“Life puts us in our place again and again, showing us that there is nothing more ideal than money in this world. » Interview with Sergei Shubenkov

Sergei Shubenkov – one of the most prestigious athletes in the country. He is still active, despite health problems which prevent him from showing good results. At the Znamensky brothers’ memorial held on Thursday in the 110-meter hurdles, Shubenkov became only fourth, behind Artem Makarenko, Matvey Gerasimov and Vitaly Parakhonko. This result upset the world champion so much that in the mixed zone he invited journalists to fight him on the track and overtake him.

However, Shubenkov quickly reflected on the result of the competition and explained in an interview with why he was not able to race as he would like. From this conversation you will also learn:

“I’m still alive. Only three guys run faster than me.”

— It is clear that you are deeply concerned about local failures on the track. Do you know how to get out of this situation?

– Yes, there is an agreement. There’s no need to panic, although I really want to, to be honest. We have to work hard. Sport is daily work, not only in training, but also in your mind. We need to take care of our health and seek treatment if something hurts us. There is a plan, we follow it with the coach. I just always want to believe in miracles. But that doesn’t happen.

– A miracle like this – what exactly will happen now?

– Yes, you think you ran the “preliminary” well, you ran your leg, you stretched it, the pain went away. Now for the finale… And there is nothing to run with, because there are no resources. The training seemed normal, but there are some limitations that have not yet allowed me to achieve the results I had previously shown.

– What to do?

– Just heal the injury and get fit.

—What is stopping you from healing your wound?

“Right now, competition is getting in the way.”

— The winter holidays weren’t enough for that?

– But why? I am still alive. Only three guys run faster than me, even if I play on one leg. And then, these three run with varying degrees of success. You have to understand that even on one leg, I am competitive at the Russian level. There is optimism, strength too. But feelings can be deceptive.

— Is it realistic to find a window to fully recover in such a busy season?

— When it’s such a busy start to June, no. But now the BRICS Games will take place, and I hope I will look better. The situation in my state is still evolving in a positive way. And then, for the Russian Championship, I will be able to come back in a digestible and presentable form.

“You should have let your hair grow at 20, not at 32”

— You have changed your image, now you have a short hairstyle. What is the reason for this decision?

— With certain obligations towards CSKA.

– Was there a directive? New standards for the appearance of a CSKA athlete?

– In fact, these standards are as old as time. It was necessary to participate in certain events. They made me understand that they didn’t really want to see me in the shape I was in before him.

— How did you perceive this situation?

– Great.

— At the New York Islanders NHL club, old-school general manager Lou Lamoriello forbids players from growing hair and beards. Is it in the same category?

— I am generally for freedom of expression. But not everyone shares this point of view. I take this calmly. It’s just that, as practice shows, I should have let my hair grow at 20, and not at 32. It turned out there was nothing left to push.

— Today, it is very difficult to talk about motivation with athletes, given the isolation in which our sport finds itself. For track and field athletes, the situation is even worse. But you’re in the mix, you’re consistently performing even with an injury. Where do you find the strength and desire?

— My motivation is different from that of young people. I managed to win. My motivation is to hang on, to reach the level I had. I have followed him year after year and I know where he is. And then these challenges appear for me…

It’s worth slowing down a little, and voila, competition is already appearing. At my level it doesn’t exist, but now I myself have jumped a notch lower. And it is difficult to get out of here, as practice shows. My motivation is to work on myself, this does not stop and will not stop.

And I don’t envy young people. They are gaining momentum and starting to operate at full capacity. They should now materialize at the Olympic Games and World Championships, but no…

— The ARAF tries to tighten the calendar each year and organize exhibition competitions in order to increase the popularity of the sport. How do you assess the federation’s efforts?

— It is difficult for me to evaluate this question. The calendar must be completed, but it’s hard. We have six starts from the “Queen of Sport” series. On the one hand, I would like more. On the other hand, maybe I’m the only one who wants this. I usually play 11 times a season. Apparently, such a possibility does not yet exist. I really want the geography of athletics to expand. So that not only the central regions host competitions, but others too.

