Former skier Kilivnyuk, who turned to biathlon, said that while standing, he asked God for help.

Biathlete of the Udmurt Republic team Kirill Kilivnyuk who quit ski racing this summer, told that it was still difficult for him to shoot while standing, both in racing and training.

Kilivnyuk started a biathlon race for the first time on Friday. The biathlete took 74th place in the men’s sprint of the Alfa-Bank Russian Cup stage, making four errors in the standing shot.

— This is my first biathlon competition. I really wanted to run. Before the competition I was a little sick, but I still told the coach that I really wanted to run. I have my emotions.

— How come there wasn’t a single failure on the lying course and four on the standing course?

“It also happens in training. I can shoot while lying down, but standing… I get to the line and I think, “Lord, help me” (laughs). That didn’t help today.

—Is it difficult to run with a gun on your back?

— I wouldn’t say that I feel very bad in winter, but in summer, yes, it hit me in the head (laughs). In winter, it’s the same with or without a gun.

— What do you want to achieve in biathlon?

– But in the new year I will compete with myself and improve my shooting in order to be in shape for the Spartakiad, both shooting and functional. I hope everything works. It’s a year of viewing, well, and then I’d like to get in at the top.

— This summer, there was a lot of talk about Anna Grukhvina’s transition, but almost nothing about you. Isn’t that offensive?

– No, on the contrary, it’s good. It’s probably even harder for Anya in this regard, because a lot of attention has been focused on her. No attention was paid to me, so I trained calmly with the guys,” Kilivnyuk said.

Later on Friday, a women’s sprint race will take place in Khanty-Mansiysk. Live broadcast on the channel will begin at 11:50 (Moscow time).