“I don’t feel sad until I watch videos of international competitions.” Lalenkova announced her retirement

Multiple medalist of the World and European Championships Evgenia Lalenkova spoke to about her decision to end her career and her plans for the future.

— Zhenya, what did you do this summer?

— I trained, I kept myself in shape, I participated in several training camps, I shared my experience. People who have just reached a certain level sometimes wonder how they can even accomplish the task asked by the coach. I experienced this too. Now I was already a clear example when I no longer needed to be forced or look for some kind of motivation. Take it and do it yourself.

“Was there any chance you’d stay?” Is your decision linked to the fact that there are no international competitions?

– This is really the main problem. I started to make the decision to end my career last season. I got sick at one of the stages, but still “drove” to training. And at the time of my illness and all these situations, I realized that everything… Since there is no such competition and when I get sick, no one can help me even in training, There’s no point in me doing that. Here I can no longer get anything, I can only give – help, suggest. In other words, I would just be at a certain level and that’s it.

— Was it sad, or on the contrary, did you let go?

“I’ve been entertaining this idea all season. Even at the Russian Championships in Kemerovo she said this. Zhenya (Evgeniy Lalenkov, Lalenkova’s husband and coach) even said that you can’t do that, you can’t reach the starting line when you have already finished your career in your head. But there was nothing left to do, I convinced myself all season. With this decision, many perspectives open up, a completely different life begins, which is not limited to hotels and ice rinks.

I regret nothing. I don’t feel sad, but only until I watch the video of how I ran at international competitions. Every time I cry, I can’t look at him calmly.

I won’t say that I haven’t accomplished anything, because I’ve never reduced my career to just winning an Olympic medal. I didn’t want to gain anything and lose myself. I didn’t want to be the champion of just one competition. My whole career has developed this way. First there were competitions in childhood, then a junior team and prizes at the Junior World Cup, then a victory in 2013 at the Russian Championship against more experienced girls. Then I came back after the birth of the child and specifically returned to work. My son Nikita was the driving force behind this comeback and winning the medals.

Yes, three Olympic Games could have happened in my career, but only one happened. Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t know. The one that was… It couldn’t have been better.

– You were waiting for it so much! Disappointed because she had “covid”?

– I think that’s why. I struggled with our races, although we already understood from the season that nothing would probably work in the team race. But when Zhenya tells me, as a person who has participated in three Olympics and the fourth as a journalist, that the Olympics are a vacation, and we come and that’s it… It’s like being in prison for one moment. It’s something like that.

— No atmosphere, no joy, only restrictions?

– Yes. Therefore, as soon as the first return flight launched, we immediately told the director Seryozha Gryaztsov: get us tickets.

I was upset that I couldn’t compete in the World All-Around Championships after the Olympics. Everyone has their own attitude towards multiathlon, I like that. No matter how it goes up to a “five”, I give it my all to get the best result possible. When, with a personal best of 7 minutes 13 seconds, I had to run 7 minutes 5 seconds, I arrived and told Viktor Alexandrovich Sivkov, he then helped me lead the distance, that yes, apparently , I should waste these 8 seconds. She got up and did it.

— You experienced a moment in your career with overtraining in Maurizio Marchetto’s group. You didn’t want to finish it then?

— The circumstances were such that Zhenya was finishing at that time and I did not qualify for Sochi. So there was a marriage, a child. I was angry with Maurizio. But even after this season I received an invitation to Viktor Alexandrovich Sivkov’s team and I responded – maybe one day, but not now.

The overtraining situation was difficult. I felt pretty early on that everything was going wrong, but they didn’t listen to me. I asked for the opportunity to work out with a personal trainer because I knew everything was going wrong, but I wasn’t allowed. Maurizio made a plan for me, but I did the same volume on my own.

– Someone will say – the rest did it, the medal was in the team race. Is it true that it’s not for everyone?

“The truth is that I was eight years younger than the others.” The first year, physically, I didn’t do everything, but in the end I ran fast. The next year I felt like a different person, I wanted to work in a general group, I wanted to ride a bike, I felt that this year I could cope with the load – after all, last year , I ran quickly. This played a cruel joke on me.

