“The depersonalization of coaches has disappeared since the days of Tikhonov, the peak was under Prokhorov.” Interview with Anatoly Khovantsev

At the Raubichi preparatory camp, there are now two Russian groups: Artem Istomin and Sergey Bashkirov. Also, the athlete of the Yuri Kaminsky group, Eduard Latypov, joined them.

On one of the training days, the correspondent saw another familiar face next to the waxing cabins of the Russians – the former head coach of the Russian national team, who worked in the team national with almost all the presidents of the RRF (Novikov, Tikhonov, Prokhorov, Drachev), Anatoly Khovantsev.

Here is a photo that seems to be from 2018. About it, the coach of the Khovantsev and Istomin group, Vitaly Noritsyn. Four years ago, the first was the head coach of the Russian men’s team, the second was the women’s team.

learned from Khovantev what he was doing in Raubichi and whether he was following the latest Russian biathlon news.

“It was quite unexpected to see you here. What are you doing in Raubichi?

Why unexpected? It is a training center where everyone can come. Right now I’m here with the guys, one of them is Pavel Lyashok (Russian junior). He has been training with me for a long time.

And since last year, I’ve been leading a group of Finns. Now from Raubichi I will go to Finland, where there will be a gathering of the team, which includes Tero Seppälä. He was the best of the Finns last season (12th overall in the World Cup). Last year, Kontiolahti’s former manager and Tero’s father organized the club and found sponsors. This is where I work. Five guys, last season, two of them went to the Olympics. I have a contract with the club for four years.

— Do you travel to Finland without problems now?

– I can travel freely, because I have a work visa.

– The attitude towards you has not changed compared to recent events?

– Not. The same attitude remains. The contract was concluded before these events. So far, no questions have arisen.

– Did you talk to Russian athletes in Raubichi?

“Many of us met for the first time in a long time. We met Loginov. We got up and talked. With all normal relations. Also with Khalili, and with Serokhvostov, although we didn’t crossed a lot. Khalili has prepared more than with Sorin. If you comment on the events that are currently unfolding, I don’t think it’s good when they start pushing the heads of the coaches. I see that Kaminsky has worked quite well Maybe other moments prompted the same Serokhvostov to leave. Not exactly the welcome, mixed group. Yes, Sorin both train in skiing. But that’s biathlon.

I still don’t appreciate the situation where juniors without selection went to the IBU Cups last year. However, it is important that the regions develop, so that they aim to prepare athletes for the IBU Cups. Therefore, if you remember, our results there were not very good.

– They say we don’t have so many juniors now.

– I read an interview with Bragin. It seems to me that such statements cannot be made, that we do not have a single healthy daughter. It’s like telling all the girls that you have no prospects. I think it’s badly done. The task of the coaches is to bring the service to its maximum level. Yes, of course, not all Olympic champions can become. But while the preparations had not yet started, to say in advance that there were no healthy people… Of course, it was not said that there was no one to prepare. But the context of this statement is such that there is no one to work with.

– There is a lot of talk about the fact that the authority of coaches is disappearing. Do you agree?

– It’s been going on for a long time. The depersonalization of coaches has been going on since the days of Tikhonov. As you remember, he constantly said that he did everything and decided everything. Started from there. And the peak was under Prokhorov. I think it’s not from Prokhorov, but from Kushchenko. Then the athletes turned the coach’s head around and solved some of their problems. Agree, when they solve domestic problems. But when the questions were about preparation, it had a negative impact on the work of the coaches. We were under such a ceiling that did not allow us to demand athletes. Sometimes you have to ask a biathlete to do some work. There are things that need to be repeated over and over to reach a higher level, and the problem isn’t solved by a practice session.

I can give an example. When I worked with the women’s team in 2010, we had a training camp in Otepää. Every day, not counting rest days, we held meetings there, where there were analyzes of the past day, tasks for the next day and video viewing. One of the athletes, who at that time was among the top three in the team, asks the question: “Anatoly Nikolayevich, why do we hold meetings every day?” I explained the situation. But the next day, an order comes from above: “Do not hold meetings. Even if I had already worked with the teams of Finland, Estonia, Ukraine, everywhere the athletes were sympathetic. There has never been anything like it.

– How are things in Finland with subordination now?

– I did not go to World Cups with athletes. Training done, they left for the stages and I returned to Russia. We talked on the phone: about the state, what kind of training to conduct. I think the season has been pretty strong. Seppälä has progressed well: from 36th to 12th place in the overall World Cup standings. Now a Norwegian has joined their national team, who worked with Bjoerndalen in China. We haven’t met in person yet, but we find mutual understanding in the works. We will not change the training system much. Maybe this year it will be possible to go to the World Cups.

If we talk about mentality, then according to the training plan that I propose, the athletes ask themselves questions. I explain everything to them. There was no need to change the plan. Changes only happened when the athlete had health problems.

– Do you still communicate with Kaisa Mäkäräinen?

– Now I will come to Finland and we will meet. She has questions. Last year she also worked with very young children. I don’t know, maybe he wants to learn something about preparation.

– Do you follow the situation around the elections of the President of the RBU?

– I watch. I will not say who I support. I think Nuzhdov’s chances are better. He has a connection with Gazprom. I don’t want that to sound like propaganda, but he’s still a manager. He doesn’t have to be a great athlete. The tasks of the leader are broader. The president of the federation must seek sponsors. The financial component should be the responsibility of the RRF manager.