Short track skater Matveeva: “The lack of international departures has not discouraged the love of the sport”

Russian short track skater Anna Matveeva said she had no motivation problems during the season, which did not feature international competitions.

Russian athletes in the context of the situation in Ukraine are suspended from participation in tournaments under the auspices of the International Skating Union (ISU). Matveeva at the end of the season won the gold medal of the Russian championship at a distance of 500 meters.

– It’s been a more or less smooth season for me, with no serious illnesses or injuries, but of course everything I expected didn’t happen. The season was experimental, which explains a lot.

In general, my profile distances are 1000 and 1500 meters, at 500 meters I never showed high results and did not participate in the prizes, but this year the trend has changed. This distance has become the most stable,” Matveeva told . – Since the middle of last season I have been training in my hometown of Chelyabinsk, because I could not qualify for the national team. I worked on the ice with other guys, they helped me a lot, but from the summer until the end of the season I switched to completely independent training – both in dry training and on ice. But we practiced tactical maneuvers with the team. The conditions were ideal. In the summer, at a time that suited me, the ice and the rooms were assigned to me separately, for this a big thank you to the management and those who helped me.

– Did you have enough motivation during the season?

– I did not suffer from a lack of motivation, because a lot has not yet been won at the Russian level. And the lack of international competitions hasn’t taken away my love for the sport. I also derive great pleasure from the training process and competitions. It inspires me to work even harder and grow.