“I don’t regret not going to train and study in the United States.” Interview with Kliment Kolesnikov

Double Olympic medalist Kliment Kolesnikov before the final of the Russian Cup in swimming, he gave an interview to , in which he spoke about his attitude to sports cinema and long distances.

— Clément, how was the period after the championship in Kazan? You have passed all stages of the Russian Cup!

– Everything went well. No adventure. The greatest adventure is a long return flight to Irkutsk. They arrived, started, came back. I never got tired of the stage program. As for the results, I would like more, like all the guys, but it was a preparation step, there is nothing wrong with that. Prepare for the final.

– Did you go to Kabardinka to recover?

– No, we spent a lot of time on the Krugloy, so we decided to stay home instead of going to Kabardinka.

“Summer without the sea?”

– No sea. While we work.

– There is a feeling that many are already emotionally addicted?

“There is such a thing. Yes, and the results are also noticeable. But you can’t do without it. Like it or not, you cook in it.

And how to protect yourself from it?

– I don’t focus on others, I start from my condition.

— We have people starting out in clubs. Haven’t you looked for a chance to participate in international competitions with such status?

– We did not consider such an opportunity, we start from the Russian calendar, now we have a lot of competitions.

— Are there any expectations for a solution from World Aquatics? Or do you allow yourself no predictions?

– I’m not expecting anything as long as I learned of the July 14 meeting at the last moment. I don’t like to guess. The time will come – and they will say how everything will go further.

– If you have to sign a declaration of admission, have you already decided on what conditions you are ready to do so?

— No, I will start from the decision itself. Everything will be decided in the moment.

– Proposed to play for Syria?

“Of course, I saw this story. But no, I wasn’t invited.

Are you going to watch the World Cup?

– Yes. I think the overall level of the final will be faster than in Budapest in 2022. In general, it should be denser the year before the Olympics.

– American Caleb Dressel misses the World Cup. Were you surprised by this arrangement?

I wasn’t surprised, that’s for sure. After the Olympics, I participated in ISL competitions, I saw it there. I heard there were some personal issues. I’m not going to dwell on that, but if there is a problem, it must be solved. I think that’s what he’s doing right now.

– Does Dressel have a chance to return to the Olympics at a high level?

– He is a cool athlete, I think there is an opportunity to come back. Although there is such a flow of athletes in America, Team USA has new faces every time.

– Do you now regret that at some time you did not go to the United States to study and swim?

– I had such an opportunity, but I decided to stay at home. And no, I don’t regret it.

“Are you going swimming at the International Student Festival?”

– There was no invitation, and indeed there will already be that part of the year when you need to rest, so that later you can return to short water.

– Now they are shooting a film about Russian diving. Would you like to see something in a similar spirit on Russian swimming? Do you like sports movies?

– I watched our sports films, which were shooting everywhere – “Legend No. 17”, “Moving Up”. I intentionally don’t care about them. I tend to watch biographical documentaries.

— Our sports films are criticized — both for quality and for plot. But there is an opinion: let them be, so at least there is something about top athletes. What is your opinion on this?

– It’s not worth looking for 100% truth in such films, and you can’t fit everything in one and a half to two hours. It is therefore unlikely that these films will appeal to everyone.

What biographies have you consulted?

– I watched Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant. Each is legendary and inspiring in its own way. This is the essence of such projects – the adaptation of inspiring stories.

– Then a topic arose with the stay distances, which were not included in the program of the “Champions Cup” in Kemerovo, which made Anya Egorova indignant. Like looking at long distances?

– I don’t really like watching swimming in general, with rare exceptions. I never watched the 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle. I am not interested. 400m complex – yes. There are always people who are very hot.

Do you share Anya’s outrage?

“I can understand her, but I don’t share her outrage. These competitions aim to show off spectacular swimming. They are not organized by the All-Russian Swimming Federation. The organizers themselves decided which races should be on the programme, I don’t see the point of offering them my own conditions.

– What is the main line-up for world swimming at the moment? It was Phelps. At one point – Phelps vs. Lochte at a compound.

– Now I think there is no such poster. But at every distance there is a certain leader. You have to watch her cut with seconds. Swimming in general has become more balanced. More people who distance themselves from “theirs”. There is no such thing as a person winning eight medals. Also, the generation will change – it will be even cooler. You have to wait a bit.

– If the Rylov-Kolesnikov confrontation is promoted to the Russian level, will it attract additional attention?

– Do not think. Those who watch swimming know who is competing against whom, but for the general public, I think it’s not very interesting. And in general, now the fiercest fight is taking place among those guys who want to get into the national team and overtake us, who lead in their distances.

– So you agree that a purely sports story cannot attract anyone?

– Well yes.

– Ready to add eye-catching component to your rivalry. Thrash Talk?

– It’s unlikely for me. But we’ve talked to the guys that we’d like some extra resonance around our competitions. On the other hand, I want to wait for the whole current situation, train and compete calmly.

Have you thought about how long you will have to wait?

– No. We have competitions, I always swim. And there you will see.

The final of the Russian Swimming Cup, where Kliment Kolesnikov will perform, will take place in Kazan from July 25 to 30. Watch the first live broadcast on July 25 on the Match! Arena”, “Match! Country” and “Match! Planet”, sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru from 5:40 p.m. Moscow time.