— There are Cheboksary and Chelyabinsk, which hosted the Russian Championship and the Spartakiad.

— Here are our traditional localities: Chelyabinsk, Cheboksary, Saransk, Bryansk. It is necessary for new points to appear on the map.

“Diamond League prize money is down”

— Major sponsors are gradually appearing during athletics events. Does this affect your well-being in any way?

— If you take fourth place, that doesn’t reflect anything. This year our prize money has been collected. Even if the global trend is the opposite. In the same Diamond League, they are in decline. My generation is now slowly ending. I talked to even older guys – 43-45 years old, they said that in the 90s and early 2000s there was an incredible situation with prize money in world athletics – we tell you gave a “chop” worth 20,000 euros just for that you came to show off at the start.

When I got to the Diamond League and started moving through the stages, that was no longer the case: $10,000 for first place was the ceiling. Therefore, everyone tried to win the main competition for $50,000. And now the Diamond League pays 35 for an overall victory. The amount of money devoted to world athletics is decreasing.

– Why do you think?

— We have imagined a new start, which will take place in September: the World Ultimate Athletics Championships. This is a mini world championship reserved for the best. In fact, it is the same Diamond League, which will create this even stronger fork: there will be supertops and everyone. And the middle peasants, who would like to compete, struggle, succeed, will be deprived of it. It will take highs, but where will they come from in such conditions? The global trend is actually not good. But for us there would be no happiness, but misfortune would help us. We were locked inside the country, we have to turn back. We are doing it.

— Do Belarusians help create competition?

– They help, of course! I’m overwhelmed. Belarusian girls perform very well. It’s good that they exist. The more competitors, the higher the competition, the better the result.

— How can athletics get out of this situation which has lasted for eight years? First doping scandals, then suspensions.

“Athletics alone will not get through this. It all depends on world politics, which now exists in the context of the economic crisis, when everything goes wrong, countries turn in on themselves. This isolation extends not only to the athletics front, but to many other areas. Until this problem is overcome, we are not going anywhere.

— How can we develop sport in such conditions, to attract children who live on social networks to athletics?

– It’s your job – the media! Journalists, television, bloggers, influencers… Are children on TikTok? Send them videos about athletics and other sports.

Besides, in our media, everything has changed. stopped selling rights to international leagues, slot machines became free and athletics broadcasts appeared! Class! Additionally, they not only feature athletics, but also national competitions in other sports. Otherwise, interest cannot be stimulated. Only television, Internet, media, social networks… I alone cannot reach millions with my Telegram channel.

— You said that the Olympic movement was collapsing. But at the same time, you still hope to participate in the 2028 Olympic Games. Isn’t there a contradiction there?

– Eat. But I am optimistic in life. I always want to believe in the miracle and the high ideals proclaimed by the Olympic Charter. Although life every time puts us in our place, explaining that there is almost nothing more ideal than money in this world. Including for the International Olympic Committee. Will this suddenly resolve? In four years!

One day they called me from the bank, they pushed me products, they said to me: “Let’s give us money now, we will do something, and in five years we will give you three times as much?” I’m like, “When are you going to give it?” In five years? Seriously?” It was in 2023. Five years before, in 2018, I didn’t have a single national competition, but at the same time I had 15 international competitions, 11 of which I won, I have more than 100 thousand dollars prize money, I travel everywhere, there is no room in my passport for stamps, visas for all countries, I am a citizen of the world And in 2023 I can no longer perform. transfer to a neighboring country. Can you imagine how much has changed in five years? Now everything is completely different.

Although I also struggled with pain. MacLeod let me down, I struggled in Doha, I tried to recover and managed to cope with it – I took second place at the World Championships in 2019. It was he only five years ago. And 2028 is only four years away. Everything can change dramatically during this time.

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