Olympic short track champion, 2022 Games silver medalist in speed skating Ruslan Zakharov in a chat with , he admitted he had motivational issues due to the lack of international starts, and also said that he and his remaining team partners were gearing up to break the ice rink record of Kolomna in the team race.
Russian athletes, in the context of the situation in Ukraine, were suspended from participation in international competitions under the auspices of the International Skating Union (ISU). This week, Zakharov will take part in the Russian Cup final in Kolomna, where the skating season will end.
– A year has passed since the Beijing Olympics and almost a year of complete absence of international training. Do you think you have lost a lot in level this year?
– I’m sure everyone will answer – I will be ready to fight at the same level if we are allowed to participate in international competitions. But, throw rotten tomatoes at me, racing in Russia is a bit more difficult in terms of motivation. I am sure that athletes wearing the same uniform at international competitions will show better results than at the Russian championships. Motivation is sometimes very difficult. Now the mood is at the Russian Cup final, and it is not always under control.
– What can you say a year later about the feelings of the Olympics?
– It was necessary to win and close all cases at once, and now there are unfinished cases. And so – we continue to train, prepare for the competition, we will try to run the team race quickly and want to break the record on the Kolomna rink, which is already dusty. So come on, let’s break the ice rink record, which belongs to the Dutch.
– Do young people perceive the season more easily without international competitions?
– It is easier for those who have not participated in international competitions, and nothing has changed in their lives. Above all, I feel sorry for the juniors who will move next year to another age category and miss this season of international competitions,” Zakharov told .
Source : MatchTV

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