“I read the comments on my own, but I got used to the situation.” Chikunova on missing the Olympics, living in a hostel and preparing for the Russian championship

Summer for Evgenia Chikunova adopted against the backdrop of discussions about the absence of the Olympic Games, the autumn was in preparation for the Russian Short Course Swimming Championships in St. Petersburg. spoke to him about the offseason and his attitude to internet comments.

— Zhenya, I read that you got sick after the training camp. How did you manage to do this, it seems that the gathering was planned in a warm place?

— Yes, we were in Kabardinka, but in the end it was 10-12 degrees there. At one point we were swimming in cold water and the next day I had a sore throat. I sat without training until the end of training camp. Vitta Vladimirovna (Novozhilova – Editor’s note) said that it was better to play it safe and see the treatment through. It seemed to me that I had succeeded, but when we arrived in St. Petersburg, it was already clear that I would miss the selection and train. So, I arrive at the first training session and the next day I wake up with a fever. We lost about 12 days of preparation. That’s a lot of missed work, which is frustrating. I want to believe in the best, but it is still difficult to say how I will be able to swim at the Russian Championships.

— Is this the first time that your preparations have been disrupted due to illness before an important competition?

— There was something similar when I arrived at ISL and received a positive covid test. I sat in my room for two weeks, then I only had a few days to relax, catch my breath, and then I started competing in matches. There was just over a month until the World Championships in Abu Dhabi. The situation is therefore similar. Besides, we managed to prepare well at the time; we only lost in the fight for gold because of a key error. I hope we will be able to deal with this situation now.

— Over the years, has it become more difficult to spend a lot of time in the training camps in Krugloye?

“It’s definitely more difficult, especially with the appearance of a dog.” It’s hard to leave her!

— How do you cheer yourself up during training camps? I see a big box of chocolates on Telegram. Do you allow yourself this before competitions?

— These are chocolate-covered strawberries. She left quickly, but that was only because she shared it with her friends.

— You changed the color of your hair . Risky considering the effort swimmers have to put in after bleach.

– In fact, it really takes a lot of hair care to keep your hair from breaking. When you get out of the pool you need to dry your hair, so you need thermal protection. Lots of thermal protection! I have two or three shampoos and hair masks. Accordingly, all this constitutes a certain item of expenditure.

– Next, let’s look at social networks – the Garfield construction game?

— I have loved construction games since my childhood! I really loved collecting Lego. I remember that in children’s competitions I took second place and asked my parents for a construction set as a gift. It was the very first and most desired.

https://t.me/Chikunova17/70

— Have you already discovered the magnetic construction game that has gone viral on social networks?

— I prefer the classic. But it’s also interesting.

— You said you lived in a hostel in St. Petersburg. For what?

– Yes, I live. Although now, after Kabardinka, when I arrived in St. Petersburg, I spent time with my family and my dog. The sicker I got. I live in a hostel because it’s a five minute walk from the pool. There is no better option. I don’t have a car, I don’t have a driver’s license. It takes an hour to get from my house by public transport, but if you constantly take a taxi you can go broke.

— You don’t want to get your license?

— I still can’t gather my thoughts and register. But to be honest, I’m afraid of driving.

— Renting a house is not your option?

— I would like to live a few steps from the swimming pool, but it is very difficult to find an apartment in this area.

— The main news of the fall for Russian swimming is the unification of federations. How was it received?

“I am more focused on myself, on training. But you always want to believe in changes for the better.

— What positive changes do you see in your work?

— Since the subject of neutral statuses has been broached, I would like to return to the international scene.

— Did you talk to the guys after the World Cup in Singapore?

— I read the interview with Nika Godun, Andrei Minakov also wrote about it, their impressions were positive and it was expected.

— Are you reading angry comments directed at you because you missed the Olympics?

– I read. I shouldn’t do this, but I read it anyway. I am a curious person, I want to go in and see. And if I can’t stop reading the comments, I just need to change my attitude towards them.

– How are you coping?

– I’m used to it. There are two diametrically opposed opinions, there is no neutral attitude on this matter. In principle, I am no longer surprised by anything. All this is expected.

— What can you say about Kate Douglas’ world record in the 200m breaststroke?

— I saw the result, the record fell twice. When Kate first broke the record, it was expected. She performed very well on the long course all season and it was clear that she could also show very good results on the short course. But when I swam 2 minutes 12 seconds, it was really a shock. It’s very fast, very dignified.

— Tatyana Smith (Schoonmaker) said she has no doubt that you will always have the Olympics. Was it nice to hear that at a difficult time?

— Tatiana is a model athlete for me, and she is also very kind and understanding. Swimming with her at the same time was amazing. I’m sad that she ended her career, I really hope we see each other again.

Watch broadcasts of the Russian Short Course Swimming Championships from November 21 to 26 on Match family TV channels, as well as on the matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.

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