“How do you train now, what is your plan for the season? What are the most important departures for you after the FIS decision to soon extend the suspension of Russian skiers from international competitions? ..”
This question from the Norwegian VG journalist didn’t really take him by surprise. Before him, his colleagues had asked for something similar.
I promised to answer – in my column.
Once again, I repeat: the expulsion of Russian athletes is discrimination. Even the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, admits this (this is how I understood his recent speech), but asserts that it was impossible to do otherwise. I’m sure it’s not only possible, but it would be right, but alas. One day, sports officials around the world will be ashamed of their actions. How inconvenient now that for decades women were not allowed to participate in various sports, referring to much the same “arguments”.
But for me personally, such a turn of events falls into the “there is no blessing in disguise” category. I will try to explain.
Last season, Yegor Vladimirovich Sorin brought me to the top of my form with extreme precision, and three times – during the selections for the World Cup team, then during the selections for the Olympic Games and, for the third time, at the Olympics themselves. Sorin, I think a great coach will make more than one athlete a champion. But objectively, I jumped a little higher than my head.
Yes, I seem to be very lucky with genetics, thanks to mom and dad.
Yes, I was just as lucky with the first coaches, who did not chase me away, but carefully prepared them – they introduced the technique (skating), for example.
Yes, I worked hard and diligently all the years of my short career, subordinating my whole life to the result.
But I still don’t have enough of what is absolutely necessary in any cyclic sport – the so-called “base”. So as not to tire of the terminology, the “basis” is what is laid down by years of certain training. After working, you reach a certain level – conditionally, the top ten in the World Cup – and you do not go lower (or go down, but rarely). That’s what Yohaug had in abundance, and what Natalia Nepryaeva, Tatyana Sorina, Yulia Stupak have. And at 21, I haven’t and frankly can’t be. I can pull myself together and show the required result those same three times in a season. And Natalia has dominated almost every race and I’m sure she will continue to dominate. Having already reached such a level, the athlete decides: a confident victory in one or two races and rest or try to win everything.
As you already understood, in the preparatory season the coach and I worked on the “base”. From the first month of our work, the sight was on the 2026 Olympics. Therefore, the opportunity not to force form for today’s tasks in the interest of success in the future is good for me.
Further away. Sorin is a real experimental coach. It seems that four girls from his group have been selected for the Olympics. More than any other group! And in Beijing, no one failed, everyone took their chance. The way to success is found, will we continue this season in the same way? But no! We have so much new this year that you can write an entire column on your own! Which, of course, I won’t. This is Yegor Vladimirovich’s know-how, and he will tell you what and when he hears it. Or not.
I really like the innovations in the training process (when you understand what and how to do in the process!). But that’s what experience is for, as I understand it: it should work, but sometimes it doesn’t.
And finally, the third reason to be satisfied. We trained a lot abroad, far from civilization. There were absolutely objective reasons for this: they trained in the same place or near the places where they performed.
You know, that probably sounds good: “Finland to Italy to Norway.” But in reality, it’s long hours on the bus, endless climate change, the mentality of the people around, the food… In Khanty-Mansiysk, the highway is ten minutes from the airport, and Krasnogorsk close from Moscow is usually half an hour from home for many. And for me personally, one last thing is important: in some Muonio your main “fan” is the reindeer, there they walk in herds around the ski slope. And in Tyumen, Khanty, etc. you meet hundreds of people for whom, in fact, you run. And it’s great! By the way, I’m sorry that I can’t talk to everyone – training at the moment is very long and difficult.
Is my situation typical? I have no idea, but a lot of young athletes, I think, recognize themselves in my stories. We will definitely be back on the world stage and on prime time television. And when we come back, we will be stronger!
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
