Atlanta, Georgia, USA

"Excuse me, no," a tall policeman in a black uniform bellowed sternly and categorically, blocking my way. Out of the corner of my eye I saw how his hand was resting easily on his holster at his side. I realized that things looked bad for me. Simply rotten, to be more accurate. If things went on this way, our readers would not be able to see an interview with Aleksei Nemov, with whom I had been unable to talk in depth at the press conference.

Then I had a brainwave. I pulled out a handful of pins that I had providentially thought to bring with me to the Olympics, and I literally poured the entire lot into his hand.

The guard's face immediately lit up and, after grumbling a little for appearance's sake, he let me through to the bus that was getting ready to take the AA medalists to the Olympic Village. Lyosha Nemov, his cheek propped in his hand, was sitting in a seat in the back.

It was in this unexpected way that this interview came to be published the only one, by the way, that the young 20-year-old gymnast from Togliatti gave that night. By this time he had a team gold and the AA silver to his name.

Question. Did you assume that it would be a difficult fight? And that everything would be decided on the last apparatus?

Answer. My task was simple. To work to the maximum of my abilities on each apparatus, without paying attention to my rivals. But, unfortunately, I was a little bit unlucky. I wasn't stable enough. First I made a mistake on the parallel bars I didn't stick the landing and later I missed a connection in my floor exercise. I myself am to blame I lost a tenth of a point. An unforgivable amount. That tenth is what decided the gold medal.

Q. Who was more of a danger to you Li Xiaoshuang or the Belarusian Vitaly Shcherbo, the hero of the last Olympics?

A. I didn't even think about that. I believed that whoever had the most luck would win the highest Olympic award.

Q. Who helped you and gave you suggestions during the competition?

A. Vitaly Shcherbo. He has tremendous experience, and on top of that we are good friends. And his advice was just the right thing at the right time. He also wanted me to beat the Chinese gymnast.

Q. And your coach?

A. Yevgeny Nikolko endured everything silently. He knows very well that I don't like it when anyone interferes in my personal thoughts. His job is to give me suggestions during workouts. During competitions, I make decisions on my own.

Q. What can you say about the winner?

A. The Chinese gymnast is very strong. He won the AA at the recent World Championships in Sabae, too. True, I didn't perform in the AA competition. I did really badly in the compulsories the day before, so I missed the AA.

Q. Aleksei, you trained at the sports club of the Volga Automotive Plant. If it's not a secret, who brought you to the gymnastics section?

A. It's no secret at all my mother. She just loved artistic gymnastics and wanted to see her only son be strong and healthy. And that's what happened.

Q. Do you think that she probably gets nervous for you when she's sitting in front of her television set in Togliatti?

A. Definitely! She even took a vacation from work during the Olympics so she wouldn't miss a single report from Atlanta. The leadership of the Air Force Central Sports Club in Samara, where I'm performing my service as a warrant officer, is also cheering for me. I'm sure that all of Togliatti is cheering for me too. If it hadn't been for the support of the army leadership, which took me and my coach Yevgeny Nikolko under its wing at a very difficult time, I certainly wouldn't have these medals. I send those people enormous thanks!

Q. Would you perhaps like to convey something to your girlfriend?

A. Right now I don't have a girlfriend, unfortunately. There isn't any time for girls. I'm at home only five or six days a year. I spend the rest of the time traveling or at the Round Lake Olympic Training Center outside Moscow. I miss my home terribly.

Q. It's hard to imagine a resident of Togliatti without a car. Do you have one?

A. I prefer the modest model 8 Zhiguli. It's a very reliable car! Let the Chinese ride around in Mercedes. I am personally loyal to the Volga Automotive Plant. That's how my mother brought me up.

Thank to Beth Squires for the contribution