Dmitrieva wants to add to Olympic title

Daria Dmitrieva is an Olympic champion, but she has never won a medal with Russia at other major international tournaments.

When the playmaker made her debut at EHF EURO 2014 in Hungary and Croatia, her team finished just 14th, and they went on to take the 7th place two years later in Sweden.

Now Dmitrieva is determined to do better.

“I was fortunate to win the Olympic gold in 2016, not every athlete boasts the same. But I don’t want it to be my only title. I am ambitious and hungry for more, more, more trophies – in particular, I want to become a European champion,” she says.

At the EHF EURO 2018, Russia will play in Group B with France, Montenegro and Slovenia, and they are scheduled to meet hosts France in the opening match of the tournament on 29 November.

“It will be a big match, and we have to prepare well for it and play a good game,” says Dmitrieva.

“She is a stabilising player”

At 23, Dmitrieva is one of the key players of Russia, known for her scoring and playmaking abilities and professional approach.

“I wouldn’t say that she is a leader off the court, but Daria definitely has high authority in the team thanks to her skills and hard-working mentality,” says Russia head coach Yevgeni Trefilov. “I’d say that she is a stabilising player. Besides, she is a positive and easy-going person, and these qualities are attractive.”

Anna Vyakhireva, another 23-year-old leading player in the Russian team, also praises her teammate.

“Daria is a real fighter on the court. She is very talented and has a strong mentality, which makes her a key player in the national team. And besides, she is simply a great person. We are good friends,” Vyakhireva says.

Dmitrieva herself is aware of her leadership skills.

“It’s for a reason that I am a captain at Lada, and have already captained the national team on some occasions, too,” she says. “In the crucial moments, when something goes wrong on the court, I can score, earn a penalty shot or just cheer up my teammates, so probably yes, I act as a leader.”

Loyal to home town Togliatti

Born in Togliatti, Dmitrieva started to play handball at the Lada academy but moved to Dinamo Volgograd at the age of 14. Six years later, she returned to Lada and has been loyal to that team ever since, despite some lucrative offers.

“Togliatti is my home, so I decided that staying at Lada is now the best choice,” she says.

However, national team coach Trefilov hints that he would like to see Daria moving to a bigger club.

“I remember that Mohammed Ali preferred to have strong sparring partners who could beat him, because only in this way he could become better. In handball it’s the same – you improve only if you regularly play at the highest level,” the coach says.

“I know Rostov have offered her a contract many times, she could play Champions League there, but she is still at Lada. Well, it’s up to her and family to decide.”

Vyakhireva would also like Dmitrieva to join her at Rostov: “With Daria, our club would definitely be more competitive. But as far as I understand, she doesn’t really want to move.”