Q & A With Sophomore Yelena Skalinskaya
11/28/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Nov. 28, 2006
Sophomore Yelena Skalinskaya (Almaty, Kazakhstan) came to Maryland last season as a 2004 Olympic and World Championship competitor in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle. During the 2005-06 season, Skalinskaya competed at the U.S. Open in the 50 and the 100-meter free, finishing 16th overall. She finished last season at the ACC Championships taking seventh in the 50 free, fifth in the 100 free, while also leading off the fifth-place 800 free relay team and anchoring both the third-place 200 medley relay team and fourth-place 400 medley team.
Skalinskaya has seen success already this year taking two first-place finishes for the 100 and 200 free in the season opener against Johns Hopkins. She also won the 50 and 100 free in the ACC tri-meet against Duke and NC State. Skalinskaya answers questions about her time at Maryland, current season and personal interests.
Q: Who is your greatest role model?
Skalinskaya: My parents.
Q: What is something you do before every meet?
Skalinskaya: I usually think of the way I am going to swim my event. I think about details a lot. I'm trying not to think about time in particular. Also, it is always good to listen to some music.
Q: Have you ever played any other sports?
Skalinskaya: I played tennis and did swimming when I was 7. I did both for a year and a half and then I made my choice.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
Skalinskaya: Brave Heart.
Q: Who is your favorite athlete?
Skalinskaya: Franziska Van Almsick, she is a German swimmer and still has 200 freestyle world record. Also, Anna Kournikova.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
Skalinskaya: Hang out with friends and family, snowboarding, watch TV, shopping, sleep.
Q: What are your goals for the season?
Skalinskaya: My goal is to do my best times at ACCs.
Q: What is the best thing about being a student athlete in college?
Skalinskaya: Being busy all the time, plus it is awesome to be the part of the team.
Q: What has been your greatest athletic thrill?
Skalinskaya: I went to Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.
Q: What do you see as being your role on the team this season, as a sophomore?
Skalinskaya: To help the freshmen avoid mistakes I made my first year of college and to just be a good teammate.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Maryland?
Skalinskaya: I like the Business School a lot. Also, we have great facilities for training. Our coaching staff is good as well.
Q: How have you grown as a swimmer since you have been at Maryland?
Skalinskaya: Not so much as a swimmer, more grown as a teammate. I've never had such a big team in my life and it takes up a lot of work and time to be a good teammate.
Q: What made you choose to come to Maryland?
Skalinskaya: The great academics.
Q: What is something interesting about yourself that most people don't know?
Skalinskaya: I love snowboarding and white chocolate.
