“Athletes work for motivation: victory, money, glory. It is impossible to take and get rid of all this overnight “- Kozhevnikova

Elizaveta Kozhevnikova, winner of two Olympic Games in freestyle skiing, spoke about the motivational problems of Russian athletes.

Russian athletes in most sports have been suspended from competing internationally due to the situation in Ukraine.

– What issue do you now find most relevant in relation to your own work with athletes?

– A very strong lack of motivation. I see that people are afraid and do not understand how to act. That is to say, it becomes more and more difficult for them to explain why they must continue to undergo training loads if they do not have access to major competitions.

“But after all, we had a similar situation a year and two ago.

– Then the motivation could be mixed with good income and the near prospect of returning to the old life. Now, even when traveling to some local events in Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, athletes are increasingly asking themselves the question: why do those I compete with participate in major tournaments, but I am deprived of this opportunity?

– Do you think it is necessary to try to reduce the value of the Olympic Games in the mind of an athlete?

“We are all biological beings in one way or another, and we are governed by a reward system. Athletes work for extrinsic motivation – winning, money, fame, and all of that drives the dopaminergic system It is impossible to take in and get rid of all of this overnight if you are not a Tibetan monk.

All we can do is try to build an internal motivational system in such a way as to preserve in a person the capacity to strive for development when it is difficult and there is no promised reward. The loads are overwhelming. You have to take a hit and the stress system starts to capitulate, RT quotes Kozhevnikova.

RT