“It’s too early for me to go to the Olympics, I don’t want to go like that.” Misharina could have ended up in hockey or ballet, but chose swimming

Russian junior team opens BRICS Games swimming tournament. Ksenia Misharina has already broken the Russian youth record several times this year and even met the criteria for the Olympic Games, where she will not go.

We talked to her about swimming, studying, the art of “not understanding things” and why she didn’t stay in hockey.

— Ksenia, when you came out after the final of the Russian Championship, you said: “With this result, I would qualify for the Olympics.” Was this sad to make?

“I didn’t expect to swim with such a result, that’s why I said it.” Was surprised. And then in Banja Luka, I swam faster. At one point it came out – it was offensive, but then I remembered that I had never been to a major international competition. At the Olympics now, with the lack of experience, I have nothing to do. I would like to get there at a more conscious age and with a chance of being one of the winners. It’s now difficult to hope for the final. So there is no reason to complain. We must work to have a chance of reaching the highest places at the next Olympic Games.

Before that, you need to at least test yourself in a debut like the European Youth Championship. At least swim better under pressure.

– Just go there and get some Olympic experience – wouldn’t that interest you?

“I don’t want people to say, ‘I just went there.’

— What do you think of them, the records? Are you forgetting?

– This is just a youth record in Russia – I forgot and don’t think about it. I always try to do everything remotely possible, but I don’t expect precise numbers from myself. By the way, it protects you from any unnecessary bad emotions.

—Last year, however, you were very upset.

— In short water, yes. There I thought that even if I failed to break the youth world record, there would at least be a youth record in Europe or Russia. But on the fifth day I was very tired and when I saw these numbers I was very worried. For a long time I could not put myself in order and prepare for another job.

— How did you manage to break the record in Banja Luka? Difficult flight, transfer, many people got sick…

“I felt great there, except my back was numb during the flight. » I traveled by bus several times, so I just slept for those 6-7 hours. For now, I think it doesn’t concern me, I’m quite young. Moreover, the amount of work was completed, I immediately prepared for two starts in a row, so I succeeded.

— What is a large volume?

“I prefer not to count, these numbers only make things worse.”

— Did you immediately become a stayer?

— I swam 50 and 100 m freestyle. In addition, I swam breaststroke – the coach worked with breaststrokers. Then I was sent to Tatiana Vladimirovna in Volgograd, where I began to swim long distances.

— You are a young athlete. Was there ever a time when you had to change gear for a new body?

“There was a moment when I didn’t swim, but I was embarrassed: the technique was childish, but my body was different. Now I take care of myself and have enough strength to carry myself along. The technology doesn’t change. The main thing is that you have enough strength to drag yourself and you don’t have to figure it out.

— Does the “Don’t Get Fat” program include a barbecue in Banja Luka?

“I didn’t eat because that day I had one and a half kilos.” Afterwards, I have a headache, I don’t want to eat, my stomach turns. Everyone was eating and I sat and waited for everyone to eat.

— It’s also probably better not to eat before a race?

— I eat in three hours. Because of my anxiety, I try not to overeat or eat late so I don’t get an upset stomach.

— Do you eat pastries?

– Stopped. I want to, but I understand that I need to eat healthier foods. The most was a bun in recent months, and that was for a birthday. No one is forcing me to follow any boundaries, I just try to eat something healthy and take care of myself. I see how people have problems with this, but I don’t want to make such mistakes myself, so it will be easier for me.

– Why do you swim with a blue cap?

— Blue is the color of calm and I like it very much. They made me a room at home with a blue accent.

—Who do you admire in long-distance swimming?

— I have no idols. But I’m still amazed by Katie Ledecky, who is still swimming long distances at the 18-year-old girls level.

— Don’t you want to travel shorter distances? Or abandon everything completely and concentrate on your studies?

— It’s difficult to combine studies and sport, but I try. I found a normal schedule for me. For me, 3 hours a day is enough, everything is scheduled, everything goes according to plan and I take it seriously. It’s harder for me to sit still for five hours. When I attended all these lessons at school, I didn’t like everything. Not because it’s long or boring. It’s just that when I study alone, nothing distracts me. But not everyone in the class wants to study, someone intervenes, someone shouts something, but you want to understand the material.

— Did your parents offer you other sports?

— There was a choice: tennis, ballet, hockey or swimming.

– Wait, ballet or hockey? Seriously?

— My grandfather is a hockey player. He wanted his grandson to play hockey. But in the end, three granddaughters were born and I was more athletic. I didn’t like hockey – I couldn’t get on skates. Then we tried ballet, but I didn’t like that either. My mother also studied ballet. She came to class and saw me jumping.

– How?

– Like an elephant. So in the end, the ballet didn’t work (laughs). We chose swimming.

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