Olympic short track speed skating champion Semyon Elistratov has already opened the season with a performance at the first stage of the Russian Cup.
In an interview with , he talked about motivation, hopes of participating in the 2026 Games, attitude towards neutral status and the new all-around status.
— Semyon, how was the first start of the season?
– All is well. I missed competitions a lot and during summer training, already in August, I said that I wanted to return to competitions as quickly as possible. So I’m happy with my performance, the atmosphere and the fight.
Let’s see what happens next. After all, this is only the beginning of the season, and the main starts are ahead – the Russian Championship at the end of December and in February the Spartakiad of the Strongest, where the prize pool will be played, a kind of alternative to competitions international. So we work, we prepare, and we will have the best seconds at the start.
— Did your summer training go smoothly?
“Everything took place in work mode, with a significant training volume. I and everyone who trains with Andrei Ivanovich Maksimov know that the volume of summer training is designed to allow us to perform at a high level on the international stage if they suddenly say that the time has come to represent the country during international competitions.
And I myself, despite the fact that we are racing in Russia, treat myself as demanding as possible.
— Do you think admission can take place now?
“I still have that faith, like many great athletes. Whatever happens, I think you have to be honest with yourself, with the staff and with those who support me. During the period without international competitions, I still don’t allow myself to relax. Of course, I believe and hope that in a bright future we will perform on the international stage.
I read interviews about the end of a career, and in 90% of cases the main reason is most often the lack of international practice.
— The most common question now is: are you ready to act neutrally?
– That’s actually a very good question. There is a difference between how we behaved in a neutral situation in 2018, under restrictions in 2022, and what is proposed today. It seems to me that in this situation the president of our great country should say whether we are acting in a neutral position or not. I would like the Ministry of Sports, the Russian Olympic Committee and the President of the Skating Union to clarify this issue.
So I can’t give a definitive answer yet. It depends on too many factors and we don’t know what circumstances will happen in the near future.
— What do you think of the change in sporting citizenship?
— Changing sporting citizenship is a different story each time. Some wish to continue their international career and achieve the dream of an Olympic medal. Everyone has their own story.
— The all-around remained on the calendar, even though the ISU canceled it from its short track calendar. Are you ready to run it?
– I left it, so I’m going to run. I love the 3000m distance and thanks to it, I often got on the podium at the European Championships and I won, I got on the podium at the World Championships. We are preparing for December and plan to have a full event at the end of the year.
— Will you run every race if you feel optimal?
— Last year, I missed the first stage of the Cup due to illness. If there are no such incidents, I will race all stages this season.
Source : MatchTV
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