Russian track and field athlete Alexander Kostin told that he will remember for a long time the final race of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, in which he won silver.
Kostin won silver in the 5000m T13 final at the Paris Paralympic Games. The athlete covered the distance in a time of 15 minutes 52.36 seconds.
— What can you say about this silver medal?
— This is my first medal of this value. There was a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020. Now I was preparing to win, like all serious athletes. But I do not regret this silver at all. I showed everything I could. And I am happy with this result.
— You ran very well to the finish line, almost catching the Spaniard.
– Yes, I go more of the speed that I show in the “one and a half”. That’s why I was able to do it. The end was serious. At some point I almost lost contact and I felt it. I began to overtake the athletes in front of me, the gap gradually narrowed. And it turned out to be silver.
— What was your strategy before departure?
— In general, look at the situation. The start was even slower than I thought. I should have been a little faster. But I still expected a good finish. I am ready for it, I worked on it in training and I have the speed qualities.
— Were you surprised that the Spaniard came out like that?
– No. I know he is strong. Tokyo Paralympic champion. And now he has won gold. His speed is good and his endurance is up to par. I think he rightly deserved to win.
— Who do you spend your money on?
– Of course, to all the people involved. They were my loved ones who supported me. Everyone contributed. Without their support, it would be difficult.
— The Australian has just been disqualified and the bronze went to Anton Kulyatin.
– Holy shit! I’m very happy that Anton won the bronze. I’ll tell him in the locker room, I think he’ll be very happy.
— Can you say that this is the most incredible end of your life?
— As for such events and dramas, yes. This final will be remembered for many years. It is incredible!
— How do you find the atmosphere at the Stade de France in Paris? There was a full house of 80,000 spectators.
“When I went out, I didn’t even expect there to be so many people. I’ve never played in such a full stadium. It seems like a storm is raging around you, and you stand small in the middle and absorb this energy. It charged me, and that should be enough for 1,500m, I’m still competing here,” Kostin told .
The Paralympic Games in the French capital will end on September 8.
Watch live performances of Russian athletes at the Paralympic Games on Match! family channels, as well as on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.
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Source : MatchTV
I’m John White and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. My specialty is covering sports news, which I’ve been doing for over 6 years now. During this time, I have worked as an author with Athletistic, a popular online news website focusing on sports topics.
