– Kliment, how was this period between the Russian Championship and the Friendship Games?
– Immediately after the championship I went to Belarus, had an active rest. Then I came back, and while the guys were in Kabardinka, I trained in Moscow until the beginning of July, then we stopped in Krugloye, and I stayed there until the Friendship Games. So, you can say that I have been at home all this time since the Russian Championship.
– Have you decided not to go to Brest for the competition?
– This departure was not included in my plans.
“What about the distances in Kazan?”
– 50, 100m backstroke, 50, 100m front crawl. If you add something, then only 200m on the back, but I haven’t prepared for this distance now.
Have you watched the World Cup?
– I looked and can say that the new generation of the 2000s is already specifically felt. The guys all grew up, breaking records. Already in the “dolphin”, and on the back, and in the complex they are approaching the world record. I think someone will come to replace Adam Peaty in the breaststroke, everything is changing very quickly. The results at the World Championships were therefore ahead of expectations.
It’s good to see guys my age swimming at world record level. When you saw that almost the same people win every year, and now there is a generation change, it is of course interesting to watch.
– Thomas Chekkon’s time out of a hundred – something outrageous?
– Generally speaking, no. If we’re talking about what to do to make it swim like that, yes.
– Zhenya Rylov said that if the final in Tokyo had not taken place in the morning, but in the evening, one of you would have passed through these seconds.
I don’t like to discuss it. We sailed as we sailed. In the morning, of course, it was more difficult to swim, but the result is the result. We need to show results, not talk about them.
— I was impressed by the victory of the Italians in the combined relay.
– They sailed well! All the guys are great. They are cheerful, always listening, especially in relay races. I was happy to see them in the first place.
— In April, you were asked a lot of questions about motivation. Now it is clear that the schedule of departures is not bad in terms of quantity, but the level is always different. Are you sad about this?
“Competitions are competitions. Almost no difference at their level, because above all I prepare the result myself to show. It is clear that if you take part in the championship of Moscow or the region, no one will prepare for it and reach the peak of form. And if we talk about the level of the Russian Championship above, including the Friendship Games, the mood is typical, the mood is as always. It’s good that they added competition. The only thing – I’m not the only one who thinks this – they were misallocated according to schedule.
– Uncomfortable standing close together?
— Yes, the preparation falls through.
– Maximum form for now or for the Spartakiad?
“Now there was good preparation. I was able to do the job to the best of my health, which usually deteriorated before any competition. I hope the results will be good, and then how it goes.
A year has passed since the Olympic Games. Looking back, what can you say to yourself last year before the start of the Olympics?
– I would say that there is no need to dwell on what has already happened. This can put a lot of pressure and hurt you in the future, preventing you from developing further.
– Are there any claims on yourself in the world after these Olympics?
– Well no. I have no problem with the preparation, the mood for the competitions, I don’t think there were any errors overall. A little extra hassle before departure, maybe I fell asleep about half an hour later. But it’s the little things that will block the adrenaline when you go to the start.
– Recently, it was said that Russian athletes might not have a chance to qualify for the Games. Do you think about it now?
– No, I do not think about it. When the time comes when this problem is solved, then I will think about it. Everything is simple here. If we are not allowed, it is bad. If they allow it, that’s great. I have work, I have my goals for the moment, that’s what I think.
I have to work on myself. At some point, I missed a lot of things. This was in 2018 due to health issues. In February, I fell ill with the coronavirus. Now I have to take care of my health in order to have a good block of work. I will try to work on myself so that there is an opportunity to improve the result. If you don’t get sick – which, it seems, is simple – you can get better.
– Was the Covid hard in February?
“Compared to what it is, no. But there was a temperature, pressure on the head, there were no other symptoms.
— Are there any plans for the next two years in addition to training? Study, for example.
– I want to prepare calmly and stay at home. All that travel, of course, is good in preparation, it’s good to train in the sun, but after all those years of hectic life abroad – flights, courses, competitions – being at home is very pleasant. You get used, of course, to enjoying this life without haste.
– Have you tried to register for international competitions that are not under the auspices of FINA?
No, they didn’t try. Preparation for the Friendship Games. Before the Spartakiad there is also no departure planned, I would like to take a break before these competitions – there is so little time ahead of them.
Source : MatchTV
