“It would be silly to deny that there is a lack of emotion.” Swimmer Minakov on plans for the season and a change of region

– I arrived right after the NCAA, on March 27 I was already in Russia, – says Andrey. – It is always recommended to arrive either directly before departure or three weeks in advance, this time I managed to arrive early for the Russian Championship in order to have time to acclimatize and prepare 100%.

– How are your studies going?

“Teaching is doing well. There were exams, it’s spring break, and the new term started yesterday.

Has anything changed in the preparation?

– As such, there have been no cardinal changes in terms of the formation process. I continue to train with my coaches, but I will play for another region – from 2023 I will represent the Republic of Tatarstan.

In honor of that, we’re even hosting a merchandise drawing dedicated to my transition.

– Do you have ambitions for the relay race in the Russian Championship?

There are always ambitions. I want to thank you for the trust, for the opportunities that the Republic of Tatarstan gives me as an athlete. I will fight for every inch of the pool.

– A year has passed without international departures. Is there a feeling that you are sagging in terms of level or emotions?

– It would be silly to deny that there are not enough emotions. I will say this: competitive practice is enough, but the emotional practice of international competitions has not been felt for a long time. I try to keep the emotional mood in me and I know as soon as they let us in I’ll be ready.

– So you feel there is a chance of admission?

“All we can do is train and be ready to perform, to work at the top of our abilities. And the issue of authorization is beyond our jurisdiction.

– You are flying to the Russian Cup stage in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Why did you decide to perform there?

– First of all, it’s the qualifying phase for the Cup Final. To be in the ranking in a good position, you have to participate in the stages. Second, you also want to compete for cash prizes. But that’s not the main reason. The main one is the Cup stage – a good start after the Russian Championship.

Well, in addition, there is the possibility of travel. In addition, we do not visit other regions so often, and this is a great opportunity to hold master classes and communicate with young athletes. All of this is very important.

– Until you flew further than Vladivostok in this direction?

– That’s right. Before the Olympics, we had a training camp in Vladivostok.

– What memories do you have? Covid, restrictions, were you still living with Ilya Borodin?

– The collection was not easy in this regard. Ilya and I hardly went anywhere, we were focused on the Olympics. The way to the swimming pool and back. So they visited Vladivostok, but did not see it.

In general, everything went quite calmly, I was not nervous for myself, although I was very worried about Ilya.

– After the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk stage, will you return to the USA?

– Yes, I will prepare for the summer season, especially for the Russian Cup Final. The final will be in Kazan, I can’t help playing in the capital of my new region.