Olympic Games is just incredible. Living in the Athletes' Village and being part of this huge thing was just something new to me. Sometimes we were coming back from the tennis courts very late and some of the cycling teams were already doing their morning training in the Village. I hope that people who play in the Olympics are not just stressed about doing well, but can also try to enjoy their experience. It is very difficult to prepare yourself for this moment, especially when you are playing so much, but I know everyone is really looking forward to playing in the Olympics. BEIJING 2008 WOMEN'S SINGLES BRONZE Vera Zvonareva Vera Zvonareva Being part of that trio was very important and it definitely raised my profile in Russia.

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