“Soon I will go to competitions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it will be possible to reach the Olympic level.” Interview with Efimova

Muscovites and guests of the capital have a unique opportunity. Tomorrow at the Aquatoria ZIL sports complex you can watch live the famous Yulia Efimova performing at the Moscow Championship.

In the fall, at the Russian Short Course Championships, it was nice to see the excitement that started on the sidelines and in the stands when Yulia walked to the starting line. Previously, Efimova competed for the southern regions and swam for Tyumen. And now she has joined the Moscow Swimming Federation.

And it’s a big step towards the Olympic season. Next comes the Russian Championship in Kazan. Afterwards, there is a real international tournament, which we already miss. Julia in an interview with lifts the veil of secrecy.

From this interview with Efimova you will learn:

“I will definitely perform at the level of a master of sports candidate”

— When did you arrive in Moscow?

– A few days ago. Feel better – I would like to feel better. I didn’t expect it to be so difficult to enter. But imagine, a flight from Hawaii to Moscow, what a time difference. However, the Moscow championship is a preliminary competition for me. I think I will definitely reach the level of a candidate for a master of sports,” Yulia laughs. – Of course, I would like to participate in a more joyful state. Maybe I’ll break up again. And any competition is a holiday. When you show up at the starting line, you immediately feel positive emotions.

— What do you think about the situation in which a three-time Olympic medalist and six-time world champion takes part in the qualifying competitions for the Russian long course championships?

— This already happened to me in the fall, when I qualified for the Russian short course championship. But now I will qualify in Moscow. It’s not that hard. It’s simply a must-have, without which you won’t go any further. There is no problem here.

— When will the supporters of the capital be able to see you?

— The Russian Championship will take place from March 19 to 22 at the Aquatoria ZIL sports complex, next to the Avtozavodskaya metro station, where the CSKA hockey stadium is located. I was training at the Aquatoria ZIL, there is a wonderful outdoor swimming pool there. But it will be the first time that I will play and the competition will take place in an indoor swimming pool.

And on March 24, children’s competitions of the Moscow Swimming League will be held there. And they asked me to come in the morning for an autograph session and an awards ceremony. In general, come to the competitions in the capital, see you soon, it will be interesting!

“People have worked hard to make sure we have this Olympic chance. »

— You spent the beginning of 2024 colorfully: swimming in Hawaii, skiing somewhere in the mountains. Share your thoughts.

— I trained a lot in the pool, I also went hiking and climbing in the mountains. It’s also a good cardio workout. I did a good block of work. You could even say she worked too hard. And now I have returned to Russia and, together with my father as coach, we will try to coordinate everything that has been developed as well as the equipment. There is not much time left before the Russian Championship, which will be held in Kazan. You must approach him. And then we will have an international selection…

– More details from this point.

— The Federation has organized foreign competitions for us, which will take place in Bosnia-Herzegovina. There are no precise criteria yet. But in theory, it will be possible to reach the Olympic standard there. It is not a fact that even if someone meets this standard, he will go to the Paris Olympics in July. But the very fact that you have this standard is already a good thing.

— How many Russian swimmers will participate in this start?

— We have specially organized international competitions. I don’t know who will perform there.

— How did you react to the fact that Russian tennis players had the chance to go to Paris?

– Well, they had participated in international competitions two years before. They were not allowed into Wimbledon even once. The tennis players did not have any particular problems. They were not suspended. And it is difficult to judge that this is a positive sign for these same swimmers.

Everything is possible. But I don’t think the whole team will go. It’s difficult for me to say at the moment, because everything hasn’t been officially decided yet. I try not to think about it. You just have to take it step by step, and today the main goal is the Moscow Championship.

— Are you in the mainstream or will you individually be looking for chances to go to the Olympics?

– It’s also difficult to guess here. We were thinking of going to Mare Nostrum, where it was also possible to qualify. But these competitions will take place closer to summer. It is currently too early for me to swim to Olympic standards. But of course, I will not refuse an additional departure, which will take place in Bosnia and Herzegovina. You can simply try your hand at these international competitions. And then in the summer, think about what and how. In addition, it will be clear whether Russia is expected at the Olympics, who, how much and how.

“The story with Promes – the main thing is to take charge at the right time”

— While training in Hawaii, did you keep in mind a certain distance or someone’s time as a guide?

– No, that didn’t happen. I was just training to try to get back in shape.

— Looking at your photos, one might be envious: the sun, the ocean, beaches, snow-white mountains – you are charged with emotions like a battery, having absorbed incredible energy.

— I’m only a few days away from the flight. And so I was really mightily charged. It is much easier to train heavy loads when you are in a beautiful, warm place with positive emotions. You can plow like this even in winter, in the city. But all this is much more complicated.

And I’m an emotional person. And for me, emotions are very important. I’ll take care of it, it makes me feel good. As a result, I worked too much in Hawaii. That’s why the injuries started. So far my condition is serious, but I hope I will recover before the Russian Championship.

— What factors influence?

— Acclimatization is understandable. And in Hawaii, I swam without a coach. Dad was home. But we constantly communicated remotely. He writes me a training plan, I send him a video. But it’s still a little different from when he sees me live and can correct me on technique. And when a coach is standing over you, you swim much better.

On the other hand, I swam alone without major problems. I’m already at the age where this is normal for me. I no longer need to be forced to swim faster. On the contrary, I sometimes need to be slowed down so as not to overtrain.

— Over the past year, you have become an avid Spartak fan. Firstly, what do you think about the defeat of hockey players in Magnitogorsk (0:4)? It was painful…

— Honestly, these days, because of the theft, I didn’t even have time to see what was happening there in hockey. Although I paid special attention to it before. I narrowly missed the first game of the series with Magnitogorsk. But on the weekend, I can stop by a match at Megasport. It seems that we only have swimming events in the morning and in the evening I am free.

— How do you like Spartak football? They took and lost Promes, who remained in the United Arab Emirates.

— It seems to me that there are always adventures in football! After all, everyone is a living person, everyone can make mistakes. This happens sometimes. The main thing is to take the lead at the right time. We believe in Spartak that everything will be fine in the Russian championship.