—Did the body say no?

– Something like that. In September I felt something was wrong, but I started in October. I was even offered to accompany the team to international competitions, at altitude, but the personal trainers told me: of course, you will show results there, but you will surpass yourself. I lived with a friend in Kolomna, sometimes I joined Dmitry Dorofeev’s team. I only did short sections. It was scary: you sink your feet into the starting position and already feel a wave of force leaving you from top to bottom.

— If speed skaters now had different financial conditions, for example like figure skaters or biathlon, would you stay?

– For me, it’s not motivation. During the alternative games, I refused to participate in the mass start; according to the scenario, I would most likely have been right behind Liza Golubeva. But for me, the Russian all-around championship was more important, where the region would give 50,000 rubles and that’s it. Once again, the general competition would be more prestigious for me.

— In other words, the one-time OCD payment, which Stanislav Pozdnyakov spoke about, would not change your mind?

“No such thought crossed my mind. I’m glad that after Pyeongchang we had the opportunity to play in alternative games, it was a real gift, as if “it was because you suffered for so long.”

— I saw that you opened a second account for photo shoots. Is this a way to change?

— I wanted to have additional income. I completed the training in three months, they signed an agreement with me for a trial period, but due to circumstances it was not possible to continue this process.

– What are you doing now? Do you work within the commission of inquiry?

“I’m starting to immerse myself in this work.” I’ve heard flattering reviews about my potential, I already have features assigned to me. This involves the collection of information from athletes and coaches about scholarships, prizes and awards. In addition, there will now be a digitalization of the process on the part of the Ministry of Sports, I do it too.

— You don’t want to be a blogger or influencer?

– Discuss on camera about my greatness? No!

– Maybe young people would listen to why you’re so great.

— I am open in terms of advice on sport, on psychological aspects. I would like to share this. I go to the Vologda region, Irkutsk region, and we discuss various topics. These are not only master classes, but also live communication with athletes. I answer questions on social media.

— You went to an extended meeting of the ROC commission. What did you understand from this information?

— The ROC announced its support for athletes, and that is good, but it is still unclear whether this is a single line with the Ministry of Sports. They spend a lot of money on us, but in fact we only need to prepare for the Russian championships. There is now an excellent opportunity to expand the reserve. We can pass this knowledge on to them, and perhaps it is better to spend more money in this reserve. Yes, we have many experienced athletes who are still leaders and competitive on the world stage, but at the same time they are losing their competitive potential. I am well aware that if we returned to the international scene, there would not be any results straight away, we would have to run for two more years to regain that feeling of fighting shoulder to shoulder with the strongest.

— On the other hand, if Lalenkova runs nearby during training, it will be easier for juniors to grow.

– I thought about it too. They improved a little last year, they now have good competition between them and they will grow in this environment. Moreover, they have already adopted my work discipline.

— Didn’t it bother you that in the ROC commission there were few specific questions from the athletes in the gym? For example, “how will it affect me if I play in a neutral status”?

– I myself know the answer to this question. First you’ll refuse the anthem and the flag, then they’ll let you sign a statement and generally beat you to the ground. We are simply not needed there! Remember what happened at the European Championships in Heerenveen, when our whole team was in quarantine, and the Poles in the same situation said that they arrived at the rink alone and their infected person always walked alone . It worked for them, but not for us. And the fact that now we will be raped is 100%.

People either know how to answer all of these questions, or they are at such a crossroads that they don’t know which question to start with. Yes, you can and probably should go if you know you will win without the flag or anthem. Everyone will know where you come from. And if this is your lifelong dream, then yes, you should do it.

— Do you regret that you and your sport particularly lack media visibility?

— I don’t feel bad for myself, for the sport. But here we ourselves are largely responsible. Our athletes can sometimes afford not to make the podium during competitions. There are no sponsors or levers to regulate this. And according to the press too, they are waiting for you all day – go and answer a few questions.

And I wouldn’t say that many of us want to make such progress in this regard. Vanya Skobrev wanted it and he succeeded. We no longer have such examples.