“I don’t think winning gold at the Games would have changed me. » Kolesnikov debunks myths about himself

In 2023, Kolesnikov broke the world record and overall spent the season at a very high level. We played “true or false” with Clément and learned valuable information about lucky socks.

Kolesnikov is a calm person, you can’t make him angry.

Not true.

This is me as an athlete. In ordinary life it is completely different. I don’t know how this happens. In competition, I restructure myself psychologically, in my outlook on certain things during competitions. This is why I look so calm and distracted during competitions. Yes, like many people, some things in sports life overlap with everyday life, but in ordinary life I can get angry, panic – in general, in principle, I am far from a calm person outside of the swimming pool.

This calm during competitions is an acquired and reinforced skill. In the juniors there was some nervousness and nervousness before the start, but then everything disappeared.

In life, the most ordinary things can exasperate me. I can’t stand traffic jams, for example. It is clear that I am not crazy in terms of driving, and I will not be able to shout something very rude from the window to another driver, but something like “goat” from behind a closed window and get angry, like everyone else, is Yes.

I also have a storm of emotions inside me during other sports, if I’m playing something, for example. In swimming, on the contrary, I am very reserved, you need calm and confidence here.

Kolesnikov spent all his high-level races wearing a pink cap.

I swam on the Cheerful Dolphin in red and yellow. But also in the brightest, yes. At the World Championships in Budapest, I swam in white and black simply because it was forbidden to swim with the caps issued in Russia.

The story of the pink hoodie started because of her grandmother, but this whole story is only partly true. It was definitely easier for her to follow me when I was swimming in pink. This is how this legend remained, but in reality I just like this color of cap.

The legend of lucky socks is absolutely true. They are 10 years old this year. They were given as New Year’s gifts from 2013 to 2014.

Kolesnikov never shaves on the first day of competition

Not true.

It’s like that lately. I just realized that I could handle this speed in the morning to get to the final, and in international competitions, of course, I shaved from the first day.

Kolesnikov is one of the team’s main pranksters

I tell you!

In competition, in public, I am different. It’s not the same as in ordinary life. We left the pool, got into a taxi – and I shifted gears, became cheerful and sang songs!

Once, I remember, they had fights on ceramic lamps – just for fun.

By the way, I might make a weird spontaneous purchase. Here I went to buy a fully electric bike, which weighed around 60 kg. I dragged him up to the second floor. From Mira Prospect to Vodny Stadium, I drove it for training, then sold it. I didn’t really need him, to be honest.

Without swimming, Kolesnikov would play basketball

It’s 100%. At the same time, I never had the opportunity, for example, to devote myself to basketball – my father was always two-handed in swimming. I like to play alone, but I don’t particularly like to watch. If I need to learn something, yes, I dive into it, watch videos and then practice.

Of course, I would love to go to an NBA game someday. But how will this happen? I won’t move – and that’s okay.

My favorite player is Kyrie Irving – incredible ball control, technical elements, dribbling. However, I’m not particularly into games. Danila Semyaninov watches us and if something happens he tells us.

Kolesnikov is now on fire because he didn’t win gold in Tokyo

Maybe.

I don’t know how things would have turned out if I had that gold. Although I don’t think it would have changed me or my attitude in any way. For me, achieving a goal has never been the limit. This is not only the case in sports, but in principle – even in computer games.

At the same time, I understand people who take their gold and end their careers. In general, in life I can put myself in another person’s shoes, even if he is some kind of outcast from society.