“I couldn’t bring myself to perform in this situation, but this generation is doing wonders.” Interview with Denis Pankratov

What do you remember from last season? What results?

– If we talk about sports results, I will be a patriot and name the world record of Kliment Kolesnikov. I’m biased here, understandably.

The strangest and most inexplicable world record for me is that of Ruta Meilute. She had a stupid story there with a three-flag disqualification, but she announced her retirement before the disqualification. However, she came back and started performing better than immediately before the suspension. But I like Ruta, I like the way she behaves, the way she trains and what she does.

Among the non-sporting events, the fact that FINA (International Swimming Federation – ) sided with the Russian athletes left the strongest impression, and LEN (European Swimming League – ) talked about populism. That’s what surprised me. The two main federations disagreed.

— Do you like the idea of ​​performing in Asia?

– In Europe, several countries have said they are ready to boycott the tournament if the Russian team arrives. There is no guarantee that this situation will not recur in Asia. Perhaps the situation will change when such a decision is made. We will see.

— Back to the archives. You didn’t mention David Popovich’s 100m freestyle record. Not impressed?

— I was impressed by the age at which he set this record. The disc itself – well, how long can you watch the old one! With Popovich, everything was clear even before the Olympics, where, due to his age and the horror in his eyes, he could not come true. And if you consider it to be a royal distance and represents swimming in general, then the feat is very significant. Of course, he made history.

– Do you feel there is a generational change in global shipping?

– In fact, we have never had this process in such big waves. But I expected the update to be more powerful, after all, the Olympics were postponed, and this should have seriously damaged the strength of older athletes. As a result, almost no one was lost. Well, which of the big stars has retired?

Even Ryan Lochte hasn’t officially announced yet!

“I’m still waiting for Michael Phelps to return. Seriously, I don’t see any powerful generational change. In this regard, it is even more interesting to observe the results at the national championships. I have not seen anything turning point in the change of generation during international competitions.

— What would you remember from our season? We have the feeling that the Spartakiad was difficult for many.

– There are deadlines, and an athlete’s job is to prepare for these competitions. How much they were needed, we will know in the next five years. If the Spartakiad will have the same meaning as in the Soviet Union, if the Spartakiad movement develops, then all is not bad. And so the tournament was over, there were good results.

— You have already mentioned Kliment Kolesnikov’s record. What other results would you like to highlight?

– Of course, Masha Kameneva should be noted separately. Especially her performance at the end of the season, when she moved the Russian records, when there was a European record. I thought Machine’s career was approaching stagnation, but no. It may be a change of coach, but Masha has really improved in terms of results.

I understand a minimum of what Masha is doing in the water, especially when she is swimming with Mikhail Gorelik. Sometimes I looked and thought that he was disassembled, and according to the stopwatch – the best time. I am used to other works with water, but Masha succeeds. Now, with the transition to Natalya Kozlova, it has become even more interesting for me to watch her. She so easily reaches new speeds, which seemed inaccessible to her a year ago!

Happy Zhenya Rylov. I thought the Olympics would be the final deal – luckily goodbye, we’re ending our careers. After parting with the coach, I thought that Zhenya was slowly moving towards retirement. But he raised, stirred and showed a number of good results. In the short sprint against the backdrop of Klim, he failed to shine, but in the 200m he put all the juniors in their place. Very cool! Tremendous.

I liked the confrontation between (Peter) Zhikharev and (Andrey) Minakov, the level of results achieved by Zhikharev. It’s good that there is rivalry. I was pleased that at the 200m complex the gap with Ilya Borodin was no longer half the pool. At 400m, there remains half of the swimming pool, if not a swimming pool at all. But in the 200m, there is a struggle.

And so it is in all its forms. There is intrigue, there are good results, there are euphemisms.

But with the female back, it is increasingly sad: I did not understand what was happening with Sveta Chimrova. I don’t want to lose her, she set national records a year ago and now at the end of the season she hasn’t competed in the 200m butterfly.

Regarding the women’s breaststroke, I think everything is clear – a very good level. It is a time when we would very much like to see our people in confrontation with foreigners. It seems to me that with the current results, we would pass most programs in Europe and start biting the Americans. But, unfortunately, that is how fate has decreed with this generation of athletes.

I never cease to be amazed by them. I constantly try this situation on myself. I wouldn’t have had enough motivation, I couldn’t force myself, but this generation of athletes is doing wonders. I am delighted!

– I have a question regarding your anti-doping specialization. Now the topic of the ADAMS system, with flags, is being actively raised. Pound usually offers to tighten things up even more. Is the situation really difficult?

– In my time, they tried to protect athletes from mental work, but modern life in sports is different and requires the athlete to keep a diary in the ADAMS system. It’s a big load. If such a subject existed in my time, half the team would have burned the flags. First, plans change frequently. Secondly, forgetfulness is a simple human trait, and against the background of fatigue it manifests itself. But these are the realities in which we live. It’s a modern, professional sport – the guys get paid for it. They must complete ADAMS meticulously. Whether they have to do it themselves or someone for them, but it has to be done.

As for Pound and his proposal, one must understand how difficult it will be to write the criterion. How are they going to determine that there are suspicions that they are deliberately hiding from the test?

On the contrary, I believe that disqualification can be made not for three, but for two flags. It’s not exactly a disaster, but it can be a big deal. Over the past year, many people have collected flags. Yes, they run out, but not always.