Swimmer Kalina plans to compete in sixth Paralympic Games of her career

Seven-time Paralympic swimming champion Andrei Kalina told he plans to prepare for the sixth Games of his career.

Kalina performed at the Paralympic Games in Athens, Beijing, London, Tokyo and Paris. Russian athletes were not allowed to compete at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

— Before Tokyo, I understood that these would most likely be my last Paralympic Games, and then I would look for myself further in something. But at some point, forces appeared in Tokyo. We talked with the family and decided that it was worth continuing preparations for the Games in Paris, because there were only a little more than two years left.

— Did you regret this decision during the process?

– No, although for many it was surprising. Before each Paralympic Games there were subtleties in the preparation, after each one we worked on our mistakes. And now there is a good chance that I will continue and prepare for Los Angeles.

— In St. Petersburg your coach has a strong team, how important is it for you to work together and alongside them?

– This is a very important moment for me. Miron Lifintsev and Egor Kornev are students of my coach. Maximum communication, I spent all this preparation for the Games with them. Training with the Olympic team for the Paralympic Games has always been interesting for me. And thanks to the Paralympic Committee, our federation, for supporting us in this process. I spent the whole year with them. It gave me strength that I did not expect. And this is one of the important reasons that pushed me to continue my preparation for Los Angeles. “I discovered new facets in this work,” Kalina told .

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