Anna Mikhalkova is a 23-year-old Ukrainian badminton player. She was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, which is where she started to play badminton.

- My parents really wanted me to do sport. I was 10 years old, and just quit synchronised swimming, so my mum asked if I want to try badminton as it was in my school.

Since November 2019 Mikhalkova has been practising and living at Badminton Europe’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Holbæk, Denmark. Mikhalkova explains what a normal day at the CoE looks like for her. 

- My day starts around 7 a.m. with a light breakfast and morning badminton session. After it is time for a little rest and lunch. We have a second practice in the afternoon - badminton session/gym session or both. I am free about 5 or 6 p.m. and have time for individual work, recovery and self-development. 

With two practice sessions almost every day a lot of the time at the centre goes with that, but the evenings and weekend can be used to do whatever the players like. 

- I definitely need time for recovery after practising - and it is pretty cool that we can go to the swimming pool, so I do every week. Usually, I read books, listen to broadcasts and interviews, study. We also have quite a nice time all together playing board games or going to visit the city.

The best memory

When playing tournaments, you often have some spare time where you can do what you like. For Mikhalkova that is no different, and there are some specific things she does when travelling around the world and not being in the venue.  

- If I have free time I always go sightseeing and explore the city where the tournament is held with my teammates or other players. Of course, also trying out food places.

Asking Mikhalkova what her best badminton memory is so far through her career, she says.

- My best badminton memory is winning an international junior tournament for the first time in two categories, it was quite fun and made me happy.

She won the Ukraine Junior International Tournament in 2014 in women’s doubles and got a silver medal in the singles. In 2015, she played the Yonex Slovak Junior which was the tournament where she took two gold medals.