Golden dreams for Russia’s Skorobogatchenko

Antonina Skorobogatchenko is only 19, but she already has great international experience. The Russian player first hit the scene with a silver medal at the Women's 17 EHF EURO in 2015.

But 2016 was a fairy-tale year for Skorobogatchenko. Within one month, she won silver at the IHF Junior World Championship and gold at the IHF Youth World Championship, as well as being named as the individual All-Star Right Back at both tournaments.

So in 2017, the head coach of the Russian U-19 team Vyacheslav Kirilenko knows who will be one of the leaders of the national team at the Women’s 19 EHF EURO in Slovenia.

I'm glad that I'm left-handed

According to Skorobogatchenko, she got into handball quite by accident.

“I was eight years old, I did not even know what handball was,” she says. “It was just a physical education class in school, when Olga Ryazanova, my first coach, came and offered the chance to try my hand at it. I was a bit of a swimmer before that, but when I started in handball I abandoned swimming. Since then, handball is my main occupation.”

Now, 11 years later, Skorobogatchenko is one of the talents of the new generation in Russia. The strengths of a young right back are dribbling, a strong throw and good striker abilities.

The left-handed, 181cm tall Skorobogatchenko says her physical attributes help her to prove herself on the back line, both at the junior and club level. This season she has scored 51 goals in 12 matches in the Russian championship and five goals in two matches with SG BBM Bietigheim in the quarterfinals of the Women’s EHF Cup.

“I'm glad that I'm left-handed. This is important for players in the right back position - it's convenient for me, but not for my opponent,” Skorobogatchenko thinks. “Goalkeepers find it more difficult to play against me, as they’re waiting for a throw from the right hand. So maybe I have an advantage.”

Inspiration from idols

In addition to her physical skills, Skorobogatchenko has great diligence and a desire to learn something new. She tries to learn from her favorite players and idols, a list that includes both Russian and foreign stars.

“I always watched Irina Bliznova's technique when she was playing. It seemed to me that we are very similar, I'm about the same height as her. I tried to copy her dribbling,” says Skorobogatchenko.

“Among foreign players, I like Nora Mork, she is like me - left-handed, but much shorter than me. I like the way she throws. Also I like Romania’s Cristina Neagu,” says Skorobogatchenko.

In 2017, Skorobogatchenko joined HC Kuban in Krasnodar, which is coached by Russian senior women’s head coach Yevgeni Trefilov. This gives Skorobogatchenko a chance to prove herself to Trefilov with the goal of making the senior national team in the future.

But to achieve that aim, she first needs to contribute to a gold medal in Slovenia.

“The main task is to win gold at the European Championships. We worked very hard at the training camp and our team understands that we need to win,” says Skorobogatchenko.

“After it I want to try and get into the adult national team, it's important for me to get a chance to play at the World Championships in Germany. I think the biggest dream of every athlete is a victory at the Olympics. Olympic gold is my most cherished dream,” she concludes.