Swimmer Borodin: “This season has been harder physically than mentally”

European swimming champion Ilya Borodin told that this season he had experienced a lot of starts so he was tougher physically than psychologically.

Borodin ended the season with a performance at the International University Sports Festival, which takes place in Yekaterinburg.

– Psychologically, was the season easier than the previous one?

– I would rather say that he was physically more difficult. It is psychologically difficult to swim for so long without rest. But I don’t think any of the starts I swam were worth missing.

Last year I didn’t take part in the Russian Cup as often as this season. There have been many departures, but I see this as experience that must also be acquired.

– When did you feel sadder about international competitions – last year or this year?

– In the past.

Now the acceptance stage?

– I think it was already last year, I just had to focus completely on my result, and not wait for something.

– What stage of development are you currently in as an athlete? “Green” or seasoned?

— At an intermediate stage. Until I could call myself experienced.

– Up to what age can you swim 400 m complex?

As long as it lasts, I will swim. And so – it is possible until retirement.

– You have grown physically in recent years, was there a difficult moment associated with this, maybe you had to change something in your preparation?

– The work has changed, the workload… Nothing is easy, and it hasn’t been easy for me either. I just had to keep working, that’s all. Sometimes I was sad because of the lack of international competitions, but I got through it and I continue to prepare.

Have you ever allowed yourself to miss a workout?

– Only due to illness. If you want results, skipping workouts is not a serious approach. If I don’t work, the result will drop, the 400m complex is such a distance that I have to work a lot.

Do you think too much? Overwork, overzealousness did not exist?

– No, I just appreciate the work, because I know it’s to improve the result. So that there is also a serious overload, no, the coach monitors my well-being. And if he sees that I am no longer able to export, we can simply reduce the volume. Again, if he gets sick, he makes sure I recover normally before starting work, Borodin told .