Daniel Blintsov: from Paris 2024 volunteer to Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships stage

Paris 2024: An Olympic education

Blintsov’s Olympic experience came not in the form of an athlete but as one of more than 45,000 volunteers who helped bring Paris 2024 to life.

The German ushered the gymnasts through rotations, announced warm-ups and brushed shoulders with the sport’s legends. For many, being in the presence of athletes like Simone Biles or Shinnosuke Oka would be the pinnacle of their Olympic dreams, but for Blintsov, it was an education.

“This is a one-time chance to get to be part of the Olympic Games as a volunteer, to see the atmosphere, to feel everything, the competition, the pressure. It’s something incredible,” he told the FIG. “I see how excited the gymnasts are to compete here, to show their exercises here, to give their best. It’s phenomenal.”

As a volunteer, Blintsov witnessed behind-the-scenes moments and listened to the calm instructions coaches gave as athletes prepared for their Olympic routines.

“I heard things that coaches said to the athletes, to be calm, to be relaxed before the exercises,” he said.

His biggest takeaway? “You must be relaxed to compete. This will help me to prepare for my own exercises, to see that it’s important to be relaxed. You must enjoy the atmosphere, you must enjoy everything. I think this is the most important thing that I will take with me.”

That insight, gained while navigating one of the most intense atmospheres in the world of sport, would prove invaluable as he traded his Olympic volunteer uniform for the acro unitard.