“You have to stop when your health does not allow it. So far, it’s not too bad. Rylov on preparing and coaching under intense stress

The Russian Short Course Swimming Championship (25m) begins Monday in Saint Petersburg. spoke to one of the main stars of the tournament Evgeny Rylov. The two-time Olympic champion said he had no plans to end his career yet and did not see himself coaching in the future.

— Zhenya, how was your preparation for the Russian Championship?

— The preparation took place at home, in Vidnoye, I also went to Volgograd and trained there.

— World Aquatics has started granting neutral statuses. You didn’t want to apply?

“There’s really no desire to rush out and move somewhere.” I’m not ready yet.

— Physically or psychologically?

— I’m not ready to leave the country somewhere, because I’m not in great shape yet and I need to train. There is also a lot of competition here.

— How did you perceive the abolition of the Russian Olympic Committee?

“Judging by the way the IOC has communicated with us, it really doesn’t change anything. The question is how they will now restore our status.

— Are you planning to perform at both the BRICS Games and the World Friendship Games?

— Now, we don’t really know how to integrate all of this into the plan in terms of priorities. It’s not yet clear which of these starts should be fully fit, but once I make a decision it will be clear.

— The Russian Championship next year will take place in Kazan. Aren’t you surprised? Many believed that Yekaterinburg would receive it.

– In principle, it doesn’t matter where you browse. Of course, I preferred swimming at the Olympic Stadium, but that’s simply because it’s closer to home.

— Have you seen the schedule of stages of the Russian Cup? They are all very far from home.

— We have already made a plan for six months, we will think about it further.

— They talked about 2024, which could be the last of your career.

– What is this! Everyone asks me about it now (laughs). This was said with the thought that after the 2024 Olympics I could finish. It seems that everything is not so bad that it needs to be put an end to. You must stop when your health does not allow it.

— By the way, how is your health?

— So far nothing seems to hurt, in terms of form and preparation everything is even more difficult than before, but I feel like I’m improving. Maybe I’ll make it by the end of the year.

— You started a Telegram channel. What do you plan to publish there?

— I started it because I feel more comfortable there than on other social networks. But before the Russian Championship it is difficult to fully concentrate and write something there. I will deal with this problem later.

— Would you like to participate in a reality? “League of Heroes”, something like that.

– Only after the end of my career. We certainly don’t have time for that yet.

— Do you have any desires or dreams in this regard? Maybe you dream and see how you can take part in an ice show?

– Absolutely not. My feet are too soft to skate. Seriously! It’s hard for me to just stand on it, let alone push and roll. This is a purely physiological moment for us swimmers. There may be some exceptions, but many of us experience such problems. The ankle is not stable enough.

– In other words, the reels are gone!

– Yes, you can’t roller skate with my feet either.

— Would you like to open your own business? “Hydraki” by Rylov, for example?

— There was such a thought, but I need permission from World Aquatics, and they disqualified me, so it is unlikely that they will give me such permission. I really believe that such projects require a lot of time and I don’t have the opportunity at the moment.

— The main news of the offseason is the return of Yulia Efimova. Were you surprised by his decision?

“Only she knows why she decided to come back.” Perhaps a large and powerful competitor has appeared – it’s interesting, it’s enthusiasm, motivation. Besides, maybe I wanted emotions to come back, attention, that’s also normal. And another option is “I just wanted to”. Once again, only she knows why she made this decision. This is his story.

— She said she wanted to organize her own school. Would you also like to follow this path?

– It’s interesting, but only if it’s about owning the school, not staying on the sidelines. I could pass on some of my knowledge, once again, about the anatomy of our sport, how important it is to understand all these aspects, how much the situation can be corrected with the help of an osteopath or massage therapist . I didn’t get there right away either.

— Before Tokyo?

— This story came to my mind after a shoulder problem. I was in Germany, receiving treatment, communicating, trying to remember.

– So you don’t consider yourself a coach.

– No. I certainly don’t want to drive anyone to the Olympics. It’s too much stress. But just training kids doesn’t interest me.

— So you realize that Andrei Gennadievich Shishin was more stressed than you before Tokyo?

– And I always say that. A person swims in the final, you put everything into him and at the end, at that most important moment, when everything is decided, you remain helpless. This is the most intense stress: you can no longer do anything.

— You understand that most of those who say “I won’t be a coach” become one.

— I prefer to give master classes.

— Don’t have enough patience for coaching?

– Absolutely not. And I will not be able to demand as much as Andrei Gennadievich asked. Here you have to exert psychological pressure at some point, but I don’t feel it. I’m quite gentle on this point, saying something harsh to someone once, putting them in their place, that’s one thing. But constant pressure to achieve a common goal is not for me, and elite sport is constant pressure.

Watch live broadcasts of the evening session of the Russian Swimming Championship on the channels of the Match holding company.